Notice no one said how big the steps were. I can’t find the whole quote, but many years ago, I read it, not in the title of the book by V.I. Lenin, but the entire text that had “the rest of the story” about step size. Meaning: Take a large step, if resistance is encountered, promise to back up two. It looks, to the resister, like you are actually moving backwards by your words, further back that your start point, but you merely make two small steps in reverse, leaving you with “conquered” ground. It’s all about manipulating the perceptions.

Note the choice of words: “Punitive Legislation.” Somebody gets it.

Consider: The full power of the Federal Legislative and Executive branches “punishing” people for running a private firm. Yes, they have been given taxpayer dollars, so the overall system wouldn’t suffer, then the Government punishes them for taking the bonuses that the Treasury Department and Senator Dodd made sure they were in the bailout legislation.

What kind of America have we become?

Financial-industry officials launched a campaign Friday to fight back but are finding their hands tied: Anti-Wall Street sentiment following the American International Group Inc. bonus payouts is making it difficult to reach once-friendly lawmakers to make their case. Key senators and their staffers, nervous about appearing to support the industry, are refusing all meetings, and, in some cases, turning away phone calls. “Unless you have a pitchfork and a noose nobody’s listening to you” on Capitol Hill, said one financial lobbyist.

Who has the best paid lawyers on their side? You know, why would a top notch law school graduate go to work for the Govt, when they can make lots and lots more money as a private one? Sorta like why so few military academy sports players end up in the big leagues….not a snipe, just a fact. It’s about you life priorities.

Oh, call it the “Full Employment Act for Trial Lawyers Bill (FEA4TL)” just for fun.

The White House has yet to publicly criticize the bonus tax proposals. But administration officials say privately they are concerned the House and Senate bills could lead to an exodus of employees or whole companies from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, known as TARP, as well as other government-sponsored financial rescue efforts.

Hallmark of this administration: It’s merely a act/poll/react mentality. They don’t can’t think about the consequences of any action. They are to focused on “The Agenda!,” to have actually developed the political equivalent of a business plan.

Consider all of this derision from the government, calling bankers the equivalent of “suicide bombers.” It’s a cultural thing. When the President tells the world one profession is good (lawyers) and another is bad (bankers, investment bankers, Wall Street companies, etc….), it leaches into the psyche of those considering their upcoming, either first or subsequent, career choices.

Speaking of that, the President is showing himself to be the “Offender-in-Chief.” Besides calling his fellow citizens suicide bombers, the also disses those in the Special Olympics. He’s “sensitive” about his big ears, he’s sensitive about it being pointed out his close associates in recent years want to see the Government and officials destroyed, and that America is one big bigoted nation, and then he has the gall to use those words?

Back on topic: He has the power to influence where the talent goes. He may not know it, but he’s going to chase away the very people who may just be able find a way out of the current darkness in the economic arena.

If these are the “smart” people, I don’t want no more smart ones telling me they know the answers. They ain’t got ‘em! They don’t or they just are pushing to see what they can achieve, and pull back if they find resistance.

It is also a vestige of “real world” business experience. If they had it, they’d certainly understand marketing a whole lot better. However, it seems they are a bunch of lawyers, who think written text is always right, unless they find a loophole that compliments their desires to avoid the specifics, and certainly the intent, if they disagree.

Just a closing thought: What industry is next to be publicly called out? Which corporation will next have to hire private security and tell their employees to not go out alone, for their fellow citizens may want to cause them physical harm?

The President using his bully pulpit to send the citizens after one another is immoral, and unjust. He is the one who calls for justice for the “enemy combatants,” who are no longer are enemies, despite their own statements, yet cannot see it worthy of our own neighbors.

Paranoia? Yes, another hallmark of communism. Ask any who have lived under it.

It used to be conservative talk show hosts, and MSM financial reporters. Now it’s just your average finance industry worker…yoou know, the “greedy capitalists.” Who’s next?

Call to Action: I’d recommend you contact your representatives and let them know how you feel about the President vilifying citizens.

Update 3/21/2009: And then an ACORN derived group shows up at AIG Executive’s homes. You remember ACORN? The “community organizing” group President Obama worked for, and trained for? The one accused of voter fraud in at least TWELVE states, the group that is receiving $2B in Stimulus Fund dollars. The same group that entered bank lobbies and demanded CRA loans be issued to those who couldn’t actually afford them?

