We went and saw the Amish Christmas lights last night.....

FairTax on Twitter

It's FairTax Saturday - look at your paystub!

According 2 the Tax Foundation, Americans spend an estimated 6.0 billion hrs complying w/ the federal income tax, yearly!

Fairtax.org

ABOUT THE FAIRTAX

The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment.

The FairTax Act (HR 25, S 296) is nonpartisan legislation. It abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities.

More information is available at http://www.fairtax. org or join the FairTax Indiana grassroots effort at http://infairtax. ning.com

He Is Born!

Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Best Christmas Decoration Ever!

Read the story BEFORE looking at the picture!!

Well, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations this year.

The Good news is that I truly outdid myself this year with my Christmas decorations.

The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days.

I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories.

But two things made me take it down.

1. First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

2. Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder and almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy).

By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that.

My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.

Kind of feel like I gave in to the "man" by taking him down but my neighbor did confirm the many near miss accidents on the busy street next to my house.

I think I made him too real this time.

So it was fun while it lasted!!

Now check out the picture!!

What's the difference between

Tiger Woods and Santa Claus?

Santa Clause had enough sense to stop after three hos!

Life is all about BUTTS…

You're either covering it,

laughing it off,

kicking it,

kissing it,

busting it,

trying to get a piece of it,

or behaving like one ......

That's right, you've been "elfed".

He who Elf’s last, elf’s loudest!!!!

Have A Great Holiday Season!!!

Chrysantemum Fest

Lahr. Germany

This is really an autumn event, rather than Christmas, but it's absolutely beautiful!!! Lots of pictures, so be sure to scroll down to see them all.

Click here to see it.

Christmas, A Time For Real Hope

By Doug Patton

December 21, 2009

There will be plenty of time in the New Year to discuss health care, global warming, the development of nuclear weapons by our enemies, and so many other topics concerning the fight for freedom in 21st Century America. With so many people disillusioned with the "hope and change" proffered recently as a substitute for true faith, this might be the best of times to examine the only true hope of humanity.

The greatest man who ever lived, the God-man, Jesus Christ, was born in the humblest of settings to become the Savior of mankind. At the time of his birth, even King Herod's men did not think to look in a stable for a king. Kings are born in palaces, among opulence and luxury. Jesus did not fit the template. For two thousand years the human race has continued to look for something more, something flashier, something more glorious, something greater. For those of us who passionately believe in the story of the Nativity, it is a clear reminder of why our faith is a life to be lived in the Spirit the Living God. What could be greater than that?

That is the difference between Christianity and every other religion in the world. Scripture tells us what Christ had to say about himself. He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." If that is not true, then He was either a liar or a lunatic, and no one believes that. In fact, virtually every other faith speaks of Jesus Christ as a wise prophet, a great teacher, or a good man, and other religions are willing to acknowledge that following Jesus is one of the ways to heaven. But Christ says He is the only way to heaven. No wonder He was crucified.

Christianity also is unique in that it proclaims that its central figure is still alive. Hindus think their leaders have been reincarnated. Buddha and his followers are thought to be part of some vast cosmos of energy. Mohammed, fiercely and violently defended as he may be, is still dead. Even the bodies of Abraham and Moses have long ago turned to dust. Jesus Christ alone is believed by his followers to be physically alive -- in spite of having faced the worst death imaginable.

Far too many in our society reject the simple gospel presented by Christ and his disciples in favor of alternative religions that teach vague notions of piety through good works. The social gospel of using government to create an earthly utopia will disappoint us every time. False prophets and self-serving politicians have always been at the forefront of man's disenchantment. They offer hope but dispense hopelessness. They promise change but deliver bondage -- to an ideology, an idol or a doctrine. There is only one infallible answer. Discontented seekers of new age solutions to age-old problems need only look to the truth of the Christmas story.

This week, as we celebrate the miracle birth of a baby who would grow up to be both man and God, who would lay down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of those who would believe, we also should remember that He is still with us. Like Christmas itself, the reality of Christ persists and grows stronger. He was born, lived, died, and rose again. He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father, to make intercession for us, and He sent His Holy Spirit to live within those who would receive Him. What a story. To millions of us, it is still the only one that makes sense, and He is our only source of true hope.

