July 2011
1 post
The Fourth of July: “What do these American stones... →
The Signing of the Declaration of Independence
As I walked around the base of Capitol Hill this past Friday and I looked down the national lawn, I thought about the significance of…
June 2011
0 posts
Memorial Day: A Sacrifice Embraced with a Promise →
A Sacrifice with a Promise
Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to work in a Congressional District office. Of all the opportunities such work has afforded me, one…
April 2011
2 posts
A Half-Slice Compromise →
In many ways not unexpected, I awoke this morning to the news that Republicans and Democrats came to a last minute agreement to avoid the impending government shutdown (Click here for information…
February 2011
2 posts
Robert M. Costrell: Oh, To Be a Teacher in... →
The showdown in Wisconsin over fringe benefits for public employees boils down to one number: 74.2. That’s how many cents the public pays Milwaukee public-school teachers and other employees for retirement and health benefits for every dollar they receive in salary. The corresponding rate for employees of private firms is 24.3 cents.
John Fund: Wisconsin's Newest Progressive -... →
The state Capitol building in Madison has been occupied round-the-clock by protesters for nearly two weeks. Fourteen Democratic state senators are still on the lam, refusing to allow a vote on a budget-repair bill. And Gov. Scott Walker has been called everything from a new Hitler to rotting cheese.
January 2011
4 posts
“When a thing has to be attempted, one must never think about possibility or...”
– C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity
NFL Videos: Victory is waiting for you →
A bit of a change of pace for my usual postings, but I love the way this video was done.
December 2010
4 posts
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty →
In a moment of desperation, Charlie Brown cried out the now immortal request, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!” Responding to his despondent inquiry, Linus took…
From Salaries to Taxes, One Tax Increase at a Time... →
So I have seen several cartoons over the past few days and they go along the lines of this:
The message is that Republicans are only looking out for the “rich.” For anyone who has not had the chance to follow the news, Democrats have essentially made the extension of the Bush tax cuts dependant on extending unemployment benefits. And consequently we have the above cartoons. (Click Here to...
The Party of Travel Planners…Or Tour Guides? «... →
Sarah Palin has been getting a lot of flack recently. Flack for her TV show. Flack for her daughter being on dancing with the stars. Flack for going against the Republican establishment. Now flack comes with the job of being a public figure involved in politics. And often the pundits and political leaders disking out the criticism have valid points.
I am not concerned about people being critical...
November 2010
3 posts
The Stuffing of Thanksgiving « PaulBoller.com →
For the last day and a half, I have been pondering the idea of Thanksgiving as a holiday. Most people understand it as a day to show gratefulness for the many good things we enjoy. We also understanding it as a day of fellowship with family and friends, often accompanied by turkey and stuffing. But as I continued to ponder the idea of thanksgiving… (Click here to read more)
Saying No with Yes « PaulBoller.com →
The challenge before the newly minted Republicans is as difficult as it is simple. Come January 20th, Republicans will take the majority in the House and will send a minority to the Senate. Under the current parliamentary rules, this minority will be capable of stopping any bill proposed. This will make the word, “No” roll off the tongue as easy for Republicans as Paula Deen adding butter to a...
Thanksgiving Proclamation by President George...
[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor— and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the...
October 2010
3 posts
“When you’re taking flak, you’re right over the target.”
– Origin of the saying unknown
McDonald's, 29 other firms get health care... →
“‘The big political issue here is the president promised no one would lose the coverage they’ve got,’ says Robert Laszewski, chief executive officer of consulting company Health Policy and Strategy Associates. ‘Here we are a month before the election, and these companies represent 1 million people who would lose the coverage they’ve got.’”
So...
Unemployment and Raises in the Minimum Wage →
John Stossel quoting FBN’s Charles Brady: “For 10 years – from 1997 to 2007 the minimum wage held steady at $5.15 per hour. Then in 2007 it was raised to $5.85. It was increased again to $6.55 in 2008 and finally to $7.25 in 2009. So over the course of three years businesses, especially those that rely heavily on minimum-wage workers, saw their labor costs soar 41%. … Unless these business saw...
September 2010
6 posts
U.S. Wants Broader Internet Wiretap Authority -... →
“The Obama administration is developing plans that would require all Internet-based communication services — such as encrypted BlackBerry e-mail, Facebook, and Skype — to be capable of complying with federal wiretap orders, according to a report published Monday.”
Tea Partiers oppose abortion, not just deficits →
TIMOTHY P. CARNEY - ”The economy, taxes, spending, health care, and bailouts dominate the headlines and Tea Party rallies this year. But just beneath the surface, another issue is helping shape the midterm elections: abortion.”
The GOP not better ignore this reality. They would be unwise to do so.
Grambling State University Bans Political E-Mails,... →
Foxnews.com - “Weeks ahead of a crucial midterm election, a Grambling State University in Louisiana has banned its students and faculty members from forwarding “campaign solicitations” using the school’s e-mail system, contending it is a violation of Louisiana law because it would amount to an institutional “endorsement” of a campaign.”
And all this...
Restoring Honor – 8/28 « PaulBoller.com →
As I stood among the crowds accented with American flags t-shirts and apparel, I knew deep within me that this was America before me. From small town folks to large city dwellers, I couldn’t help but to be touched by the lengths these people had gone through to be here, sacrificing their hard-earned resources to proclaim their unabashed patriotism, and more importantly, their faith in God. Their...
