Roll call vote on $6 billion national service boondoggle: 14 GOP dissenters
Depressing fact of the day: Only 14 Senate Republicans voted against cloture on the $6 billion national service GIVE/SERVE boondoggle.
Here are the fiscally responsible 14:
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Coburn (R-OK)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Not Voting – 11
Begich (D-AK)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Enzi (R-WY)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Martinez (R-FL)
Sen. DeMint’s floor speech was an excellent, principled summation of the trouble with government-backed volunteerism.
Transcript:
NATIONAL SERVICE REAUTHORIZATION ACT — (Senate – March 24, 2009)
Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I wish to speak for few minutes on the Serve America Act. I think this is a great opportunity to talk about what is good about a lot of the Members of the Senate. I certainly appreciate and applaud the sponsors of this bill for their good intentions and know their hearts are in the right place. Some of my best friends are supporting this bill. But I think, as we look at what is good about the hearts of many Members of the Senate, we need to recognize this bill does represent a lot of what is wrong with our Federal Government today–a lot of our philosophies, and a lot of our departures from a constitutional form of government.
What works in America today is our civil society–a lot of the volunteer groups that many of us have been a part of. I know for years I spent more time in United Way and a lot of the charity groups, being on their boards back in my community, and I saw what the volunteer arts groups and PTAs and health groups did to build a strong community. Civil society works in America. They are small groups. They are the true engines of character in our country. They promote service and patriotism. In this time where we have seen some of our economic institutions let us down, we have certainly seen our Government and our policies let us down, civil society does not let us down. It works in America today.
It is understandable why Congress would want to get involved. We see that passion to serve, that desire to do something that is greater than yourselves. We look at that working in our civil society and we want to get involved and expand it.
Unfortunately, our history shows us when Government gets involved, it tends to take something that is working and make it not work nearly as well. Civil society works because it is everything Government is not. It is small, it is personal, it is responsive, it is accountable. Civil society must be protected from any effort to make it more like Government.
That is what we are doing with this bill today. This bill centralizes control of important functions of our civil society. There is a downside to good intentions here in Government. The Founders created a limited government and our oath to support and defend the Constitution means that is our focus here. Our oath is to a limited government. The Founders wanted the people to be free from our good intentions. Government charity is anathema to what our Founders intended and what our Constitution stands for. Despite our good intentions, where we try to implement those good intentions and our compassion through the force of Government, we are effectively violating our oath of office here.
Well-intended legislation has left more than half of all Americans dependent on the Government. Today in America over half of Americans get their income from the government or a government source. About 20 percent of the country works for the government or an entity that gets its primary source of revenue from government. Another 20 percent gets their income and health care from Medicare or Social Security. Once you add in welfare and other subsidies, you make it so over half of all Americans are already dependent on the Government. This bill proposes to spend nearly $6 billion over 5 years, which means it will be probably $10 billion, probably more, over a 10-year period. It will have nearly a quarter of Americans working for it, which means it will be the 14th largest company, as far as employees, in the entire world.
What have we done here that suggests we can manage anything like that? Do you see anything in our history as a Federal Government that shows we have the ability to effectively manage something like that without extreme levels of waste and fraud and abuse? Look what we have done recently with the stimulus plan and the bailout plans. As soon as it comes to light what is actually happening with that money, people are outraged at what is going on. Despite the good intentions of this bill, we are creating a huge new government entity that will be unmanageable and violates some of the core principles of our civil society. Every time the Government steps in to solve a problem, it creates three new problems in its place.
This bill is everything wrong with how Congress sees the world. Government will make service organizations less effective, less responsive, and less personal. When the French historian de Tocqueville came to the United States not long after we were founded, one of the things that amazed him about our country that was so different from France was that in his home country when there was a problem, people would say: Someone ought to do it and government should do it; but in America we were different. When someone saw a problem, they went and got a friend and formed a small group and solved the problem themselves. Much of that was motivated by religious convictions that our place in this world is not only to help ourselves but to love and help those around us. That was key.
Jefferson called it little democracies, when he saw these little groups all around America voluntarily doing things to solve problems and make communities better. Burke called them little platoons. Most people who understand America know that those voluntary groups are what made our country great and what sustain us even today. Civil society binds communities, not by its fruits, but by its motives–charity, donations, giving without thought of getting anything in return. This is the selfless sacrifice that happens throughout America today. This is what works.
