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This is an article written by Charlie Reese, a former columnist for the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper. Very interesting perspective on the state of our Nation!

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.

The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone, are responsible.

They and they alone, have the power.

They and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

What you do with this article now that you have read it is up to you, though you appear to have several choices.

1. You can agree to vote against everyone that is currently in office, knowing that the process will take several years.

2. You can decide to run for office yourself and agree to do the job properly.

3. Lastly, you can sit back and do nothing, or re-elect the current bunch.

Political axioms

'If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.'
-Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.
-G. Gordon Liddy

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-Douglas Casey,

Giving money and power to g overnment is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
-P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.
-Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan (1986)

I don't make jokes... I just watch the government and report the facts.
-Will Rogers

If you think health care is expensive now; wait until you see what it costs when it's free!
- P.J. O'Rourke

In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-P ericles (430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.
-Mark Twain (1866 )

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it.
-Unknown

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal: a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.
-Ronald Reagan

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.
-Mark Twain

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

There is no distinctly Native American criminal class....save Congress.
-Mark Twain

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
-Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)

AND THE BEST ONE.......

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson

Interesting To Consider.

I never thought of this......

This lady has changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet... etc... was stolen.

Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago.'

When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson: Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.... And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back. Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON

I never thought about THAT! As of right now, I no longer have 'home' named on my cell phone .

It is a sad state of affairs indeed, but let's look at it from a different aspect. God either is or is not, depending on each individuals belief. Nothing can change that. Now let's look at what has happened to make us feel this angry. Evidence proves that 84% of Americans are believers. That leaves 16% who are either on the fence or unbelievers. It's not about religion, Catholic or Protestant or Muslim or any other religion, it's about our belief in God. Our forefathers believed in God as is so very obvious in our most honored and sacrosanct documents, the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. They were here and demanding independence from a tyrannical government who would not give them freedom to believe as they wished so their beliefs were well grounded. As history tells, we won, all was well and we prospered and grew as a new country into the bastion of freedom the entire world looks up to today. Well at least up to yesterday. As we grew into our freedom, we also found new levels of wealth for all the people. Along with this wealth came the satisfaction of being able to do more and have more. As we found this new form of financial freedom, some became more enamored with self-gratification. Our basic tenants began to change from those established by our God into various degrees of new accountabilities determined by the cravings of our "flesh". We became more tolerant. We became a society which accepted things which didn't directly affect us as long as we were left alone to live our lives the way we wanted to. For the vast majority, this was the best course of our pursuit of happiness, just let things be. The other side of the populace, the minority, wasn't willing to accept just being accepted, they wanted to be proven their idealism was "right". It was important to them to have the blessing of everyone, not mere acknowledgement. They became political. They worked to take their morality into the offices of government, they took their convoluted thinking into the courts via sympathetic judges, they determined the Constitution was a "living" document that needed to change to keep abreast of the changing norms of society. They opened their arms to anyone who didn't agree with the "normal" morality of America and grew in number. They became a political force while the rest of America quietly went about their business. Now things are coming back around to bite us for our political inactivity. We accepted a judges determination that saying a prayer in class was unconstitutional. Show me where that is stated in the Constitution. We accepted a judges determination that marriage is not solely between a man or a women. Where does it say that in the Constitution. We accepted a judges determination that no "religious" symbolism can be displayed on government property. Again, nowhere to be found in the Constitution. Unfortunately, this is not simply a case of something squeaking by unnoticed. It has been rampant for a long time. Maybe we relied on "our" government too much in confronting this problem but in the end "our" government ultimately let us down. Maybe it's the ego of power that brought about the succumbing of the once moral leadership we had to today's, "let's just do what we have to do to keep being re-elected" mentality. Now it is up to the people who stand alone, leaderless, to make things different. Each and everyone of us has to raise our voice in rebellious harmony to bring Washington back to where it needs to be. We have a great weapon today in the internet. There is no single political figure who cannot be reached via the internet. Your feelings and ideas can be communicated and when enough of us decide to take the time and make the effort to have our individual thoughts heard, change will occur. So, let's not get "mad" at something that our government has allowed to happen, do something about it. Write your Senators and Representatives EVERY DAY and let them know how you feel. It doesn't take anymore time than it does to read this email.

"I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we prudently save means that their life will be so much the more abundant. Economy is idealism in its most practical form.” —Calvin Coolidge

I am a 74-year-old proud American Veteran that lives in the land of the Free America and the home of the brave The Lawton/Fort Sill Veterans home in Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma. I can remember back in the year of 1941 I was an 8-year-old boy living with my parents and my three brothers in Clovis, New Mexico when I saw my very first soldier. This was during World War 11. There was an Army Base at Clovis, NM and they practiced their marching drill daily on the public street in front of where we lived. My brother Buddy Odle (Orville Lester), my cousin Lloyd, Bobby & Shirley Mitchell and a neighbor boy Donald McDonald would stand on the corner mesmerized watching the American soldiers march by. We were not old enough to know anything about the war. We just knew we liked watching those soldiers. Little did I know then that these soldiers and others in uniform would make it possible for me and every one living in the United States of America to know a life time of Freedom. Making it possible for me and others to live the American dream. We cannot thank these soldiers enough for our way of life. I am honored to live in a country with the bravest warrior in the world.