James Freeman: Glenn Beck's Happy Warriors -... →
“One would not be able to find a more polite crowd at a political convention, certainly not at a professional sporting event, probably not even at an opera. In fact, judging by the behavior of the attendees following the event, you’d have a tough time finding churches in which people display more patience as others make their way to the exits.”
I can testify to this first hand.
August 2010
8 posts
My Take: Beck’s rally was about restoring virtue... →
“What was the theme of Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor rally? As someone who attended the combined six hours of the Friday and Saturday events, the themes were obvious.”
The Government's New Right to Track Your Every... →
TIME Article - “Government agents can sneak onto your property in the middle of the night, put a GPS device on the bottom of your car and keep track of everywhere you go. This doesn’t violate your Fourth Amendment rights, because you do not have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your own driveway — and no reasonable expectation that the government isn’t tracking your...
Little-known fact: Obama's failed stimulus program... →
Social Security in the red for first time ever -... →
The Washington Times - “Social Security will pay out more this year than it gets in payroll taxes, marking the first time the program will be in the red, according to the annual authoritative report released Thursday by the program’s actuary.”
WatchVirginia’s Governor Blasts Health Care Mandate - Video - FoxNews.com
WatchVideo - Gov. Christie on Saving Money & the Hard Decisions We Have to Make (via RealClearPolitics)
States are borrowing more - CNNMoney.com →
Is there a potential correlation between states with more conservative policies and states with more liberal (progressive) policies?
July 2010
39 posts
In The Land Of Mao, A Rising Tide Of Christianity... →
“The last 30 years of economic reform have seen an explosion of religious belief. China’s government officially recognizes five religions: Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam and Daoism. The biggest boom of all has been in Christianity, which the government has struggled to control.”
“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the...”
– Ecclesiastes 8:11 - Passage Lookup - New American Standard Bible - BibleGateway.com
FOXNews.com - Obama Missing Historic Boy Scout... →
“President Obama will make history as the first sitting president on a daytime talk show when he visits with the ladies of “The View.” But he’ll be missing out on another historic occasion — the Boy Scouts’ Jamboree marking the group’s 100th anniversary, right in the president’s backyard.”
Stimulating Unemployment - WSJ.com →
“The President is right that “we’ve got a lot of work to do” to get Americans back to work and that the toll on families from high unemployment is considerable. There are few things in life more demoralizing than being unemployed for a lengthy period of time. But paying people not to work and adding $30 billion more to nearly $1.4 trillion of deficit spending is a dismal...
FOXNews.com - Obama Signs Sweeping Financial... →
“Pledging ‘no more’ Wall Street bailouts, President Obama on Wednesday signed into law a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations, saying the complex measures would ultimately help consumers make better decisions and help keep the economy out of serious trouble.”
The Pres. pledged “‘no more tax-funded bailouts,” but that’s because the gov can...
“Each guest in turn gives his reason for being pleased with himself. “I am...”
– Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws ( 1748 )
Also see: Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: The Human Inequality of Equality « PaulBoller.com
Judge Says Constitution Protects Right to Lie... →
“A federal judge has declared unconstitutional a little-known law making it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded a military medal.”
The Glenn Beck Show- Civil Rights Movement-... →
“It’s time to set the record straight on what the civil rights movement was really about versus what progressives and radicals want you to think it was about. You’ve got people like the Rev. Al Sharpton telling everyone that Martin Luther King’s dream was really about redistributing wealth. That’s not at all what it was about- it was about human rights. Tonight, Glenn...
“Indeed, the Holy Grail of universal coverage in the United States may remain out...”
– A quote from President Obama’s appointment who would essentially head up healthcare. Overriding some self-interest? That’s socialism. Better yet, that is the same idea as communism.
Henninger: Berwick Recess Appointment Is Bigger... →
“If the American people want the health-care world Dr. Berwick wishes to give them, that’s their choice. But they must be given that choice.”
FOXNews.com - Congress Sends Obama Sweeping... →
- Congress has socialized even more of our economy (and it looks like a few “Republicans” in the Senate helped the Democrats do it ).
FOXNews.com - Endangered Animal Horning In on... →
“If not for an elusive, antelope-like creature in the Arizona desert, the Department of Homeland Security might have a much easier time cracking down on illegal immigration in hotbeds along the border.
The Sonoran Pronghorn, which roams in Arizona, is an endangered species on the verge of extinction. As a result, environmentalists and governmental stewards have been repeatedly blocking...
FOXNews.com - Governors: Obama's Immigration Suit... →
“Democratic governors expressed ‘grave’ concerns to White House officials this weekend about the Obama administration’s suit against Arizona’s new immigration law, warning it could cost the party in crucial elections this fall, The New York Times reported late Sunday.”
Two Venezuelans Face Up To 11 Years In Prison For... →
“Hugo Chavez seems to like Twitter as a mouthpiece for power. Since joining the service last April, he’s sent 522 messages, sometimes dozens a day, all apparently from his BlackBerry.
But he’s not such a fan of uncensored microblogging from the masses. Last week two Venezuelans, a 35-year old woman and a 41-year old man, were charged with making statements on Twitter critical...
Arthur B. Laffer: Unemployment Benefits Aren't... →
“Since the 1970s there’s been a close correlation between increased unemployment benefits and an increase in the unemployment rate.”