What does not work is what we are doing right here. The big difference is private service organizations exist for the people who receive the aid. Government service organizations exist for the people who give it–in this case, for the people who are paid to do it. You cannot pay people to volunteer and expect the organization to remain focused on its mission. Charity is a private, moral impulse, not a government program.
Government will not and, by definition, cannot strengthen and replace the civil society. Volunteerism is something that works in America. When we think of America, we do not think of Congress and Presidents, we think of Little League games and PTA meetings and bake sales.
Civil society is America. It responds to needs, meets challenges, and solves problems because it is free from Government. Because volunteers donate their time and money, accountability is acute. I have seen it. I have sat on a United Way board. Every year we evaluate every program and every dollar we have given to someone, and we determine is it working or can we make it more efficient.
If the program is not working, the money goes away immediately. That does not happen here. If the program does not work here, we add more money to it. That is going to happen with every program we start, including the one we are talking about today.
Projects that do not work in a civil society get cut. Organizers who lose or abuse funds are dismissed. It is voluntary. So everyone is invested in its success. We know the large groups throughout America, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the United Way, the Salvation Army, the YMCA, Catholic Charities, fraternal orders, groups such as Kiwanis, Rotary, Knights of Columbus. These are large organizations, but they work because they are locally controlled.
Smaller groups, local arts councils and community theatres, PTAs, youth sports leagues, the animal rescues, the book clubs, crisis pregnancy centers, soup kitchens, food and other clothes drives that go on, church service groups, they are everywhere.
Those are the little platoons, the little democracies that make this country work. For us to presume, in the Congress, that somehow we are going to reach out into all these groups and make it work better is pretty presumptuous based on our history.
Why now? Why at a time in economic crisis with unimaginable debt and spending do we come in and say: We need to spend another $10 billion over the next 10 years to create another Government program to do something that is already working.
At the same time, we are talking about creating this new bureaucracy to replace private voluntarism with Government programming. We are actually cutting some of the incentives for people to give to charity and for the private sector to work. The President’s budget actually cuts the charitable donations of the people who give the most to charity in this country. So look at what we are doing. We are making it harder for the private sector to work.
You also look at what we have done over the years, forgetting that a lot of private charity and the motivation to serve God and community is a religious-based motivation. What have we done in this country?
We have essentially tried to purge that motivation from our country. Most public schools, or at least a lot of them, used to sponsor Boy Scout groups. But after being sued for years because the Boy Scouts have God in their pledge and they set standards for their leaders that some do not agree with, the threat of lawsuits essentially means our Government schools have thrown out the Boy Scouts.
More than half our astronauts, half our FBI agents, a lot of the most successful people in this country were trained in the Boy Scouts to serve their community, where their character was developed. But this Federal Government has forced them out of public places. For years we purged religion from our society. Religion was the primary motivation for a lot of civic groups, a lot of services, a lot of charities, a lot of hospitals that were formed, a lot of schools.
But we have said that has no place. Because we have unleashed the ACLU and other groups to constantly sue and intimidate groups, that religious motivation has been moved, has been purged in many cases.
Now we are going to come in and help solve the problem we have created. We want to promote voluntarism, we want to promote community service, when what we have done over the last several decades is essentially tried to destroy the motivation for people to serve a cause that is greater than themselves.
We cannot replace private charity with Government programs. If we try, a lot of people are going to miss meals, suffer cold winters, and leaky roofs. I wish to go back to where I started. I appreciate the motivation, the heartfelt sense of compassion and the patriotism that I know my colleagues feel in sponsoring this legislation.
But I think we need to come to a point as a government that we recognize we cannot do everything. That is why we take the oath to the Constitution to defend and protect the very limited form of Government. This Congress, this Government, does not need to start or expand an organization to a quarter million people, when we are paying people to do work that we decided needs to be done and take those decisions out of the hands of millions of Americans who look around every day and see what they can do to make their families, their communities, and their country a better place to live.
These are not Government decisions. We need to focus on what we were set up to do and do it much better than we are doing, instead of every week coming in here, bringing our good intentions and our compassion and every problem we see across the country we say something needs to be done. Then we say: The Government needs to do it.
That is the fatal flaw of the Congress today, is we forget that sacred oath of office that says: We will protect and defend the Constitution which says this Federal Government has a very limited function. And those functions that are not prescribed in the Constitution are left to individuals and to the States.
