Confusing
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your news story "Law professors' letter may have swayed Obama" (June 27), which makes it clear that President Obama does indeed have the authority — and not by any backward or underhanded means — to defer deportation of young immigrants.
Not that it's going to sway the Fox News tea-party crowd. They've already made up their minds, and too many facts just confuse them.
JANE SIMMONS
Winston-Salem
Placing blame
The writer of the June 26 letter "Placing blame" is pretty smart, and as far as it goes, his point is true: One shouldn't keep passing the blame around for something that is one's own fault.
But at the end of his letter he tries to place some blame on President Obama by reciting the past presidents who "found ways to work (play well) with others," meaning Congresses of opposing parties, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan.
It is true that things have not been so smooth with President Obama and Congress. But when he concludes that the fault is Obama's, surely he must realize that he's putting the shoe on the wrong foot. This Congress has gone out of its way to obstruct the president, despite his efforts to compromise and get along.
Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the Senate's No. 1 priority was not to create jobs or fix the economy, but to limit President Obama to one term. The Republicans invented the individual mandate — Mitt Romney put it into practice in Massachusetts — and supported it until Obama adopted it; they've campaigned against their own idea ever since, taking it all the way to the Supreme Court.
It's hard to deny — impossible, if you're honest — that the fault of the current gridlock belongs to the Republican Congress, not the president. But it's only in keeping with their methods to try to place the blame on the president.
BOBBY FIELDS
Winston-Salem
Summing things up
I was taken aback when I read the June 21 letter "The underlying issue." I have never read anything with such circuitous and self-contradicting logic.
The writer says he is at the bottom of the "capitalistic food chain" and implies he is black. OK, with the overall economic picture in the black community, regardless of reason, how can he discount the economy when it comes to politics? Nonsense.
In some well-written sentences he implies that all white people are racist, that Clarence Thomas is somehow not black, and his proof being some idiots in the tea party carrying offensive signs. As if that never happens in the black community about gays and whites.
He claims President Obama had no help. OK, how do we explain the Democratic-controlled House and Senate the first two years of his term?
He then sums up the election choice as you either vote for Obama or you believe all blacks are inferior. Ridiculous.
Let me make a few points. First, just because I disagree with Obama does not make me a racist. Second, blacks who are conservative are still black, they have not forsaken their heritage. Third, racists believe that another race is inferior; if you believe all white people are inherently racist, you fit the definition of racist; and finally, the president is half black, so why don't we call him white instead of black from now until Election Day — will that make people feel better about the fairness of election?
KEN HOGLUND
Clemmons
Obama's jobs solution
President Obama snaps his election-year finger and illegal immigrants become semi-legal ("U.S. eases deportation policy," June 16). He just added a million illegals to those competing for jobs during a period of record unemployment.
Other than buying votes from the Hispanic minority, just how does that help matters?
All of these folks who served in the U.S. military have earned their citizenship. Give them their due as they earned it.
Will these folks have to pay back taxes with penalties and interest? After all, Obama is big on paying one's fair share, is he not?
RALPH CHAPPELL
Winston-Salem
Truth in advertising
I would like to thank the people who invented TV remote control, cable TV and caller ID. Because of them, when the misleading ads from candidates and the outright lies from "unconstitutional" super PACs come on TV, I can avoid them by switching to another channel. When the phone rings, I can see that the call is from someone that I do not know and let the machine get it.
The sad thing is that a portion of the population will believe these ads. I chose to research the facts and believe the truth. It's a shame that we cannot enforce the truth-in-advertising law on political campaigns (Democratic, Republican and especially tea party). It would make it so much easier to choose a good representative.
RICHARD SIMMONS
Winston-Salem
While it is true that the Democrats held a majority in both houses during the 111th Congress, the Senate was only filibuster proof from Septemeber 24th, 2009 to February 4th, 2010, a little over 4 months. Senator Al Franken was not sworn in until July 7th, 2009 by which time Senator Kennedy was too ill to appear on the Senate floor for a vote. His replacement, Paul Kirk, was sworn in on September 24th and served until February 4th, 2010, when Scott Brown was sworn in to the seat.
ReplyDeleteWith all the flap over Senator John Kerry windsurfing, one might think Romney would have thought twice about taking out his jet-ski from his $630k boathouse. At least Kerry didn't need a chauffeur.
ReplyDeleteLTE #3: Great points, but it's doubtful many are REALLY taking heed. I'd like to add to Mr. Hoglund's points that not all people with differing political ideologies are LIBERALS.
ReplyDeleteLTE #4: Are you AGAINST President Obama's actions regarding immigration EXCEPT the part where "these folks who served in the U.S. military have earned their citizenship."? Some clarification please.
LTE #5: I agree, Mr. Simmons.
