The Blame Stops Here

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts sent Washington a message loud and clear: Stop expanding the size of government; stop trying to ram health care and other socialist programs through; stop special interest giveaways and bailouts; defend the Constitution and our freedom.

All across this country, Americans are concerned about the direction Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and other progressive liberal politicians are taking our country. Government-attempted takeover of health care, the auto industry, banking and massive wasteful bailouts for political allies are burying our country and future generations under a mountain of debt.

Under Obama’s watch, America has experienced record unemployment and the largest spending increase in our nation’s history. But worse than that, when it comes to our national security, the Obama administration is ignoring major threats to our country.

Obama’s self-appointed czars, and his administration’s transnational view and policies, over time will prove lethal to the Constitution and our freedoms. It’s like America is dying from a thousand paper cuts. We are losing our rights and freedoms as America sleeps.

Organizations like the tea party movement and others like it across the nation have had and will continue to have a tremendous impact on what is happening in Washington and our state government. However, all Americans need to become aware of the issues and stop blaming previous administrations for similar policies. The past is just that, past. We can only impact the present.

Americans must never again allow our elected officials to turn away from the oath they took to uphold and defend the Constitution and the principles upon which our great country was founded.

Williams Walters

Pinehurst

More like this story

None 3 years, 3 months ago

"Under Obama’s watch, America has experienced record unemployment and the largest spending increase in our nation’s history." And he did all of this in a year? Perhaps the TARP ACT (BANK BAILOUTS) under the Bush Administration should have been tabled when POTUS'O was sworn in last January. Get real and look at the facts. Bush created the crisis that President Obama inherited! How can POTUS'O eliminate 10 TRILLION in debt created by George W Bush? Didn't Bush have a zero deficit when he took office from the Clinton Administration? Did Obama start TWO wars costing American's a trillion dollars a year. Get your facts straight...too many narrow minded teabags without logical thought processes....

hgarrison 3 years, 3 months ago

I agree with the comment...too many people are blaming our president for things he did not set in motion. While he may have made some mistakes, I believe he has done what he has with the country's best interest at heart, and I think he has done an incredible job, considering the size of this mess. It is going to take more than a year for our country to rebound. All this anger is juvenile and unhelpful.

bigD 3 years, 3 months ago

Here we go with the blame Bush Button again. It didnt work in Mass, sorry! Let us not forget that Congress was controlled by the Dems for the last two Bush years.

Obama didnt do it. Was it Bush that passed a 787 billion dollar stimulus bill that builds 15 dog parks and five bridges to nowhere for every productive project

Obama didnt sign the pork filled omnibus bill either did he?

Dont forget about the Cornhusker kickback, Louisiana purchase and the union kickback all to buy the votes get the out of control healthcare bill passed.

Im just saying!

None 3 years, 3 months ago

@bigD: it's called the Presidential Veto! I agree that Congress' spending spree on pork barrel politics must stop. The bottom line here is POTUS'O inherited Bush's shortcomings ~ deficit, failing banks, and all. Could you provide a link reference for the Cornhusker' kickback and Louisiana purchase? With respect to federally funded health care, perhaps everyone over 65 who has a Medicare care should send it back to express their ere with government run health care....

moderatemike 3 years, 3 months ago

I agree with Toda. I'm fine with folks protesting excessive spending, etc. but I'm just confused as to why they were all so silent during the Bush years. There is NO way, President Obama can cure all this mess in one year. Give him a chance. If it doesn't work out, vote him out. But don't act like this is something he created. Plus, I've never seen a place like Pinehurst where so many people are on medicare who bitch about the government running healthcare.

bigD 3 years, 3 months ago

Eveybody with half a brain agrees that the Obama Aministration inhertited a poor economy and an over blown deficit. My problen is that you dont put out a fire by throwing gasoline onto it.

Most TEA Party people I know are pretty moderate and want fiscal responsibility. Do you want fiscal resposibility or do you want to point fingers of blame? There is plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the isle.

As far as Medicare goes people pay into the sysystem fo rtheir entire working life and must pay in (with employer matching funds) for a minimum of ten years to qualify for benefits. Additionally, using Medicare as a model for the entire healthcare system is futile because it is on the threshold of bankruptcy.

AllNatural 3 years, 3 months ago

It's been one year! Give me a break. It's taken years to run this country in the hole and it's going to take years to dig it out.

MikeNC 3 years, 3 months ago

Good article William...Your right on target. Obama is a lightweight with little to zero experience in his top executive position in the USA. If he would have picked a cabinet with economic and other relevant experience he could have weathered through this; but he chose similar radicals with nothing but government background. When will the president quit blaming George Bush? I am so tired of this blame Bush and all the failed policies of his. Fact is with GB, our unemployment rate was at or less than 5% for the best part of his tenure...which is considered full employment

Whomever asked.."Could you provide a link reference for the Cornhusker' kickback and Louisiana purchase?" Hopefully you are not serious. It has become tiring to watch the democratic blockage of Republican ideas and to make their normal democratic deals behind locked doors. Hopefully voters will continue to demonstrate their feelings of this come November.

