Introductory Commentary:

What is America? America is its citizens; the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, ... America is an ideal based on principles established by our forefathers.  When our elected officials stray from these ideals, it is our constitutional right to correct our elected official's behavior.  That's America!

We do not elect a a king or emperor, we elect a President and Congress that best represent or our core principles,  ideals, and hopes.  When the President or Congress stray from representing the best interests of the citizenry, then they should be criticized and eventually removed from office thru the election process.  Disagreeing with the the President is not treason, as citizens of America, it is our democratic obligation guaranteed by the first amendment. 

It is absolutely amazing how those elected to public office that violate these principles the most are the same persons that claim they represent America the most.  In both the government and the news media, too many individuals equate love of America with love of your elected representatives.  This is totally wrong.  If the elected representative does not act consistently on the platform in which they were elected, throw the rascals out.  It's your patriotic duty to do so.

This is not a republican vs. democratic, conservative vs liberal site. 

FACT: 

Carlyle had $600 million in capital and borrowed $22 billion.

OPINION:  

Why can't I borrow 36 times the equity in my house? 

APPLICABILITY:  Why do financial institutions and hedge funds have special privileges afforded them by the federal government.  If I run into financial trouble, I get to file bankruptcy.  If a financial institution experiences financial problems, they get bailed out by the Federal Reserve Board and the management gets bonuses. 

(fact source: Meet the Press - Marie Bartiromo )

FACT: 

Bear Stearns was leveraged 240 times its capital value.

OPINION:  

Wow, you and I can get a loan for 80% of the value of our home.  If you have an investment account you can borrow 40% on margin. 

APPLICABILITY:  Your elected representative have allowed investment houses and hedge funds to borrow 240 times their value.  If they go bankrupt, the federal government rescues them with your tax dollars.  If you go bankrupt, too bad.  Oh, don't forget you still have to pay off your credit card debt.  Regulations after the Great Depression resolved this issue but financial institutions seem to have found a way around these regulations in the last several years.

(fact source: CNBC )

FACT: 

Bear Stearns gets emergency loan from Federal Reserve due to heavy exposure to sub prime securities.

OPINION:  

For the last several years, Bear Stearns profited greatly from trading in these knowingly worthless securities.

APPLICABILITY:  Why aren't the Bear Stearns executives in jail.  This situation is not a lot different than  Enron and now all of the rest of us who are legitimate and honest have to suffer under the Sarbanes Oxley burden.  This is a perfect example how increased regulations only disadvantage honest companies while the dishonest still get away with fleecing the American taxpayer.

(general news )

FACT: 

Americans percentage of equity in their homes fell to less than 50% for the first time since 1945 when records were first kept.

OPINION:  

Homeowners borrowing from the equity in their home to finance day-to-day living is going to make the sub-prime problem look like a minor economic hiccup.

APPLICABILITY:  Financial institutions have had free reign in the last decade disassembling margin regulations, loan regulations, and credit card regulations to the disadvantage of the average American.  The previously successful financial regulations were developed from decades of experience and economic mistakes.  The irony is that the financial institutions responsible for destruction of these regulations are now requesting that the government save them from their disassembly.

(fact source: AP )

FACT: 

The President of the United States is "Commander and Chief".

OPINION:  

The President is not only Commander and Chief but also "Educator".

APPLICABILITY:  The great Presidents of the US have all been effective communicators and educators. Being a great educator requires that the person doing the educating have extensive knowledge of the facts and an understanding of the subject matter, something that is currently woefully lacking from many politicians in Washington DC.

(fact source: General News)

FACT: 

Prescription drugs in the US are manufactures from active components of which 80% are imported. 

OPINION:  

The price of the statin drug that I take has tripled in the last several years and is significantly higher than in any other country in the world.

APPLICABILITY:  The current administration has done a great job of protecting the drug manufacturers, even though most of their products aren't even made in the US.  Good lobbyists have been very successful in the US in the last 5 or 6 years.

(fact source: Channel 7 Evening News)

FACT: 

The US Government is planning on distributing $150 billion, the majority to individual American citizens, in the form of checks amounting to between $300 and $600 in order to stimulate the American economy.

OPINION:  

The sub-prime mortgage crises, financial companies arbitrarily raising interest rate on credit cards, unregulated hedge funds, an erroneous fed fund policy, and unfair lobbyist influence from corporations, unions, and little known international entities, are the reasons for the latest economic problems.

