Governor Palin Demands Answers

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Last night, after President Obama chose to voice his support of the controversial too-close-to-Ground Zero-mosque during a White House Ramadan dinner, I posted an article. In that piece, I mentioned some questions that need to be asked. I wondered why President Obama wasn't asking the same important questions.

Well, perhaps the President doesn't see that we need answers, but Governor Palin certainly does, which is just another reason she's considered to be a leader among possible presidential contenders. She writes the following in her recent Facebook note called, "Legitimate Questions for the President":

Mr. President, should they or should they not build a mosque steps away from where radical Islamists killed 3000 people? Please tell us your position. We all know that they have the right to do it, but should they? And, no, this is not above your pay grade. If those who wish to build this Ground Zero mosque are sincerely interested in encouraging positive "cross-cultural engagement" and dialogue to show a moderate and tolerant face of Islam, then why haven't they recognized that the decision to build a mosque at this particular location is doing just the opposite? Mr. President, why aren't you encouraging the mosque developers to accept Governor Paterson's generous offer of assistance in finding a new location for the mosque on state land if they move it away from Ground Zero? Why haven't they jumped at this offer? Why are they apparently so set on building a mosque steps from what you have described, in agreement with me, as "hallowed ground"? I believe these are legitimate questions to ask.

- Sarah Palin

She followed that note with the following tweets:

1. Mr. President, should they or shouldn't they build a Muslim mosque steps away from where radical Islamists killed 3000 people?Your position?

2. We all know that they have the right to do it, but should they? This is not above your pay grade.

3. Mr. President, did you encourage the mosque dvlprs to accept Gov. Paterson’s offer of land if they move away from hallowed ground @ GZero?

4. Mr. President, why are they so set on marking an area w/ mosque steps from what you described, in agreement with many, as "hallowed ground”?

5. 9/11 mosque=act of fitna, "equivalent to bldg Serbian Orthodox church@Srebrenica killing fields where Muslims were slaughtered" - Raza&Fatah

6. Please read this op-ed: http://is.gd/ehXMB by Raheel Raza and Tarek Fatah.

Governor Palin's obvious disappointment (understatement, I'm sure) in the President's "unshakable" support of this slap in the face of the 911 victims' families, New Yorkers, and Americans--the majority of whom do not want the mosque there--is understandable. In fact, I simply cannot comprehend those who do not see why this is the wrong position for the President of the United States to take, why it's the wrong position period.

Sarah Palin: Fact-checking the Fact-checkers on the $3.8 Trillion Obama Tax Hike

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Another smackdown by Governor Palin via Facebook. While the Left radicals will stop at nothing to paint her as uninformed, Governor Palin continues to show herself to have a better understanding of the economy and the facts than apparently President Obama and the people intent on defending him.

I must admit that what I like best is that she writes that she looks forward to a debate with President Obama where "we'll" take on his fiscal insanity. Personally, I just look forward to her debating him--and 2012 would be soon enough for me!

Yesterday, PolitiFact.com fact-checked my statement about the coming $3.8 trillion Obama tax hike – the largest tax increase in history. They did such a bad job of it, however, that I feel compelled to fact-check the fact-checkers.

First of all, they claim that there are Democrat proposals which would “keep the tax cuts for individuals who make less than $200,000 and couples who make less than $250,000.”

Unfortunately for PolitiFact, no such proposal exists. They admit as much, by the way, when they state that “There are no formal congressional proposals yet to keep the Bush tax cuts in place, so we don’t have precise estimates from official sources like the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.” That doesn’t stop them, though, from claiming I “confuse the issue” by “using numbers that assume all the tax cuts are going away. That is not the Democratic plan nor is it President Obama’s plan.”

Plan? What plan? There is no plan. All we have is smoke and mirrors based on an old Obama campaign pledge that if elected, he would exempt families making less than $250,000 a year from “any form of tax increases.” But this pledge was already watered down before he was even elected. First vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden lowered it to $150,000. Then campaign surrogate Gov. Bill Richardson lowered it even further to $120,000.

A few months after the inauguration, even that last promise disappeared in a puff of smoke. When asked to reaffirm the White House’s commitment to the campaign promise of no tax increases for families earning less than $250,000, Obama’s spin doctor David Axelrod declared the President had “no interest in drawing lines in the sand.”

The truth is that as of today, Democrats haven’t taken any action to extend any part of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for any income group – and in this case doing nothing equals hitting American taxpayers with a massive $3.8 trillion tax increase.

