The Right Lane 1.15.13

The pursuit of Constitutionally grounded governance, free markets and individual liberty

"There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily." --George Washington

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What is the difference between Spending Limits and Default?

Debt Limit

The debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. The debt limit does not allow new spending commitments. It simply allows the government to finance existing legal obligations that Congresses and presidents of both parties have made in the past.   

Default.

The only way the federal government would default on its debt in the event the debt ceiling remains unchanged is for the Treasury to choose to default—an utterly implausible eventuality. Suggestions to the contrary in the press and elsewhere are simply inaccurate and shameful. The amount of debt the federal government is allowed to issue is set by statute. Federal spending is similarly established by law. Treasury is at once prohibited by law from issuing additional debt above the limit and obligated by law to spend certain amounts for designated purposes.

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Playing Their Hand Too Soon?  by John Rizzola

It appears that our government may have made some grave miscalculations on a couple of key issues. The liberals have tasted blood after the reelection of their king and now they believe that there support has been solidified and they can get away with anything. I think they may need to reconsider that. First, they went ahead and passed their little “fiscal cliff’ legislation even though they were only given three minutes to read it. What else would anyone expect? We know congress can’t read the legal language they pass into law. It turns out, as many angry liberals are discovering, that the biggest tax burden in the bill falls on the lower and middle classes and not the evil disgusting rich. Many of us conservatives spent a great deal of time trying to warn people of this.  We have known for the past four years that President Obama’s policies would favor his rich friends and hurt the middle class. We know that his idea of wealth distribution means taking it from you and giving it to the ever expanding, all powerful government. What’s funny, yes I find it quite hilarious, is that many of his biggest supporters, those believing that Obama was going to rip the undeserved profits from those evil rich people and give it to them are finding out there paycheck is about 100 dollars smaller. This affected my wife and me just the same, which is why I argue for conservative policies. Perhaps this group of people may now find themselves a little more interested in exploring the conservative alternative. The second thing I would like to point out is that their attempt to rally people to the anti-gun dark side is having the exact opposite effect. People are buying weapons off the shelves of gun stores across the country. Just this weekend 15,000 people attended a gun show in California. Despite what they would have you believe it isn’t just the old, white, bitter clingers that are interested in exercising their second amendment rights neither. I have always believed that the second amendment is the one issue that held the potential to keep Americans united if all the other obvious reasons were to fail.   As our traitorous leaders in Washington are marching to the beats of their own drummer in their attempts to demonize the gun owner, the real affect it is having is that Americans are beginning to remember what it means to be free. Americans are starting to see that freedom hangs somewhere in the balance and they are not quite ready to see it go by the way side. It shows that we are not that far separated from our grandfathers and the truth of our remarkable history. Mr. Obama once said the issue of gun control would be decided by public opinion. Well Mr. President, 74% of the American public believes gun ownership to be an inalienable right. How’s that for public opinion? I take a certain amount of comfort knowing that Americans are taking this attitude toward gun ownership because it shows that not all is lost. My friends, if there was ever a time to become a bit of a “boat rocker” and start voicing the conservative position the time is now. When you’re in line at the grocery store and the liberal in front of you is complaining about their smaller paycheck that is your cue to explain to them and all who will listen why their pay check is smaller. It’s time that we start using their tactics of “sowing the seeds of discontent” against them while this small window of opportunity has presented itself. While people are actually in the moment of seeing the truth we must do what we can to seize upon the narrative and get those willing to listen to cross the line and come to our side. We can still win this America; we can stand united for freedom and truth and preserve our nation. We don’t have to let them divide us.

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Duped Again: Wait Until Payroll Tax Suckers Learn About Obamacare’s “Mandate Plus”

Obamacare is a wonderful idea on paper, just like all the other half-baked ideas that roll out of academia, and err… “conservative” think tanks and governorships. And folks who are still seething about that tiny dose of reality that came in the payroll tax increase will have a horse pill to swallow when the  taxes in the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” fully kick in. Get a load of Obamacare’s “mandate plus.” You see, back when Democrats were scrambling because it was feared that Chief Justice John Roberts might be a lucid interpreter of the law, they worked with insurance companies to find end-arounds to fund the loosely stitched monstrosity. That means taxing and penalizing you more for not complying with the law. So, in their presumably smoke-filled backrooms, they cooked up all these new ways of generating “revenue” to keep the system afloat. Only it looks like that even with the Obamatax individual mandate that Justice Roberts okayed, the entire bureaucratic clusterschtupp might fall apart at the seams. The solution? Just heave on top of taxpayers’ shoulders those new funding workarounds that were brainstormed up in late-night special interest bull sessions.