APPLICABILITY:  This is why we need a new President (and Congress) that can identify the real problem and solve the real problem.  So why is the President giving temporary handout!  Why don't your elected officials address the real problems, not just pander to the public for votes. 

(fact source: General news)

FACT: 

President Bush announced that the 2008 federal budget would exceed $3.1 trillion. It does not include $195 billion for the war in Iraq.

OPINION:  

Can it get any worse. 

APPLICABILITY:  This budget is going to make it very difficult for the next president of the United States.  It will also have a negative effect on the American economy and the viability of the US as a "super power" in the long run.

(fact source: General news)

FACT: 

In every Republican debate, Reagan's name gets mentioned.  I love the phrase "What would Reagan do?"

OPINION:  

So I did a quick search of Reagan's legacy to find out what he actually did:

 - Reagan's stance toward the Savings and Loan industry lead to the "Savings and Loan Crisis".

 - Reagan's economic policies  influenced the "Stock Market Crash of 1987".

 - Reagan's "trickle-down economics" spurred tax policies that benefited the wealthy but not the poor.

 - The US budget deficit rose from $700 billion to $3 trillion during the Reagan administration.

APPLICABILITY:  Are you sure we really want another Reagan-like president?

(fact source: WIKIPEDIA)

FACT: 

Since 1960, America's divorce rate has doubled, the teenage suicide rate tripled, the violent crime rate doubled, and the prison population quintupled.

OPINION:   I think the US as a country needs to begin focusing on domestic issues once again and stop trying to change the rest of the world.

APPLICABILITY:  The war in Iraq has been a tremendous diversion from confronting our own domestic problems, especially in Washington.   Whether you believe in the war or not, our elected representative have really ignored some incredibly important domestic issues such as financial industry lending practices, the sub prime melt won, and economic health the of the middle class.

(fact source: The Economist)

FACT: 

The yuan is set to end 2007 up nearly 7% against the dollar -- twice the amount it appreciated against the U.S. currency in 2006. 

OPINION:   Almost every consumer item I buy is "made in China".  Now it too will be going up in price.

APPLICABILITY:  Unfortunately, manufacturing of consumer items is not going to come back to the US; it will just move to the next cheapest labor country.  Our elected officials have been putting political pressure on China to increase the exchange rate of the yuan which will only cause greater inflation in the US among items we purchase every day.  Thanks again to the federal government for looking after American consumers.

(fact source: Wall Street Journal)

FACT: 

The US operates 700 military bases in 130 foreign countries around the world.

OPINION:   Wow, do we really need that many foreign bases? Is this true?

APPLICABILITY:  It is common knowledge that the US operates bases in countries where we really don't need bases anymore.  I remember President Clinton shuttling down both foreign and domestic  bases in order to balance the federal budget.  Isn't this what the Republicans are suppose to be doing.

(fact source: Ron Paul - Meet the Press)

FACT: 

US sub-prime loans amount to $800 billion with undocumented loans representing another $800 billion.  To date, financial institutions have only written off $200 billion. 

OPINION:   How did our elected representatives let this one get by.

APPLICABILITY:  Deregulation or over regulation are equally dangerous.  In recent years, the balance has swung towards deregulation of the financial institutions and the sub prime issue is the result.  Didn't our politicians learn anything after the Savings and Loan crises last decade?.

(fact source: Alan Greenspan ABC News)

FACT: 

France's Areva sold two nuclear reactors to China for US$11.9 billion.

OPINION:   I thought the US was the world's technological leader.  Our politicians think so.

APPLICABILITY:  Lack of political foresight, lack of technological focus by our politicians, and misdirection of national resources has led to the US becoming an also ran in confronting the future.

(fact source: RTTNews)

FACT: 

France's Areva sold two nuclear reactors to China for US$11.9 billion.

OPINION:   I thought the US was the world's technological leader.  Our politicians think so.

APPLICABILITY:  Lack of political foresight, lack of technological focus by our politicians, and misdirection of national resources has led to the US becoming an also ran in confronting the future.

(fact source: RTTNews)

FACT: 

Israel's top-secret air raid on Syria in September destroyed a bomb factory assembling warheads fuelled by North Korean plutonium.