What we do know for certain is that the White House is more than willing to raise taxes on families with incomes of less than $250,000. Democrat Senator Max Baucus admitted as much during the debate about Obamacare when he stated that “One other point that I think it’s very important to make is that it is true that in certain cases, the taxes will go up for some Americans who might be making less than $200,000.”

PolitiFact doesn’t dispute the $3.8 trillion estimate of the cost of repeal of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. It admits that “Palin’s estimate of $3.8 trillion over 10 years is within a reasonable range, if you’re talking about all taxpayers.” And yet somehow it continues to argue that I’m wrong, based on a proposal it admits doesn’t exist which in turn is based on a phantom campaign pledge which Democrats have already broken anyway. I call that a “Pants on Fire” statement.

To prevent PolitiFact from making similar mistakes in future, it would be helpful if the White House and the Democratic Congressional leadership finally mustered the courage to table their plans to let the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire. Mr. President, publish your proposals, and we’ll duke it out. You can argue in favor of a multi-trillion dollar tax hike in an age of economic uncertainty and mass unemployment, and we’ll argue for fiscal sanity combined with serious spending cuts. I for one look forward to such a debate.

In the meantime I suggest the St. Petersburg Times hires a few extra staff to fact-check its fact-checkers. It might help it prevent being caught with its “pants on fire” again in the future.

- Sarah Palin

Governor Palin Hits 2,000,000 on Facebook

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Governor Palin has just reached two million Facebook friends. Two million! Now, to grasp the enormity of such a feat, let's digest for a moment exactly how much two million is by looking first at some fun facts. Via True Knowledge:

* There are 20,000 centuries in 2,000,000 years.

* There are about 5,475.8 years in 2,000,000 days.

* There are 83,333 1/3 days in 2,000,000 hours.

* There are 33,333 1/3 hours in 2,000,000 minutes.


* There are 1,136 4/11 miles in 2,000,000 yards.

* There are 666,666 2/3 yards in 2,000,000 feet.

* There are 166,666 2/3 feet in 2,000,000 inches.

It's hard to wrap one's mind around that number, yet Governor Palin--a woman who holds no official title anymore--already has over 2,000,000 Facebook friends! How long would it take to count us all? In answer to the question of how long it would take to count even half that amount, Big Site of Amazing Facts states:

Naturally, that depends on how fast you can count.

But if you can count from 1 to 100 in one minute, and you keep counting every minute, without stopping, for eight hours every day (taking time off to eat, sleep, and go to school), you would reach 1,000,000 in 20 days, 6 hours, and 40 minutes, or almost 3 weeks.

If, however, you give up eating, sleeping, and school, and just count every minute of every hour of every day, you would reach 1,000,000 in 6 days, 22 hours, and 40 minutes, almost 1 week.

Being an English teacher and not a mathematician, I would guess it would take more than twice that to arrive at two million, as one would surely slow down during the process of all that counting--not that one would even dare undertake such a tedious task. But I'm celebrating the Governor's success, so you'll simply have to excuse me.

On a more serious note now, let's examine the number of Facebook friends of those whose names get mentioned alongside Governor Palin's in the ongoing 2012 conversation.

Mitt "Flip-Flop" Romney, whom Bill O'Reilly just divulged to Jay Leno is his 2012 favorite, has a whopping 468,436 Facebook friends.

Mike "They Like Palin Because She's Cuter than I am" Huckabee has 371,959 friends on Facebook, which is listed near a plea that states, "Help me reach 375,000 likes." O...kay...

Newt Gingrich, who has recently stated he is seriously considering running in 2012, has a total of 70,311 Facebook friends.

And wouldn't I be remiss if I left out Ron Paul who boasts hordes of very vocal young and, I would imagine, internet-savvy supporters? This "Ron Paul Revolution," as they have been called, has fortified him with a 239,427 Facebook total.

Let me state the obvious. Governor Palin's common sense conservatism has grabbed both the hearts and intellect of women and men who want to see order restored to our government. Two million is a huge number, but it in no way is the sum total of those who support the work she is doing. Many of her supporters don't do Facebook, just as many don't do Twitter. But most every one of us can do the Governor and America a huge service: we can donate to SarahPAC so that her influence can not only continue but accelerate.

