I have a bone to pick with the self-appointed social and political leaders who have set themselves up as guard dogs tasked with “protecting” the rest of us from what they consider intolerant speech.
Last week, they went too far when they dragged the tolerance banner into the religious realm. They essentially said it is up to them to determine what is an acceptable, appropriate expression of faith.
Background: The Military Religious Freedom Foundation threatened to seek an injunction stopping a Pentagon prayer service next month in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer unless Franklin Graham was removed from the list of people who would offer a prayer. His offense? He’s not a Christian in name only. He actually believes the Bible – all of it, including that salvation is in Jesus Christ alone.
His offending remark? “I am not on a crusade against Muslims. I love the Muslim people. ... I want them to know that they don’t have to die in a car bomb, don’t have to die in some kind of holy war to be accepted by God. But it’s through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone.” Because of this declaration of faith, the Army “diss”-invited the evangelist from the event.
Col. Thomas Collins, Army spokesman, said Graham’s remarks were “not appropriate. We’re an all-inclusive military. We honor all faiths. ... Our message to our service and civilian work force is about the need for diversity and appreciation of all faiths” (Washington Post).
The irony: These same Army officials saw nothing inappropriate when Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan gave what was supposed to be a medical lecture to other military doctors at Walter Reed in which he said non-Muslims should be beheaded and have boiling oil poured down their throats. He added that they were infidels condemned to hell who should be set on fire (Telegraph.co.uk). Where were the protests from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation then?
I don’t know about you, but I feel much more comfortable with Graham’s “intolerance” than I do with the Army’s tolerance of Hasan’s hate speech.
The result: Last November, Hasan gunned down 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in Texas.
Graham responded to his disinvite with: “I want to express my strong support for the United States military and all our troops. I will continue to pray that God will give them guidance, wisdom and protection as they serve this great country.”
I’m Joey. I’m running for Congress. And I approved this message – even if some think it is intolerant.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Joey's Take: A History Lesson
With every breath they take, every move they make and every vow they break, Congress and the president are proving how much they need a herding dog like me to police them – and keep them out of our pockets and the business of local government.
Last week, President Obama strayed out of the federal fence again when he weighed in on the fact that the Virginia governor’s traditional proclamation of April as Confederate History Month did not mention slavery, calling it “an unacceptable omission.” The incident serves as “a reminder that when we talk about issues like slavery that are so fraught with pain and emotion, that, you know, we'd better do so thinking through how this is going to affect a lot of people,” the president added (The Washington Times).
But Gov. McDonnell was not talking about slavery. He was talking about a war that started 150 years ago this month, that turned brother against brother and that almost destroyed this nation. Like it or not, that war – in and of itself – is a defining chapter in our country’s history. It is still the subject of college courses, movies, documentaries and books, many of which focus on personal narratives, military strategies and the politics at play, not on slavery. And here in Virginia, which is home to more than its share of Civil War battlefields and monuments, the war means business – and jobs. Real jobs, that is, for both black and white.
Contrary to what the president and media would have you believe, the proclamation is not a celebration of the war or slavery. Although it now includes an obligatory reference to slavery, the intent of the proclamation is that this part of “Virginia’s history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians, both in the context of the time in which it took place, but also in the context of the time in which we live.”
It’s a lesson the president and Congress should take to heart. By studying the years leading up to the war – years marked by an increasingly divided nation, a political battle for states’ rights and an onslaught of nullification efforts – they could take the steps necessary to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.
I’m Joey. I’m running for Congress. And I approved this message.
Last week, President Obama strayed out of the federal fence again when he weighed in on the fact that the Virginia governor’s traditional proclamation of April as Confederate History Month did not mention slavery, calling it “an unacceptable omission.” The incident serves as “a reminder that when we talk about issues like slavery that are so fraught with pain and emotion, that, you know, we'd better do so thinking through how this is going to affect a lot of people,” the president added (The Washington Times).
But Gov. McDonnell was not talking about slavery. He was talking about a war that started 150 years ago this month, that turned brother against brother and that almost destroyed this nation. Like it or not, that war – in and of itself – is a defining chapter in our country’s history. It is still the subject of college courses, movies, documentaries and books, many of which focus on personal narratives, military strategies and the politics at play, not on slavery. And here in Virginia, which is home to more than its share of Civil War battlefields and monuments, the war means business – and jobs. Real jobs, that is, for both black and white.
