Rational Nation USA

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. Watch More News Videos at ABC | Technology News | Celebrity News I like Chuck Hagel. In fact I fully support his nomination by President Obama to the position of Secretary of Defense. He is ultimately qualified and capable of executing the duties of said position. Senator McCain's views aside. Actually the biggest reason to support this nomination is because it riles the establishment RHINOS to the point of frenzy. Indeed the modern rEpublican party is working hard at attaining irrelevancy. ABC World News - Facing a rocky confirmation process, Chuck Hagel today defended his record before his former Senate colleagues, including an openly impatient Sen. John McCain. "I'm on the record on many issues, but no one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me," Hagel said in his opening statement at his first c

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny I found the chart and article from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press quite interesting. It is indeed true the federal government has become an increasing threat to individual individual freedoms and rights. That being said, what I found most interesting is the year GWB was elected to his first term on the heels of the Clinton presidency only 30% of the people believed this to be true. Every year since 2001 the percentage of the people viewing the federal government as a threat to their rights has been growing. It is easy to understand why when you think about the Patriot Act, TSA, ObamaCare, the current efforts to strengthen firearms control ( an effort I support to a point - see prior posts on this issue ), and the overall general trend for more government involvement in every aspect of our lives. President Obama seems to be continuing on the trend line started by GBW following his election in 2001. If w

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny If anyone doubts the presence of Nanny State Progressive Mentality in the nation's democrats one need look no further than Rep. Mitch Greenlick, from Portland Oregon and his ridiculously absurd anti smoking legislation that he introduced in Oregon. Don't get me wrong. As an aspiring personal fitness trainer I advocate a healthy and active lifestyle. Certainly smoking does not lend itself to a healthy lifestyle. Quite the opposite. However, I do not support the state as being the vehicle to control the individuals choice with respect to fitness and health practices. Certainly not beyond the aspect of education and requiring the accurate representation of the health risks associated to risky behavior. SALEM, OR (KPTV) - If you're a regular smoker, you may want to keep an eye on a new bill in the Oregon Legislature. Rep. Mitch Greenlick, from Portland, is sponsoring a bill that makes cigarettes a Schedule

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal I have previously posted on Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal as being one of the forward thinking politicians (and bright lights) in the present rEpublican party. A party that frankly IMNHO is essentially void of new ideas and blind to the reality of changing demographics and national concerns. I was pleased to see Governor Jindal getting the press he needs and deserves from the Washington Post . Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will deliver a forceful denunciation of his party’s Washington-centric focus in a speech to the Republican National Committee on Thursday evening, arguing that the GOP is fighting the wrong fight as it seeks to rebuild from losses at the ballot box last November. “A debate about which party can better manage the federal government is a very small and short-sighted debate,” Jindal will tell the RNC members gathered in Charlotte, N.C. for the organization’s winter me

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny This from the Queen of gimmickry. The Hill - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday rejected the House GOP’s three-month plan to increase the debt ceiling. A spokesman for Pelosi said that the bill coming to the floor next week, which would raise the debt ceiling with the condition that Congress will not get paid if the House and Senate fail to pass a budget, is a "gimmick." “This is a gimmick unworthy of the challenges we face and the national debate we should be having. The message from the American people is clear: no games, no default,” Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said. He called for a “clean” debt-ceiling increase without conditions. “We need a clean debt ceiling increase and a bipartisan and balanced budget that protects Medicare and Social Security, invests in the future, and responsibly reduces the deficit,” he said. “This proposal does not relieve the uncertainty faced by s

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny President Obama has nominated Chuck Hagel (R-Neb) for Secretary of Defense. As expected in a typical knee jerk reaction conservatives have come out in opposition to Hagel. Qualifications be damned as the only reason given are 1) his prior support for negotiation with Iran, and 2) Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) supports his nomination. The Hill - The conservative American Future Fund group is questioning Sen. Charles Schumer's (D-N.Y.) decision to back former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) for secretary of Defense. The group, which launched a media campaign earlier in the week, released a new ad Friday focusing on Schumer's decision to back Hagel. On Tuesday, after meeting privately with Hagel a day earlier, Schumer said he supported Hagel for secretary of Defense. Schumer had previously refrained from saying whether he would support or oppose Hagel's nomination. The American Future Fund ad, "How Bad

