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Hold Obama Accountable
The major question in the news is if Obama’s unilateral action of negotiating with a terrorist organization is legal? Recently, the POW, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was freed after the Obama administration released five high-level Taliban members from the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
The release of these terrorist combatants completely diverges from our current policy as noted by Senator Ted Cruz. “The reason why the U.S. has had the policy for decades of not negotiating with terrorists is because once you start doing it, every other terrorist has an incentive to capture more soldiers.”
Some have stated that since we’ve previously brokered deals with countries that harbor terrorist such as Iran and North Korea, there has been no unilateral breech in American foreign policy. However, those making the argument have failed to realize that the Taliban is not a sovereign nation.
Susan E. Rice, the president’s national security adviser, argued, “Sergeant Bergdahl wasn’t simply a hostage; he was an American prisoner of war captured on the battlefield. We have a sacred obligation that we have upheld since the founding of our republic to do our utmost to bring back our men and women who are taken in battle, and we did that in this instance.”
Though Senator McCain welcomed the American soldier’s return, he called the five Taliban detainees, “the hardest of the hard core. It is disturbing that these individuals would have the ability to re-enter the fight, and they are big, high-level people, possibly responsible for the deaths of thousands” of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan.
The question remains if this negotiation and trade were legal. Those that argue that Obama’s unilateral action was unjust simply point to the law. They note:
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Congress requires official notice of any prisoner release from Guantánamo.
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The secretary of defense is required to determine “the risk posed by the detainee” and certify that release or transfer “is in the national security interests of the United States,” according to U.S. law as written in the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
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Congressional committees must be notified by the administration at least 30 days before the release of any Gitmo inmate
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The secretary of defense “must provide detailed information regarding the circumstances of the transfer or release along with the notification, including how the risk posed by the detainee will be substantially mitigated, the security arrangements in the receiving country, and an assessment of the capacity, willingness, and past practices of the receiving country”
Plus, the most important point made by Obama’s detractors was that the five terrorists will definitely jeopardize American safety and cause more death as a result of their release.
Some have argued that since we’ve previously brokered deals with countries that harbor terrorists such as Iran and Pakistan, there has been no unilateral breech in American foreign policy. However, those making the argument have failed to realize that the Taliban is not a sovereign nation.
When will the lawlessness of the Obama administration end? Have we entered a new era of tyranny? He is not above the law. Hold Obama accountable.
As a Republican, I must seriously ask who is really representing us in Congress, and what do we stand for. These simple questions mark the basis of my concern for the party. When you think about it, we couldn’t even beat a socialist community organizer with no skill, talent, ability lead or any credible ties that were not linked to unscrupulous sources.
Call me naïve, but I thought Republicans opposed Obamacare? Remember, Obamacare fundamentally represents all that the Republican Party is supposed to be against. When you break down this law, it essentially becomes a government mandate to take over a substantial part of our economy, grow the national government to outrageous proportions, destroy our economy and place our country deeper into unfathomable debt.
However, I read an article today about our so-called Republican representatives that makes me want to throw all of them out of office. This is the last straw:
To summarize a recent article by Juliet Eilperin and Robert Costa: Republican candidates have begun to retreat in recent weeks from their all-out assault on the Affordable Care Act in favor of a more piecemeal approach, suggesting they would preserve some aspects of the law while jettisoning others.
On the campaign trail, some Republicans and their outside allies have started talking about the health-care law in more nuanced terms than they have in the past. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is running ads suggesting that many of its favored candidates will tweak Obamacare rather than scrap it. One spot says Rep. Joseph J. Heck (R-Nev.) will fix the law, while another says Republican Massachusetts House contender Richard Tisei will “work in a bipartisan manner to fix healthcare the right way.” The business group’s ads in Kentucky use almost identical language, declaring in separate spots that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) and Rep. Andy Barr (R) would work to “fix” the “Obamacare mess.”
While others like in Minnesota, Republican House candidate Stewart Mills pledges in a campaign ad to “replace” the law, rather than simply repealing it.
“The sentiment toward the Affordable Care Act is still strongly negative, but people are saying, ‘Don’t throw the baby out” with the bathwater, said Glen Bolger, a partner with the GOP polling firm Public Opinion Strategies.