---

Doug Patton is a freelance columnist who has served as a political speechwriter and public policy advisor. His work has been published in newspapers across the country, such as the Washington Times and the Tampa Tribune, on web sites such as Human Events Online and GOPUSA.com, where he is a senior writer and state editor, and featured on the Mike Gallager and Sean Hannity radio shows. Readers can e-mail him at dougpatton@cox.net.

'Tis The Week Before Christmas...

By Henry Lamb

December 21, 2009

'Tis the week before Christmas and all through the land, not a freedom is safe from Obama's hand. Bankers, bewildered, before him now bow, while auto-makers, thankful, praise his cash cow. With energy and health care nearing control, his grasp on the nation is as he foretold. The people are stirred by his escapades, and are somewhat shocked by the history they made. Obama is not what he promised to be; he brings, instead, tyranny.

America's great experiment in freedom was designed by our Founders to create a new kind of government consisting of the very people for whom the government was made. The first purpose of this new government was to protect the freedom of the people against all enemies both foreign and domestic, and especially from governmental tyranny. To keep the federal government under control, the designers limited the power of the new federal government to those very specific areas set forth in Article 1, Section 8.

These limitations are now routinely ignored by both the House and the Senate.

The one mechanism in our system of government designed to rid our government of those who abuse the Constitution is the biennial elections.

America stands at the brink of a Marxist abyss because Americans have elected a majority of officials who do not honor the Constitution, who do not respect the value of individual freedom, who crave personal power and perks more than the prosperity produced by free people operating a free market.

A majority of disappointed non-Democrats allowed this congressional majority to be elected by staying home on Election Day.

If the United States created by the Constitution is to survive, Americans must mobilize and remove the current majority in Washington. Actions by the Washington majority have stirred deep-seated anger and patriotic enthusiasm across the countryside, but there is a very real danger that this anti-majority fervor will be splintered.

Tea Party activists are battling for leadership while Glenn Beck's 9-12 groups compete for attention. Third Party promoters vie for support in the face of waning Republican influence. This is a guaranteed formula for failure in 2010.

Victory in 2010 is not necessarily determined by party label. There Are Democrats who believe in the Constitutional limitation of Congressional power, and Republicans who do not. The challenge faced by voters is finding candidates -- regardless of party affiliation -- who are strong advocates of the U.S. Constitution, as demonstrated by deeds, not rhetoric. Sadly, many of these candidates labor fruitlessly in third-party campaigns.

Rush Limbaugh's advice to third parties is sound: take control of the Republican Party and make it the Party of the Constitution.

In the last hundred years, third parties have done nothing but help elect the candidate they most wanted to defeat. Theodore Roosevelt was the most successful third-party candidate in the 20th century. His 27% of the 1912 vote assured the election of Woodrow Wilson, who gave the world the League of Nations. Robert LaFollett's third party received 17% in 1924; George Wallace drew 14% in 1968, and John Anderson got 7% in 1980. Multi-millionaire Ross Perot mustered 19% in 1992, and 8% in 1996, both times, just enough to insure the election of Bill Clinton.

This is not the year for another failed third-party effort; this is the year to save the nation. The best way to do that is for conservatives to converge on the Republican Party and take control. Democrats who are sick of seeing what their Marxist leadership is doing to the nation may want to consider siding with the conservatives in the 2010 election -- to help keep Republicans honest.

The argument that insists that a vote for either a Democrat or Republican is casting a vote for the lesser of two evils is, at best, superficial. A party label does not evil make. Evil exists in every political party -- granted, more in some than in others. The challenge is to elect candidates who demonstrate their respect for the Constitution. The tragedy will be conservatives getting caught up in a power struggle that paves the way for another Marxist majority to march into Washington.

Ten months is barely time to find and fund the candidates who will reverse the wreckage wrought by this Marxist majority in Washington. This great American experiment in freedom is wholly dependent upon the desire of free people to stay free. America's freedom is at greater risk than at any time in history. Just as our forefathers fought off those who would impose tyranny in the past, this generation is called upon now to cast off another threat to freedom. This time, the enemy is already in Washington.

---

Henry Lamb is the author of "The Rise of Global Governance," Chairman of Sovereignty International , and founder of the Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO) and Freedom21, Inc..

Broken Promises

I decided I had to break a promise I made to you, my loyal readers. I promised that I would not post another political article until after Christmas, but I have to make my voice heard on the Obama Health Care bill.