Is there any other voice out there sounding the alarm for you, your family, your businesses, and your freedoms as is Governor Palin's? She is traveling the country garnering support for others who are following her lead in taking back our country. She doesn't cower in fear before putting her name to a candidate's face or to a controversial issue, even when it earns her the acidic vitriol of the Left--and some on the Right. It takes finances to do the job she's doing. We've already established how big a number two million is, so two million people giving whatever they can will go far distances and reap even far greater rewards. You can read more posts about the SarahPAC money bomb here and here.

Congratulations, Governor Palin, on The Big Two--and thank you to all who helped get her here. Now, let's BLAST the Money Bomb!

* Facebook stats appears as they were at the time of this writing.

Sarah, the Point Guard!

by nypalinpower

Our Sarah must be getting Divine guidance. She is brilliantly strategizing a plan for America, a winning plan, and she is doing it as "Point Guard"!

Look at the Wikipedia definition for "Point Guard":

"Point guard (PG), also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position -- essentially, they are expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right players at the right time. Above all, the point guard must totally understand and accept his or her coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be compared to a quarterback in American football....
A point guard, like all player positions in basketball, has specific characteristics that are essential for them to help guide their team to a victory."

Sarah is a LEADER. And her voice is being heard in just about every medium:

First: FACEBOOK - Mass Social Networking on the Internet
Second: BOOK - Literary
Third: MAIN STREAM MEDIA - Television and Newspaper Commentator. (Set them straight, Sarah... will ya!)
Fourth... HMMM... let's wait and see! :-)

From just about every angle Sarah's voice will be heard. This will enable her not just to lead a team, but to literally lead the country (and she doesn't even need to be President!) By the way, the most famous figure in India was Mahatma Ghandi, who led India peacefully to its Independence. And Ghandi wasn't even India's President! He wasn't even a politician. He was an average citizen, a lawyer. So see what a civilian can do, a civilian can change an entire country!

This is what Sarah is also capable of. She can be a hero for America. In whatever forum she wants to use, the presidency, former governor, former vice-presidential candidate, or average American citizen. Sarah has her choice, and whatever she chooses will be the right one, you can count on that because Sarah is brilliant and I believe she takes her guidance from a higher power.

I also want to note that I am very happy she will be a commentator for FOX News, but I am even happier that she will be doing the periodic series for FOX. From the Washington Post, "...Palin, who resigned as governor of Alaska last summer, will appear as a commentator on various Fox shows. She will also host an occasional program that will examine inspirational tales involving ordinary Americans." I love that she will be doing a show that is "inspirational" on a major news channel! See, Sarah is showing us by her example, that nothing is impossible.

Sarah Palin on Rusty Humphries Show

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

Governor Sarah Palin was on the Rusty Humphries Show yesterday in between book signings.  This was a different interview, as he didn’t want to ask her the same questions that she had been asked numerous times already (listeners also submitted questions).  So they discussed ANWR, economy, illegal immigration, Climategate (which she did a Facebook post on yesterday), Obama’s birth certificate and past associations, and much more.

She received some criticism over her answer to Obama’s birth certificate, so she responded via Facebook:

Voters have every right to ask candidates for information if they so choose. I’ve pointed out that it was seemingly fair game during the 2008 election for many on the left to badger my doctor and lawyer for proof that Trig is in fact my child. Conspiracy-minded reporters and voters had a right to ask... which they have repeatedly. But at no point – not during the campaign, and not during recent interviews – have I asked the president to produce his birth certificate or suggested that he was not born in the United States.

HT: Josh Painter for the heads up on the interview.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He loves connecting with fellow Palin supporters.  Feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

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.

Palin’s Constitution Day Statement

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts

Former Governor Sarah Palin posted a reminder that it is Constitution Day today:

“The Constitution of the United States was created by the people of the United States composing the respective states, who alone had the right.” - James Madison

Today marks the 222nd anniversary of the formation and signing of our Constitution. The United States Constitution is one of the greatest founding documents in history because it charted a bold new path in the realm of political theory. Not only does the Constitution establish checks and balances within the federal government, it also divides power among the federal government, the states, and the people. The Founders understood that it is the nature of government to grow at the expense of the people’s liberty; and with that in mind, they established a form of government that would be limited in scope and power in order to maximize power to the people.

Today, let’s also take the opportunity to thank our armed forces. The weight of defending our liberty rests on their shoulders, and because of their efforts and sacrifice, we can celebrate the 222nd anniversary of the formation of our Constitution.