Yes. A group bent on destroying us financially, for their own political gain, one President Obama actually worked for.

Now they are at the doors of private citizens.

It’s a multi-pronged attack on citizens. With the Executive and Legislative branches, blatantly violating the basics of the 14th Amendment, supported and abetted by known socialist groups.

My God, what have we done?

Does any thinking being have to wonder why, when Porkulus 1 money hasn’t even been barely distributed, they are already calling for Son of Porkulus?

Here’s the deal: Unaccountable bureaucrats will tell you how you will handle everything in your life, or the money will stop flowing.

All under the guise of making sure the taxpayers money isn’t being mis-appropriated…like for that fat laden Big Mac, the soda with sugar and caffeine, the “nasty” second hand smoke producing cigar, or…how much you drive your car (oh, and what kind it is) instead of taking light rail and the bus and where you send your children to school.

They want everyone to sign on the dotted line now, and then, the “fine print” reading will be way too late. As pointed out in an article on banks trying to return the money, it was noted that the Government can change the conditions in the future. So, consider what that portends for anyone taking Government assistance. The basics: Unintended consequences, based on unforeseen regulations, without the benefit of a legislative process to vet them.

Tea Parties are a start. More push back will be needed, or we shall all be drones of the state, working to give to the Federal Government, so they can hand some of it back, with massive restrictions, and new restrictions they can apply at the whim of anyone in the heap of civil servants between you and the President.  Interesting how it works:  They take our money, then pay off a bunch of civil servants, hand us back some of the leftover funds and tell us we have to respect the rights of all other taxpayers for taking it.  Yep, I hope that makes your head explode, because it stupid at the core, and the thinking person knows it.  Side note:  what does that say about those who we voted into office who can’t stand up and say “This is not only stupid, it’s immoral!”

And: Just think, the news this very day is Bernie Madoff may have to serve life in prison for his $65B ponzi scheme. Think about the bailout/stimulus/America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and all such permutations as a huge money laundering scheme. The difference is when the power of the Congress and the Executive is behind it, it is somehow legal.

The Government takes our wealth in taxes, then drafts up a mountain of conditions, then places the money on the table in front of us, with the tomes of “conditions” and a pen.  The Government representative, or their proxy by the chain of money distribution, will say “Sign here” and then put a fork in you, you’re done. You know how desperation works: If you’re hanging on by a thread, you sign without “reading the contract.”

I spent a few decades where my part of my duties required me to be a steward of taxpayers funds as an end user, not as a bean counter. Near the end of my time, I directly handled $11M and oversaw a total of $34M of federal expenditures. A portion of my time, as a department head in a large software maintenance organization was spent ensuring the funds allocated by a DC office was spent in accordance of the guidelines, which extended all the way from the Congressional Budget. There was single year money, multi-year money, all with specifics of under which projects the funds could be expended. The “rules” were that the person who last touched it was accountable for where it was spent, even if an error in the funding lines may have been altered by accident up the chain somewhere in the “accounting data.” The strings attached to this money were lengthy and very specific, including the legal outcomes if you did the wrong thing. Moral of that paragraph: No seat of the pants spending allowed.

Puppets. We shall all become puppets if we are not mindful of the serious danger of President Obama’s ingrained punishment mentality, bred into him by the radicals who were his mentors and role models.

The bottom line:  He wants to be able to tell each and every citizen how they will live their life, and he will keep telling you it’s to make sure the taxpayer’s money is spent right.

The almost final thought:  no wonder the President hasn’t had time to deal with the pressing issues of foreign affairs.  First he needs to gain a massive degree of control of the populace, using this sort of end around of The Constitution first.  With such control he’ll be much more able to control the conversations that should go on in a republic.

The final thought:  Didn’t we get here by Government mandating who got money and who didn’t and how and where it would be doled out?  How’d that work out for us so far?

Mark my words.  This theme will play out in the Consumer Safety Protection Act, gun control (think localities taking money being told that a condition is “reasonable regulation of ownership”), and a variety of other social, legal and even moral issues (can you say no protesting abortions?).  Take a moment and envision the “unintended consequences” that shall follow the money from the halls of Congress and trhe Desk in the Oval Office.  I trust you are reasonably horrified.  I trust you will let your elected officals know how you feel about this.  It is time for “feelings” to come to the forefront.

