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Monday, November 9, 2009

Palin in Wisconsin: Stand up for Life

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

Friday night Governor Palin spoke at an event for Wisconsin Right to Life.  Cameras (except for the one that took the picture above), and any recording “gadget” were not allowed in by the organizers.  Media were allowed in (they just didn’t get in free), and Bill Glauber of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was in attendance.  He wrote:

Less than two weeks before the release of her memoir "Going Rogue," former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was on message during a Friday night speech to anti-abortion activists at State Fair Park.

"Let's simplify, we're pro children," Palin told thousands of people who attended a $30-a-ticket fund-raiser for the Wisconsin Right to Life Education Fund.

In a personal and passionate speech, Palin lauded the state's anti-abortion movement for legislative advances achieved over time.

"We were told to sit down and shut up," Palin said. "Wisconsin, you went rogue."

Palin spoke movingly of her youngest son, Trig, who has Down syndrome. She recalled that when she was pregnant, she underwent an ultrasound and the technician told her, "I see boy parts."

Later, the technician told her that the baby's neck "is a little bit thicker," an indication that there might be an extra chromosome. A few days later, Down syndrome was confirmed.

"I was scared," Palin said, adding that she asked her husband, Todd, "Why us?" He responded, "Why not?"

"My family life is much richer thanks to this beautiful baby boy Trig," Palin said. "He is awesome."

The speech marked Palin's re-emergence on the national scene. The event was emceed by WTMJ-AM radio personality Charlie Sykes. The Journal Sentinel purchased a ticket to cover Palin's speech.

K. Carpenter of Conservatives 4 Palin was in attendance and she wrote:

Governor Palin then began to tell a story of a conversation she and one of her friends in Alaska had a few weeks ago. Her friend had picked up a couple of the relatively new $1 dollar gold colored coins. They were discussing what was missing off of the front of the coins. Those four little words that have gotten America through her most troubling moments, “In God we trust”. As she observed; those four little words have been pushed off to the side of the coin. No longer prominently displayed on the face of the coin but those words have now been hidden on the outer edge of the coin. As she observed, this is kind of where we, as a Nation, have shoved God in our own lives. She even stated that she had kind of done that with her own pro life movement. Yes, she was always pro-life but it was not really something she prominently displayed until she became pregnant with Trig….

….There were plenty of religious references that would send the lefties into spasms. It was rather refreshing to see someone speak of their religious beliefs at a political event. She even read John 16:13 to the crowd: "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative..."

…Governor Palin left us with these words: "Don’t ever let anyone tell you to sit down and shut up!” (read her whole post)

There is another first-hand recount of the night at God, Guts & Sarah Palin that I’d encourage you to check out.  Also, it’s being reported by CNN and others that it was her decision not to allow the recording devices & cameras.  Governor Palin took time tonight to say on Facebook – not true.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  You can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

Sarah Palin On The Fall Of The Berlin Wall: Commemorating A Victory For Freedom




Twenty years ago today, one of the most oppressive symbols of communism fell. This date should serve as a reminder that the Berlin Wall wasn’t meant to keep people from illegally entering East Germany. Nope, it was built to keep East Germans from escaping communist hell. Built to keep them in.

With that in mind, Sarah Palin released a glowing tribute to the triumph for freedom and liberty the fall of that wall means to the world:



Commemorating a Victory for Freedom



Twenty years ago, the ultimate symbol of the division between freedom and tyranny was torn down. The Berlin Wall was constructed for one purpose: to prevent the escape of East Germans to the freedom of the West. The Wall’s cold, gray façade was a stark reminder of the economic and political way of life across the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence in Eastern Europe.

Ronald Reagan never stopped regarding the Berlin Wall as an affront to human freedom. When so many other American leaders and opinion makers had come to accept its presence as inevitable and permanent, Reagan still hammered away at the Wall’s very premise in human tyranny, until finally the Wall itself was hammered down. Its downfall wasn’t the work of Reagan alone. Our president’s actions were joined with the brave acts of many individuals who stood firm and united in facing the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall came down because millions of people behind the Iron Curtain refused to accept the fate of enslavement and their supporters in the West refused to accept that the "captive nations" would remain captive forever.

Though that long, tragic episode in human history had come to a close finally with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it wasn’t the "end of history" or the end of conflict as some had hoped. New conflicts confront us today throughout the world which call for courage and resolve and dedication to freedom. The new democracies and market economies that have emerged in Central and Eastern Europe still require our friendship and alliances as they continue to seek security, prosperity, and self-determination. But as we reflect on present and future challenges, let’s take time to celebrate the anniversary of this awesome victory for freedom. The downfall of that cold, gray concrete Wall should be a lesson to us in hope. Nothing is inevitable. Tyranny is no match for the hope and resolve of those who work and fight for freedom.

