two or three . net

Quote of the Day - necessity, tyrants, and repealing Obamacare

Is Obama facilitating change or forcing it? Here's today's quote.

Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. ~ William Pitt

In our recent political history, this might be applied to some of the actions of GW Bush, such as the war on Iraq, wiretapping, suspending habeas corpus for Gitmo detainees, etc.  

It could also be applied to the Obama Administration, in the way that they forced through their various enormous spending bills, as well as their upcoming "carbon offsets" (a.k.a as 'cap and trade') legislation.  Trust me, it will be urgent and necessary.  

As we have seen in the Obama administration, you don't need time to read or openly debate legislation, you just need time to manipulate a majority vote.

Yes, hypocrisy makes it worse

As is often the case with controversies surrounding politicians, much of the rhetoric on Rep. Mark Souder's affair with a staffer has been divided politically. As I have stated on numerous occasions, hypocrisy makes it worse on these type of issues for conservative Republicans, especially those who claim to be committed Christians.

WWII Posters, before the age of Political Correctness

My uncle sends me a lot of conservative 'spam,' and some of it is interesting stuff.  Here's the latest.  I wonder what these posters would look like if they focused on our modern enemy, 'militant' Islam? 

Obama deserves credit for progress

Republicans and conservatives are often accused of holding President Obama to an impossible standard and simply criticizing him for every decision he makes. It is not surprising that the GOP is opposed to many of the policy proposals of the president (similar to the Democrat's response to Bush), however when Obama accomplishes something in the War on Terror he deserves credit for that progress.

Finally something that Obama did not inherit from Bush

One of the repeated political strategies of the Obama administration has be to blame any of the current problems facing our nation on his predecessor (some of it correctly, some of it debatable, some it incorrectly).

Recently however, Vice President Biden signaled that they were going to take responsibility for one of the more important political developments - the success of the war in Iraq.

Top 4 Action Steps to combat Obama's Insane Policies

Courtesy of Faith 2 Action.

1. Government Health Care Takeover. The Senate debate of health care is now underway.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants a vote to take place before Christmas. Strongly urge your two Senators to oppose this bill at 202-224-3121.  Send "Pink Slips" to all of them (as well as each Congressman) here.

2. Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.   There is great concern that the U.S. will enter into some type of agreement  when world leaders meet in Denmark for a global climate change conference that starts on Monday.  This treaty would be devastating to our economy and sovereignty.  The U.S. could also be asked to contribute billions of dollars toward implementing this.   Call the White House at 202-456-1414 and your two Senators at 202-224-3121 to express opposition to this treaty.  A number of large companies, including Coca-Cola, are supporting the treaty efforts..   Call them, and strongly urge them to withdraw their support for Copenhagen.

3.  Energy Tax Bill.   It's appearing less and less likely that a "cap-and-trade" bill will pass this year, but we must not become complacent about it.  It has already passed by the House and sub-committees in the Senate.  Continue to ask your Senators to oppose this bill at 202-224-3121.  Contact the companies supporting this and consider boycotting them, including BP America, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, Ford, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, and Pepsi.

4.  Safe School Czar.   Kevin Jennings, the homosexual activist who was recently chosen by the President to run the Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools.  Call your Congressman at 202-224-3121 to ask Congress to expel Jennings.   Then, send letters to the President and your Congressional leaders through expeljennings.org

Guide: Conservative Social Action Blogs

I subsribe to way more blogs than I read.  I wanted to pare down my political blogs to just the few that would help me take action against the alarming initiatives of the Obama administration.  Here's my latest list.

Last Update: 11/20/09

• American Family Association
• Faith 2 Action
• Glen Beck - the 9/12 Project
  
• Heritage Foundation

Augustine on Christians and Civil Government

Evangel, the evangelical blog at First Things has a nice series of posts entitled Augustine on Christians and Civil Government. Enjoy these goodies:

1. Introduction: Christianity and Politics
2. Augustine on Civil Government: The Two Cities
3. Augustine on Civil Government: Two Further Preliminaries
4. Augustine on Civil Government: Authority
5. Augustine on Civil Government: The City of God and Compromise
6. Christian Political Participation
7. Religious Motivations in Politics

9/12 Commemorative Poster

Freedomworks.com is now taking pre-orders for it's nice poster commemorating the 'historic' anti-big-government march on Washington D.C. this month.

"The people are our only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty." Thomas Jefferson

Confirming all the stereotypes

Many conservatives ridiculed some Obama supporters for their seemingly religious devotion to a politician. Some conservatives also expressed concern (at least) over the President's speech to school children. The Left has defended themselves against such attacks by maintaining that no one really worshiped Obama and several other presidents gave similar speeches to school children.

