Slaying the Goliath

Justice Antonin Scalia has given a rare interview with 60 Minutes that will air this Sunday. Scalia is generally known to shun interviews with the media; however, in this interview he is rather candid and discusses issues such as Bush v. Gore.

To the Left’s fabricated claim that decision in Bush v. Gore was politically motivated, Scalia responds, “I say nonsense. Get over it. It’s so old by now. The principal issue in the case, whether the scheme that the Florida Supreme Court had put together violated the federal Constitution, that wasn’t even close. The vote was seven to two.”

As further rebuke of the false claims of the Left, Scalia adds, “It was Al Gore who made it a judicial question…. We didn’t go looking for trouble. It was he who said, ‘I want this to be decided by the courts.’ What are we supposed to say — ‘Not important enough?’”

Poor Hilary Clinton. Like many people who cling to the failed policies of the Left, she is playing the victim card. Yesterday, on the Today Show, she said this: “The most pervasive form of discrimination in the world — no matter what the ethnicity, the race, the religion of people who live in any society — is discrimination against women.” That’s quite the bold statement Mrs. Clinton. Undoubtedly, many disagree.

A now famous shot of Antarctic Ice Shelves caving in Al Gore’s 2006 movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is actually a computer generated shot from the 2004 Science Fiction movie, The Day After Tomorrow. Viewing the shot on ABC’s 20/20, Karen Goulekas, visual effects supervisor for The Day After Tomorrow confirms, “Yeah, that’s, that’s our shot. That’s a fully computer-generated shot. There’s nothing real in there.”

In the movie, Al Gore uses the shots as if they are actual footage recorded in the Antarctic. He is attempting show that ice shelves, which he describes as “700 feet tall” and “majestic,” are melting away because of global warming.

The real inconvenient truth is that man-made global warming is one of the biggest hoaxes the Left has ever manufactured to scare people into accepting greater government control.

As was predicted by many Americans, Jimmy Carter achieved absolutely nothing by meeting with the leaders of Hamas, other than to legitimize their terrorist organization. Hamas has made their demands clear in the past: nothing short of the complete destruction of Israel. There is no negotiating with them.

According to Palestinian foreign minister Malki, “Hamas offered nothing to president Carter. They reiterated the same positions. There was no change on the part of Hamas.”

Later the leader of Hamas himself stated that they would not recognize Israel as a legitimate state and will continue to demand the right return of 4.5 million Palestinians.

It is amazing how Jimmy Carter continues to appease American enemies 27 years after he has left office. He truly is one of the worst Presidents in American history.

5. George W. Bush

Many people are seen differently through the prism of history. President George W. Bush is no different. Indeed, President Bush has faltered from time to time (border security, Medicare Part D); however, his successes have greatly outweighed those blunders.

George W. Bush has proved to be one of history’s strongest Presidents on both National Security and Homeland Security. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, President Bush displayed extraordinary leadership skills and rallied the nation together during a time it needed it most. 

President Bush properly realized that radical Islam was at war with the United States; yet, the United States was not at war with radical Islam. He then ended the practice of prosecuting terrorists in criminal court set by the Clinton Administration and began an aggressive global war on terror. There has not been a terrorist attack on American soil since the War on Terror began.

President Bush has also refused to give in to critics who demand that he close Guantanamo Bay and bring America’s prisoners of war onto American soil. Doing so would grant them all of our Constitutional rights, such as the right to a speedy trial, the reading on Miranda rights, and a number of others. Prisoners of war have no place in civilian courts.

In addition to his strong leadership, President Bush has left a lasting impact on the United States Supreme Court. He has gotten two strong strict constructionist judges appointed to our highest court, one of which replacing the moderate to liberal leaning Sandra Day O’Connor.

4. Thomas Jefferson

Although the modern day Democratic Party call themselves the party of Jefferson, their beliefs could not differ greater from the Democratic-Republican Party founded by Jefferson and Madison in 1792. Thomas Jefferson and his party believed in a limited national government, states’ rights, and strict interpretation of the constitution. He also opposed government programs such as a national bank, and he opposed the practice of judicial review established in Marbury v. Madison during his Presidency.

Thomas Jefferson was, above all, a great support of individual liberty free from government control. For example, on the issue of gun control, he once stated, “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

(Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, one of the greatest documents in human history. It is a declaration of the independence of all mankind, as well as the independence of the United States.)

3. George Washington

Often called “the father of our country,” George Washington was the first President of the United States, and he is often characterized as one of our greatest Presidents. Besides being forever remembered as a great statesman, George Washington created many precedents still practiced by Presidents to this day. For example, he added the phrase “so help me God” to the end of his oath of office.