- Sarah Palin



These final words are stirring: "The downfall of that cold, gray concrete Wall should be a lesson to us in hope. Nothing is inevitable. Tyranny is no match for the hope and resolve of those who work and fight for freedom." This sentiment is quite a poignant reminder for where we set here in America, on the brink of communism, and what we must do. As my great friend, the Mighty Serf puts it, "she went all Braveheart on us!"

Indeed!

Communism is slavery, nothing more, nothing less.



Communism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. It’s inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

-Sir Winston Chirchill




It should be telling to all Americans that while our current "president" has plenty of time to jet set around to places like Copenhagen, to shill for his corrupt Chicago buddies, and of course, play golf and shoot hoops, he is conspicuously absent from the festivities going on in Berlin this week.

I have to wonder if, instead of cheering as most of us were twenty years ago, were Obama and his Marxist friends all shedding tears and consoling one another instead, at the fall of this symbol of oppression.

Ronald Reagan railed against socialism and communism his entire life. When he became President, stopping the Soviet Union was one of his greatest goals. Reagan, along with Lady Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II worked diligently to make it happen. Reagan, Thatcher, and the Pope along with millions more world wide understood that communism, in any form, is pure evil, that every man, woman, and child has an inherent yearning for freedom and liberty. It’s a God given right that all men shall be free.

Here is part of Reagan’s wonderful speech at the Berlin Wall A speech, by the way, his advisers begged him not to give. Damned "moderates!"







Here is a great video of the moments when the Berlin Wall fell, a true climax to decades of Cold War hostilities and human oppression.







There are many websites dedicated to the Berlin Wall, for those who seek to learn more. I found this site a nice condensed version for those that just want general info. Many of us remember the guard towers, complete with armed snipers ready to stop any East German who dared leave their communist "utopia." This is excerpt from Berlin Life says it all:



Despite the various security measures enforced, escape attempts were commonplace, especially in the years immediately following the erection of the wall, when there was still a fighting chance of making it across alive.

Climbing was the obvious way to go and some 5,000 were said to have reached the other side. However in its thirty year history 100 people were shot dead, most famously the eighteen year old Peter Fetcher, who, after he was hit in the hip, was left to bleed to death in no-man’s land as the world’s media watched on.




This serves as a stark reminder, that while people worldwide have taken drastic measures and even risked death to come to America, communist regimes have always had to force their people, under the threat of certain death, to stay!

Reason TV has put together this remembrance of the victims of communism:







The video references the staggering 100 million deaths as the direct result of communism. These are people who were murdered by their dictatorial regimes. The don’t include those whose lives were cut short because of the generally poor lifestyle that communism allows. Poor food supplies, poor health care, poor living conditions.

These murders were carried out by men like Stalin, Castro, Pol Pot, and Mao. Mao, in particular, is troubling, because he is so greatly admired by more than a few members of Barack Obama’s inner circle, his closest advisers.

For more on the evils of communism, check out the Global Museum on Communism.

In closing, Sarah Palin’s tribute to freedom and liberty, that she so artfully penned, is not just a tribute to history. It’s a rallying cry to all patriots. As Obama and his evil regime is marching the United States towards communism at full speed, as tyranny and oppression are rapidly becoming a dark cloud over America, we still have time to fight. We still have time to beat back the evil, to defeat it.

We must all follow Sarah’s lead. We must all be fully engaged in this struggle. America is the greatest nation in the world, and the American people the strongest, bravest, and freest the world has ever known. We can defeat Obama, we can defeat tyranny.

We can restore liberty, freedom, and prosperity. We must. We simply must.

Healthcare Lotto, Anyone?

I was amazed to read that the health care bill just passed in the House is deficit free. That's right. No worries. It's all paid for. Impressive, dontcha think?

I set out to find out how this miracle transpired. I mean, the statement released by President Obama shortly thereafter the successful vote was clear. (emphasis mine)

The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare. And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.

Get out! Fully paid for?!

So, how did that happen? Well, first off, you kind of have to change around the grammatical tense of it all...because it isn't actually fully paid for yet. That's just a really, really big fat assumption. But more about that later.

The Congressional Budget Office, a self-proclaimed non-partisan organization that delves into financial issues surrounding bills that float around “the hill”, wrote a letter to Representative John D. Dingell (D-Michigan, dean of House) to give him the lowdown on the cost of H.R. 3962. It's posted online, and the White House administration is flaunting similar info found in the letter. Well, parts of it.

By the way, according to the NY Times, Rep. Dingell said yesterday,

“Today’s may be a tough vote, but it was in 1935 when we passed Social Security.”

Wow...now there's an awesome long term success story to compare this with.