The Democrats finally got the 60th vote needed to vote on the bill and the Senate voted at 11:00 Sunday night to forward the bill. It is scheduled for final vote on Christmas Eve. I can't wait to hear the Administration and House and Senate leaders applauding themselves and each other over the Christmas gift that they have given to the people of the United States. What a gift. Higher taxes and a health care system that was once the envy of the world reduced to a shadow of its former self. I am so glad that this is happening at the beginning of the mid-term election cycle. This bill is supported by 60 Senators, but is opposed by 60% of the American public. I wonder how many of those 60 senators are up for election in 2010?

You note that the title of this post is in the plural. Obama himself broke is own promises to get this bill passed. He promised bi-partisan participation. He promised C-SPAN coverage. None of that happened. The bill was negotiated behind closed doors. The bill was not released for review in any sort of a timely fashion. The House version was released two days before vote and was over 2000 pages that had to be reviewed by anyone with any interest. It was eventually voted on by Representatives who had no idea what was in the bill.

And this is a transparent Administration? The only thing transparent about it is that it is business as usual in Washington. My broken promise really means nothing in the Grand Scheme of Things. A promise broken in Washington is just more of the same.

Those of you who voted for change, I hope you like what you voted for, because you and every other American taxpayer will have to live with your choice.

Obama performance opinion poll

Finally, a chance to vote on President Obama's performance on this Economy - AT&T/Yahoo Poll. This totally non-partisan poll asks but one question. The question is stated very simply... and, to the point. No tricks. No hidden messages. No nothing. JUST A SINGLE, SIMPLE QUESTION (click on the link to get to the poll). I don't know why this hasn't been done before.

I'm impressed with the fact that the question is NOT "phrased" in a way that it can be interpreted later...to fit someone else's desired answer. (Kitten's note: I do...no one wanted to hear anyone's opinion...the polls were phrased to get the votes or opinions they wanted. It's as simple as that.)