Perhaps most importantly, George Washington showed the world that the American Republic was not a dictatorship by willingly giving up the Presidency after only two terms in office. Every United States President except FDR has followed this practice of two terms. Today, a maximum of two terms is set by the 22nd amendment.

2. Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is routinely included at the top of lists such as this one. When Abraham Lincoln assumed office, seven states had already seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States. Soon after his inauguration, the American Civil War broke out. Lincoln’s management of the Civil War has caused him to be remembered as one of our greatest wartime Presidents. The Civil War, the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil, ended shortly after Lincoln’s second term began, and Reconstruction efforts began even before the war was over. Unfortunately, five days after the surrender of General Lee, President Lincoln became the first United States President to be assassinated.

In addition to leading the defeat of the Confederate States, Lincoln was known to be extremely articulate in both speeches and writing. His Gettysburg Address has become one of the most famous speeches in American history and rallied the Union during the Civil War.

President Lincoln also led efforts to end slavery in the United States. He is extremely famous for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation - a set of two executive orders declaring the freedom of all slaves in the Confederate States that did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863. He also promoted the passage of the thirteenth amendment to the United States Constitution, which officially outlawed slavery.

1. Ronald Reagan

Much could be written on the many accomplishments of President Ronald Wilson Reagan.

President Reagan inherited a terrible economy from his predecessor, Jimmy Carter. During his first inaugural address, during which 52 American hostages held for the last 444 days were released from Iran, President Regan said of the United States economy, “Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.” Following his philosophy of limited government regulation and with heavy tax cuts, the economy strongly rebounded. After 1982, the GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.4% per year, unemployment dropped with the creation of 16 million new jobs, and inflation overwhelmingly decreased. His policies left the American economy strong even into the 1990s.

Of course, President Reagan’s most famous accomplishment came through his efforts to end the Cold War with the Soviet Union, which he referred to as the evil empire. He increased defense spending by 40% from 1981 to 1985 in a record peacetime buildup known as peace through strength.

On June 12, 1987, President Reagan gave a speech at the Berlin Wall in West Germany. It has since become one of the most famous speeches in our history. Speaking directly to General Secretary Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, President Reagan said the following:

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Seventeen months later, the wall came tumbling down. Soon after, so did the Soviet Union itself.

5. James Buchanan

James Buchanan is often remembered among the worst United States Presidents. His most remembered failure is his inaction regarding the southern states that had declared their intention to secede from the Union. As he did with most problems he faced during his Presidency, he merely sat on his hands. Buchanan declared that the southern states did not have the legal right to secede; yet, he added that the federal government had no power to prevent them from doing so.

Even before the beginnings of the Civil War, Buchanan refused to take a stance on tough issues. During his inaugural address, he noted that there was no need for him to deal with the issue of slave’s rights in territories. Instead he encouraged the upcoming Dred Scottdecision of the Supreme Court. He let the Supreme Court make the decision, which is now remembered as one of the worst decisions in American history.

By the time Buchanan left office, seven states had suceeded from the Union and formed the Confederacy. The country was left on the brink of Civil War.

4. Woodrow Wilson

Possibly the worst of Wilson’s “achievements” is his passage of the Revenue Act of 1913. The Act created today’s Progressive income tax, which soon became the government’s main source of income. He also created the Federal Reserve, which put the economy in the hands of the federal government by means of a national bank of the type Thomas Jefferson warned us against. Both acts seem to be a page right out of the Communist Manifesto itself.

Aside from Wilson’s other attempts to institute a government controlled economy, Wilson was also a large proponent of the failed League of Nations.

3. Lyndon Baines Johnson

The Great Society has been a great failure. During the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson, the United States began its famous War on Poverty. Over 50 years and Billions of dollars later where has it gotten us? Nowhere. Poverty rates are virtually the same as they have always been. The best way for people to succeed in America is free market enterprise and hard work, not government assistance. LBJ strengthened the nanny state.

In addition to mounting the unsucessful War on Poverty, LBJ helped create two new entitlement programs. Medicare and Medicaid. Both have drained billions from the American taxpayer and are now on the verge of bankruptcy - proving once again, that government assistance is not the answer.

2. Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter undoubtedly ranks as the worst President of all time on many lists. The first two things that come to mind with the mention of Jimmy Carter are massive inflation and appeasement. During Carter’s time as president the United States experienced double-digit inflation, very high interest rates, and high unemployment. All of which resulted in little or no economic growth during a period now described as stagflation.

The final year of Jimmy Carter’s Presidency was clouded by the Iran hostage crisis. During the crisis, which lasted for 444 days, 52 American diplomats were held hostage by Iran in their capital of Tehran. The hostages were released just minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President of the United States. The whole incident is thought to have given prestige to the Iran government through their efforts to resist American demands for such a period of time.

