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

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

Pre-writing History

Repetition, repetition, repetition – It is the method being used by the left to forge public perception and pre-write history. The bombardment of false perceptions has taken root in many, and future historians may not be able to discern the truth. The squeaky wheel of the left may get the historians’ grease.

According to the progressive left (including, of course, the media): Dick Cheney is evil; the GOP is racist; the rich pay no taxes; Bush wrecked the economy; the Catholic Church promotes pedophilia; Obama has superior intelligence; the US is the most terroristic nation in the world; socialism works well; Castro is an humanitarian; there is no deficit problem; taxing the rich for their “fair share” will solve the deficit problem; limiting abortion is a war on women; Obamacare costs less; etc., etc.

The list goes on and on, with reality never making an appearance. Yet, these things are accepted by a lot of people, and they vote, sometimes more than once. Obama was elected, then re-elected, by an overflow of uninformed voters inundated with talking points from the media, celebrities, and progressive politicians. Nothing negative was attributed to Obama and, consequently, may not appear in future history books, either.

Before thinking this is too pessimistic, look at how many in the GOP have panicked and are now abandoning conservative principles in an effort to become “relevant” with what they perceive to be a progressive majority. They see the writing on the wall as: “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”. For them, abortion is losing its ugliness, immigration reform is beginning to sound like amnesty, same-sex marriage suddenly appeared in the Constitution exactly where the right to bear arms disappeared, social issues are becoming the government’s main responsibility, and Obamacare is beginning to look cheap at twice the original estimate.

If the Republican Party caves, only one, distorted view of history will survive and it is currently being written. Historians will have to drink the Kool-Aid because it may be the only drink available.

David J. Hentosh

Yes, Voter Fraud Exists

A shrill, indignant cry from the left has been that voter ID is unnecessary and it is only being advocated by conservatives in order to disenfranchise voters of the Democrat Party, particularly minority voters. “Where is all this ‘supposed’ voter fraud?” so many liberals ask.

Enter Obama supporter Melowese Richardson, a Cincinnati poll worker no less, who admitted casting her vote twice for Obama and is now being indicted for allegedly voting at least six times. She says she had no intent to commit voter fraud and further asserted: “I’ll fight it for Mr. Obama and Mr. Obama’s right to sit as president of the United States”. There’s another assumed “right” conceived by ignorance and self-righteousness.

Lest one believe that this is just an isolated case, there are two others in that same district being indicted for voter fraud. Further recent evidence of voter fraud can also be found in Jacksonville, Cedar Rapids, and a South Florida internet absentee ballot attempt – among many others. Also, it occurs on both sides of the aisle, evidenced by two employees of a GOP-tied firm in Florida being found guilty of voter fraud.

Requiring voter ID is certainly not the solution to all voter fraud, but it is a common sense measure that is long overdue. Everyone knows voter fraud occurs. How can it not when anyone can show up at the voting booth claiming to be someone else? Those pretending it does not happen do so only to protect the practice. The screaming denial from the left shows how important  fraud at the voting booth is to their agenda. They need it as much as they need denial. The country has had enough of both.

David J. Hentosh

Emotional Legislation

When rules, regulations, or laws are driven by emotions or idealism, very little thought is given to consequences. An emotional rush to enact legislation always results in something different than what was intended, causing more problems.

Denver is facing unintended consequences from Colorado’s recent Amendment 64 that legalized marijuana and is now considering opting out of that amendment. Some city council members say voters intended only to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, not to have pot stores in their neighborhoods. The police chief says there are a lot of safety issues involved and that crimes, such as burglaries, have increased since Amendment 64 passed. Imagine that.

The marijuana issue has become an emotional and political football, confusing legalization with decriminalization. That confusion, a deliberate tactic on the part of marijuana advocates, helped get Amendment 64 passed. Buyer’s remorse is already setting in, but it could have been prevented had voters and legislators been more observant and less emotional.

They should have looked at Los Angeles where marijuana dispensaries now outnumber Starbucks. California has been trying, and failing, to regulate medicinal marijuana which has been legal in the state since 1996. This out-of-control situation provides a lesson for other states, but emotional, feel-good legislation is deaf, dumb, and blind.

Current emotions are running high on gun control, with wingnuts on both sides of the aisle taking untenable stances and refusing compromise. The same can be said concerning comprehensive immigration reform where “reform” has become synonymous with “amnesty”, making the issue impossible to discuss rationally.

We are currently experiencing many negative, unintended consequences from Obamacare, an emotionally charged bill forced through Congress by an idealistic president. This, too, was legislated while ignoring lessons from European countries struggling to sustain liberal health care policies. Good intentions need rational analysis, not knee-jerk reactions.

President Obama’s fomenting of class warfare along with his myopic focus on social issues uses emotions for political gain. As long as emotions rule politics, resulting legislation will just be another burden passed onto the next generation. It is our responsibility to think before acting and elect leaders who do the same.

David J. Hentosh

Racism From the Left Gets a Pass at MSNBC

There was no uproar, offense, or calls for resignation at MSNBC when former DNC director of communications Karen Finney described Republicans as “those crazy crackers on the right . . . with their very hateful language”. Making this clearly racist remark even more stunning was the fact that Finney was railing against, and calling for an end to, hateful language when she said it.

This is a perfect example of the one-way street many progressive liberals blindly travel on their way to “fundamentally transforming” America. For years, racism has been a trump card for the left while they considered themselves immune from such allegations. Many have even expressed their firm belief that blacks and other minorities can never be racists.

The left has deluded itself into believing that hate, racism, stupidity, and evil only exists on the right. President Obama, who once campaigned on being a “uniter”, polarized the country further than it has ever been and fueled the fire of this delusion. Arrogantly refusing to accept responsibility for anything that is wrong, Obama has gone so far as to blame hurricane Sandy for the recent drop in the GDP and FOX News for the “nasty atmosphere” in Washington – an atmosphere he helped create.

