Schumer’s Victory Dance

Sen. Chuck Schumer gleefully said on the Senate floor that “illegal immigration will be a thing of the past” once his immigration bill is passed. Where, exactly, is the pride in solving an illegal act by making it legal? Is that the best we can do? Apparently, it is, and it is one more sign of our escalating decline.

There is little doubt that if Schumer’s “solution” is put into place, border crossings will increase by those seeking the amnesty Schumer is eager to offer. Crossings are already rising in Texas. Schumer’s promise of securing the border later is as meaningful as “you can keep the health insurance you have”. Our government has a long history of reneging on promises and cutting funds.

When society stigmatized divorce, we made divorce easily obtainable. Today, 50% of marriages end in divorce and the family unit is crumbling. When illegal alcohol spurred out-of-control organized crime, we made alcohol legal again and organized crime flooded the country with drugs. We “solved” illegal gambling by making it legal through casinos and membership in Gambling Anonymous is steadily rising. When teen pregnancies increased, we handed out condoms in elementary schools and began actively encouraging their frequent use, resulting in a single motherhood epidemic. We “solved” the problem of dangerous back-alley abortions by making abortion legal, resulting in more and more abortions that have gone so far as murder outside the womb.

There is a pattern here. Society and our “leaders” are solving difficult problems with easy fixes and no forethought to consequences. The current easy fix being generated for our runaway drug problem is to make drugs legal. Does anyone really believe flooding the free market with legal, dangerous drugs (and that will surely be a result) will curtail their usage?

Chuck Schumer’s victory dance is not only premature, it is ridiculous. Amnesty, especially before securing the border, is a politically expedient fix for a difficult problem that will cause more problems. Obamacare is a perfect example of a hasty, politically expedient fix resulting in a nightmare.

When will we ever learn?

David J. Hentosh

Is the Obama Administration Imploding?

The Obama Administration’s incompetence, arrogance, and mistakes are becoming too big to hide. The liberal media’s pretense that all is well is cracking as the public slowly becomes informed rather than misled.

“What difference does it make?” was Hillary’s arrogant attempt to dismiss Senate Foreign Relations Committee concerns on Benghazi and advance an administration cover-up, but her transparent act of being offended has now become offensive to many. Hiding facts surrounding the death of Americans does, indeed, make a difference.

Obama’s re-election was protected by the Benghazi cover-up but Hillary’s presidential bid may now be in jeopardy. Senator Durbin (D-Ill.) can pretend the GOP is conducting a “witch hunt” because of fearing Hillary in 2016, but the real fear is that the entire Democrat Party will face dire consequences – and it should. The rubber-stamping Obama received from Democrats made this all possible.

Revelations of the IRS targeting non-profit groups such as the Tea Party for political purposes are further proof of an administration out of control, but blinders remain. Carl Bernstein declared that he “can’t imagine” President Obama is possibly involved in this IRS infraction, though he had no problem imagining Nixon’s involvement in a minor, bungled break-in, and helping to bring about his resignation because of it.

Much of the public has been kept in the dark and, therefore, also “can’t imagine” the depths of this administration’s errors and political tactics. The facts coming forth now do not rely on one’s imagination and should shock all out of the political stupor that has taken hold, but perhaps that is too optimistic a view.

Hillary for president is being advanced even in the wake of her Benghazi debacle. Joe Klein, on the Chris Matthews show (soon to become the “Hillary-for-President Show”), began the erasure of the 2008 liberal campaign theme that experience doesn’t count by stating that Hillary is “…one of the most experienced candidates we’ve ever had running for president”.

One can hope that Hillary’s “experience” in the Benghazi cover-up will be remembered and will count. Perhaps Obama’s administration will have completely imploded by then – that is, if the media will allow it. There is “Hope” for “Change” in 2016.

David J. Hentosh

Irreversible Damage

After the Boston bombings, a poll revealed that Fox News was the most watched and most trusted network covering the incident. Although the rejection of liberal biased networks is encouraging, damage caused by years of voter ignorance aided by media bias may be irreversible.

