Obama Begins his Final Four Years - Chris Matthews overboard in Praise, Lupe Fiasco raps anti-Obama, the Great Divide of American Politics Continues – One Solution.

Countdown - Screenshot from the Drudge Report - lest we forget

Yesterday, President Barack Obama celebrated the beginning of his second term, in televised ceremonies to the nation. There was much pomp and circumstance as befits the office of the President, and yet, some forget, that the Office of the President is an individual citizen who is duly elected by a majority, to serve the interest of the nation. That would be true no matter who has led in the past, nor who will lead in the future. The Office does not make the title-holder a king, or a dictator – just a man (or someday perhaps a woman) who had the political machine behind them, and a ton of money, to put them into the nation’s driver’s seat for a period of four to eight years. Some have been stellar, some have been bumblers, and yet, that depends on the individual point of view, and individuals tend to disagree.

This morning, over at Red State, Erick Erickson, wrote an excellent piece on the day - Entitled: “The Loyal Opposition”. In short, Erickson congratulates President Obama on his second term, and then lays out the problems he had with those on the right who were over-the-by means of “tweets” and other comments about the President – noting that it served no purpose – he spoke of the anger, and the need for the Republican Party to do something constructive, rather than to focus on the criminal aspects of the Presidents’ first term – Benghazi and Fast and Furious for example. The blame, Erikson wrote, fell on the “establishment Republicans”. On several points Erickson is correct. It is correct to congratulate the President of the United States on winning a second term. Whether on agrees of disagrees with the President’s policy – the fact remains he was hired bay majority of the people to represent all the people, thereby he happens to be all of the “collective” our President. Fortunately one can still agree or disagree with the President, but one should also be outraged by the work done by leaders of the Republican Party in office. They have done nothing but act like cohorts of the President for fear of being “disliked by the public”. They refuse to take one for the team, as the saying goes, and therefore, are as complicit in the minds of those who do not care for the President’s ideology as the President himself.

There are those who view the President as some sort of “saint” or in the case of Chris Matthews, as the second coming of Abraham Lincoln. Matthews, apparently not a history major, suggested that Obama’s speech was as great or great than the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln(for those Historically Impaired). He was, of course, off the mark, the speech delivered by teleprompter spoke of a change in the way we perceive the world, in peace, and it was a typical progressive speech, one that anyone at the union hall would have delivered, but perhaps not as well. How does one compare, realistically, Barack Obama and Lincoln – in the only way possible – both men had no disregard for the Constitution, due process and acted much more as the sole arm of the government, giving short-shrift to those other branches – the Legislative and Judiciary. That is an accurate assessment. Barack Obama is fighting political opposition, so was Lincoln. Obama uses the press to his benefit; Lincoln jailed the press for disagreeing. (This makes one wonder if the press is more aware of the connection hat one might suppose).

Rest assured the administration does not care for dissent. Ask Lupe Fiasco – (who?) Lupe Fiasco is an entertainer, a rapper, one of the many that came up at the same time as Eminem, Three Six Mafia, and a few others whose names have been forgotten as the changes in what’s hot in pop culture and music move forward. Lupe was to perform at a pre-inauguration event, and while in practice, Lupe’s “rap “included more than a bit of anti-Obama messaging. He was summarily strong-armed off the stage. The video and story is available at The Daily Caller. The fact that Mr. Fiasco, decided to exercise his first amendment rights, and was prevented from doing so, may upset some, but his timing, in reality, was off a bit. It was neither the time nor the place (although granted, it would have given him a huge audience for messaging), but it was seen as disrespecting the Office. The Office is of import, not the man who holds the office. That is the difference everyone who was negative yesterday, seemed to be missing. If Lupe Fiasco wants to become part of a movement to take a slightly right turn, then he would better serve the country and his ratings among 50 percent of them, by releasing more of those tunes to the general population and like those Lady Gaga’s and Madonnas, use the stage as a “teaching” moment, to those who would be shocked by a different point of view.

