Little Lies

Within months, Ariel/Julia/duped voters realize their mistake, and wish they had voted for Romney instead.  Still, unable to take responsibility for their actions, and fearful of retribution in the form of drones, they sing this song (mostly) by Fleetwood Mac:
 

 If I could turn the page

 In time then I'd rearrange just a month or four

 Close my, close my, close my eyes

 But I couldn't find a way

 So I'll settle for a way to believe in four years more

 Tell me, tell me, tell me lies

(Chorus)

 Tell me lies

 Tell me sweet little lies

 (Tell me lies, tell me, tell me lies)

 Oh, no, no you can't disguise

 (You can't disguise, no you can't disguise)

 Tell me lies

 Tell me sweet little lies

 You promised more transparency

 But your backroom deals have doomed the economy

 Close my, close my, close my eyes

 No more White House Tours

 But we’re better off just blaming the other guys

 Tell me, tell me, tell me lies

 (Chorus)

 If I could turn the page

 In time then I'd rearrange just a month or four

 Close my, close my, close my eyes

 But I couldn't find a way

 So I'll settle for a way to believe in four years more

 Tell me, tell me, tell me lies

 (Chorus)

Poor, Unfortunate Soul

My analogy today comes from Disney’s Little Mermaid.  Ursula is Obama, and she gets Ariel/Julia/the uninformed voter to accept her agenda by lying, and promising the impossible and unaffordable. 

I admit that in the past I've been in a choom gang

They weren't kidding when they called me, well, “pot head”

But you'll find that nowadays

I've mended all my ways

Repented, run for office, and reduced the debt

True? Yes

And I fortunately know how to steal elections

It's a talent that I always have possessed

And here lately, please don't laugh

I use it on behalf

Of the miserable, lonely and depressed

(Pathetic)

Poor unfortunate souls

In pain

In need

This one longing for free health care

That one wants an Obamaphone

And do I help them?

Yes, indeed

Those poor unfortunate souls

So sad

So true

They come flocking to my campaign

Crying, "Favors, Obama please!"

And I help them?

Yes, I do

Now it's happened once or twice

Someone couldn't pay the price

And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals

Yes, I've had the odd complaint

But on the whole I've been a saint

To those poor unfortunate souls

([Obama:] Have we got a deal?

[Julia:] If I vote for you, I’ll never live in freedom again

[Obama:] But you'll have your man—me! Life's full of tough choices, innit?

Oh - and there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment.

[Julia:] But I don't have any -

[Obama:] I'm not asking much. Just a token, really, a trifle. What I want

from you is . . . your “fair share”.

[Julia:] But if I can’t keep what I earn, how can I-

[Obama:] You'll have your phone! Your unemployment benefits! And don't underestimate

the importance of food stamps! Ha! )

Washington elites don't like checks and balances

They think a filibuster is a bore

Yes, around here it's much preferred

For the Bill of Rights to be ignored

And after all, dear, what is idle prattle for?

Come on, we're not all that impressed with the Constitution

True politicians avoid it when they can

But they dote and swoon and fawn

On a constituent who’s a pawn

It's those who hold their tongues who get guns banned

Come on, you poor unfortunate soul

Go ahead!

Cast your ballot!

My wife’s a busy woman

And I've got some golf to play

It won't cost much

Just your wallet!

You poor unfortunate soul

It's sad

But true

If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet

You've got to pay the toll

Take a gulp and take a breath

And go ahead and sign the scroll!

Valerie, Michelle, now I've got her, gals

The boss is on a roll

This poor unfortunate soul

Red State?

I keep hearing that Idaho is a very "conservative" state.  On the contrary, it is a very establishment Republican state.

We have Butch Otter, who, as my friend says, "Never met a federal dollar he could refuse," is complying with the new rules of ObamaCare.  He thinks this will save the state money.  I guess he doesn't care about the people in his state whose taxes and penalties foot the federal bill.

Mike Crapo belongs to the go-along-to-get-along crowd--and now gets the dubious honor of a DUI on his record.   And then there's Mike Simpson.  See here.

Most disappointing is Raul Labrador, who was elected in 2010 on the heels of the Tea Party revolution.  He has done some good, granted, but he has caved in the fight against ObamaCare.  See:  http://www.redstate.com/2013/03/06/today-house-conservatives-will-corrupt-america/, and http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/03/05/30-Republicans-ask-Boehner-Cantor-to-defund-Obamacare  (note the lack of Idaho signatures.)

So far, every time I have checked on a vote by Jim Risch, he has been in alignment with conservative principles.  Unless I've missed something, that gives us 1/4 conservative representation.  I'd say that makes us a purple state.