Contrary to what the president and media would have you believe, the proclamation is not a celebration of the war or slavery. Although it now includes an obligatory reference to slavery, the intent of the proclamation is that this part of “Virginia’s history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians, both in the context of the time in which it took place, but also in the context of the time in which we live.”
It’s a lesson the president and Congress should take to heart. By studying the years leading up to the war – years marked by an increasingly divided nation, a political battle for states’ rights and an onslaught of nullification efforts – they could take the steps necessary to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.
I’m Joey. I’m running for Congress. And I approved this message.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
An Easter Confession
I confess:
On this most holy of holy days, my thoughts were trained on family rather than on that miracle that shook the foundations of the earth, stretched the boundaries of human credibility and demonstrated for eternity God’s irrevocable love for His creation.
I confess:
In the rush and busyness of every day, I take that love for granted, pushing God to the fringes of the life He created.
I confess:
In the darkest moments, I have clung desperately, and victoriously, to God’s promises. But in the bright sunlight of His blessings, I too often stumble in the glare of self-pride.
I confess:
In this moment of quiet at the end of the most holy of holy days, I reflect again on that first Easter and am shamed by my nonchalance in the face of this great miracle – in the embrace of this all-forgiving love.
I pray:
Lord, teach me to live the joy of Easter every moment that I breathe.
On this most holy of holy days, my thoughts were trained on family rather than on that miracle that shook the foundations of the earth, stretched the boundaries of human credibility and demonstrated for eternity God’s irrevocable love for His creation.
I confess:
In the rush and busyness of every day, I take that love for granted, pushing God to the fringes of the life He created.
I confess:
In the darkest moments, I have clung desperately, and victoriously, to God’s promises. But in the bright sunlight of His blessings, I too often stumble in the glare of self-pride.
I confess:
In this moment of quiet at the end of the most holy of holy days, I reflect again on that first Easter and am shamed by my nonchalance in the face of this great miracle – in the embrace of this all-forgiving love.
I pray:
Lord, teach me to live the joy of Easter every moment that I breathe.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Joey's Take: Fur's a Flying
I want the president and all of Congress to know I’m barking angry at the direction our country is going. And it's time for fur to fly. That’s why I’m running for office. Somebody has to nip the heels of this runaway government before it plunges the nation – and the American dream – over a steep cliff to absolute financial ruin.
I also want them to know that my anger has nothing to do with Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and any “vitriol” that duo may or may not be fomenting. I think for myself, thank you. And I can see that cliff getting ever closer.
Speaking of vitriol, I’d like to remind our president of his own vitriolic hate speech. Remember the talk he made on the eve of the Pennsylvania primary – the one at a private fund-raiser in Pelosi’s San Francisco? The one in which he accused people in small towns in Pennsylvania and across the Midwest of being “bitter.” Because of that bitterness, he said, “they cling to guns or religion or antipathy.” (I guess if you're not bitter, you don't need God!)
He didn’t get it then – he and his campaign staff made “bitter” an internal code word for the middle-class (Game Change).
And he doesn’t get it now. In his comments to Harry Smith on CBS’ Early Show Friday, the president tried to minimalize and marginalize those who disagree with him. He also tried to frame "demonizing" as a conservative phenomenon, conveniently ignoring the hate speech – and the damnations of America – that spewed from behind the pulpit of his Chicago church, the vitriolic hatred that continues to flow from the left whenever Bush or Cheney is mentioned and the spiteful trash that is daily heaped on non-liberals in blogs, chat rooms and other social media sites. He also ignored that he fans the rhetoric with his own arrogance and dismissive attitude toward any view but his own.
On another note: The White House ripped into Israel for “embarrassing” Vice President Joe Biden by announcing a new settlement on the West Bank during his visit to Jerusalem last month. What Biden forgot is that in a land where history is measured in millennia rather than a few centuries, memories run long – very long. It was payback time for when then-Sen. Biden tried to belittle Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin who was testifying before the Senate Finance Committee in 1982 about Israeli settlements. Raising his voice and banging on the table with his fist, Biden demanded that Israel immediately end its settlement program or the U.S. would cut its aid to the country.
Begin’s response: “This desk is designed for writing, not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the U.S. lends us money, it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats.”