This is a huge well-intended mistake we are making. It serves a point that we need to realize this Government needs to stop spending and stop borrowing, stop taxing, and let America work.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Obama’s Policies Are “A Road to Hell,” European Leader Says | OpenMarket.org
- What I’m Politicing: The Forced Volunteerism Act AKA the GIVE/SERVE Act « Fastidious
- EU presidency: US stimulus is ‘the road to hell’ « Goodtimepolitics
- “…young people will be forced to participate in mandatory national service programs.” « Gunservatively!
- We ‘GIVE’ the government another $6 billion boondoggle / The Government ‘SERVES’ itself | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Government Induced Charity -’a huge, well-intentioned mistake.’ « Appeal To Heaven
- Well Done, Senator DeMint « Vigilance
- Pilgrim’s Progress · Senator DeMint Gets It
- DeMint on the Serve America Act | bRight & Early
- southchild » Blog Archive » Sen. DeMint: An “Intervention” is needed in Georgia
- Republicans AWOL On Obama’s Expanded Americorps « Nice Deb
- Liberty Waning » Sen. DeMint: An “Intervention” is needed in Georgia
- Roll call vote on $6 billion national service boondoggle: 14 GOP dissenters « Top Daily Digest Reading
- The Upshot on Involuntary Volunteerism. | Little Miss Attila
- Michelle Malkin » Obama to sign $6 billion National Service boondoggle
- Bet She Keeps A Dog in Her Purse « Obi’s Sister
- Michelle Malkin » Obama’s AmeriCrooks and cronies scandal
- We Enjoy Escargots, Adore Renoir… but Reject Obama’s Vision of Remaking Us into France: He’ll Ruin the America We Love « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Michelle Malkin » Look who’s hijacking 9/11
- Liberals Spit In The Face Of 9/11 Victims And Their Families. Liberals Contempt For America On Full Display | The Substratum
- Pajamas Media » A ‘National Day of Service’? Or a Political Hijacking of 9/11?
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Barack Obama, GOP, National Service
Power Line
» More From the East Anglia Archives
Pundit & Pundette
» Various and sundryStop The ACLU
» Obama To Hold Another Prime Timer To Explain Our Afghanistan Strategy To Islamic ExtremistsAmSpecBlog
» Lieberman Says He's "Stubborn" on Gov't PlanWeekly Standard
» Dowd on PalinTigerHawk
» Negative equity
Heart swelling.
Tears welling.
“F$#%ing A!” suppressed (I’m at work).
Brilliant speech. Too bad the Socialist in charge don’t believe any of it.
OH dear, my TX Cornyn did not vote, and dear Kay must have voted for this. What a sorry mess our country is in.
L
And, of course, the way to fiscal responsibility is to spend more money, more money, more money. I’m getting whiplash from shaking my head every day after reading/watching the news. G-d help us.
Who were the 11 not voting? Still looking for Kay Baby Hutchinson. Cornyn looks better all the time!!!
Too expensive, no real benefit for the Nation and adds more Government infrastructure but paramount is Sen. DeMints statement:
The current Congress & Senate as well as the Executive Branch have clearly overstepped the scope of their Employment on this issue. They have not funded Social Security or the VA, fixed Medicare or done anything but create a larger deficit, placed a larger burden on future generations through the creation of a pointless Program and shirked the responsibilities of their elected offices.
This is a travesty and Un-Constitutional.
Too bad the Socialist in charge don’t believe any of it.
Well said! We need to keep Senators in office who feel like this, and vote out those who think government is the answer. So glad to see the KS Senators both opposed this mess.
You mean Specter wasn’t struck by conservative lightning on the road to Damascus after all? Noooo. Get outta here.
My God, Boxer voted against?
I’m buying a lotto ticket, pigs have flown
I’m getting whiplash from shaking my head every day after reading/watching the newsYou starting to look like Obambi reading his teleprompter?
This is a baeutiful speech, one that should be shouted from the rooftops.
Meant to quote you, not strike you, 24KGirl!
And, by intelligent, I mean conservative, of course.
But, I’m sure you are striking, as nothing is as sexy as an intelligent lady.
The Constitution means nothing more than toilet paper to the liberals, especially those running Congress and in the White House.