In Memory of Andrew Breitbart

Ballad of the Great Breitbart
(Set to the tune of "Ballad of the Green Berets")

Fighting drudges from the press

Fearless men who never rest

Men who mean just what they write

The brave men of the Breitbart sites

At a rally, or in a pub

On rollerblades, or in his tub

Andrew Breitbart always fought

The powerful and corrupt

Taught to see through the narrative

That media lackeys always give,

Those blatant lies he tore apart

Courage deep, from the Great Breitbart

At a rally, or in a pub

On rollerblades, or in his tub

Andrew Breitbart always fought

The powerful and corrupt

A year ago we lost our mate

Our dear Andrew met his fate

He had lived for those oppressed

But leaves us now with this request

Take that cell phone in your hand

Use it all across the land

Expose injustice everywhere

And you’ll know that Breitbart’s here

Free College Courses

Check out Hillsdale online courses on Western Heritage, American Heritage, and the Constitution.

"There are things to know, they are lovely and ennobling to know."

Update:  I've just listened to two lectures from the Western Heritage course.  The second one is called, "The Hebrew Legacy."  Really, really good stuff.

This Land Is My Land

Inspired the State of the Union address, I  give you "This Land is My Land," with words by B. Hussein Obama, and music by Woody Guthrie:

This land ain't your land, This land is my land

From California to the New York island;  

From the Keystone pipeline, to the Gulf Stream waters

This land was made for Me, not you.

Though I sent weapons south of the border,

I’ll take your rifles, by executive order:

I like my gun runs, but you can’t have one

The Bill of Rights is for Me, not you.

I let four men die, stranded in Benghazi,

I didn’t miss that party with Jay-Z and Beyonce

I blamed a movie, and was helped by Crowley

This press is soft on Me, not you.

Those who have worked hard, and saved their money

Don’t pay their fair share; like Buffett’s secretary.

If you own a business, you didn’t build that

You must work for Me, not you.

As I went walking I saw a sign there

And on the sign it said "No Hiring."

Why don’t we raise the minimum wage?

Math is good for you, not Me.

Obamacare insured the nation,

Although your health care may now be rationed,

If you like your doctor, you won’t get to keep her

Health care was made for Me, not you.

For those who saw the CBO’s projection,

And may not vote for me with affection,

I’ll just buy more votes, through immigration

Elections are rigged for Me, not you.

Nobody living can ever top me,

As I go racing, that road to serfdom;

Nobody living can ever stop me!

This land was made for Me, not you.

Phony King of America

From Disney's "Robin Hood," and inspired by Obama's interview with Univision, in which he claimed, "I am not a king (yet)," here is my first submission:

Oh the world will sing of an American King

A thousand years from now

And not because he passed some laws

Or had that lofty brow

While bonny Gipper Reagan leads

The great crusade from beyond

We'll all have to slave away

For that good-for-nothin' ‘Bam

Incredible as he is inept

Whenever the history books are kept

They'll call him the wanna-be king of America

A pox on the phony king of D.C.!

He sits alone on a giant throne

Pretendin' he's the king

A little tyke who's rather like

A puppet on a string

And he throws an angry tantrum

if he cannot have his way

And then he calls for Frum while he's suckin' his thumb

You see, he doesn't want to play

Too late to be known as Hussein the First

He's sure to be known as Barry the worst

A pox on that phony king of America!

While he taxes us to pieces

And he robs us of our food

The U.S. Constitution keeps slippin' down

Underneath his pointed shoe

Ah! But while there is a merry man

in Palin's wily pack

We'll find a way to make him pay

And take our money back

The minute before he knows we're there

The Tea Party’ll snatch his underwear

The breezy and uneasy king of D.C.

The snivellin' grovellin'

Measly weasely

Blabberin' jabberin'

Gibberin' jabberin'

Blunderin' plunderin'

Wheelin' dealin'

Prince Barry, that wanna-be king of America

Yeah!

Every Friday, at the American Spectator, a commenter called TLP hosts a contest of sorts, using the comments section of one of the Spectator's articles for people to share analogies, poetry and verse about current events.  I think of it as an Underground Railroad of sorts, where disenfranchised Americans go to exercise their rights to free speech and political incorrectness.

Inspired by TLP and his Merry Men at AmSpec, I have been dabbling in humorous political verse myself.  It's funny that, considering the title of this blog, I have never tried to combine Politics and Poetry before, but I've decided to post my contest entries here for your pleasure.

Note--when I say "poetry," I really mean "parody."  Maybe I should change the name of my blog...

This is Interesting

What Happened at Haymarket?

