Promote “Issues, Etc”

Make sure “Issues, Etc” is being promoted in your congregation. Here’s a great bulletin blurb to use:

EQUIPPING THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS…You can listen to Lutheran talk radio 24/7. Issues, Etc. is hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and produced by Lutheran Public Radio. Topics include: Responding to Pro-Gay Theology, The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit, Scripture & Tradition, Abortion & Civil Rights, the New Atheists and more. Listen to what you want when you want at www.issuesetc.org.

I was excited to see a similar blurb in the bulletin of a local LCMS congregation we are considering joining.

House Republicans revolt

The Democratic-led House adjourned today without taking action on without voting on energy legislation.  House Republicans responded with a half-day protest on the House floor.

At the stroke of 5 on Friday afternoon, House Republicans ended their half-day protest on the darkened chamber floor with a round of “God Bless America.”

That capped a wild day in the chamber, where Republicans, aides and tourists broke all manner of House rules to protest the Democrats’ decision to leave Washington for the five-week August recess without voting on a measure to open new land to domestic oil and gas exploration.

The uproar began shortly before noon, after members cast their votes along party lines on the question of whether or not to adjourn for the day.

A small band of Republicans, protesting the decision to adjourn without an oil vote, started to speak from the well—even though the lights weren’t on, the microphones were turned off and most of their colleagues were scrambling to catch flights out of town.

…

The substance of the speeches was of a piece with the summer-long move by Republicans to hammer Democratic leaders in both chambers for failing to allow a vote on measures that would open more acres—most notably in Alaska and in the Outer Continental Shelf—to domestic oil and gas exploration by private companies—a proposal whose popularity with voters has shot up along with the price of oil.

It’s a vote Democratic leaders have thus far successfully avoided.

Republican Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio and his number two, party Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, both appeared at the protest—a public acknowledgment that they approved of this step.

Republicans shouted their remarks from the well of the House until Arizona Rep. John Shadegg fumbled with the public address system and finally found the correct access code that allowed him to turn on the microphone.

When he did, members cheered.

In fact, members did a lot of cheering Friday.

They cheered when the lights came on. They cheered when the lights went off again. They even cheered when the crowd in the galleries applauded their remarks.

In between, they shouted, “Work! Work! Work!”

When Capitol Police closed the tourist galleries, the members invited visitors down to the chamber floor—a rare privilege made possible because the House was not officially in session, so the regular rules did not apply.

Members noted these irregularities in their remarks all afternoon, and Republican staff scrambled to get members and aides onto the floor to keep the momentum building. At one point, leadership aides sent out an all-points-bulletin to Republican staff asking for a bullhorn to help members broadcast their remarks to those in the chamber. Many lawmakers canceled their flights to make remarks on the floor.

…

The protest occurred after the Democrats crafted an adjournment rule preventing Republicans from making a series of five-minute speeches to bash the majority party for declining to vote on off-shore drilling.

More than 75 members had signed up to offer a brief speech when the House approved an adjournment resolution largely along party lines that shut the chamber immediately after the last vote.

As news of the protest spread over the Internet, the assembled Republicans eventually convened a news conference right off Statuary Hall.

This gaggle of reporters and cameras was the largest such crowd many of these members had attracted to a press conference since assuming the minority early last year.

Price, the energetic ringleader, told the throng, “What we did today was give voice to the American people on the biggest issue they face today: the high price of gasoline.”

There was even a letter sent to President Bush urging that a special session be called.

Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee (RSC), and Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), former Chairman of RSC, today urged President Bush to call for a special session of Congress after the House adjourned without allowing a vote on comprehensive legislation to develop more American energy and help the millions of Americans currently feeling pain at the gas pump.

The text of their letter is below:

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

The House of Representatives has not taken a vote since January 2007 that would expand domestic energy production. All the while, Americans are hurting. Every time they go to fill up their cars, trucks or tractors they feel the pain at the pump. High gas prices are harming the vitality of our families, the elderly, small businesses, and family farms. Each and every American is affected.

Today the Democrat controlled Congress adjourned for a five-week vacation without taking a vote on bipartisan measures that would lessen our dependence on foreign oil by allowing more domestic drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf. In fact, they adjourned without even allowing time for debate on the subject of drilling.

On July 14, 2008, you took the strong action of lifting the executive order that had banned offshore drilling. In so doing, you said that allowing offshore oil drilling is “one of the most important steps we can take” to reduce the burden of high gas prices. Now, all it would take is an act of Congress for that drilling to begin.

Since Speaker Pelosi has decided not to keep the House in session to allow this vote to take place, we urge you to use the power vested in you by the Constitution to convene an immediate energy special session of Congress. Under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, you have the power ‘on extraordinary occasions’ to convene the Congress.

We believe that the energy emergency that has increased the pain felt by Americans when they purchase $4 per gallon gasoline is an extraordinary occasion. We urge you to immediately bring the Congress back into session to do its job and give the bipartisan, pro-drilling majority a vote.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.

I wonder if Congressman Kagen was back in the 8th District before the protest ended?  And why not push your party leadership to take a vote on this issue Congressman? Or don’t you care that gas was $3.79 in the Green Bay metro area today?

