“It does not make sense from a prioritization point of view for us to focus on recreational drug users in a state that has already said that under state law that’s legal,” Obama told ABC News during an interview.

“At this point [in] Washington and Colorado, you’ve seen the voters speak on this issue. And, as it is, the federal government has a lot to do when it comes to criminal prosecutions.”

Still, the Department of Justice remains vigilante in informing the public that marijuana remains a controlled substance by the federal government, and when asked if Drug Enforcement Administration agents were arresting people in possession of pot, spokeswoman Dawn Dearden stated that the “DEA’s focus has always been to disrupt and dismantle large-scale drug trafficking organization – not to arrest individual users.”

Obama expanded upon legalized marijuana in Washington and Colorado by saying it’s “a tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the law.” He went on to say that lawmakers and Congress must have a conversation about how to mesh the aforementioned states’ laws with the current federal ones.

Obama asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to examine the issue. Earlier this week Holder said, “I think we will come up with a policy that will be respective of federal law buy also will make sure we are effective in our fight against crime that truly has an impact on the American people.”

While Obama’s comments on legalized marijuana give Washington and Colorado pot users something to be happy about, the rest of the country continues pondering how this strange legal situation will play out, and if other states will legalize pot, too.

By the evening of March 4, 2012, numerous sponsors had announced they were discontinuing their advertising campaigns with Rush Limbaugh and his associated Clear Channel.

Rush Limbaugh Birth Control Audio

Here is Rush Limbaugh’s Apology Audio Transcript

There’s a lot of political involvement in this decision.  Opponents tried to cut off funding for horse meat inspections, however Congress lifted the ban in a spending bill President Barack Obama signed into law Nov. 18 to keep the government afloat until mid-December.  This means there may be a slaughterhouse opening very soon.

Opponents also say  that if these horse slaughterhouses were to go live taxpayers would need to spend money since there is no allocated funding.

Of course many horse activists despise this decision, however there are some that feel the horses are being neglected due to the economy and a variety of other factors.

Cheri White Owl, founder of the nonprofit Horse Feathers Equine Rescue in Guthrie, Okla., said she’s seen more horse neglect during the recession. Her group is caring for 33 horses now and can’t accept more.

“A lot of the situation is due to the economy,” she said, “People deciding to pay their mortgage or keep their horse.”

Some also make the argument that slaughtering a horse is inhumane and a very cruel process.  I agree here, there’s no doubt that it is cruel, however what do you think happens when we slaughter cows, chickens or other animals we eat.  What do you think we did hundreds of years ago when we killed animals for food?  Do you think they worried so much about how the animals felt or did they just do what was necessary to survive?  I can’t imagine they had humane ways of slaughtering animals for food.

SOPA stands for the Stop Online Piracy Act. It is one of two bills being considered by congress today. The other is theProtect-IP Act.  They are well-intentioned. They want to prevent piracy and copyright infringement. But they do so in an overly-aggressive, innovation-endangering way. They allow the entertainment industry to censor sites they feel “engage in, enable or facilitate” infringement.

Mozilla Helps Stop SOPA

Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could profoundly affect the future of the internet. It’s called the Stop Online Piracy Act.

The fact is that this legislation as written won’t stop piracy. But it would pose a serious threat to social media and user generated content sites (like YouTube) across the internet. It could also undermine some of the core technical systems underlying the internet, creating new cybersecurity risks.

As a non-profit committed to keeping the web open and accessible to all, Mozilla wants to ensure that this legislation does not jeopardize the foundational structure of the Internet.

So we’ve done two things so far:

1) Earlier this week, we wrote a joint letter with Facebook, Google, Twitter, eBay, Yahoo! and other technology companies publicly opposing this legislation — and placed ads in various influential newspapers across the country.

2) We also joined other organizations in a day of action on November 16th — when hearings were being held in the U.S. House — to draw attention to the issue and get people to contact their representatives.

But these are only the first steps toward ensuring that the proposed legislation does not pass as currently written.

If you’d like to get involved, please sign up using the form on the right. We’ll be in touch with ways to help in this campaign along with our other efforts to defend and improve the Web.

If you are not in the U.S., please pass this page along to anyone you know in the States — and I’d encourage you to sign up anyway, to stay informed about what we’re up to.