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White House: “Deficit Reduction is Not a Worthy Goal” by Philip Hodges

White House automaton Jay Carney told reporters recently that reducing the deficit is not really a worthy goal. Here’s what he said:

 “The goal remains one that the president believes is the right one and he hopes that in dealing with our further budgetary and fiscal challenges that he will be able to reach an agreement with Congress to further reduce our deficit in a balanced way and to, most importantly- because deficit reduction is not a worthy goal unto itself, this is all about making our economy stronger, making it more productive and allowing it to create even more jobs. That is the most important thing when it comes to economic policy as far as the President is concerned.”

Running trillion dollar deficits from year to year isn’t really all that big of a deal, even though that means the government is spending more than it takes in. In a normal household, that means you have a budget problem, and you either have to get a second or third job to increase your income, or you have to cut spending. Or, you could do the equivalent of what Congress does and spend even more using multiple credit cards. In the real world though, eventually that bill will come due. But our government is not bound by these rules since they create their own money!

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GOP congressman threatens impeachment if Obama uses executive action for gun control  By Caroline May

Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman threatened Monday afternoon that he would file articles of impeachment against President Barack Obama if he institutes gun control measures with an executive order.

Stockman warned that such executive orders would be “unconstitutional” and “infringe on our constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms.” (RELATED: Levin: If Obama sidesteps Congress on debt ceiling, ‘no choice’ but impeachment) “I will seek to thwart this action by any means necessary, including but not limited to eliminating funding for implementation, defunding the White House, and even filing articles of impeachment,” Stockman said in a statement. At his press conference Monday, Obama floated the possibility of using executive action to enact policies aimed at reducing gun violence. The freshman congressman, who served one term in Congress in the mid-1990s, further labeled the possibility “an existential threat to this nation” because, he said, the purpose of the Second Amendment is to allow the people to protect themselves from tyranny. (RELATED VIDEO — Walter Williams: People misunderstand the point of the Second Amendment) “Any proposal to abuse executive power and infringe upon gun rights must be repelled with the stiffest legislative force possible,” he added. “Under no circumstances whatsoever may the government take any action that disarms any peaceable person — much less without due process through an executive declaration without a vote of Congress or a ruling of a court.” He concluded by claiming that an executive order would be not just “not just an attack on the Constitution,” but also an “attack on Americans.” “If the president is allowed to suspend constitutional rights on his own personal whims, our free republic has effectively ceased to exist,” he said.

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“Bury Your Guns at Wounded Knee.”  by Gary North

I did not write this. I wish I had.

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December 29, 2012 marked the 122nd Anniversary of the murder of 297 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. These 297 people, in their winter camp, were murdered by federal agents and members of the 7th Cavalry who had come to confiscate their firearms “for their own safety and protection.” The slaughter began after the majority of the Sioux had peacefully turned in their firearms. The Calvary began shooting, and managed to wipe out the entire camp. 200 of the 297 victims were women and children. About 40 members of the 7th Cavalry were killed, but over half of them were victims of fratricide from the Hotchkiss guns of their overzealous comrades-in-arms. Twenty members of the 7th Cavalry’s death squad, were deemed “National Heroes” and were awarded the Medal of Honor for their acts of [cowardice] heroism.