Anyway, here's where some of the excitement comes in. The White House requests that you PAY NO ATTENTION to the last line. (sarc and emphasis mine)

According to CBO and JCT’s assessment, enacting H.R. 3962 would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $109 billion over the 2010–2019 period. In the subsequent decade, the collective effect of its provisions would probably be slight reductions in federal budget deficits. Those estimates are all subject to substantial uncertainty.

Gee. It all seems so simple. What could lead to “substantial uncertainty”?

Now, I'm not a statistician, but chances are, somewhere among those 2000 Pelosian pages, there lies a bit of...I don't know...Healthcare Lotto? Maybe we'll win...maybe we won't!

In that same letter, the CBO lays out where the expenses lie.

Grand total over the ten years of 2010-2019 is $1,058 billion:

$1,052 billion in subsidies provided through the exchanges (and related spending),
increased net outlays for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP),
and tax credits for small employers

$6 billion in other effects on revenues and outlays associated with the coverage provisions

Starting the plan and financing it those ten years will be through spending changes” (not specified), $167 billion in collections of penalties paid by individuals and employers (calculated punishments?), income tax surcharge on high-income individuals, plan premiums, and “other provisions” (not specified).

Keep in mind that the CBO also has pointed out that not every expense can be accounted for...there will be additional costs that other federal agencies will incur to handle the new program. The IRS and HHS will all need additional funds to function.


CBO has not completed a comprehensive estimate of the discretionary costs that would be associated with H.R. 3962, incorporating the manager’s amendment. Total costs would include those arising from the effects of H.R. 3962 on a variety of federal programs and agencies, as well as from a number of new and existing programs subject to future appropriations.

But really. We have nothing to worry about. It is “fully paid”. Whew. Oh, and don't worry about the years after 2019...that's when those "slight reductions", albeit substantially uncertain reductions, in the federal deficit kick in, and also...

The legislation would require that the premiums for the public plan be set to fully fund expenditures for medical claims, administrative costs, and a contingency reserve.

Hmmm. It does sound like it could get pricey later on.

But your state will help out...

New requirements in the Medicaid program also would result in an increase in state spending.

I am reminded of Gov. Sarah Palin refusing certain stimulus funds offered to Alaska because of the far reaching (into the pockets) consequences of those programs started with said funds. Looking to the future, she saw our children furrowing their brow and swinging the hammer, not to build a home for themselves, but to pay off the debt being loaded onto their shoulders today.

She knew better. Our elected leaders should know better.

Our first president knew better. In his Farewell Address to our nation on September 19, 1796, President George Washington wrote words of encouragement and admonition. And ever since 1896, the longest standing annual Senate tradition of reading it out loud occurs around his birthday. I wish the Senators would pay attention. Consider this timely advice.

...avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear.”

Ungenerously. Plain selfishness, in other words. My husband explains often in his sermons that the opposite of love is not hate. It is selfishness. Every immoral and unethical act can be anted up to selfishness.

Another excerpt from Washington's address gives every hint to me that what we are seeing among our elected leaders is selfishness.

It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism.

They do not care what “We the People” want. They are creating a ridiculous number of positions for unelected czars, thereby erasing checks and balances; buying out private markets; and bowing at the feet of intimidation...thinking all of that will boost their own significance and ensure their future careers.

But as Gov. Palin remarked just today, “Sunday's coming.”

How ironic that on the site of the White House Office of Management and Budget, a quote from President Obama is highlighted today,

A budget is more than simply numbers on a page. It is a measure of how well we are living up to our obligations to ourselves and one another."

And yesterday? FromABCnews.com,

Obama reportedly told his fellow Democrats in that meeting that he knew they might face opposition from their constituents for this vote.

"It's tempting to say, 'I'm tired, it's hard, I'm getting beat up back in the district, it's just not worth it,'" Obama said, according to a source in the meeting. "If we do not get it done this year, we will not get it done anytime soon."

Huh! Just doesn't sound very obligatory, does it? Maybe that's why the House bill title page says, "...and for other purposes." Hmmm.


Lotto image credit.
HR title image credit.

Piggy bank image credit.
Washington image credit.

(Cross-posted at The Palination.)

Sarah Palin: Commemorating a Victory for Freedom

Following is a complete transcript of Governor Palin's Facebook note pertaining to the fall of the Berlin Wall:


Twenty years ago, the ultimate symbol of the division between freedom and tyranny was torn down. The Berlin Wall was constructed for one purpose: to prevent the escape of East Germans to the freedom of the West. The Wall’s cold, gray façade was a stark reminder of the economic and political way of life across the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence in Eastern Europe (Palin, 2009, ¶1).