Unable to answer a simple question, labor historian Timothy Messer-Kruse does a little research, and discovers that textbooks can be misleading.  I find it hard to excuse the academic laziness that preceded his epiphany, but appreciate the fact that he is now bringing the evidence to light.  The true hero of this story is the girl who asked, "“if what it says in our textbook is true, that there was ‘no evidence whatsoever connecting them with the bombing,’ then what did they talk about in the courtroom for six weeks?”

Sigh...

I have been hoping that the whole gun control debate would blow over.  Not likely, now, is it?

I don't love guns. My third grade class lost a classmate to an accidental shooting, and a few years later, a nine-year-old boy in my ward died shortly after Christmas, when he accidentally shot himself with his brand-new hunting rifle.  Those two examples demonstrate the need for great respect in the handling of guns.

However, gun control laws are a violation of the U.S. Constitution.  Among the many reasons I believe the Founders included the 2nd amendment, one of the most important reasons to me is simply the idea of equal protection under the law.  For every lawmaker who demands private citizens give up their guns, I'd say to him, "You first."

Update:

Someone named David Zamos posted a comment in a Wall Street Journal article, compiling a list of quotes from founding fathers about the right to bear arms.  I think they are worth reading.

"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."
- George Washington

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
- Benjamin Franklin

"The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
- Thomas Jefferson

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
- Thomas Jefferson

"I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery."
- Thomas Jefferson

"Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion in private self defense."
- John Adams

"To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them."
- George Mason (father of the Bill of Rights and The Virginia Declaration of Rights)

"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed, unlike the people of other countries, whose leaders are afraid to trust them with arms."
- James Madison

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
- William Pitt

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
- Richard Henry Lee

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.... The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun."
- Patrick Henry

"... arms ... discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property.... Horrid mischief would ensue were (the law-abiding) deprived the use of them."
- Thomas Paine

"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams

Hypocrisy Among Class Warriors

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/337123/new-liberal-aristocracy-victor-davis-hanson?pg=1

Speaking some more about class envy--the biggest irony is that it is being fed by those who are profiting from it.

Law of Consecration

The law of consecration is one of the the less-understood LDS doctrines, and one that doesn't get a whole lot of attention, save once every so often in Sunday School.  I, myself, haven't really done a lot of studying on the subject, and haven't even bothered to do so for this post, but to summarize:  the law of consecration, or the United Order, is something that Joseph Smith tried to implement in early days of the church, in which the members gave all of their earnings to the church, and in turn, every member was given according to his or her need.  The practice was discontinued, but is supposed to return when all of the members are ready for this higher law.  I think that the doctrine is often misrepresented, and I struggle with my own understanding of it.

I remember very clearly something a religion teacher taught during a class at the LDS Institute at the University of Utah, some time ago when I was a starving college student.  By way of comforting those of us who were uncomfortable with the doctrine, the teacher pointed out how the great wealth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which wealth has not gone unnoticed by the world.  (Unless I am mistaken, tithing [10% of income or increase] is the primary source of the church's wealth, followed by other types of charitable donations.  The church uses tithing to pay for church buildings, including temples, and all of the things that go into running a world-wide organization.  Tithing funds are regarded as sacred, and the church makes every effort to use this money wisely.)  The teacher went on to say, if the church is doing so well with 10%, imagine how well it would do with 100%?  For, not only would we be sharing in the wealth of ordinary folks, we'd be sharing with the likes of Jon Hunstman, Sr.

At the time, I reveled a bit in the idea that I might be better off under the law of consecration. Like I said, I was poor.  But now, I think of what that teacher taught, and I am dismayed by the greed of those of us in the class whose belief in the law of consecration was founded on the idea that we'd be able to get our hands on John Huntsman's money.  Is this not what government leaders propose every time they demand that the "rich" pay their "fair share"?

In his famous talk on pride, the prophet Ezra Taft Benson said, "Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up."  Back in college, was I not an example of "pride looking up"?  In that same talk, President Benson warned that, "When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment."  Perhaps he was not talking about the United States' progressive tax policies, but I believe that "we, the people" are doing exactly that.

1st reaction

Happy New Year--we have all been "saved" from the "fiscal cliff".  This so-called "compromise" means that productive citizens, who are by no means millionaires, will get to see their increased taxes go towards increased spending.  The tax increase will by no means put a dent in the U.S. debt; and very likely will lead to decreased revenues.

Yes, according to the press, we've all been rescued.  The House hasn't even voted on it yet.  Whatever happens, Republicans are going to get blamed, and the economy will not improve.

Good WSJ article says it better:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323820104578215400767461788.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

UPDATE:  The House passed the bill.  Yay.  Now those of us making less than $400K can breathe a sigh of relief, and feel good about "sticking it to the Man."  And then we can watch our economy NOT improve, and the debt grow at an ever increasing rate, and wait for the next round of class warfare.