A recent poll shows that 42% of Americans don’t know that Obamacare has been passed into law. Unfortunately, many of these people vote. The hastily passed healthcare bill that is proving to be a disaster was sold to the public by a media vested in “making history” and reluctant to report on the bill’s failures. Congress is now trying to exempt itself from Obamacare while some unions, avid Obama backers, are trying to get many of its provisions repealed, but the media continues praising it.

Another poll shows that 55% of Americans don’t know that Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the country, actually performs abortions. It receives taxpayer money based on the perception that its function is only women’s healthcare, a notion reinforced by President Obama stating publicly that Planned Parenthood provides mammograms, which it doesn’t.

The current trial of abortionist doctor Kermit Gosnell, accused of killing newborns as part of his abortion practice, went unmentioned by the mainstream media until it was forced to cover it because of the attention from Fox News and other responsible news outlets. The progressive media fully approves of abortion so it is reluctant to report anything negative concerning it.

Due to media-assisted voter ignorance, many abortion practices that most find despicable have taken root in society and flaws in Obamacare adversely affecting everyone have become law. It now seems likely that immigration reform will focus on amnesty and ignore border security, putting us all in danger for years to come.

Permanent damage has been done and more is sure to come if the biased media continues unfettered. A Republican White House would surely compel the liberal media to return to being a “watchdog” critically investigating administration policies. If that doesn’t occur, the damage already done will end up seeming miniscule compared to what is coming.

David J. Hentosh

Legal Immigration Needs Reform, Too

Once again, Ann Coulter shatters PC protocol and vocalizes what many think but fear to say. With so many people from around the world wanting to come to America, why is it that we refuse to be more selective with our immigration process? Bowing to diversity with our immigration policy is, literally, killing us.

From Ann Coulter

My thought is, maybe we should consider admitting immigrants who can succeed in America, rather than deadbeats…But we’re not allowed to “discriminate” in favor of immigrants who would be good for America. Instead of helping America, our immigration policies are designed to help other countries solve their internal problems by shipping their losers to us.

The problem isn’t just illegal immigration. I would rather have doctors and engineers sneaking into the country than legally arriving ditch-diggers…since 1969, about 85 percent of legal immigrants have come from the Third World. They bring Third World levels of poverty, fertility, illegitimacy and domestic violence with them. When they can’t make it in America, they simply go on welfare and sometimes strike out at Americans.

During the three years from 2010 through 2012, immigrants have committed about a dozen mass murders in this country, not including the 9/11 attack. The mass murderers were from Afghanistan, South Korea, Vietnam, Haiti, South Africa, Ethiopia and Mexico. None were from Canada or Western Europe…We ought to be able to do something about the people we chose to bring here.

Read it all here: The Problem Isn’t Just Illegal Immigration

DJH

Here Comes the Immigration Reform Farce

A bipartisan group of senators is ready to put forth a so-called “broad” immigration bill that is nothing but a farce. In today’s skewed political climate, “bipartisan” is only mentioned when conservatives cave in to the loud, shrill demands of the left. If a liberal moves to the right, he is called a traitor, a racist, or much worse, but never “bipartisan”.

Amnesty, the only goal of progressives’ immigration reform, is on the way. The “bipartisan” demand to secure the borders first, an absolute necessity before real immigration reform can begin, was given lip service and then watered-down to appease the “bipartisan” senators who will now pretend they fought hard for, and won, a working compromise.

The bill allows ten years of planning and/or securing the borders before any real impediment to citizenship can be put into place for failing to comply. Meanwhile, a path to citizenship for illegals will begin immediately with nothing to stop it from morphing into full-blown amnesty. In the span of ten years with little border security, that “path” to citizenship will become a fully paved, toll-free, four-lane, busy highway.

True comprehensive immigration reform is impossible until the borders are secure. Therefore, other immigration reforms will not even become a topic for discussion. One of those other reforms in need of addressing is assimilation.

According to a Hudson Institute’s comparison study of native-born to naturalized American citizens, native-born Americans are: 30% more likely to consider themselves American rather than citizens of the world; 30% more likely to believe the U.S. Constitution is a higher legal authority than international law; 31% more likely to believe schools should focus on American citizenship rather than ethnic pride; and 23% more likely to believe all citizens understand English.