NOTE: After you vote, you will see a second page that shows the running total and what these voters opinions are.

~~~~~~~~

This came from email, so who knows who really commissioned it. The one thing I don't like about "one question polls" is that the answers given usually don't cover everything. I won't tell you how I voted (although you might be surprised...or not), but none of the answers supplied really covered how I feel. Sorry I've become very literal-minded and usually can't answer anything with a "yes" or "no".

I really wanted to make this a politics-free December, but as you can see, that didn't happen. But I did keep it down to what I consider to be bare minimum. And I promise...no more politics after today until December 26 at the earliest. Unless it ties into Christmas in a positive, Christmasy way.

A Roaring Fire, A Glass of Wine, and Thou

Apologies to Omar Khayyam for playing around with his wonderful poem, but, imagine sitting back with the drink of your choice, your Significant Other next to you, in front of a roaring fire, with a Christmas soundtrack playing softly in the background. What could be more romantic?

Then you remember that actually using a fireplace leads to soot and ashes to be cleaned up, not to mention the possibility of a fire from creosote build-up in the chimney. Smoke if the flue isn't open. Not so romantic, huh?

Well, here's a site where you can enjoy all that without the soot, ashes, smoke, and creosote to worry about. Almost makes me want to run out and get a BIG screen TV to enjoy it on. In reality, I'm seriously considering hooking my TV to a computer so that I can enjoy certain sites, such as this one, on my TV.

Anyway...here's the site.

Tickle Me Elmo

There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.

Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 am.

The next day at 8:45 am there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.

The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the two men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up.

At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's. She has a roll of plush Red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles.

The two men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs.

The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Lena.

"I'm sorry," he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, "but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday...."

"Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles."

FairTax on Twitter

It's FairTax Friday - look at your paystub!

FairTax lowers true cost of new American cars removes the subsidy on foreign m... Read More: http://is.gd/1QKMU

FairTax.org

ABOUT THE FAIRTAX

The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment.

The FairTax Act (HR 25, S 296) is nonpartisan legislation. It abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities.

More information is available at http://www.fairtax. org or join the FairTax Indiana grassroots effort at http://infairtax. ning.com

What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?

It's Christmas, Eve!

What do you get when you cross a Christmas tree with an apple?

A pineapple.

HARD TIMES FOR THE HARD-HATS

"In arguing for his stimulus, Obama promised 'shovel-ready' jobs, which gave us the mental image of construction workers in hard hats repairing our highways and bridges. But while four out of five who lost their jobs were men, more than half the jobs created by the stimulus were for women in education or government, where no hard hats are needed.

"Two reasons explain this disconnect. The feminists had a tantrum and demanded stimulus jobs, and Obama wants to make more people dependent on government rather than the private sector (aka, socialism)."

- Columnist Phyllis Schlafly

CLUELESS WHEN IT COMES TO REAL JOB CREATION

"The Obama Administration desperately wants a strong economic recovery, or so it says, but does it have any idea how to encourage one? It says it wants job growth, but its policies keep raising the cost of creating new jobs. It says it wants small business to take risks, but it keeps reducing the rewards if those risks succeed. And it says it wants banks to lend more money, even as it keeps threatening to punish bankers if they make too many bad loans or make too much money."

- Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal, 12/15/09

WHAT'S THE RUSH?


"You might wonder: what's the rush on health care reform?" asks John Shadegg, Arizona Republican. "With little time to review or debate, and with no hope whatsoever to make any changes to the massive government takeover of health care, Democrats are hoping to cram as much junk into their legislation as possible, as fast as possible."

They also don't want you to find out that you're going to end up paying more for your health care insurance, despite promises by President B.O. to the contrary.

"In speech after speech," reported the New York Times on July 23, 2008, "Senator Barack Obama has vowed that he will lower the country's health care costs enough to 'bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family.'"

But as Congressman Shadegg points out, "the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has stated that health care premiums in the individual market will be 10 to 13 percent higher than under current law. That's an average increase of $300 for an individual policy, and $2,100 for a family policy."

"Do your friends and neighbors know their premiums will go up, not down?" Shadegg asks. "Do they know that not only will they be forced into a government plan, but they will have to pay more for what they don't want?"

They won't. Unless you and I tell them. And FAST!

Obama's Self-evaluation is Delusional

By David Limbaugh

December 15, 2009

It's bad enough for America that President Barack Obama is a committed far-left ideologue, but when you couple that with his narcissism, you've got a recipe for a major disaster.

He told Oprah Winfrey he deserves "a good solid B-plus" for his first year in office. The only things standing in his way for that coveted A are -- for the most part -- other people, such as evil Republicans who oppose socialized medicine.

It's obvious that Obama is as self-absorbed as he is delusional. While most Americans are worried about the financial destruction of our country and our resulting inability to bequeath our heirs a land of liberty, Obama is fretting over the stresses the job is placing on him.

"The biggest burden on me right now is that economic growth has happened, but job growth has not happened." Note the "burden on me." Similarly, he said his painfully belabored decision to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan hit him "in the gut."

Obama insists economic growth has returned and job recovery is just a matter of time, but many are not so sure of either. But all are sure that his unwavering debt path is unsustainable and suicidal.

When the George W. Bush economy was humming for almost eight years, Obama and his media friends gave Bush no credit because, they said, we were experiencing "jobless growth." These partisan charlatans characterized 4.5 percent unemployment as "joblessness." What does that make 10 percent -- especially in light of Obama's promise to keep it less than 8 percent?

Shouldn't Obama be held to the same standard that he and his liberal friends set for President Bush? A June 10, 2007, editorial by George F. Will had it just right: "In 2002, when (Bush's) tax cuts kicked in and the economy began 65 months -- so far -- of uninterrupted growth, critics said: But it is a 'jobless recovery,' (even though) the unemployment rate steadily declined (to) 4.5 percent."

Lawrence Kudlow wrote in 2006 that Democrats who proclaimed a "jobless recovery" in 2003 and 2004 "had to eat crow." "Right now," Kudlow wrote, "total employment in the U.S. stands at a record high of 144 million. This is a big number, just as 4.6 percent unemployment is a low number."

But despite the objectively positive data, liberals wouldn't permit any positive perspective on the Bush economy, to the point that they had convinced 64 percent of Americans (according to a Gallup Poll) that the economy was doing poorly.

National Review Online's Victor Davis Hanson affirmed the liberals' delusional naysaying on economic and foreign policy issues. He wrote: "For some time, a large number of Americans have lived in an alternate universe where everything is supposedly going to hell. If you get up in the morning to read the New York Times or Washington Post, watch John Murtha or Howard Dean on the morning talk shows, listen to National Public Radio at noon, and go to bed reading Newsweek it surely seems that the administration is incommunicado (cf. 'the bubble'), the war is lost ('unwinnable'), the Great Depression is back ('jobless recovery'), and America about as popular as Nazi Germany abroad ('alone and isolated')."

Yet Obama pats himself on the back because "we are on our way out of Iraq," and he thinks "we've got the best possible plan for Afghanistan."

How he can give himself credit for Iraq is beyond comprehension. He vigorously opposed the surge, which everyone acknowledges turned the war around, and he steadfastly refused to admit he was wrong. Our withdrawal from Iraq is only possible because wiser heads prevailed. As for Afghanistan, he ultimately made the right decision to listen to the generals -- partially. He refused to send the number of troops they requested, demoralized our forces and emboldened the enemy in needlessly delaying his decision, and telegraphed our lukewarm commitment to the war by setting a short-term withdrawal date just as he was increasing troop deployments.

How about Obama's restoration of America's image? Well, he's gone around the world telling people how terrible we are -- not exactly the smartest PR move. He's consistently insulted our greatest ally, Britain; a Wall Street Journal article this week notes that he snubbed Britain by failing to mention its support in Afghanistan while touting nations offering less support. He disses our ally Israel, treating it as a terrorist nation and demanding that it unilaterally cease settlements in a portion of its own land.

And how about Obama's promotion of cap and trade in the midst of ClimateGate, his refusal to back down on Obamacare despite 56 percent public opposition, and his plan to spend the billions of TARP repayments while the nation is on the brink of bankruptcy from his spending?

B-plus?

"Delusional" is an understatement.

---

David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His book "Bankrupt: The Intellectual and Moral Bankruptcy of Today's Democratic Party" was released recently in paperback. To find out more about David Limbaugh, please visit his Web site at www.DavidLimbaugh.com.

What do you get if you cross a setter and a pointer?

A pointsetter.

How do cats greet each other at Christmas?

"A furry merry Christmas and happy Mew Year!"

Elf Yourself!

Go to this site, upload a picture and you have transformed yourself into a dancing Elf! Have fun!

Petition to Deny Re-Confirmation of Ben Bernanke as Federal Reserve Chairman

Click below to sign a petition to NOT confirm Bernanke for another term as Chairman of the Fed. Go to the site indicated below to read the reasons in the site below.

Bernie Sanders, Vermont Senator

History of Christmas

Here's a link I found to the History Channel and their programs on Christmas. I have just recently "discovered" the History Channel and found lots of programs, individual shows, and series that hold my interest.

I think you'll like it. I did.

A soldier’s most precious Holiday gift — the sound of his loved ones.

“I love you!” “Daddy, I was in the school play!” “We’re so proud of you, Son.”

When you make it possible for a soldier to make a free call home for the Holidays, there’s no telling what will pass between him and his loved ones. But one thing will be certain. You’ll have done exactly what the Holidays are all about: bringing warmth and cheer to the people who need it most – our brave servicemen and women who miss their families. And to the families who can hear for themselves that Daddy or Mommy is doing all right.

You can’t give out prepaid phone cards yourself. But that’s okay. Every year, the USO hands out thousands of cards to our soldiers so they can call home. We’ve seen the smiles on their faces when they take a card. Sometimes we even get to see the big, wide, silly grins when they make the call.

Just a little contribution goes a long way. A $10 phone card lasts for thirty-minutes—time for plenty of catching up. A $20 phone card lasts a whole hour. Please give whatever you can.

