I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR --

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter; So help me God.”

This is the oath that our elected officials swear to when entering office. NOTE: It does not say that I will discharge my duties in favor of my political party while sacrificing my country. But this is what the Debt Reduction Super Committee has done. They threw in the towel on reducing America’s $15 Trillion Nightmare. But I expected it.

The problem, it seems, is the Democrats want to raise taxes by a cool trillion dollars. The Republicans have said nothing doing. The Republicans want to cut spending by a cool 1.2 trillion dollars. The Democrats have said nothing doing. Stalemate, bottleneck, deadlock, gridlock, standoff, face-off? Washington is at it again.

The appointment of the Committee was designed to fool us into thinking that something was going to be done about our massive debt. But how could they succeed? It’s an ideological impasse. Left-wing vs. Right-wing. These terms have historically been used to identify political parties, political positions or political ideologies.

Here’s the difference. Left wingers (Democrats, Progressives, Unions) believe that governments should focus on social justice and social equality and should intervene in individual’s lives to ensure that social justice and equality is achieved, no matter what it costs or who has to pay for it. They state that since every individual is not the same, government policy needs to be aimed at creating substantial equity for everyone. To the Left, substantial equity includes things like affirmative action, social rights, social programs, cultural parity, and unlimited government funding to achieve these objectives.

Right Wingers (Republicans and Conservatives) believe that governments are too big and inefficient, that governments are unwieldy, cumbersome and onerous, and governments should not interfere with people’s lives. Right Wingers believe that government interference impedes an individual’s right to liberty. They believe that the government and the law should treat everyone equally. To the Right, equality includes equal pay for equal work, the same civil rights for all citizens, limited government and limited government spending.

Hence, Left Wingers have historically favored “big” government and more spending while Right Wingers have historically favored “small” government and less spending, not to say there haven’t been “pretenders” in both camps.

The Democrats on the DSC were not willing to address much needed reform in social programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid) without at least $1 trillion in job-killing tax increases. These programs comprise 40% of all federal spending and suck up more of the federal budget every year. There is no possibility of balancing the federal budget without reforming these social programs and cutting thousands of other useless departments and programs throughout government. But the Dems said no to any changes and/or cuts.

The Republicans were not willing to agree to revenue increases of $1 trillion but they put $300 billion in revenue increases on the table, achieved through tax reform. This was a huge compromise for the Republicans, but the Democrats said no, they wanted a trillion dollars in revenue without agreeing to spending cuts.

So if the job of the DSC was to “cut spending” why were tax increases and revenue enhancements on the table at all? Constitutionally the Debt Super Committee should never have existed. The Constitution clearly gives the House the power of the purse. Creation of the DSC strips the House of that power. It was unconstitutional and was designed to fail.

Here’s what the failure means for Americans. It adds to the uncertainty that’s stifling businesses. It reinforces the fear that Washington can’t resolve our debt problem. Our $15 trillion fiscal crisis is increasing daily. Future generations will financially suffocate thanks to this generation of politicians who are putting their party first and the country second. Congressional action is now effectively dead. Mr. Obama will blame Republicans as he continues his run for reelection. The Bush tax cuts will be a major issue in December 2012. And fundamental differences between the two political parties will become even more important.

Obama promised to halve the deficit by the end of his first term. He didn’t. Factually, the three largest deficits in American history (each over $1 trillion) have happened in the 3 years of Obama’s first term. He has spent the country into bankruptcy. He is responsible for the first economic downgrade EVER. We’re sinking into a financial abyss and all Obama can say is “It’s not my fault.” “The Republicans are to blame.” “It’s Congress’s fault.” If Obama really wanted the DSC to succeed why was he missing in action throughout their negotiations?

The most depressing thing, though, is that the $1.2 trillion target of the DSC should have been easy to achieve. It’s less than 3% of projected spending over the next decade. But this cut in spending would have had little effect on our debt. $1.2 trillion in spending cuts will amount to only about 12% of the projected debt INCREASE over the next 10 years. In other words, the $1.2 trillion in cuts are not real cuts at all. That figure is ONLY a cut in the projected spending increases. It’s all smoke and mirrors and lies.

I am grateful to the Republicans who held the line on tax increases and said nothing doing. Their numbers are small. Their only voice is in the House, but it’s a powerful voice. They did what they were elected to do. But unless they control the White House and the Senate, their ability to hold the line on tax increases and cut spending is limited.

If you want increased spending, increased government regulation and more federal programs, and ever ballooning debt you can vote Left in 2012. If you want to slash spending, slash programs, balance our budget, decrease our debt and restore fiscal sanity to our government, vote Right in 2012. There are 15 trillion reasons to seriously consider which direction you cast your 2012 vote.