With most of the mainstream media on the same page as the White House and avidly believing in and promoting this one-way-street delusion, it can only get worse. Silence from those who know better enables it to continue. The time has come to speak out, or face the real possibility of delusional Joe Biden becoming our next president. If that doesn’t motivate you to speak up, you’ve become part of the problem.

David J. Hentosh

Obama Opened the Closet Door

Obama’s presidency has convinced the progressive left that their ideology is now mainstream America. They feel empowered by the arrogance of Obama’s ‘in-your-face’ liberalism and re-election and believe it is time to come out of the closet. Taking their cue from Obama’s war against everything conservative, they no longer try to hide contempt for conservative, Middle America values.

Thus, we find MSNBC show host Melissa Harris-Perry boldly admitting that the US military is despised as an engine of war by many progressives. This has been vehemently denied for years due to the backlash at the despicable treatment soldiers received during the Vietnam War era. The sham of respecting the military is being dropped.

We also find CBS boldly airing a segment about giving up on the Constitution. Many progressive ideas have been hampered by the Constitution and it is obvious they would like it altered, or eliminated, to suit their ideology. The process of removing that obstacle is being legitimized by the CBS segment.

President Obama has repeatedly shown that he cares more about redistribution than the country’s poor economy, spurring the progressive left to unleash resentment and hatred of the wealthy. Consequently, the rich have now replaced Bush as the scapegoat for all that is wrong.

Obama continues to rail against FOX News, the lone news network refusing to carry his water. This has emboldened many progressives to adopt that criticism, even while admitting they never watch FOX. This is deliberate abuse of the presidential “bully pulpit”. It is unseemly and it furthers the partisanship that is damaging the country.

From celebrity Samuel Jackson admitting voting for Obama because he is black to a NY Times reporter admitting almost every news organization submitted quotes to an Obama campaign “gatekeeper” for censoring, progressive liberals are no longer trying to hide their dirty ideological laundry.

Obama opened the closet door and whether it is true or not, progressive liberals believe the majority is behind them. As we all know, belief does not give ground to reason. The next four years may irreparably damage the very fabric of this nation.

David J. Hentosh

Nanny Mayor Blumberg Not Always Wrong

NY City’s Mayor Blumberg became the poster boy for the Nanny State when he banned the sale of large sodas in NY city. He then outdid himself with a ban on donations to homeless shelters (because the city can’t properly assess salt, fat and fiber in the donated food). His obsession with governing food intake was also evident when he demanded hospitals stop handing out baby formula, attempting to persuade more mothers to breastfeed.

Intrusive governing moves such as these make it hard not to doubt everything he does but, like a stopped clock, even Blumberg can end up right once in a while. He now seems to at least be onto something that truly needs attention with his recent (optional) guidelines attempting to limit hospital ER doctors from doling out more than a three-day prescription of painkillers.

Drug deaths due to painkillers now outnumber those due to heroin and cocaine combined. Opioid painkillers are being prescribed by doctors all over the country in quantities that far exceed the need. This is resulting in an increase in the number of addicts as well as an increase in supply on the street, hence, an increase in deaths.

Any attempt to curb the flow of these painkillers is a move in the right direction and to Blumberg’s credit, he is doing just that. Emergency rooms naturally distribute a lot of painkillers and, consequently, are often preyed upon by addicts. This makes emergency rooms a good place to start any effort to limit distribution, and that effort is long overdue.

Blumberg is a liberal politician so he is automatically being criticized by conservatives for this move. He has a history of advancing the Nanny State, making him an easy and deserving target, but this should not be treated as a political issue. This actually makes sense for the common good, and that is a rare occurrence in today’s political world.

David J. Hentosh

Running on Rhetoric

President Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic Party’s Convention was astounding for its lack of substance. After almost a full term in office, Obama accepted his party’s nomination with a speech lacking reasons why he deserved the nomination. There were no real accomplishments to brag about and no specific plans of action put forth.

He ran on the empty rhetoric of “hope and change” last time and fooled enough people into believing his lack of experience was more than compensated by his feel-good, idealistic notions. For those who emotionally invested themselves in Obama, that dream balloon is, unfortunately, kept afloat with the hot air of promises.

Accolades from the adoring press, heavy investors in Obama, centered on the delivery of the Convention speeches, not content. Obama could recite the phone book and the press would swoon, so it is no wonder they loved his empty speech. Other speeches, such as Michelle Obama’s, were also heavily praised, but it was delivery, emotion, and character they found laudable. Content received little scrutiny.

Obama’s agenda has been a personal one, carried out behind-the-scenes, to transform America into following his ideology. He has ignored Congress, the law, tradition, and the good of the American people while doing this, hiding behind rhetoric that masks his intent. He has succeeded in turning the focus of his Party onto issues that help his agenda rather than help the country. Following his lead, rhetorical exaggeration has become the norm.

Thus, we find Sandra Flukes, a 31-yr-old Georgetown law student, speaking at a national convention with no more political credentials than having received biased media attention for demanding free contraceptives. Indignant over paying as much as $9 a month for contraceptives, she warned of a future where rape is ignored or accepted and pregnant women are left to die in emergency rooms if Obama is not re-elected. Nostradamus Flukes was, of course, a big hit.

Politics has always been a game of rhetoric but, as the saying goes, “actions speak louder than words”, and political careers cannot be sustained by rhetoric alone. Voters were fooled once by Obama’s gift of rhetorical bluster. To be fooled again would be more than just a shame on voters. It could be a disaster for the future of the country. It already seems to be a disaster for the Democratic Party.

David J. Hentosh