While I generally like Marco Rubio he is dead wrong on immigration and now he is pushing another bad idea.

Not taxing Olympic athletes gold medals. Let’s follow the argument a little. They have worked really hard to compete in the Olympics? Yes. They are representing the BEST of the BEST in America? Well maybe. More likely they represent the best of the backed. If ever there were a class of achievers that fit hand-in-glove with Obama’s “you didn’t build that statement” it is Olympic athletes. The vast majority of competitors could not begin to train or compete without massive assistance from others. It begins with parents taking their children to practice and PAYING for practice. The kids with above average talent begin to separate from the other competitors. Depending upon the sport they are given TAXPAYER subsidized coaches and facilities and as their talent is further revealed the amenities also improve to facilitate training. Again, all at somebody else’s expense, be it a coerced into support TAXPAYER or be it philanthropist. They are often given allowances by parents or supporters or they get phony “jobs” where they can “earn” spending money. All of this so they can fulfill a four year old’s dream of gold.

Now let’s look at the real gold medal winners in society. The small business owner. They rarely have anybody to fall back on. They get up earlier than the next guy. They often work one job to support their family while sidelining in their small business until it becomes viable. Instead of being supported from outside they are carrying two loads. Instead of receiving TAXPAYER subsidies to facilitate their dreams they will be progressively taxed with an ever increasing burden as they begin to create a successful business. Make that three loads they must bear. If ever they manage to take their dream from concept to small business to large business they will be vilified by society and the political class. For all of their years of hard work they will be beaten down at every opportunity, taxed in a manner that makes government and the leeches of society the primary beneficiary of their diligence and hard work.

For the Olympic athlete, the supporters truly make the game possible. An Olympic athlete without somebody else’s money and facilities will go nowhere. (yes, there are some exceptions.) These supporters don’t condition their support on the delivery of any product or service. It is not an exchange of value for value. A coach may choose who he or she will train based on potential but not on an assurance of victory. The coaches are usually not paid by the athlete. A supporter or taxpayer foots that bill. Olympic committees chose who will be trained to represent a country on a hope of success. The supporters are an entirely critical component to victory. This is particularly true as competitors move up the path to participating in the Olympics.

No supporters, no athlete. If the athlete “leaves” the supporters pick a different athlete to back. Somebody else DID build that for them.

A small business has two types of supporters. Customers and employees. In the case of customers, they are not donating money to the small business. They do expect a fair exchange of value for value and if they don’t get it they go somewhere else. The small business person must develop a product or service that will entice people to make this exchange voluntarily. TAXPAYERS are not coerced into supporting small businesses. In most cases the small businesses are TAXPAYERS coerced into paying for freeloaders. Yes, as a small business owner, I can tell you employees are important in the operation of a small business. They range from the lazy to the top-notch and every small business owner wants to keep the top-notch. It is, however, very rare that any particular employee or group of employees are critical to the survival of a small business. If one or more leave, they are replaced and hopefully with as good or better. The business goes on. The employees are PAID to be there unlike Olympic supporters who are PAYING for a place at the table. The small business owner gets “paid” after everybody else gets paid, including the IRS. Employees, like customers, enter into an arrangement of value for value. They deliver a product or service to the business in exchange for pay in the same way the business delivers to its customers.

If the employee leaves he gets new employees. If the customers leave he refines his product or service to entice them back. Or he tries his luck in a different line. And he works that second job again.

If the small business Owner leaves, there is no business.

Small businesses create the vast majority of new jobs in America. They are the prime movers of innovation in products and services. The regular introduction of small business products and services provide a constant downward pressure on prices for goods and services. Small business is the essence of American liberty. It is people dreaming big things and doing big things without handouts from others or forced handouts from taxpayers.

An Olympic athlete spends typically 12 to 20 years preparing for a one-off or perhaps two-off chance for gold. If they are successful they will have substantial payouts in the form of professional careers and endorsement contracts. The entire economic output of an individual Olympian is gone after their BIG DAY with a few exceptions. It is a shiny bauble, Fool’s Gold.

Small business owners often labor for three, four or five decades before they get a chance for real success. When that success comes, the scum in DC and the leeches around the country will be waiting to suck the life out of them. A successful small business will generate economic output and pay dividends for generations.

Why is Marco trying to give one more handout to the group created almost entirely by handouts?

Where is Rubio’s bill to eliminate, or even greatly reduce, income tax on small business?

He might at least start the conversation.

Santorum bought his new lease on life. He will probably see more money coming in. He will still get creamed in New Hampshire but if he does well in SC he will begin to demonstrate depth in support.

My personal take on him? Morally and evangelically we are mostly in tune. Although I think the deficit spending he has helped along is totally immorally. To reuse one of Newt’s phrases, it IS generational theft. Historically Santorum is way too quick to spend my money and more importantly my children’s money. This is why I haven’t considered him as a top tier in my personal primary. Between him and Obama there is however no comparison. If he manages to secure the nomination it will be a pleasure to vote for him.

ROMNEY

Romney’s best hope is to keep as many conservatives in the race as possible. He is stuck at 25%~ and his path to the nomination requires the other 75% to remain divided between four candidates or more. He didn’t surprise in Iowa, it just proved that even the Republican Party population is 25% stupid. Unfortunately 25% stupid might win the nomination and thereby, as with McCain, lose the presidency to Obama. It will be painful, probably costing seats in the house and maybe killing the senate takeover. Almost as bad, or maybe worse, will be a Romney victory. The architect of ObamaCare is hardly going to do anything to preserve the idea that Republicans are the party of limited government and fiscal discipline. Boehner has faithfully done his part laying the groundwork, Romney will complete the process.

NEWT

I think Newt is done at this point. I don’t mean he will drop, his ego is way too big for anything as selfless as that, but he had his surge, he is a great speaker and articulator, and then everybody remembered who he is as a person. Before Chrissy Matthews got his thrill on for Obama, Newt had weak knees for Bill. He has no spine. His poor showing in Iowa should mean it is time to sit out and endorse a conservative. My guess is after he gets shellacked in New Hampshire he will depart. No Money. I also predict he will endorse Romney. I further predict he will serve in a Romney administration. Newt will cut a deal and Romney, being faithful to his wife, doesn’t mind paying for political whores. His supporters on the other hand will probably split between Romney and the anti-Romneys still standing.