- Sarah Palin

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

Sarah Palin Calls Out the President on His Health Care Speech

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Before President Obama's address tonight on Health Care, I tweeted that I was wondering how many times he would refer to "death panels" or Governor Palin. I thought to myself that it was an unwise thing for the President of the United States to go down that road in this much-anticipated speech. However, his track record told me that he is much too partisan and much too focused on anything Sarah Palin says to avoid it.

I was right.

What stood out most to me was the manner in which he did it. Both his face and his voice changed noticeably as he did so. Although it's not her purpose to get under his skin, it is clear that she is.

President Obama might want to tackle a different approach. It really doesn't look good when the President of the United States keeps attacking a private citizen. Even Marc Lamont Hill, a strong Obama supporter who admitted to Bill O'Reilly that he's "more to the Left than most liberals," stated that it was unwise for the president to take "cheap shots at Sarah Palin" in his speech tonight. Watch the video clip from The Factor by clicking here.

Not only is it unwise, it doesn't accomplish what it's intended to: silence her. Sarah Palin is not going to be silenced on this issue. As he did tonight, the president can say she's lying, he can threaten to "call [her] out," and he can continue to send David Axelrod behind her to refute her words, but more and more Americans are realizing that she knows what she's talking about, and they want answers from President Obama.

She responded to his speech a few minutes ago on her Facebook page:

Response to the President's Health Care Speech
Today at 12:25am

After all the rhetoric is put aside, one principle ran through President Obama’s speech tonight: that increased government involvement in health care can solve its problems.

Many Americans fundamentally disagree with this idea. We know from long experience that the creation of a massive new bureaucracy will not provide us with “more stability and security,” but just the opposite. It's hard to believe the President when he says that this time he and his team of bureaucrats have finally figured out how to do things right if only we’ll take them at their word.

Our objections to the Democrats’ health care proposals are not mere “bickering” or “games.” They are not an attempt to “score short term political points.” And it’s hard to listen to the President lecture us not to use “scare tactics” when in the next breath he says that “more will die” if his proposals do not pass.

In his speech the President directly responded to concerns I’ve raised about unelected bureaucrats being given power to make decisions affecting life or death health care matters. He called these concerns “bogus,” “irresponsible,” and “a lie” -- so much for civility. After all the name-calling, though, what he did not do is respond to the arguments we’ve made, arguments even some of his own supporters have agreed have merit.

In fact, after promising to “make sure that no government bureaucrat .... gets between you and the health care you need,” the President repeated his call for an Independent Medicare Advisory Council -- an unelected, largely unaccountable group of bureaucrats charged with containing Medicare costs. He did not disavow his own statement that such a group, working outside of “normal political channels,” should guide decisions regarding that “huge driver of cost ... the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives....” He did not disavow the statements of his health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and continuing to pay his salary with taxpayer dollars proves a commitment to his beliefs. The President can keep making unsupported assertions, but until he directly responds to the arguments I’ve made, I’m going to call him out too.

It was heartening to hear the President finally recognize that tort reform is an important part of any solution. But this concession shouldn’t lead us to take our eye off the ball: the Democrats’ proposals will not reduce costs, and they will not deliver better health care. It’s this kind of “healthy skepticism of government” that truly reflects a “concern and regard for the plight of others.” We can’t wait to hear the details on that; we look forward to working with you on tort reform.

Finally, President Obama delivered an offhand applause line tonight about the cost of the War on Terror. As we approach the anniversary of the September 11th attacks and honor those who died that day and those who have died since in the War on Terror, in order to secure our freedoms, we need to remember their sacrifices and not demonize them as having had too high a price tag.

Remember, Mr. President, elected officials work for the people. Forcing a conclusion in order to claim a “victory” is not healthy for our country. We hear you say government isn’t always the answer; now hear us -- that’s what we’ve been saying all along.

- Sarah Palin

I am so glad we have a true public servant who will not back down on this most important issue.

Palin Takes AP to Task

From Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts

From her Facebook page:

Many of us join Secretary Gates in condemning the Associated Press for its heartless and selfish decision to turn its back on the wishes of a grieving family in order to exploit the tragic death of a true American hero.

Lance Corporal Joshua 'Bernie' Bernard was a selfless young American who sacrificed everything for our freedom.
Shame on the AP for purposely adding to the grieving family's pain. Ignoring the family's wishes by publishing a sacred image of their loved one proved a despicable and heartless act by the AP. The family said they didn't want the photo published. AP, you did it anyway, and you know it was an evil thing to do.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bernard family. Words can not adequately express our sorrow and appreciation for your sacrifice. We will never forget your Marine or his fallen comrades.
May God bless the Bernard family.

