I have had the privilege of hearing the Marine Band play "Hail to the Chief," and watch a president appreciate it from a short distance on an Inaugural Day.
I was all of 21 at the time, yet every time I watch another president get sworn in I reflect back to being young, cold, confused, proud and concerned.
I sat next to Pat Boone, his wife and children including daughter Debbie, who was about my age. Within two years, I would watch this very same president get impeached. I was present in the staff gallery of the House of Representatives when New York Representative Elizabeth Holtzman read her speech for the impeachment of that president.
About 30 other similar resolutions followed, Speaker Carl Albert presided. It was a wild partisan session. Just a short time before that day, perhaps a month or so, I had actually taken an oath by Speaker Albert in that same chair, as I was seated, then stood on the House floor. During the session with all those introductions of impeachment a congressman held up a real noose on the floor and called the session a lynch mob. For me it was a sad day, I knew what was going to follow would be ugly for the nation.
Fast forward to Inaugural Day 2013. Watching from my computer screen in my warm bedroom I watched the pageantry. I thought about the last election of 2012, which I feel had the nation as divided at it was in 2000, which I think was as divided as it has been in my lifetime.
The result, President Barack Obama is presiding over "a House divided." Hopefully it will not destroy itself. Yet the tenor of the debate these days is as uneasy as it was, in the darkest days of our country's history.
Free states and slave states are now perhaps called red states and blue states. I am not saying slavery is the issue, but that the division and disgust is at a similar pitch. At the age of 60, it is tough to hear good people, many good friends, be so passionately on the polar ends of the tough issues.
Due to the process, in four years, there will be a new president, and a new direction. But we are now in the present of many fiscal, social, and moral issues. Verbal hand to hand combat is being fought openly in the media and on the floors of elected assemblies from town halls to the U.S. Congress itself.
I am hoping the passions of the extreme do not destroy the process of ruling, fairly, equally, justly and legally. The continual revolution that Jefferson spoke about is in fact the elections that are suppose to be the peaceful transition of power between opposing factions based on the will of the majority. Majority rule with minority rights is what this country was built on. Let's hope this rule and these rights will be the mortar from which our country endures.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/01/14/National-Politics/Polling/question_9680.xml?uuid=185rmF6VEeKKy6tct36VyA
Confessions of a Former Conservative.
" If i am elected i will put all bills on the web for five days" " we will be transparent" "middle class taxes will not go up" "Benghazi was in retaliation for a anti-muslim movie"." There will be no back door policy making". Geitner is a tax evader. Holder was caught shipping mass amounts of weapons to Mexico. Rather than "try" and prove to the American people that they did nothing wromg. Obama stompt it out. It must be because of Bush. So if it's the conservative congress that is behind our problems. Who was running Congress in 2006 when all this started? In closing , anyone who thinks Romney is loaded should check Al Gore's status. Talk about elitist. You know , Mr. Global warming who built a house so big it used a large percentage of the local power. Yeah he is a lib. Typical Hypocrites.
The payroll tax cut expired because the REPUBLICAN CONGRESS insisted that it not be extended. As for Benghazi, nothing more than a political witch hunt to discredit our next president. But she stood strong against the lunatics and her chances of election are even greater now. Fast and Furious was a BUSH ADMINISTRATION project that was closed by the Obama administration. I will agree that Geithner is no good. You deny global warming because Al Gore built a big house? Great argument. If you really want to move this country forward, why not put blame where it belongs.
I never denied global warming. I pointed out the fact that Gore used his position of power to line his pockets telling us we are excessive then built a McMansion in the boondocks. After he was exposed as a hypocrite he got together with his cronies and came up with a bs leeds certificate. I have supervised a leed certified home building project in Amagansett. I am quite aware of the sham that it is. If you really want to move this country forward , accountabilty will be needed.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/president-obama-falsely-claims-fast-and-furious-program-begun-under-the-previous-administration/
"There is one mitigating factor, however: A program similar to Fast and Furious did go forward under the Bush administration in 2006 and 2007. That program, called Operation Wide Receiver, also attempted to track suspicious weapons. Allowing gun sales to go forward even when the ATF had probable cause to believe the sales were unlawful has come to be known as "gun walking." Furthermore, "An investigation by an independent arm of the Department of Justice concluded on Wednesday that Attorney General Eric Holder had no knowledge about a series of botched gun stings, which began in 2006 under George W. Bush — until the operation’s flaws became public in January 2011. continued >>
The report debunks suggestions that Holder attempted to mislead Congress or cover up information, and confirms Holder’s own account of the operation: that it employed “flawed strategy and tactics,” but that Holder did not know about or authorize those tactics. When Holder learned that the operation out of Phoenix had been selling guns to suspected gun smugglers in an attempt to snag traffickers, he initiated changes to Department policy and personnel, and asked for an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, which concluded: We determined that Attorney General Holder did not learn about Operation Fast and Furious until late January or early February 2011 and was not aware of allegations of “gun walking” in the investigation until February. We found no evidence that Department or ATF staff informed the Attorney General about Operation Wide Receiver or Operation Fast and Furious prior to 2011. "
Mitt would have been a true leader, he's a real man, not a synthetic chameleon who goes where the wind blows.
Now, I didnt agree with his policies, but perhaps if he was true to himself, instead always trying to placate the far right portions of the Republican party, maybe the result would have been different.
Typical hate from the left. Hazel, Mitt was correct. 47% is lost to the left forever. Your liberal bretheren has addicted poor minorities to handouts over time. In the process their value to society has be forever destroyed. Obama is thrilled with increased poverty during his term and is quite content in destroying more lives as long as he gets their votes. After all you dont bite the hand that provides your next check. Yes, he won by a few million votes, surely from the unemployed who chose between feeding their families with the Obama unemployment extension promise or facing uncertaintly with a fiscally responsible man who believes it is better for the human spirit to be employed through job creation rather than be out of work at at the mercy of the left in power. So Hazel you believe in skyrocketing debt, high unemployment, continuing recession, weakened global strength, China stealing from this country, Marxism, lies and abject failure??? No fact provided by you only the hate and lies so typical of your liberal party and the media that supports this crusade???
"An investigation by an independent arm of the Department of Justice concluded on Wednesday that Attorney General Eric Holder had no knowledge about a series of botched gun stings, which began in 2006 under George W. Bush — until the operation’s flaws became public in January 2011. continued >> Oh really, an independant arm?????? Yeah, sure. Just more lies from the lefty media. Just like a teenager....wahhhh it is his fault...not mine. If Holder didn't know, he did and he is a liar, everyone above him should be fired including the man in charge. Funny, Obama wants to limit guns now to save lives yet, he gave approval to give Mexican drug lords guns to kill Americans and innocent mexicans. Nice.
" My friends we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join me , as we change it " Barack Obama " Life's tough pilgrim , And it's even tougher if your stupid " John Wayne