Senate votes to keep spending your money to protect incumbents!

In a 39-56 vote, the US Senate voted against a proposed ban on earmarks today. Earmarks are the nickname for Senators’ waste of taxpayer dollars on special projects to buy blocs of votes in their home districts.

Few expected many Democrats to support the ban, but eight Republican Senators joined their tax-and-spend comrades-across-the-aisle in voting to continue squandering the public’s money in order to keep incumbents seated. Six Democrats joined the remaining Republicans in voting to end the irresponsible practice.

Republicans Who Voted Against Earmark Ban

Thad Cochran (Miss.) Susan Collins (Maine) James Inhofe (Okla.) Dick Lugar (Ind.) Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) Richard Shelby (Ala.) George Voinovich (Ohio) Bob Bennett (Utah)

(202) 224-5054 (202) 224-2523 (202) 224-4721 (202) 224-4814 (202) 224-6665 (202) 224-5744 (202) 224-3353 (202) 224-5444

Democrats Who Voted For Earmark Ban

Claire McCaskill (Mo.) Bill Nelson (Fla.) Evan Bayh (Ind.) Russ Feingold (Wis.) Michael Bennet (Colo.) Mark Udall (Colo.)

(202) 224-6154 (202) 224-5274 (202) 224-5623 (202) 224-5323 (202) 224-5852 (202) 224-6621

For almost 20% of Republican Senators to vote against the ban makes clear that too many in the GOP failed to understand the clear message sent by voters on election day. GOP mistakes created the environment that led to sweeping Democrat victories in 2006 and 2008, and failing to recognize that will ensure any GOP resurgence will be short-lived. Continuing the wanton spending practices that grew government and the deficit under President Bush will be a stake in the heart of a newly revitalized conservative awakening.

Please call the Republican Senators listed above and tell them how disappointed and disgusted you are that they have spit in the face to conservative voters who sent an unambiguous message in this month’s elections. And please call the Democrats listed and express your appreciation that they stood against wasteful spending and voted to uphold the wishes of their constituents. And be sure to also call Senator Coburn–(202) 224-5754–of Oklahoma for proposing the amendment to stop this abuse of the public trust!

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Tags: GOP, Republicans, Spending, Earmarks, Waste, Coburn, Democrats

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Happy Thanksgiving!

On this day we give thanks to Almighty God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us and we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and pray that you too are blessed by Him!

Also, we wish to remind all of the origins of this joyous holiday with the following, General George Washington’s declaration to celebrate the first Thanksgiving holiday of the newly established United States of America in 1789.

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;– for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;– for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;– and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;– to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wife, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

May God bless and keep you on this Thanksgiving day.

Happy Veterans’ Day!

Happy Veterans’ Day to all my brothers- and sisters-in-arms who have served or are serving in the US armed forces. May God bless and keep you and yours.

The following note is a reposted note I first saw on Veterans Court Facebook account.

Veterans Day 2010, What does it really mean?
by Veterans Courts on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 9:44pm

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.

From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation’s ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America’s veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known.

Veterans Day finds us, once again, as a nation at war. The conflict began with a direct attack on the United States. After ten years, the war goes on, but never again has the battle returned to American soil. We are safer than we were on September 11th. And we remain today as we have been for 234 years: A free people, worthy of our freedom, and determined to protect this great nation founded under God.

There is no mystery behind the endurance and the success of American liberty. It is because in every generation, from the Revolutionary period to this very hour, brave Americans have stepped forward and served honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States. Every one of them deserves the thanks and the admiration of our entire country.

Military service demands a special kind of sacrifice. The places where you live and serve the risk you face the people you deal with every day — all of these are usually decided by someone else. For the time you spend in uniform, the interests of the nation must always come first. And those duties are shared by family members who make many sacrifices of their own, face separation during deployments and sometimes bear extreme and permanent loss.

Military service brings rewards as well. There is the pride of developing one’s character and becoming a leader, serving a cause far greater than any self-interest and knowing that our nation’s cause is the hope of the world. Every man and woman who wears America’s uniform is part of a long, unbroken line of achievement and honor. No single military power in history has done greater good, shown greater courage, liberated more people, or upheld higher standards of decency and valor than the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

That is a legacy to be proud of, and those who contributed to it must never be taken for granted. To honor our veterans, we must keep the promises we have made to them. We must care for those who have been injured in the service of our country. We must honor and remember those who have died. And we must remember those whose fate is still undetermined. We fly the POW flag on Veterans Day for a reason: This nation will not relent until we have accounted for every last one of our missing Americans.

They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.

Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom’s defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit.

On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

What does Veterans Day mean to you? We welcome you to add your thoughts and comments about Veterans Day, about people who serve or have served in the U.S. Military.

President Woodrow Wilson said, To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation.