OPINION:   I don't remember hearing about this from any American politicians.

APPLICABILITY:  While the US is verbally attacking other countries, the Israelis are taking care of real threats.

(fact source: NY Times

FACT:  All republican candidates claim that the Democrats will raise taxes and increase spending but the spending by the President and Congress in the last 6 years has been a disaster.

OPINION:   President Bush and the Republican Congress from 2000 to 2004 promised to reduce spending yet spending skyrocketed.

APPLICABILITY:  Just as in the prior two elections, the best defense is an offense. The Republicans are very good at spinning their own performance failures as attributes to attack their opponents.

(fact source: Republican Debate of Fox news channel.)

FACT:  Foreclosures are soaring while bankruptcies are running at half the rate in 2003.

OPINION:   In 2005, your elected representative in Congress voted a new bankruptcy law which makes it nearly impossible to get out of credit card debt for any reason if you file bankruptcy.  It's a lot easier to hand your house back to your lender.

APPLICABILITY:  My 20 something child earns minimum wage and receives no less than 3 credit card applications per week.  The credit card companies know that once they can get him to sign up, they can over charge him on interest, late payments, and excess limits.  Perhaps Congress should pass a law making credit card companies partially responsible for issuing credit cards to consumers they know will have difficulty making their payments.

(fact source: Business Week 10/29/07 - Bankruptcy Reform Bites Back)

FACT:  Major changes to the American medical system have occurred in the last 4 years:

 -  It is now illegal to purchase your prescription drugs from Canada or Mexico,

 -  If you place your medical bills on your credit card and you eventually file for bankruptcy, you're  stuck paying those bills forever (and you're probably unemployed). 

 -  If your health insurance provider decides to underpay a medical bill, you as the individual are responsible for the balance with little recourse since you already signed your legal rights away.

OPINION:   The facts are what they are.

APPLICABILITY:  Thank you current administration including Congress.

(fact source: general news)

FACT:  Americans pay $2 trillian per year in health care costs.

OPINION:   There is momentum building to make sure all Americans have health care insurance. The insurance industry must be getting ready to party as federal and state governments will end up paying the cost to insure an additional 47million Americans.  No wonder the stocks of health insurance providers is skyrocketing. Unfortunately, a lot of politicians don't understand the connection.

APPLICABILITY:  Finding elected representatives that understand the health care situation is rare.  A medical procedure for an uninsured person with money that costs $10,000, costs an insurance company $6,000, and Medicare $3,000.  This is only an estimate of relative payments but it becomes quite obvious that Medicare is being subsidized off the back of uninsured Americans that are able to pay, even at great difficulty.  The federal government has absolutely no incentive to change the system as they are getting the best deal. It's a cost problem, not an insurance problem, although insurance administration costs are a rapidly growing part of the equation.

(secondary fact source: On The Money)

FACT:  68% of Republicans do not believe in evolution.

OPINION:   I have a hard time believing that this is an accurate statistic.  But even if is half true, the future of the US will be limited. I grew up with a strong science background including biology and geology.  The issue of the validity of creationism is probably the only issue that I would not debate with a believer in creationism.

APPLICABILITY:  It is already evident that politicians cater to the believers of creationism.  That's why the rights of women are being questioned and the government financing of stem cell research is stalled.  Even NASA funding is under attack.  Unfortunately, (or fortunately), government intervention in minimizing the sciences will some day provide other countries the opportunity to pick up the slack and lead mankind into the future.

(fact source: Gallup Survey)

FACT:  There are now 25 lobbyists for every member of Congress,  which haws doubled since 2004.

OPINION:   Did you really think your vote actually counted!

APPLICABILITY:  It's really unbelievable that the pharmaceutical lobby wrote the recent drug program but it now appears that lobbyists have become a permanent and structural part of the Washington scene.  Who do think you elected representative will listen to?

(fact source: Bill Moyer)

FACT:  Ryan Crocker was confirmed as Ambassador to Iraq on March 7, 2007. (Not an elected official but appointed by an elected official.)

OPINION:   Heard this Ambassador give an update on the conditions in Iraq on Meet the Press.  The first question you have to ask yourself is what are his qualifications.  I did a quick internet search and it turns out he has a very impressive resume concerning the Middle East.  However, I'm not sure he speaks a word of Farsi and it is no secret that the Middle East has suffered more than its fair share of issues for more than  decade.

