Tag Senate

Tail Feathers: A quick look at the news

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

First the good news: According to Newsmax John McCain has said he will not seek the Republican nomination for president again. Did I miss something? Has anyone asked Johnny boy to run again? If I recall correctly there were not too many enamored with his first go around. So who is it exactly that wants John McCain to run for President again? ANYONE? Raise your hand if you want Ol’ Johnny to run for President….

McCain: I Won’t Run for President Again

Arizona Sen. John McCain says he will not seek the Republican nomination for president again. “Oh, I’m too . . . I’m afraid it’s not a viable option,” McCain, 77, said Monday on Fox Business Network‘s “Cavuto.” He is, however, “seriously considering” another run for his Senate seat, which he’s held since 1987.

 Newsmax

Now for the bad news John is thinking about running for the Senate again. How about we all throw you a nice retirement party instead? I’ll bring the cupcakes.

From the DO AS I SAY but not as I do department:

Senator: CIA Inappropriately Perused Documents on Secure Computer Network

In an effort to promote transparency and accountability, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) provided “secure” computers to congressional staffers on the Senate Intelligence Committee to investigate the agency’s detention and interrogation program established in the post-9/11 era.  Townhall

You see folks it is only okay for the government to spy on you, we are never allowed to take a peek to see what these folks are up to. So what is good for the goose is not good for the gander apparently.

Remember how Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was vilified from his budget proposals? Well guess what they actually worked.

Surplus: Wisconsin Legislature Passes Walker Tax Cuts Package

Why, it’s almost as if responsible, conservative governance works: Wisconsin will sell $294.8 million in general-obligation refunding bonds this week in a negotiated sale as the state projects a budget surplus of almost $1 billion. Surging tax revenue is driving improved fiscal performance in Wisconsin, with a population of 5.7 million.

 Townhall

The democrats where up in arms I believe not so much that they thought the plans would fail but that they knew they would actually work and this is what they were terrified of. Once the people realized that taxing and spending, and big labor union contracts was damaging to their economic futures Wisconsin’s would abandon the labor unions and the democrat party policies. And they were right about that.

From the “while you were sleeping department”

While most of us where sleeping or otherwise engaged in meaningful pursuits, a number of democrats took to the floor of the house to talk about ‘Climate Change”. They are so desperate to get the country to believe in this fallacy that they thought an all-night gabfest would bolster their position.

With real climate change legislation all but dead in Congress, the senators involved in Monday’s climate-fest just want to get to a point where lawmakers can agree that climate change is a scientific fact.

Senate Dem’s stage climate all-nighter | TheHill

2 days ago … Senate Democrats want lawmakers to agree that climate change is a scientific fact. … will be among those participating in the talk-a-thon on the Senate … senators signed up for the all-night climate-fest, but Democrats hope to …

 Thehill

Well you have to admire their tenacity to insist that the globe is warming while most of the United States has been in the deep freeze since the start of the year. Not to be deterred however, these brave souls soldiered on to persuade America that the SCIENCE is settled, Climate Change is for real.
But when it comes to REAL SCIENCE, federal agencies are not above fudging the numbers a bit to [prove their points] even going so far as to making stuff up to further their agendas.
The last story for this week is federal bureaucrats could bring the U.S. Energy boom to a screeching halt by using 2 chickens the Sage Grouse and the Prairie Chicken.

Federal officials often use flawed or falsified results to support decisions to expand the endangered species list, according to a recently published congressional working group report.

“Many reports and studies used to justify ESA decisions have been found to have mathematical errors, missing data, errors of omission, biased sampling, undocumented methods, simulated data in place of more accurate empirical data, discrepancies between reported results and data, inaccurate mapping, selective use of data, subjective interpretation of results, fabricated data substituted for missing data, and even no data at all,” the Washington Examiner reported in a Feb. 3 news story.

How two chickens and federal bureaucrats could bring the U.S. energy boom to a screeching halt

Federal officials often use flawed or falsified data to support decisions to expand the endangered species list, according to a recently published congressional working group report.

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So how does two species of chickens halt the energy boom? Because inclusion of two of the species involved — the Sage Grouse and Prairie Chicken, both found predominantly in western states, including Texas and the Dakotas — could halt the U.S. energy boom in its tracks.

Why? Because putting the birds on the endangered species list empowers federal bureaucrats to limit use of millions of acres of privately owned lands, thus effectively taking them out of energy exploration and development. In other words the feds come and take control of private property.
Tell me again how BIG GOVERNMENT is for the “working man?”

There you have it folks this week’s edition of Tail Feathers, a quick take of news that caught the eagle eye. Until next time. Safe journeys.