“The wave of the election is already within sight, and I believe we are going to do well,” said House Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (R-Ill.). “I don’t think we need a replacement bill to win the election, but it is something that would be helpful in guiding our governing agenda for next year.”
As a true big “R” and little “r” Republican, I don’t want to tweak, change or switch the law. I want it off the books. It is bad for our economy, bad for our civil liberties and bad for generations of Americans to come. Any Republican who does not stand up and state publically that this law ought to be appealed, should join a different party or be voted out of office.
It’s time we took back the party and made it once again a party of the people. Remember, it is the people who make this country great- not the party or the government.
A newly discovered virus has made headlines recently in the news. Called the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), it is a cousin of the better known coronavirus, SARS. Two recent studies have proven that camels are infected by this MERS virus and that humans who contracted the disease also had the exact same version of the virus in their bloodstream.
To paraphrase a recent article in the BBC by Matt McGrath: However, the lead author of that report, Dr. Thomas Briese from Columbia University in New York, believes that there are many unanswered questions about the disease. He points to the fact that if camels were the sole route of infection, then the illness should be more prevalent among those who work with or are in close contact with the animals. Plus, there have been a small number of cases of people dying from MERS who have no known relationship with camels. “We do have these sporadic cases where there is no known exposure to known cases and we question where do they catch the virus. In some cases there was animal contact or camel contact but in others not, so there is no clear definitive picture yet.”
Dr Briese says that other species, including goats and sheep, have been tested but haven’t shown antibodies indicating exposure. In addition, the disease in camels is far more widespread than previously thought, with significant reservoirs in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Tunisia. Ironically, there have been no reports of people dying from the respiratory infection in these areas.
This unexplained fact, noted Dr. Briese, is making research question if a MERS viral reservoir could be found in domestic pets such as cats and dogs. “We are looking into or are trying to look into are cats, dogs – where there is more intimate contact – and any other wild species we can get serum from that we are not currently getting.”
The real question is if an animal viral reservoir is now even needed for the spread of the disease. There is one hypothesis that the virus subtly mutated and became transmissible from camels to humans. Once this occurred, the main contagious source of the disease became human to human contact—as evidenced by the recent case of a hospital worker in the United States. Again, another important question emerges. Will the virus hypothetically mutate again and make human to human transmission easier? Fortunately, researchers are looking into this problem right now, and hopefully MERS will prove nothing more than a fleeting news story.
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Is Obama is the Modern Day Caligula
Is President Obama a modern day Caligula? Well, certain striking similarities abound that make the comparison eye-opening. Caligula was the Roman Emperor from 37 to 41 AD when he was murdered the Praetorain Guard, ending his infamous reign. This dictator has gone down in history as one of the worst Roman emperors that ever held the position. Through his financial excess, out-of-touch domestic policies and seemingly erratic behavior, he is the embodiment of a poor leader.
Ironically, despite his record, the people of Rome loved him during his day. Instead of cheering his assassination, they sought out his killers and brought them to justice. It seems almost counterintuitive but history does not lie- on the contrary, it tends to repeat itself.
You may ask why such a notorious dictator was so loved during his day. Well, when you look at what’s going on today you will understand. Caligula was one of the first politicians in recorded history to use class warfare. Like Obama, he denounced the rich and successful of his country and frequently made an example out of them to increase his popularity. He excessively taxed them, imposed charges similar to our modern day capital gains, and took their inheritance. Not only did he believe extorting from the rich would help the economy but he also believed that it would bolster his popularity among the Roman people. Well, he was certainly wrong on the first point but was correct on the second.
Is what Caligula did any different than what Obama has done during his presidency? Ironically, the two reigns seem eerily similar. During Obama’s two terms, he has consistently used class warfare, raised taxes and increased the number of people receiving federal aid; thus, growing his popularity among many individuals.
Caligula was also remembered for his excessive spending. Caligula’s payments for support, generosity and extravagance had exhausted the state’s treasury and began bankrupting the country. Unfortunately, this is exactly what we see today. With the vast expansion of government, increase in spending and an 18 trillion dollar debt, Obama has done the same thing to the United States as Caligula did to Rome. However, instead of just exhausting our treasury, Obama has put our country into a financial whole. Plus, like Caligula, we see Obama’s excesses. From the beginning of his presidency with his own over-the-top inauguration to his wife’s costly trips around the world and his own parties at the White House, he is the modern day Caligula.