-Sarah Palin

Palin-phernalia

By Adrienne Ross from www.motivationtruth.com

If I had a dollar for each time someone asked me why Sarah Palin resigned, I'd have, well, I'd have a lot of dollars.

Today I drove two and half hours to Rome, NY to speak at a Youth Camp at Delta Lake. As I made the journey, I was reminded of the last time I traveled that road. It was almost three months ago when I went to Auburn, NY to meet Governor Palin. Read and see pictures of that weekend here, here, and here.

In Rome, I was introduced to a fellow conservative, and we began a conversation about politics which included some sharing of my recent month-long trip to Alaska. He asked if I had ever met the governor, and when I told him I had, I got the question I have been asked all too often: "So why did she resign?"

The first couple times I was asked that question, I broke into a lengthy explanation. I no longer do that. Instead, I respond with some questions of my own.

The first one is, "Did you see her resignation announcement?"

When I hear, "Yes," as I did today, I move on to my second question.

"What did she say?"

Here they explain to me what Governor Palin said. Then they look at me, and I know they're expecting something more. There's a Yeah, but what's the REAL reason? kind of silence. I was reminded of this today.

I have experienced this several times, and at first I didn't get it. As far as I was concerned, Governor Palin made herself quite clear during her press conference. I have since come to a conclusion for the apparent difficulty to take her at her word.

People are so accustomed to politicians who speak out of both sides of their mouths that they cannot wrap their brains around the existence of a person who calls it like it is. That person, of course, is Sarah Palin. They heard what she said. They fully understand what she said. However, something simply won't let them believe what she said, so...they're waiting for the real story.

"No, that can't be it."

"Okay, but what else?"

"No...really."

This is their reaction to a person like Sarah Palin because most have never seen a politician like her. One definition of politician is "a schemer who tries to gain advantage in an organization in sly or underhanded ways." Although there are other more honorable definitions, this is the one we have come to believe. We expect the usual political paraphernalia: a forked tongue, a wandering eye, and a hidden agenda--and usually we are not disappointed. The result? Distrust and/or an unfulfilled desire to discover more when there's nothing more to discover. I suppose it's understandable. After all, how often does someone step into the political arena who says what she means and means what she says? Where do we find a person who is willing to sacrifice a title and a position of prestige because it's the right thing to do for her state? When was the last time we encountered someone who would exchange the governor's mansion for Facebook freedom? In fact, "self-sacrifice" and "politician" in the same sentence is oxymoronic, isn't it?

Enter Sarah Palin--the same Sarah Palin who took on her own Party in the state of Alaska, desiring simply to boot out corruption, the same Sarah Palin who is nothing if not the antithesis of "politics as usual." She came armed with paraphernalia some have not come to expect from politicians and therefore could not recognize in her: the simple truth.

But some of us do get it--and we like it.

Sarah Palin & I Want to Know: Why is "Drill, Baby, Drill" Okay for Brazil but not US?

by Adrienne Ross at www.motivationtruth.com

I have felt a bit out of the loop since being down in Long Island. I hate to disappoint you all, but I don't come from a family of people who sit around watching "fair and balanced" Fox News. So I have a few things to catch up on now that I'm back.

One thing I heard in passing, however, was that the United States will be financing drilling in Brazil. It was a quick "hear," and my first thought at that point was, How is it that we are able to help pay for another country's drilling when Washington seems intent on keeping us from doing the same thing here at home?

Followed by that thought was this one: Sarah Palin will have something to say about this!

She did not disappoint.

Read what she wrote on her...you got it...Facebook page. And after reading it, answer this for me: "Is there anyone else making more sense than she is right now?" As Fox News says, so say I: "We report; you decide."

YOUR TAX DOLLARS HARD AT WORK: FIRST CARS, NOW FOREIGN OIL.
Today at 3:10am

Today's Wall Street Journal contains some puzzling news for all Americans who are impacted by high energy prices and who share the goal of moving us toward energy independence.

For years, states rich with an abundance of oil and natural gas have been begging Washington, DC politicians for the right to develop their own natural resources on federal lands and off shore. Such development would mean good paying jobs here in the United States (with health benefits) and the resulting royalties and taxes would provide money for federal coffers that would potentially off-set the need for higher income taxes, reduce the federal debt and deficits, or even help fund a trillion dollar health care plan if one were so inclined to support such a plan.

