MOBILE, Ala. — Probably no governor in the country has had as good a start to 2012 as Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal, who orchestrated a triumphant romp through his state’s legislature of the most sweepingly exciting education reforms any state has seen in 30 years. Jindal spoke
Let’s get this straight: Joe Biden’s latest gaffe forces Barack Obama to “come out” in favor of gay marriage, something he might have done anyway, but not as soon. The media jumps into the frenzy, hoping to make people believe that the 2012 elections are about families with “two mommies” rather than families with zero jobs. As if that’s not bad enough, barely hours after Obama flip-flops on the issue — just in time for a big Hollywood fundraiser where megamillionaires no doubt think that gay marriage is on the top of everyone else’s mind as well — the Obama campaign releases the bombshell that Mitt Romney was a prankster in high school. Seriously, they are trying to make the case that Romney, who may have been involved in a 1965 prank in which a male student’s long hair was cut, was (and therefore still is) anti-gay. Remember, Romney was in high school almost 50 years ago. Even when I was in high school, a little more than 25 years ago, the issue of someone’s sexual preference was far less thought of than it is today, not least because people of all ages stayed “in the closet” far longer and more completely than they do today. I offer no judgment on people who want to keep such things private; the point is that the idea that the victim of a high school prank would have been “presumed homosexual” in the early 1960s just because of long hair borders on the ridiculous. Fox News reports that the sister of the person whose hair was cut, who died several years ago, has no knowledge of the event ever happening; she believes that the man “would be furious” about the story were he alive today. That said, even if presumed homosexuality were a factor in a high school prank, what part of “high school” and “nearly fifty years ago” do Democrats think will make this an issue for the electorate? A note on hypocrisy: Barack Obama, who supports federal domination of every aspect of human life, argues that the issue of marriage should be left to the states. Indeed it should be left to the states, but hearing that argument from Obama who clearly does not believe in federalism should invite great skepticism as it shows Obama yet again trying to have it both ways with the politics of the issue. Similarly, Mitt Romney who, as a Republican, tends to favor federalism has said he is for a “national standard” defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Either you believe in federalism or you don’t, and Romney’s hypocrisy on this issue is little better than Obama’s. Every one of these politicians should get their policies and their thoughts out of other people’s bedrooms. The issue should indeed be left to the states, and the states should allow any two people to make any contract they want to that does not harm others. The state should get out of the marriage business and leave it to religious institutions. And gays would do themselves a favor by discussing the issue in terms of anything other than the word “marriage” which, as many people have said, does indeed have millennia of specific meaning to most cultures within the human race. That meaning may change over time, but it will be a process, not an event. Votes on “gay marriage” across the nation prove that, even as public opinion drifts toward equal treatment of gay and straight relationships. The big news of the past few days is not Obama’s view on marriage, nor is it Romney’s high school shenanigans. It is that politicians of both parties remain uncomfortable and inept on the issue — which is the most likely outcome whenever government gets involved in an issue in which it has no business. In the short term, Barack Obama is probably getting the better of the discussion. In the long term, few people will cast votes based on this issue, especially as unemployment remains high, economic growth remains weak, and Democrats remain without a plan to improve anything that people actually care about. Finally, I wonder when anyone in the “mainstream” media will mention that we now know more about Mitt Romney’s record in high school than we know about Barack Obama’s record in college or graduate school.
More here:
Hair-Cutting Desperation
In yet another move designed to distract attention from his abysmal record, the sluggish recovery, and continuing dismal unemployment data, President Obama confirmed what anyone who paid any attention to his actions and past statements already knew: the president supports same-sex “marriage.” Mr. Obama’s historic announcement is a watershed moment for the nation. Across cultures and throughout history, marriage between a man and a woman has been, as Cicero put it, the “first bond of society.” Never before has a president endorsed a position that would so “fundamentally transform” America. But wait, that is what he promised to do in his 2008 campaign. His first term as president has been evidence of fundamental alteration of the basic aspects of American culture and society. Some think that Vice President Biden jumped the gun — that Mr. Obama might have preferred to time his announcement a bit differently. President Obama might possibly have preferred to wait until after his hoped-for re-election before publicly embracing such a controversial issue, but things are not going so well in his 2012 campaign, what with him drawing only half-full stadiums and lagging contributions. Plus, even Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post was calling the president “weak and evasive” as he tried to avoid stating the obvious. It was an open secret that the president supported legalization of same-sex “marriage” — on the record — as early as 1996, so his comments about his position “evolving” put him in an untenably wishy-washy position vis-à-vis his LGBT supporters. Further, his 2010 statements about the “sacred” nature of marriage and the importance of God being “in the mix” ring hollow in light of his actions undermining marriage: He overturned “don’t ask, don’t tell,” signed “hate crimes” legislation, stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act, and extended domestic benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees. If he is re-elected, the sad undermining of holy matrimony and the disintegration of the family will continue until these pillars of American society shrivel into weak ruins of their former strength. Clearly, the president had no choice but to “come out” for same-sex “marriage”; it had become a matter of character and integrity. Even his staunchest supporters were tired of the “wink-wink and nod-nod.” Others believe the big announcement was carefully orchestrated. First, he sent out Vice President Biden to test the waters and extend the media life of his announcement. Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, quickly chimed in to agree. David Axelrod, the president’s campaign manager, affirmed that the president did, indeed, agree with the vice president. When the president spoke (typically, out of both sides of his mouth and trying to have it both ways), he also said it was a matter for the individual states (in conflict with his position of not enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act). And, of course, reporters like Amy Walter, ABC’s political director, quickly declared the decision to be a personal one, not one with a “political agenda.” Sorry, Amy. The politics of the decision are clear. The president is having a hard time raising money and generating enthusiasm for 2012. At this point, he needs a big boost in both money and enthusiasm. After his big announcement — which was news to no one — he raised $1 million in 90 minutes, not exactly chump change, but not an avalanche either when he’s looking to raise a billion dollars to fund his campaign. Analysts say that one in six of the president’s major fundraisers is openly homosexual. Obviously, homosexual activists will work even harder and will dig deeper into their deep pockets to ensure his re-election. Andrew Tobias, treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, said, “Within minutes, people were calling with their credit cards. They’re thrilled.” Some pundits are trying to claim that the president’s calculated endorsement of the homosexual agenda will not hurt him with black voters. The latest polls, though, confirm that blacks and Latinos are among the strongest supporters of traditional marriage. Further, traditional marriage has prevailed in all 32 states where the issue has been put to a vote before the general public. In those states where same-sex “marriage” has been instituted, it was either by judicial fiat or legislative action. The president and all his advisors might just discover that the nation is more pro-marriage than the elites would like to think. The president claimed that the marriage issue is “generational” (older working-aged people, having gained both wisdom and self-sufficiency, are not among Obama’s base). Sadly, Mr. Obama used members of the military and his daughters as emotional fodder for his televised statement, claiming that their desire for equality is “the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.” The president also linked his endorsement of homosexual “marriage” to his campaign theme of “forward” by claiming that the presumptive GOP candidate, Mitt Romney, would “take us back.” In contrast, Mr. Romney, during one of the televised primary debates, said, “3,000 years of human history shouldn’t be discarded so quickly.” The nation’s “progressive” elites think that they should be allowed to re-write cultural mores and morals to suit their more enlightened “change of perspective.” The risks of further deterioration of marriage are clear in the social science research. With 41 percent of the nation’s children being born out of wedlock, America is reaping the whirlwind from the very predictable negative outcomes of the decline in marriage and the breakdown of the traditional family — nowhere more evident than on display on a drive through Detroit or other major cities. It is a very sad day for America when our president chooses to put his short-run, short-lived benefit of getting re-elected ahead of the long-run well-being of the nation’s priceless children who will bear the brunt of his support for the unleashing of rapacious special interest groups whose appetites for self-indulgence knows no limits.
“Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped by 1,000 to 388,000 365,000 367,000” …our glorious Labor Department announced today!! We at the Ministry of Truth want to remind ALL OF YOU that although you may THINK you remember last week’s number being 386,000 368,000 365,000…which would make this an INCREASE…such memories are ILLEGAL! Last week’s
Read more:
This just in from the Ministry of Truth! – 5/10/2012 Edition
From the diaries. Two years ago, I was a regular citizen, a physician serving the people of my community, and raising my family in Northern Michigan. Suddenly, I found myself answering the call to become a citizen-legislator. It occurred at a time when many of us recognized how seriously at risk our country was after the liberals had taken control of all three branches of government after the November ‘08 election. Under the new administration, this nation was flooded with czars, executive orders, regulations, and then there was the Stimulus package. I could no longer stand-by and watch our children’s future be mortgaged. So, I sought and won the Republican primary and then went on to be chosen by the people of MI-01 to represent them in Congress. Many others across the nation heeded the same call. MI-01 sent me to Washington, entrusted with the mission of stopping out-of-control spending, stopping Congress from passing laws against the peoples’ will, stopping the over-regulation of our small businesses and stopping the intrusion of government into our personal lives. In other words, reform Washington. I’ve been in DC a little over a year and a half and I must tell you it has been an enormous challenge. While many of us thought we could undo the damage overnight, the reality is starker. The same goals were there, but without control of the Senate and presidency, we’ve had to use stopgap measures instead of immediately restoring the principles of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution. The presidency of Barack Obama has brought this country further economic hardship and massive debt that poses an incredible risk to the overall economy. The Democrats promised job creation, but we’ve had failure after failure of Stimulus-funded companies. The enormous debt taken on by the U.S. government currently works out to over $48,000 for every man, woman and child in America. Despite our efforts to stop the out-of-control spending and to initiate reforms, we’ve been blocked at almost every turn. Currently the new healthcare law is before the Supreme Court. I, as many others, hope and pray it is overturned – not only is it unconstitutional, it was passed against the peoples’ will. We can reform healthcare with a patient centered system, tort reform and allowing portability of health insurance across state lines. The current administration is regulating America to death. Small business owners are defeated even before they can get started. They can’t afford the costs of trying to comply with government regulations, and they can’t afford to gamble on uncertainty when it comes to what to expect from the government. For businesses that have managed to survive the Obama economy, they can’t afford to hire new employees. Businesses cannot stay solvent when weighted down by government regulations. On May 1st, I launched my “100 in 100” tour. I am visiting 100 small businesses in a 100 days across Michigan’s First District in order to speak directly to our entrepreneurs – we must hear their concerns and address them in Washington. Our message to Washington hasn’t changed, neither have our goals. In fact, the need is greater than ever to take a stand. This remains my pledge and vow to the people of MI-1; I will continue to work to restore and defend the American Dream as it was meant to be, one where all have the opportunity for achievement. Not one dependent on government, but on their own self-reliant and capable selves. I will continue to work to end the political sense of entitlement in Washington that has brought weakness to America, not strength. When we restore our core principles, our sense of optimism and our “can do” spirit will return. We will have growing employment numbers, not growing unemployment numbers. Once businesses are free to grow and hire, MI-01 will once again be master of her own destiny. This November, we can do this. We can do this with your support and belief in America. To find out more about my campaign or to donate please visit Benishek2012.com Thank you, Rep. Dr. Dan Benishek
