Rational Nation USA

by: Le Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatsm Liberty -vs- Tyranny Obama taking class warfare to the next level. Human Events Before my colleagues in the White House Press Corps and I were escorted to the East Room for President Obama's news conference today, our conversation focused almost exclusively on just what he might say that was newsworthy at his first solo session with reporters in three months. Would Obama put something on the table he could negotiate with House Republicans over in return for their vote to lift the debt ceiling in August? Would he address the stormy situation in Greece and the possibility that Athens would default on its International Monetary Fund bailout package (which U.S. tax dollars helped underwrite)? Or would he take the opportunity to change his position and support gay marriage, as was widely rumored this morning? The President did insist his support of action in Libya did not violate the War Powers Reso

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny From the inbox at Rational Nation USA . Via a regular reader of RN USA . A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am." The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude. She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican. "I am," replied the man. "How did you know?" "Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still l

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Once again the United Nations is proving itself irrelevant and useless. At the very least the body has proved yet once again, by naming North Korea chair of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament that  it is a total joke. The Weekly Standard On Tuesday, the United Nations again made itself an international laughing stock – except perhaps to the American taxpayers who continue to foot 22 percent of the bill – by appointing North Korea chair of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament. That would be the same North Korea that, according to an article this week by Senator John Kerry, head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has “twice tested nuclear weapons…is developing missiles to carry them…has built facilities capable of producing highly enriched uranium for more nuclear weapons” and has defied a U.N. arms embargo by exporting weapons and sensitive technologies to rogue regimes. Al

by; Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tryanny I can't figure out if Obama really takes his job as the President of the United States seriously or whether he thinks being the Top Dem Comedian is the most urgent of his priorities. Maybe he thinks presenting the image of the "cool" President who steadfastly fuels class warfare and then gallantly fights the good fight on behalf of the downtrodden will save his political neck... Thus returning him to Washington for another disastrous 4 year stint as CEO of the ever growing Leviathan. The following snippet from NationalJounal sums it up. If President Obama's news conference accomplished anything on Wednesday afternoon, it underscored, in striking tones, his strategy for winning the debt ceiling fight with Republicans: Make it a clash of classes. Rich versus Poor. Us versus Them. Those who support children, food safety, medical research and, presumably, pupp

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Politico - Former President Bill Clinton said he likes the economic stimulus - it just wasn’t big enough. “I think the stimulus did as well as it could have done — there just wasn’t enough of it,” Clinton told reporters on Tuesday. President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus bill, signed into law in 2009, has since being a rallying point of contention for Republicans and conservative tea party activists. Clinton has made his support for the stimulus package clear in the past, telling Fox News in 2009: “I think the stimulus package is well conceived. A lot of it puts money in people’s hands, with the unemployment benefits and the food stamps and the tax cuts. A lot of it keeps the states and local governments from laying off a million more people or having big tax increases with the aid to education and health. And then I think the energy and the infrastructure investments will cr

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Consevatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Been on vacation in VT. with our 2 year and 8 month old grandson. Not only has it been a shear pleasure and joy it as also confirmed {at least in my mind} that children, even very small ones are more intelligent than their elders. They are more intelligent because they are more acutely aware of their surroundings and a whole lot more inquisitive. By this Grandma and Grandpa mean honest inquisitiveness, without the preselected BS that most of the adult population have allowed themselves to be saddled with. This post is not intended to be political so please don't respond as if it were. It is intended to point out the innocence, inquisitiveness, open mindedness, open acceptance, non judgmental, and naturally accepting nature of our youth. And I guess to brag a bit about our grandson Travis as well. As Grandma and I enjoyed all of the above mentioned attributes in Travis we co

By: Pamela D. Hart While perusing the blogosphere I came across a comment that read, “The truly sad thing is there are two reasons kids join the military: The first and likely most prominent is to escape poverty and horrendous living conditions at home, second, to satisfy some misguided sense of duty/patriotism that's handed down from one generation to the next.” Now, I haven’t been one to write a blog post about another blogger’s comment, but today I’m compelled to make an exception. Please keep in mind that it does NOT matter WHO wrote this comment so I will NOT divulge that information and I will NOT permit anyone who is familiar with it to inflict any negative or inflammatory rhetoric against this person in the comment section. I’m steadfast in our right to speak freely and believe we can all disagree with dignity thus, I wholeheartedly, but politely have to disagree with these statements and I’ll tell you why. As many of you know MY oldest son joined the Army last July , cons

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatisim Liberty -vs- Tyranny Sent via e-mail to the inbox at Rational Nation by barbles . Definitely worth the viewing! The Obama Legacy Cross posted to the Left Coast Rebel

by:   Les Carpenter Rational Nation   USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty   -vs-   Tyranny A person's right to their life is fundamental. The right to their property constitutes the secondary  upon which all  other rights flow. Specifically the right of every individual   to retain control and use of their property as they see fit. Properly understood, property rights stand in direct opposition to the premise held by statists that the   State   has the ultimate right   to arbitrarily confiscate an individual's property and redistribute its worth as the state sees fit. This discussion has, in one form or the other, dominated philosophical and political debate going back to the   Age of Reason   and   The Enlightenment .   The Enlightenment   and the   Age of Reason   were profoundly influenced by  Aristotelian logic . Enlightened thinkers begin applying logic to the notion of  " natural rights ." During this era in history, and every since the ba

