A Wink and Nod to Torture – Spain – Obama – Misdirection – Transnationalism – The BOPAC Report

The BOPAC Report:

A Wink & Nod to Torture –

Will Spain Genuflect to Obama’s Misdirection?

Recently, I wrote an article concerning the Democratic left’s (Obama & Harold Koh) misguided infatuation with transnationalism, its undermining of American sovereignty and how transnationalism vis-à-vis unforeseen international actions/prejudices could jeopardize Obama’s precarious hold on the Presidency.   I basically warned Mr. Obama that he should be careful what he wished for because he might just get it. Now, the transnational view from the Oval Office reveals more thunder clouds gathering several hundred miles behind the Azores in Spain.

In the Obama Transnational Irony, I recounted…a news article that indicated that “Criminal proceedings have begun in Spain against six senior officials in the Bush administration for the use of torture against detainees in Guantánamo Bay. “  The action appears to be based in part on the fact that the United States is a signatory to the 1984 UN Convention against Torture that requires states to investigate allegations of torture committed on their territory or by their nationals, or extradite them to stand trial elsewhere.  The argument goes that because these six officials were giving critical advice to President Bush, without which “it would have been impossible to structure a legal framework that supported what happened [in Guantánamo]“, they can be held criminally liable.

If Spain does issue arrest warrants for Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, Douglas Feith, William Haynes, John Yoo or Jay Bybee and subsequently seeks extradition, Obama is going to be put in a fairly difficult position.

…If Obama orders or causes a real criminal investigation of these individuals or extradition, surely he will be opening himself up to Dr. Orly Taitz’s eligibility dragon raising its head and talons coming to the aid of these defendants.  Dr. Orly Taitz is one of a number of attorneys across the country who have brought over 50 lawsuits challenging Obama’s eligibility to serve as President of the United States….

If Obama is in fact not eligible to serve, he cannot legally order extradition and his appointment of Mr. Holder would also be invalid. To date no judge has allowed an evidentiary hearing on the merits of the basic allegation that Obama is not a “natural born citizen” under the Constitution.  However, given that the rights of the criminally accused to be heard, confront their accusers and to due process are paramount in American Jurisprudence that might have to change.

A day or two after writing the Obama Transnational Irony, it began to look like Obama had managed, either through luck or some sort of backroom wheeling and dealing, to avoid the possibility that his probable lack of eligibility to serve as President of the United States would be raised as a defense in a criminal proceeding.  The Attorney General of Spain was recommending that matter be dropped.

However, this week it appears that Spain is continuing on its crusade against anything – anywhere that has even a hint of coerciveness to it, regardless of the views of their Attorney General.  It seems Spain might be suffering from some sort of internalized guilt from their history during the Spanish Inquisition and under Francisco Franco’s rule; and now, they’re assuming the role of Don Quixote de la Mancha.  In my opinion, Don Quixote had a much better grasp of reality and dangers faced in the world than the modern day Spanish judges, who appear only to pander to public opinion of ostridges.   One Spanish judge has recently made a procedurally required inquiry to U.S. authorities seeking to find out if their targets were currently the subjects of judicial inquiry.  A different Spanish judge has started another probe into torture allegations at Gitmo and a third is asking to interrogate eight Chinese officials concerning deaths and/or disappearance of hundreds/thousands of Tibetans.   (I’m only going to address the torture aspect involving Americans.)

Earlier, I had suggested a few options available to Mr. Obama to try to avoid Spain’s pesky transnational interference with the limits of what advisors to the President should be allowed to proffer.  Obama’s Administration has added a clever twist one of these.

…He will need to either start a criminal investigation here in the United States or deal with an extradition request from Spain.   It might be possible for him, with a wink and a nod, to start an investigation and conclude the accused were simply giving advice that every President needs to govern and end it; or he might start an investigation and drag it out until he’s out of office.  I believe the wink and nod would have to be there for Obama to pull that off….

Obama has been in the uncomfortable position of having to placate his mostly irrational Democratic left, trying to keep some level of CIA intelligence coming in from those who do the interrogating, and trying to show Spain that he is handling the matter (providing political cover) so they will drop their investigations.

First, Obama tried to float the let’s just move on argument that it would serve no purpose to pursue criminally members of the Bush Administration. We want to look forward and not back. That blew a fuse with the far left. Moveon.org said move back and think again.

Then, in less than 24 hours, Obama came out and said that the CIA interrogators would not be pursued if they acted within the four corners of the interrogation documents.  But as for others in the Bush Administration, he would leave it up to Holder.  This sent a chill through the CIA and increases the likelihood that we will not be able to discover as many terrorist plots because we now have a gun shy CIA.  (In the Art of War, Sun Tzu expresses his deep awareness that foreknowledge is a critical factor for success in war and that foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits.  It comes from people.)