While it could not be argued that everyone on the left fits those stereotypes, it has to be acknowledged that they are stereotypes for a reason. The reason? This and this.

Values Voter Summit starts today

The 2009 Values Voter Summit is an annual gathering of pro-family conservative luminaries vision-casting for the coming year for the religious right and pro-family conesrvatives.  Interestingly, any candidate who wants to run for office with the blessing of religious conservatives will probably try to be on the docket.

You an watch the live webcast or previous sessions for free by registering at the AFA portal.  It's on today and tomorrow - it's on NOW!  So head over.

If not racism, what ARE the motives of the anti-Obama masses?

In The boy who cried 'racism!', I broached the subject that I think that those who are complaining that the modern anti-Obama rallies and other conservative actions in the news are racist in nature are making bogus claims.  But if not racism, what ARE the motives of these modern conservative protesters?  Here's my quick list of what I think are the genuine motives involved.

Health care reform misconceptions

Much of the talk surrounding the health care reform debate has been misunderstandings, misinformation, exaggerations and occasionally out right lies. Despite what many want to say, both sides have engaged in all of these and most continue to do so. It is not too difficult to find an example, but one which has been repeated often and is blatantly false is the contention that the Republicans are merely saying "No" and have no proposals of their own.

Despite President Obama's repetative claim that "the other side has no ideas," Republicans have given several health care alternatives to the President and Congressional Democrats proposals.

Obama didn't directly accuse Republicans of not having a plan. But he did say he would welcome "serious" health care proposals. "My door is always open," Obama said.

That's when Price held up the sheaf of papers he was carrying -- a copy of H.R. 3400, the Empowering Patients First Act, which Price and the Republican Study Committee proposed in July. Other GOP lawmakers held up their own bills. Some raised a list of all the health care bills -- there are more than 30 -- proposed by members of the Study Committee.

Those are just health care bills that have been proposed, that does not include the health care reform suggestions by conservative and libertarian think tanks like the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation.

I would hope everyone involved in the health care discussion would seek to debate the issues as truthfully as possible. If one seeks that end, I would hope this talking point would no longer be used.

Can we all agree ...

that no one who has signed a Birther or Truther petition should be tolerated within our government, either as an elected official or as an appointed adviser?

And also, if it comes to light that someone did sign one of those documents and participated in a rally specifically focused on the conspiracy theory, then when the public outcry forces a resignation/firing, we will not laud said conspiracy loon as a martyr of the opposing side, but rather rejoice that a kook lost his or her position of influence because of their own stupidity?

GOP should support Obama on Afghanistan

Two former Bush Administration officials are calling on Republicans to resist the political urge and growing historical tendency to refuse to support wars when the opposing party is in control of the executive branch.

Meet the old birther same as the new birther

I have detailed in great depths my distaste for and distrust of the "birther movement,' as defined as those individuals, predominately conservatives, who believe that our President is not qualified to be in that role because he has lied about some detail of his birth, which if known would make him constitutionally ineligible to be President. It is my opinion that all decent conservatives should verbally and frequently distance themselves from the extremes which are hurting genuine conservative ideals and policies.

But while we are in the business of calling out nutjobs who believe crazy things despite all the evidences, let's make sure we are an equal opportunity blaster. Long before the conservative birther movement gain national prominence, a prominent conservative-turned-liberal blogger was promoting a birth conspiracy of a different kind. His "logic" has been dismantled and his arguments debunked, so much so that his editors called on him to stop his insistent "raising of questions" because they were hurting the credibility of their website. He has yet to learn his lesson.

Sen. Ted Kennedy RIP

Ted Kennedy was passionate about the things he believed. I did not agree with him on virtually any issue, but I respected his desire to implement ideas which he believed would help his nation.

While his death should not cause anyone to change political positions, we all would do well to be as passionate about those things we care deeply about as he was.

My prayers are with the Kennedy family and friends.

Who are the "birthers?"

Well for starters, if it was not obvious enough, they are morons because at least 6% of them don't believe that Hawaii is part of the United States. No word on how many of them believe the World Net Daily story that Obama's MySpace page gives his real age. But looking at the first national poll of the birther movement reveals some interesting data that I didn't expect.

Racist Obama/Joker image ... er ... not so racist anymore

Turns out the guy behind the infamous epitome of white conservative racism is in fact not white and not conservative. He's actually an 20-year-old American born Pakistani living in Chicago who said if he had to support a politician it would be Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

WND: Working hard to make me look stupid

World Net Daily has been a staple of conservative news on the web - sometimes with legitimate news items, other times with crazy conspiracy theories. Now they appear to have blown the lid off Pres. Obama's birth certificate mystery. They have discovered conclusive proof that even if Obama was born in Hawaii like he says, Hawaii says, his certificate says, and everyone that knows him says, it doesn't matter because he is still not eligible to be President. They have found the smoking gun - his MySpace page.

