It is no coincidence that the recent White House attack on Fox news came when it did. Fox’s aggressive investigations have resulted in the ACORN exclusive, the Van Jones exclusive, and their consistent coverage of the summer Tea Parties was simply too much; dominating cable news as they do, there was simply no one out there who could marginalize them.

Not since Nixon’s “enemies list” has an administration sought to demonize or otherwise attack in such a manner. It demeans the office and ultimately just makes Fox news stronger.

It should be noted that President Obama, who campaigned on a post-partisan line of cooperative politics, has created an enemy at each turn of his legislative agenda. Wall Street, doctors, high-earning small businesses, banks, insurance companies, the list grows daily. I cannot recall any president in my lifetime who so openly and actively made every issue an “us against them” ultimatum. It’s petty.

On the bright side, is was heartening to see today the other television news oulets stick up for Fox when a brief attempt was made to prevent Fox news from interviewing Tresury Department Pay Czar Kenneth Feinberg. Fox got the interview and the brief scuffle allowed the non-Fox-viewing public a stronger glimse into this petty battle.

Now that Obama has been in office for ten months, the public is seeing, in many ways and on many levels, that he is clearly not the man who campagined on high ideals and a moral path to political conflict resolution. Instead he continues to reveal himself as a radical, by the people he surrounds himself with, the activist manner in which he tries to gather support and his prediliction for picking fights and finding an enemy, often a straw man.

Finally, the attack against Fox news and the subsequent support lent by other media may reflect a turning point in the biased, pro-Obama coverage we’ve seen to date. It just may be that, thanks to Major Garret, Jake Tapper, and a few others, more journalists will rediscover their job description is journalist, not transcriptionist.

Time will tell.

Unbelievably, Liberals seem wholly incapable of distinguishing between the 15 hours of straight, fair and balanced reporting FOX News produces daily, and two hours of partisan opinion programming, namely Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity.

Apparently the White House Mean Machine has no problem with Keith Olbermann’s daily derisive commentaries about Republicans and conservatives, or MSNBC’s ludicrious copy/past style of covering Tea Party rallies, all in an attempt to retain White House access.

But who was it that single-handedly drew enough attention to the self-avowed communist and Green Czar Van Jones that he resigned shortly after the story broke? He resigned in spite of every other television news organization consciously and decisively ignoring the story.

The answer is Glenn Beck. Mr. Beck was able to effectively present irrefutable facts in the form of Van Jones’s own statements, both written and on video, that the White House felt compelled to quietly remove him. (Sorry, he, umm, ’resigned’).

And what about ACORN? Again we see Glenn Beck presenting a formidable, nay, irrefutable argument, augmented by two young and daring investigative reporters. This was another story no other news media organization covered, and in spite of that ACORN grudgingly became front page news on the very publications that desperately tried to avoid the story at all costs.

Someone ought to remind Mr. Obama that the battle is in Afganistan, not in deriding American media outlets who dare disagree with his policies or expose him for the fraud and incompetant he appears to be. 

The White House assault on FOX News is energy that could be spent reviewing all the mistakes they have made to date, but instead they appear more interested in quelling any media outlet that dare not fall in line with the “Hope and Change” disco remix that now falls shallow upon a nation deeply concerned about their recent presidential choice.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

These are the words that have stood for over 200 years in this country, born on the belief of our Founding Fathers that government was not the only body that had the right of Freedom of Speech but that it belongs to the People and is an integral part of our republic.  In 1801, Thomas Jefferson re-affirmed the principle when he stated: “If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.”  Let us examine that last bit – “where reason is left free to combat it”.

Thomas Jefferson believed in the ability of the Republic to allow dissenting opinions and through reason (not censorship or regulation) stand undisturbed in the end.  Free Speech is essential to the influence of the people on government and not just in an election but whenever the People are so moved to express themselves regarding the actions of government or potential actions of government.  As Lady Libertas has stated before, we do not lose our rights simply because our preferred candidate loses an election.