So why is it that during these tough times, when we have great needs at home, the Obama White House is prepared to send more than two billion of your hard-earned tax dollars to Brazil so that the nation's state-owned oil company, Petrobras, can drill off shore and create jobs developing its own resources? That's all Americans want; but such rational energy development has been continually thwarted by rabid environmentalists, faceless bureaucrats and a seemingly endless parade of lawsuits aimed at shutting down new energy projects.

I'll speak for the talent I have personally witnessed on the oil fields in Alaska when I say no other country in the world has a stronger workforce than America, no other country in the world has better safety standards than America, and no other country in the world has stricter environmental standards than America. Come to Alaska to witness how oil and gas can be developed simultaneously with the preservation of our eco-system. America has the resources. We deserve the opportunity to develop our resources no less than the Brazilians. Millions of Americans know it is true: "Drill, baby, drill." Alaska is proof you can drill and develop, and preserve nature, with its magnificent caribou herds passing by the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), completely unaffected. One has to wonder if Obama is playing politics and perhaps refusing a "win" for some states just to play to the left with our money.

The new Gulf of Mexico lease sales tomorrow sound promising and perhaps will move some states in the right direction, but we all know that the extreme environmentalists who serve to block progress elsewhere, including in Alaska, continue to block opportunities. These environmentalists are putting our nation in peril and forcing us to rely on unstable and hostile foreign countries. Mr. Obama can stop the extreme tactics and exert proper government authority to encourage resource development and create jobs and health benefits in the U.S.; instead, he chooses to use American dollars in Brazil that will help to pay the salaries and benefits for Brazilians to drill for resources when the need and desire is great in America.

Buy American is a wonderful slogan, but you can't say in one breath that you want to strengthen our economy and stimulate it, and then in another ship our much-needed dollars to a nation desperate to drill while depriving us of the same opportunity.

- Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin, the Magician

Sarah Palin has the kind of influence that equates to power, plain and simple. I engaged in a Twitter conversation yesterday with an anti-Palin, pro-Obama guy. The crazy thing about it is we both went for the jugular, and when it was over, it was like, "All right, catch you later, brother." "Yep, catch you later, sis. I enjoy debating you." In other words, hey...it's all good. I'll keep fighting, and I have a feeling, he will too.

One piece of that conversation involved his telling me that President Obama doesn't spend any time thinking about Sarah Palin. I responded by saying, "Well, then he's a magician also because it's hard to keep quoting someone you're not thinking about."

Now what was I talking about? The president did a Town Hall meeting in New Hampshire a couple days ago...and I was just waiting for it. Sure enough, it came. He couldn't help himself. He just had to refer to Sarah's "death panel" statement. I was waiting, and I wasn't disappointed. Sarah is SO in his head, it's ridiculous. Although the White House continues to say that they waste not one moment thinking about Sarah Palin, the truth is you can't keep quoting someone you're not paying attention to--and then to quote her in a Town Hall meeting! I mean, we knew she was in his head during the campaign, but she has gotten more powerful after losing the election! So anyone who says that Sarah is insignificant is just being dishonest. More importantly, anyone who states that President Obama is not paying attention to Sarah Palin is underestimating him. Yes, underestimating him, not Sarah. Why do I say that? It's simple: If he's just half as smart as people say he is, and if he is the politician he appears to be, he'd have to be paying attention to her because he'd be stupid not to. And President Obama may be many things, but stupid is not one of them. Besides, like I said, if he's not, then he must be a magician because he manages to quote someone he never thinks about!

The sad aspect of this is while he was defending himself against Sarah's comments, making it appear to be simple fearmongering and screaming "boogeyman!" on her part, people in the meeting were giggling about it. Do you think Sarah backed down? Come on, now. Sarah doesn't back down when she believes in something. Instead, she released this statement on her Facebook page:

Concerning the "Death Panels"
Wed at 11:55pm

Yesterday President Obama responded to my statement that Democratic health care proposals would lead to rationed care; that the sick, the elderly, and the disabled would suffer the most under such rationing; and that under such a system these “unproductive” members of society could face the prospect of government bureaucrats determining whether they deserve health care.