I also want them to know that my anger has nothing to do with Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and any “vitriol” that duo may or may not be fomenting. I think for myself, thank you. And I can see that cliff getting ever closer.
Speaking of vitriol, I’d like to remind our president of his own vitriolic hate speech. Remember the talk he made on the eve of the Pennsylvania primary – the one at a private fund-raiser in Pelosi’s San Francisco? The one in which he accused people in small towns in Pennsylvania and across the Midwest of being “bitter.” Because of that bitterness, he said, “they cling to guns or religion or antipathy.” (I guess if you're not bitter, you don't need God!)
He didn’t get it then – he and his campaign staff made “bitter” an internal code word for the middle-class (Game Change).
And he doesn’t get it now. In his comments to Harry Smith on CBS’ Early Show Friday, the president tried to minimalize and marginalize those who disagree with him. He also tried to frame "demonizing" as a conservative phenomenon, conveniently ignoring the hate speech – and the damnations of America – that spewed from behind the pulpit of his Chicago church, the vitriolic hatred that continues to flow from the left whenever Bush or Cheney is mentioned and the spiteful trash that is daily heaped on non-liberals in blogs, chat rooms and other social media sites. He also ignored that he fans the rhetoric with his own arrogance and dismissive attitude toward any view but his own.
On another note: The White House ripped into Israel for “embarrassing” Vice President Joe Biden by announcing a new settlement on the West Bank during his visit to Jerusalem last month. What Biden forgot is that in a land where history is measured in millennia rather than a few centuries, memories run long – very long. It was payback time for when then-Sen. Biden tried to belittle Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin who was testifying before the Senate Finance Committee in 1982 about Israeli settlements. Raising his voice and banging on the table with his fist, Biden demanded that Israel immediately end its settlement program or the U.S. would cut its aid to the country.
Begin’s response: “This desk is designed for writing, not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the U.S. lends us money, it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats.”
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Joey’s Take: Beholden to …
Last time I checked, it was the voters who elected people to Congress and the White House. It was not Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid or even Michael Steele. Our senators, representatives and president are not elected by a party, an agenda or special interest groups. They are elected by the people to represent the people and do the will of the people.
Yet, the POR Trio would have you believe the prime directive for a Democratic rep or senator is to blindly and unquestioningly fall in line with the trio’s agenda. Afterall, that’s what they were elected to do. Right?
Anyone who’s surprised by this tune wasn’t listening closely during the 2008 campaign. Obama summed up his view of a politician’s role in a speech that played to rave reviews in Iowa and helped him clinch the Iowa caucuses. “That’s why telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won’t do,” he said. While his words rang with rhythm and rhetoric, their true meaning was lost in the thunderous applause. No one questioned who would be the arbiter of what the American people NEED to hear.
Other fact-check failures from the campaign trail are coming back to bite the nation. As Game Change reminds us, the basic principles that shaped Obama’s campaign were a.) Americans were tired of divisiveness – they wanted a unifier; b.) they wanted an end to partisanship; and c.) they wanted leaders who would say no to special interests. Obama the candidate rode this rhetoric of change all the way to the White House. And yet, according to Washington Post vote tallies for the last Congress, his record in the Senate showed he was one of the most partisan, divisive voices there – coming in right behind Joe Biden. And his links to special interests ran deep.
Since the election, all we’ve heard from the POR Trio is strident partisanship as they demand that all reps and senators ignore the wishes of their constituents, who are too ignorant to know what’s good for them, and bow to the bidding of the all-knowing Democratic leadership and the special interests that fund their message.
This November, we need to show the POR Trio what change is all about. And in the meantime, remind your senators and representatives who they really answer to.
I’m Joey, and I want to bring real change to Washington.
Yet, the POR Trio would have you believe the prime directive for a Democratic rep or senator is to blindly and unquestioningly fall in line with the trio’s agenda. Afterall, that’s what they were elected to do. Right?
Anyone who’s surprised by this tune wasn’t listening closely during the 2008 campaign. Obama summed up his view of a politician’s role in a speech that played to rave reviews in Iowa and helped him clinch the Iowa caucuses. “That’s why telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won’t do,” he said. While his words rang with rhythm and rhetoric, their true meaning was lost in the thunderous applause. No one questioned who would be the arbiter of what the American people NEED to hear.