Sign up to help stop SOPA!

The problem is the U.S. government is about to run out of money.

And if Congress can’t figure out whether to raise the debt ceiling or not, there really won’t be any money left for the U.S. government to borrow.

So what is the most powerful nation in the world to do?

Well… they could borrow money from Apple.

Apple right now has more money (on hand cash) than the United States Government.

According to BI, Apple recently declared financial results for the third quarter that showed the company had $76.2 billion (£46.8bn) in cash and marketable securities at the end of last month.

In comparison, the latest statement from the U.S. Treasury shows that the government had $73.8 billion (£45.3bn) at the end of the day yesterday.

So with Apple having more money than the U.S. Government, taking out a loan from Apple might be a good option, right?

But then I got to thinking about this scenario.  It’s actually a bit scary to me that a company like Apple would have more cash than the United States government.

After all, doesn’t our government need to pay for things like national security, medicare, and other essential elements that allow us to live in a civilized society?

What do you think about Apple having more money than the United States government?

Groupon also stated in their new privacy policy that they will use geo-locational information to market its online deals to users.

All of the above has now gained the attention of law markers in Washington who have now requested direct information from Groupon regarding this matter.

According to the Washington Post, Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Tex.) have sent a letter to Groupon asking for more information on changes it made to its privacy policy to share demographics, social and geolocation data with its business partners.

“According to the article, Groupon will dramatically expand the categories of personal information it collects and shares with its partners,” Markey and Barton wrote. “As co-chairmen of the bi-partisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, we would like to gain greater insight into Groupon’s privacy policies.”

via WP

Verizon is taking steps to get ahead of the new drama and legal action surrounding location tracking with smartphones like the iPhone and Android smartphones. In a letter to congress, Verizon spelled out details on its tracking methods, why it tracks, how it uses the data, and the purposes behind the use. It all makes sense, actually – I mean, how in the world did you think your Google Maps app actually worked?  Regardless, Verizon will now be placing a huge, ridiculous looking sticker on iPhones that customers will have to remove.  Again, this is Verizon trying to hedge against any potential litigation that could be heading its way.

via Verizon Document

For President Barack Obama, his Presidency was all about “Change”!  Change that needed to come to Washington, “Change” that was going turn around the unemployment rate, and “Change” that was, once and for all, end the politics that plagues our capital.

But with the new budget crisis, and the fact that our Federal government was about an hour away from complete shut down, does this bode well for President Barack Obama’s message of “Change”?

I have to believe, no wait… I’m convinced, that the GOP is already  fully capitalizing on this opportunity to hammer the President for his lack of leadership in Washington.

And it’s really just a matter of time – and perhaps it’s already there and I just haven’t seen it yet – before YouTube fills up with GOP attacks on the President.

So is this a reflection of Barack Obama’s lack of leadership as the President?

I believe so, yes…

While He (the President) should have been in Washington leading from the White House as the President of the United States, he was in Philadelphia talking with energy workers.  And while he should have been leading from the front with a budget for the Federal Government, he was planning a vacation with his family.

But is it all the President’s fault?

Of course not… the congress is as much to blame.

I’m just saying that it doesn’t look very good on a President who campaigned, and was elected, on the message that “Change Would Come” – when clearly it hasn’t.

image from NYTimes

This is a great idea, in my opinion!

The British Parliament is getting ready to vote on the issue of allowing politicians to use Twitter actively during debate sessions in the House of Commons.  In my opinion, Twitter facilitates instant feedback from constituents that could be invaluable to politicians who are having debates on the very laws that will govern the people. This real time feedback can help the politicians in parliament understand their constituents better, and represent their views and opinions more effectively during debate.

A new report from the Parliament Procedure Committee favors the Members of Parliament using microblogging service Twitter during debates says this,

“Finally, it has to be acknowledged that electronic devices are ubiquitous now in a way that even four years ago was not the case. Banning them from the chamber might make the House appear out of touch with modern life and would mean that those in the chamber would be the last to know of breaking news widely available on the internet,” the report said.

“We therefore conclude that Members should be allowed to use electronic hand-held devices for any purpose when in the chamber whilst not speaking, and that the current ban on the use of hand-held electronic devices as an aide memoire, whilst speaking in a debate, should be ended.”