World War 11 began Sept.3, 1939 when Adolph Hitler's Nazis Germany invaded Poland. We Americans did not get involved until Dec. 7, 1941 when the Imperial Japanese fighter planes bomb Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Every able bodied man from age 18 to 45 was drafted or enlisted in the American military. Our American women were ask to work out side the home for the first time to work at the jobs that our men had to leave so they could once again defend our homeland and our freedom. Americans were still trying to recover from the Great Depression so we were use to not having much.

Everything of any account went to the war effort. We stopped manufacturing automobiles and farm machinery and started building ships, airplanes, tanks and military weapons of all kinds. And for the first time since 1929 Americans had steady jobs that paid around $35 a week. And Americans were asked to buy war bonds and we did. Children were asked to bring a dime to school to help fight another enemy, Polio and they did and we eventually won the war against Polio. Americans all pulled together to do what was necessary to win World War II. Every American had to register for books of food stamps, gasoline stamps and shoe stamps. If you did not have any sugar stamps left you could not purchase any more sugar that month.

All of the beef, pork, bacon, bananas, butter, and candy bars went to the military. Americans back home learned to eat lamb if they had a meat stamp they could purchase it. We ate a lot of chicken. Once a week while they lasted if you had a meat stamp and you stood in a long line you could get a beef roast for Sundays dinner. In the 1930's and 1940's the standard American Sunday dinner was roast beef baked with carrots and onions served with mash potatoes made with real butter served with roast beef gravy over the mash potatoes.

School Children were ask to collect newspapers and bring to school for paper drives. The Children were asked to collect aluminum cans and aluminum pots and pans to be melted down to make weapons with. We collected glass bottles, aluminum foil was rolled into balls, and we collected string. We did what ever our government asks us to do. All Americans were patriotic. All Americans loved President Roosevelt who was a Polio survivor himself. He was crippled from Polio. Americans pulled together to win this World War II. And we did win World War II on Sept. 2,1945. Every American hated the Germans, Japanese and Italians. The newsreels at the picture show would show pictures of Japanese soldiers throwing babies up in the air and catching them on their bayonet blades.

The Japanese during World War II were afraid of the US Marine because they had been told that in order to join the US Marine Corps you had to kill your mother first to prove you were tough. The Japs held their mothers in high regard and were terrified of our Marines.

America has been in a war for almost eight years. We have not had to make any sacrifices at home, no draft, no food stamps, no rationing of any kind. We can purchase new cars, buy shoes made from real leather without a shoe stamp. We can go to any grocery store and purchase all the beef, pork, bacon, and bananas, candy bars that we can afford. Most Americans are not affected by this war!
We have an all-volunteer Military. The families who have men and women in the military are the only ones making sacrifices in this war. The rest of the people go about their business like they didn't have a concern in the world. Those people owe that attitude to the ones that serve our country and paid for their freedom to feel as they wish.

Americans need to unite and show their support of our men and women in uniform of our country. One simple thing they could do is wear a red shirt every Friday to show the world that we Americans stand by our Military people. The Red stands for the blood that they shed to pay for our freedom. Over 6,000 of America's finest heroes have paid for our debt for Freedom in Iraq. We should never forget what these brave men and women like my Heroes US Marine Cpl. Jeffry Rogers of Yukon, Ok., US Marine Cpl. Joshua Ware of Apache, Oklahoma, and LCpl Lamont Wilson of Lawton, Oklahoma. I can never thank them enough for my freedom that I enjoy each and every day. GOD BLESS AMERICA.

By Paul L. Odle, Sr.
Popular Yukon Author, Humorous, and Special Veteran Correspondent
Literary Historian and Ardent Promoter of Yukon, Oklahoma and Veterans Centers
2008 Yukon Wall Of Fame Recipient
Proud To Be An American Veteran
Lawton/Fort Sill Veterans Center
P.O. Box 849
Lawton, Oklahoma 73502 1-800-354-3287 Paul_Odlesr@Yahoo.com

Stop blaming the problems of the Nation on a party. The problems are with the people of the system. Regardless of who we send to Washington, they quickly become personal lap dogs of the special interests. We have to protect ourselves by watching over those who we have sent to do our work. It seems as soon as our elected official arrive in Washington, they forget why they where sent there.

Legislation is being passed without even being read. Agendas are being followed even though it is exactly against what they said they would fight for. Good Bills are being weighed down with so much special interest fat they are so expensive that defeat the entire reason for their composure to begin with.