…Those in intelligence are “gong to become increasingly wary about doing dangerous things,” Lowenthal said. “They feel at the end of the day they won’t be covered. It’s not irreparable right now, but it’s problematic.”…

Now, Obama is allowing the release of many more troubling photographs and refusing to provide any memos/documentation showing how successful these interrogation techniques have been.  In fact, these interrogation techniques have provided critical information that prevented a 9/11 type attack in Los Angeles and another planned attack against the Brooklyn Bridge saving many lives.

Of course, Obama has given several speeches condemning torture, apologizing to the world, saying that Churchill never condoned “torture.”  However, he was totally mistaken.

And finally, we find out that Mr. Holder is not likely to prosecute these former Bush officials, but may try to get several of these individuals (Yoo & Bybee of California) disciplined by their respective Bar Associations.  Disbarment is in fact a very fairly sever punishment for an attorney or Judge.  Lucky for Mr. Gonzales, he is from Texas and Texans seem to use more “common sense” when balancing interrogation and preventing the possible deaths of thousands, if not millions, of Americans.  (This Justice Department inquiry may be released in the coming weeks.)

All of these self-serving actions put America’s security and her troops in greater danger by telegraphing to our enemies just how far we will go (allowing enemies to prepare against our interrogation attempts) and by casting a disparaging light on our military and CIA personnel (undermining moral and resolve). Obama epitomizes the President who looks at the issues of interrogation, “torture”, and war through the lens of one beholding to the people who got him elected.   To appease his supporters and cover his liabilities, Obama seems willing to do whatever he can as quickly as possible.

However, the group most culpable for endangering America’s security is the American media.  Their Bush hating war reporting during the last eight years has emboldened our enemies and caused a concurrent lack of resolve in the American people. The media’s gushing support for and failure to vet candidate Obama brought to power the most divisive and extreme person ever to sit in the Oval Office.  (Rezko, Ayers, Socialism, Larry Sinclair, ACORN, campaign funding issues and lack of “natural born citizen” status should have derailed Obama’s candidacy early on.)

Will America’s enemies respond positively to Obama’s apologies and showings of weakness?  I doubt it and the damage can’t be undone easily.

Will this last step of hoping bar discipline to allow Obama to once again sidestep answering the allegations that he is not a “natural born citizen”- and is therefore ineligible to hold the Office of the Presidency?  Maybe so, since Holder vis-à-vis Obama would not be involved. (Passing the buck to protect the golden goose?)

Will the self-righteous left be placated?  Seems unlikely to me.

However, the bigger question is – Will Spain be placated by this result and submissively genuflect to Obama because he’s basically one of them, a transnationalist, who has gotten himself into a pickle with this whole birth certificate/eligibility mess? It depends if Spanish judges, looking at Obama’s wink and nod of political cover, believe it is sufficient for them.

It’s probably appropriate to share my opinion/bias about war and interrogation.

I am strongly opposed to torture.

But-

With the exception of water-boarding being used only when “ABSOLUTELY” necessary, the interrogation techniques that were described in the memos that Obama released do not constitute “torture during war” if the individuals subjected were legitimately believed to have actionable intelligence that could prevent loss of life at the hands of terrorists and the methods were carefully monitored.  I realize that this is a broad harsh statement and arguments are always present concerning who is defining who a “terrorist” is, what a “legitimate belief” is, what “careful monitoring” is, and what our ethics are.

Interrogations are not pleasant and they certainly should bother everyone involved – the interrogator and the people interrogators are trying to protect.  Harsh interrogation must never become common place; but it must be recognized that under certain circumstances, circumstances where lives are at stake, we must have interrogators who can do what we and they hate.  (I do believe that if an interrogator truly enjoys the rough stuff, they need find some other way to serve.)

Rough techniques, much rougher than those described in the memos, have been used by almost all countries when lives are at stake.  I certainly believe that Obama would try to get CIA interrogators to utilize every technique if people he loved were in imminent danger.  However, considering the recent political actions of Obama regarding interrogation techniques and possible prosecutions, it is possible that interrogators would refuse out of fear Obama would send the Justice Department after them at some later date.

Interrogations are not nice and wars are horrific.  Wars are horrific so as to be avoided if at all possible. However, sometimes both are unavoidable.  It would be great if Obama could get information from terrorists with foot rubs and Jacuzzis; and fight wars with paint balls.  However, when fighting a determined adversary, the only thing such thinking will accomplish is defeat, loss of liberty and even greater loss of life.  We don’t live in a politically correct world and we can’t fight wars that are politically correct on one side and hope to remain free or even survive in the face of the Sharia world as envisioned by people such as the President of Iran.