CHRIS I-FELT-A-THRILL-UP-MY-LEG MATTHEWS TURNS ON OBAMA

TIME: 2008 presidential primary season. After hearing a speech by candidate Obama, Chris Matthews (MSNBC commentator) said the following? "My, I felt this thrill going up my leg." His effusive comment was hailed as an prime example of obvious main stream media bias. And that it was.

But oh, what a difference 3 years makes. Here's a recent video of Mr. Matthews crying out, begging for leadership from Obama. Sure took Mr. M. a long time to realize that Obama is in way over his head. But let's not be fooled. I don't believe Matthews is "changing sides." He's mad because Obama has been a missing-in-action leader. Obama hasn't jammed through ENOUGH Socialist policies to suit Chris Matthews.

What Obama has done is split the country and pushed us into the second Great Depression. He is sitting in the most powerful chair in the world. He could be a Great Leader, or he could be a Miserable Failure. Obama has chosen Miserable Failure. And Chris Matthews finally sees the light.

Now, how long do you think it will be before someone on the Left accuses Matthews of being a racist? That's the usual label slapped on Obama criticizers. Ah, but don't hold your breath.

OBAMA'S AMERICA - ANOTHER OPINION

BELOW IS A LETTER THAT APPEARED IN THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL. THIS LETTER IS MISTAKENLY BEING CREDITED ON THE INTERNET TO THOMAS SOWELL. IT APPEARS IT WAS WRITTEN BY JACK FURNARI. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE. IT IS HERE BECAUSE HIS WORDS ARE IMPORTANT AND ALL TOO TRUE.

The current Occupy Wall Street movement is the best illustration to date of what President Barack Obama's America looks like. It is an America where the lawless, unaccomplished, ignorant and incompetent rule. It is an America where those who have sacrificed nothing, pillage and destroy the lives of those who have sacrificed greatly. It is an America where history is rewritten to honor dictators, murderers and thieves. It is an America where violence, racism, hatred, class warfare and murder are all promoted as acceptable means of overturning the American civil society.

It is an America where humans have been degraded to the level of animals: defecating in public, having sex in public, devoid of basic hygiene. It is an America where the basic tenets of a civil society, including faith, family, a free press and individual rights, have been rejected. It is an America where our founding documents have been shredded and, with them, every person's guaranteed liberties.

It is an America where, ultimately, great suffering will come to the American people, but the rulers like Obama, Michelle Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, liberal college professors, union bosses and other loyal liberal/Communist Party members will live in opulent splendor. It is the America that Obama and the Democratic Party have created with the willing assistance of the American media, Hollywood, unions, universities, the Communist Party of America, the Black Panthers and numerous anti-American foreign entities.

Obama has brought more destruction upon this country in four years than any other event in the history of our nation, but it is just the beginning of what he and his comrades are capable of. The Occupy Wall Street movement is just another step in their plan for the annihilation of America.

Jack A. Furnari, Knoxville
2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.

OBAMA'S CHICKENS HAVE COME HOME TO ROOST

Ah, class warfare, isn't it great? For 3 years our president has been yapping about the evil rich, the horrible, awful rich, who are sucking the economy dry, taxing the rich until they have nothing left, taxing businesses more and more (like Obama's buddy, GE, who pays nothing in taxes). Obama has divided the lousy one percent of "rich" Americans, whom he says control most of the money, from the rest of the 99% who he calls the "disadvantaged."

Well, take a look at what is happening in America today. The Occupy Wall Street gangs infesting American cities are a direct result of Obama's rhetoric, his plan to split America into two camps, his plan to cause chaos in the streets. Looks like his plan is working, and he's got blood on his hands.

There have been many reports of sexual assaults, murders, disorderly conduct, defecating in public, sex in public, masturbating in public, crapping and peeing in public, petty theft, violent episodes, Molotov cocktails being thrown, police being attacked and injured, lice infestations, graffiti, death threats, drug use, scabies, tuberculosis transmission, destruction of property, and on and on. I need a shower just thinking about it.

Click here for links to over 250 incidents to date. Check out just a few, and you'll get the idea. And the number grows daily.

This is what Obama's America looks like, an America where lawlessness and anarchy rule. With the help of the unions, the Democratic Party, the Communist Party of America, many prominent Democrats in Congress,the main stream media and the radical Left, Obama has done an artful job of destroying the fabric of this great nation.

Obama early on backed the Occupy Wall Street crowd, and he continues to do so. Want proof? Take a look at these two links.