Quote of the Day

Who said the following?

I'm sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you're not patriotic. We need to stand up and say we're Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration.

Reminder: Democrats control both houses

The health care reform discussion has been filled with misinformation on both sides, but one key important fact needs to be remembered - Democrats control the House and the Senate of the 111th Congress. If the President was able to garner the support of his entire party, he could ram through any legislation he wanted (for now) and no one would even have to read it. The hold-up on ObamaCare is Blue Dog Democrats who have to face a voting public who is not in favor of the current plan.

Two wrong reactions to Mark Sanford

Since the bizarre story of Gov. Mark Sanford has unfolded in the news, individuals from both sides of the political spectrum have reacted wrongly. At some point we moved away from seeing people in the spotlight as actual people, but merely pawns to play for political gain.

Celebrating freedom with murdering thugs

We can all disagree on whether Obama should be more vocal in his support for the Iranian opposition or not, but is there any doubt that this is beyond tragic and an extremely regrettable decision.

How can President Obama still have Iranian diplomats to US embassies for 4th of July celebrations after all their regime has done these past few weeks? Will all of the blood even be washed from the streets before they get together and laugh over hot dogs and hamburgers?

It is one thing to remain virtually silent, voicing a fear that the dictators would use it to undermine the protests. It is another thing entirely to continue with plans to have them over for a cook-out! If this is their reward for the violence or our reward for the election, I don't like either. This is the most upset and disappointed I have been yet in the new administration.

Tennessee GOP needs to learn Letterman's lesson

David Letterman finally offered a real apology for his tasteless "joke" about Sarah Palin's daughters. It took him a week and one faux-pology before he finally took responsibility for his actions and apologized (which Palin accepted).

One can only hope that it takes less than week for the Tennessee GOP and staffer Sherri Goforth to correct their horrendous mistake and issue an actual apology, preferably while firing Goforth.

Comparing gay marriage to incest and pedophilia

Recently the staff of an elected official defended DOMA by citing Catalano v. Catalano, a marriage in Italy between an uncle and niece, and Wilkins v. Zelichowski, a marriage of a 16-year-old girl that was held as invalid in NJ. John Aravosis, a liberal blogger was obviously angered and shocked by the comparison: "Holy cow, [they] invoked incest and people marrying children.”

The politician was of course the right-wing extremist ... Barack Obama?

Book Review: Dred Scott's Revenge by Judge Andrew Napolitano

America has had a difficult history when it comes to racial issues and often the government has done more harm than good according to an excellent new book by Judge Andrew Napolitano entitled Dred Scott's Revenge. Click here to read my review of the book.

Dred Scott's Revenge: A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America By Andrew Napolitano / Thomas Nelson

Senator won't vote for qualified Court nominee

A ideologically driven senator has vowed that he will not vote for Judge Sonia Sotomayor even though he had "no doubt" that she "is qualified to sit on the highest court in the land" and has "the comportment and the temperament that makes a good judge."

He went on to explain: "There are some who believe that the President, having won the election, should have complete authority to appoint his nominee and the Senate should only examine whether or not he or she is intellectually capable and an all around good guy. That once you get past intellect and character there should be no further questions as to whether to the judge should be confirmed. I disagree with this view."

He said, the Senate should examine a judges' "philosophy, ideology and record." Even though Sotomayor has "the training and intelligence to sit on the Supreme Court," the highest rating from the ABA and is "an accomplished jurist," he vowed to not vote for Sotomayor.

Underwear gnomes run WH policy decision?

It's not often you find South Park mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. One would think it would be an impossibility to find WSJ referencing an episode that centered around underwear stealing gnomes. However, not only did a Bret Stephens column reference them, the gnomes provided the central analogy for the piece.

Despite the odd, non-WSJ type reference, the comparison between the Obama administration's various policy proposals and the underwear gnomes proposals to make a profit from their heists does illustrate the need for the President to do more than declare his wishes. He must also tell us how he hopes to achieve his grand plans.

God and Caesar: Rendering Problems

The relationship between Christians and politics has been and is a difficult one. For several decades, we have not demonstrated a correct understanding of the relationship and our faith, the matter of utmost importance has suffered. We have problems deciding when to render and to whom.