Notable ones:

• The Fairness Doctrine.  Press Secretary wouldn’t answer the question, later a few representatives of the august body of Congress say it’s time to “Change back.”  UPROAR! ensues.  New statement…Oh, no, President Obama isn’t for it.
• Assault Weapons Ban.  AG opens mouth, we’re coming for your guns to make sure Mexico is safe.  UPROAR! again.  Nancy P and some Dems from areas with lots of hunters and the like:  Oh, no…won’t happen.
• Durban II:  We’re gonna go.  You know the drill.  Then “we” renege and we’re not going, because it’s a bunch of racist stuff.  While I’m there, why don’t we go with a “new” attitude?  Yes, go and stand up to the racist and quit being cowards about it.  Send Eric Holder to do Hillochio’s work.

Those are but a few major topics.  Consider the several other issues and begin, I invite you, to start looking at this as a way for President Obama to avoid having to pay for polling constantly.  They must have tightened that belt, and have figured out, by “putting the word out,” they will receive the temperature of the culture.  If it’s hot, the President, or a highly placed official, “senior” to the conveyor of the controversial message, can pull it back, politely mentioning someone spoke out of school, but not to worry, that’s not the official policy.  Conversely, if no one notices, then they know there’s an opening to pursue the policy further.

But, this article, about “overt acts” by other factions, postulated to either set perceptions askew, or to desensitize reminds me of this form of behavior, also.

Stand by to be constantly polled. Know this, also, as a “pollee,” it’s your voice they’re trying to listen to, so don’t be a “No Commeter”, when the time(s) come to speak your piece.

“I couldn’t possibly have known that provision was in there!”

Top cover.  Plausible Deniability.  Two terms that come to mind, as an explanation of how Democrats will face their voters come Monday and all the way throught their next election cycle.  Done this way, just so they could have this response at the ready.

I believe the bill in question was 1474 pages long, I think I read the largest (in page count) ever to be put before Congress.  All wrapped up in what?  2 days?  I’m sure it broke the record for the largest earmark bill ever passed, too, but it’s not earmarks, it’s “STIMULUS!” to special interests.

I used to speed read.  Had to run through 600 pages a week, while attending class and writing papers, too.  That was 600 a week, not 1474 in two days.

Politicians actually have people to meet, smoozing funds from one another, constituents to talk to, and a variety of other things to do on a regular work day.  That being the case, guess what?  For every damaging provision of Porkulus, the answer will be “I’m only human, I couldn’t possibly have read it all!”  Don’t hold your breath for the MSM to do film/capture/record or even report the follow up question and response:  “Then why did you vote for it?”  Never happen.

No crystal ball necessary.

They are supposed to represent us.  Why is it becoming an increasingly prevalent thing that the citizens have to shut down the switchboards will calls to get them to pay attention?

Answer:  They have absconded with our right to allow them to make judgments for our betterment.  It’s now all about them.

I’m just in the mood for a little “black humor” this morning. I have an answer. Not a palatable one, but, it’s a plan to reach the end game without wasting anymore time, which, seems to be where the Obama Administration is taking us, and taking us before we can even read it.  I’m a cut to the chase sort of personality.  Do it now, for God’s sake, if that’s the plan.  Grow some, ObamaVader, and don’t prolong the pain, unless, of course, you like to pull the wings off of flies.

Not even a month into the Presidency to bring America together guy, who will make sure the voices will be heard (notice:  not stated to be listened to), we are about to deplete the collective financial reserves of every working man, woman and teenager in America, so the non-productive and the special interest groups get their paybacks, but more importantly, so President Obama (and I think that’s even more important then the Democrat party) shall remain in charge in perpetuity.  I’m sure the voices will begin to whisper about the 22nd Amendment soon, and grow stronger.  We’re trashing The Constitution and the Bill Of Rights daily, so why stop before it’s all gone?

Anyhow, this article regarding our Director of National Intelligence and North Korean nuclear weapons just put me over the edge and caused me to begin thinking of this satirical method to just get it over with. Think about even the last few weeks:

Diane Feinstein tells the open press we are flying Predators from inside Pakistan. Bill Clinton, a few days ago, and President Obama a week ago, have used their bully pulpits to call for the silencing of “Talk Radio.” President Obama, Harry Reed and Nancy Pelosi conspire to make sure the opposition party has such little access to the spending bill, in presence or time, that it will go through as written, directly silencing at least 45% of the population of citizens. The effect? Between cutting the salaries and bonuses of the “rich” and putting money into the hands of very specifically targeted groups, the money will specifically flow to those who will then continue to support the drain on capital from those who oppose the President and give it to those who do.