What do you think about this issue?

Should politicians be allowed to use Twitter during debates in the House of Commons?

U.S. politicians use Twitter frequently. Exactly how much is utilized during debates in Congress is something I’m not sure about, but obviously U.S. politicians see its value to communicate and receive feedback from constituents.

via PC World, image via comicba on Flickr

The next Sarah Palin may be rising from the ranks of South Dakato. Kristi Noem, and Tea Party member from South Dakota, has raised raised $1.1 million in campaign funds. This sets the record for the most funds raised by any Republican House challenger in the United States.

Only 38 years old, and a mother of 3 children, Kristi Noem has already raised twice as much money as her Democratic incumbent opponent, U.S. Representative Herseth Sandlin, according to ABC News.

In fact, the amount of money that Kristi Noem has raised in the past 3 months is more than Herseth Sandlin has raised in 2006 and 2008 combined.

via NYDailyNews

Federal authorities are reportedly going to indict Roger Clemens on charges of perjury for making false statements to Congress while under oath about his use of “performance enhancing drugs.” It was not quite three years ago when Roger Clemens and his former trainer, Brian McNamee, where summoned to Washington D.C. to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. During the testimony before Congress, Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee were making contradictory statements about Clemens’ use of banned substances.

Watch for the official news to be hitting soon.

Thoughts?

via New York Times

So it’s all come to this – tomorrow morning it’s expected that the historic Wall Street reform bill will be voted on around 10:30am, and more than likely will pass.

Sen. Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat was one of the Senators that was seemingly on the fence about which way he would vote on the legislation. But according to BIC, today he spoke out with this:

“Nebraska taxpayers have already been asked to bail out banks and now we must protect them from future abuses by Wall Street that cost thousands of Nebraskans and millions of Americans their jobs, savings and financial security,” Nelson said in a press release Tuesday announcing his support for the bill. “I will support the Wall Street reform bill to end bailouts, add common-sense consumer protections and make sure that Nebraska Main Street businesses are not adversely affected as we rein in recklessness on Wall Street.”

From HuffPost Hill – It’s been a little less than two years since major Wall Street banks brought the global financial system to the brink of collapse, triggering a steep economic decline and crisis-levels of unemployment. Now, the last time they did that, they wiped themselves so clean off the map that they had little clout to battle Democrats. The SEC and Glass-Steagall were the result. This time around, Congress bailed them out so they were in good enough shape to lobby against the inevitable reform effort. Still, the bill could’ve been much worse, and began improving after Goldman Sachs got itself indicted and the debate was held out in the open on the Senate floor. And the most influential (non)senator may well have beenthe labor-backed Bill Halter, whose primary challenge prodded Blanche Lincoln to slash away at Wall Street. Her derivatives package will cost major banks billions, money that will be redirected into the real economy. Not bad for a $10 million investment.
If the GOP feels like obstructing, it can stave off a vote on final passage until Saturday, but word is they have no plan to do so. The vote should go down around 10:30 a.m.

BP Oil Spill Live Feed Of Leak Site (Live View)

CNN has come up with an amazing live video feed of the cleanup site of the BP oil spill. The live feed of the cleanup site shows the mechanical arms of the robots working on the cap of the leaking oil pipe.

This live feed shows the efforts of BP and how the mechanics of the operation is unfolding in real time.

Click Here for live video feed of BP cleanup site

Over 3 million barrels of oil has spilled into the Gulf of Mexico so far and the only real relief in sight is coming in August when BP wells are expected to be complete.

In other BP oil spill news, Congress has just passed legislation lifting a cap on the amount of claims and damages that can be awarded to victims.

This legislation by Congress can open the door to a substantial financial blow to BP’s bottom line as lawyers are now going to seek to maximize the damage claims.

With legislation like this, can we expect to see BP actually be drawn to the brink of bankruptcy as a result of the BP oil spill?

Senator Robert Byrd Dead – West Virginia Governor The Replacement?

The longest serving Senator in United States history – Senator Robert Byrd – has died at the age of 92. Senator Robert Byrd has served more terms in the US Senate, cast more congressional votes, and has been in leadership over more controversial issues than any other Senator in US history.