MICHELLE

Before Perry got in Bachmann was my first choice. After Perry got in my view was whichever gained traction I would support. I prefer Bachmann but figured Perry would do much better overall. Well, right or wrong about Perry, the time has come for Bachmann to pull out and endorse Perry or Santorum. Last night made that pretty clear. If she can’t win as a native son in Iowa right next door to her current home she has no chance. But really, let’s face it; if she can’t place in her birth state of Iowa she probably couldn’t take Minnesota. Even Mondale beat Reagan at home.

For the good of the nation she needs to withdraw, I take her Christian faith seriously enough that I believe she can put the ego aside.

HUNTSMAN

If this were on paper I wouldn’t waste the ink. In fact I have said too much already.

PAUL

Fiscally he is the best candidate the GOP has in the race. His foreign policy is naïve. This is from somebody who considers himself a non-interventionist. Oh, he is correct, whether conservatives like it or not; our foreign policy over the last 100 years has made us more enemies than friends. And even our friends have been pretty faithless. Oh sure, as long as we dump billions into their local economies they are glad to take it. It has allowed the entire Euro-Socialist development to occur under the protective umbrella of NATO. It has made us the Great Satan of the Middle East. But where Paul is naïve is assuming that if we ignore them and pull out of the Middle East they will leave us alone. Of course the party line GOP explanation is nuts as well, they don’t hate because we are free. That too is absolutely stupid. THEY HATE US BECAUSE WE DON’T WORSHIP allah. And because, not worshipping allah, we also don’t serve in dhimmitude. But on Paul’s naiveté; we done kicked the hornet’s nest, back in the 50’s and 60’s and so on, we have to deal with the hornets; whether we decide to kick the hornet’s nest more in the future is a separate question. But he is right nation building is stupid, we have never done it successfully.

All that says this, when Paul loses the primary, his supporters are going to vote for Obama, vote for the nominee or stay home. According to most polls he pulls a fair number of independents and even anti-war democrats. Obviously, whether folks want to admit it or not, he is probably the most popular tea party candidate. Given that his supporters are evenly split between normally voting democrat, voting republican and staying home, Republicans need to consider whether they want the republican voting contingent staying home, the usually non-voting contingent doing what they usually do or the democrats staying home. Keep treating him the way Republicans have been treating him and you’ll be sure to keep the stay at homes at home. You may even drive his Republican support to stay at home. I am not the only one who sees this; Sarah Palin talked about it last night on Fox. The strategy of embracing RINOs instead of the libertarian wing, as we have done for 100 years, is killing the nation.

As far as Paul pulling out, I think we all know he will be in it through the last primary.

And finally

PERRY

The candidate I am supporting for now. Not because he is perfect but because I think even now he is the best conservative to beat Obama. He needs to make a point of jumping into any possible opportunity to debate so if he does get the nod he is better prepared to cream Obama. Practice makes perfect. I do wish he were more conservative in his political history but he is hitting on all cylinders for now. I hope if Bachmann does bail she supports Perry. I think her followers would mostly make that transition. And clearly the ones who didn’t would almost certainly go to Santorum. While I know he has the money and have even said he should at least go through Super Tuesday, I was wrong. If he doesn’t start gaining serious traction by South Carolina he needs to move aside so we can avoid a Romney nomination. A Bachmann endorsement may help him gain that traction, so too would a Cain endorsement. Unless he swallows his ego, Cain has already made statements that would be hard to pull back from here.

TO SUM IT UP

Intrade currently has Romney at 80% for the nomination. If he gets it, he will lose. In fact, while picking Romney as the Republican Nominee, Intrade also gives Obama the edge in re-election. Makes sense, if you want a socialist authoritarian president, ya might as well stick to the one that brung ya. So what I think the intrade markets are saying, if they could speak, is “those Republicans are going to pick Romney and then lose, morons.”

Santorum is at 6%. His performance in his last election doesn’t speak well for his prospects nationally. But he might win.

Newt at 5%. He has got nowhere to go but down. The thrill is gone.

Paul is next with 2.5%. Because he will stick it out, if we get to a brokered convention, (currently the conservatives best shot) he will likely be a kingmaker. I don’t think Redstate or UnifiedPatriots are going to be able to scare him into supporting their candidate any more than the establishment will be able to browbeat him into supporting theirs. I do think his delegates will follow his lead.

Perry doesn’t really place at Intrade. Actually he does place behind Huntsman????? But in spite of this I still think he has a shot if he can get Bachmann to endorse and do well in South Carolina. Barring that I hope he uses his war chest to destroy Mitt to the best of his ability.

This election is going to go a lot like a game of pool. It can be fun knocking balls down, one

Image via Wikipedia

here, one there. If you have a good table you can run them off, bang, bang, bang. It not common but it happens. If you don’t have a good table, pool becomes something closer to a chess game. Not only do you have to make your next shot, you have to plan your next three. Bang, bang don’t get it anymore. You have to use a little finesse, a little English, just enough power to drop a ball so your next shot stays viable.

In this game we have to deal with seven balls while our opponents only have to deal with one.

Make six shots in a row and you still lose because the only thing that matters is who sinks the eight ball.

The establishment, left or right, considers us (Tea Party supporters) to be naïve.

Every two years we play this game where, if only we can win, then our side can claim #victory and government will return, at least a little to its rightful place. We’re #winning!!! We believe them. But when we do manage to deliver #victory, government never gets smaller. We are naïve. #Sucker is a more accurate term.

I have kicked this around a lot.

I heard this first from one of the Ryun brothers of American Majority fame,

Structure Demands Behavior

They in turn got it from some business guru.

I think it is absolutely true.

At no time in the last hundred years have Americans wanted bigger government yet it is what we always get.

I firmly believe the changes made with the 16th, 17th and the Federal Reserve DEMAND the behavior that leads us to where we are.

If left unchanged, there is no possibility mere voting will make any difference. 100 years of voting through no less than 50 congressional elections and 25 Presidential elections proves this is true. CW recently sent me some passages from a book by Rose Wilder Lane, Discovery of Freedom. In the 40′s she was pointing out the crooked bastards can always round up enough votes with celebrity endorsements, picnics and vote buying. It is not better today.