~~~~~~~~~

Kitten says: Go and donate. These are the people who are making a huge sacrifice in being away from their loved ones during he most family oriented holiday on our calendar. I can't tell you how good you'll feel to know that you've provided a connection between a someone in our military and his or her family.

Just do it.

Did You Know?

According to a study conducted by the Beacon Hill Institute of Boston for the FairTax campaign, charitable donations would increase by approximately 0.89 percent (compared with the rate of contribution if the current system continues) immediately after the FairTax is enacted and would further increase by 2.4 percent within ten years and 4.99 percent after twenty years.

A FairTax Hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee

The FairTax campaign will be taking our message to the heart of Congressional power over the income tax system in the coming weeks and months.

At the center of Congressional power over the federal tax code is the House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Rep. Charles Rangel of New York City. The power to pick winners and losers in the current tax system, grant tax favors, punish political opponents, manipulate citizen and business behavior, and amend the tax code itself rests with this most powerful House committee.

Power over a tax system that collects more than two-and-a-half trillion dollars a year makes members of this committee among the most influential in the Congressional hierarchy. They are highly sought after by tax lobbyists seeking favors, business leaders seeking relief, and interest groups with a tax agenda. It is a power that is jealously guarded by Congress and has been actively used by those on the Ways and Means Committee.