Senator Byrd was taken to the hospital last week as it was feared he was suffering from symptoms of heat exhaustion and severe dehydration as temperatures in the Washington area approached 100 degrees.

Initial reports were that Senator Byrd would only have to remain hospitalized for a few days. However, doctors started to report “unexpected” conditions arising in the Senator’s condition.

At approximately 3am on Monday, June 28 2010, Senator Robert Byrd was pronounced dead.

Senator Byrd has been serving in the United Senate since January 1959 as a democrat.

From a political standpoint, Senator Byrd’s absence presents a challenge to the Democrats with key votes coming in the financial overhaul bill and other battles looming in the Senate.

The Democrats do not want to find themselves short handed with it’s time to vote, especially with mid term elections coming as well. The Democrats are going to need all the help (and all the votes) they can get.

Senator Robert Byrd Video

Has the Democratic Representative from North Carolina Bob Etheridge completely lost his mind? The video below is quite frankly unbelievable, and in my opinion a disgrace.

Representative Bob Etheridge, Democratic from North Carolina went off on a couple of college students that were making a video as Bob Etheridge was walking down the street.

As Rep. Bob Etheridge walked down the street in Washington, a couple of college kids with a video camera approached him and simply asked “do you fully support the Obama agenda?”

And then Bob Etheridge turned around, got in the face of the guy holding the camera and then it looked like he actually slapped the camera guy, along with is camera.

Then Bob Etheridge started to grab the kid, squeezing his arm and then squeezing his neck.

The two people will only identify as students and say they are “just here for a project.” In the video, the face of the student in the shot with Ethridge is blurred.

“I have a right to know who you are,” the congressman says, holding one man’s arm. The pair refuse to tell him where they are from and repeat that “all we are is students.”

This video is unbelievable – so check it out below.

And post your comments and thoughts below.

Rep. Bob Etheridge attacks kids with video camera:

Senators, Congressmen, Governors, and Celebrities – who’s next?

Nikita Khrushchev, the former premier of the USSR, made a provocative statement that seems to be coming to fruition in our country today.  He said that they, Russia, would bury the capitalist and that it would be done without firing a shot.

“You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright; but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you will finally wake up and find that you already have Communism. We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy, until you fall like overripe fruit into our hands.” (Excerpts from a speech by Secretary of Agriculture under the Eisenhower Administration, Ezra Taft Benson – attributed to Khrushchev)

The way things are going, it’s not going to be Communism that we have to worry about.  It’s not going to be “socialism” that takes this country down.  It’s going to be “immoral-ism”…

The Republicans are pointing fingers at the Democrats and the Obama Administration for heading the country toward that socialistic government that Khrushchev mentioned.  The war cry of the Republican Party is that we need to get out the vote and replace the current administration and Democratic controlled congress.

The problem is that Republican chances of making a dent in the legislative process is dwindling one Senator/Congressman at a time.  This time it was another Republican leader who could not control his sex drive.  Seems like every time we turn around another Republican is having to resign their position.  Their reason is either publically announced immorality or an obscure reason that they “don’t want to talk about.”

The Democrats aren’t blameless.  They have their congressional failures in controlling their passions.

If the Republicans don’t stop shooting themselves in the foot, they can kiss their chances of party-majority reversal good-bye.  Although not “without sin” most Republican voters are conservative in their politics and their morals.

If the voters begin to feel that those Republicans in office or running for office don’t have the same values and morals that should be exemplified in the public arena – they will look else-where for their candidates.

Mark Shouder Affairs Became Trends | Resign From Congress. Mark Shouder affairs become hot issue today. Politic situation of Mark Shouder has change. Mark Shouder can’t resist his existence on politics. As the 2010 congressional campaign goes into full swing, news is bustin’ out all over this morning.

Mark Souder will resign from Congress as a result of an affair with a female staffer, filmed a video interview about abstinence only education with that same staffer.

Mark Shouder give statement before announcing his resignation, Mark Souder admitted the affair took place with a “part-time member of my staff.” GOP sources identified the woman that Souder had the affair with as Tracy Meadows Jackson. Jackson has been a part-time employee on Souder’s staff since Dec. 2004, according to House financial disbursement records. Jackson could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.