There is a differentiation between the ethics we have when survival is at stake and those when we are at peace. There are basic survival instincts that shape and compromise our abilities to hold high and ideal ethics. There are also desperate situations that call upon individuals to bend society’s ethics for the moment, regretfully, but resolutely. If your children are hungry or seriously ill, the ethics of taking a loaf of bread that you can’t pay for pales in comparison.  Ethics are struggle. They are not black or white – in life or war.  (Unless you’re a politician or in the main stream media, then your ethics can seemingly go as far as you can get away with.) What would you parents do to keep your daughter from being forced to wear a burka? What would you parents do to keep your son from be forced to change his religion to suit Sharia law? What would you parents do to keep your children alive? Would you say to the interrogator please do what you need to do to stop this – I thank and forgive you?  The interrogators hopefully understand that your children are in jeopardy, that their lives, freedoms and futures are at stake.  Hopefully, with your forgiveness, their own, and their God’s – they will make it though the days remaining to them.

I do realize that there are some who genuinely believe that it is better to perish rather than lift a hand in anger or self defense, and they live that way. Are they walking unattached in this world, unattached to this world, unattached to country, unattached even unto themselves? Christ like? I don’t know. However, it seems that such a position takes a lot of courage and awareness.  I suspect their numbers are very few; and that for most who profess such belief, it is more or less a notion that has not been put to the test. Regarding the far, far left, it seems me that they are mainly dominated by self-righteous, intolerant, arrogant, America bashing elitists. One thing that’s for certain, America can’t count on them to protect our friends, family, freedoms or Constitution.

My thanks go to the United States Military and militaries of our allies.

Unless a person is one of the very few as described above, the following quote sums up my feelings on defense of family, freedom, America and her Constitution:

A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
John Stuart Mill

My fear is that one day many may come to believe that under Obama’s ideology and control, America has ceased to be something that is worth fighting for.  If the people who Janet Napolitano believes could be domestic terrorists won’t fight for America, who will? Barney Frank? Chris Dodd? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Chris Matthews? Katie Couric? ACORN? The extreme left? The Media? George Soros?

We are not there yet, but our rights and freedoms are being quickly eroded by the Obama Administration and Congress.  We need to organize and vote out people who are not fiscally responsible, vote out people who do not adhere to the Constitution, and vote out people who are more concerned with their own power than the people’s power.  We need to boycott companies like GM, Chrysler, Citigroup and others who are acting as parasites clinging to the nation’s teat.  We need to buy from companies like Ford who reject government control of business.

If America ever does become something, whose ideals and values are not worth fighting for, the only advice I can give is to sell your stock in Anheuser-Busch, iron your burkas and grow your beards because life is a changing – for the WORSE!

Barack ‘The Silencer’ Obama’s Gangland Assault on Free Speech (by Michelle Malkin) – Stanley Kurtz,

This is from http://www.gopusa.com

Barack ‘The Silencer’ Obama’s Gangland Assault on Free Speech
By Michelle Malkin
August 29, 2008

Where are all the free speech absolutists when you need them? Over the past month, left-wing partisans and Democratic lawyers have waged a brass-knuckled intimidation campaign against GOP donors, TV and radio stations, and even an investigative journalist because they have all dared to question the radical cult of Barack Obama. A chill wind blows, but where the valiant protectors of political dissent are, nobody knows.

On August 11, I called the American Civil Liberties Union national headquarters in New York for comment about the Chicago gangland tactics of one of these groups — a nonprofit called “Accountable America” that is spearheaded by a former operative of the Obama-endorsing MoveOn outfit.

“Accountable America” is trolling campaign finance databases and targeting conservative donors with “warning” letters in a thuggish attempt to depress Republican fundraising. (You’ll be interested to know that the official registered agent of Accountable America is Laurence Gold, a high-powered attorney for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) who has testified before the Senate complaining about the use of campaign finance laws to stifle the speech of union workers — a pet cause of the ACLU.)

The ACLU press office failed to respond to my initial call. On August 13, I followed up through e-mail:

“I called on Monday requesting a statement from the ACLU about Accountable America’s intimidation campaign against GOP donors. What is the ACLU’s position with regard to such efforts? Waiting for your statement…”

ACLU press officer Pamela Bradshaw e-mailed back:

“Michelle, My apologies that I cannot be of more assistance, but we don’t have anyone available. Thanks, Pam.”

My reply: “Pam — Does this mean you don’t have anyone available today, this week, or for the foreseeable future?”

On August 20, after a week of silence, I forwarded the message again to the ACLU press office. No response.

So, I won’t bother asking the ACLU’s opinion of the latest wave of speech-squelching moves by the Obama campaign:

On Monday, Obama demanded that the Justice Department stop TV stations from airing a documented, accurate independent ad spotlighting Obama’s longtime working relationship with unrepentant Weather Underground terrorist Bill Ayers. Obama summoned his followers to bombard stations, many of them owned by conservative-leaning Sinclair Communications, with 93,000 e-mails to squelch the commercial.

On Tuesday, the Obama campaign sent another letter to the Justice Department demanding investigation and prosecution of American Issues Project, the group that produced the Ayers ad, as well as Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons, who funded it.