I will give obama credit for meeting with the Republicans yesterday. Hopefully these meetings become frequent and help the parties come together to accomplish their jobs...looking out for America's best interests. That would be a welcome change from what has been happening for over a year now.

None 3 years, 3 months ago

@MikeNC ~ "Dont forget about the Cornhusker kickback, Louisiana purchase and the union kickback all to buy the votes get the out of control healthcare bill passed." Let me refer you to the third post by bigD. A statement like that deserves to be qualified as opposed to a blatant statement used to castigate POTUS'O.

"democratic blockage of Republican ideas ", from newscasts, the republician party has used leverage to block all proposed legislation eminating from the Whitehouse. The republicians haven't planned how they would resist bills coming to the floor from behind closed doors?

Case-in-point: Regardless of previous legislative proposals from the repulician party for legislation on tax credits for small business which is now being offered by the current administration - reiterating the republician position, they now are resititing any movement toward SB tax break legislation; so what happened? Republicians and Democrates can continue business as usual with party line bickering, and find their next job in at the unemployment office.

Perhaps after POTUS'O has eight years to correct the damage to this nations financial standing in this country and abroad; restore a surplus eqaul to a surplus of $1.9 billion in fiscal 1999 and $86.4 billion in fiscal 2000. http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/during_the_clinton_administration_was_the_federal.html ] that the Clinton administration handed the Bush administration, then-and-only-then, will POSTUS'O bear the responsibility for economic decisions of his administration, and not assume respondsibility of the failed economic policies of the previous administration (i.e. BUSH) by meeting those issues headon and two wars at the front door.

bigD 3 years, 3 months ago

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/gop_blasts_kickback_health_fix_dAelgwc0jXXhMD6fwB05IK

Here ya go Yoda. Both are links to the liberal NY Post so nobody can say it came from the biased media like Fox News.

Would you be interested in a link on Cash for Clunkers too.

As I recall Congress was controlled by Newt Gingrich and the Republicans through the mid 90's. Clinton reduced taxes on capital gains making them taxed at 20% instead of taxing as ordinary income. Stock market returns from 1995-1999- 37,23,33 28 and 21% respectively (as measured by the S&P 500). Who has been in charge of Congress for the past few years? Tell me the Dems have somebody better than Nancy Pelosi!

A looming increase on capital gains taxes and dividends threatens the economy right now because if congress does nothing these taxes will go up in 2011.

None 3 years, 3 months ago

Thanks bigD for the links. I am not a fan of Fox News and their ultra conservative opinions. You make some interesting points - which I will not disagree with your post or take issue.

Anyone one with an economics background know well that 40% of wealthy taxpayers pay 97% of taxes. They also have an exemption here in NC on capitol gains taxes; Thanks to former representative Richard Morgan.

I confess to be a registered republican who intends to change to independent on my next trip to Carthage. Like most American's I am frustrated with the lack of representation by those elected to seats in Washington. Two national movements are underway: the first is to eliminate the US tax code as it currently exists - all 68 thousand pages. The link is FairTax.org ; The second is opensecrets.org

I have posted several links to Open Secrets on Howard Coble. Washington is so corrupted with political action campaign money, that voters just pave the way for lobbyists to target those who we send to Washington....it is time for a change.

Facebook has links to both groups with threads. Thanks again for the feedback....

MikeNC 3 years, 3 months ago

You were serious about the cornhusker, La and union kickbacks, so let’s settle the dust on that. Of course BigD did not cite sources for that and there was no need to. Those issues have been the anchor of most news casts for weeks now. If someone does not know the issues themselves, the validity and the political ramifications about those issues, they have no interest in current political events. So why bother taking the time to search for and post ‘proof’ of common known facts which is current history and not archived.

How can the republican legislators do anything but not favor recent proposals from the White House. They have been locked out of all discussion and negotiations. And the tactics being used and some of the sweet heart deals as listed above makes me glad that republicans are fighting these proposals. The democrats truly took their words of “WE Won” to heart. Do you feel that our democratic ‘process’ of doing peoples business behind close doors is fair? And to think our president promised to have it open on CSPAN. Republicans are now resisting the current tax credit bill from almost a year ago because other ground rules that effect this bill have been changed by this administration. The republicans are looking for something solid and continual that a small business person can depend on from year to year. The current bill now gives a small business a tax credit for this year for each new worker that is hired. You don’t hire and you do not get a tax credit. And then that business owner who does hire new employees has to wonder what is going to happen next year? Business entrepreneurs take huge financial risks and deserve much more job creation incentive than what they are getting. Corporate taxes themselves need to be drastically reduced to encourage business growth in this country. Something republicans currently preach, but have also failed to accomplish. But in this economic environment, corporate tax reduction is needed more than ever. Not just a tax credit for the current fiscal year.

By your definition, until our country is completely fiscally repaired, Obama nor any other president need not accept any fiscal responsibility….just blame GB. That is absurd, but sure seems to be his ideology as well. I do not remember a president ever evading responsibility for current government woes as this one. It’s time for him to grow up. If things do not drastically improve he will not have to worry about placing blame after 2012.