Bureaucrats are making deals with foreign Nationals without our knowledge and/or consent. The thought of selling our highways is unimaginable. The every earth that our fathers and mothers and some of us have fought and died for being sold to those who could not kill us for. It makes me furious. Those who do this or even attempt to are committing High Treason. These people know that they are hidden behind a curtain of anonymity. No one is watching the store. The deals are made and only caught at times by accident. How many are missed or just covered up and haven’t been found yet. The Bureaucratic system needs to have a watch dog in place just make sure they know that they serve the people of the United States and not the insulated Bureau Chief.

Guys, I guess this is our "Day of Infamy". I don't know if it's a day to be grateful for or a day of shame. I'm not ashamed of anything I did in those terrible times but I am ashamed of our leadership then and
pretty much since (other than Ronald Reagan's years). The whole situation left us and our generation so scarred yet it seems no lesson was learned from it as we see where we are today in Iraq. Our
leadership is anything but decisive in our approach to this war. They are tearing apart the country rather than uniting and forging a commitment to bring peace and accord into the world. I'm being
partisan here as both parties are equally at fault. While the Democrats rale against Bush simply for he being he, the Republicans are shaming themselves with malfeasance and greed in office. Politics has
become synonymous with corruption, immorality and egotism beyond the pale. Politics has overwhelmed leadership. Fred Thompson dropped from the presidential race not because of a lack of effort or money or belief, but because of the circus that our presidential campaigns have turned into. YouTube and Face book played major roles in our presidential debates. They made a mockery of the seriousness of the process. The media refuses to cover the campaigns without bias and full truths. The foundation of campaigning was changed to Super Tuesday and early caucuses and hyped like an upcoming reality show.
Campaign finance bills passed the House and Senate to make sure these politicians didn't "break the law". MaCain-Feingold, what a laugh. It completely ignores the First Amendment and doesn't do anything to prevent special interest groups from making illegal contributions but won't allow Mr. & Mrs. America to express an opinion publicly 30 to 60 days prior to an election. A joke perpetrated against America by our "leaders". When's the last time you heard any mention of the borders? We had a law passed to build a wall, what happened there? Another promise from our politicians to gain the favor of some and no action to curry favor from the rest. They play us like fools and we just keep voting them in. Anyway, other than that, Happy Retreat From Vietnam Day!

Frenchie

(This has been an unpaid political announcement that will go nowhere just like all the rest of them.)

Soon To Be Gone - From A Military Doctor

I am a doctor specializing in the Emergency Departments of the only two military Level One-Trauma Centers, both in San Antonio, TX and they care for civilian Emergencies as well as military personnel. San Antonio has the largest military retiree population in the world living here. As a military doctor, I work long hours and the pay is less than glamorous. One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of sleep, food, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay, only more work. Most often, it is a victim from a motor vehicle crash.

There was a frail, elderly woman who reassured my young enlisted medic, trying to start an IV line in her arm. She remained calm and poised, despite her illness and the multiple needle-sticks into her fragile veins. She was what we call a "hard stick." As the medic made another attempt, I noticed a number tattooed across her forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her eyes. She simply said, "Auschwitz." Many of later generations would have loudly and openly berated the young medic in his many attempts. How different was the response from this person who'd seen unspeakable suffering.

Also, there was this long retired Colonel, who as a young officer had parachuted from his burning plane over a Pacific Island held by the Japanese. Now an octogenarian, he had a minor cut on his head from a fall at his home where he lived alone. His CT scan and suturing had been delayed until after midnight by the usual parade of high priority ambulance patients. Still spry for his age, he asked to use the phone to call a taxi, to take him home, then he realized his ambulance had brought him without his wallet. He asked if he could use the phone to make a long distance call to his daughter who lived 7 miles away. With great pride we told him that he could not, as he'd done enough for his country and the least we could do was get him a taxi home, even if we had to pay for it ourselves. My only regret was that my shift wouldn't end for several hours, and I couldn't drive him myself.

I was there the night MSgt. Roy Benavidez came through the Emergency Dept. for the last time. He was very sick. I was not the doctor taking care of him, but I walked to his bedside and took his hand. I said nothing. He was so sick, he didn't know I was there. I'd read his Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He died a few days later.

The gentleman who served with Merrill's Marauders, the survivor of the Bataan Death March, the survivor of Omaha Beach, the 101 year old World War I veteran, the former POW held in frozen North Korea, the former Special Forces medic - now with non-operable liver cancer, the former Viet Nam Corps Commander.

I remember these citizens.

I may still groan when yet another ambulance comes in, but now I am much more aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women.

I have seen a Congress who would turn their back on these individuals who've sacrificed so much to protect our liberty. I see later generations that seem to be totally engrossed in abusing these same liberties, won with such sacrifice.

It has become my personal endeavor to make the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing individuals when I encounter them in our Emergency Dept. Their response to these particular citizens has made me think that perhaps all is not lost in the next generation.

My experiences have solidified my belief that we are losing an incredible generation, and this nation knows not what it is losing. Our uncaring government and ungrateful civilian populace should all take note.

We should all remember that we must "Earn this."

Written By CPT. Stephen R. Ellison, M.D. US Army !