(And thanks CW. I liked the excerpts so much I bought the book.)

The federal government has too much money with absolutely no accountability. As we see in the most conservative parts of Iowa, talk about killing a corn subsidy and they will kill your chances of winning. Talk about killing off shore drilling in Louisiana and it will kill you. Refuse to protect maple syrup in Vermont and the green mountain boys will lynch your campaign. Talk about cutting defense spending in CA and you’re dead. Means testing Social Security in FL? uh huh.

Congress is obviously NOT going to stop their gravy train any more than GE or Lars in Iowa is going to kill his. I do think Lars might be convinced to do the right thing if he knew GE would also be on the chopping block but GE will never concede.

That means that Republicans may even push for a BBA or Term Limits but “oh, so sad,” they always come up one or two votes short.

We are supposed to remain a bunch of naïve suckers never learning from the last cycle. We are supposed to believe they really are trying so hard to do the right thing and just can’t swing it.

I don’t believe them anymore. And while I have been a Republican since the age of 5 (literally and maybe earlier) I don’t trust any part of our party leadership. We can play this game ad infinitum. We will always lose.

I am done playing it. While I will continue to try to elect Republicans, with a few exceptions, I am only doing so because there are a relative few left in that party that get it. The Democrat Party has long since sold out the nation completely.

Instead I intend to focus on goals that can make a difference. Yes, we CAN elect Republican majorities. But to what purpose?  I am tired of being sold out.

It’s why I have arrived at the Article V Convention as the only possible solution. And it is a long shot on the order of We Pledge Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor. Not to change the constitution, but to change it BACK to what it was meant to be.

Structure Demands Behavior.

We are getting exactly the behavior our current structure demands. If we don’t change the Structure we will never change the Behavior.

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I had some offline questions related to this post so I thought I would add the questions and my responses.

Q: Do you just want 16th and 17th abolished, or what else? I have lots of questions –
A: While I would take 16 and 17 gone as a start I don’t think it is enough. Here is why… The legal structure in terms of laws as well as the case law that has been generated would take as long to undo as they have taken to build. The stretching of the commerce clause for example. Making the federal government poor without restraining it would probably not get rid of the massive over regulation. In fact it might cause the federal government to turn to fines and fees for revenue. The federal courts would take generations to undo their endorsement of all of the federal overreach. They might not undo it ever. So I think something needs to be included to clarify the limited scope of the commerce clause.
On the subject of taxes, congress passed income taxes before the 16th was introduced. During the Civil War for example. So repealing 16 is good but clarifying particular restrictions would be much better. Some would say the courts had previously found against a federal income tax but they flip-flopped all over the place during the 30’s with FDR’s policies so I wouldn’t trust them to guard us if we repealed 16, we must also say emphatically NO INCOME TAX.
17 is an easier case. Repeal it and we go back to what was before. But, there were a few legitimate complaints that led to the 17th to begin with, one was having states fight over the appointment for extended periods of time so that a state was un or under represented in the senate. This can be cured by allowing governors to make temporary appointments while the legislatures fight it out. But it would need to be detailed in the repeal amendment.
You’ll hear me complain a lot about the Federal Reserve. But the biggest problem I have with it is that it is an unaccountable monopoly on the price of money. By mandating free use of gold and silver in private transactions the Federal Reserve will die on its own perhaps. It should also be barred from making loans to other central banks or foreign entities. If we leave it, and it continues in its current mission, the government will still have a tremendous advantage in terms of taxing us through inflation. It is part of the Federal Reserve’s mission to provide a constant devaluation of the dollar. This isn’t conspiracy theory it is called the target inflation rate. They usually shoot for 2%.
On the same subject is the balanced budget amendment. We don’t want them borrowing what they can’t tax after we repeal the 16th. They are many variations on this but I think we should keep it simple.
I would also like to see the number of House members tied to a hard number so congress can’t prevent the natural growth of House members. Say 50K per district.

Things that may not be crucial but awfully nice?
Immigration reform that stops birthright citizenship and outlaws amnesty. And this may be crucial actually.
Regulatory reform. I am sick of congresscritters pointing the finger at the EPA or OSHA and trying to shift the blame. If regulations are going to have the force of law they should be approved by congress after they are written. Congress makes the laws not half-witted unelected bureaucrats.
The right of repeal by states. If a supermajority of states vote to invalidate a federal law then it is gone.
There is a parental rights initiative going around. ParentalRights.org. It makes it clear parents choose education of their children as well as killing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty for internal purposes.
Treaty reform just to make it clear the senate can’t ratify our rights away.

And finally two that would be the most difficult, Right to Work and Social Security Reform that puts it into the hands of the states.

A lot of my thoughts are at americanamendment.com

Q: If the Democrats/Leftists can take over Republican primaries and caucuses, why couldn’t they hijack an Art 5 Convention?
A: It would be nice to be able to offer some guarantee here but there isn’t any. And that is part of the reason for my saying it is a long shot on the order of sacred honor and fortunes. It will be difficult to get a convention. And it will be difficult to be sure we control it. And it will be difficult to get it ratified.
Having said that lets look at the situation on the ground. Congress has terrible approval ratings. The country hates the president’s policies. 70% recently polled (Drudge Headline a month or two ago) as believing the federal government is the biggest threat to liberty.
The environment doesn’t seem to indicate lefties will win as lefties for sure.
No sitting congressman or senator can serve at the convention.
It seems unlikely anybody could get elected or appointed on a grow Washington platform.
The majority of the Freshman class in congress came from Tea Party roots. There won’t be an existing bunch of corrupt individuals ready to co-opt or compromise convention delegates, they will all be freshman class. Boehner won’t be waiting for them with a check in one hand and a stick in the other.
They also will not be standing for re-election and so will have less reason to play those kinds of games.
So assuming some lefties do win elections to the convention, I think it is highly unlikely they will have a majority. Probably a small minority at most.