The Drudge Report Reminds us of the reality of the station – the Headline reads: 1461 days – directly underneath a photo of the President. This headline links to a CNN online article on the Inauguration and the social festivities which are part and parcel of the event.

It is not that the man will be reelected, (although some insist this will take place) – but a change is definitely needed, and that is in the perception by some, both in government and in the political party that is the Republican Party, and in the Tea Party, and in those Parties that see a different agenda for America, a free society, that allows everyone to get up and out, rather than to get a handout and then vote for more. Yesterday was neither the time nor the place, as Erik Erikson pointed out, but a time to celebrate that we are a free people and agree or not, the President, again is our President. That said, there must be change with a backbone, and that will require opposition leaders (anti-progressives (socialist/communists) who will fight tooth and nail to get their message out to a hostile media, never mind FOX, which is most likely sympathetic, but the trenches. If someone disagrees with a position in the media, then it is the duty of a conservative to convert and teach, and at the very least, use composure to disagree and use a teaching moment in front of a camera, no matter how small an audience – and above all, no rhetoric. What the nation needs is a new “Newt”, not that there is much wrong with the old “Newt”, (except a few flights of fancy), but someone who, was able to get his message across, and yes, in doing do, lost his position, that requires someone who can take one for the nation, rather than for some imaginary team (speaking of the Republican Party). Leaders, who will not go to Washington, collect their salary and then vote with the Speaker of the House to raise the debt ceiling – for example. Until and unless those types of leaders emerge, this ridiculous name-calling does nothing, using the time strategically and in the right place and time, will. What the average American does not know should be hammered home, again, and again, - That the government has no money of its own. That they are thanking the wrong group of people for their good fortunes, be it free cell phones, an ebt card, or unemployment extensions or selective tax break. The taxpayer is the sole revenue of the government, and father, Government employees, producing no discernible income from a source other than the government, is also beholden to the tax payer. The true taxpayer is one who resides in the private sector. Should the private sector not produce enough taxpayers, then there will be no benefits, period.

There is the salacious argument that teachers, and any government (state or federal) employee pays taxes. This statement is true. It is the need to point out to those who should be smarter, that their paycheck comes from the government, and that the government has no money of its’ own. So, their paychecks, and the taxes they pay, are coming from the private sector, and the individual taxpayer.

Therefore, if there are fewer public sector taxpayers, then, math suggests that sooner or later, one must either raise the debt ceiling and borrow the money (which has to be paid back in the form of “revenue” – (revenue is a code word for taxes on those who have private sector jobs), or should that fail, and there is not enough private sector jobs to sustain a raise in the debt ceiling, the benefits will – stop.

Until that message delivered, and understood, there will be no “progress”. Of course there are other problems that are faced daily, but, ignorance, in this case, may not be “bliss” should the economy go into further decline. In any event, this should be hammered home, which would prevent one’s children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on, from having to pay exorbitant taxes in order to bail out individuals who benefited from excesses of this and previous administrations (include states).

That is the message that the Congress, the Senate and the Office of the President depend on the largess of the private sector employee, (not on billionaires and millionaires) that every dime wasted, is a dime that belongs to the people, in collective, and that should be used for the nation’s defense and roads.

Without the private sector, those we complain so vehemently about, would not be sitting so pretty in Washington, rather, they would have to resort to living as “we the people” do, on a paycheck, from a firm or business they establish. It’s a basic concept, and it needs to be taught, from the bottom to the top.

Texas – Governor Rick Perry –Administration 60% Women, Manages job growth with Lower Taxes – the Exodus to Texas.

Texas Govenor Rick Perry and his administration – Image New York Times

A recent visit of a dear friend at “home” in Massachusetts, brought some startling revelations about a life lived in Texas for 20 odd years- not the least among them was the statement: “Our Governor, Rick Perry could be Govenor for Life”. This came as a bit of a shock, given the fact that this individual was a moderate Massachusetts Democrat, who now sports the crossed pistols of Texas on a simply stunning bag! In recalling the 2012 GOP nominating process, Governor Perry did not fare well, to say the least – of course, the poor performances in the debates, were most likely due to a back surgery, and medication prescribed for pain, immediately preceding the decision to run for the nomination.(US News). Therefore one might wonder what makes this Texas Goveenor such a big hit with fans, and why the State of Texas has seen refugees increasing in numbers from California to Massachusetts . The obvious answer is two-fold – Texas has low taxes and jobs.

