Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Newsmax.com - Rasmussen: Obama Double-Digit Negatives
Newsmax.com - Rasmussen: Obama Double-Digit Negatives
Here's the Thing

Of course we don't age prematurely because of the pressures and stress of the job, we don't hold it. But what about the worry millions feel when the job performance of the President results in troubling consequences? And doesn't extreme worry result in premature aging as well? Oh I don't blame the President and only the President, after all we have a congress that must pass legislation for it to become law. But the President is the leader and sets the agenda.
I am only guessing at this, because there is no data to support it of course, but I bet the nations populace aged faster under President Bush, and will age even faster under President Obama, than it did under President Reagan and President Clinton. Why, because irrespective of any political beliefs individuals may have held everyone knew the country was moving in the right direction.
The country has been heading in the wrong direction for the past six years. It is continuing to head in the same wrong direction under President Obama. Huge unsustainable spending and deficits, stimulus packages and bailouts that will do little if anything long term to strengthen the nation, universal health care that will add to our fiscal problems and result in less competent and effective health care, increasing dependency on a government that is out of control, a continuing decline in our standard of living , and as if that is not enough, a declining status in the world with increasing security risks. Certainly this is enough to make me age quickly because of worry for my children and grandchildren.
There is no individual in sight today that can reverse our slide into socialism/Marxism. This is perhaps because the political establishment, and the government media complex are so far out on the fringes they have lost all touch with rational thought and analysis. And after all, where do candidates come from, and whose support do they need to get elected?
However, there is one way this nation can be set back on track to a bright and promising future. Vote the current crop of professional politicians out of office when they are up for reelection. Send the message to the new congress the people want established term limits for senators, representatives, and judicial appointments. A good starting point would be; twelve years for senators, six years for congressmen, thirteen years for federal judicial appointments, and six years for president, either two three year terms of one six year term.
If we choose to do nothing and allow the current crop of power brokers in government to run our countries affairs we will continue to get what we paid for. A group of incompetent ideologues that will eventually bankrupt this nation. Bankrupt us financially as well as ethically and morally.
This nation is in dire need of a President that has the characteristics of several leaders from prior era's. We need someone with the following;
1) The vision of our founding fathers
2) The intelligence and philosophy of Ayn Rand
3) The heart of President Andrew Jackson
4) The wisdom and compassion of President Abraham Lincoln
5) The statesmanship of Prime Minister Winston Churchill
6) The honesty of President Harry Truman
7) The charisma of President Ronald Reagan,
and finally the belief that the United States of America is still a great land that stands for the freedom and rights of all individuals over the collective. That we have always been, and can continue to be a beacon for liberty and the expression of differing viewpoints without the fear of government or media retribution. Above all else that America must hold her head high and make no apologies for being who we as a nation. A land that is still the freest and fairest nation on this earth bar none. It is wake up time America. We can as a people solve our mutual problems.
Les Carpenter III
Rational Nation USA
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Savage: I'm banned because I'm Jewish
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Friday, July 24, 2009
Possibility a Crack in the Obama Armour
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HEALTH
Dems Start To Push Back Hard To Prevent A 'Waterloo'
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
by Anna Edney, with Kasie Hunt and Peter Cohn contributing
A telling episode recounted by Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassleyreveals the Obama administration might be more worried than they are letting on that a Republican senator's comparison of the healthcare overhaul to Waterloo might be dangerously close to the truth.
Grassley said he spoke with a Democratic House member last week who shared Obama's bleak reaction during a private meeting to reports that some factions of House Democrats were lining up to stall or even take down the overhaul unless leaders made major changes.
"Let's just lay everything on the table," Grassley said. "A Democrat congressman last week told me after a conversation with the president that the president had trouble in the House of Representatives, and it wasn't going to pass if there weren't some changes made ... and the president says, 'You're going to destroy my presidency.' "
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Grassley did not name the member but said he was not from the senator's home state of Iowa. He brought up the anecdote in response to a question about whether the president's rebuke of the Waterloo remark Monday was affecting Finance Committee negotiations on a bipartisan overhaul bill. Grassley said the imbroglio was not taking a toll on the bipartisan effort.