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny New York State, the sixth to join the list of states where same sex unions are now legal did so via legislation as opposed to judicial fiat. This, above all else, is to be cheered. Those who regularly read Rational Nation USA are aware of my position with respect to same sex unions . Though I believe the concept of marriage should remain as the millennium old definition so do I believe same sex unions should be afforded the same rights and recognition as heterosexual unions. From the New York Times ALBANY — Lawmakers voted late Friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples will be able to wed and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born. The marriage bill, whose fate was uncertain until moments before the vote, was approved 33 to 29 in a packed but hushed Senate chamber. Four

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Peter Falk, best known for his role as detective Columbo died in his Beverly Hills home today. Falk was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2007. Peter Falk, the Emmy-winning stage, screen and TV actor, best known to world audiences as the always-underestimated police detective in the long-running telepic series "Columbo," died Thursday at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 83. It was announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease in December 2007. Falk won five Emmys, four for portraying Columbo, and was twice Oscar nommed for supporting roles. Actor-director John Cassavetes referred to him as the man "everybody falls in love with." Falk had several starring roles in films directed by Cassavetes, found success onstage in the early '70s with Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," and drew two Oscar nominations ea

Michael Ramirez-Creators Syndicate by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- T yranny From RIGHTNET DAILY By Robert Romano – The Obama Administration must be laboring under the delusion that the $14.3 trillion debt can somehow be paid for with tax increases. It cannot. And it would a foolish gambit to try. That is why House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl are to be commended for walking out of the Biden-led White House debt ceiling talks. “As it stands, the Democrats continue to insist that any deal must include tax increases,” said Cantor on the matter. “There is not support in the House for a tax increase, and I don’t believe now is the time to raise taxes in light of our current economic situation. Regardless of the progress that has been made, the tax issue must be resolved before discussions can continue.” Lest there was any confusion at the White House, House Speaker John Boehner remin

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny It is interesting. I mean, just how the trappings of power seem to influence and change a person. h/t: THE BLAZE Hillary Clinton in 2003 . I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you’re not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration. Hillary Clinton in 2011 . But the bottom line is, whose side are you on? Are you on Qadhafi’s side or are you on the side of the aspirations of the Libyan people and the international coalition that has been created to support them? For the Obama Administration, the answer to that question is very easy. There is a name for this sort of thing. More from The Other McCain . Via: Memeorandum

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny One of the benefits {and greatest things} of being an independent conservative is that when a rational thinking democrat is right on an issue you have no compunction in siding with them. Unlike the progressives {with respect to conservative thought} who never stray from the confines of their narrow and tightly confined thought process and ideology. The Hill A House Democrat warned Friday that the U.S. president is becoming an "absolute monarch" on matters related to the authority to start a war. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said Congress must act to limit funding for military operations in Libya in order to correct that trend. "We have been sliding for 70 years to a situation where Congress has nothing to do with the decision about whether to go to war or not, and the president is becoming an absolute monarch," Nadler said on the floor. "And we must

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny On the heels of Obama's announcement yesterday of American troop draw down and eventual exit from Afghanistan, {and I As I prepare for a vacation break with my grandson and grandma} I leave this for your consideration. Perhaps a few will consider the content and revisit our founding charter, the Constitution of the United States of America. It is long past due.

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny As I sat pondering the primary reasons for the abject failure of progressivism it finally occurred to me. Progressivism, and its natural end collectivism, fail because it always results in society finding its lowest common denominator. Progressives, socialists, leftist democrats, or any other variant of the altruistic mentality will of course disagree. Which is quite to be expected. And it is quite alright. After all each must find that which trips their trigger. Having said the above...  some thought provoking points from the Ludwig von Mises Institute . While Franklin Delano Roosevelt narrowly missed being Time Magazine’s "Man of the Century," there is no doubt that the man who prolonged the Great Depression and helped lay the groundwork for World War II looms large in the consciousness of statist journalists and historians. Although FDR’s role in the Second World W

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny As our President keeps on a smiling... The Examiner reports. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds that President Obama’s economic stimulus program helped nearly double U.S. debt. The 2011 Long-Term Budget Outlook, released Wednesday morning, reports that the “the combination of automatic budgetary responses” and Obama’s stimulus “had a profound impact on the federal budget.” According to CBO projections, before Obama’s stimulus became law, federal debt equaled 36 percent of GDP and was projected to decline slightly over the next few years. Instead, thanks in large part to the stimulus, debt reached 62 percent of GDP by 2010. Other lowlights from the report include: Debt will reach 70 percent of GDP by the end of this year – the highest percentage since World War II. Spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will reach 15 percent of GDP by