The report from Texasworkforce.org touts the creation of private sector jobs, 248,000 plus from November 2011 to November 2012, in a variety of fields. The State’s employment site “Work in Texas”, shows 140,000 plus openings, with jobs filled at 1.9 million and counting. The State government also recently announced a healthy revenues, no budget shortfalls to say the least. In addition, Texas is in the top ten states that are friendly to small business offering 0% income tax, 0% capital gains tax, and 0% Corporate Income tax. The State and Local taxes are at 4.01% of total income. (Advisorone) Is it no wonder, then, that after voting to increase their home state taxes California’s are flocking to – Texas(Bloomberg).

The combination of low taxes and job opportunities has those from other states, including Massachustts, where within the last month; six social acquaintances have packed up and moved to the Lone Star State.

From a feminists point of view, the reason may be the way the Governor stacks his administration with women – the New York Times ran an article on January 19, 2013, entitled “Women are a majority on Governor Rick Perry’s Staff” – in fact 60% of his staff is made up of women, which compared to Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, who has only 3 of the 7 top slots in the administrationmade up of women.

From pushing colleges to provide a 4 year degree for $10,000 (no kidding), to low tax rates, it is no wonder residents might want their Governor to stay in state, rather than run for the Presidency in 2016 – although, those living outside of Texas may disagree. This will be especially true after the Senate, which has failed to pass or produce a budget since 2009 (under Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader); will do so in this Congress for 2013. Of course, that budget will include “increased revenue” (taxes), and with a Republican controlled Congress, the Democrat controlled Senate feels it may not pass. One might question that logic since the Congress has agreed to pass a short term debt limit hike with no caveats, as in cuts in spending. Those living in Massachusetts will be welcoming the rest of the nation to a brand of taxation that is geared towards a misery index for those working. Texas may have to increase its borders to accommodate the influx of new refugees.

States Take Exception to Federal Gun Ban – using the 10th amendment to protect the 2nd – the Gun Control Measures – “eyewash” – President’s political posturing Creates Fear and Pushback

Does your son or daughter suddenly want a gun license? Thank the President - image from Women of Caliber - a word press blog

The President’s plan to create “new” gun control measures is not going over well outside the confines of the Press – States already have, or are in the process of drafting legislation to ban the Presidents gun ban. The first was Wyoming, which legislation states a 2 year prison term for federal agencies attempting to enforce gun bans in Wyoming. Wyoming soon had company, and an odd mix at that - Mississippi, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky and Oregon. One might suggest that the south and the west are so wedded to their guns, that it makes sense, but Oregon, that’s the “left” coast, why would anyone there, or in say, Massachusetts, take umbrage with the President’s plan to bypass Congress and institute gun safety measures as if there were no Constitution? Simply put, any measures that would refer to the Constitution, and changing the laws of the land based on the same, are the purview of the Congress, not the Executive branch.

President Obama has issues 146 executive orders since taking office in 2009 – the list is available at www.federalregister.gov/executiveorders The 23 regarding gun control (and any others) are not yet listed, the orders purportedly include the following (without annotations) from The Lid (A Yid with a Lid)

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary EMBARGOED UNTIL THE START OF THE PRESIDENT’S REMARKS January 16, 2013

Gun Violence Reduction Executive Actions Today, the President is announcing that he and the Administration will:

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

11. Nominate an ATF director.

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

On the face of it, there does not seem to be a lot new here, as states that offer hand gun permits (as opposed to hunting (long-guns) permits, already do background checks through FBI databases on those applying for a handgun permit. One is fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed. (This is the Massachusetts model). The tie in to mental health should be the priority and nice to see that it’s on the list, but, the problem is not being addressed in total. Unless and until medications prescribed for those specific disorders that have been associated with massive shootings, the nation remains at risk. Any doctors’ office can prescribe a variety of medications for mental health issues, and when that happens there is no follow-up as to therapy or monitoring of the said problem. These types of medication (found in to be present in those shooting at schools, or for that matter, shoving people under trains in NYC), should be dispensed only under the supervision of a Psychiatrist, and only with ongoing therapy. This would, in essence, take the “surprise” out of that nice kid going on a shooting rampage, as his family practice prescribed meds, which make one either homicidal or suicidal, are under control.

Gun Control is popular in certain circles, yet mental health is apparently just another issue to be shoved under a rug. The list does include a few options, but those options are in the forms of “studies” – which will cost the taxpayer a pretty penny and do, in the end, nothing.

The President’s actions will do nothing to prevent violence, be it by gun, train, machete, or the kitchen knife.

What it does is set the tone for a President to sound a bit…imperial. This translates into “I’m taking everyone’s’ guns”. The hysteria results in the following:

60% of young people plan to buy a gunsuddenly – this from the Campus Reform Blog. The study is prompting fear from the left that the president needs to move more quickie (apparently he read the study), the 60% of high school and college students wanting guns, is perplexing to the left, especially when only 30% lived in households where there was gun ownership.

What this tells us is that those 60% are more afraid of the President and his ban on guns than they are of the actual gun. There is more than likely not a sudden group of hunters sprung forth from one generation, what the President has done – for mostly show and funds for his favorite departments he has scared the dickens out of both those who are conservative to the core, and the rest of the nation that wants to rush to get a gun before the President takes them away. No kidding, they are blaming him for trampling on their rights.

Why the executive orders, the pomp, the props (children), the political theater? There has to be something beneath the surface that is more important that the focus of the public is currently on guns.

One can surmise (given the history of this President and his Friday announcements), that the focus on guns and disarmament of legal gun owners (as opposed to criminals who can buy anything, including anti-aircraft , bunker busting weapons) means there’s something more beneath the surface.

It is not that individuals shouldn’t take umbrage with the President’s actions. For the most part, these executive orders require more spending and more government oversight. This President handles the Constitution just as Lincoln did – with no regard for the document (which is why they no longer teach real history to anyone – too much information that may allow “the masses” to figure, that maybe something a politician is doing, has been done, and that action did not turn out well).

Therefore, while the President is calling very well staged press conferences, and issuing orders that involve the Second Amendment, instead of getting rave reviews from the citizens (there will be the 36% identified as “Democrats”), he has received threats from States within the Union that they simply will not comply with Federal controls. He’s scared the bejesus out of the younger generation, those prior Obama voters, into getting guns (that should be teeing off a whole bunch of mothers) – the later is happening quietly with one little blip on that study. Texas is enjoying an influx of young, bright, and future gun toting residents. (Massachusetts and like states will be losing those bright young future gun toting residents, and those residents lured by jobs and no taxes.) Some of those may become historians and in the coming decades will write biographies regarding this President, possibly refuting his personal historians glowing review. (See James Carter).

The point it, that it is not about guns, it is about the government and the President (who is the face of the Government) controlling the population. That’s the crux of ht e matter. This President was fine when he was on the campaign trail promising to do away with student loans, or save birth control, (all nonsense) and those that jumped on the right to default from their loan obligations and to buy birth control at will, have found out he following: it was a campaign promise only. That’s the lesson of Youth: live and learn.

Out there, surely someone is picking up on this and thinking of the political potential – or as is the case in Washington both the GOP and the DNC are more concerned about holding onto their jobs than actually doing anything significant (like demand a budget, demand cuts prior to raising any debt ceiling, and demand so many that it won’t be necessary to raise the debt ceiling).

What we don’t know, is what is up the President’s sleeve, as we are distracted by the dog and pony show in those 23 Executive orders.