This is a hard post for me to write in a great many ways. For starters, my own ignorance and indecisiveness is there to trip me up. To put it another way, I am passionately committed to a solution to the relationship between faith and politics. I just don't always think and write in a way consistent to that solution. This disjointed position often results in paradoxical, even contradictory statements and posts.

Also, I have a great respect for those who started and are involved in what has been dubbed "The Religious Right." Until somewhat recently, I would have used that label to describe myself. I believe they diagnosed many of the symptoms of our fallen culture correctly, but they prescribed the wrong cure, which made both the patient (our nation) and the doctor (our faith) weaker.

Lastly, these type of posts often have a tendency to be misunderstood. People love labels and categories and they love grouping others in them. We have different thresholds for when we will throw someone out of "our group." For some, if there is one disagreement over one issue (or even a disagreement of the way to deal with one issue) then the persons must not belong to the same group. To my shock and sometimes horror, I have been called a liberal and a supporter of so many things that I didn't, simply because I posted thoughts on a differing solution that someone thought veered too far from conservative Christian orthodoxy.

Sexual innuendo and the low quality of modern liberal dialogue

I wish I had taken off of work to attend a TEA Party protest yesterday (TEA = Taxed Enough Already), but I'm glad so many others did.  What was really amazing was the liberal reaction:

• The MSM news largely ignored the event, though thousands participated in over 300 events across the country. Yet they covered with zeal (and 'compassion', but no discernment) the Oakland protesters who supported the recent black thug who executed four police in an effort to not go back to prison (he was carrying assault weapons).
• Those MSM news organizations that did cover the TEA parties, like CNN, were hostile and derogatory.  It's shameful what passes as news reporting.  Fox News looks better every day.
• The predominant liberal reaction was profane and base, calling the participants 'teabaggers,' a reference to a type of oral sex, usually associated with homosexuality (though I suppose that heteros can do it too).  Isn't it funny how they denigrate us with the practices they so enjoy and laud?

But what was really noteworthy is that, unlike many liberal protests, there was no shouting, no profanity, no hostility, and no public sexual exploits.  The quality of the protesters at the TEA parties was, contrary to the childish rebellion of much liberalism, mature, thoughtful, principled, and founded on principles of true liberty, not statism and moral permissivism.  And the cartoon below fits.

Can Christians protest the government biblically?

As a conservative with federalist tendencies, I tend to appreciate and applaud the sentiment of those engaging in "tea parties," especially on yesterday on "tax day." However as a Christian, my political philosophy must come under the teachings of Scripture. Are the protests biblical?

Evangelical conservative case against Rush

Most often conservatives, especially evangelical, are portrayed as followers ("easy to command" anyone?). However, there is wide variety among those that claim the label of "evangelical." Case in point, Christian conservative philosopher and professor John Mark Reynolds bluntly describes Rush's recent pronouncements at CPAC as a "bad speech."

SaveCalifornia.com issues alert

One of the conservative PACs that send me emails is SaveCalifornia.com.  Here's their latest, somewhat alarmist missive, which I wanted to share.  And while their tone is a little over the edge, at what point do we get alarmed?  Are we like the proverbial frog in the kettle, not seeing our rights erode gradually?  Should we be alarmed that Christian bookstores are being forced to hire homosexuals, or that fertility clinics are being forced to service lesbian couples, or that doctors may be forced to do abortions against their consciences? 

Maybe it is time to be alarmed and to fight. 

Is it wrong to wish the President to fail?

Think about that question for a minute. Is it wrong (morally, politically, patriotically) for a citizen to wish publicly that their President will fail? If you are honest with yourself and remove yourself from the current situation the answer may surprise you?

Looking at the New Deal with Amity Shlaes

One of the most fascinating books I have read over the last few months is The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression. Actually, in reading the book I was amazed at how much President Barack Obama's economic policies are like that of FDR. Needless to say, that was not comforting. Recently I had the opportunity to talk with Amity Shlaes, author of the book. Click here to read more about our conversation and what she had to say about the current economic crisis.

Dilbert on Political Hypocrites

Via Hot Air, this strip from Dilbert had me laughing out loud: Memo to Washington: before you start criticizing these executives for flying around in corporate jets how about you give up your own private jets first.

Now that we spent $1 trillion, let's balance the budget

The stimulus recovery bill has now passed, for better or for worse. What is on the President's agenda now that he has succeed in having Congress pass the largest spending bill ever?  Balancing the budget, of course.

RNC Final Four

Michael Steele is the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. The former Maryland Lt. Governor is the first African-American head of the party of Lincoln.

The race came down to four contestants: Steele, South Carolina party chairman Katon Dawson, Michigan party chairman Saul Anuzis (son of Lithuanian immigrants) and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (also African-American).