Other fact-check failures from the campaign trail are coming back to bite the nation. As Game Change reminds us, the basic principles that shaped Obama’s campaign were a.) Americans were tired of divisiveness – they wanted a unifier; b.) they wanted an end to partisanship; and c.) they wanted leaders who would say no to special interests. Obama the candidate rode this rhetoric of change all the way to the White House. And yet, according to Washington Post vote tallies for the last Congress, his record in the Senate showed he was one of the most partisan, divisive voices there – coming in right behind Joe Biden. And his links to special interests ran deep.
Since the election, all we’ve heard from the POR Trio is strident partisanship as they demand that all reps and senators ignore the wishes of their constituents, who are too ignorant to know what’s good for them, and bow to the bidding of the all-knowing Democratic leadership and the special interests that fund their message.
This November, we need to show the POR Trio what change is all about. And in the meantime, remind your senators and representatives who they really answer to.
I’m Joey, and I want to bring real change to Washington.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Joey’s Take: A New Contract
You may remember 1994’s Contract With America with its sweeping reforms to shrink government, cut taxes and revive entrepreneurship. Well, it’s time to put out a new contract – a Contract on Congress that goes after the representatives and senators who are holding our nation’s prosperity hostage to their own political agenda.
This contract would:
1. Require a balanced budget constitutional amendment that would be strictly enforced. No more “pay it forward a few generations” or “pay as you go when you feel like it.”
2. Limit ALL bills to one item and 5,000 words. If it can’t be expressed in 20 pages, it’s not ready for a vote. Bills must be written in plain English, and they can’t be amended or stuffed with unrelated business.
We all heard Nancy bragging yesterday about the new inclusion of student loans in the deformed health care bill. How many more trees are the greenies going to cut down just to print this massive abortion of legislation?!
The sad thing is that some parts of the health care bill would have easily passed a year ago had they not been bundled into this colossal mess, and many Americans would have already benefited from the changes.
3. Practice zero tolerance on congressional misconduct and ethical breaches. No more cover-ups, slaps on the wrist, looking the other way, or saying “but he did it too.” Violators, and their offices, would be subject to the same laws as the rest of us, and the cases against them should be heard in a court of law – not a select committee of partisans and cronies.
4. Limit Congress to two 60-day sessions a year, and adjust congressional pay accordingly. Think of the money we would save.
5. Ban all taxpayer-funded political travel – for the president, his staff and Congress.
6. Make Congress live by the rules it imposes on others. For instance, if other government employees can’t fly first class or by private plane on the taxpayer’s note, then a senator or representative can’t either. (Reps and senators need to be reminded that they are government employees.)
7. Enforce the constitutional separation of powers.
I may be a dog, but even I know it’s way past time for us to make Congress an offer it can't refuse.
I’m Joey. And I endorse this Contract on Congress.
This contract would:
1. Require a balanced budget constitutional amendment that would be strictly enforced. No more “pay it forward a few generations” or “pay as you go when you feel like it.”
2. Limit ALL bills to one item and 5,000 words. If it can’t be expressed in 20 pages, it’s not ready for a vote. Bills must be written in plain English, and they can’t be amended or stuffed with unrelated business.
We all heard Nancy bragging yesterday about the new inclusion of student loans in the deformed health care bill. How many more trees are the greenies going to cut down just to print this massive abortion of legislation?!
The sad thing is that some parts of the health care bill would have easily passed a year ago had they not been bundled into this colossal mess, and many Americans would have already benefited from the changes.
3. Practice zero tolerance on congressional misconduct and ethical breaches. No more cover-ups, slaps on the wrist, looking the other way, or saying “but he did it too.” Violators, and their offices, would be subject to the same laws as the rest of us, and the cases against them should be heard in a court of law – not a select committee of partisans and cronies.
4. Limit Congress to two 60-day sessions a year, and adjust congressional pay accordingly. Think of the money we would save.
5. Ban all taxpayer-funded political travel – for the president, his staff and Congress.
6. Make Congress live by the rules it imposes on others. For instance, if other government employees can’t fly first class or by private plane on the taxpayer’s note, then a senator or representative can’t either. (Reps and senators need to be reminded that they are government employees.)
7. Enforce the constitutional separation of powers.
I may be a dog, but even I know it’s way past time for us to make Congress an offer it can't refuse.