LTE #4 - Mr. Chappell must live in Buckyland. It fascinates me that people are so eager to expose their vast ignorance of any topic publicly.
ReplyDelete"All of these folks who served in the U.S. military have earned their citizenship. Give them their due as they earned it."
Because immigration status is coyly handled by its own "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, the exact number of illegal immigrants serving in the US military is unknown, but the Pentagon estimates the current number to be about 15,000. hundreds have given their lives in the CheneyBush wars.
"Will these folks have to pay back taxes with penalties and interest? After all, Obama is big on paying one's fair share, is he not?"
Illegal immigrants currently pay about $11-15 billion/year in federal income and payroll taxes and about the same in state, local and sales taxes, all of which is proportional to legal residents.
"Illegal immigrants currently pay about $11-15 billion/year in federal income and payroll taxes and about the same in state, local and sales taxes, all of which is proportional to legal residents."
DeleteRush
_____________
All of which is just a bunch of liberal hogwash that can't be substantiated by any real figures.
Any nitwit in Amerca, beside one apparently, knows that illegal immigrants are not 'paying their fair share' in taxes as Obama likes put it.
There is a huge black market for labor supported by illegal immigrants. If it weren't for consumption taxes, illegals would be paying next to nothing.
To all my friends out there (which are a ton, I'm sure). Do yourself a favor and have someone run your social security number in different public data bases. You might find out your real name is 'Jose Pena'.
Study estimates that illegal immigrants paid $11.2B in taxes last year, unlike GE, which paid zero
DeleteMany illegal immigrants pay up at tax time
Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security With Billions
Bobby, I see you've got your heinie flapping around in the wind at Rush's expense.
DeleteHere's one sentence taken the second article you listed.
"Just how much they pay is hard to determine because the federal government doesn't fully tally it."
I think that about says it all.
Geez! Bobby..., and I thought better of you too!
As if....
DeleteAs always, Dunce prefers his own vast ignorance to facts...yesterday he said that he knew that his figure on CCW in Florida was correct even though he had the real numbers staring him in the face.
DeleteThe numbers on illegal immigrant taxes come from the Congressional Budget Office and are confirmed by the Pew Research Center, who do tally it.
Anytime he says "everybody knows" you know that bullshit is on the way, because the truth is that "everybody", being the Dunce himself, knows nothing.
It's a lot more fun being ignorant...it frees one to swim in whatever cesspool one wants.
Most people, even most nitwits, would just admit, when confronted by the facts, they are wrong about something. But not a full-fledged liberal nitwit, like Rush. Just can't be done.
DeleteBoth the CBO and PRC use 'estimates' for their figures on such topics.
I stand by my earlier statement about Rush's stats that he quoted:
All of which is just a bunch of liberal hogwash that can't be substantiated by any real figures.
Rush is getting to be a more stupid, sub-species, of a nitwit, if that's possible.
O.T. Rush: "about $11-15 billion/year"
DeleteAbout ADVERB:
Approximately; nearly: as in an estimate.
"Most people" you don't even know an infinitesimal percentage of people, much less "most." And you can only speak for one, and not very well for that one either.
DeleteNot to mention that neither the CBO nor Pew can, in any way, shape or form, be considered "liberal".
DeleteDunce has obviously never participated in any kind of serious academic activity...otherwise he would know that virtually all numbers that he sees or hears about are estimates, but when done properly, quite accurate estimates, indeed.
It's like the christian loonies and their "it's only a theory" nonsense.
Except, of course, for the ones that he makes up, which are fantasies.
Good afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: The President has many advisors as well as access to an unlimited amount of resources to verify whether or not a desired action is legal or not. If the consensus is the action is legal, then one would presume the POTUS would proceed to act which in this case is what he did. The last paragraph is a bit over the top, although there are too many who are too blinded by their ideology to discern fact from opinion.
LTE 2: Similar to an LTE from yesterday. As noted, when you have a Senate leader state right off that the number one priority is to limit the POTUS to one term, you are basically saying you are going to do everything you can to not cooperate. That tends to diminish the odds of having a working relationship.
LTE 3: It's interesting to note the differences in how one sees the world from one who is presumably black and lives in an apparently poor section vs. from one who is presumably white and lives in at least a middle income section. For any number of reasons which probably include "sticking to one's own kind", both have misperceptions about the motives of others. Yes, there is some opposition to Obama that is based on racism, but not all. Obama did enjoy a majority of Congress, but it takes a super majority in the Senate to get anything done because the Republican Senate leader made it clear from the very start that they weren't going to cooperate with Obama. It is one thing to hate a race, and it's quite another to hate a race and be in a position of power to prohibit the hated race from being able to fully participate in society for hundreds of years.