More recently, Jimmy Carter has shown the extent of his appeasement and wish to grant legitimacy to dictators and terrorists by agreeing to meet with the leader of the terrorist organization, Hamas.

1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

This may come as a shock to some - to others it may seem obvious that FDR would appear on the list of worst United States Presidents. Many people, incorrectly, regard him as one of the greatest American Presidents; however, to be blunt, FDR was a Socialist and he expanded the powers of government to a greater extent than any other President. Additionally, his lust for power caused him to break the two term tradition created by President George Washington.

FDR was elected with hopes of ending the Depression. Indeed, many people have incorrectly accredited him with doing just that. In fact, the economic boom that ended the Great Depression was a result of America’s entrence into World War II. FDR’s New Deal had just the opposite effect. The New Deal, in fact, prolonged the Great Depression. Among his efforts to bring about Socialism in the United States were a heavily expanded welfare state and the creation of the now nearly bankrupt Social Security entitlement. FDR’s policies damaged America to an extent that is still felt today.

At a time when grocery prices are already skyrocketing due to biofuels, the Left is attempting to implement a new tax that would have grocery shoppers paying even more – a tax on grocery bags. The California State Assembly is considering a 15¢ to 25¢ tax per plastic grocery bag, and Seattle officials are proposing a 20¢ tax on both paper and plastic.

Both of the measures are part of an effort to encourage shoppers to purchase and use their own reusable shopping bags to help combat the utter hoax of global warming. As usual, the Left is attempting to use taxes as a method of social control.

According to My Way News, John McCain has called on the government to implement a break in the federal gas tax over the summer. This, of course, is the real way to lower gas prices - ending government regulation. There is no free market in the oil industry anymore. It has been regulated at every stage of production by the government for years, and is heavily taxed by local and state governments. In fact, the federal government makes more profit per gallon than the oil companies; yet, the government does nothing to earn that profit.

In the speech he also claimed that he would like to suspend all increases in discretionary spending for government agencies for one year, except for those agencies that cover the military and veterans, while executing an exhaustive review of the effectiveness of each federal agency and program. This is exactly how we can strengthen the economy - cutting taxes and cutting wasteful government spending.

In California, Democrat Jim Beall has proposed an amendment to the state constitution to raise the tax on beer by $1.80 per six pack. That’s 30¢ per beer, can or bottle. According to MercuryNews.com the current tax is 2¢ per can, which means the proposed amendment is a 1,500 percent increase.

Beall says, “The people who use alcohol should pay for part of the cost to society, just like we’ve accepted that concept with tobacco.”

This is a great big “I told you so” to those on the Left who wanted these socialist taxes and regulation of tobacco. No doubt, the argument will eventually be made that drink should only be permitted within one’s own home to help prevent drunk driving - for public good - just like the tobacco laws.

It doesn’t matter to the Left if either issue effects the business of bars and restaurants, nor does the systematic loss of liberty have any meaning. After that, the Left will find some other issue to control.

We used to fight all the time, when we were younger. Of course, that is typical for brothers, close in age, growing up together. It drove our mother crazy. Whenever she caught us, she would break it up and tell us, “You’re brothers! You’re supposed to love each other!”

Certainly, we loved each other; yet, during those early years of our lives we had only vague understandings of such great concepts as love, faith, freedom, and honor. Thankfully, our mother and father successfully instilled us with Judeo-Christian values.

We eventually came to understand those greater human concepts – concepts that speak through one’s actions as well as one’s words. My brother may not be a man of words, but he is certainly a man of great actions.

My brother is currently a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps. He joined the United States Marines when he was 18, just after graduating high school. In the midst of a War on Terror, he left his comfortable civilian life to serve this great country.

In January 2008, he was deployed for his first tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Unlike heroes in the wars of old, my brother is blessed with modern technologies that allow him to keep in frequent contact with his family. We frequently exchange e-mails and the occasional telephone call. He has even been able to send us pictures taken with his digital camera.

He recently spent his 21st birthday on Iraqi soil - a landmark age in the United States. He has expressed to me how excited he is to get home and experience being 21 in America; yet, he knows his duty to his country and accepts it proudly.

Unlike me, he strays away from conversations about Republican versus Democrat or Right versus Left. Politics are not something that he enjoys. America is.

He loves his country very much. He has a bigger understanding of its greatness and its liberties than most Americans do. He has given up countless freedoms we take for granted every day to fight and if necessary, to die for this country. He is a true American Hero, as all of those men and women over there are.

Over the course of our lives, he has been the greatest friend I could ask for. I could not be more proud, and I love him very much. I have faith that God will bring him safely home to us, and I look foreword to the day I see him again. He will be back on American soil later this year. It is a true honor to be his brother.