I’m Joey. And I endorse this Contract on Congress.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Joey's Take: Health Care in America
Please pardon my absence from the blog. I have been battling hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE). Not to worry though – it looks like I’m winning that battle. My stay at the Alpha Animal Hospital wasn’t all downtime from the campaign as it gave me some new insight into health care in America.
Like most dogs and many other Americans, I’m not covered by health insurance, and Dad does not have steady work yet (the down side of political appointments), which means cost was a concern. Now, I don’t think you should be taxed so I can be covered, but I noticed some cost-saving steps that could be incorporated into people medicine:
· After listening to the folks describe my symptoms and the onset of my illness, Dr. Segl gave them a detailed price estimate of the lab work, radiograms, IVs and care she thought I would need – before she did anything. The folks mentioned that my hips have been stiff lately, so she said she would make sure she got the hips in the picture when she shot the radiograms. An upfront estimate, two diagnoses for the price of one and no unnecessary referrals to specialists.
· Dr. Segl did everything in-house – no lab techs, radiologists, etc. That meant we got the results of my blood work within minutes, and treatment could begin immediately. And when the first radiogram suggested torsion, the vet talked to Dad and then did a few more radiograms to make sure that was not the problem. My health care wasn’t at the mercy of a lab tech’s or radiologist’s busy workload, and the folks approved any costs above the original estimate. Meanwhile, I was already starting to feel better. In-house, immediate, no third parties.
· To help keep costs down, Dr. Segl suggested the folks take me home for the night and then bring me back for observation the next day. That way, they wouldn’t have to pay for overnight care, and they rested better knowing I wasn’t alone in a strange place. Family care.
· Since vets aren’t sure what causes HGE – the best guess is that it’s viral – we discussed some lifestyle changes to try to prevent future episodes. That means no more eating snow or tracking deer. And for my arthritic hips, I have to get more exercise and take glucosamine. This is my responsibility – not the government’s. Lifestyle changes.
· Central to my health care was having a doctor who knew what she was doing and who would discuss options so we – not an HMO, insurance company or a government agency – could make an informed decision. Obviously, we needed to be able to trust our vet. Rhetoric may sound nice, but when it comes to my health care (or my government), I want people who know what they’re talking about. Record, not rhetoric.
I’m Joey, and I’m glad to be alive. And, yes, I’m still running for Congress.
Like most dogs and many other Americans, I’m not covered by health insurance, and Dad does not have steady work yet (the down side of political appointments), which means cost was a concern. Now, I don’t think you should be taxed so I can be covered, but I noticed some cost-saving steps that could be incorporated into people medicine:
· After listening to the folks describe my symptoms and the onset of my illness, Dr. Segl gave them a detailed price estimate of the lab work, radiograms, IVs and care she thought I would need – before she did anything. The folks mentioned that my hips have been stiff lately, so she said she would make sure she got the hips in the picture when she shot the radiograms. An upfront estimate, two diagnoses for the price of one and no unnecessary referrals to specialists.
· Dr. Segl did everything in-house – no lab techs, radiologists, etc. That meant we got the results of my blood work within minutes, and treatment could begin immediately. And when the first radiogram suggested torsion, the vet talked to Dad and then did a few more radiograms to make sure that was not the problem. My health care wasn’t at the mercy of a lab tech’s or radiologist’s busy workload, and the folks approved any costs above the original estimate. Meanwhile, I was already starting to feel better. In-house, immediate, no third parties.
· To help keep costs down, Dr. Segl suggested the folks take me home for the night and then bring me back for observation the next day. That way, they wouldn’t have to pay for overnight care, and they rested better knowing I wasn’t alone in a strange place. Family care.
· Since vets aren’t sure what causes HGE – the best guess is that it’s viral – we discussed some lifestyle changes to try to prevent future episodes. That means no more eating snow or tracking deer. And for my arthritic hips, I have to get more exercise and take glucosamine. This is my responsibility – not the government’s. Lifestyle changes.
· Central to my health care was having a doctor who knew what she was doing and who would discuss options so we – not an HMO, insurance company or a government agency – could make an informed decision. Obviously, we needed to be able to trust our vet. Rhetoric may sound nice, but when it comes to my health care (or my government), I want people who know what they’re talking about. Record, not rhetoric.
I’m Joey, and I’m glad to be alive. And, yes, I’m still running for Congress.
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