LTE 4: Actually, those "million illegals...competing for jobs" would be here competing (or already possessing) jobs whether or not Obama had made the pronouncement. Those who are employed and receive a paycheck have already paid their taxes, so why should they owe back taxes? How about those still in school and have yet to obtain employment? How do you owe tax when you haven't earned any income or bought any property? I don't see the harm in having upstanding, educated young people who simply happened to have been born outside this country remaining here to contribute to our economy instead of spending money to deport them back to another country that is foreign to them.
LTE 5: Even better still, boycott! Don't watch tv until the election is over. Let's make all those hundreds of millions go to waste!
Re: Dotnet's comment LTE#3
DeleteMore liberal smoke blowing from 'dotnet'. He's like a liberal robot on steroids.
If things look bleak, start inferring that people are racists if they don't like Obama.
As Arthur would say: Pathetic!
DeleteMost distressing news: Andy Griffith has died. :' - (
ReplyDelete
DeleteWhat it Was, Was Football 1953
A Face in the Crowd was a classic. He nailed Beck-Limbaugh smarm before it was Beck-Limbaugh.
DeleteJoe Walsh has to be one of the most despicable creatures that ever lived. Joe Walsh Attacks Tammy Duckworth's Military Service Record
ReplyDeleteJoe Walsh is yet another cowardly sewer rat and child support deadbeat…that pretty much sums up the Tea Party…mean and stupid people.
DeleteAnd in a great ironic act last year, the hypocrites at the bigoted Family Research Council awarded Walsh a 100 percent rating as a “True Blue” member of Congress. The FRC said it gave the honor to Walsh because of his “unwavering support of the family”.
Well, except for his own.
At least we now know what the FRC means when they talk about “family values”.
I must say, I would vote for George Wallace before I would vote for any candidate associated with this kind of slime.
Here's a little riddle for Dunce. Let's see how he does.
ReplyDeleteAs I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Every wife had seven sacks
Every sack had seven cats
Every cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives.
How many were going to St Ives?
Rep. Allen West: Obama Wants Americans To "Be His Slave"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/07/02/allen_west_obama_wants_americans_to_be_his_slave.html
Allen West is just Bucky Poo
DeleteHint on the riddle, Bucky's IQ + 2
DeleteBobby, you should know better than to get in bed with Rush, even if it's just on a political view.
DeleteCome on Phargo, the answer cannot be a negative number.
DeleteSomebody is going to St. Ives...or are they?
I had high hopes you'd stay as Bob, but you've reverted back to your Bobby days.
DeleteWell, Bucky Poo, you shouldn't get high.
DeleteWell I thought the answer to be 1. Perhaps I over-estimated Bucky's IQ.
DeleteAnd ways.
DeleteIf I could choose anyone to be my spokesman, it would be Representative West...war criminal, communist counter, all round nutcase.
ReplyDeleteNow he's taken it upon himself to tell Mitty how to run his campaign:
'Rep. Allen West suggested late Monday that Mitt Romney re-evaluate his campaign advisers, hours after top Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom said on TV that the individual mandate of President Barack Obama’s health care law is not a tax.
“It’s a tax,” the Florida Republican told Greta Van Susteren of Fox News. “I think that the governor probably needs to look at who he has within his circle of advisers, and probably get … them to provide the right type of counsel and advice." '
Kuckoo...kuckoo!
West's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star; Meritorious Service Medal (two Oak Leaf Clusters); Army Commendation Medal (three Oak Leaf Clusters, one Valor Device); Army Achievement Medal (one Oak Leaf Cluster); Valorous Unit Award; Air Assault Badge; and the Master Parachutist Badge.
DeleteWest has received the following service medals and ribbons: National Defense Service Medal (with bronze star device); Southwest Asia Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Army Overseas Service Ribbon (multiple awards); Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal W/Palm Tree and Kuwait Liberation Medal.[citation needed]
In January 2004, the conservative online political magazine FrontPage Magazine designated West its Man of the Year.
___________
Compare those awards to Rush's 'Two Bucks in a Bunk Award' given by Outserve Magazine while he was in service. I think I know who wins that comparison.
Yes, Allen West had a very promising career going there. Most thought he would wind up a general.
DeleteThen he made a mistake that no senior officer can ever afford to make. He lost control of himself and his men. The result was commission of multiple war crimes. West was convicted in a non-judicial proceeding and fined $5,000. The prosecutors later said that he should have been given a general court martial and sent to prison. Why did this not happen? Because the Army was trying to cover up the incident.
West was allowed to "retire" in disgrace. Eventually he became the US Congressman from Florida's Gold Coast 22nd District. In the less than two years since then, he has proven time and again to be an embarrassment to his party, most notably with a string of immature comments that included a vicious attack on a fellow Florida Congresswoman and his insane claim about communists in the US House, a la the lunatic Joe McCarthy.