Before he found himself standing in front of  the House Ethics Committee, Rep. Mark Souder is said to be taking the steps to go ahead and resign his post after serving eight terms.  The affair is allegedly with a 45 year old staffer who worked for Rep. Mark Souder.

Multiple senior House sources indicated that the extent of the affair with the 45-year-old staffer would have landed Souder before the House Ethics Committee.

Elected as a family values conservative as part of the Republican revolution in 1994, Souder survived a tough re-election challenge in 2008 and survived a contested primary two weeks ago.

Souder was absent from Washington most of last week, missing multiple votes and only voting on Thursday.

Souder’s resignation would make him the second lawmaker to step down in less than two months. In March, former Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) resigned amid allegations that he sexually harassed male staffers. Massa’s case is now before the House Ethics Committee.

What do you think?

So what are your thoughts about Rep. Mark Souder and his resignation as a result of this alleged affair?

Beginning December 31, 2011, the following provisions will change:  1.) Incorporated payees will no longer be exempted from 1099-Misc reporting; 2.) Payments for property (goods, materials, merchandise, supplies, etc.) will no longer be exempted from 1099-Misc reporting; 3.) there will be a six fold increase in penalties from $250,000 to $1.5 million for non-compliance; and, 4.) there will be a doubling of B-Notice penalties from $50 per record to $100 per record.

From a practical standpoint, what does all this mean for small businesses and how will it effect you?  First, you will be required to file 1099’s on all “for-profit” companies that sell either services or goods, regardless of incorporated status .  At my company, I easily estimate a five-fold increase in forms to file.   This could be a very conservative estimate, especially since you will now have to “1099”  Sam’s Club and every other similar vendor for  supplies purchased to operate your business.  Continuing this example, with postage at $0.44 per stamp (not for long!), postage costs would increase proportionately as well as costs for perforated tax forms and mailing envelopes.  What if the IRS imposed a $1.5 million penalty? – just forget about it – what small business could stand after this judgment!  And finally, if you’ve ever had the privilege to read a B-Notice, it includes the most obtuse language imaginable.  But get one Taxpayer Identification Number (“TIN”) wrong, which by the way is not hard to do, and you get to pay double the penalty.  All in the guise of improving greater compliance to the tax code.  Can anyone say “Fair Tax”?

“I want to be with a party that’s for something instead of against everything.” According to a recent poll, that seems to be the key decision maker aimed toward the November elections.

Democrats hold a 254-177 majority over Republicans in the House, with four vacancies.  Democrats control 59 of the Senate’s 100 seats, with two independents.  If the Republicans want to change those numbers, they need to focus on issues instead of rhetoric.

The Democrats have changed tactics in the wake of recent defeats, and that is swinging the attitudes of many Americans.  Even though the GOP gained political momentum in recent months – and its leaders hope to win control of at least one chamber of Congress this November –  since April many voters are leaning toward  Democrats controlling Congress after this fall’s elections.

The margin is thin – 45 percent to 40 percent preference for a Democratic Congress.  A possible reason – Democrats are doing a better job of convincing the populace they are the party that cares about issues that hit hard on every wallet – whether the facts verify it or not.  The Democrats are taking advantage of reports of improved jobless rates, even though the jobless figures are not convincing of an improvement in joblessness.  (Many of the created jobs in April are temporary government jobs such as the Census count.)

“To the extent that Democrats can focus on job creation rather than health care, they tend to do better,” said Jack Pitney, a political scientist at California’s Claremont McKenna College.  (Associated Press)

Only about a third want their own lawmakers re-elected.  36 percent said they want their own member of Congress to win re-election this fall.

One reason for the reduction in Republican favor is that many within the Republican party (the voters of the party) have begun to become disenchanted with the party leadership.  Their thoughts are that the Republican elite have left the true roots of the party.  Most Republican voters are conservative in thought.

Over the years, especially since the Reagan era, the voters have watched the party-elected “strattle” fences.   Republican voters are beginning to feel cheated – sending elected officials to Washington to represent their conservative beliefs – only to see them waffle on the issues and not make a firm stand.