Q: Given all of that, assume it is still hijacked, then what?A: Assume I am wrong and they take a majority.
Whatever might pass out of the convention still has to be ratified by ¾ of the state legislatures. We might not get them to repeal the 16th or the 17th but do you think it is likely 38 states would agree to transfer more power to Washington? Almost certainly, any oddball amendments or as EBL asked, “something that could have been written by Marx or Stalin” would be a dead letter. States have proven they are capable of rejecting amendments. For example, most recently the ERA amendment failed.

Except it didn’t fail. Because congress has implemented most of it through legislation. And that is really the point.
Another failed amendment from the 30’s was the child labor amendment. Congress just ignored the fact that the amendment failed and legislated it all anyway.

The final reason these fears are unfounded. Congress just does it anyway.

We have a Marxist Socialist takeover of our government already well underway. The ArtV is probably the only way to stop it at this point.

So really it comes down to this, congress recognizes no power higher than itself. It already implements one socialist policy after another. On any given day we are one justice away from having no gun rights. On any given day Kagan’s belief that government CAN order you to eat your vegetables is one justice from being the law of the land.
We just passed legislation authorizing the president to detain without trial, indefinitely, American citizens on American soil. No review, no nothing.

Given the far-fetched idea that the convention and then the state legislatures are hijacked by leftists, what are they going to do that they aren’t already doing? What new power would they give themselves that they don’t already pretend they have?

Q: If ratification requires 3/4 of legislatures, do you forsee 3/4 legislatures being conservative anytime soon?
A: I believe the answer to the question is better postulated, can we put together amendments that states, right or left, will selfishly want to pass to get Washington off their back. To take power back for themselves. To open up new avenues of taxation and to take control of spending prerogatives and get their people working and investing. A good example is right here in WV. Now that coal miners have been attacked for 3 years by the dirtbag in chief I think it is very likely we could see ending the EPA bring strong support in the people and the legislature. Well cleaning up the commerce clause does that.
But even given good amendments it will still be an uphill battle. The difference between this and voting Republican is simple, we give the Republicans victory and we are still losing. We pass a few good amendments and Structure Demands Behavior. The wind is at our back and the left is slogging it like we have been.

Q: If you are dis-enamored with the r Party, as are many, do you not agree that its faults appear at the state level, as well as the national?
A: True states aren’t perfect. The best way to win is to appeal to their selfish side. Convince them they can take their state straight to progressive \hell/utopia faster without federal oversight.
Also, in WV for example, each delegate represents about 20,000 people. A quick math problem later and we see that about 5000-6000 voters per delegate are actively voting. I know both my delegate and my state senator passingly. I am simply going to have a lot more pull with them than I will with Shelley Moore. Not every state has WV’s ratios but most have ratios closer to WV than congressional districts which have about 600,000 constituents and perhaps 200K or 250K voters.

Q: The Congress has all the power it needs right now to corral the executive and the judiciary.
A: And they have had 100 years to do it. They aren’t going to.
The only years the federal budget has shrunk at all in the last 100 are the 2 years immediately following WWII.
If they were men of honor and decency they could do lots of things. They are not going to.

Q: All it has to do is ….do it. Abolish by Congressional act executive departments and entire judicial districts. But I don’t think it will until it has a mandate. I don’t think you can do it by Congressional action and I don’t think you can do it by Article V until you have a mandate.
But, if you have a chief executive who works with the Tea Partiers in Congressional leadership positions, publicly and privately, maybe the structure could be altered enough in the short term to reverse the trend without arousing the sleeping public from their video games. Who would miss 500 federal judges? Who would miss the Department of Energy? A slick PR campaign might even make people not miss Education – “Return local control to schools.”

A: Same answer as above. We have had control of one or both houses at least 6 times. Both houses at least 3. Republicans have not produced a smaller budget or shrunk government during any of these periods except a couple of years following WWII. They aren’t going to do it.
Getting a mandate will be hard, no question. This will not be an easy fight. But if a mandate could be had and we go the legislative route instead of the constitutional route then any changes we make will be undone the next time a leftist majority is in place. It would be shortsighted to think they won’t be in power every 4-12 years. At least constitutional hurdles would set a higher bar for future protection. Let’s not build a house of straw.

Q: But let’s not forget the Malignant Statist Media. What do you see them feeding the American People during an Art5?

A: They will do their level best to lie and deceive, no question about it. When I said it was a long shot I wasn’t kidding. But put yourself in the shoes of Samuel Adams picking a fight with the most powerful nation in the world. Or Washington at Valley Forge, having been whipped by that nation across lower NY and all of NJ. We may not win. But we are surely losing now and if we don’t change our approach we will definitely lose as a function of course and time.
As to the press we will have to do our best to counter them and control the delegations. Almost like divine providence the internet today makes that possible like no time since 1776 when printing presses were scattered across the countryside and there was no effective control over them.

Take look at the original soviet constitution. I think you are going to find gulags and murder aren’t in there. Same with Cuba. It is the concentration of power combined with a lack of an effective accountability mechanism that produces the horrific result.

We have the same concentration of power and lack of accountability here today. Only the inertia of a people used to freedom has slowed them down. But with control of our educational system they have spent many years redefining freedom to mean licentiousness and egalitarianism.
In short, Americans had better defenses than Russian peasants so they have had to spend a century softening us up, like shelling the beach before landing.

Only the introduction of true accountability can save us now.

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AmericanAmendment.com

We see Herman Cain’s 999 plan for example which might require an Amendment or if SCOTUS were to uphold ObamaCare an Amendment might be needed to fix that problem. Many support a Balanced Budget Amendment or Term Limits as well.

In spite of these needs, congress seems incapable of doing anything “BIG.” Only the states are in a position to pressure congress with the threat of an Article V Convention, or if that fails they could hold an actual Article V Convention. You may disagree with that premise altogether.

For those not familiar with it:

Article V

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall
propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the
Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for
proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and
Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of
three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths
thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the
Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One
thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and
fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State,
without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Some questions;

1. What is your general opinion of an Article V Convention?

2. Does the “shall call” language of Article V mean congress has no choice if the requisite states make application?

      a. If “shall call” leaves congress no option but to call a convention, and if congress reneges on that obligation, can the states assemble in an Article V Convention anyway? If the product of such a convention were ratified by 3/4ths of the states, would it be legal?