President Obama and the Democratic National Committee pushed back hard this week against South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint's remark Friday that the healthcare overhaul could be Obama's Waterloo. Obama went directly after the comment in a speech Monday and Democratic leaders and organizations have fired off countless e-mails to call out Republicans for attempting to bring down the effort rather than offer constructive alternatives.
Most of the Blue Dog Coalition opposes the House overhaul bill and have managed to delay the Energy and Commerce Committee markup. (See related story.) Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., the Blue Dogs' Health Care Task Force chairman, said Tuesday he is not the member Grassley was referring to.
Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., defended Obama even though he is also opposed to House Democrats' bill. "I can't see him saying that," Stupak said. "He's got too much self-confidence."
House Republicans Tuesday made hay of the issue, with Ways and Means minority staff sending out an e-mail asking, "Who's really blocking health care reform?"
"Do not be fooled by the president's repeated attempts to create a Republican straw man for his health care troubles," the e-mail reads. The GOP pointed to ads the Democratic National Committee is running to pressure Democratic lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the Finance Committee continues to negotiate its bipartisan bill. Seven negotiators have been at the table, but Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus referred Tuesday to "all six in the room." Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has not been noticed attending the meetings for some time.
Senators discussed offsets for the $1 trillion measure Tuesday afternoon with Thomas Barthold, chief of staff for the Joint Committee on Taxation. An offset offered by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., meant to be a compromise on taxing employer-based health benefits, is under discussion, Baucus said.
Kerry's idea is similar to a proposal pushed in 1994 by former Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., and approved by the Finance Committee that would tax the difference between the average health insurance premium in a region and insurers' higher-cost plans.
Unions have come out heavily against that proposal because of the potential for higher costs to be passed down to workers. Most big companies offer their own insurance plans to employees, meaning the pain could be spread beyond the insurance industry.
An industry source expressed concern that "self-insured" company plans would be victimized, noting a 2008 Kaiser Family Foundation survey that found 77 percent of firms with more than 200 employees fund their own workers' benefits, rather than contract with an outside insurer. That figure goes up for firms with 1,000 or more workers, where the vast majority are self-insured, said Marisa Milton, vice president for healthcare policy and government relations at the HR Policy Association.
Finance members are looking at the exclusion that protects employees from paying taxes on employer-based health benefits to try to reduce the growth of healthcare spending, but have run into pushback from Democratic leaders and Obama.
The bipartisan Finance group met earlier in the day with two actuaries to discuss potential penalties for individuals and businesses that do not acquire insurance.
Senate Majority Leader Reid insisted Tuesday that the Finance panel would produce a bill this week and begin a markup Saturday, but Finance members were skeptical. Baucus raised his hands and laughed when asked about Reid's comment and Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad went just with a good laugh.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Take 2 aspirin and call me when your cancer is stage 4
Take 2 aspirin and call me when your cancer is stage 4
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Modern Journalism and the Media - Fact or Bias

The government media complex is shifting into overdrive to do its part to help the socialists ramrod socialized medicine down our “collective throats”. Rather than report the facts, without their progressive biases, the “mainstream media” attempts to sway opinion towards the socialist agenda. To do so is acceptable and proper if the writer is an op-ed columnist or a blogger. However, journalists are supposed to report what they know based on factual data, without selective editing.
The “opposition media”, those conservative publications with less circulation are guilty of attempting to do the same with their agenda. This is just as objectionable as the progressive “mainstream” media’s attempt to sell us the government’s socialism. It is not the proper or ethical function of journalists to sell us anybody’s agenda. Their responsibility is to report the facts as they are, not as they personally would like them to be. That brand of journalism is, well, yellow.
There exists a huge body politic that sees their job as convincing us, the people, what is best for our own good. That and getting themselves reelected to their position of comfort and power. Politicians on both sides of the corrupt aisle tell us what THEY want us to hear. Generally this will be along the line they think will get them voted in yet once again and further enhance their power over us. That is the nature of government’s and unless the people limit their government’s power eventually they lose their individual liberties.
This is why it is so critically important that journalists do the hard research, ask the tough questions, and hold the politicians feet to the fire. To use Sgt. Friday’s well known phrase, “the facts ma’am, just the facts”. That is exactly what the journalists we depend on should be doing, giving us the facts, without omissions, additions, or their particular bias.