Ronald Reagan never stopped regarding the Berlin Wall as an affront to human freedom. When so many other American leaders and opinion makers had come to accept its presence as inevitable and permanent, Reagan still hammered away at the Wall’s very premise in human tyranny, until finally the Wall itself was hammered down. Its downfall wasn’t the work of Reagan alone. Our president’s actions were joined with the brave acts of many individuals who stood firm and united in facing the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall came down because millions of people behind the Iron Curtain refused to accept the fate of enslavement and their supporters in the West refused to accept that the “captive nations” would remain captive forever (Palin, 2009, ¶2).

Though that long, tragic episode in human history had come to a close finally with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it wasn’t the “end of history” or the end of conflict as some had hoped. New conflicts confront us today throughout the world which call for courage and resolve and dedication to freedom. The new democracies and market economies that have emerged in Central and Eastern Europe still require our friendship and alliances as they continue to seek security, prosperity, and self-determination. But as we reflect on present and future challenges, let’s take time to celebrate the anniversary of this awesome victory for freedom. The downfall of that cold, gray concrete Wall should be a lesson to us in hope. Nothing is inevitable. Tyranny is no match for the hope and resolve of those who work and fight for freedom (Palin, 2009, ¶3).

- Sarah Palin

Commentary:

In three beautiful and succinct paragraphs, Governor Palin delineated the history of the Berlin Wall and segued into the conflicts we face today. Her third paragraph is Presidential and Reagan Conservative to the core.

Providentially, a piece of the Berlin wall resides in an open public atrium just across the street and slightly diagonal from 10 East 53rd St., New York, NY -- home to Harper Collins. This building is now most familiar to Governor Palin, as she made a number of trips there while working on Going Rogue: An American Life.


Berlin Wall section on East 53rd St. between 5th Ave. and Madison Ave.
New York, NY. Photography: Ron Devito (iPhone camera).

 
Berlin Wall section on East 53rd St. between 5th Ave. and Madison Ave.

New York, NY. Photography: Ron Devito (iPhone camera).
 


Berlin Wall section on East 53rd St. between 5th Ave. and Madison Ave. New York, NY. This photo shows the relationship between the Section's Location and Harper Collins -- the publisher of Going Rogue
Photography: Ron Devito (iPhone camera).

References:
Palin, S.L.H. (2009, November 9). "Commemorating a Victory for Freedom." Facebook, Sarah Palin. Retrieved November 9, 2009 from: http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin?v=wall&ref=mf#/note.php?note_id=170146378434&ref=mf

And The Wall Came Down

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

President Ronald Reagan on June 12, 1987 gave an address in front of the Brandenberg Gate in West Berlin:

There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.

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 -- Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Video excerpt of that famous speech:


And two years later the wall did fall.

President Obama decided that since he isn’t running for President anymore that he doesn’t need to go to the Berlin Wall, nor would it fit with an apology tour.  Governor Sarah Palin understand, however, the importance of this anniversary noting on Facebook early this morning:

Twenty years ago, the ultimate symbol of the division between freedom and tyranny was torn down. The Berlin Wall was constructed for one purpose: to prevent the escape of East Germans to the freedom of the West. The Wall’s cold, gray façade was a stark reminder of the economic and political way of life across the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence in Eastern Europe.

Ronald Reagan never stopped regarding the Berlin Wall as an affront to human freedom. When so many other American leaders and opinion makers had come to accept its presence as inevitable and permanent, Reagan still hammered away at the Wall’s very premise in human tyranny, until finally the Wall itself was hammered down. Its downfall wasn’t the work of Reagan alone. Our president’s actions were joined with the brave acts of many individuals who stood firm and united in facing the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall came down because millions of people behind the Iron Curtain refused to accept the fate of enslavement and their supporters in the West refused to accept that the “captive nations” would remain captive forever.

Though that long, tragic episode in human history had come to a close finally with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it wasn’t the “end of history” or the end of conflict as some had hoped. New conflicts confront us today throughout the world which call for courage and resolve and dedication to freedom. The new democracies and market economies that have emerged in Central and Eastern Europe still require our friendship and alliances as they continue to seek security, prosperity, and self-determination. But as we reflect on present and future challenges, let’s take time to celebrate the anniversary of this awesome victory for freedom. The downfall of that cold, gray concrete Wall should be a lesson to us in hope. Nothing is inevitable. Tyranny is no match for the hope and resolve of those who work and fight for freedom.

- Sarah Palin

Now if only our current President would understand what President Reagan knew and Governor Palin recognizes that we need “courage and resolve and dedication to freedom.”  We need it in Afghanistan, and we need it with the threats we now face with Iran and North Korea.

Related, see this article at the UK’s Daily Mail Online by Melanie Phillips: “We were fools to think the fall of the Berlin Wall had killed off the far Left.  They’re back – and attacking us from within.”

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  Feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.