APPLICABILITY:  It seems like our elected officials keep appointing, well credentialed, but less than successful individuals to really important positions. No wonder there never appears to be any success, and I'm saying this nicely.

(fact source: Meet the press)

FACT:  Congress and the president just passed a $100 billion bill to support the troops when, in fact, only $22.6 billion will be going to the troops.

OPINION:   Why doesn't that surprise me!  Granted a considerable amount will go to private security firms that are now replacing the tradition security function but $18 billion has nothing to do with the war in Iraq.

APPLICABILITY:  The democrats really missed this opportunity to politically attack Bush but they were too busy dipping into the $18, billion along with the Republicans.

(fact source: Tom Hartman)

FACT:  The national average price of gasoline is $3.18 per gallon.

OPINION:   Demand for gasoline continues to rise.  There are basically 2 ways to reduce consumption, increasing CAFE standards or drastically increasing prices.

APPLICABILITY:  GM and Ford have long fought increasing CAFE standards and your elected representatives in Congress have been successfully lobbied to cooperate. The irony is that the Detroit auto makers would be in much better shape, carbon emissions greatly reduced, and gasoline prices much lower had CAFE standards been gradually and orderly increased in the 80s and 90s.

(fact source: general news)

FACT:  Prior to boarding a flight to Denver from Burbank with my 92 year old dad and 2 other 90+ year old men were being padded down by TSA security personnel.

OPINION:   I wish I was brave enough to take a picture.  It would have been a classic. My day had no clue what was going on, he is simply too old to understand.

APPLICABILITY:  It's getting more difficult to believe that our federal government can implement any type of legislated program. 

(fact source: personal experience)

FACT:  President Bush insinuated that the US would withdraw from Iraq if the government of Iraq asked us to. (The government of Iraq currently had planned on a 3 month vacation, but that's a different and troubling issue.)

OPINION:   The bipartisan battles in Washington are distracting from the development of a long term plan to consolidate our troops in strategic locations in order to stabilize the Middle East. That's what Congress should be debating, not just when to withdraw. 

APPLICABILITY:  Each party has fronted numerous candidates for the presidential primaries next year and it remains to be seen if any of these candidates has enough understanding of the situation in Iraq to propose a successful and strategic plan to contain the chaos in Iraq and stabilize the  Middle East.

(fact source: general news)

FACT:  Word circulated in the press than Sallie Mae might go private.

OPINION:   My first thought is who will be the lucky, well connected insiders, that will get this money making franchise on the cheap. 

APPLICABILITY:  Sallie Mae was suppose to be a quasi government agency to supply government guaranteed, below market loans to students.  Instead, during the last 6 years, it has become a predatory loan program with not so low interest rates supported with financial kick backs from the schools that promote its loans.  And now our current administration will allow it to go private!  Where is the press in all this unethical mess.

(fact source: general news)

FACT:  Middle class Americans looking for a quick loan till payday pay up to 390% interest if the loan is continuously rolled for an entire year.

OPINION:   I can imagine all of the reasons that your elected officials did away with the usury laws once legislated by our forefathers. 

APPLICABILITY:  This is another case where previous legislation on usury laws was totally over turned instead of being modified and updated to more accurately reflect new financial realities. 

(fact source: Jim Cramer 03/08/07)

FACT:  President Regan worked well with democrats, raised taxes while in office, and signed a liberal abortion law.

OPINION:   Modern day republicans ardently support President Reagan while vehemently rejecting those principals for which President Reagan stood. I'm seriously confused.

APPLICABILITY:  Governor Schwarzenegger of California has fallen out of favor with the Republican Party even though he may have a lot in common with President Reagan. 

(fact source: Economist Magazine 02/24/07)

FACT:  3.8 million Iraqis have fled Iraq to neighboring countries in the Middle East.

OPINION:   I've read where it is really only 700,000 but this situation really illustrates the severity of the problem in Iraq.  

APPLICABILITY:  Get ready for a massive migration of Iraqis into the United States.  This happened at the end of the Korean War and the Viet Nam War and I see no reason why it wouldn't happen after this war.  This will make the fight against terrorism almost impossible.  Remember how Rome was destroyed ... from within!