Journalists, properly executing their responsibilities are integral to keeping this republic free. They can and should be guardians of our liberties, ensuring the people have the facts necessary to make informed decisions on issues that affect us all. We simply cannot trust the politicians. It is time journalists in every medium start doing their jobs properly.
Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Origin and Nature of Rights

Random House Webster’s American Dictionary defines a right as, “something to which a person is entitled”. For the purpose of this discussion the word right will be used in its plural because man, (man as used here for purpose of this discussion means humankind, both men and women) possesses a multitude of rights. The primary among them is the right to ones life, the right to one’s liberty, and the right to one’s pursuit of happiness as enunciated in out Declaration of
Most believe for an individual to have rights they must by some definition be bestowed upon them or ascribed to them by some higher authority. Even the founding fathers, the intellectual giants they were, believed that man had “unalienable rights” bestowed upon them by their creator, in other words by an unseen and unknowable God. This suggests that rights, in and of themselves do not exist. Another body of thought holds that rights are ascribed to man by virtue of the state. Here again rights do not exist but for a higher authority and only so long as the authority chooses to “bestow them upon us.”
Both of the above belief systems are founded on irrational premises. On the one hand since God is unknowable, i.e.; we can’t consult with him, the determination of man’s rights rest then with the arbitrary interpretation of some presumably more “knowledgeable” person(s). In this case I shall refer to them as people of faith. On the other hand the determination of man’s rights is dependent on the arbitrary whims of whoever is in power over the populace at any given time. I shall refer to them as mystics of muscle. In both instances mans rights are open to arbitrary interpretation and therefore subject to change by any man or group of men in power at any given time.
Rights therefore must be governed by a code of ethics, a code that holds that man’s rights are universal and exist simply because man exits. That man is his own master and all men are entitled to the universal rights of man. These rights include, but are not limited to; the right to enter mutually rewarding enterprise with one another with out intrusion by outside force, the right to prosper without ones wealth being confiscated by a third party, the right to own and maintain private property, the right to his own mind and beliefs without fear of coercion by any individual or group, the right to be free from fear of bodily or mental harm, the right to defend oneself if provoked or threatened by another, the right to a government that respects the individual rather than the collective and insures they are protected against the tyranny of the majority, the right to limited government that’s just and only purpose is to provide for the defense of the people against aggression, to an unbiased judiciary and court system to settle civil and criminal disputes, to provide for an effective system of education for it’s people, and as stated in the opening paragraph but bears repeating, to insure the rights of the individual to his life, liberty, and the pursuit of his own happiness.
In as much as man possesses universal rights based on his existence, he also has a corresponding responsibility. All men, to be ethical and moral, must respect that each individual has the same rights and must be willing to defend not only his rights but the rights of other men as well. The right to bear differences of opinion and methodology must be respected and in fact encouraged for man as a whole to grow and prosper. Conversely as all men possess the above rights it logically follows no man has the right to attempt to usurp another’s rights by force. The only ethical and justifiable use of force against another man is in self defense. I note here that reference to man denotes man both as an individual and a larger group such as a nation or state.
For individuals to coexist with others in society naturally requires a common understanding of the rights of man. As there will always be certain individuals and groups that are frankly evil, and are either unable or unwilling to understand the concept of universality of rights, laws need to be established by men so as to effectively dispense of those who commit crimes against people and or property. This rightfully falls to the domain of limited governance as pointed in paragraph four of this discussion. Courts established for this purpose, with judges who understand the rights of each individual man and possess a burning desire to preserve those rights (against the state and street mob) must be seated and respected as guardians of our liberty.
In summary the rights of man are universal; they exist not because of some mystical and unknowable god or an all powerful state, but rather because man exits. Man, possessing cognitive thought and reason, has established the ethical and moral framework to live his life effectively, with liberty, and with his own happiness as his reward. The age of Enlightenment, with its greatest thinkers spawned the Renaissance, one of the brightest and most glorious ages of human history. Out of which grew the
There is hope for the future of man, but only if free men are allowed to think freely, objectively, and are freed of the shackles that religious dogma and the mystics of muscle place on them. Man needs a rebirth of the Age of Enlightenment as well as an undying desire to be free and productive both in mind and body.