We hear very little of Wounded Knee today. It is usually not mentioned in our history classes or books. What little that does exist about Wounded Knee is normally a sanitized “Official Government Explanation.” And there are several historically inaccurate depictions of the events leading up to the massacre, which appear in movie scripts and are not the least bit representative of the actual events that took place that day.  Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history. It ended in the senseless murder of 297 people. Before you jump on the emotionally charged bandwagon for gun control, take a moment to reflect on the real purpose of the Second Amendment, the right of the people to take up arms in defense of themselves, their families, and property in the face of invading armies or an oppressive government. The argument that the Second Amendment only applies to hunting and target shooting is asinine. When the United States Constitution was drafted, “hunting” was an everyday chore carried out by men and women to put meat on the table each night, and “target shooting” was an unheard of concept. Musket balls were a precious commodity and were certainly not wasted on “target shooting.” The Second Amendment was written by people who fled oppressive and tyrannical regimes in Europe, and it refers to the right of American citizens to be armed for defensive purposes, should such tyranny arise in the United States. As time goes forward, the average citizen in the United States continually loses little chunks of personal freedom or “liberty.” Far too many times, unjust gun control bills have been passed and signed into law under the guise of “for your safety” or “for protection.” The Patriot Act signed into law by G.W. Bush, was expanded and continues under Barack Obama. It is just one of many examples of American citizens being stripped of their rights and privacy for “safety.” Now, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is on the table, and will, most likely be attacked to facilitate the path for the removal of our firearms, all in the name of “our safety.” Before any American citizen blindly accepts whatever new firearms legislation is about to be doled out, they should stop and think about something for just one minute. — Evil does exist in our world. It always has and always will. Throughout history evil people have committed evil acts. In the Bible one of the first stories is that of Cain killing Abel. We cannot legislate “evil” into extinction. Good people will abide by the law, and the criminal element will always find a way around it.

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Ed Meese: Obama Risks 'Impeachment' With Executive Order on Guns
Former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III declares in an exclusive Newsmax TV interview that President Barack Obama could easily be impeached if he bypassed Congress and enacted gun-control legislation by executive order — a step Obama said he was "confident" was "within his authority." But Meese, who served under President Reagan, says it would not be legal or constitutional: "If he tried to override the Second Amendment in any way, it would be an impeachable offense."

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The Wise Ask God for Wisdom by Rick Warren

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5 NIV)

Need wisdom? We all do. And the good news is that God wants to give it to you. He is eager to do so.

Just like it pleased God when Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:7-14), it pleases God when we ask for wisdom. It’s God's nature to give. He is a giving God.

The Bible says in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (NIV)

This verse says three things about how God gives wisdom. He does so:

• Continually. "Ask God who gives ..." In Greek this is in the continuous tense. He keeps on giving. He doesn't run out of energy. He never wears out.

• Generously. God’s resources are unlimited. He has enough resources for everyone. He's got plenty of wisdom to go around.

• Cheerfully. James says God gives “without finding fault.” God loves to give. It’s in his nature to give! Don’t get embarrassed to ask. He wants to give you wisdom!

Talk about it –

• Where do you need wisdom? Got a big decision coming with your career, your marriage, or your kids?
• If you want wisdom from God, you’ve got to ask! If you ask, he’ll give it. How will believing this change the way you make future decisions?
  
  

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Obama on Congress: ‘They Order Me to Spend’ By Fred Lucas

Explaining why he has no choice but to demand an increase in the legal limit on the national debt, President Barack Obama said at a Monday press conference that Congress orders him to spend money.

“This is a matter of Congress authorizes spending,” Obama said. “They order me to spend," he said. "They tell me: ‘You need to fund our Defense Department at such-and-such a level. You need to send Social Security checks. You need to make sure that you are paying to care for our veterans.’ They lay all this out for me, and--because they have the spending power--and so I am required by law to go ahead and pay these bills.”  The current debt ceiling is $16.394 trillion, a number that President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner agreed to in August 2011, when they increased the previous limit by $2.4 trillion.

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63% of GOP Voters Think Republicans in Congress Out of Touch

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Most GOP voters continue to believe that congressional Republicans are out of touch with the party base, while Democrats are happier than ever with how their team is performing in Washington, DC.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 30% of Likely Republican Voters believe Republicans in Congress have done a good job representing their party’s values over the past several years. Sixty-three percent (63%) of GOP voters think congressional Republicans have lost touch with the party’s base throughout the nation. This is what happens when you cannot market your product!  Being right means nothing; people must believe you are right.

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"No free government was ever founded or ever preserved its liberty, without uniting the characters of the citizen and soldier in those destined for the defence of the state.... Such are a well regulated militia, composed of the freeholders, citizen and husbandman, who take up arms to preserve their property, as individuals, and their rights as freemen." --Josiah Quincy, Jr., Thoughts on Standing Armies, 1774