First Amendment rights do not allow Americans to behave like animals. Nor do First Amendment rights allow anyone to infringe on other citizens' rights. But that's what's happening daily.

What is the purpose of the infestors setting up mini-tent cities? To show they are "angry" and want their "demands" met. They are the "have-nots," don't you know? But look at photos and videos. How many laptops, cell phones, electronic gadgets and designer clothes do you see? I guess this type of gross poverty is unacceptable, since they are demanding more and more and more.

I wonder how much these anarchists are costing the municipalities for cleaning up after them, or how much money is being spent to cover medical expenses for them. How about overtime police presence, loss of wages for those who can't get to work in the infested areas, loss of income for the businesses that can't operate due to the crowds, loss of money due to the damage being done to business buildings?

Here's the truth of the matter, Folks. What we are witnessing is the rotten rancid underbelly of the Democrat party and the Liberal Left. This is Obama's base. It's the base he's depending on in 2012. God help us all.

Go here to see photos of what is going on all over America.

OCCUPY WALL STREETER SAYS IT ALL IN COLORADO

The University of Colorado is "educating" our young-uns. This student says he wants to get 13 of the families that "own the world", including Bush, put them in front of the White House and hang them and shoot them. Sounds like a rope and a gun full of bullets will solve his problems.

Remember in 2009 when Nancy the Weeper Pelosi was distraught over what she called Tea Party rhetoric, emphasizing her fears that the protest could "lead to violence?" Wonder where her concern is now.

Our yearling is madder than hell, and he's not going to take it anymore. "There's a lot of stuff that needs to change and if it doesn't, violent revolution will come." Really, that's what he says.

He says he wants to be a doctor, but that's on hold for now - a hidden message for "I'm failing in under-grad and I'm giving up." Oh, yeah, he was going to take Chemistry, Biology, Human Anatomy, but he decided first he's gonna be an "artist." I wonder what his parents think of his life's plan? Oh, that's right, parents don't say anything negative to their kids. It might "hurt" their feelings and ruin their self esteem.

This is what the socialist public school system is teaching your kiddies - Socialism, Marxism and Communism. And this is what the next generation looks like. We are in Deep Trouble.

WATCH IT HERE. BE AWARE, THERE IS ONE REALLY BAD WORD. THANKS, KELLY MAHER, OF THE DAILY CALLER, FOR TAKING YOUR LIFE INTO YOUR OWN HANDS BY GOING TO OCCUPY WALL STREET IN COLORADO AND ASKING QUESTIONS.

MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER SAL GUINTA AND MR. OBAMA

Here is a great video depicting the amount of respect Mr. Obama has for our military heroes. Be sure to watch to the end for a commentary by a Marine. The video documents part of the ceremony when Sal Guinta received the Medal of Honor, the only recipient to be alive when he received it.


CLICK HERE FOR MEDAL OF HONOR VIDEO

GREATEST BOAT LIFT IN HISTORY ON 9-11

This video was created to honor the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It's been available since 9/8/11. I believe millions of Americans have not seen this. I doubt whether it was prominently shown in the media.

This is what America is: doing great, noble and selfless things when called upon. It shows there is great good in the world, no matter how bad it gets. 500,000 civilians were rescued from downtown Manhattan by boat in 9 hours -- an enormous fete, unless you are an American. Watch this soul-touching event. It will make you proud.

SCROOGE DECORATES YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE

Looks like the White House Scrooge wants to hang some tinsel on every fresh Christmas tree in America: a 15 cent tax. You read it right! This is not a Joke. But of course, Scrooge is calling it a “fee,” not a tax.

Obama’s Sec. of Ag wants to appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board to run “a program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information” to market the Christmas tree industry. No kidding! Obama wants the feds to handle promotion and public relations for Christmas trees, and they want to tax every fresh tree sold 15 cents. Seriously?

Oh, yes. But it’s all okay because tree sellers could pass along the 15 cent tax (I call it graft) to consumers. It’s just 15 cents, after all. So who among us thinks the Christmas Tree Promotion Board wouldn’t evolve into a full-fledged federal agency with all the fraud, deceit, corruption, wastefulness and inefficiency that exists in most federal agencies?

No matter what Scrooge calls it, it’s a TAX. And we don’t need to send the government any additional tax revenue to fund their dim-witted ideas, like running the Christmas tree industry. Are Scrooge and his Czars really that daft??

The story is this. Many businesses in the Christmas tree industry don’t want to participate in ANY tree promotion program. The industry tried more than once to collectively conduct advertising programs based on voluntary contributions. Every time they tried it the revenue declined to the point where the programs were ineffective. The tree sellers decided they didn’t want to participate. And that should have been the end of it.