In addition, West has become a supporter of the so-called Leavenworth Ten, a group of soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment who in Iraq in 2006 handcuffed and blindfolded four detainees, made them kneel by a canal and executed them by shooting them in the back of the head.
West seems to think that that is an OK thing for US soldiers to do. Even the Army does not…all are serving long terms in Leavenworth.
It is a measure of the judgment of the Romney campaign that at one time they were floating West as a potential vice presidential candidate. Of course, now that his sordid story has been revealed to the nation, that will not happen.
It is no wonder that Dunce puts West forward as an American hero. They both swim in the same sewer.
While Obama is playing paddy cake with his pink panty wearing liberal friends, Texas is stepping up to he plate!
ReplyDelete__________
Law enforcement officers working along the U.S.-Mexico border are stepping up efforts to respond to what is in effect a war going on south of the border, where drug cartel violence has spun out of control.
In Texas, where the two countries are separated only by the Rio Grande River, stopping the violence from spilling into the United States means taking to the water -- with 34-foot-long gunboats that pack some serious firepower.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/03/texas-rolls-out-gunboats-to-combat-violence-spilling-over-river-border-with/#ixzz1zc6v9sx6
Of course there is a war going on in Mexico. As many have died there in this war over the past 10 years as Americans in the Vietnam War, 55,000. That's a big reason I could never consider sending families back there to a war zone. It would be immoral and unethical.
DeleteThey are bringing the war here, Bobby. You just don't get it, do you?
DeleteIn fact, I would never consider sending any human being to live somewhere that I would never consider to live myself.
DeleteOf course the war is coming here. This is where they buy their friggin' guns.
DeleteYadkin authorities charge Hickory man with selling guns illegally and if it's done in Yadkinville, think how prevalent it must be in gun shows and flea markets in the Southwest
DeleteWe should just annex Mexico. That would solve a lot of problems. No more Illegal Mexicans, solve our oil problem, be much much cheaper and logistical to build a fence between the Mexican border with Guatemala and Belize, and it would fulfill the dreams of all those Confederate Filibusterers of old.
Delete"Paddy" is a pejorative term for a man of Irish descent, or a place where rice is grown.
DeleteDunce probably meant "patty cake", a game that he likes to play with the hairy bears down in the ABCs, where he thinks that no one from W-S can see him.
Only a person unfamiliar with the Rio Grande region would say "...where the two countries are separated only by the Rio Grande..." The boats, nothing more than stretched and glorified Boston Whalers, will be able to patrol only the westernmost section of the river and will have about as much effect as Dunce's obsessive patrolling of public restrooms.
I like Phargo's imperialistic plan.
DeleteIt was executed in a half-assed way by the Untied Fruit Company over a hundred years ago, and was continued well into the Reagan administration. But in the end, the whole thing wimped out, because the perps lacked guts.
We should adopt the Cheney "projection of power" philosophy and just go down there and take over. But we must remember that democracy in the hands of foreigners is our enemy. We must impose "our" democracy on those hopeless Latin Americans at bayonet point.
Once "Tea Party" democracy is established south of the border, all our problems will be solved, and we can relax and luxuriate in the land of milk and honey forever and ever.
Amen!
DeleteI'm all for the boats and MG's, but we've brought this war here by refusing to realize that the war in drugs is very expensive bloody make-work. We have lost that war, should legalize and tax the drugs, reserving the war for harsh sentences for distribution to underage users, including underage distributors.
ReplyDeleteAs for the guns, yes the cutthroats come here for them. Our government passed them, I guess as part of Executive Privilege.
Hi cuz,
DeleteAs I pointed out the other day, the gunrunning began with W's administration and proved disastrous. Unfortunately, the operations have been run ever since by the same local people in Arizona, over the increasing objections of those back in Washington, regardless of Presidential administration.
I guess it is a part of the Arizona culture, and I would not be surprised if it turns out that the locals have been making a profit off the operations all along. Certainly the Earp brothers and Doc did in their time.
The fact is that there were no prosecutions of obvious lawbreaking by the Bushites. There have at least been a few by the current administration...not enough, but at least a few.
As always, money talks and honesty and truth walks.
And it appears that Truth continues to walk, herded by faithful shepherd Holder.
DeleteWe shall see.
DeleteOn one of the many MSNBC show about gangs, Chicago's Vice Lord Nation, one of the biggest businesses gangs do now is selling guns, many bought legally by gang members who have not been convicted of crimes yet, to Mexican Cartels. These gang members are recruited specifically for the task. This guy in Yadkinville is peanuts compared to the gun shows and the flea markets out west.
DeleteBill Gates, Microsoft Founder, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, Each Donate $100,000 For Marriage Equality
ReplyDeleteAmong Others
It might be pointed out that the grass in the yards of any of the people mentioned in this article has a higher IQ than the Dunce.