Since historic tax reform and simplification efforts by Ronald Reagan in the early 1980’s, tens of thousands of changes to the tax code have occurred--averaging about three per day for each day Congress has been in session. Staffers on this committee are among the best paid in Congress; time on the Ways and Means Committee almost guarantees lucrative future salaries from Washington, D.C. tax lobby firms for these staffers and retiring or defeated members of Congress. These are powerful incentives against adoption of the FairTax, which eliminates both the role of tax lobbyists and Congressional manipulation of the tax code. It makes all the more remarkable the courage and vision of John Linder, the original House sponsor of FairTax legislation, who serves on the Ways and Means Committee and provides hope that reason and merit can trump Congressional self-interest.

The FairTax has the potential to quickly heal the national economic crisis, create millions of needed jobs, attract trillions of dollars of new investment into our economy, and a establish tax system that is fair, simple, and transparent. These merits of the FairTax serve as a powerful rallying cry to those who elect members of Congress serving on this and every other Congressional committee. With the help of hundreds of thousands of FairTax supporters, we will be bringing these arguments to the Ways and Means Committee over the coming months.

We begin with a sensible and respectful request to those who are elected to represent us: schedule an open, fair, and balanced hearing on the merits and potential of the FairTax. Allow experts and citizens alike an equal time with detractors to explain and defend the research and philosophy of a better national tax system. Together, we will raise the voice of FairTax supporters across the nation in seeking a fair hearing on how the FairTax can help every American, create a new era of American growth and prosperity, and eliminate the destructive effects of a badly broken national tax system.

ABOUT THE FAIRTAX

The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment.

The FairTax Act (HR 25, S 296) is nonpartisan legislation. It abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities.

More information is available at http://www.fairtax. org or join the FairTax Indiana grassroots effort at http://infairtax. ning.com

FairTax on Twitter

It's FairTax Friday - look at your paystub!

Fairtax makes our exports more competitive overseas, it lowers our balance of trade deficit; increases employment at home.

FairTax.org

ABOUT THE FAIRTAX

The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment.

The FairTax Act (HR 25, S 296) is nonpartisan legislation. It abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities.

More information is available at http://www.fairtax. org or join the FairTax Indiana grassroots effort at http://infairtax. ning.com

Dog Mistletoe

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

- George Orwell

Two of the Navy SEALs who in September captured the terrorist who masterminded the murder of four civilian food delivery contractors in Iraq, burned their bodies, dragged them through the streets and then hung them from a bridge in Fallujah were arraigned today - Pearl Harbor Day! - for allegedly punching his in the stomach and giving him a fat lip. A third SEAL will be arraigned later.

Their court martial trials are scheduled for next month.

This, my fellow Americans, is a FAR GREATER outrage than Harry Reid shooting off his mouth. The White House, the Pentagon, the Defense Department and the Congress should all be ashamed of themselves for letting this continue.

Muth's News & Views

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, my, so this terrorist was punched in the belly and got a fat lip. You know, I really feel for him...NOT. He caused the deaths of four people and the Seals who captured him are awaiting Court Martial for punching him. Those Seals deserve medals because that's ALL they did to him. If they are found guilty, the United States is indeed in a lot of trouble.

I really can't describe how angry I am that these fine men are facing what they are facing simply because they punched this....this...person. Under normal circumstances, I don't hold with roughing up a captured person, either by Law Enforcement or by the Military. I think it's beneath their dignity to do so. But there are times when I happily cheer them on. And this is one of them. The four who were killed were civilians, not even military, trying to help the citizens of Iraq. Doing what amounted to humanitarian work and for that they were killed and then their bodies mutilated. Some fine citizens of Iraq - the people they were trying to help - plotted, planned, and then carried it out. Why do we bother? Sometimes I wonder.

I just hope the officers hearing this Court Martial don't listen to the media who are howling for the skins of these Seals. The most they deserve is maybe some loss of pay or whatever is the very least punishment available. This - person - sustained less injury than if he had been in a bar brawl.

FOXNews.com - December 07, 2009

Reid Compares Opponents of Health Care Reform to Supporters of Slavery

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung to the institution of slavery more than a century ago.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung to the institution of slavery more than a century ago.