As far as Clinton’s surplus goes; it has been established that is smoke and mirrors, similar to Obama’s ‘saved’ jobs. If Bush had claimed falsely documented jobs created and saved he would have been laughed out of Washington and rightfully so. Obama of course gets kudos. Many sources are available to explain Clinton’s budget surplus in true context and not just political posturing. Here’s one such source… http://www.craigsteiner.us/articles/16

None 3 years, 3 months ago

"Corporate taxes themselves need to be drastically reduced to encourage business growth in this country." Is there not enough incentive to stop corporations from shipping jobs to foreign countries? Phone for tech support for electronic or software issues; hopefully you can understand broken english. Perhaps corporate economics centers around profits for executives: AIG. Hedgefund swaps as opposed to federally insured loans. Speaking of hedgefunds, at least gasoline prices haven't reached five-dollars a gallon since GWB left office. Wasn't his family active in oil futures in Texas?

POTUS'O hasn't avoided his responsibities to the American people. It takes more than a year to spend 12 Trillion dollars; perhaps he can start another war with Iran and North Korea to justify 10 more trillion....I'm sure POTUS'O is aware of how Washington politic's postures ~ lying down for lobbyists.

I have all the respect for his efforts to rebuild the economy. Perhaps republicians should use "mike time" to present alturnatives as opposed to huddling in a corner to chastise efforts by POTUS'O. Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck will gladly provide the GOP with all of the mike time they could ask for in a 24 hour period....

MikeNC 3 years, 3 months ago

Sounds like you got it all figured out Toda. I reckon Obama has not layed down with the big lobbyists from day one...of course he told us differently during his campaigning. Look not to what Obama says he will do, but look at what he actually does. Hey you never did comment back on Clinton's budget surplus you boast about??

None 3 years, 3 months ago

@MikeNC ~ well, if I had it all figured out, I would be in Washington. If politicians' feet were held to the fire on every campaign promise during their stumping campaigns, no one would be left in Washington....

"Clinton's budget surplus you boast about??", it's all a matter of spin. At the end of the day, GWB's plate wasn't as full as POTUS'O. I can say with all certainty, that Washington is corrupted by lobbyists, and politics. You may not be old enough to remember the "movie" Davy Crockett goes to Washington? I'm of the opinion that Washington needs a much needed enema and more Davy Crockett's.

I am not a soothsayer by any means; but I think the American public should give POTUS'O some time to create a base-line for his administration. Too many people are criticizing without supporting facts. Teabaggers have the right idea; but often times their platform is used to target POTUS'O. If any despises taxation more than I, please step forward. Point: I just sold a cargo trailer to a man from SC. In SC they pay no property tax; they are not required to buy a license plate. Their gas tax is less. NC has become notable for tax and spend ~ along the entire political spectrum.

Here's an link I hope you find interesting food for thought: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/02/your-daily-dose-of-news-7.html

Thank you for a spirited debate. I think The Pilot has made a bold move to allow residents to express their views and opinions. Now, those elected officials who hide under spin ladened news leads, have direct feedback on their polices. Please share your thoughts and opinions...it's free speach!

bigD 3 years, 3 months ago

I will be attending a debate between Bill Clinton and George W Bush on Thursday morning. Look for my comments late next week.

Fromthemiddle 3 years, 3 months ago

As far as budgetary control, it does seem the Clinton years were the best by far. I'm a little skeptical of a lot of sites out there because both conservatives and liberals conveniently leave off data that doesn't suit the case. For me the best site is www.whitehouse.gov which shows historical tables of the annual surplus (deficit). It is produced by the OMB, Office of Management and Budget. The last report I found was published during George Bush's administration in 2008. The historical tables for the final Bush, H.W. year, 8 Clinton years, and first Bush (W) year are as follows:

        Receipts                Outlays     Surplus (Deficit)

Bush (HW) 1993 1,154,471 1,409,522 -255,051 Clinton… 1994 1,258,721 1,461,907 -255,051
1995 1,351,932 1,515,984 -163,952 1996 1,453,177 1,560,608 -107,431 1997 1,579,423 1,601,307 -21,884

1998 1,721,925 1,652,685 69,270 1999 1,827,645 1,702,035 125,610 2000 2,025,457 1,789,216 236,241 2001 1,991,426 1,863,190 128,236

Bush (W) 2002 1,853,395 2,011,153 -157,758

The surplus/deficit is affected by things other than fiscal management, but we can see that Clinton lowered the annual deficit during his first four years, and in his final four years he produced a surplus. Producing an annual surplus is a feat that neither Reagan, HW, W, or Obama were able to do.

None 3 years, 3 months ago

@JimT ~ your analogy of rules changes represents how our representitives conduct their housekeeping protocol. The underlying political "bickering" is now the new protocol; make no decisions, deny involvement when there is public ere, conduct the next election with non-sense dialoge, and vote no to any suggestions by the other side of the isle. Then expect to have a three decade term in Washington....Ex. Congressman Howard Coble

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