The Supreme Court has been the bulwark in defending free speech and checking the Legislative Branch’s moves to over-regulate or censor said speech.  In Whitney v. California (1927), Justice Louis Brandeis wrote that “freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth.”  In the words of Justice Thurgood Marshall in the 1974 case Procunier v. Martinez, “The First Amendment serves not only the needs of the polity but also those of the human spirit — a spirit that demands self-expression.”

Debate, Consensus, Expression are the foundations of free speech.  We do not have a monarch that passes a decree to which we all must submit, as much as Barack Obama would like to see himself in that position.  We have an elected government “of the people, for the people, by the people” and that government is bound to adhere to our Constitution.  This does not mean that they get to adhere to the Constitution only when they agree or when the agreement serves their own purposes.

Currently, we have a Congress and administration that is pushing forward an agenda that many of us disagree with fundamentally.  We believe that this agenda will change the very fabric of our country and undermine our Constitutional rights.  We are gathering and organizing to participate in our government and express our concerns about legislation that is going to be voted on in a few weeks.   We are seeking answers from an administration that is placing Czars in positions of power over our lives with no accountability and transparency.  We are exercising our First Amendment rights.

It seems that almost daily, a new threat to our freedom and our Constitution is being exposed.  We have a President that is more enamored of the sound of his words than the content and we have been treated to broken promises, out of control spending and a Legislature that appears horrified that the American People have an opinion and are willing to defend it.

Whether you agree with my personal opinions or not, it is your duty as an American to inform yourself and participate in the process.  The process is not just on election day – the process is happening daily and is being funded by our taxes, our hard work.  These issues will affect us all and we must be aware of the impact and the far-reaching effects before it is too late.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant – so let’s ask a few questions:

• Healthcare will affect 1/7 of our economy – Do we, as Americans, want the federal government inserting themselves into our relationships with our healthcare professionals?  Do we expect our elected officials to read the legislation BEFORE they vote on it?  Should our elected officials be allowed to exempt themselves from the healthcare plan that they want to inflict on the American People?  Should our government be accountable to fix the glaring problems of the healthcare programs that they are currently administering before they criticize and irrevocably alter the private sector and our access to the private sector?  Those of us who oppose the government takeover of healthcare have been labeled mobsters, evil mongerererers, un-American, Nazi brown shirts, etc… and this is from our ELECTED OFFICIALS – why don’t they want to hear public opinion?  In case anyone has forgotten the outcry over the Bush administration, let me refresh your memory here in a post by Zomblog about the Bush protests.
• The Obama Administration has by best count approximately 50 “Czar” positions.  These Czars are influencing if not effecting policy on a daily basis.  Many of them have skipped Senate confirmations or any kind of process, having been appointed directly by Obama. Who are these people?  What do they stand for?  Who are they accountable to and who is paying for their budgets and staffs?  What are their limits? (Link to my most recently updated post on the Czars)
• Censorship is not American.  It is not supported in the Constitution and it is not a practice that represents the freedom that defines America.  The FCC has a new Chief Diversity Officer, Mark Lloyd, who has the apparent mission of shutting down radio communications for stations that he does not agree with – specifically, Conservative and Christian radio.  He has praised Rwandan and Venezuelan state run radios in bringing about social change (hmmm like censorship and state sponsored terrorism?).  This has raised the issue of the Fairness Doctrine which was quelled by Reagan and the courts in 1987.  Mark Lloyd has not been shy of revealing his agenda by any means: “We trace the rise and influence of Rush and other conservative radio hosts to relaxed ownership rules and other pro-big business regulation that destroyed localism…” – is this just shutting down the opposition?  Should Bush have employed the same means against Liberal talk radio? Lloyd also co-wrote “The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio” in 2007 – uber-liberal Marxism at its best.
• How about Green Czar, Van Jones using the organization that he founded, colorofchange.org, to begin a campaign against Glenn Beck by targeting his sponsors & pressuring them to drop his show? I am not debating that Americans have the right to boycott Glenn Beck or his sponsors (they certainly do and can choose to NOT watch him as well) but I am debating whether the mandate should have come from the White House?  It seems like a blatant censorship attempt against an American talk show host who is asking uncomfortable but valid questions of our government.
• ACORN is an organization that receives enormous amounts of federal funding – $53 million dollars since 1994 (See Washington Examiner Report that includes spreadsheet of funds that ACORN has received) and is now under criminal indictment.  ACORN seems to have a lot of fingers in the Obama pie and despite charges of voter fraud in several states, they continue to be a go-to organization by Obama, including rumors that they will receive the contract for the 2010 census.
• An emergency ruling has been filed with the Secretary of State for New York that mandates flu vaccinations for all healthcare workers in the State of New York (both paid and unpaid) – any worker that does not comply will have their employment terminated.  Interestingly, the flu vaccine that is being mandated is the seasonal flu vaccine and not the H1N1.  This mandate is opposed by the majority of healthcare workers in New York for obvious reasons.  Workers in nursing homes are unaffected, because to require them to receive the vaccine would require legislation – so the “emergency” does not extend to the burden of proof required by legislation. (Link to New York State Nurses Association regarding mandatory flu vaccines)
• Proposed US Senate Bill S773 (See copy of the bill here at Open Congress) allows for the President to disconnect private computers from the Internet in times of emergency.  WHAT?  It also allows for “periodic mapping” of private networks by the federal government and anything that the President deems to be a threat to the “critical infrastructure information system” could be disconnected from the internet.  Seems like another sector that Obama is intent on taking over – here is the CNET story about the proposed bill.
• We need to list the whole fishy debacle here to include the snitch program, compilation of private citizen’s emails, spamming by Axelrod of Americans who are STILL wondering how the government got their email addresses and all of the implications of infringement upon free speech that the above would include.  That could be a few posts in and of itself.  Suffice to say that the whole fishy issue turned the fishy eye onto the Obama Administration and their practices.
• CIA Investigation by Attorney General, Eric Holder on enhanced interrogation techniques employed on TERRORISTS that led to preventing future terrorist attacks on Americans.  Eric Holder, apparently out of sync with Obama, has decided to pursue the CIA interrogators which, of course, will allow for him to pursue members of the Bush Administration as well.  And why?  Because they do not agree with the lawful practices of the previous administration and to voice their disagreement, Holder will lead a witch hunt which will lead to the breakdown of our Intelligence Services, undermine our Intelligent Services both internally and externally and damage our National Security, all at the very least.  Perhaps Holder should be pursuing real criminals like the Black Panthers or ACORN and I wonder why that is not a target for him?  This begins a dangerous precedent to allow current Administrations to go back and target policies that they did not agree with and criminalize them.  Officers that crossed the line were disciplined and, in some cases, prosecuted under the Bush Administration so what is the point now?   Will Pelosi be included in this sweep?  And will we lose one of our vital defenses against Terrorists as Holder deconstructs the CIA to carry out a political grudge?

Obama has asked us to judge him by the people that are surrounding him.  The cadre of Czars is composed of activists, radicals and self-admitted Communists and Socialists.  As well, we are being treated to how very Leftist Liberal many of our lawmakers are, as Rep. Diane Watson gushed over the weekend as to what a very “bright leader Fidel Castro is”(see video here) and Harry Reid’s disappointment that Teddy Kennedy’s death may force him into bipartisanship negotiations.

Vigilance and bipartisanship negotiation are required in the days ahead – not just by our elected officials and government watchdogs but by the People.  We must be engaged to protect against the systematic de-construction of our Freedoms before we wake up and do not recognize the country that we live in.