I can only pray that Michael Steele reads Sen. DeMint’s comments, word for word, before the floor. That is what Republicans are looking for in leadership. That is what Republicans will demand of the next candidate for any office carrying the party’s banner. I will never hold my nose again and pull a lever for someone that clearly doesn’t understand the Constitution/Bill of Rights and may never have read them….starting at the local level, then all the way up the line.
Kay Bailey voted for this crap?
No wonder they call her “Senator Bailout”.
Ditto #8 JusDreamin – Is that a misprint? Boxer? Wow!
I called Boxer.
Guess she DID listen.
But she did NOT vote.
Feinstein is a True Demoncrat ™.
God help us all!
I want to know why Cornyn copped out.
She is one that did not vote, not voted against.
Please God, flood the Congress and let us all start over. Oh – and the White House.
Thank you.
Amen.
TxGator, I have a nasty bug and still managed to burst out laughing, coughing, and choking!
Once again, Oklahoma votes correctly with both Senators. I must leave the People’s Republic of Hawaii and move back to the wind comes sweeping down the plain.
Wow…got the day off so I’m watching Obama at Arlington National Cemetary. At the end, he’s leaving and instead of saluting the brave soldiers and families, he gives a kind of hail hitler (or Obama) hand wave, turns around and starts up the steps. Only after what appeared to be a “reminding”, by a soldier accompanying Obama up the steps, did he turn and salute….in a sort of (in my opinion) half-hearted way. Disgusting!
Sorry to interupt the discussion, please carry on.
Cornyn and Kay Bailey can go pound sand. Cornyn only votes to party when he’s running for election, and Kay Darlin’ wants to be Gov., and stands a snowballs chance in Hades. I’m sick of them both.
Great speech by Demint, we need to hear more of that from the Republicans, maybe he had watched this http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/03/if_republicans_had_any_guts.html
‘Bambi saluting is flippy at best, and I’ve never served in the military. It’s just off somehow. Guess it’s harder than it looks to strut and look kewl. Maybe he’ll just shorten it to a fist bump with the Joint Chiefs.
STOP THE PRESSES! My senator (Box-cut-er) actually did something right! Hell must’ve froze over.
This is just disgusting …
She didn’t vote.
Then she voted Not Present then?
I love Coburn and Inhofe! Seriously, many conservatives have done just what you suggest. Come on home Hangfire.
Gangs of McCain win again. Thank God we wasn’t elected President. We need a second party to go up against the corrupt United Establishment Party.
Richard Lugar must have voted for it. My God, I wish we’d run someone against him.
You want to know what bright minds you have leading the Republicans in Congress? Read what Jim DeMint had to say about tax brackets.
And this is the guy who authored the (failed) $3 trillion dollar bill to lower taxes on the rich by nearly 30 percent.
Way I figger it, it’s only voluntary so long as they can’t figger a way to make it mandatory.
Sounds like everything ELSE passed the last couple months….
Looking for ideas to advance a “Toss ALL Incumbents” movement.
Cornyn voted Not Present.
Hutchinson voted Yea.
Hutchinson lost my vote back when she voted for SCHIP.
flmom – THANK YOU for posting the video link. I read AT everyday but missed this one. Sent it along to my addr. book, as I’m sure millions have done. The message is so spot on, it’s spooky.
Cornyn. Not present.
If I get my way, that’s the way he WILL be after the next chance to run him off.
Coward.
I am disgusted with my Senators. As you all are. Snowe and Collins.
grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!
That’s all I can say and not swear my head off.
as demint said, only in gubmint do you have failed programs not only not go away, but get more funding so they can be bigger better failures. a histerical wizard of id comic showed dear leader going out on a balcony and addressing the masses saying he was going to give them free housing, free food stamps, free healthcare, and free education to help them be more productive in their jobs. the masses ask back to the dear leader “who needs a job?”
I’m sorry, where’s my illustrious Senator McCain? I feel this is all getting to the tipping point which is probably what Obama wants. I’m a gonna go be sick!
RedTed, don’t get sick, get even!
Eloquent speech. Too bad most of the GOP listened. I’m disgusted.