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Standing Strong in the Face of Adversity: That is true leadership

Allen Frederick 2 Comments

Exodus 17:11-12 (GW)
As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel would win, but as soon as he put his hands down, the Amalekites would start to win. Eventually, Moses’ hands felt heavy. So Aaron and Hur took a rock, put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron held up one hand, and Hur held up the other. His hands remained steady until sunset.

English: Ted Cruz at the Republican Leadership...

Sen. Ted Cruz ended his nearly day-long

filibuster at noon Wednesday, having held the chamber floor for more than 21 hours straight, etching his place in the record books with the fourth-longest filibuster in Senate history. He stood on the floor to fight for the American people who wish that “Obamacare” would be eliminated from their lives.

The Texas Republican took control of the floor at 2:41 Tuesday afternoon and only relinquished it at noon Wednesday because of rules that required the Senate to officially reconvene and conduct a session-opening prayer, then wait an hour and hold a vote at 1 p.m. on whether to begin debating a stopgap spending bill.

 

via Ted Cruz enters record books with 21-hour filibuster – Washington Times.

It is refreshing to see someone actually taking a stand to fight against something they wholeheartedly oppose. I know many folks who would complain if they had to work a 14 hour day let alone speak for over 21 hours non-stop. Can you imagine a church service lasting 21 hours? It actually happened at least once in church history.

Acts 20:7-11 (BBE)
And on the first day of the week (Sunday), when we had come together for the holy meal, Paul gave them a talk, for it was his purpose to go away on the day after; and he went on talking till after the middle of the night. And there were a number of lights in the room where we had come together.
… he went on talking to them for a long time, even till dawn, and then he went away.

In most of the churches I have attended there is a tendency to start checking one’s watch as the noon hour approaches. I can not imagine a group of people actually sitting through a long-winded preacher who went on and on and on until the next morning. But that is exactly what Paul did and like wise Senator Ted Cruz spoke all night long and into the next day because he had something on his heart and mind he wanted to discuss. He did not have a very large audience for his speech but that did not stop him from standing tall and strong. After all he was fighting for a worthy cause, the defunding of Obamacare.

There are defining moments in life

There are times when we need to take a stand and, against all odds, we must continue to engage the enemy, and argue our cause until  victory is won, or we die trying to attain it.

This was the resolve of our founding fathers who pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors in support of the Declaration of Independence. And many lost their lives and fortunes defending it.

What do we see today, 237 years after the penning of our founding document, elected leaders unwilling to defend the Constitution of these United States. Instead they rail against “we the people” who believe, like the signers of the Declaration, that these States are and of right ought to be free and independent of parliamentary government control.

Ted Cruz took to the floor of the house, aided by Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Lee, who took turns asking questions to spell Cruz who remained in control of the floor.

Some battles are hard-fought and requires others to help us stand firm.

Moses and the Israelites were facing a menacing attack from the Amalekites and as long as Moses stood firm with his hands up Israel would win, but if he put his hands down the enemy would start to win.

We are fighting an entrenched enemy that is waging war against anyone who tries to stop them. Ted Cruz with the aid of Rubio and Lee stood  strong.

This is not the end of the fight but only the beginning of many battles that will need to be fought. We must hang together folks or most assuredly we will all hang separately.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

To my Christian brothers and sisters I ask you when was the last time you were part of an all-night prayer vigil? When was the last time you attended a service were the preacher preached all night long? Is there anything important enough, any evil vile enough to arouse you to prayer? Is there any battle worthy of your time and energy? Is there anything more important then work and play that will cause you to take a stand, even if it requires you remain steadfast for days?

I am afraid that too many of us fail to see the importance of remaining steadfast and always abounding toward prayer. Too many I feel do not see the great spiritual battle that is being waged for the soul of America.

 

How did we get here you may ask?

Sir Edmund Burke is quoted as saying: “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent” he further stated that “bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.”

We got here because men and women of good conscience did not speak up against bad law, which led to ever-increasing tyranny. Obamacare is not the fist bad law passed by an unaccountable congress, but it is the latest in a series of bad laws and one that most be defeated.

Christians we remained seated and silent far too long. Now we must take a stand. We may not win the fight but we ought to at the very least engage the enemy don’t you think?

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

Edmund Burke

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk136431.html#51gAHQixQs8fItqm.99

What can I do you may ask?

Well that is simple start by praying for your elected leaders and support those who are fighting in the trenches on your behalf. Stand firm against tyranny and make your voice heard on social media and in public places. Organize an all night prayer meeting to fight against the spiritual forces that are attacking our nation and targeting Christians in particular.

When Edward Everett Hale was chaplain of the U.S. Senate, someone asked him, “Do you pray for the senators, Dr. Hale?” He replied, “No, I look at the senators and pray for the country.” To which I say a resounding amen Dr Hale. All one needs do is look and listen to most of today’s Senators and we should all be moved to pray for America.