If the Republican party desires to take back Congress are to come to fruition, the party must begin to listen to their constituents, and make stands on issues with the intent of improvement not argument.

Leave the waffles at Waffle House and IHop.

The following is from an email that I received.

Here is your chance to show your dissatisfaction with Congress by letting others know that you will “Remember in November” and are no longer going to sit by and do nothing.

AFA is placing hundreds of iVote billboards all across America. It’s a constant reminder to lawmakers that Americans are outraged by the abuse of power in Washington. We must keep the momentum going by letting others know there is something they can do about the mess in Washington. In strong solidarity, we will remind elected officials that their power is derived from the governed! That’s us. WE THE PEOPLE!

In November, we will have the opportunity to let Washington experience firsthand the will of the American electorate. Thirty-six seats will be determined in the U.S. Senate in the November election. Representatives only serve two-year terms, so all 435 seats in the House are up for grabs.

Visit the iVote Billboard website.

Become a part of the iVote campaign to help us get more boards in more places!  By supporting AFA’s iVote billboard campaign, you will be helping to send a message to Congress that the American people will decide the direction of our country, not Washington.

(American Family Association.)

There are 5 You Cut Project that you can vote on the Republican Whip YouCut page, but unfortunately there is no details and clear instructions about this online vote. One of our reader said

YouCut needs clearer instructions (vote for only one?). I had to do some checking to discover that you vote for only one item. Please amend the instructions asap. It may discourage anyone from voting. (Joy)

What do you think? Spread your words about You Cut project!

About You Cute Vote online, here is the details of each You Cute Project, and detail text You Cut vote by short messages.

You Cut Vote

YOUCUT – Republican Whip Eric Cantor introduces You Cut two days ago, a project of the economic recovery group and today all people want to know the details of this new program. Named “You Cut” means peoples involved to cut Washington’s culture of spending into a culture of savings

According to Republican Whip about YouCut

YouCut – a first-of-its-kind project – is designed to defeat the permissive culture of runaway spending in Congress. It allows you to vote, both online and on your cell phone, on spending cuts that you want to see the House enact. Vote on this page today for your priorities and together we can begin to change Washington’s culture of spending into a culture of savings.

You Cut Program

1. Presidential Election Fund ($260 million in savings)
2. Taxpayer Subsidized Union Activities ($600 million in savings)
3. HUD Program for Doctoral Dissertations ($1 million in savings)
4. New Non-Reformed Welfare Program ($2.5 billion in savings)
5. Eliminate Wealthier Communities from CDBG ($2.6 billion in saving)

Check the details of each YouCut program at Republican Whip YouCut . Now is time to Vote You Cut !

**Update

You Cute Vote Page

[ Link ]

Please retweet , share to Facebook, Buzz it, Digg it or Stumble it, so people can Vote You Cut project! Read more related articles below the ads.

Generally speaking, small business owners prefer community banks to transact business.  There is a common myth that supporting the community banks helps keep money in the local economy.  And while there is something special about conducting business on a first name basis with your banker, the reality is many smaller banks are standing on weak foundations due to unsafe or unsound banking practices.  If the time has arrived for you to assess whether your lender has become a stumbling block to your future financial success, where can you go to find out more information before making the decision to change banks?

Through trial and error, I discovered the information is readily available one click away on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC“) website.  The FDIC is an independent agency created by Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation’s financial system.

The FDIC maintains a current list of failed banks and gives instructions to account holders and vendors affected by bank closings.  If your bank has not been closed and is still operating, search the FDIC website for Enforcement Decisions and Orders issued to your bank specifying any wrong doing and corrective actions that the bank is ordered to comply.  Then prepare yourself – it is within the details of these orders you may find the real reason your loan request has not been approved, but at least you will have objective information if you decide to shop for a new lender.

Less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the religious symbol to remain on federal land, thieves have stolen a cross in the Mojave Desert that was built to honor Americans who died in war.

The 7-foot-high cross was stolen late Sunday or early Monday by thieves who cut the metal bolts that attached the symbol to a rock in the sprawling desert preserve, National Park Service spokeswoman Linda Slater said.