3. What are your thoughts on a “runaway convention” often cited as the overwhelming reason to avoid an Article V Convention?

4. There have been hundreds of applications by the states. Far exceeding the numbers required to call such a convention. Two reasons for not calling the convention in spite of this are:

      a. The requests have been on a variety of topics and are therefore not “germane.” Do you believe it is necessary for applications to be “germane?” Whichever position you take, how do you support it from a constitutional perspective?

      b. The requests have been spread over a number of years and are not contemporaneous. Again, how is your position supported?

5. Did the founding fathers make a mistake adding the state based Article V Convention option?

      a. Can we reasonably ignore the provisions of the Constitution where we think the founders made a mistake?

If you respond please add your own opinions in an independent comment before commenting on somebody else’s opinion.

You may be adamantly opposed to the very idea of an Article V Convention. I would particularly like to hear from you.

Thanks for helping.

This reflects the state of religious freedom in that country ten years after the United States first invaded it and overthrew its Islamist Taliban regime.

In the intervening decade, U.S. taxpayers have spent $440 billion to support Afghanistan’s new government and more than 1,700 U.S. military personnel have died serving in that country.

The last public Christian church in Afghanistan was razed in March 2010, according to the State Department’s latest International Religious Freedom Report. The report, which was released last month and covers the period of July 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010, also states that “there were no Christian schools in the country.”

CNSNews

Half a trillion dollars with nothing to show for it. Sound familiar? Only instead of 1100 unemployed we have 1700 dead.

But things are better in Iraq, right?

Sure.

Iraq threatens to break military links with US

Baghdad is threatening to break its military relations with Washington at the end of this year and use private contractors to train its armed forces, as the two sides struggle to agree on terms that would see a small number of American troops remain in Iraq next year.

Egypt

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s Coptic Christians have long felt like second-class citizens in their own country.

Now many fear that the power vacuum left after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak is giving Muslim extremists free rein to torch churches and attack Coptic homes in the worst violence against the community in decades.

An assault Sunday night on Christians protesting over a church attack set off riots that drew in Muslims, Christians and the police. Among the 26 people left killed in the melee, most were Copts. For Coptic scholar Wassem el-Sissi, it was evidence that the Christian community in Egypt is vulnerable as never before.

Libya’s a mess naturally.

Libya ‘cannot exclude’ extremist exploitation, Nato chief says
The warning came in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph as Muammar Gaddafi’s loyalist forces stepped up a fightback on three fronts.

NATO: Continued resistance in Libya ‘surprising’

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO says the continuing resistance by pro-Gadhafi forces in Sirte and other locations in Libya is “surprising” because they are fighting a losing battle.

Will they still be surprised in 10 years like they are in Afghanistan?

So we invest Trillions of dollars expend thousands of lives and it is impossible to say we have accomplished anything of value. And we are broke.

This is not an argument about crushing the Taliban, we should have. This is not an argument about whether we should have whacked Saddam, we should have.

The problem is, after achieving these significant and righteous goals why we didn’t pack up and leave with our wallet intact.

We got mugged after we won.

At least the Marshall Plan worked right?

I mean Germany, Austria, the rest of Europe, they are all doing well right? And France… Ah France, they are so grateful just makes you heart warm doesn’t it?

Let’s not forget Japan. What a colossus of capitalism and liberty huh?

I am glad we are not like liberals. Basing our decisions on warm and fuzzy feelings instead of looking at the effects of our actions and re-evaluating accordingly.

Oh well. Maybe we can find a new nation to build into a liberal socialist democracy.

I was going to be snarky and say the United States but too late.

Why? What justification can there be for President Obama and his lawyers to keep secret what they’re asserting is a matter of sound law? This isn’t a military secret. It isn’t an instance of protecting CIA field assets, or shielding a domestic vulnerability to terrorism from public view. This is an analysis of the power that the Constitution and Congress’ post September 11 authorization of military force gives the executive branch. This is a president exploiting official secrecy so that he can claim legal justification for his actions without having to expose his specific reasoning to scrutiny. As the Post put it, “The administration officials refused to disclose the exact legal analysis used to authorize targeting Aulaqi, or how they considered any Fifth Amendment right to due process.”

The rest Here.

Many see this as killing a bad guy and so who cares. But “who cares?” denies basic rule-of-law. Either the constitution matters or it doesn’t. We assume ALL criminals are bad guys. They still get a fair trial by a jury of their peers.

No matter where their criminal acts occur, we give them a fair trial. al-Awlaki could have been tried in-absentia and sentenced to death and this wouldn’t be an issue. He wasn’t killed on an actual battlefield or anywhere near one.

Since we don’t even have the faintest idea as to the legal reasoning behind this decision, it is a classified secret, we don’t know if this same “reasoning” could be used to justify killing an American citizen in Britain or even Cleveland. We also don’t know if it means American citizens can be killed by executive fiat for alleged crimes like rape, grand theft or shop lifting in foreign nations or again right here at home. What is the legal logic? It’s a secret.

In fact, given what we think we know concerning al-Awlaki, did he commit a death penalty offense assuming he were tried and convicted right here in the US? What exactly was he accused of? Was he a bad guy? Undeniably. What sets him apart from a thousand or a million bad guys across the nation? Is every accused American now subject to Predator strikes? For which crimes might we expect holy hell to rain down upon us? It is a Secret.

This ties in quite closely to an article in the Telegraph.

Russia ‘gave agents licence to kill’ enemies of the state

The Russian secret service authorised the “elimination” of individuals living overseas who were judged to be enemies of the state and ordered the creation of special units to conduct such operations, according to a document passed to The Daily Telegraph.

Are we giving the executive branch a license to kill? Clearly Obama did not pull this trigger. Are we not only giving him a right to kill but to issue licenses to sub-ordinates to kill as well? Does he only get to kill muslims? Will he be able to pull the trigger on any dissident or tax evader? Given the current humanistic religion in Washington will Christians someday make the list? Does the legal reasoning restrict the President’s new license in anyway? Did he have to take a practical skills test? A vision test? Are there any limits at all on this new executive privilege? We don’t know.

It is a secret.