John Boehner's spokesman says GOP looks to defund the conflict in a responsible way. | AP Photo by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Breaking News. From Politico House Republicans are planning to vote on a bill that would prohibit funding of the American mission in Libya, a shift from previous plans to consider a weaker rebuke of President Barack Obama’s military intervention in the north African country. The new measure, likely to be considered Friday, would “restrict funds for the remainder of the fiscal year, but in a responsible way,” said Michael Steel, a spokesman for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). The change is a response to a desire among House Republicans to vote on a stronger version of a resolution Boehner had prepared Tuesday night that many experts believe would be found unconstitutional in the unlikely event that both chambers approved of it. The House will also take up, as

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent conservatism Liberty - vs- Tyranny The "cut, cap, and balance" concept gaining popularity in congress sounds an awful lot like what Rational Nation USA , as well as many others have been saying for a long time. The reality is it is now a necessity we take responsible action to curb spending, cap government growth,and balance the budget. The time is certainly upon us when politicians on both sides of the aisle start putting the future of the nation ahead of their own political aspirations and economics. Video h/t NETRIGHT DAILY . NETRIGHT DAILY has much more in an article entitled "Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge the Only Way." The article offers commonsense insight into the very real dangers increasing our 14.3 trillion dollar debt ceiling presents. Article from NETRIGHT. By Robert Romano – “The only way Republicans’ leverage on the debt ceiling will work is if they’re willing to not increas

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty - vs- Tyranny Before I begin I will admit to being a skeptic. Huntsmen has just today added his name to the long list of republican hopefuls to become the next president of the United States. The ultimate progressive senator of Nevada, Harry Reid, has just weighed in. I find the commentary interesting as well as instructional. Perhaps it is politics in full display. From The Hill Even though he won't be able to cast a vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) picked his favorite Mormon candidate in the GOP presidential field on Tuesday: Jon Huntsman. Reid, a Mormon, was asked if the country is ready for a president of his faith because there are two in the Republican primary race. Huntsman, the former U.S. ambassador to China faces Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. "Certainly they're not ready for the former governor of Massachusetts. Which says in tha

Patrick Prather, AFP/Getty Images by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Aside from being absolutely gorgeous, as well as sexy, Miss USA 2011 is an intelligent young women we can and should be proud of. Excerpts from USA TODAY: Score one for Charles Darwin. The newly crowned Miss USA, Alyssa Campanella, 21, of Los Angeles, who calls herself "a huge science geek," says evolution should be taught in public schools. No, it didn't happen on air in a replay of the Carrie-Prejean-Perez-Hilton showdown over a gay marriage question two years ago. Evolution was among the preliminary questions, not the televised finale. Before her victory night, Miss California earned her way into the semifinals in preliminary judging including interviews in which she was one of only two among 51 contestants to unequivocally support teaching evolution. Given the early Fox News alert that the contestants were rattled by

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny From the Atlantic A few months ago, an attorney for Sarah and Bristol Palin put in an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark their names. (One of many things that suggests that profit, and not the presidency, is what's motivating Palin.) For Sarah Palin, the intent was a little less clear cut than it was for her daughter, as this article in Politics Daily made clear: For Sarah Palin's application, there are two classes of commercial service for which her name would be a registered trademark. One is for "information about political elections" and "providing a website featuring information about political issues." The second is for "educational and entertainment services ... providing motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values." The "Bristol Palin"

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -vs- Tyranny Senator John McCain, the respected Vietnam War Veteran that he is, has spoke without presenting substantiated proof for his claims Arizona's wildfires were set in part by illegal aliens. Rational Nation USA has been a strong advocate for enforcing border security and a critic of Obama's laxity of the same. However, for Senator McCain to make accusations without presenting any substantial proof is, well, just plain foolish. He should know it plays right into the hands of the pogressives . Excerpt from CNN U.S. Sen. John McCain is blaming illegal immigrants for starting some of the wildfires that have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in Arizona. "There is substantial evidence that some of these fires have been caused by people who have crossed our border illegally," McCain, R-Arizona, said Saturday at a press conference. "The answer to that part o

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservastism Liberty -vs- Tyranny As our own nation drifts toward greater government control and regulation over the economy and means of production Russian President Medvedev gets it. Power Line Blog Russia's President, Dmitri Medvedev, addressed the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum yesterday. He pledged a new course for Russia: Medvedev acknowledged that the government's expansion in managing the economy and the centralization of authority in the Kremlin under Putin was necessary in an earlier period of the country's post-Soviet development. But, he said, "this economic mode is dangerous for the country's future." "The proposition that the government is always right is manifested either in corruption or benefits to 'preferred' companies," he said. "My choice is different. The Russian economy ought to be dominated by private businesses an