Rational Nation USA
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Change and Progress - Are They Synonymous?
During this time of rapid political, economic, and governmental change, driven by the progressives in Congress and the President, we should ask ourselves the question, are all these changes good for the nation and its people? Change of course is a concept we should all embrace, for without change we would still be living in the Stone Age.
Change is good and to be desired when; it results in increasing individual liberty and responsibility, improving the human condition by advances in medical science, increases the economic independence of the individual, moves technology forward to create a more productive and prosperous society, and creates increased stability for a society and nation.
Conversely, when change results in the loss of individual liberties and an increased dependency on government, a diminishing of the human condition, a significant risk the change may negatively impact an individual’s economic independence or result in a less productive and prosperous society, create a destabilizing effect on the society or nation it is wise to exercise extreme caution. We are currently at just such a time in our nation’s history.
All change is not progress. Conversely, maintaining the status quo for the sake of comfort or out of fear is not a viable option either when problems must be solved. Our nation has many problems that need resolving and if we do not make the right choices the consequences for us, and perhaps most importantly for our children and grandchildren, could be disastrous.
This nation has millions upon millions of progressives and conservatives that love their country. Both wish their nation to succeed and prosper not only for themselves, but for their brethren as well as posterity. The difference between progressives and conservatives is not in where they ultimately want to take the nation, but rather their philosophy of how to get to the same place.
A true conservative believes that; limited government, a free market with necessary but limited government regulation and oversight, limited powers of taxation, gradual methodical change after proper due diligence, and personal responsibility for oneself and their actions is the proper course to effective workable change in our nation. Conservatives believe the private sector is best equipped to create prosperity and solve problems.
Progressives, while sharing some core values such as personal responsibility, have generally favored massive government intervention into the private sector and rapid change. Progressives believe large government is best equipped to solve the problems of our nation and most capable of insuring prosperity for the people.
Given their differences, progressives and conservatives if they LISTEN to each other, can find the most effective way to resolve our current national crisis. Finding workable and effective solutions to our shared national problems is critical. For if we fail to find the right solutions future generations will pay a crushing price.
Given this doesn’t it make sense we move with due caution and diligence. Rushing to enact legislation that is hastily thrown together and not completely understood, just to satisfy President Obama’s political agenda is one definition of insanity. An insanity we may all pay a heavy price for if he is wrong.
Les Carpenter III
Rational Nation USA
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Supreme Court

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
An Anonymous Letter
The anonymous letter below was received via email by Rational Nation USA. The sincerity of this individual's feelings for the person who is Sarah Palin is clear. The Rational Nation USA believes this individual speaks for the quiet millions who choose not to speak out. Les Carpenter III Rational Nation USA Kudos to Sarah Palin!
It has been a long time since we have seen a politician with real conviction like Sarah Palin. A politician who is not married to the "political establishment". A person who is willing to stand up and defend her family and reputation against vicious attacks by the mainstream media and political enemies. A person who doesn't need czars or lobbyists to tell her what to do. A person that is a real American and can produce a birth certificate to prove it. Palin announced Friday that she will step down as Governor of Alaska on July 26. She cited the millions in state money being spent to deal with document requests and other matters and said she has personally accumulated a $500,000 debt defending herself. Fifteen ethics complaints filed against her so far have been dismissed. And the truth is that there is nothing there to uncover. But this is what modern politics is all about - character assassination and personal destruction. Palin was clear about the toll that ethics investigations have taken. It was costing just about $2 million of state taxpayers' dollars just to fund the staff to deal with the records requests and the like, and for her that was over the top. I think she even used the word insane in her remarks. Since she had already decided not to run for re-election as governor in 2010, staying in power as a lame-duck official would just be another dose of "politics as usual," something she campaigned against and will always oppose. Whether Sarah Palin ever runs for political office again or not, it doesn't matter. Sarah Palin has been the most refreshing thing to hit the national political scene in a long time. Palin is not a member of the "business as usual crowd" that dominates the Washington scene. One thing that you can count on - if she does chose to run again - it will be on her terms. It is likely that the attacks on her