Assimilation allowed the US to become a successful “melting pot” never before seen in the history of the world. We have become a less cohesive society the more we have ignored the importance of assimilation. We can’t realistically address this or other reforms until the borders are secure. This latest bill is a farce, reforms nothing, and opens the door to chaos.

David J. Hentosh

Food Stamps for Pets

There is a newly launched, NY-based, non-profit organization providing food stamps for pets to qualifying pet owners. In just two weeks, the organization has received 12,000 requests for assistance.

This is not surprising considering the poor economy, joblessness, and the amount of people receiving food stamps (which cannot be used for pet food). This organization, however, is run by a private citizen, Marc Okon, concerned for the welfare of animals owned by those in need themselves.

Considering that Americans spent $53 billion on pets in 2012, up 5% from 2011, it is a good bet that this pet food stamp program will catch on. Americans love their pets, often more than they love their neighbors. That’s also why PETA rivals the ACLU in fighting on behalf of perceived victims.

The lesson here, however, is that private citizens (Americans) DO care and if the government curtailed handouts, any assistance gap would eventually be filled by caring citizens. That is also evident by the many homeless kitchens and church food drives providing needed food assistance in their communities. They do not rely on taxes. They rely on the American Spirit.

The current, and rising, record number of people receiving food stamps (over 47 million) is labeled as necessary help from the government. However, there are many instances where the government’s “help” stopped or inhibited private citizens’ attempts to feed the homeless on their own. Left alone and fully encouraged, a citizen-based approach could make food stamps disappear or, at the very least, decline in numbers.

Food stamps for pets will most probably be embraced and succeed, especially if the government can stay out of it. Since pets do not vote, yet, the government has no interest in getting them hooked on assistance. However, pet owners do vote and they may find themselves getting government handouts for their pets in the near future. That will depend on the next election’s polling.

David J. Hentosh

Insurance or Tax?

A bill introduced in the New York State Assembly would require the state’s residents to acquire liability insurance as a condition for gun ownership. The annual cost for $1 million in liability insurance is estimated to be between $1600 and $2000.

Proponents of the bill will certainly argue that this is no different than requiring insurance coverage for car registration or home insurance in order to obtain a mortgage. There is logic to that argument, but the bill opens the door for an onslaught of requirements for insurance.

Clearly, this is a mandate to buy insurance, though it is not the same as the mandate from Obamacare because it does not require everyone to buy insurance. However, if this bill were to land in a court’s lap for a decision, could it be labeled a tax?

No one expected the Supreme Court to rule the Obamacare mandate to be a tax, especially after Obama adamantly assured us it was not a tax. However, that is what occurred and, as with many court rulings, it created a slippery slope that a NY court may decide to slide down. Stranger things have happened.

Once that door is wide open, could liability insurance be required for ownership of a bow and arrow, machete, BB gun, darts, or a nail gun? How about for ownership of a dog, baseball bat, skateboard, or a bicycle? Could a purchase of cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, or prescription painkillers require liability insurance or an additional health policy?

That may sound crazy but not too long ago it sounded crazy to buy water in bottles like soda, pay for a cable to receive free TV, hand out condoms in grade schools, or provide sex-change operations to prison inmates. Perhaps this may be a good time to buy stock in insurance companies.

David J. Hentosh

Cooling Down on Global Warming

Al Gore is taking one last stab at fear-mongering with his latest book, “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change”, but his credibility is dying as is the panic over global warming. New data continues to show that not only is the sky no longer falling, it may not have been falling at all.

A recent Norwegian climate research project shows that the earth’s mean temperature rise which occurred throughout the 1990’s has leveled off nearly completely at its 2000 level. In other words, there has been no global warming for well over a decade. Another report coming soon from the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change provides evidence of 20 years of overstated global warming.

Every change in climate patterns has been labeled ‘anthropomorphic global warming’ by progressives. Unfortunately, this has resulted in “climate change” becoming synonymous with “global warming” for those on both sides of the political aisle. The distinction is crucial for rational discourse, but that distinction has long been lost.