And on Wednesday, Obama exhorted his followers to sabotage the WGN radio show of veteran Chicago host and University of Chicago Professor Milt Rosenberg. Why? Because he invited National Review writer Stanley Kurtz to discuss his investigative findings about Obama’s ties to Ayers and the underwhelming results of their collaboration on a left-wing educational project sponsored by the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. The “Obama Action Wire” supplied Rosenberg’s call-in line and talking points like this:

Page 2 of 2

“Tell WGN that by providing Kurtz with airtime, they are legitimizing baseless attacks from a smear-merchant and lowering the standards of political discourse. … It is absolutely unacceptable that WGN would give a slimy character assassin like Kurtz time for his divisive, destructive ranting on our public airwaves.”

Behind the glowing, peaceful facade lies Barack “The Silencer” Obama and his silent enablers on the left. While mainstream journalists schmoozed with liberal celebrities in Denver, practiced yoga with left-wing bloggers and received massages at the Google convention tent near touchy-feely Barackopolis, Team Obama was on an ugly, aggressive warpath sanctioned by Mr. Civility. While compassionate Obama prepared to stand before thousands of worshipers at Invesco Field, purporting to give voice to the voiceless, his Chicago-schooled campaign machine was working overtime to muzzle conservative critics. “We want it to stop,” ordered one pro-Obama caller to WGN.

Welcome to the future: the politics of Hope and Change enforced by the missionaries of Search and Destroy.

Obama, Media, Jounalists Trampling on the Sacrifice of Our Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers

American Journalists are Trampling the Sacrifice of Our Fathers, Mothers, Sisters and Brothers

(Unfortunately, the Journalists taking part in this travesty far outnumber the headstones at Normandy)

Whether it is because the Journalist cherishes the idea of breaking a barrier such as electing a person of color (possibly their own), or the Journalist simply wants to be a part of facilitating such a history making event, or the Journalist is desperate for a change of party (possibly to their own), or the Journalist is just taking sides, or the Journalist fears criticizing the candidate out of fear of being labeled racist, or the Journalist fears repercussions from their bosses, or the Journalist fears repercussions from their community, or the Journalists fears hurting their 12 year olds feelings if they criticize the 12 year old’s candidate – if a Journalist could lay claim to all of these reasons, they would still fall incredibly short of justifying the decision to not fully undertake their professional responsibilities owed to general public during the election process for President of The United States of America.

During election years, the duty or trust owed to the public is at its highest and should be undertaken vigilantly by the Journalist. It is the duty to truthfully and comprehensively inform. So when the voter goes into the voting booth, he or she can feel confident that they have as much accurate information about the candidates as one could reasonably expect. It is a high standard that the Journalist must meet. If a Journalist is doing their job, it sometimes will hurt when information is discovered that lessens their own candidate’s chances. However, the good Journalist would disclose it as fairly and accurately as they could even though it hurt.

Why does the Journalist need to disclose damaging information about a candidate? To put it simply, it is the job of the Journalist and it sometimes requires courage. The more meaningful reason is that since the birth of this Nation, we have faced peril at home and aboard. Our Freedoms exist today because American’s of all ages, genders, colors, and ethnicities have answered when called and stood tall to defend these Freedoms. No matter what political party, or what ethnicity, or color, or gender a Journalist fits into, every Journalist stands in liberty upon the shoulders of those who have answered the call. The soldiers, the diplomats, the cooks, the farmers, the mechanics, the riveters, the men, the women, families, and yes, the Journalists – all have made extraordinary sacrifices when our Freedoms have been threatened in the past.

We would not have free and fair elections if it were not for those courageous individuals who have come before. Free & Fair are the operative words that underpin the process, it is what turns a process into one of our Freedoms. Therefore, as a Freedom, our election process surely must be protected. As we all have experienced or read in history books, the process has needed protection in years past and it will need protecting in the years to come. Fair and committed Journalists are on the front line in protecting this vital Freedom, our elections.

I realize that when I about freedoms, liberties, and other ideals that come to mind when talking about America, it can sound a bit preachy. I am not a preacher. (Depending on the issue is being discussed; I may come down right, left, center or some combination of the three.) I am however a Veteran and I have also served in other positions with government. So when I talk about service to country – it is a broad inclusive concept. For this topic though, shame is probably the only thing that has even a remote possibility of reaching our Journalists today; and even that won’t work for the one with the leg tingling issue. Regrettably, it also seems that attempting to shame someone can sound preachy. However, since this is a critically important election, so I’ll continue.

In this election, it is almost impossible to argue with a straight face, that Senators Obama and McCain are receiving the same attention, scrutiny, and criticism by the media. Senator McCain has been vetted for 20 plus years by Journalists. Senator Obama is the man of the moment who is filling a pair of shoes poised to cross into the history books. To many in the media, it doesn’t appear to matter what the Senator is actually saying. (Many fairly bizarre statements come out when he doesn’t have a script.) Journalists are not seeing, listening, or most importantly, they are not investigating. They only seem to care that this particular pair of shoes cross the line with someone in them.