(fact source: Ed Shultz Show- 02/14/07)

FACT:  (Part 2) President Bush is planning to increase the U.S. military presence in Iraq by over 20,000 troops in early to mid 2007. Current military staffing is approximately 134,000.

OPINION:   I believe I've heard several military generals advise that a troop surge is the wrong strategy, I've heard the leader of Iraq advise that he is against the troop surge but needs more equipment and supplies.  The troop surge during the summer of 2006 was not successful.  

APPLICABILITY:  It would be nice if the American people could elect representative that carefully reviewed the facts first, without manipulation and cherry picking, and then let the qualified persons in government set the strategy.  This would b a refreshing change.

(fact source: Various - Meet the Press - 02/11/07)

FACT:  Mr. Milkshake shuts down Boston.

OPINION:   I'm sorry, you've got to see the humor in this. The Cartoon Network placed neon signs in 13 different cities across the U.S. and Boston responded as if it were an act of terrorism.   No other cities responded in this manner.

APPLICABILITY:  I remember back in the 50's when Americans believed that there was a Communist behind every bush.  This is for real.  It's amazing at how things remain the same.

(fact source: Various news media - 02/07/07)

FACT:  The U.S. economy excels when the average tax rate for all Americans is 18% or less.

OPINION:   Interesting number.  I don't know what the current average tax rate is but I'll keep this number in mind as the average personal tax rate is adjusted by Congress in the next few years.

APPLICABILITY:  It may be that exceeding this rate in the next few years could do major damage to the U.S. economy.

(fact source: Mitt Romney on O'Reilly Factor - 02/07/07)

FACT:  (Part 1) President Bush is planning to increase the U.S. military presence in Iraq by over 20,000 troops in early to mid 2007. Current military staffing is approximately 134,000.

OPINION:   During the spring of 2006, the U.S. troop count was 150,000 and during the beginning of 2006 it was 160,000.  Someone explain to me that adding 20,000 troops to a reduced current count of 134,000 is considered a military surge.  Don't forget about the additional 25,000 private security personnel performing functions previously performed by by U.S. troops in other wars.

APPLICABILITY:  Again, American citizens are not being told the real facts of the war.

(fact source: General Media - 01/28/07)

FACT:  The U.S. spends 16% of its GDP on health care.

OPINION:   This is twice as much as other advanced industrialized countries. The 47 million uninsured Americans let the rest of us without employer based insurance pay their medical costs.  The US health care system is a prime example of  "cost shifting" and the federal government promoting an unbalanced and uncompetitive health care industry.

APPLICABILITY:  The U.S. needs to overhaul its current health care system where everyone pays their own fair share, health care providers are subjected to cost transparency, litigation is capped, and some economic consideration is used in determining the extent of medical treatment.

(fact source: Economist - 01/13/07)

FACT:  Chuck Hagel, and most other politicians, are calling the war in Iraq a "secular" civil war.

OPINION:   This is not a "secular civil war" in the political sense; it is a "religious civil war".  You have 2 different groups of the same religion duking it out with each for the past several hundred years. Under this scenario, there isn't much chance that any outside force can influence a favorable outcome.

APPLICABILITY:  The White House and its supporters have continually mischaracterized the war since its beginning and continue to implement the wrong strategies and tactics as a result of the mischaracterization.

(fact source: Face the Nation - 01/21/07)

FACT:  Iraqi President Maliki criticized the White House for not supplying sufficient equipment to supply Iraqi forces.

OPINION:   We still haven't completely met the needs and requirements of our own military in Iraq.

APPLICABILITY:  There is a total breakdown in communication and implementation between the White House, the US military, and supply operations. If a corporation acted in this manner, it would no longer be in business.

(fact source: Lou Dobbs 01/21/07)

FACT:  China shot down one of its own satellites with its own missile.

OPINION:   Why?.

APPLICABILITY:  US intelligence didn't know anything about this.  In fact they were involved in an intelligence meeting in Washington at the same time and didn't even mention it.

(fact source: Lou Dobbs 01/21/07)

FACT:  2005 was the hottest year in recorded history.

OPINION:   Wasn't Al Gore Vice President of the United States for 8 years?  (facetious comment).

APPLICABILITY:  VP Gore and President Clinton were in a position for 8 years to take action on global warming.  Why do they wait till they are out of office before they do something about it!

(source: Al Gore - An Inconvenient Truth)