In 1954, after having been through World War I, II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Veteran’s Day is a time when all of us who have served can wear our colors and be proud of what we were no matter where or when we were in or what our job were while we were serving. Each of us was a part of a whole and we were all very important to our Nation’s Mission. The best of all is that we are a part of a select group of people…we are veterans! Let’s be proud and tell our stories, there are people who really want to know. ‘

From one veteran to all, I salute you all!! We should honor ourselves’ for keeping our flag free and secure, we are the courageous men and women who fought and died for the idealism of liberty and freedom for all. I thank you my brothers/sisters-in-arms for not being selfish with your lives and believing in our nation’s freedom.

And, for those in the tomb of the unknowns, thank you for the historical significance you’ve made. We will celebrate and honor our unknown American veterans of all wars and for their patriotism, love of nation, and sacrifice you and your families have made for the common good of our nation.

May we laugh, cry and remember on this day, November 11th, our experiences and memories. It was the veteran, who saluted our flag, who served under our flag and who will be remembered under our nation’s flag.

Veterans Day to me is one of the most significant and memorable days of the year. It causes me to pause and reflect on my own service time, my buddies whom I miss all the time, my family’s collection of Veterans, and thanking all those who have ever served to protect this country. Veterans Day this year is even more significant when we have young men and women on the line fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and other remote regions of the world.

An entire new generation of Veterans is coming up through the hard fought wages of war. Veterans Day to them will mean as much if not more than it does to us… for their world, their time, their wars are truly global in nature. God bless them all. God bless all who have served and shall serve in the future. ‘

They say the soldier did not think of himself a hero; he believed the heroes were of the soldiers who died in battle. Take a few minutes this Veteran’s Day to thank a Veteran and light a candle for those serving our country around the world and in harm’s way

Many of those heroes rest in places like Anzio and Arlington. Yet so many of them are still with us as friends, as neighbors and colleagues! They are America’s veterans, and they are still the pride of our nation. They have fought our wars, defended our shores and kept us free.

May God keep us ever grateful for their service!

We Will Never Forget! GOD Bless all of our Veterans and Troops all around the world.

Thank you,

Richard U.S. Army

Combat Veteran (Retired 22 Years)

Veterans Courts Nationwide

Now what? Accountability…

by John Allison, III

I haven’t posted much the past several months, but always planned to make a statement after the midterm election.

Tuesday saw a wave of red wash over the country, enough that it even gave President Obama pause. Though the President still can’t admit to himself the election was a repudiation of his attempt to run the country off the left side of a Socialist cliff, the American people sent a message so clear that most blind Democrats could recognize it. Socialism is NOT the change Americans thought they were voting for in 2008.

But shifting control of the House to Republicans isn’t enough. We’ve been there before.

Remember, Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress for 12 years while government grew and spending ballooned. When the GOP had total control, it did little to rein in spending or limit government’s role in our daily lives. The election results we achieved last week will only mean victory for our side if we keep up the pressure and force our Republican representatives to honor the promises they made throughout this campaign.

Across the country, Republican candidates siphoned the energy of Tea Party activists who clamored for real change–fiscal responsibility, constitutional limited government, and accountability of elected officials. They touted their conservative credentials and told the boisterous crowds what they wanted to hear. They promised to deliver the changes Tea Partiers demanded.

Many Washington-establishment Republican candidates made these same campaign promises. They promised to cut spending, they promised to repeal the massive job-killing Obamacare debacle, they promised accountability to the electorate, and more. But many held office before, and helped create the problems so pressing today.

Have they changed? Did they have some epiphany that converted them to Tea Party style constitutional conservatives?

Only time will tell.

But if Tea Partiers back off now, it will be easy for our soon-to-be-seated representatives to become trapped in the snare of the DC establishment. Remember, back in July establishment Republican, former Senate-majority-leader-turned-DC-lobbyist Trent Lott said, “We don’t need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples. As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them.” We also saw establishment Republicans backed by the party in primary races abandon any pretense of conservative principles when true conservatives challenged them in their respective primaries.

In New York’s 23rd Congressional District special election a year ago, Dede Scozzafava was appointed the Republican candidate without a primary. When a third party conservative candidate overtook her in late polling, the Republican establishment candidate dropped out and endorsed her Democrat opponent. In Florida, the Washington DC Republican establishment backed Senate candidate Charlie Crist left the party to run for Senate as an independent when he fell behind in the primary polls to Tea Party backed Marco Rubio. And Alaska’s GOP establishment Senator Lisa Murkowski mounted a write-in campaign to run against the Tea Party backed candidate who defeated her in that state’s primary.

In short, just because we have Republicans in control doesn’t mean our interests will be represented. It’s up to us to keep up the pressure on Republican lawmakers to fulfill the promises they made to get elected.

Because we have wrested control from Obama and the Democrats, my focus will now shift to holding our Republican representatives accountable.

Thanks to all who worked so hard to send the clear message that this is America, the country that became great within the frameworks laid out by our founding fathers. We won this battle, but the war goes on.

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Tags: Election 2010, Midterm Elections, Trent Lott, Republicans, GOP, Democrats, Accountability, Tea Party

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