Amendment 5

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,
unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising
in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time
of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense
to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any
criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be
taken for public use, without just compensation.

Think this “time of war” changes things?
The Fifth Amendment owes its origins in no small part to a Bill of Attainder passed by the Virginia Assembly in 1778 smack dab in the middle of the War for Independence. What was the crime? For levying war against the state of Virginia. What was the penalty? It gave Josiah Phillips a period of time to turn himself in or suffer the death penalty at the hands of anybody able to deliver it.

Thomas Jefferson passed it at Patrick Henry’s request. This was later recognized as a mistake and the Fifth Amendment requirement for indictment by a jury was one of the results. Circumstances like Josiah Phillips (a very bad man who actually murdered and raped many) and al-Awlaki’s (a piker compared to Phillips) may be the thought behind Madison’s famous quote “The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.” A quick search would reveal most of the founder’s had similar thoughts.

If a time of war justifies government excess, we shall always have war.

Related articles

• Al-Awlaki And The Law (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
• Secret U.S. memo sanctioned killing of Aulaqi – The Washington Post (policyabcs.wordpress.com)
• When The People Fear The Government You Have Tyranny: Gibson Edition (unifiedpatriots.com)
• The Targeted Killing of Anwar al-Awlaki (thinkmarkets.wordpress.com)

Tomblin(D) vs Maloney(R).

So who does the NRA endorse? A friend forwarded this email.

Use Your Vote to Defend Your Freedom!

Vote Earl Ray Tomblin for Governor

Tomorrow, October 4!

Tomorrow, October 4, a special election will be held in West Virginia. Your National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (www.NRAPVF.org) has endorsed Earl Ray Tomblin for Governor of West Virginia.

Earl Ray Tomblin
“A” Rated and NRA-PVF Endorsed

Earl Ray Tomblin has earned an “A” rating and NRA-PVF’s endorsement for his longstanding support of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. As a former state legislator, he has a tested and proven record for many years of protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen in West Virginia. Earl Ray Tomblin is committed to supporting our Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage, and he needs your vote to win.

If you are a registered voter, you are eligible to participate in this special gubernatorial election. Be sure to spread the word to your family, friends and fellow gun owners in West Virginia to vote Earl Ray Tomblin for Governor tomorrow, October 4!

Please do not reply to this email as you will not receive a response. This email is a broadcast email generated by an automated system. To contact NRA-PVF call 800-392-8683.
Address: 11250 Waples Mill Road | Fairfax , Virginia 22030

If you wish to be removed from this list please copy this link and paste into your browser and you will be removed immediately:
http://www.nramedia.org/u?id=4562809.0459b35b0a3f38177cbfa325044a5582&n=T&l=nraila_alerts&o=228693

We are in the middle of a war for the heart and soul of a nation, for control of the last bastion of freedom in our time and they are playing tiddlywinks.

Use your vote to Defend Your Freedom? Are you kidding? Vote for the high tax, government is master, business is evil, political shyster to DEFEND YOUR FREEDOM?

What kind of doublespeak, doublethink is this?

The NRA has lost its mind or its soul, or both.

In the interest of political influence and relevance they naturally endorse the leftwing nutjob.

Endorsing the Democrat may have made sense in the 80’s. Perhaps some holdouts remained in the 90’s. There is no such thing as a truly pro-gun Democrat today. No more than there is a pro-life Democrat. Every Democrat will sell their vote for a bridge back home or a secretary down the hall.

Worse, this is an executive position. Tomblin will have many opportunities to sign or veto legislation across the bureaucratic spectrum.  He will also have regulatory opportunities that legislators don’t have.

He will almost certainly use his influence to elect marxists across the state and he will act to elect politicians at the national level. That is three congressional seats, two senators and a presidential election that may be affected.  The NRA just elected the guy who will do everything he can to give Obama WV’s electoral votes. I doubt he can deliver but it won’t be from lack of trying.

This is bigger than guns. The NRA is blind to the larger consequences of its actions. Perhaps if the Democrat had a great gun record and the Republican didn’t then this could be justified. In a circumstance like this, with two supposedly pro-gun candidates, the NRA should be looking at other factors, other issues of constitutional fidelity.

For the record I am considerable more pro 2^nd Amendment than Wayne La Pierre. I don’t think the 2^nd Amendment allows the federal government to regulate firearms, period. I am a plain language guy.

The NRA just endorsed the candidate who will go all Stupak when the chips are down.

WV has been trending Republican for the last few years, particularly in its national politics. This doesn’t help.

I dropped my NRA membership back in the 90’s when it became clear their mission had been disrupted by their political games and their social club mentality.

Only the most naive do not realize we are in a war with the left for the survival of American Liberty.

In the end, I am not an NRA member because they have no foresight and they treat with the enemy.

Related articles

• West Virginia What Has Voting Democrat Gotten You? Nothing (unifiedpatriots.com)
• RGA Ad: Earl Ray Tomblin and West Virginia Pays. (redstate.com)
• WELL, WE’LL KNOW TUESDAY: Even The Experts Can’t Call West Virginia’s Gubernatorial Race. “This un… (pajamasmedia.com)
• A view from the Right: NRA-PVF Chairman Chris W. Cox tries to soothe anti-Reid complaints (oldironsides.blogtownhall.com)

I have heard it from folks I dislike, from folks I respect and from people I both like and respect.

We are told they hate us because we are free.

And it is a lie. Political correctness served large.

There are many reasons why this is a false statement.

For example, it assumes we are free. Given the bureaucratic tyranny that emanates from Washington we should be able to make peace with the ill-informed moo-slems by simply showing them a 1040A, 1099, EEOC form, EPA action report, or have OSHA pay them a visit. One look at the despotism of the beltway and they would be quite satisfied that gee-had was entirely unnecessary. In fact they would likely send us condolences and remittances.

Nope. If they hate us because we are free it has all of the plot sophistication of a sitcom where Jack thinks his wife Sally is cheating on him while she is really working four jobs to buy him the jetski he has wanted since his father was killed while riding one on Jack’s 7^th birthday.

I’ll admit I am not an expert on all things iss-lam. I do not regularly read the koo-ran. I did not know the prophet moo-hamid.