Now, after using the National Intelligence Estimate to discredit a President for lying to the public regarding Iran trying to construct nuclear weapons, all of a sudden, this Administration tells us they know Iran is doing it and there is little we can do to stop that process. So we are now also to accept that North Korea feels threatened and needs nukes for self defense. Yep, the nation that enslaves most of it’s population, randomly kills many through starvation (ala The Cultural Revolution of Mao), and has one of the largest standing armies on Earth. Yep…and all the while President Obama wants to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Notice: We, the Russians and obviously Israel have to give them up. Iran and North Korea need them.

My “take away” from this sort of behavior:  They earnestly don’t want America to survive as a sovereign nation.  Or, they are playing some childish, “me first” political game, all to see who can pee higher on the post, and are so ignorant, they cannot see, or lazy and will not exert the mental energy to envision the likely outcomes and consequences or their actions.  If they thought for one minute where they are taking us, against the will of 48% of the voter, we would never see any of this.

So, here’s my assistance, being the process and efficiency person I am, to help my Dear Leader get things done. If you have additions/edits/changes/alternative suggestions, what the heck, post them in the comments and in a month, maybe we can ship them off to Rahm for consideration. My “Death to America™! Campaign (DATC) Accelerator Plan” Or just “DTACAP” for short reference:

• Immediately dismantle the entire Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. Immediately force through shift of current and out year funds for direct DoD/DHS OMN and OPN costs to the Welfare system.
• Put all military facilities up for auction, with the provision that the bidders must be 1) A group on the Terrorist list, 2) a nation listed as supporting terrorism, 3) China or 4) George Soros. Establish top bid of $1USD. Proceeds to be placed against the National Debt.
• All military/DHS equipment likewise auctioned, but top bid allowed $.50USD. Provision: Computer networks will not be scrubbed of National Security/classified data and all passwords for access to same shall be provided to the winning bidder(s).
• NASA and Department of Energy will be funded, with money taken directly out of the paychecks of registered Republicans, as common research and development office to promote the ability of Islamic Terrorist (only the registered ones on the list may participate) to develop, maintain, sustain, deploy and detonate nuclear weapons via guided missiles and rockets against all enemies of Mohammad, specifically in territory not already absorbed into the Caliphate, and within, if there is a danger of democracy and/or Woman’s (or even Human) Rights gaining a foothold.
• All Radio stations will be nationalized, and then auctioned. Top bid more for this, like maybe $1000USD, basd on the value of controlling the media. TV news and newspapers will be nationalized, but retained for use by the White House Chief of Staff. Reporters, anchors and researchers and producers/editors will be on nation wide teleconference (one way broadcast only, no questions allowed without prior submission) with the White House Chief of staff daily at 0700AM (Eastern) to receive “Talking Points” for the day. All FCC functions will fall directly under the control of the WH CoS. FCC post will be retitled to “Communications Puppet of the Puppet Master for Mind Control Operations in Support of the Dismantle America Project (DAP)” (a subset of DTAC)

This will accomplish putting essentially all Americans on the dole, while making sure the enemy sheds no more blood, and spend very little money, as reparations of the “oppression” since 622AD at the hands of those who refused to bow before their bloody conquests of Europe and Africa, before being pushed back from the Gates of Vienna. Think about it: President Obama can have his cake and be loved by the citizens of the World sooner, you know, because we don’t love him enough and I wonder: Is Michelle now proud daily of America?

Update 2/14/2009:  Seems like part of the plan is already rolling out. Obama lifts sanctions on Iran because they didn’t slow them down. So…I guess no sanctions are really gonna screw the Iranian plans to nuke Israel! He’s a plant, or a pea brain with a good teleprompter speech.

This statement is not made lightly, and it is supported by his own staff, and is based upon how the Nations non-military legal system works.

He is a lawyer, who seems to not understand the law, or he is more concerned with keeping support of those who make dangerous and outrageous decisions, based on emotion, not reality or legal precedent, nor even common sense.

The manner in which he is closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba also allows the detainess access to National Security Secrets:

President Obama clearly didn’t do his homework before ordering the suspension of military tribunals to try terrorist suspects. We have learned that even his own legal counsel admitted that Mr. Obama erred in discussing details about terrorism with families of victims last week, and that the administration was ignorant of a key point that terrorists exploit to their advantage. In his rush to fulfill a campaign promise to his more fervid anti-war supporters, the president’s legal oversights risk the disclosure of some highly classified information to terrorists.
[...]