The Nevada Democrat, in a sweeping set of accusations on the Senate floor, also compared health care foes to those who opposed women's suffrage and the civil rights movement -- even though it was Sen. Strom Thurmond, then a Democrat, who unsuccessfully tried to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and it was Republicans who led the charge against slavery.

Senate Republicans on Monday called Reid's comments "offensive" and "unbelievable."

But Reid argued that Republicans are using the same stalling tactics employed in the pre-Civil War era.

"Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.' If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right," Reid said Monday. "When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said 'slow down, it's too early, things aren't bad enough.'"

He continued: "When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted they simply, slow down, there will be a better day to do that, today isn't quite right.

"When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today."

That seemed to be a reference to Thurmond's famous 1957 filibuster -- the late senator switched parties several years later.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Reid's remarks were over the top.

"That is extremely offensive," he told Fox News. "It's language that should never be used, never be used. ... Those days are not here now."

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., suggested Reid was starting to "crack" under the pressure of the health care reform debate.

"I think it's beneath the dignity of the majority leader," Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said. "I personally am insulted."

Another Failed Presidency

Barack Obama is on track to have the most spectacularly failed presidency since Woodrow Wilson.

In the modern era, we've seen several failed presidencies--led by Jimmy Carter and LBJ. Failed presidents have one strong common trait-- they are repudiated, in the vernacular, spat out. Of course, LBJ wisely took the exit ramp early, avoiding a shove into oncoming traffic by his own party. Richard Nixon indeed resigned in disgrace, yet his reputation as a statesman has been partially restored by his triumphant overture to China.

George Bush Jr didn't fail so much as he was perceived to have been too much of a patrician while being uncomfortable with his more conservative allies. Yet George Bush Sr is still perceived as a man of uncommon decency, loyal to the enduring American character of rugged self-determination, free markets, and generosity. George W will eventually be treated more kindly by historians as one whose potential was squashed by his own compromise of conservative principles, in some ways repeating the mistakes of his father, while ignoring many lessons in executive leadership he should have learned at Harvard Business School. Of course George W could never quite overcome being dogged from the outset by half of the nation convinced he was electorally illegitimate -- thus aiding the resurgence of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.

But, Barack Obama is failing. Failing big. Failing fast. And failing everywhere: foreign policy, domestic initiatives, and most importantly, in forging connections with the American people. The incomparable Dorothy Rabinowitz in the Wall Street Journal put her finger on it: He is failing because he has no understanding of the American people, and may indeed loathe them. Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard says he is failing because he has lost control of his message, and is overexposed. Clarice Feldman of American Thinker produced a dispositive commentary showing that Obama is failing because fundamentally he is neither smart nor articulate; his intellectual dishonesty is conspicuous by its audacity and lack of shame.

But, there is something more seriously wrong: How could a new president riding in on a wave of unprecedented promise and goodwill have forfeited his tenure and become a lame duck in six months? His poll ratings are in free fall. In generic balloting, the Republicans have now seized a five point advantage. This truly is unbelievable. What's going on?

No narrative. Obama doesn't have a narrative. No, not a narrative about himself. He has a self-narrative, much of it fabricated, cleverly disguised or written by someone else. But this self-narrative is isolated and doesn't connect with us. He doesn't have an American narrative that draws upon the rest of us. All successful presidents have a narrative about the American character that intersects with their own where they display a command of history and reveal an authenticity at the core of their personality that resonates in a positive endearing way with the majority of Americans. We admire those presidents whose narratives not only touch our own, but who seem stronger, wiser, and smarter than we are. Presidents we admire are aspirational peers, even those whose politics don't align exactly with our own: Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Harry Truman, Ike, Reagan.

But not this president. It's not so much that he's a phony, knows nothing about economics, is historically illiterate, and woefully small minded for the size of the task-- all contributory of course. It's that he's not one of us. And whatever he is, his profile is fuzzy and devoid of content, like a cardboard cutout made from delaminated corrugated paper. Moreover, he doesn't command our respect and is unable to appeal to our own common sense. His notions of right and wrong are repugnant and how things work just don't add up. They are not existential. His descriptions of the world we live in don't make sense and don't correspond with our experience.

In the meantime, while we've been struggling to take a measurement of this man, he's dissed just about every one of us--financiers, energy producers, banks, insurance executives, police officers, doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, post office workers, and anybody else who has a non-green job. Expect Obama to lament at his last press conference in 2012: "For those of you I offended, I apologize. For those of you who were not offended, you just didn't give me enough time; if only I'd had a second term, I could have offended you too."