Through the years,I’ve been a volunteer troop leader for a big group of Girl Scouts (7 years), PTA Board (3 years), DAR, Sunday School teacher, preparing deployed military care packages, Big Sisters, and I’m not anywhere as active in charitible activities as other people I know. If I had been told by the government that I had a moral obligation to volunteer, I’d have smirked, maybe/maybe not done the bare-bones minimum I was mandated to do. And would have given a lot less of my free talents and time. I know many others who will do the same.
Role of government = mucking it up
Oops, my bad above – “Too bad most the GOP didn’t listen”
Killing America…..One Bill at a time.
I’m not sure I understand why ‘Volunteers’ should cost US Taxpayers anything.
A tipping point IS what he wants. If we get too unruly, he’ll pull martial law on us, “to keep order”.
I shot an email out to Senator DeMint:
Senator DeMint,
I just read the transcript of your address to the Senate Floor regarding the National Service Reauthorization Act. It was very moving, and perfectly expresses the sentiment of millions of us who are frustrated and angry with the explosion in the size and cost of government. It was very Reagan-esque in the sense that Government IS the problem, more often than not. We really do need to go back to the intentions of our Founders who believed in limited government, with enumerated powers, and all others residing with the States or to the people.
I am not a constituent of yours. But I believe in the words you spoke. I hope and pray that the current administration and Congressional majorities can be contained in their attempts to re-make America into a European style welfare state. I wish you good luck, and pray you and more Conservative Americans like you continue to protect and defend our great Constitution. Please consider a run for the Presidency. Only Conservative principles will be able to bring our Nation back from the cliff we’re steaming toward.
Thank you!
24Klady, thanks, but the reason I’m getting sick is because we are all now in this position to actually have to get even. I had a liberal friend last night state that it was nice to have a President who could think on his feet. I said thanks for complimenting GW even though he couldn’t speak well on his feet. I got the deer in headlights response. She couldn’t understand that intelligence in no way compares to street smarts.
That may also be part of the Southern Border Strategy. Note how they’ve been emphasizing US supplied weapons used by the cartel forces, as if they don’t or couldn’t get Kalisnakovs when they want.
24Klady
Glad you liked it.
Would that we had someone in the Republican party that could speak so eloquently and with such conviction.
Uplander, that thought occurred to me, too. It’s starting to become obvious to me that Texas will indeed be one of the fronts in the upcoming civil war.
That’s alright. We’ve had an Alamo here before.
Huh?
Oh, so now for this bill they think about the constitution. You poinyoins! Every bill that comes to the floor, should be read against the constitution, to see if it passes muster! Stop being so selective! Follow your oath at all times! Geez, how hard is that?
Is it 2010 yet?
Don’t worry we’ll wake you up when it’s time.
I know what you meant, and I’m long past getting sick. After the early primary votes I knew we were in trouble. Yet, no matter how hard or long any of us preached to our friends and some family members – there were still those that would give you the long headlights stare. For some, it’s now starting to dawn on them and my sympathy level is simply; so how’s that working out for you?
Oops, my #58 was meant for RedTed #50. MM gives us preview and everything….
Well, we need to stop cutting the McCains of the country slack.
When we say he’s “moderate” and what we’re really describing is “unprincipled” —
When we shrink from those who wield “ideological purity” as a club to bloodly us without a single fact, cogent argument, or honest discussion —
When we allow ourselves to be distracted by irrelevent trivialities, or worse, encourage such behavior because we see momentary humor in the effort –
When we agree in small ways in order to be agreeable and because we feel compromise seems to make us appear reasonable, or think aquiessing makes us feel magnanimous –
When we do these things we are aiding in our own destruction.
You know, for example, who it is here who appears “reasonable”… they aren’t. There isn’t a-one of them who doesn’t believe they’re better than any Conservative, and they’ll destroy us, the Constitution, this Country, and everything else, because they’re “smarter”: smarter than the Founding Fathers, smarter than the accumulated knowledge of society and culture, In their own minds. And they’ll prove it to you: by twisting words, statements, facts, laws — whatever it takes to prove it! They’re smarter than you because you obey laws – laws are for lesser creatures, not them!
They’re so smart they don’t see that they’ll be the 1st against the wall.
*More government expansion like this at any time is just traitorus; The House GOP seems to be on message and united, but the Senate, wow, what rat bastards they have turned out to be, destroying the country with no regard to conservatism at all; Kudos to Sen. DeMint.
*And Newt says it is time for the GOP to unite; Unite behind what?; Conservatism or Democrat Lite; You can’t be both; What is it Newt?