Update: Two women, Jan Larimer and Sharon Day, were elected Co-Chair and Secretary.

Two kinds of hope

"I want to bring hope and change to Washington." - Pres. Obama

"I hope he fails." - Rush Limbaugh

When the public is given the choice between those two types of hope, they are going to go with Obama every time. Even though the choice is really not that simple, with the help of the media the choice will be portrayed as that simple and Conservatism will face an even tougher uphill battle.

Destination post Gitmo?

Now that Obama is President and Democrats are in control, political questions are no longer, "What do you oppose?" but "What are you going to do?" One of the more interesting questions is about closing Guantanamo Bay, long a liberal rallying point against Bush.

So, we are closing Gitmo with in one year, now what? Where are you going to put the dozens of the dangerous terrorists? The public actually supports keeping the prison open (a 45% plurality, 35% wanted to close it). Only 32% of Americans believe closing it is a "very important" priority - apparently that includes John "Maverick Again!" McCain.

Conservatives: What not to do the next four years

Big Hollywood is quickly becoming one of my new favorite political blogs. Andy Levy had a great list for the "loyal opposition" about what we should not be doing during the Obama administration.

How to pray for Obama - may God grant him repentance!

I get a newsletter from a political action group here in California called the Campaign for Children and Families, and they sent me this newsletter, which perhaps is not for general consumption since I cant' find it on their web site.  But enjoy.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Pray that Barack Obama will repent

Dear Daniel,

As the media celebrates President Obama, it's almost like a fantastic wedding party where people hope the marriage will last. Will it? And some in the media are acting like Obama is the new Savior of the world.

Evangelicals and Obama

MSNBC has a nice story up (shocking, I know!) on evangelical attitudes toward Obama's election. The author did a good job of interviewing numerous conservative evangelical leaders - a prominent African-American pastor, other well-known pastors (some of which were (in)famous during the previous election) and leaders, pollsters and evangelists.

Prayer, Politics, and Rick Warren

Much has been written about Pastor Rick Warren's invitation to give the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration in just a few weeks. Many on the left have been upset about the selection of Pastor Warren because of his stance against homosexual marriage. Some on the right are suggesting that he may be compromising the gospel for the sake of political influence.

Pastor Warren is symbolic of what's happened to evangelicals over the past 30 or so years. The church has forsaken the gospel in favor of gaining political and cultural influence. As a result, principles have been compromised.

Question to Obama voters

I mean this as an honest question looking for an honest answer - do you, Obama voters, feel his appointment of sitting senators and former Clinton administration members to his cabinet and staff represents the "change" that Obama spoke about during the campaign?

A six point approach for GOP Reform - Part II

In Part I, I discussed the first 4 of 6 points on how the GOP should be reformed.  Here's the last two points:

• Reaching beyond white America
• Reuniting around principles instead of special interest groups

A six point approach for GOP Reform - Part I

I saw Laura Ingram hosting Bill O'Reilly's show tonight, and I have to say, I do NOT love her.  She is way more partisan than Bill, and too belligerent.  I heard her talking about what the GOP needs to do, and her answer is basically

• Return to first principles
• Clean house of those who are not fiscally conservative
• Go into battle mode

What I think is lacking here is any admission of imbalance or out of order priorities in the GOP.  It's not about retrenching and kicking out anyone who is not on board (she may not have meant that, but what I hear from many conservatives sounds just like that).  In my mind, it's about

1. Returning to first principles of conservatism
2. Reprioritizing the issues we plan to address
3. Retreating from some of the extreme far-right positions
4. Rejecting anti-intellectual bullying and becoming again the "party of ideas"
5. Reaching beyond white America
6. Re-uniting around principles instead of special interest groups

Quote of the Day #016 - John Adams on Government and Religion

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other."      

John Adams
US diplomat & politician (1735 - 1826)

Bush and Harry Truman - unpopular now, but perhaps not in history

In The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace, the Wall Street Journal discusses how Bush's efforts as bipartisan solutions caused both Republicans and Democrats to abandon and despise him (resp.):

The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.

It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.

Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.

The good thing I've seen is that conservatives are now getting out of election mode and turning to support the new president, something liberals were never able to do with Bush.  Now perhaps it was easier to despise Bush because of his 'lesser' intellect, and for sure, his unilateral invasion of Iraq based on a supposed pre-existing agenda, was a reason to vilify him.

If Obama does something equally stupid, like tax our employers and drive unemployment through the roof, will conservatives treat him disrespectfully and hatefully, as liberals have with Bush?  Will comedians mock him to his face in press conferences?  I hope not, but I suspect they will.