When good Journalist’s do their jobs correctly, they keep their senses keen in order to discover relevant information, facts, and their implications. They investigate, probe, question, analyze, and compile findings. Finally, they report the findings fairly and accurately about the candidates. It should not matter what party a candidate is from to a good Journalist. At press conferences, they ask fair, but hard questions of the candidates regarding their findings. They don’t fall in love with either the politician or the idea of a historic event. Attraction does not matter in regards to a Journalist’s responsibility to the voters.

If rumors, facts, or allegations point to something important that voters need to know, the good Journalist must investigate and ask the questions as long as questions remain. It is not the answer so much as the asking, investigation, and verification that are critical to maintain free and fair elections.

In Senator Obama’s case, a great many substantial questions remain either unanswered, inadequately answered, or have never been properly investigated. Some of the questions that beg for a good Journalist’s skills regard: The Senator’s experience; his voting record in Illinois concerning major issues; the development and influences affecting his ideology (Marxist/Socialist?); his past associations (Wright, Farrakhan, Ayers and company, Rezko and company, etc.) and their impact on him; all possible financial arrangements, obligations, fund transfers or favors regarding Rezko and company; the allegations of Larry Sinclair involving gay sex and drug use with the Senator in 1999; the allegations of improper loans, grants or transfers of monies from any organization for which the Senator served on the board ( Woods Fund); the issues that could be reveled, clarified or resolved relating to the Senator’s failure to release his birth certificate, Illinois Bar application, medical records; etc. etc. etc.

During Presidential elections, when people who hold themselves out as professional journalists fail to do their jobs, we are all cheated and our democracy is weakened. I really don’t understand how such people, who owe both their Freedoms and professions to the courageous upon whose shoulders they stand, can look in the mirror each day.

When I think about my father’s service as an Infantryman in Patton’s 3^rd Army fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, and latter as a guard at the Nuremberg War Trials of some of the Germans responsible for the Holocaust, and the effects his service had on him; I appreciate him even more. Partly because of his service, I try never to take for granted all the blessings we have just by virtue of being lucky enough to have been born in this country. There are millions of people like my father who have sacrificed for all of us. I thank them.

Then when I watch today’s Journalists swoon over, protect, fail to report damaging information, toss softball questions, and/or fail to investigate legitimate issues regarding a candidate for the Presidency; I worry that many Journalists and Americans don’t really care if our democracy continues.

And that my friend makes me sad.

Okay now I will be preachy. Remember Billy Graham events. At the end, when the guy with the nice deep voice would sing, and Rev. Graham would fold his hands and pray. Okay. That’s the scene. One difference, the audience is made up only of the Journalist’s I’ve been talking about. Rev. Graham speaks: You who are seated and feel the pull of your responsibility. You know who you are. I want you to get up right now and COME. Don’t worry about the people around you. They’ll wait. COME. I want you to come right now – down front because you can’t accept your responsibility in the dark. You must accept it in public. The Voters have been waiting on you to accept your responsibility for months now. Now is the time. Answer the call, COME. Down front you will find some Voters who you can share your information with and your commitment to do the best you can from this moment. COME. You folks seeing this on your computer screen. You need to encourage the Journalists you see making their way down the isles. Reward them with your attention. Amen

Obama’s Left – A Trojan Horse (Donkey) Approaches

This election is one of the most important in our history for many reasons. The most important of these is that for the first time our government could be in a situation where primarily only the voices coming from the extreme left could very well dominate the discussion and legislative action regarding the critical issues facing our country’s future for years to come.

Let me say, there’s nothing inherently wrong with an individual’s strong attachment to an idea, party or belief system. That’s where our passions are grounded and is many times the essential element necessary to effectuate change or societal betterment. For the possessors of passion, honor is bestowed and deserved. However, frequently accompanying deeply held beliefs and/or ideas, a danger lurks and can infect the entire process of reaching solutions for responsible change. The arrogance of self-assuredness, the belief that my ideas are the ones we all must follow in order to be enlightened or saved rears its ugly head.

Ideally, if honest problem solving processes can continue unabated beyond such attachments to philosophies or ideas, a willingness to discuss issues, solutions, and possible consequences within the context of today’s reality will be revealed. Parties would be engaged and listening carefully to all sides until the facts, predicted consequences and opinions converge and are agreed upon. Even though sometimes it might be necessary, people would let go of deeply held views – if that is not the direction that the solution should go or if the past has proven that the idea(s) has failed in the past. Over and over, it has been shown that many of the ideas the far left is proposing do not work (over regulation, higher taxes, weak defense, bigger government, creating dependence on government, punishing business for being successful, socialism, etc.).