But I am quite sure If you read the koo-ran in its original gold-tableted far-see, using harum and scarum stones, you will NOT find even one example of moo-hamid saying something like, “And when thee findeth the man who is free-eth and full-eth of liberty thou must saw-eth his head-off until he be dead.” Pretty sure it’s not there.

So if they don’t hate us because we are free, then why do they hate us?

They do hate us, right?

They hate us because we don’t bow down to mecca 5 times per day.

They hate us because we don’t wear their brand, neck collar or chains.

We recently concluded a 60 year struggle with the USSR. There were many who understood from the beginning that it was a fight to the death. The planet wasn’t big enough for the both of us. Socialism, Leninism, Marxism, could not withstand the economic force that capitalism represents so they were forced to recruit crack –heads from the islands and steer them through the Destitutions of High(er) Larning so they would stand a chance at getting elected while still being controlled by teleprompTER.

(What you thought we won the Cold War against socialism? Chump.)

Because you see, as Marx stated 150 years ago, “peace is the absence of opposition to socialism.”

Well guess what, as it turns out he stole the slogan from iss-lam.

The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to moo-hamid.

A capitalist cares little about the economic beliefs of others and could therefore get along with anybody. Socialists on the other hand cannot EVER tolerate any other system because it shows what a totally ignorant system they have. Iss=lam works the same. Sure, Christians can show, well, Christian tolerance. Not moo-hamid’s guys. Like communists, iss-lamists hide within a population always pushing for “tolerance” of their beliefs. And then when their numbers are right they strike. The world is not big enough for the both of us because they won’t let it be. Give them five minutes in power and its murder the men, rape the women and children, generous dhimmitude for the survivors.

Hate us because we are free?

They hate us because we reject their prophet.

They hate us because we live.

Related articles

• Why Do They Hate Us? And Why Did They Attack? (unifiedpatriots.com)
• All the wrong 9/11 lessons (michellemalkin.com)

Of course I knew about earthquakes. I had read about them, seen them on TV, etc. That’s all great. Until the earth actually moves beneath your feet you can’t really internalize what it means. For those who grew up on the west coast this may seem like a pedestrian discussion because, of course, the earth moves.

When you grow up in a land without earthquakes and then experience one, the world changes forever. The way you see the world changes forever. The change doesn’t have to be a massive come to Jesus moment but you will never see things exactly the same way again.

For me, the earth now moves, sometimes.

It is a paradigm shift.

I have experienced several similar or even slightly larger earthquakes since that time. None stand out in my memory the way that one does.

Some people have the misfortune of having their first earthquake be their last.

Financially, economically, and as a result socially, the world is about to move. The tremblers are already happening. Like I did with the truck, the establishment is poised to blame the “youngsters” for the shaking. The Tea Partiers did it. And they will carry that line of blame for as long as people are willing to believe it.

Never in the history of the world has such an utterly, morally devoid people held such sway over the lives of so many.

The entire world has become a Keynesian debt driven economy.

Banana Republics, Jungle Thugocracies, Socialist Democracies, Communist Plutocracies and worst of all Constitutional Republics have all bought into the Keynesian claptrap notions that it is somehow possible to permanently stimulate prosperity by stealing/borrowing from your children while simultaneously selling the idea that nobody will ever have to pay back the debt.

Knowing those in power buy into this religion should shake the world for you.

Many have begun to feel the trembling and are not yet sure what it means. Some of the “Keynesians” who knew all along they were selling a fraud are now looking for bolt holes. Witness the recent Drudge headline noting congressional net worth is up something like 3000% over the last decade or so. They are stocking up at the expense of the poor slobs who believed them. Don’t kid yourself, this crosses party lines.

Some in congress still don’t get it. Not all of the folks who just voted for the debt ceiling increase did so for purely selfish motives. Instead like crack addicts, or their enablers, they were able to rationalize just one more high. It was easier than having the fight now. As any close relative of a drug addict can tell you, it is a bad decision that is soooo easy to make. It will always be so until it all crashes down. One more hit, one more bottle, one more pipe.

But an earthquake is coming.

For some of those in Washington, and its power circles, this is merely a stalling action. They have stolen considerable fortunes and now they are trying to consolidate their gains while stiff arming the nation.

For others, too new or incompetent to have cemented their fortunes, it is about propping things up long enough to “get theirs.”

There are true believers. For them the shock will be more than they can take. By this I mean no matter how bad, or how obvious the culprits, they will live in a fantasy world where others, like the Tea Partiers, are at fault.

Many will never be able to reconcile themselves with the idea that this is the natural, inevitable, result of a credit driven economy. Nor the fact that a credit driven economy is the natural result of a Central Banking, Federal Reserve, government creating wealth by printing paper, economic model.

Any parent with children knows the stimulating effect sugar can have on kids and they also know the inescapable crash “always” occurs. It doesn’t matter the stimulus, crack, coke, alcohol, meth or Keynesian stimulus, the crash ALWAYS occurs. Nor does it take Keynesian philosophy to produce a Keynesian stimulus, every time the Federal Reserve creates money it has the effect of Keynesian stimulus. It doesn’t matter if the kids get their sugar in ice cream or Kool-Aid the crash still happens.

The purported reason for creating the Federal Reserve System was to stabilize the economy by providing liquidity in down times. That liquidity IS stimulus. It may have extended good times or eased recessions but has also created deeper troughs and depressions than existed before its creation. No surprise. The crash always comes and the better they get at forestalling the crash the deeper the depression to follow.

Stability is the stated purpose. In actuality, the purpose of the FED is to maintain a constant rate of inflation and to give the government greater control over the economic lives of ordinary citizens. Constant inflation is like a tax on every single dollar held by every person of whatever station, anywhere in the world. It has also caused the dollar to lose 99% of its value in less than 100 years. All of this to stave off the deflationary bogeyman. Deflation IS a bogeymen. Our economy has been no better off post 1913 than it was before 1913.