Can any of these guys, including DeMint, speak the truth? Quote: “I certainly appreciate and applaud the sponsors of this bill for their good intentions and know their hearts are in the right place.” How in the heck does he know where their hearts are? Dispense with the insulting, patronizing, congratulatory comments for pete’s sake! I’m sick of these idiots praising one another. Their intentions are NOT honorable. Their hearts are NOT good. They have only THEIR interests in mind! Let’s go with Jesus on this one, “Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them.” (Mt 7:20) Our “nobles” are seeking the ultimate power grab of their lives, and that power will be exercised over and against the citizens of this country.
Texans, I agree with you on the frontline worry as well. I don’t spend all year there but everytime I return home it’s like another world took over mine. I’m sick of seeing people litter and destroy the environment because they’re afraid of speaking out. I’m sick of seeing people loiter and make obscene gestures to young girls/women walking down the street or calling out a young boy/man to see if he’ll take them on. I refuse to employ an illegal and also refuse to patronize a business that does. Do I like washing my own windows and cars? No, but I feel better having done it. Starve them out.
Miss Cheryl and Hangfire,
Many of us have also fled the LEFT COAST for the winds sweeping down the plains…and the waving wheat it sure smells SWEET.
Economy is still good, Senators are true conservatives, and we cling to our guns and religion proudly.
I don’t know why you guys think voting out the incumbant or nay voters out of office will work. After the national election laws were totally disregarded and disgraced in the last election, and ACORN getting 4 billion dollars of our money to blatantly obstruct election laws, how do you think any republican will even have a chance of getting elected. If everyone conservative thinks in 2 years we have a chance to change Congress and therefore change Obama you have another thing coming. Don’t you think they have already figured that out. Another reason Obama has been rapidly spending money and pushing bills, he has to have everything in place in 2 years. After the next Congress election in 2010, its over for conservatives to ever be in power again. The upcoming amnesty will guarantee that only democrats will be elected. Don’t put all your eggs in the basket of the 2010 election. Its gonna take a national movement to end the stalemate in DC with a third party if not a peoples takeover.
Well I see that Dumb and Dumber from New Mexico voted for this, but than I didn’t expect anything else from these idiots. If it wasn’t for voter fraud these two clowns could not get elected to the post of dogcatcher.
DeMint is a Senator, a man that we native South Carolinians can be absolutely, extremely proud of. What an awesome speech.
I knew that when I voted for this guy, he would be special. I knew he would be a conservative. I only wish that we South Carolinians could vote out the state’s ass-clown counterpart senator whose nickname rhymes with “Amnesty”.
EXACTLY! I like that DeMint opposed and stood his ground on the basis of the Constitution…. but, based on their skewed values, I don’t think one liberal in the bunch has good intentions for this bill…not one!
Not to mention the house version (Senate version, I don’t know) includes language that the “volunteers” can’t engage in religious activity (paraphrased)….so I guess volunteerism for religious and church-related groups is not important.
I bet the Goose Step is really hard on the legs and hips. I know the North Koreans, Russians and Chinese all Goose Step.
Even a year ago Americans Goose Stepping would have not been in the realm of the believable. But a people who can Break Dance can Goose Step it seems. Achtung: You Vill Obey!
(not be be confused with: Stick it buddy)
Serve America / National Service: After Jimmy Carter’s pardon of the deserters and draft dodgers I do not feel this country has any right to demand ANYONE serve, not short of a Continental Attack. Even then I am not too such how much the Fly Over should help defend the Left Coast and Obamaland. Let the Bas!ards fend for themselves.
Good Bye America-you will be missed.
—
Keep the change-I’ll keep my guns
Coming back here, and at Red State, and other Conservative boards I keep seeing variations on a theme:
“Why are the Republicans doing this? Where’s Steele?”
Here’s an op piece that lays it out pretty well, and has the space to treat the subject well:
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2009/03/20/we-need-something-stronger-than-steele/
I have wondered will 2010 and beyond include any semblance of free fair elections.
The ‘Card Check’ issue is not a separate issue at all.
I’ve said before: ‘Remember when they used to buy votes with Whisky, Tobacco and Hookers, now they’re giving away houses.’
Senator DeMint’s remarks were remarkable in their simplicity and clarity. My compliments to him.