But what does Scrooge do? He creates a mandatory tax to force compliance of a program that the businesses involved do not want.

It appears that Obama does not understand free enterprise. Surprised, anyone? In addition to forcing us to purchase his version of health insurance, he also wants us to pay a “tree tax” to support a government promotion scam that failed to entice voluntary contributions.

How many jobs are expected to be “created?” None, except more government workers to enforce the Christmas Tree Tax boondoggle. Instead of shrinking government, Scrooge is determined to expand it. Oh, Big Government, ain’t it just great?

After this Ghost of Christmas Future story was picked up by The Drudge Report, more than a million people read it. The outrage was swift and fierce, and Obama’s Christmas Goose was cooked. Scrooge decided to delay hanging his Christmas tree tinsel tax on your fresh tree while the Dept of Ag “reconsiders” its position.

If Drudge hadn’t highlighted this and if Americans hadn’t thrown a not-another-tax-fit, a new mandate and tax from the feds would have come to pass without our knowledge.

The Power of The People, doesn’t it just give you a Holiday Tingle?

STIMULUS HATCHET JOB

In 2010, the Bend, OR Bulletin wrote an article about Oregon forestry contractors using millions of federal stimulus dollars to hire foreign workers for jobs intended to be filled by unemployed Oregonians.

After an investigation in 2011 the Labor Department concluded that those companies exploited legal loopholes but violated no laws.

Wow, does that mean stimulus funds were wasted, again? Job creators are sometimes crooked? The federal contracting process is corrupt? The “system” has been gamed? It would appear so.

Four Oregon companies were responsible for most of the “gaming”: Medford Cutting Edge Forestry, Summitt Forests of Ashland, GE Forestry of Central Point, and Ponderosa Reforestation of Medford.

These four companies hired 254 seasonal workers holding temporary U.S. work visas and were given at least $7 million in stimulus dollars to pay for those jobs.

And this is how they bamboozled the Stimulus Money Spigot. To hire the work visa holders, the companies were required to advertise the forest cleanup jobs and prove they couldn't be filled with local applicants.

The companies “gamed” the system by advertising the jobs in small, obscure papers, for instance, the Intermountain News in Burney, CA, with a circulation of 3,200. They also hired four months before the work began which is a big problem for anyone drawing unemployment benefits.

By now you’re probably wondering what would motivate these companies to hire foreign workers in times of devastating unemployment.

Well, the businesses say “the locals don’t want to work, Hispanics are more motivated, they don’t have unemployment to depend on, if they don’t work they go back to Mexico.”

But Grayback Forestry advertised for 14 jobs in 2009, had 500 applicants, and many of them were “locals.”

Whose fault is this idiocy? Start with the Bush administration. By administrative rule, Bush allowed Oregon companies to pay foreign work visa holders a "prevailing" wage equal to the lowest such wages in the country. An administrative rule is what’s used when an administration wants something and doesn’t want to ask Congress. They just issue an administrative rule.

Effectively the Bush administrative rule allowed these forestry companies to hire foreign workers and pay them $4 an hour less than the local Oregon prevailing wage. It’s all about the bottom line, I guess, and that’s okay. It’s a company decision.

But the public should expect that “stimulus” dollars spent to stimulate American jobs would go for American Jobs – not jobs for temporary foreign workers.

This is another example of an injudicious, brainless use of Obama stimulus dollars and further evidence that the feds can’t be trusted to be good stewards of taxpayer money. Nobody in Washington is watching the purse strings, while our debt increases by the minute.

OCCUPY WALL STREETER GETS WORTHLESS DEGREE AND IT'S OUR FAULT

Did you hear Rush Limbaugh today? He had a segment on some Occupy Wall Street demonstrator whose picture was taken while she was writing in a journal. Apparently the journal entry was visible in the picture. She was lamenting about the fact that she is graduating from college this year with a degree in "Classical Studies." She is whining that her "job prospects are zero." Her writing also indicates that she has student loans and is very "ticked off."

Now I ask you, People, why would anyone get a degree in Classical Studies? Where in the world do you go to apply for a job with a degree like that? The bigger question though is why would anyone with an ounce of common sense accumulate potentially $100,000 in student loan debt (approximately what a 4-year state college degree costs now) just to get out of school with a throwaway degree? What did she think, the world was going to open its door and snatch her up for any job she wanted just because she was able to get a Classical Studies degree?

C'mon, she should have used her head for something besides getting a piece of paper that's worth a bucket of warm spit. I don't feel sorry for her. Oh, I forgot. Now she wants someone else to pay off her student loans. That'd be you and me.