The Washington Times editorial, quoted above, calls this an “oversight.” I would refer to it more appropriately as an “egregious error in judgment,” as that is more fitting.

Blundering ahead at full speed to make good on what he described, right after being elected as “Campaign Rhetoric,” so as to continue to maintain a razor’s edge of majority of support for his ill conceived plans, he is oblivious to the consequences of the mis-use of his real powers.

Think about it: Many of us were justifiable upset when the New York Times published stories about tracking terrorists by their cell phone signals, or the international money trail, or that some very hardened terrorists were kept in prisons elsewhere (a policy put in place by President Clinton and Leon Panetta, but blamed on President Bush (43)). In this case, the legal process to “bring them to justice” will actually cause the Federal Government to hand over classified information to those who’s stated purpose is to destroy this nation. It is a methodology that leads to national suicide. Why? So President Obama can wake up in the morning and say to himself in the mirror “I kept my promises” as he grows old and has left the White House.

Additionally, unlike those who believed the single human being named George W Bush was the origin and locus of all evil in the world, I comprehend that the President is supported by many, many staff people, who are picked for their understanding. His decisions will, in many cases be directly formed as a result of the positions they present to him. Analysis: They, too are a bunch of zealots, and not thoughtful, experienced, intelligent people. They, too, are unreasonable in their judgment, and it affects the people of the US and the entire world, when they fail to grasp the magnitude of their words to the President, written or spoken.

In thinking about the approach I have observed of the President since he took office, I thought back to his acceptance speech. It all of a sudden struck me that a key word “hear” was used on the evening of November 4th, 2008 at Grant park, but it does explain much.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

Think about it: “I hear” your voices. What if he had said “I will listen to your voices” and then added something like: “so we may find the best course to take the Nation into the future in these challenging times.” That would have implied that there are possibilities for good ideas to be formed on either or both sides of the aisle, while not surrendering his elective decision making status to just anyone with a voice from the opposition.

He cannot deny the voices are raised now. He hears them alright, and responds by calling them “so called economists” and telling also elected officials of the Nation “I won.”

I credit his self-centered, dismissive attitude of no one can know except him in not gathering the rest of us to help him. He slaps us in the face at every opportunity, then lifts his socialistic, union controlled, special interest groups into our faces and tells us they deserve to have access to an exceedingly large amount of capital the economy can produce. How does he expect to get help in this manner?

He is doing exactly as he is saying, he is carrying out a slash and burn campaign against his political adversaries, and the economy of the nation, which impacts the economic underpinnings of the world.

I come back to this point: bad judgment is not an option, as he has shown in the case of signing an Executive Order immediately upon taking office, which, puts us all at risk, himself included, and his wife and children.

On a cold winter day in January 1979, I stood on the bridge wing of a Navy replenishment oiler, preparing to get underway from the NATO fuel pier in Gaeta, Italy, with the position of Junior Officer of the Deck, and I had the “conn” (authority to issue rudder and engine orders). The Officer of the Deck, LCDR Mike Hunt and I had already briefed the brand new Captain (Chance of command had been about two hours prior) on how we planned to maneuver the ship safely out of port. Now we stood ready to put the plan into action, and the winds had changed. Mike looked at me and said words to the effect: “It’s a foolish man who sticks with the plan when the evidence says he needs to change it.”

That concept, while I don’t believe I have the exact wording, was clear. A plan is great. But with more specific knowledge, the wise person reconsiders and adjusts operations, before causing, in that case, our possible grounding of a major logistics asset for the 6th Fleet.

Can I ask: Will we survive his ignorant/arrogance/stupidity, and that of his supporting staff, if this is the manner in which he will act as the leader of the most powerful nation in the history of mankind?

The “America First” crowd must step in the face of the “Politics First” mentality that has overrun the nation.

He is my president because I believe in The Constitution as the foundational guidance. His acceptance speech wasn’t tossing me a life line, it was a statement of the obvious, placed to imply he was interested in unity. He is not, he merely wants to eat his waffles, and he wants to eat them now and someone agrees with me at the Wall Street Journal.

Update 2/12/2009: Another view of who’s the terrorist at The Evil Conservative.

No Stimulus! petition

It isn’t too late. There are two bills: One from the Senate (last night Surprise!) and one from the House. Now the differences have to be resolved and voted on the compromised language. You chance to be heard is not gone yet.