Regrettably, recent history also demonstrates that the extreme left has not shown a propensity to engage in the process of discussion other than as a ruse or pretext to further their aims. Surely, everyone has noticed the way Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi have run the legislative branches of our government. What they have not done, is govern with an eye towards responsible solutions. Everything they do is carefully orchestrated to score political points and shift blame in order to try and gain a veto proof majority in 2008. Where are the Blue Dog Democrats today? Why are they not standing up?

Notice the eyebrows and defenses going up when the extremes of any thing (pro, con, right, left, climate change issue, etc.) interact? Suspicions lay ever present beneath the surface, beneath the words exchanged. Instead of discussion, proponents and opponents immediately begin looking for ways to impose their wills on everyone else. Forgive me, but I do like discussion, trying to find real solutions to problems, looking carefully at current realities, and reasoned predictions of consequences. Honest and legitimate debate is a rare but good occurrence. In today’s political environment, issues are mostly haggled over in more of a pandering and plotting manner. Be that as it may, this current bickering is much better than the possibility of having the left take control of our government.

The extreme left rarely rests upon one individual issue or another as their ultimate goal. Theirs is a goal of domination of the “entire” process and relegation of opposition forces to a dark corner. I suppose the same could be said for some within the Republican Party, but to a lesser degree. The difference is that their agenda would not dismantle our economic and governmental systems and replace them with a socialist system of bureaucratic dominion.

Give any group a substantial majority in elective office and we have a recipe for disaster if their goals are in reality directly opposed to the heart felt desires and understandings of most Americans. However, the only possible way this could occur is if the media participates in the glossing over or cover-up of such radical views through carefully crafted presentations and representations in the news. If the media were to build a figurative Trojan Horse for candidates that hold the same view as theirs, and we invite them in through the election process, then we might wake up to find that the horse’s belly has opened and our freedoms have been co-opted and effectively destroyed. At least until things become so bad or we are attacked again, then maybe we would vote them out or rebel.

Here’s the bad news: The troubling reality is that the situation describe above is exactly what is occurring.

Senator Obama is that Trojan Horse (Donkey) and the media has assumed the role of protecting him, his image and his presidential bid.

The media continues to protect Sen. Obama from:

· The allegations that stem from his involvement in Chicago politics and convicted criminal Tony Rezko. The sweetheart land deals, the political favors, the payoffs, the corruption.

· The hate speech and black liberation theology spewing from his church, ministers, friends.

· His long time associations many who support moving to a Marxist or socialist form of government.

· His lack of experience.

· His responsibility for the intimidation that his supporters are using to police the internet in order to scrub away opinions critical of Sen. Obama.

· The problems surrounding the questions of where he was born and the circumstances around his birth. Questions about his eligibility to be President. Why an altered birth certificate was put up on the Internet by his supporters?

· The lies and inconsistencies that arise from the allegations of Larry Sinclair. The allegations that Mr. Sinclair and Sen. Obama engaged in the illegal use of crack cocaine and gay sex in 1999. This drug use came much later that what the Senator described in his books.

· The legitimate issues that follow Senator Obama concerning his legislative record. Example: Illinois state legislature in 2002, he voted against the Induced Birth Infant Liability Act. The bill was designed to extend the same medical care to babies who happen to survive an abortion attempt as is enjoyed by all babies born alive.

· The Senator’s plans to effectively gut the military budget.

· The Senator’s long held position of being invested in our defeat in Iraq without regard to the possible consequences to Iraq, the region or our military should we pull out prematurely.

· His friendship and associations with William Ayer and his wife, persons who are unrepentant regarding their roles in the bombing of the Pentagon.

Unfortunately, the above list continues to grow as new items are discovered. If the media were to do their jobs, there would be no possibility that Senator would acquire the Democratic nomination, much less the Presidency of the United States.

In conclusion, I sincerely hope you will start demanding that the media start conducting itself in a professional, journalistic and unbiased manner. Most likely you will be ignored. Additionally, if you feel you must vote for Obama, I urge you to also vote for divided government to act as a check to his potential power. If he really can work across the isle, build bridges, build consensus – make him prove it. But whatever you do, please do not turn our freedoms over to the extreme left without investigating Sen. Obama for yourself, even though it requires some effort.

Obama Oh Mama

Obama Oh Mama

The Temptation, The Mantra, The Consequences

When Senator Obama burst on the scene, I watched and listened as I found time. I was somewhat intrigued by his style and oratory skills. I even commented to someone that I think that I could consider him as one of my possible choices. I did look at him. I did my homework. Unfortunately, the more I learned the more concern grew within me. I really wanted to believe. I did. But, as the song says, “That was yesterday and yesterday’s gone.”

So what did I want to believe?

I was hoping for a catalyst for the particular reality that I desired. I wanted to believe that as Americans, we would all come together to face the very real problems that confront us with conviction of purpose, realistically, remaining fiscally responsible, principled, and compassionate.

Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces.
Sigmund Freud

My hoping for a catalyst met the reality of my homework, my experience, and the reality of reality as I see it. Just believing in Obama is not enough for me. However, it seems to be enough for a lot of other Americans. Just believing, it suffices for many without even looking at the details. I’m reminded of Oz and the necessity of not looking behind the curtain. However, when the curtains were drawn back, the characters were left with themselves, their individual talents, and their own responsibility to find the way.

Since most people are aware of these truths, I have to conclude that there is some strong Temptation at work that would cause seemingly reasonable people to put their critical eyes away, turn them off. Could it be The Show that is causing this suspension of disbelief? I hope so. I am comforted by the fact that even in the midst of this election drama, most people recognize to varying degrees that the media is a central part of the production, promoting the illusions. It also seems possible that there is a powerful director at work; and that Obama is only a character in a show that made full use of the art of illusion. However, remembering Freud again[i]:

Just as no one can be forced into belief, so no one can be forced into unbelief.
Sigmund Freud

I do hope that when the lights in the theater come up and the eyes start to focus, people will see clearly again.

So what is this Temptation?

I think it’s a pretty simple one. We have had a lot of turmoil in our lives these past few years. Just a few of these are: 9/11, Afghanistan War, the Iraq war, War on Terror, gas prices, inflation, growing populations demanding more finite resources, predictions of recession or worse, the media painting gloom and doom ever second of every day. Whew, I’m exhausted just thinking about them as I write. For many of the youngest voters, they would have been in their early teens when the worst of the turmoil began for the U.S.

The Temptation must be exhaustion pure and simple. We all want to be transported somewhere where all is bliss. I too wish we all could do just that. Just say Oh Mama, take the hurt away. So, we put in place our individual ‘I’m looking for a Rose Garden’ filter though which to evaluate Senator Obama. We say his name and it sounds like Oh Mama. We listen to the words, the words that matter, because he said words matter. We watch what should be issues and despicable people slide away from him, because he matters and he said that’s just the old way of politics. He’s the holder of our escape key. Why not him? He’s not President Bush, he’s not a Republican.[ii]

We so want relief that we ignore the possible catastrophic consequences of the choice of Obama. We hope against hope. We double down our bets.

We forget that our freedoms have always needed defending. They need defending from forces aboard and forces at home. They need defending against politicians and the media pursuing their own interests. Most importantly, they need defending against the innate desire of Government to grow to the point that it controls everything. That is one of the realities of life – Liberty must be defended or it will cease to exist.

The liberty of the individual is no gift of civilization. It was greatest before there was any civilization.
Sigmund Freud

I also fear that one of Freud’s[iii] other quotes may be proving itself to be true this very year, this very election:

Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.
Sigmund Freud

Or maybe some are just lazy? Oh Mama please don’t let it hurt. So here we are.

The current reality is this: The ‘I’m looking for a Rose Garden’ filters are on; many people have several pairs just in case they lose one.

What do you we need when we are looking for escape and a better place?

Quick answer: “Change We Can Believe In” – we need a mantra. It works because that’s what Obama’s people are hoping for. Change!!! Consequences? What consequences? Iran? Israel? Iraq? Job Loss? Higher Gas Prices? I have my filters on and only roses & daisies grow out of The Obama’s change. I like roses & daisies.

What makes a perfect fit?

I believe Senator Obama was hand picked to fit the mantra, and not the other way around.

Authenticity, oratory skills, family, church, charisma, charm, looks, tall, and prior admissions all work together to create the allure and illusion of honesty. In his books, he admitted to some prior drug use as a very young man so that issue is disarmed. He held it up as a growing lesson. Oh Mama would be proud. By that admission – he, the DNC, and the media have been able to deflect most other issues.

Why is it authentic?

I imagine it starting out in his mind as “Change I Can Believe In.” It’s then a small step to change the personal pronoun to ‘We’ and deliver the line with sincerity.

A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them: they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world.

Sigmund Freud

Dr. Freud’s statement seems to be a better reflection of the kind change Sen. Obama’s campaign believes in. Getting the complexes (or complexities) of his life in accord in order to present the Image his handler(s), director(s), & puppeteer(s) desire works for both them and the Senator. However, downing playing the fact that they (the complexes) legitimately are what directs his conduct in the world, is critical to the illusion’s possibilities of success. It’s all politics. It’s all Chicago politics. It’s all smoke and mirrors.

This is a Senator with less than ½ a year in the Senate, little or no detailed knowledge of economies and their interrelationships globally, no experience in international diplomacy, no military experience. To give the appearance that he knows anything, the puppet masters are hard at work. Even with the ‘I’m looking for a Rose Garden’ filters, these facts should shatter the illusion.

This illusion of accord of Obama’s complexes allows/requires the Senator to need such a large bus under which to throw his friends, ministers, his family, anyone who gets in the way of the mission. Don’t let anyone fool you. They are delicately placed under the bus with pillows and their cooperation. We will see and pay homage to the entire list of racists, bigots, Marists, terrorists, Pentagon bombers who guided and shaped the Senators true moral/political beliefs and career in Chicago. They will probably be guests in the Lincoln Bedroom. So why is the DNC moving to Chicago? More power and influence of Obama’s network perhaps?