Those McCain ads

So John McCain has these new ads focusing on Barack Hussein Obama. 

Getting attention around the blogosphere.

Whoop dee doo.  So they’re great ads pointing out Obama’s leadership inexperience.  Conservatives need to remember this guy is still a RINO.  He’s responsible for McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy (which thankfully failed).  He’s a proponent of climate change, as well as cap and trade.  He voted in favor of embryonic stem cell research, voted to limit 2nd amendment rights and was a member of the Gang of 14.  Oh yeah he favors what is likely illegal wiretapping and domestic spying.  And what makes anyone think he will appoint conservative judges to the Supreme Court with a Democratic majority in the Senate or at least a liberal lite majority? 

Guess when everyone knows your a RINO no matter what you say …

Constitutional Integrity

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”
~ Patrick Henry

Do you want to learn more about the U.S. Constitution and it’s history?  If so I encourage you to check out a great new site that launced last month – Coalition for Constitutional Integrity.

Here are the objectives of the Coalition -

To become better educated on the history of the U.S. Constitution.

To read and learn the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and their meanings.

To be accountable to teach our children the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

To remain aware that we, the people, are the keepers of the Constitution; not government.

To be vigilant and aware of government’s ability to usurp powers beyond those granted in the Constitution.

To remain vigilant in years between elections.

To review all legislation, and the conduct of political representatives, under the scrutiny of the U.S. Constitution.

To call to account and oppose the President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court of the United States when they violate the Constitution.

To defend the U.S. Constitution against, and hold it above, the agendas of all political parties.

To refuse to give up our Constitutional rights, liberties and immunities through fear and intimidation by the Federal Government.

At Constitutional Integrity you’ll also find interesting news articles and a discussion forum. Check it out!

New Page job loss

In a month or so New Page will close it’s doors in Kimberly.

NewPage Corp. will shut its doors in September, putting about 470 employees out of work.
The Miamisburg, Ohio-based company announced plans for the shutdown to employees Wednesday morning, said Andy Nirschl, president of Local 2-9 of the United Steelworkers.

“They’re shutting us down permanently,” Nirschl said. “We’ve heard rumors they had this in mind. We think they set us up for this right from the beginning when they bought us.”

NewPage bought the mill as part of the acquisition of Finnish Stora Enso’s North American assets last December.

Nirschl said the company did not seem receptive to the idea of offering the mill at 433 N. Main St. to another buyer.

Earlier, the company carried out plans to eliminate 110 jobs at the mill, a village fixture, by shutting down the oldest of three paper machines used to make fine papers.

Nirschl said the two remaining machines will be shut down on Aug. 11 and Aug. 25, and employees will be kept on the payroll until Sept. 30.

Fox Politics points out how Congressman Kagen is misrepresenting the situation for political gain along with details not being reported by the MSM. (H/T – Berry Laker)

“The pain felt throughout the Fox Valley tonight will affect all of us. As Niagara goes – and as Kimberly goes – so goes the nation,” Kagen said in a press release. Kagen’s goofy statement aside, the closure of the Kimberly plant has been a foregone conclusion for some time. Kagen is once again using the paper mill workers to aid his reelection prospects this fall by making it appear this shutdown was unexpected.

“I call upon President Bush to immediately consider imposing a tariff on all paper imported from Communist China,” the freshman lawmaker went on. Obviously, the Congressman has not done his homework as it relates to NewPage’s decision to eliminate jobs in Northeast Wisconsin.

…

NewPage is not sending jobs overseas. Like any company hoping to succeed in the marketplace, NewPage is consolidating its operations. The company expects the result of the consolidation will actually create more jobs and increase production; just not for Kagen’s constituents. Many of the jobs lost in Northeast Wisconsin are simply moving next door to U.S. Rep. Dave Obey’s (D-Wausau) district. Obey even announced in January of this year that NewPage had received a $30 million grant from the Bush Administration. If Kagen is worried about paper mills in Northeast Wisconsin, perhaps he should start by picking up the phone to ask the Appropriations Chairman to stop stealing jobs from his district.

The polls show Kagen’s reelection prospects slipping away just three and a half months before voters go the voting booth. The story of NewPage will likely become a fixture for Kagen’s reelection campaign. The problem is that Kagen’s version of events, outlined in his press releases, is a fabrication. NewPage is not sending jobs overseas.

Just more proof why Steve Kagen will likely be a one-term Congressman.

To those born 1930-1979

Ain’t this the truth.  If like me you were born during this time consider yourself lucky. Perhaps the those promoting the nanny-state mentality should take heed.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE

1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank
while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and
didn’t get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in
baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or
cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on
our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster
seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up truck on a warm day was always a
special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one
actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.  We drank Kool-aid
made with real white sugar.  And, we weren’t overweight.  WHY?

Because we were always outside, playing…that’s why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as
we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.  And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and
then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.  After
running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

W e did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s and X-boxes. There were no
video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no
surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computers, no
Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not
live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with
sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we
did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the
door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those
who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was
unheard of.  They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers
problem solvers and inventors problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new
ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we
learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them?

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck
to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so
much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave
and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors,
doesn’t it?