Note the time line graph at the bottom. While “2012” is flagged as an election year, they failed to show that the next significant election takes place in 2010, when many House and Senate seats will be up for a choice of the voters. As happened with several not so long since past Presidents, the mid-year elections (1994 being a major game changing election year) have taken the control of the Congress to the opposite side of the aisle.

My analysis: Hence the massive amount of money flowing not this year, as people are struggling, but next year, as we are ramping up to a voting season that could actually have a chance of balancing the political powers that be. Note that in order to stimulate the plight of the people, the money goes not to people, but specific functions. How does that specifically address the job situation for the average person? If you are have a skill set in one of those categories of spending type, then I guess you’re set. I actually doubt, since this all has taken place in a matter of weeks, that there was any serious analysis of which particular job markets were affected.

The “crisis” only being a few months long, there can’t be useful data compiled yet to determine these are the best ways to get America back to work. However, it certainly is the best way to throw not bones, but entire slaughtered sides of beef to those who have been in your office, lobbying for their particular “need.” In addition to that dynamic, this bill also does what DC likes to do best: Tell us how to do things in private business/State affairs, not by specific direction, but by attaching money to the mandates. Just like 55MPH. States could ignore it, they just wouldn’t see any Federal funds come their way anymore.

Watch how this $91.3B Health, Labor and Education “bubble” begins to lead us to a national bureau that directs the control/uses of health care, for instance. $79B for State Stabilization Fund will also be a way to manage governors and state legislatures into “compliance.” Heap another 48.9B in Energy and water then $62.3B in Housing, transportation. Between those, DC will pretty much have told us how things will be done. Most of the money in those categories will come to “us” in 2010. November, of course is late in the year, but not so late as to have people recall how their Congressperson “got them” all this help from DC.

Thomas Sowell (an African American economist) told us what was going on in January (29th to be precise) in his editorial. Some “straight talk” is here:

None of this is rocket science. And Washington politicians are not all crazy, even if sometimes it looks that way. Often, what they say makes no sense because what they claim to be doing is not what they are actually doing.

No matter how many times President Barack Obama calls for “swift action,” the kind of economic policies he is promoting take effect slowly.

If the Beltway politicians aren’t really trying to solve this crisis as quickly as they could, what are they trying to do?

One important clue may be a recent statement by President Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, that “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”

This is the kind of cynical revelation that sometimes slips out, despite all the political pieties and spin. Crises have long been seen as great opportunities to expand the federal government’s power while the people are too scared to object and before any opposition can get organized.

That is why there is such haste to do things that will take effect slowly.

What are the Beltway politicians buying with all the hundreds of billions of dollars they are spending? They are buying what politicians are most interested in — power.

In the name of protecting the taxpayers’ investment, they are buying the power to tell General Motors how to make cars, banks how to bank and, before it is all over with, all sorts of other people how to do the work they specialize in, and for which members of Congress have no competence, much less expertise.

This administration and Congress are now in a position to do what Franklin D. Roosevelt did during the Great Depression of the 1930s — use a crisis of the times to create new institutions that will last for generations.

Pardon my cynicism, but isn’t this how we got here? DC telling the economic system how they would do business? Lawyers: They should just stick to being the instigators of acrimony they are, and let business run the economy.

Credit: Washington Post

Did you know that the “Bail Out”/”Stimulus” money that would go to universities would have a condition attached? Any building that this money is used to repair/renovate/build could not be used for religious purposes? The question that comes to mind should be: “and just how does that stimulate the economy?”

You don’t have to believe me, you don’t have to go to Snopes (but you can if you’d like). Here is a link to the YouTube video of Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) addressing Congress on what he found in the “Stimulus Bill,” which is being used to promote a variety of leftist and socialist agendas, as well as a vehicle to pay back Democratic supporters of President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

That would mean a dorm building, if they redid the floors, could not be used to hold Bible Studies. A class building could not be used for theology classes…Student centers would be likewise prohibited from use for things like Campus Crusade meetings.

Now, in case you think “Who would track where the money was spent and then sit around to monitor the future use of the facilities? Geez…they need a life!” Think the lawyers and their minions at ACLU.