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny A proper government can accomplish positive things for the society it governs. In fact the founding fathers realized this and recognized that government indeed has a role in establishing and enforcing the rule of law. Law determined to be desirable by the majority of the citizens governed by said government. Finding a proper balance between the government's authority to impose it's will on the people is the rightful domain of the governed to determine. With respect to firearm control and the President's determination to impose increased federal restrictions the nation finds itself in the middle of this debate. In as much as our government bears the responsibility to insure the general welfare and safety of it's citizens it must also guarantee it preserves the freedoms and liberties protected in the Constitution. Freedom and liberty carries with it a great and awesome responsibility. Listen to, a

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny As President Obama moves to decisive action on increased firearm control he is aware, I'm sure, of certain limitations on his authority. If not things could get very interesting, >TPM - Former Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese, now a prominent emeritus official at the Heritage Foundation, became the latest conservative to warn that President Obama could risk impeachment if he takes executive action on reducing gun violence in an interview Monday night. Speaking with Newsmax, Meese said Congress may have to consider impeaching Obama if he were “to try to override the Second Amendment in any way” with an executive order. He did allow that there are some executive actions related to guns that Obama could take wouldn’t be impeachable. “It would be up to the Congress to take action, such as looking in to it to see if, in fact, he has really tried to override the Constitution itself,” Meese told Newsmax. “In wh

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny As one of many many millions who support the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms I just can't imagine how the dude in the video, or others like him is helping the efforts of firearm advocates and preservation of the 2'nd amendment. Reasonable restrictions on firearms ( semi automatic assault weapons ) high capacity (extended) magazines, more extensive back ground checks hardly seems unreasonable. I could very well be wrong, but as far as I have been able to determine no one person or group has been advocating a total ban or elimination of 2'nd amendment rights. At least no one with any credibility or authority. If anyone can point me to information to the contrary I would love the link(s).  Stability of the dude? A bit questionable... I'm looking forward to Mr. Biden's final recommendations. One can only hope the debate following will remain civil and rational.  Via: Mem

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny As the country struggles to understand, and come to grips with random acts of firearm violence by unstable and unbalanced individuals Illinois is already taking action to further regulate firearms. Like the millions of law abiding citizens I am torn between the right to bear firearms and finding the point at which it makes logical sense to restrict that right. In a modern society in which the tools of warfare are advanced beyond what the founders could possibly have envisioned, and the efficiency of modern armies are such that the citizens would stand no reasonable chance against the modern army, does the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons have any real purpose for the homeowner and sportsman? If deemed they do should they not be highly regulated and restricted to HELP reduce the incidents of tragedies like Sandy Hook? I certainly do not have the answers, nor do I believe the anti-gun crowd has the answers eith

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny The deal, such as it is, the kicking the can down the road a piece was finally hammered out so at least for now, the "fiscal cliff" was avoided. The nation can thank Mich McConnell and Joe Biden for it getting done. Yahoo NEWS - If John Kennedy had not written “Profiles in Courage,” today we might have a more realistic understanding of political valor. But JFK’s 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning book so raised the bar for bravery in public life that it now seems obvious that no modern figure can measure up. Who in the 21st century could possibly match Daniel Webster’s oratory as he heroically struggled to save the Union? Or replicate Edmund Ross’ moral fortitude as he destroyed his political career to cast the decisive vote against impeaching Andrew Johnson? Where once legislators risked being burned in effigy and physically threatened, these days the likely consequence of a courageous vote in Congress is a new car

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Liberty -vs- Tyranny As the nation watches (as well as the world at large) the United States House, led by the rEpublican false conservatives have us serfs standing at the cliff's edge as we look into the abyss. Perhaps, just maybe, the intransigent false conservatives are running out of time and their true motives are being recognized by the many who heretofore believed them. As more disgruntled past supporters turn their backs on the false conservatives maybe, just maybe they ought to look to history to find the ultimate result of their type of behavior and intransigence. Even a staunch Ayn Rand Objectivist has the ability to see beyond the present as he peers into the future. At least this one does. Echoes of our founding fathers are ringing in my ears as I write this. Eric Cantor, the intelligent yet blind House Majority leader may very well, and soon find himself the object of ridicule. As difficult as it might be for some to acce