Pray like Thomas Aquinas:

Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give me an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.Thomas Aquinas

And then stand with the likes of a Ted Cruz or Mike Lee or anyone else who has taken a stand against tyranny. Hold up their hands so the battle may be one. This requires the devoutness of the Saints. Like our ancestors before us let us pledge to each other our lives, fortunes and sacred honor to stand up and fight for our God-given right to be free.

And that is the way I see it, what say you?

eagle_feather_icon.gifThis has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

 
But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

tj201009292334-3.jpg

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Finally Someone Showing True Leadership

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Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. (Isaiah 55:4)

Senator Ted Cruz wants to defund ObamaCare or defund the government.

The House has already passed a continuing resolution that would avert a government shutdown set to take place on March 27th, the date that the Continuing Appropriations Resolution of 2013 expires.

Now, the CR is in the Senate where Senator Ted Cruz offered up an amendment that would remove any funding for the implementation of Obamacare.

Of course, since the Democrats are all good team players, and since they control the Senate, the amendment failed. But Senator Ted Cruz pointed out that if the Senate ends up making any changes to the continuing resolution, they’d have to send it back to the House, and when they do, the GOP should add an amendment like his that would defund Obamacare. That way, the President and the Democrat-controlled Senate are left with the option to either defund Obamacare or let the government shut down. Their choice.

Senator Cruz is playing the game, and he’s playing it well. But others aren’t being good team players. Boehner doesn’t want to defund Obamacare. He says he promises he’ll work on repealing it later, but not now:

CNS News pointed out that the GOP has voted to defund/repeal Obamacare on 30 different occasions, but not on legislation that had to pass. In other words, they were no more than symbolic moves on the GOP part to make their constituents happy, knowing that their actions would have no real effects. But at least they could secure their re-elections and increase their popularity by telling their voters that they voted to repeal Obamacare.But every time a piece of legislation has to pass to keep the government funded (like the CR), the GOP decides not to touch Obamacare.

This has been the game in the GOP controlled house since Boehner has been the Speaker of the House. You would think he was playing on the same team as Obama. The Democrats whether they are in control of the house or not will stop at nothing to push their agenda. They even go as far as shutting down the White House tours to politicize the Sequester.

The Democrats never relent on their agenda to redistribute your wealth to their constituents. And what do the Republicans do? Nothing of substance. Their refusal to take it to Obama is why they continue to lose. (McCain and Romney)

Along comes freshman Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and even Rand Paul who are actually taking it to the Democrats and what do they get for this? Attacks by senior members of the ruling class. Their own party belittles them and dismisses them and yet they are the only ones who are standing up against the Obama agenda and the Democrat political machine, the rest are simply complicit.
I like Ted Cruz’s approach to defund Obamacare by attaching it to the Continuing Resolution. Since the Democrats can not produce a budget, and it seems they are unable to curb their desire to keep spending money they do not have hence the need for a CR, the only solution is to force the Democrats to make cuts aka the Sequester and now the CR bill.
Obviously the Democrats do not think they have enough money to keep the White House open for tours and since Obama feels there needs to be drastic cuts then why not cut out the BIGGEST UNFUNDED mandate to be enacted in recent years, Obamacare? Obama admits there is not enough money to run the government so how is it that there is enough money to add an entirely new mandate when Medicare and Social Security are both running in the red and the Post Office is showing continued revenue losses?
I stand with Ted Cruz it is time someone takes it right to the Democrats and starts playing by their rules. Way to go Ted!
And that is the way I see it. What say you?

eagle_feather_icon.gifThis is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

tj201009292334-3.jpg

This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.
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Onerous Legislations

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

But He said, Woe to you, the lawyers, also! For you load men with oppressive burdens hard to bear, and you do not personally [even gently] touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Luke 11:46 (AMP)

United States Senate Seal

United States Senate Seal (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

After blasting the Senate last week for passing a 600-page bill no one had time to read, Sen. Rand Paul(R-Ky.) introduced legislation that would force the Senate to give its members one day to read bills for every 20 pages they contain. And he was looked at as if he had two heads. I mean why should congress actually be FORCED to read these bills? They are way too cumbersome and difficult for the average member of congress to understand. Thus was the sediments of John Conyers in regards to the monstrosity known as Obamacare. He said so on the Senate floor.

“For goodness sakes, this is a 600-page bill. I got it this morning,” Paul said, just before the Senate approved a massive bill extending highway funding, federal flood insurance and low student loans rates.

“Not one member of the Senate will read this bill before we vote on it,” he added.

Paul also introduced related legislation Friday, S. 3359, that would prohibit the inclusion of more than one subject in a single bill.

“At the very least, we ought to adhere to our own rules,” Paul Rand said. “Forty-eight hours is still a challenge to find out everything in here.”