Come See Lady Libertas at http://ladylibertas.wordpress.com/

Lady Libertas would like to indulge in a bit of a rant inspired by the video that I have included at the end of this post.

Shut up.

Shut up.  We may have lost an election but we have not lost our minds, our values, our pride, our work ethic, our love of country or our voices.

Shut up.  We are not an angry mob, un-American, crazies, astroturf, militant extremists, fucktards, racists, wingnuts, evil-mongererererers, domestic terrorists, white hoods, Nazis, brown shirts, deathers or any of the other labels that our own elected officials and fellow Americans have seen fit with which to denigrate our desire to make our voices heard in our country regarding monumental bills that will affect the rest of our lives.

Shut up.  Hate Speech is Hate Speech even when directed against people that you disagree with and agreeing to disagree is the very fabric of the United States and the spirit of our Founding Fathers.  Dissent IS American.  We are fighting to be heard because it is our Right to express ourselves just like those that disagree with us have the Right to express their opinions.  Shouting IS American.  Ask Europe all about loud Americans.

Shut up.  We have no lobbyist money or taxpayer money funding our outrage.  We have no buses or pre-printed signs or t-shirts or fancy flyers.  We do not have 18 million dollars to spend on websites or organizations with millions in the account.  We do not have databases with hundreds of thousands of names or employment rosters to call upon or union memberships.  We do not have paid community organizers or people who have been “trained” to organize or rule books.   We have lots of volunteers and late nights and sheer force of will.  We have commitment and intelligence and passion.  And lots of poster boards and markers.  And we have pretty good senses of humor.  (Although, as Lady Libertas has stated before, if someone would like to pay me to do this, please call…please…like now is good!)

Shut up.  with your fishy.  with your reality check.  with your email lists.  with axelrod spam.  (actually – we may keep the fishy)

Shut up.  We have watched the Democratic Congress that came to power in November 2006 serve up the same things that I found offensive and upsetting that have been attributed to Bush.  Lest we forget, Presidents only sign the bills – Congress is really where it happens and by June of 2007, this Congress had reached an all time low confidence rating.  Interestingly, Obama said that he did not want to talk to the people who had made the mess, but since he was part of that Congress (briefly albeit) and since many of those members are sitting on the Hill with him, I can only wonder who he thinks made the mess?

Shut up.  Keep your lies to yourself.  How dare you stand in front of me and speak untruth and expect me to comply or believe anything else that comes out of your mouth.

Shut up.  Medicare is broken.  Medicare is a single payer system and most Medicare recipients have to pay out of pocket for additional Medicare supplemental insurance.  Medicare has 60 billion dollars per year in fraud.  Medicare has run out of money.  Medicare has lowered their reimbursement rates and passed the burden onto providers who have in turn had to pass it along to private insurance holders.  Putting an entire country on a system that cannot support what it has now is a disaster.  Keep your Medicare for All and let’s fix Medicare for Now.

Shut up.  No more evil doctors that steal tonsils and perform amputations for $30,000.  Just Shut up.

Shut up.  There is nothing that can be said to reassure us that any healthcare plan brought to the board will be deficit neutral.  The CBO agrees with us.  Without analyzing the legislative language (how dizzying is that concept?!), the CBO predicts that HR3200 will add hundreds of billions to the deficit within a 10 year period.  The CBO Director was also told to shut up, but thankfully he did not.

Shut up.  Noone is going to Cuba to take advantage of their fabulous healthcare system.  Noone is making a run for the border to partake of Canada’s physician described “imploding” system.  The United States has some of the best healthcare outcomes in the world.  The World Health Organization life expectancy report is a ridiculous argument – it does not compare apples to apples.  Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic which are two of the top healthcare providers in the world have spoken against the proposed healthcare reform.  I choose to side with healthcare professionals rather than career politicians who are more interested in power brokering than listening to the people that they represent.