“The American Legion expects whoever is responsible for this vile act to be brought to justice,” said Clarence Hill, the group’s national commander. “While the memorial has been attacked, the fight will continue to ensure that veterans memorials will remain sacrosanct.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars first placed a wooden cross on the rock in 1934 to honor the dead troops of World War I. The latest cross — made of metal — was put up in the late 1990s by the memorial’s longtime caretakers, Henry and Wanda Sandoz.  “I was really upset and I was crying, and I said: ‘Well, we’ll show them. We’ll put up a bigger one and a better one,” she said. “And Henry said: ‘No we won’t. We will put one up exactly like the veterans put up.'”

“He’s wanting to go right now and put another one up,” Wanda said of her husband. “It’s not going to be an easy thing to do. He’s 71 years old and he’s rarin’ to go, I’ll tell you.”

The cross has provoked a tremendous amount of debate over the years among civil libertarians, veterans and the courts.

Federal courts ruled that the cross was unconstitutional and rejected a congressional effort to solve the issue by transferring the property into private hands.

The high court last month sent the property issue back to a lower court again and, in the meantime, refused to order its removal. Six justices wrote separate opinions.

Authorities had no immediate motive for the theft but  said possible suspects range from scrap metal scavengers to people “with an interest in the case,” Linda Slater said.

SSI or Social Security Income – that thing the government required you to pay for all your working life.  It’s purpose was to help you after you reached that golden year called retirement.  Another reason those funds were deducted from your pay check each pay period was to help you, if there ever came a time in which you could no longer work.  In other words, you became disabled.

Over the years we have all heard horror stories of folks who rightfully needed their SSI or disability yet their requests were denied.  Years would go by with appeal after appeal failing.  Eventually lawyers had to be brought into the argument… and still after years of fighting many are still denied.

Well, the Social Security has revealed that the wait time for those benefits may even be longer than previously experienced, and that doesn’t leave much hope for those who are depending on what the government has promised (and charged for) all those working years.

According to the Congressional Research Service – the time it takes to file the appeals at each stage, the entire process takes an average of 777 days, or a little more than two years for disability payments to even be approved.  It then may take months (depending on the State) before the disabled person receives their first check.

In the meantime – those who have been forced to abandon the work force because of their disability – end up losing everything they have ever worked for,  because they no longer have an income to meet their accountabilities (their bills). In a number of cases, some have taken part time work (Welcome to Wal-Mart) and have performed those duties in severe pain because of their disability.  Those who continue to work take the risk of denial of their disability claims, because they are working.

Although there are many claims for disability that are fraudulent the whole Social Security System has become backlogged with cases.  According to the Associated Press, “The Social Security system is so overwhelmed by applications for disability benefits that many people are waiting more than two years for their first payment.  In Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and other states, the wait can be even longer.”

Nearly 2 million people are waiting to find out if they qualify for Social Security disability benefits. It will be a long wait for most, even if they eventually win their cases.

About 26 years ago, a group of preachers were gathering to discuss retirement.  One of my preacher friends stood up and said, “If you are depending on Social Security for your retirement, you best get a good self propelled lawn mower and start cutting grass.”  Talking about prophecy!

Joe the Plumber Elected to Party Office

Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, better known as “Joe The Plumber” – has won one of nearly 400 seats on the local Republican Party committee in Ohio’s Lucas County.  Wurzelbacher won the seat by a 38-24 vote Tuesday in his suburban Toledo precinct.

He became an overnight sensation almost two years ago after questioning then Sen. Barack Obama on the campaign trail about Obama’s economic policies and after GOP presidential candidate, John McCain, repeatedly cited “Joe the Plumber” in a debate. He was held up by the GOP as an example of the middle-class worker who would be hurt economically by an Obama presidency.

He has resisted calls to run for Congress and has criticized Democrats and Republicans alike.  Wurzelbacher has since written a book in which he has taken shots at McCain, stating that he did not want him as the GOP presidential nominee.  He has never been shy about sharing his views even if they open him up to critics.  In Cincinnati he drew cheers at a tea party rally when he told the crowd not to let “a bunch of liberal pansies” take away their rights.

One of  “Joe the Plumber’s” accomplishments since the presidential campaign was to spend a few weeks as a war correspondent in the Gaza Strip.

He was once asked what his thoughts were about illegal immigration.  He responded, “Illegal immigration?” “Put a fence up and start shooting.”