Consider this: Nancy Pelosi got caught and had to have her money for birth control pulled out. This situation, to choke off religious freedom, which, is in direct violation The Constitution, is the way of the people in Washington DC work now. They most likely have much more “hidden” in the bill, behind lots of language, knowing some things they want will get done will miss the scrutiny in the rush to get this bill passed. President Obama pushes daily, knowing the longer we actually consciously consider, with deliberation and respectful questions, the more of these sorts of insidious measure will be found out. I believe what happened over decades should not be fixed in a quick flurry of half thought out methods. The future is too important, and besides, look at how we are now seeing the aftermath of the TARP Bill of late last year, done in a rush, and now subject to waste, fraud and abuse at the billion dollar level…

I urge you to contact your senators immediately and voice your opinion on this issue, and be ready to act more opening in the coming days.

Here is an easy link to making sure you get the connection with your senators and representatives in Congress.

I just found CongressNow. It has a variety of tools to keep you updated on issues, voting, status of legislation, and a method to directly contract those who represent you. I have no stake in the site, but it appears to be well laid out and informative. You can even sign up to have an weekly email on how your reps voted!

Know your capability, know your enemies capability, know the environment and…

Darned if he wasn’t right, time after time. In exercise after exercise, real world operation after real world operation.

Call to action: Get and read “Rules for Radicals” by Saul Alinsky. Why? Know your enemy, it’s part of the formula. President Obama matured under the likes of Bill Ayers, who direct subscribed to these methods, ergo, it will expose how President Obama, and his fellow travellers, look at the world and operate.

Below, the summary from MIYAMOTO’S PUBLIC RELATIONS RESOURCE (Craig Miyamoto) with some comentary:

RULE 1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.” Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.)

RULE 2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.” It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don’t address the “real” issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)

RULE 3: “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.” Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)

RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity’s very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)

RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)

RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid “un-fun” activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)

RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” Don’t become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)

RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)

RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists’ minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)

RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)

RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.” Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

Without even spending much time to research all of the application in real time, think about this:

Rush Limbaugh has already seen Rule 12 applied.

The entire Conservative/Republican voting base has seen Rule 3, with the advent of the extensive use of the Internet to rally support, discredit opponents, and to spread fear and the Messianic line of “Hope and Change.”

Rule 1 was plastered in the face of the Congressional Leaders just yesterday. The question is will the reaction in the coming days indicate those who we targeted his “I won!” comment at allow themselves to believe in that power?

Rule 2: Just look at the Chicago/Illinois “personnel” surrounding the President. I’m betting one day, William Ayers will stay overnight in the Lincoln Bedroom, too.

Rule 5? C’mon. President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Senator McCain and Governor Palin and just about every other top level administration official was subjected to this. Note “they” even had the finesse of making the MSM and Saturday Night Live do their lifting. Plausible deniability. I guess they listened to the Congressional Hearing in the mid-80′s.

Rule 8 is already in use, with the Obama (note: not the Democratic Party) continuing to exploit the massive email data base collected during the campaign to solicit funds and drive agendas. Count on those 3M+ addresses to become a factor in the futre. So long as the “loyal opposition” fails to grasp the basic communication capability of the ‘Net, they will be in a tail chase.

Rule 9: The “OMG! THE ECONOMY IS FALLING AND IT”S BUSH’S FAULT!” ‘Nuff said.

Rule 10: How about a man with no experience, being put forward as just the man to handle the job, because he had “judgment?” That’s still left to be seen, but that huge negative was made a winning point.

There is my quick analysis. I don’t think the basic tactics we’ll see in the next few years will stray from these directions, but the interesting part will be which specific venues in which they will be employed. The greatest danger lies in the power of the Executive Orders and various regulatory agencies, requiring no permission from Congress to enact policies that will put these measures in play. FCC will be a first major push, to effectively push “Dissent, the highest form of Patriotism” into non-existence. Like all operations, you need to “decapitate” the organization, by silencing the leadership.

Next will come various policies from the Treasury, Labor, EPA and other departments that codify these actions under the Governmental authority, and therefore carrying the wiegh of enforcement, which will chill even more localized opposition.

As Rush pointed out on his show the other day, he has power over no one. President Obama, on the other hand, has the full weight of the Government of the United States at his command, and he has already said: “I won” out loud to his opponents. He’s not interested in the collective mind being brought to bear for the good of the Nation, but the “collective” coming in line for his party’s power.

The other pieces of the puzzle: Know your capabilities and know the environment, in this case US politics, our citzens and our educational environment, are also important. Get to work, or give up your hope now.