Since dire global warming predictions have failed dramatically, scientists are looking into reasons for changes in climate patterns and are finding many. The sun with its flares, not surprisingly, contributes much to changes in climate patterns. Rising heat from large cities also affects these patterns and, yes, the burning of fossil fuels contributes its share. However, the exact extent of each contributor is not yet scientifically discernible.

In an interview with Jeffrey Kluger, TIME magazine’s science editor, global warming was confused with climate change as Kluger likened disbelievers to flat-earthers, stating that the “scientific knowledge” was too overwhelming for disbelief. This alludes to a so-called “consensus” among scientists that simply does not exist. There are thousands of scientists who dispute this PC-created global warming “consensus”, and confusion with climate change further clouds the issue.

For ideological believers, there is no data persuasive enough to shatter idealistic notions. For Al Gore, being wrong doesn’t matter as long as his bank account continues to grow. Science, however, will take years to gain back some of the credibility it lost by allowing politics to taint research.

David J. Hentosh

Religiously Rigid Liberals

Many liberals sneer at organized religion, yet, believe in their own liberal agenda with as much religious rigidity and fervor found in any clergyman. Many of these liberal “beliefs” are based on nothing more than idealistic wishful thinking and are immune to facts or reality.

Maureen Dowd, appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, provided a liberal religious tenet and a prediction of the future based on that tenet saying: “…five years from now, you guys are going to be here and you’re going to be discussing Obama’s memoir, which he will have written, and it’s going to be the most brilliant political memoir outside of Ulysses Grant…you’re going to be saying…Why couldn’t he have applied that super-brain to Washington and gotten it to work better?”

The deliberately generated myth of Obama’s superior intelligence has become sacrosanct for many liberals in spite of the lack of proof to validate it. Dowd’s belief takes it one step further by assuring us that anything Obama does in the future will also be fantastic because of his “super brain”. She, along with many others, believes this fully. It is how Obama got elected and re-elected.

Al Sharpton, too, religiously believes in Obama’s superiority to the point of wanting him to be the next president carved onto Mt. Rushmore. Expanding on his ignorance in thinking there is a spot waiting for another president on the mountain; Sharpton doesn’t need to see what Obama’s second term brings before crowning him more deserving than Teddy Roosevelt. Sharpton created his own, personal liberal religion.

Liberal beliefs such as these have resulted in paralyzing Washington. There can be no compromise or solutions to real problems when fiction and blind faith rule the day. Obama legitimized and set the tone for this and it will remain until he is gone. By then, it may be too late.

David J. Hentosh

Biden’s Bogus Boasting

Vice president Biden is loved by the liberal media for speaking “off the cuff”, but he has long surpassed that tendency and now speaks more “off the wall”. That’s what happens when someone is given a pass for poor behavior; it gets worse over time. Biden is becoming a caricature of himself and it is no longer amusing.

His latest off-the-wall stretching of the truth occurred during a meeting of mayors in Washington where he was cheer leading for Obama’s gun control measures. He claimed to have been golfing a quarter-mile away from the Amish schoolhouse shooting in 2006 and heard the gunshots, but the nearest golf course is five miles away and he was not there at the time. Unless he was putting alone in the woods, his story is a total fabrication.

Biden loves to make up stories that give him a seemingly first-hand understanding of issues that are usually outside his personal experience. He is the epitome of the self-serving, ingratiating politician who feels the need to connect with people by “sharing their pain”. Biden pretends to be a “common Joe” in order to bring himself down to a typical voter’s level – a level he has been far removed from for quite some time. He feels empowered to make up stories to do so.

It is no surprise that Obama seems to have a special connection with Biden as does the liberal media. It is also no surprise that there is talk of him running for president in 2016. It would be a continuation of the farce and a further return on the media’s investment in Obama.

It is time to put a stop to Biden’s buffoonery and lies. He is an embarrassment to the White House and to the nation. It is unfortunate that he remains vice president, but it would be a disaster if he became president. That idea needs to be nipped in the bud now.

David J. Hentosh