The President made light of these concerns. He said:

“Let me just be specific about some things that I’ve been hearing lately that we just need to dispose of here. The rumor that’s been circulating a lot lately is this idea that somehow the House of Representatives voted for death panels that will basically pull the plug on grandma because we’ve decided that we don’t, it’s too expensive to let her live anymore....It turns out that I guess this arose out of a provision in one of the House bills that allowed Medicare to reimburse people for consultations about end-of-life care, setting up living wills, the availability of hospice, etc. So the intention of the members of Congress was to give people more information so that they could handle issues of end-of-life care when they’re ready on their own terms. It wasn’t forcing anybody to do anything.” [1]

The provision that President Obama refers to is Section 1233 of HR 3200, entitled “Advance Care Planning Consultation.” [2] With all due respect, it’s misleading for the President to describe this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered to Medicare recipients. The issue is the context in which that information is provided and the coercive effect these consultations will have in that context.

Section 1233 authorizes advanced care planning consultations for senior citizens on Medicare every five years, and more often “if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual ... or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility... or a hospice program." [3] During those consultations, practitioners must explain “the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice,” and the government benefits available to pay for such services. [4]

Now put this in context. These consultations are authorized whenever a Medicare recipient’s health changes significantly or when they enter a nursing home, and they are part of a bill whose stated purpose is “to reduce the growth in health care spending.” [5] Is it any wonder that senior citizens might view such consultations as attempts to convince them to help reduce health care costs by accepting minimal end-of-life care? As Charles Lane notes in the Washington Post, Section 1233 “addresses compassionate goals in disconcerting proximity to fiscal ones.... If it’s all about obviating suffering, emotional or physical, what’s it doing in a measure to “bend the curve” on health-care costs?” [6]

As Lane also points out:

Though not mandatory, as some on the right have claimed, the consultations envisioned in Section 1233 aren’t quite “purely voluntary,” as Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) asserts. To me, “purely voluntary” means “not unless the patient requests one.” Section 1233, however, lets doctors initiate the chat and gives them an incentive -- money -- to do so. Indeed, that’s an incentive to insist.

Patients may refuse without penalty, but many will bow to white-coated authority. Once they’re in the meeting, the bill does permit “formulation” of a plug-pulling order right then and there. So when Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) denies that Section 1233 would “place senior citizens in situations where they feel pressured to sign end-of-life directives that they would not otherwise sign,” I don’t think he’s being realistic. [7]

Even columnist Eugene Robinson, a self-described “true believer” who “will almost certainly support” “whatever reform package finally emerges”, agrees that “If the government says it has to control health-care costs and then offers to pay doctors to give advice about hospice care, citizens are not delusional to conclude that the goal is to reduce end-of-life spending.” [8]

So are these usually friendly pundits wrong? Is this all just a “rumor” to be “disposed of”, as President Obama says? Not according to Democratic New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Chairman of the New York State Senate Aging Committee, who writes:

Section 1233 of House Resolution 3200 puts our senior citizens on a slippery slope and may diminish respect for the inherent dignity of each of their lives.... It is egregious to consider that any senior citizen ... should be placed in a situation where he or she would feel pressured to save the government money by dying a little sooner than he or she otherwise would, be required to be counseled about the supposed benefits of killing oneself, or be encouraged to sign any end of life directives that they would not otherwise sign. [9]

Of course, it’s not just this one provision that presents a problem. My original comments concerned statements made by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a health policy advisor to President Obama and the brother of the President’s chief of staff. Dr. Emanuel has written that some medical services should not be guaranteed to those “who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens....An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia.” [10] Dr. Emanuel has also advocated basing medical decisions on a system which “produces a priority curve on which individuals aged between roughly 15 and 40 years get the most chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get chances that are attenuated.” [11]

President Obama can try to gloss over the effects of government authorized end-of-life consultations, but the views of one of his top health care advisors are clear enough. It’s all just more evidence that the Democratic legislative proposals will lead to health care rationing, and more evidence that the top-down plans of government bureaucrats will never result in real health care reform.

- Sarah Palin

[1] See http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/08/president-obama-addresses-sarah-palin-death-panels-wild-representations.html.
[2] See http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf
[3] See HR 3200 sec. 1233 (hhh)(1); Sec. 1233 (hhh)(3)(B)(1), above.
[4] See HR 3200 sec. 1233 (hhh)(1)(E), above.
[5] See http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf
[6] See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080703043.html].
[7] Id.
[8] See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/10/AR2009081002455.html].
[9] See http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/letter-congressman-henry-waxman-re-section-1233-hr-3200.
[10] See http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/Where_Civic_Republicanism_and_Deliberative_Democracy_Meet.pdf[11] See http://www.scribd.com/doc/18280675/Principles-for-Allocation-of-Scarce-Medical-Interventions.