Casting my vote for a new RNC Chairman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs
mike #70, good article!
Thanks!
If we only had Consevative with cojones like this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs
Bravo Sen. DeMint.
Beautiful and futile.
The election of 2000 was an appeal by the electorate for conservatism after the childish ‘entertainment’ of the clintons.
The election of 2004 reiterated a desire for Conservatism. Bush delivered Liberal Lite except for Defense Policy. ( Compassion for all is compassion for none).
Even 2006 was a rejection of RINO Conservatism. Mistake though it was, it must be studied. We can never again allow open primaries full of Democrat voters voting for the weakest candidate and the propaganda arm of the Social Democrats to choose a candidate for their @#$%^& to run against.
Not all Republicans are Conservative. Dump the ones that aren’t.
I would prefer not to use war like rhetoric, but we have an enemy to defeat. They are bending over and shaking their gonads at us like the Scots in ‘Brave Heart’. They think they are winning. They won’t quit. They’ve been incrementally working towards their goal for generations and won’t consider any fulfillment until they achieve their objective. They don’t care about you or your children, unless they can indoctrinate your children to consider you stupid and dangerous.
Barack was just kidding
The whole Obama phenomenon was planned as a ‘bringing along’ of a candidate. The schedule would have included education, training and experience to prepare a ‘Minority’ Candidate for a VP possibility in 2012.
Neither the ‘Pickers and Choosers, nor Movers and Shakers’ had forseen the electorate’s hunger for REAL CHANGE after The Clintons and the lack of Conservatism of President Bush.
MoveOn, HuffPO, Answer, Acorn,fully expected a loss to learn by in 2008.
None of them were or are prepared for the saddle or horse they’ve drawn from our Remuda, (sorry for the allegory, but…)
3 AM hell, everytime this cowboy farts, the herd runs.
They are ‘McClellan’ with a victory they didn’t expect and don’t know how to follow up; Lincoln’s description ‘as a duck hit on the head’.
Where is ‘Stonewall’ when we need him? They are primed for an assault from an unexpected quarter and can be routed.
#74, Dexter:
You’re welcome! I read both American Thinker and IC… In my view they tend to compliment each other: AT is more “nuts & bolts” while IC is more underpinnings.
One very disturbing this I see here, (not in this thread yet, but others now & in the past) is when a Lefty will say something like: “… go ahead & do more ‘x’ so we can elect more ‘y’!”
What’s frightening is that people engauge the guy! They give weight to consider his comments!
A recent example was voting Toomey in the primary in PA, in order to oust Spector. The Liberal assigned Disruption Duty said that was great, it would cause Repubs to loose in a landslide. People immediately started arguing with him abt this, and discussion ceased.
I was taught that your enemies rarely give sound advice on how to defeat them. Remember the story of BrairRabbit?
We’re going to have to stop making intellectual-nice with these people!
Good speech Senator Demint. But there are about 75 out of 100 Senators that said you were completely wrong. Thats 75 of our best and brightest that supposedly thought this through and said they know better than you. How could that be?
The answer to your question is very simple. Your premise is false that these 75 people are are best and brightest. They are not.
However, it is not a lack of intellgence that is their fatal flaw, but their lack of principle and integrity.
Senator DeMint is a principled man. It shows.
They’ll drag me kicking and screaming out of my house to join The Messiah’s brownshirt brigade. Heck, I’m armed. I may not surrender at all.
That said, there’s been a song on my lips today: “Oh, it’s Springtime for Obama in Washington …”
Hutchison is a wimp. Good thing she is not running again. I would do everything in the world to get rid of her. Thank God for Cornyn.
how about 6 month mandatory service on bread lines or cleaning toilets at homeless shelters for all members of congress and the administration. Failure to show up with their family members means immediate termination from their cushy corrupt jobs!!!
Since actual charity work and donations are not o’s cup of tea, these little critters can feed the poor and aged, take them to Dr. appts., and fill a need that maybe keeps old people in their homes instead of nursing homes.
You forgot one thing. 18-42 year olds are going to be enlisted into the military or Obama’s national service initiative.
From HR 393:
“To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security…”
Both my senators are on the good list.
Good day for Idaho. Bad day for America.
Maybe cloning wouldn’t be so bad…
Isn’t this the bill that could lead to civilian security force(Brownshirts)?