Shut up.  The AMA (American Medical Association) represents less than 29% of all physicians in the United States.  Their membership is split and many were shocked that the AMA came out in support of HR3200.  On 8/15/09, the AMA stated the following: “The AMA continues to oppose nationalized health insurance, and we continue to express opposition to elements of public plan proposals that we believe could lead us down the road to a single-payer system or ‘socialized medicine.’”  It appears that this is not the ringing endorsement that Obama has led everyone to believe.

Shut up.  AARP supports HR3200.  AARP does not support HR3200.  Obama says that AARP does support HR3200.  AARP says that they do not (today).  Since July 1, AARP has lost 60,000 members.  AARP should have shut up while they were ahead.

Shut up.  The main stream media may as well use the same teleprompter as the White House.  We are treated to more non-reporting and the liberal agenda promotion has become not just expected but blatant.  Youtube may just be the new network of the people along with Fox.  And those who do not believe that there is a strong Conservative base in the USA should perhaps refer to Fox’s ratings and market share versus other cable news outlets.

Shut up.  with your government mandated lightbulbs.  with your inconvenient truth.  with your Green agenda.  with your electricity taxes couched in an environmental language.  with your smart cars.  with your Soros companies and stocks that will blossom if Cap&Trade is passed on the backs of the American People.  Green is the new Red and you can keep it.

Shut up.  Capitalism, free market, profit and competition are not evil.  Socialism is evil.  Bailouts are evil.  Nationalization of any private industry is evil.

Shut up.  Afghanistan is your war, Obama.  Your vehement protests pre-presidency are falling a bit flat as you not only continue Bush’s Iraq policy but fully engage us in Afghanistan.  Where is Code Pink now?

Shut up.  You cannot have our guns or our bibles.  You cannot have our tacit approval to make decisions that violate the very core of what we believe.  You cannot have our minds or the minds of our children.  You cannot have the lives of our Senior Citizens or the chronically ill.  

Shut up.  You cannot have the blood, sweat and tears of America without being accountable.

The Video : Shut up.

http://ladylibertas.wordpress.com/

Perhaps more than any other single piece of legislation, the Cap and Trade bill embodies so much of what conservatives and republicans feel is wrong with this administration.

The Cap and Trade bill has it all: a false premise, increased taxes, bad timing, and more government control, all to the detriment of American citizens.

Let’s break it down.

False Premise: The idea that capping emissions to reduce pollution may have merit, however, that is not what the bill accomplishes. It simply allows heavy industry to continue polluting, by purchasing so-called credits from green companies that pollute less. In fact, in countries where Cap and Trade has been tried, carbon emissions have actually increased. What it will do is increase the cost of living for everyone, since companies will simply pass the cost of these carbon credits on to the end user.

Bad Timing: Any legislation that puts further financial burden on American companies during a recession is simply poor timing.

More Government Control: Cap and Trade would continue the massive power-grab this administration is exerting over private business. More legislation means more bureaucracy. It will allow the government to pick winners and losers.

Cap and Trade also exacerbates President Obama’s childlike fascination with green energy. Evil polluters will be punished while promoters of unproven alternative energy sources rewarded.  It is also in keeping with Obama’s constant insistence that we must be willing to make sacrifices. Under this plan we surely will sacrifice. We will have less energy that is more expensive.

And it will cost jobs, even as we are witnessing the highest unemployment in more than two decades. As Sarah Palin points out in her recent column in the Washington Post, “Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.”

This is the kind of legislation you get when liberal democrats come to work on “Adult Day” and pretend to know what’s best for the rest of us.

Our country is rich with energy, including oil, shale oil, and natural gas, and our passion for innovation, combined with a respect for the environment, can free us from foreign dependence on energy, keep prices low and allow this country to prosper.

If Obama gets his way on Cap and Trade it will weaken this country, lower our standard of living and, ironically, hurt the poorest among us the most.

I hope “Adult Day” ends soon and these absurd left-wing loons are forced back to the shallow end of the pool where the children belong.