Giving the government, in the form of the FED, greater control means congressmen get sweetheart loans and mortgages from large member banks. But don’t call them bribes. It also means congress has a ready way to secretly tax the American people by having the FED “stimulate” the economy by purchasing Federal Debt. Congress also gets to see easy money policies used to reward their big corporate donors. Ever notice how you don’t get the 0.25% Federal Funds Rate loans? No those loans go to big banks which in turn dole out ultra-cheap loans to “stable” companies like GM or Chrysler while small businesses are offered “factoring” style loans at junk bond rates. (Yes, I know some favored small businesses get Chris Dodd loans from SBA just like other favored small businesses are awarded special HUBZone contracts for being on the correct side of a street while the guy across the street is SOL.)

Finally, constant inflation means savers are punished. Even if savings accounts paid enough interest to keep up with inflation, savers get to pay income tax on the interest that MIGHT have kept them even. And what does a lack of savings, or worse a steady accumulation of consumer debt, mean? It means at retirement you absolutely, positively WILL BE dependent on government “charity” just to survive. I know it is fashionable to say retirees “paid” in and therefore it is not “charity.” For an average person living 10 years into retirement the amount of benefits collected exceeds anything they paid in. At some point you have to call it charity. What makes it truly terrible is another truth. If they had been allowed to keep their money and save it, and if the Federal Reserve were not dedicated to destroying the value of those savings, the average person would live a better retirement AND have something to leave to their children. Instead they are turned into yet another dependent class and reliable vote for big government. Reduced to begging from the bastards that robbed them.

At no time before 1913 did monetary policy threaten the very existence of the Republic.

It does now.

Keynesian monetary policy, the deliberate creation of a debt driven economy, the constant and determined expansion of the dependent classes for political purposes has reached the point of collapse. We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking the “dependent” class is merely taking advantage of the system. They truly are dependent. They are NOT capable of taking care of themselves. Whether retirees who have no significant savings or investments and lacking the physical health to continue working, or fourth generation welfare recipients with absolutely no skills to offer society due to an abysmal school system dedicated to enriching text book printers and teachers unions. They are not able to care for themselves.

Some, like the welfare class and most of those on disability would find ways to provide for themselves absent government largesse. Others, some on disability or retirees, will never be able to provide for themselves.

Even the ones who could; won’t.

When the government is telling them YOU are the reason why their checks are being cut, YOU are the reason they can’t keep their free cell phone or free cable TV and it is only YOUR greedy conniving Tea Partying ways that would force them to STARVE. How your “vast” wealth as a small business owner, your success as an investor or inventor or the fruits of your studies and hard work to become a doctor or engineer, really belongs to “the people.”

“Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.” Thomas Jefferson

One hundred plus years of “progressive” growth of government is about to pay off and most of the useful idiots working so hard to bring about the glorious revolution don’t have sense enough to realize the bulls-eye is big enough to cover them as well. All those wealthy congressmen, masters of titanic industries, Hollywood losers and welfare queens will find the tyrant they are creating will consume them as readily as it will consume us.

Even among conservatives there is a lack of understanding and a faith in the “inherent goodness” of government that prevents their recognition that all of the Federal bureaucracies, the judicial systems, the safety net and yes, the Federal Reserve, either enable or directly advance the destruction of liberty and virtually guarantee tyranny will have its day in America.

“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.” Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine knew government was evil.

“Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” Thomas Paine

George Washington knew government was a terrible master.

“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” George Washington

James Madison knew tyranny advances by slithering and creeping and subterfuge.

“I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” James Madison
“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” James Madison

Patrick Henry knew that secret councils, back room deals and concealed transactions meant the death of liberty.

“The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.” Patrick Henry

Thomas Jefferson knew government could not be trusted and therefore must be restrained.

“It is jealousy and not confidence which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with power. Our Constitution has accordingly fixed the limits to which, and no further, our confidence may go… In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” Thomas Jefferson

And in all that John Adams knew government could only be restrained by a moral people.

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams

Government is a sneaky, self-absorbed, evil, terrible master. Donning misleading raiment and perfumes and façades, empowering surrogates to avoid blame and paper tigers to justify outrageous actions, all to disguise its true intentions; unlimited power.

No government in history has ever voluntarily reserved its actions to those essential acts for which they are created. Ours is no exception and therefore it must be restrained. It will not be restrained by immoral men unable to restrain themselves. Knowing this, our government has embarked on a campaign to confuse and destroy the moral fiber of the nation.

Tyrants cannot rest easy in a nation filled with virtuous men. They must destroy the virtue or the man.

An earthquake is coming. It is not the kind of earthquake the unprepared or uninitiated will weather intact.

We are about to be tried by the fire. Politically, there is only one rock we can cling to that will not move. If you waste your efforts clinging to your favorite alphabet soup agency, government program or extra-constitutional government creation you will not weather this storm and you may take the rest of us down with you. Stick to a strict interpretation of the US Constitution. Don’t allow progressive innovations to taint your understanding and cloud your judgment. From the beginning these innovations have existed. From 1913 on, there has been no other kind.

This cannot be truer than in the realm of public education which will always be used to propagandize our children. Every dictator in recent history has understood the importance of state control of education. We should understand the critical importance of this issue as well.

“He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.” Thomas Jefferson

For conservatives I say this, the earth DOES move. The paradigm is about to change.

Be Prepared.

Update: The DrudgeReport.com headline “REPORT: Congressional members net worth up 3,669%..” I referred to can be found here. The underlying article indicates that was one particular Democrat not an average. The average for the Democrats was only 800% in five years. Practically honest aren’t they?

The Republican numbers are better at 200% in 5 years. This still means their net worth tripled in five years. It’s good to be the king.
I had not read the article so I referred only to the headline in my piece.

Related articles

• A hopefully helpful ‘stimulus’ analogy. (redstate.com)
• End Game (lewrockwell.com)
• Keynesian Economics: Economics Of Big Government Take Over! (politicalvelcraft.org)
• RIP: Neo-Keynesianism, 2007-2011. (redstate.com)
• Boost Economic Growth by Slashing the Size of Government (sago.com)

From the official White House site.

For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people.

Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in.

• There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
• At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace,” the “President’s House,” and the “Executive Mansion.” President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.

Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President’s private home.

All Presidents and First Ladies have added that personal touch and Obama is no exception.

The official photograph below captures the essence of Barry and Michelle’s changes while in office.