Do I have to go through the list of close associations? Rev. Wright, Ayers, Rezko and his associates, etc., etc., etc.

What corruption and illegal conduct alleged in Chicago is the Senator, the puppet masters, the media hiding, playing down, or covering up? Sweet heart land deals? Pay Offs? Bribes? Political favors and/or money?

What about Larry Sinclair’s allegations that in the not too distant past 1999 (much later than he states in his books), he and Senator Obama engaged in the illegal use of crack cocaine and gay sex? Oh Mama what would his mama say about that one?

What’s the role of the media in all of this puppetry, illusion and cover-up?

The change he believes in is getting elected and beginning to dismantle our economy to create a socialist nation with almost total government control. You think things are bad now. Oh Mama just you wait. When gas is $10.00 a gallon, when food prices rise faster than wages, when millions of jobs are lost just because businesses say screw this – let’s either close shop or go overseas. Then maybe you will want a chance to cast your vote again.

This all brings me finally back to Sigmund Freud:

Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces.
Sigmund Freud

Bits, not bits, boulders of reality are knocking against these illusions. Please wake up. You can even complain a little. But, wake up. The Senator has not gotten his complexes or complexities in accord to my knowledge. He even still smokes! However, his main complex is that he seems like a professional scammer. Oh Mama, Oh Mama. God help us.

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[i] I like Freud; however, there is a lot that I take exception with. He does give us some great quotes though.

[ii] I really hope people realize the role the media has had in elevating the level of animosity towards President Bush and the Republican brand. Everyone has their faults, but theirs have been unjustly tarnished and elevated by a group that is supposed to be the objective observer. Phewy!

[iii] This is my – I’m using Freud for all my quotes article.

Senator Obama’s Patriotism – a Veteran’s Perspective

Patriotism is the cloak we wear to announce our love of country and our bond to our neighbors. It reflects our commitment to each other and to the ideas upon which this country was founded. It is that which trumpets the chorus “We Stand Together.” The threads are our highest and noblest principles and they remind us to be vigilant in regard to their protection, lest they become bare, frayed, distorted and lose their luster. It is not blind obedience, but is thoughtful and reflective. It is that of a caretaker. Mindfully practiced, it can shape the essence of the individual and thus be reflected in our society. It is a simple thing and is profound in its potential.

It is also a simple and profound thing that occurs when it is neglected, distorted, or diminished. We lose the We. The We becomes strangers who have forgotten what price has been paid in blood for our individual Freedoms and Obligations. The We becomes we who are less committed and connected to our neighbors and common values. When the cloak is removed, it is harder to recognize from a distance what principles are within the heart, what they are striving for.

Patriotism is not a dangerous word when it is grounded in precious truths that we have to aspire to and frequently fall short of. It is not a dangerous word when it is practiced sincerely, inclusively and humbly. It is the journey of a group that wants the Nation to radiate warmth and love. It is why individuals have the courage to stand up to the government when the nation’s principles seem to be lost or off tract. Because the principles mean something, many hearts weep when the next generation appears to have forgotten or never were taught about the journey, the price. Freedom is not free and there are those that would take it away.

Just as Senator Obama said in February during this election cycle, “Don’t tell me words don’t matter. ‘I have a dream.’ Just words? ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.’ Just words? ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words? Just speeches?” I agree with the Senator that words do matter.

I would also add, “Don’t tell me that symbols don’t matter. Putting your hand over your heart when saying the Pledge. Just a symbol. Treating the Flag with reverence. Just a symbol. Wearing a Flag lapel pin. Just a symbol. And guess what, – symbols matter. It should matter even more for the representatives of our government. It is a part of being mindful about our freedom. It is part of showing the next generation that these ideals are the principles of this Nation. These principles are why our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters are called upon sometimes to risk losing their lives. Symbols matter. They slow the decay of ideas by causing us to remember.

That is why this photo creates in me such distress. Sen. Obama might become President and he doesn’t have a clue about what being Patriotic means. There is a level of arrogance in his actions that slaps everyone who has had to answer the call to arms. I believe he refers to us as the clingers. The clingers to guns and religion whose forefathers founded this great country and in January of 2009 might become his subjects. The Senator seems to only see the negative in America and not its strengths. He must have learned that from his pastor.

“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.”
William J. Clinton

NOTE

To Follow the Larry Sinclair story that the media is trying to suppress and for up to date information regarding Mr. Larry Sinclair’s allegations, “Senator Obama and Larry Sinclair engaged in the illegal use of cocaine and engaged in gay sex in 1999”, see links below:

Larry Sinclair’s Blog

CitizenWell’s Blog

Obambi.com Blog