Lastly, Caligula was considered mad for promoting his own horse to the position of consul. This was the highest elected political office in Rome, second only to the emperor. Well, when we look at some of those Obama has appointed to high ranking governmental positions the similarities become obvious. Van Jones, Al Armendariz and Eric Holder are just a few of his winners. To be honest, I’d rather see him appoint a horse instead of many of the people he has surrounded himself with.
Unfortunately, the similarity between Obama and Caligula is clear. However, Caligula only had 4 years in office, and we are stuck with this self-proclaimed Emperor for another term. Lord Help us!
Many are calling for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s resignation due to recent, unflattering revelations about the care they are providing our veterans and their cover-ups. Though Pelosi blamed Bush for the incompetence, the problem is much more widespread– especially, when you carefully look at the numbers.
While only 7 percent of the veterans in the system are from current wars, the cost of these veterans is only 4 percent of the total VA budget. What Pelosi does not truthfully tell us is that the VA budget has increased under Obama from 97.7 billion to 153.8 billion dollars.
Where is this money going? It’s like throwing good money onto bad. Unfortunately, that’s how the government works. There is not the same accountability for financial decisions in governmental agencies as there is in the private business world. If there were, our government would be out of business in a day with everyone in Washington DC sent to jail for criminal charges. Plus, the solution Pelosi and the other progressives are calling for in greater funding to the VA.
However, where has greater funding got us thus far? Numbers, unlike Pelosi, don’t lie. Many call Eric Shinseki incompetent. Nevertheless, he has announced the most intelligent statement I’ve heard out of a government agency in years. To sum it up, he will let more veterans obtain healthcare at private hospitals. He said, “(we are) increasing the care we acquire in the community through non-VA care.”
In other words, he is taking the only intelligent option and letting more veterans receive healthcare from a proven, functioning, system—a system Obama is actively tearing down and turning into the new VA.
Don’t let our healthcare system turn into the VA. We have all now seen what government care gets us: long lines, inefficient care, rationing and death. Is that what America is all about?
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Pelosi Blames Bush for VA Scandal
As the Obama administration continued to be bogged dogged down in a disastrous foreign policy, mounting economic debt, an anemic economy, multiple scandals and complete disarray, the administration is left with only excuses and class warfare to hide their deplorable record. Now, with the indignities to our vets coming to light, they are without answers or solutions to another American crisis.
Instead of properly addressing the problem, Obama’s crony Nancy Pelosi, house minority leader, lashes out at former president Bush as the reason for the VA scandal. Yes, it does sound like a broken record. However, the lack of responsibility the Obama administration takes have reached new and unfathomable highs.
Pelosi cackled at a recent press conference, “He (Obama) sees the ramifications of some seeds that were sown a long time ago, when you have two wars over a long period of time and many, many more, millions more veterans. And so, I know that he is upset about it.”
The Democratic leader never mentioned Bush by name, but she alluded to him early and often in the press briefing.
“Maybe when we go into war, we should be thinking about its consequences and its ramifications,” Pelosi scandalously continued. “You would think that would be a given, but maybe it wasn’t. And so, we go in a war in Afghanistan, leave Afghanistan for Iraq with unfinished business in Afghanistan. Ten years later, we have all of these additional veterans. In the past five years, two million more veterans needing benefits from the VA. That’s a huge, huge increase.”
However the facts how that only 7% of the vets are from our modern wars, costing the VA only 4% of its total budget. So, where does Pelosi get her facts?
She suggested also delusionary stated that Obamacare is the key to solving the problem. “We have the Affordable Care Act that is out there that is providing resources for more federally-qualified health clinics around the country. Maybe we should take a look at how we deal with our veterans’ needs in a way that says let’s help them closer to home, whether that’s a federally qualified health clinic or in some other institution that provides health care closer to home. [It’s] especially important for our veterans who live in rural areas.”
The thought of using Obamacare to solve the VA problem is like throwing gasoline onto a fire. The sad thing is that she believes that more government is the solution to failing governmental programs. That’s like throwing good money onto bad. The outcome will be the same.
Plus, isn’t it Obama’s job, no duty, as president to combat and solve any current problem. It does not matter when the issue started, the issue now is that it has to be solved. That is what a real president does.