character, family, etc. will continue, because this is what the media and the current "blame game" politicians do. They don't know how to operate any differently. Trash talk is cheap in Washington - it works for the media and it works for the hardened politicians. Palin has always been an advocate for "real" change, contrary to Obama who uses the word "change" to camouflage tired old political policies. In the case of Obama it is Chicago style instead of New England style, but it doesn't matter what you label it, the change is phony and is basically all about big spending, big government and big taxes. If and when the American people grow tired of the same old Washington lies, it is good to know that there is another voice out there. A voice with an inspiring message about values and promoting "real" change. A person that is willing to put family, friends and the people above political gain. A person that the Founding Fathers would look at with pride. For the misguided, that would be Obama. For those with clear vision it is none other than Sarah Palin. Anonymous |
Monday, July 13, 2009
Freedom of Thought

Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thoughts on PC, Multi-Culturalism, Climate Change and Government

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Sarah Palin, What's Next
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Wisdom of Old Ben

Benjamin Franklin was indeed a great man in American hisory. His words of wisdom ring as true today as when he spoke them.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Can the United States of America Remain Free
I trace my heritage back to a time in
One need only be aware of current national trends to know what I am speaking of. The takeover of General Motors by the government of the USA, the feverish push for nationalized health care with the President’s obvious goal, although he says otherwise, of a single payer system, the President’s warm and fuzzy relationships with known Marxists such as Hugo Chavez, the recent attempt by the US government to bail out the financial industry, etc., etc. A rational analysis of the current condition of our nation’s direction leads one to ask this question, how long can it be before the US becomes just another socialist/Marist country with dramatically reduced individual freedoms.
Liberty has a price, it requires free individuals stand up and be heard. This often requires difficult decisions with unpleasant consequences. Taking unpopular stands against the prevailing ideology of the day more often than not results in ridicule or outright condemnation. But stand we must if we are to remain a free nation. The recent gains by the socialist/Marxists leadership in Washington will, if not stopped by free and independent thinkers in this nation, ultimately result in the type of society The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe not too long ago broke free from.
Unfortunately our current national leadership fails to recognize the evils inherent in the socialist/Marxist ideology. An evil just as insidious as the fascist ideology some would say certain wings of the Republican Party, and some in the conservative movement represent. As a true independent and rational conservative I can tell you both the socialist/Marist agenda, and the fascist agenda, lead to the same cool aid, the difference rests merely in the flavor of the oppression.
Les Carpenter III
Rational Nation USA
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 233rd Birthday America!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
American's Era of Neo-Marxism
With the growing influence of the Neo-Marxists currently in power in the US, the move towards redistribution of wealth and increased government control over the lives of all Americans, the virtues of fierce individualism, limited government, competitive capitalism, and self reliance, will soon be forgotten. Correction, not forgotten, but the majority of our people, fearing the loss of the meager freedoms left them by the Neo-Marxist and will not resist, believing it the best way to preserve whatever scraps of freedom may be left to them.
Les Carpenter III
Rational Nation USA
My Grandparents and the Basics
Issues are getting so complicated. What with the bailouts, stimulus package, Obama’s almost four trillion dollar soon to be proposed budget, corporate bonuses, failing business, increasing unemployment, urgency to make credit more available so businesses and individuals can get the money they need, and taxpayers about to assume the toxic assets of banks it is no wonder one can experience migraine headaches.
The other day I thought to myself what would my grandparent’s generation do if faced with the problems of today? As I thought awhile things became clearer to me and I decided to embark on what I know my Grandparents stimulus plan would be.
1) Put aside all non essential purchases
2) Immediately stop the use of interest bearing credit cards
3) Begin reducing any outstanding debt level immediately
4) Increase savings in a solid FDIC Member Bank to ten percent or more of annual income
5) Set a goal to be completely debt free in three to five and stay focused
Simple stuff from hardworking American taxpayers that weathered the Great Depression, built a solid nest egg for their retirement, and never felt they should depend on the government for anything more than the monthly social security check they had earned when they retired. I am proud of what my grandparent’s accomplished through hard work, common sense, and good old American perseverance. They made tough choices when they had to be made, and so did the politicians of their era. To bad none of them are here today to help the current crop entrusted with our future.
Les Carpenter III
Rational Nation USA