Mercifully, the Founders at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 devised a useful remedy for such a desperate state--staggered terms for both houses of the legislature and the executive. An equally abominable Congress can get voted out next year. With a new Congress, there's always hope of legislative gridlock until we vote for president again two short years after that.

Yes, small presidents do fail, Barack Obama among them. The coyotes howl but the wagon train keeps rolling along.

[editor's note: The author is not the not the same person as Geoffrey P Hunt, who works at the Institute for Scientific Analysis as a senior research scientist.]

Louise's First Christmas

This article is true and was submitted to a 1999 Louisville Sentinel contest to find out who had the wildest Christmas dinner. It won first prize.

As a joke, my brother used to hang a pair of panty hose over his fireplace before Christmas. He said all he wanted was for Santa to fill them. What they say about Santa checking the list twice must be true because every Christmas morning, although Jay's kids' stockings were overflowed, his poor pantyhose hung sadly empty.

One year I decided to make his dream come true. I put on sunglasses and went in search of an inflatable love doll. They don't sell those things at Wal-Mart. I had to go to an adult bookstore downtown. If you've never been in an X-rated store, don't go. You'll only confuse yourself. I was there an hour saying things like, "What does this do?" "You're kidding me!" "Who would buy that?" Finally, I made it to the inflatable doll section. I wanted to buy a standard, uncomplicated doll that could also substitute as a passenger in my truck so I could use the car pool lane during rush hour. Finding what I wanted was difficult. Love dolls come in many different models. The top of the line, according to the side of the box, could do things I'd only seen in a book on animal husbandry. I settled for 'Lovable Louise." She was at the bottom of the price scale. To call Louise a "doll" took a huge leap of imagination.

On Christmas Eve, with the help of an old bicycle pump, Louise came to life. My sister-in-law was in on the plan and let me in during the wee morning hours, long after Santa had come and gone, I filled the dangling pantyhose with Louise's pliant legs and bottom. I also ate some cookies and drank what remained of a glass of milk on a nearby tray. I went home, and giggled for a couple of hours. The next morning my brother called to say that Santa had been to his house and left a present that had made him VERY happy but had left the dog confused. She would bark, start to walk away, then come back and bark some more.

We all agreed that Louise should remain in her pantyhose so the rest of the family could admire her when they came over for the traditional Christmas dinner. My grandmother noticed Louise the moment she walked in the door. "What the hell is that?" she asked. My brother quickly explained, "It's a doll." "Who would play with something like that?" Granny snapped. I had several candidates in mind, but kept my mouth shut. "Where are her clothes?" Granny continued. "Boy, that turkey sure smells nice, Gran," Jay said, trying to steer her into the dining room. But Granny was relentless. "Why doesn't she have any teeth?" Again, I could have answered, but why would I? It was Christmas and no one wanted to ride in the back of the ambulance saying,"Hang on Granny! Hang on!" My grandfather, a delightful old man with poor eyesight, sidled up to me and said, " Hey, who's the naked gal by the fireplace?" I told him she was Jay's friend.

A few minutes later I noticed Grandpa by the mantel, talking to Louise. Not just talking, but actually flirting. It was then that we realized this might be Grandpa's last Christmas at home.

The dinner went well. We made the usual small talk about who had died, who was dying, and who should be killed, when suddenly Louise made a noise that sounded a lot like my father in the bathroom in the morning. Then she lurched from the pantyhose, flew around the room twice, and fell in a heap in front of the sofa. The cat screamed. I passed cranberry sauce through my nose, and Grandpa ran across the room, fell to his knees, and began administering mouth to mouth resuscitation. My brother fell back over his chair and wet his pants and Granny threw down her napkin, stomped out of the room, and sat in the car.

It was indeed a Christmas to treasure and remember.

Later in my brother's garage, we conducted a thorough examination and found the cause of Louise's collapse. We discovered that Louise had suffered from a hot amber to the back of her right thigh. Fortunately, thanks to a wonder drug called duct tape, we restored her to perfect health. Louise went on to star in several bachelor party movies. I think Grandpa still calls her whenever he can get out of the house.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember:

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS

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I'm labeling this "Columnists and Commentators" for what I think are obvious reasons.

I can't improve on this, so I won't even comment other than to say, You rock, Jesus!!

Jesus is welcome to post here anytime.