Our country is in desperate need of leadership. Can we endure a few more years of Obama’s incompetent governance?
Obama today will declare about 500,000 acres as the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. About half of that land is expected to be set aside as wilderness, meaning it will be closed to vehicles and construction. Though completely legal, it is a slap in the face of the local ranchers, especially Cliven Bundy.
The point is that Obama is a sore loser. Instead of accepting the loss at the Bundy ranch, he again acts like a spoiled despot and does whatever he wants, despite the implications.
Local ranchers say it’s a land grab that will interfere with their grazing rights, and border security advocates said the move will make it tougher for federal agents and local police to patrol the land, leaving a security gap that Mexican smuggling cartels will exploit.
“This is about opposing so many thousands of acres that is going to create nothing more than a pathway for criminals to get into this country to do their criminal acts,” Dona Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison told The Washington Times in a telephone interview Monday.
The monument has been in the works for some time and has been controversial from the start. But land rights advocates said it is the precursor to more conflicts like the recent standoff in Nevada, where a rancher refused to comply with a court order that he stop grazing on Bureau of Land Management property, prompting the BLM to confiscate his cattle. The BLM, which is part of the Interior Department, will administer the national monument.
The land contains five mountain ranges with fragile landscapes, prehistoric rock art and more recent historic sites such as a training area for the Apollo astronauts.
The monument would cover hundreds of thousands of acres right next to the Mexican border.
If you haven’t felt as if the president has become tyrannical, this should be the final straw.
To quote a recent MedPage report by Michael Smith, the total number of cases of the Middle East coronavirus has nearly tripled in the past month and a half, according to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC).
But those cases do not include new cases reported today from Saudi Arabia, which recorded another six patients and three deaths. That brings the nation’s own totals to 520 cases with 163 deaths, up nine and three respectively. Also, it does not include the Illinois hospital worker who contracted the virus without showing signs of infection.
Saudi Arabia is followed in number of cases — although not closely — by the United Arab Emirates, which has recorded 67 cases and nine deaths, according to the ECDC. Seven other countries in the region have a total of 24 cases and 12 deaths.
Other regions — Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas — have seen a total of 19 cases and seven deaths and all patients have had primary epidemiological links to the Middle East.
The exact number of cases is a moving target and has been dogged by delays in reporting. The World Health Organization, for instance, reported Thursday it had been officially informed of just 572 laboratory-confirmed cases, with 173 deaths.
While the virus continues to cause several cases a day in Saudi Arabia, the risk for people outside the Middle East is said to be extremely low. However, 22 U.S. airports are now displaying signs that warn of the virus.
Returning travelers, the agency says, should monitor their own health and see a doctor if they have respiratory symptoms within 2 weeks of coming home. Importantly, they should call first and mention the travel history so the doctor’s office can ensure that proper precautions are taken.
Remember the day when new hospitals were being built and greater health services were being created every day? Remember when it wasn’t such a fight to get what your insurance owed you, the services that were recommended or the prescriptions the doctor’s gave you?
Unfortunately, there has been a complete unraveling of our medical system, with Obamacare being the final straw. As reimbursement continue to plummet and the expectation of services rise, many hospitals are left either closing their doors or laying of their employees. With less hospital workers or worse yet, less hospitals, care for the sicker patients of our communities is being decimated by the day.
Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines had to lay off 29 people this week. The president of the medical center said that this is a direct effect from both Obamacare and cutting Medicare benefits.
“As the federal government and state payment systems continue to ratchet down on what they pay us and our costs go up, we have to look for opportunities to create cost efficiencies,” the president of Mercy Medical Center said. “And one way you do that is you reduce your management costs. So if we have a department that has a director and a manager and two supervisors for let’s say 75 staff, we may remove one of those positions to what we say are the layers of management.”
Here is the biggest question: if the federal government can’t afford Medicare expenses, how can they afford a multi-trillion dollar Obamacare plan? I’m not an economist but I can do simple math. Obamacare + Increased Medicaid + Increased federal spending + Increased Federal Giveaways + Increased Americans on the Federal dole + the costs of Michelle Obama’s vacations = more debt = more dependence on China = A DECLINING AMERICA.
Will this be the epitaph of our country? I don’t know but there is one person who wishes it to be– Obama.