Neo-conservative journalists would have us all believe that he is retiring out of fear and the possible embarrassment of losing an election after almost fifty years on the hill and this may be the case, but a red coup in congress is what all Neo-Cons are after and any slight indication that an overthrow is on the horizon is fuel to mud-sling and ridicule any Democrat coming out of or into office.

With the rise of the Tea Party movement and shout media people will find it harder and harder to dig through the haze of manufactured news and what is.

I have a hard time trying to discern the different realities displayed on cable news. Is America really coming to an end or is Cable News and political fanaticism making false claims and unattainable promises? I encourage everyone to keep an open mind and to not be swayed by any News Anchor, radio host, or Author including this one.

Over the past year we watched as both houses of the United States congress worked feverishly to “pass” a program that would make  “promises” of Healthcare Reform come to fruition.  Even with the majority of Americans rejecting  this particular package* of  Healthcare Reform the bill was passed and signed into law by the president.  *I’m not arguing that point. Most Americans agree that some reform is necessary,)

Personally,  I am totally against government intrusion into the private sector of business.  I do believe that some sort of reform needs to be initiated within healthcare, but not so much in medical care.  I would have preferred the industry police itself, but I am not naive enough to believe that that would ever happen…. that is, within the insurance industry of healthcare.  That would be the proverbial “shooting yourself in the foot” to them.

A Case In Point: Over the years  John (named changed to protect identity) has  needed a certain medication to sustain life.  Unfortunately, this medication is not cheap.  Since 1996 he has taken this type of medication either in tablet form or injection.  During that time he has been hospitalized approximately 16 times because of his body’s rejection of some of these medications.  On two occasions his family was informed that he would not make it out of the hospital (but the Good Lord knew better).  It has now come to the point of needing the medication to stay alive.

The current medication prescribed for John is to be given twice a day, meaning 60 doses a month.   His insurance company informed him that they will cover only 30 doses per month (15 days worth) at his current copay.  (The cost to John for the other 30 doses being over three thousand dollars a month – There is no generic and this is the only medication left for treatment.)  While in the hospital the doctor informed the insurance company that John must have the 60 total doses per month.  She emphasized that going without one single dose would mean further irreversible damage leading to death.  The insurance company still declined the extra doses.

To aggravate things more the insurance company faxed a letter to the doctor stating that at her request they would consider approving the extra doses.  The letter stated, “Before initiating a request for additional coverage, please note the following information:  Additional quantity can be obtained through additional member co-payment.  The plan is not denying access to additional quantity.” John informed his doctor that the additional copay was not a problem.  She informed the insurance company.

His doctor faxed the completed form back to the insurance company after answering all the questions and supplying the pertinent information.  The insurance company denied the request again.  Their reasoning: John was not suffering from cancer and he was not pregnant. “The information provided by your prescriber indicates that your use of this drug does not meet the requirements for additional coverage.”

Two other doctors besides the hospital doctor have informed the insurance company that, “if they did not allow John the other 30 prescribed doses (even with the additional copay), he (John) would be required to re-enter the hospital every month for the last 15 days of each month to be placed on IV therapy.”  Amazingly the insurance company did not balk about that.  Seems that they would rather cover approximately 25 thousand a month over 3 thousand a month!  Makes a lot of sense to this writer!

As of this writing, John has two days of medication left.  If his situation is not resolved, he is to call his specialist handling his treatment, and the specialist will then call the hospital to have him admitted for IV therapy.  We will keep you updated as to John’s case.

This is not a “rare” case.  This happens all to frequently.  The horror stories of dealing with insurance companies would make a superb Hollywood thriller.  Jason and Freddie would both seem like childhood bad dreams compared to the horrors of “The Insurance Company” (Roll eeerrrriiieee music!)

The type of reformation that the healthcare industry needs should require that doctors, not insurance companies, dictate what a patient needs.  I realize that insurance companies are in the business of making money…as we all are.  But most doctors are not in the business of treating their patients without a need for treatment.  I’m sure there are some unscrupulous doctors out there who are in it for the money… and there are some that one could consider as “drug pushers”… But, if there is going to be “True Healthcare Reform” then let “pruning” be a part of the package.