Well, after Sarah caused such a stir with her statement about "death panels," after the Obama media got all bent out of shape about it, after the president found it necessary to deny it by misrepresenting what she said as "pulling the plug on Grandma," we find out yesterday that the end of life provision has now been removed from bill! Now that's what I call influence. Of course, the president and his people are paying attention to Sarah. When the woman can type something on her Facebook page and get a provision removed, well, what would you call that?! Today radio talk show host and author, Tammy Bruce, called Sarah the 101st senator of the United States because she can "type, type, type, send, and get a change in the Health Care Bill!" Yep, that about says it. But I can do even better than that: Sarah is not only the 101st senator, she's the magician, for how else could she issue a statement that makes Congress remove something that they said wasn't in there to begin with?!

Read about the change:

WASHINGTON – Key senators are excluding a provision on end-of-life care from health overhaul legislation after language in a House bill caused a furor.Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement Thursday that the provision had been dropped from consideration because it could be misinterpreted or implemented incorrectly.

Read more about this here.

Even though the end of life provision has been removed, Sarah Palin says it's not enough. Early this morning, Sarah released this new statement on her Facebook page:

Troubling Questions Remain About Obama's Health Care Plan

Today at 1:11am

I join millions of Americans in expressing appreciation for the Senate Finance Committee’s decision to remove the provision in the pending health care bill that authorizes end-of-life consultations (Section 1233 of HR 3200). It’s gratifying that the voice of the people is getting through to
Congress; however, that provision was not the only disturbing detail in this legislation; it was just one of the more obvious ones.

As I noted in my statement last week, nationalized health care inevitably leads to rationing. There is simply no way to cover everyone and hold down the costs at the same time. The rationing system proposed by one of President Obama’s key health care advisors is particularly disturbing. I’m speaking of the “Complete Lives System” advocated by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the president’s chief of staff. President Obama has not yet stated any opposition to the “Complete Lives System,” a system which, if enacted, would refuse to allocate medical resources to the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled who have less economic potential. [1] Why the silence from the president on this aspect of his nationalization of health care? Does he agree with the “Complete Lives System”? If not, then why is Dr. Emanuel his policy advisor? What is he advising the president on? I just learned that Dr. Emanuel is now distancing himself from his own work and claiming that his “thinking has evolved” on the question of rationing care to benefit the strong and deny the weak. [2] How convenient that he disavowed his own work only after the nature of his scholarship was revealed to the public at large.

The president is busy assuring us that we can keep our private insurance plans, but common sense (and basic economics) tells us otherwise. The public option in the Democratic health care plan will crowd out private insurers, and that’s what it’s intended to do. A single payer health care plan has been President Obama’s agenda all along, though he is now claiming otherwise. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what he said back in 2003:

“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care plan.... A single payer health care plan – universal health care plan – that’s what I would like to see.” [3]

A single-payer health care plan might be what Obama would like to see, but is it what the rest of us would like to see? What does a single payer health care plan look like? We need look no further than other countries who have adopted such a plan. The picture isn’t pretty. [4] The only way they can control costs is to ration care. As I noted in my earlier statement quoting Thomas Sowell, government run health care won’t reduce the price of medical care; it will simply refuse to pay the price. The expensive innovative procedures that people from all over the world come to the United States for will not be available under a government plan that seeks to cover everyone by capping costs.

Read the rest here, along with the sources she cites.

Sarah Palin has chosen to bypass the mainstream media for now, the media that is so clearly in the tank for Obama, and she's simply utilizing social networking sites to get her message out--and Tammy Bruce is correct: All Sarah has to do is type and hit send--and it's all over. Who would have thought one could use Facebook to help win this health care battle? It is clear that Sarah knows more about this Health Care Bill than members of Congress. She knows what she's talking about, and she is studying experts on the issue.

I have one more thing to say: I bet you those on the far Left regret that Sarah was ever asked the demeaning question, "What do you read?" you know, the question she chose to ignore. Hey, Katie, now you have a whole list of her reading material--and you and the Obama administration don't like it too much, do you?!

By Adrienne Ross from www.motivationtruth.com