The highway-flood-student loan bill came up just one day before authorization for highway spending was set to expire, and two days before the interest rate on loans was set to double to 6.8 percent. But Paul said that is no excuse for rushing a bill to the floor without giving senators a chance to learn what’s in it.

The Senate voted 72-22 to waive the rule requiring a 48-hour layover, after Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and other Republicans raised a point of order against the bill because it came up too quickly.

Did you ever notice how these politicians always make it sound like there is NO TIME. We must act now! They are always in a hurry and to quote Obama; “we can’t wait”. And yet it has been more than 3 years since the congress has passed a BUDGET. Apparently America can wait for a budget but not these SPENDING BILLS!

Paul also noted that Senate rules require bills to be held for 48 hours before they receive a vote so members can read them, but said the Senate failed to follow even that minimal rule. Another rule these lawbreakers do not wish to follow because it would hinder them from doing what they want to do. There isn’t a law these lawbreakers like and yet they make darn sure that the rest of us buckle and bow down to their wishes. Why should the rest of us obey the laws these lawbreakers write? Why should we allow them to enforce their wills upon us when they are apparently not under any such restraint?

While the bill officially ended the debate on highway funding, flood insurance and student loans, Congress acted too late to have the measure signed into law by President Obama over the weekend.Instead, both the House and Senate approved a bill extending the highway and student loan rate for one week, because several days are needed to prepare the bill for the president’s signature. And yet they did not seem to find the time to actually READ THE BILL.

And like all other bills that get “forced” upon the American people this bill will stay in effect in perpetuity. All these new bills seem to take on a life of their own. They are hardly ever challenged or repealed. And when they are challenged in Superior court, the court finds a way to rubber stamp them.

Any efforts to curb government spending is met with STAUCH opposition from both sides of the political aisle. Although all new laws and “new court rulings” are seen to be written in stone, the founding document of this republic is constantly being revised and transformed into an entirely different document than what was penned in Philadelphia. There is never any challenge to legislators’ attacks on the constitution but no one ever challenges the validity of all these NEW LAWS and regulations streaming out of congress at the rate of thousands upon thousands of pages each year. WHY are these laws supposedly “etched in stone” while our Constitution is considered to be “living and breathing”?

God’s laws are the only ones which were CARVED IN STONE and they filled two stone tablets. Today’s law makers inscribe their laws on parchment paper and they fill thousands of pages of government speak. Such voluminous tomes should be on book shelves and not in the government archives. For example:

  • Leo Tolstoy‘s Classic Novel War and Peace contained 1424 pages in the English translation. However, due to font and page size, that can obviously vary somewhere between 1200-1600. And many people have actually read the whole thing.
  • Any Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” has about 1100 pages. Which has been read by many and is assigned reading in some schools
  • The King James Bible has over 700 pages. Many have read this many times in their life.

Obamacare has over 2400 pages none of which anyone who signed the bill has ever read. I guess it really wasn’t exciting reading. Or perhaps it is not worth the paper upon which it was written? Or could it be that no one really cared enough to read it? Or was it deliberately vague to be the vehicle to push forth every dumb idea the government has from this day forward? I think the latter is probably the most accurate of descriptors. The law empowers the executive branch of government. through its varied agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human Services, which was given almost carte blanche authority to regulate the American citizen and its varied entities under the guise of managing health care.

All the secularists who bash the Christian bible and those who hold to its world view prefer this fluid lawmaking body over the structured laws of both God and our Constitution. The secularists apparently love the idea of thousands upon thousands of rules and regulations forced upon them and their fellow Americans as opposed to the personal freedom given to them by our Creator and codified in the Constitution. Our Constitution was written on only 4 pages and those 4 pages were enough to establish this great nation. Now since we have become so secular and I might add LAWLESS it takes thousands upon thousands of pages of rules and regulations to regulate our behaviour. On the contrary I believe because we have left the moral laws of God and of our Constitution and replaced Him with the whims of lawless men, we find ourselves faced with these lawless laws being written by lawless men who wish to control everyone but themselves, and “we the people” have to suffer at the hands of their incompetence and they do not even do us the honor of actually READING what they are SIGNING.

Those of us who enter into any LEGAL agreement know enough to READ a binding agreement before SIGNING it. Our legislators apparently feel they are ABOVE the average person and do not have to stoop to our level to actually read what they will be forcing their fellow citizens to endure. And since most of these elected elites exempt themselves from these same laws they do not feel they need to worry themselves with the details. How arrogant, how condescending can you be?

I prefer the moral laws God inscribed in stone above anything man has written on parchment. At the very least let us get back to the limits placed upon this wayward government by the Constitution. To think that wanting to uphold the “Supreme law of the land” is considered extreme by these lawless leaders and those who are content with enacting feckless laws.

And that is the way I see it. What say you?

This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.
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