What Price for Clean Energy?

The Clean Energy Act of 2009 does recognize three critical points: we must continue to depend upon nuclear energy; we must develop renewable energy sources; and we must have energy independence. I admit there there are also elements in this act that will create jobs. But energy independence and common sense should not become victims of clean energy.

Nuclear energy is currently the cleanest, most powerful and dependable source of electrical energy. But we have not built a single new reactor in decades. So this is a trend we will have to reverse, and that will require a battle against the Obama administration. This is crucial. We must expand our nuclear energy capability.

In order to be responsible stewards of the planet we must also develop renewable energy sources. Americans have always proven that we innovate and adapt. If this challenge was couched in the same language as Kennedy's race for space, we could expand our renewable energy sources dramatically in the next decade.

However, the third point is the most important. We must be energy independent. At this point, fossil fuels are still absolutely essential. We have a very long way to go before we will have hybrid fighter jets, or hydrogen powered transport aircraft. To think that we can defend our nation without fossil fuels is absurd. So, critical to our national security is energy independence, and currently that means fossil fuels.

Therefore we must drill here and drill now and we must develop more clean coal technologies. We must utilize the oil, natural gas and coal that are found in great abundance right here at home.

Yes, the clean energy act is a good idea. But it is not yet time to turn away from fossil fuels. It would be foolhardy to do this before we truly can sustain - and defend - our nation with nuclear and renewable energy resources alone.

Could Hasan Get Away with Murder?

Political correctness has taken yet another turn for the bizarre as the dramatic tragedy at Ft. Hood continues to unfold. There has been great debate as to whether or not these murders could have been prevented if not for political correctness. Some of my favorite journalists have weighed in on the subject: Charles Krauthammer, Ann Coulter, and even one of my favorite action heroes, Chuck Norris. And I agree with each and every one of them. We have become so politically correct, and so afraid of speaking the truth for fear of insulting someone, or some group, that our security is at risk. I believe that our most recent American terrorist (alleged), Hasan, sent up enough red flags to have forewarned his neighbors, patients, fellow doctors and fellow officers to have smoked him out long, long ago. This tragedy truly could have been, and should have been, prevented.

Even worse, because post incident, politicians and prosecutors are afraid to call this terror attack a terror attack and hence, call a terrorist a terrorist, Hasan may actually get away with murder. If Major Hasan (I truly abhor even using the United States Army rank in his title) were called a terrorist, he would be tried as an enemy combatant and, if found guilty, chances are he would receive the appropriate sentence. However, it is clear that his criminal defense lawyers may use an insanity defense. Headlines, even in the Wall Street Journal, have already called him psychotic. And if he is deemed mentally ill, due to harassment and PTSD (PRE Traumatic Stress Syndrome) we may even see a not guilty verdict. With the trial in criminal court, it is a crap shoot. One thing is certain. He will not be convicted of terrorism. But as we all watch this fiasco, this miscarriage of justice, let's all be open minded and wait until all the evidence is in. Then let us all decide whether, based upon the evidence, he receives the appropriate sentence from criminal proceedings, and weigh the verdict and sentence against what may have been the result of a military tribunal for crimes of high terror. Perhaps the evidence in a criminal trial will exonerate him completely. You never can tell with eye witnesses.

Here's A Surprise

Bank of New York Mellon Corporation CEO Robert Kelly has reportedly declined an offer to become the next CEO of Bank of America when current CEO Ken Lewis retires. What a surprise! Imagine that! Two years ago, the CEO position at Bank of America was probably one of the most coveted in the industry. But now, who in their right mind would want the job? Since Bank of America was compelled to accept TARP funds it did not need, and then was strong-armed to complete a deal to purchase failing Merrill Lynch, it's stock price has plummeted as has it's reputation! Though analysts still believe in the strength of the institution, the board will be hard pressed to find a replacement for Lewis, who is expected to retire at years end.

Why? I could exhaust pages documenting how U.S. government regulation and policies meddling in the market makes this position undesirable. I could speak of how the close scrutiny of any actions by the banking industry's major players makes deal-making nearly impossible. But that is not my point.

The point is that Ken Lewis, who has built the strongest, most diversified financial institution in the nation, has been vilified by the government and the press. But the actions taken to punish Lewis have far greater implications. This is the first sign of what has been argued will be the negative consequences of government interference. The top talent in the banking industry, or any industry, will steer clear of any position in any institution beholden -whether by force or choice - to the Obama administration. The administration will keep pay from being competitive, keep decision makers under a microscope, and prevent them from making decisions that are good for the business because success and profit are considered evils by those in political power. This is how insidious socialism is. Those with political power will succeed in stifling competition in many ways. This is only the beginning.

"Technologies that aren't proven and cost effective"

I have not been here for a while. Frankly, the whole political process leading up to the election burned me out. I have been watching with dismay as President Obama has begun his assault on all that is good and right in America. But I was not motivated to write until I read the "Morning Bell" from the Heritage Foundation this morning. The subject was Defense spending. The position the president has taken is so ridiculous I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I read about it.

President Obama seems to agree with Barney Frank - one of the architects of the meltdown in the housing market - that one of the greatest threats to fiscal recovery is massive Defense spending! What a hoot! Defense spending over the last number of years has been less than four percent - yes, that's 4% - of our GDP! I wish someone could tell me how spending four percent of the GDP on anything could ruin our hope of recovery. When you consider that Defense spending also drives the economy forward as products are researched, developed, built and fielded, this statement becomes even more comical.

But the statement that gave me the full belly laugh was the assertion of our president himself regarding new and unproven defense technologies! Our esteemed leader stated that we should "invest in technologies that are proven and cost-effective...If a system is not ready to be developed, we should not pour resources into it"! How does our president, who has never served in the military, think that we maintain the premier fighting forces of the world? Does he think that we wait for China, Russia or Japan develop a technology before we are willing to employ it? How can we keep a step ahead of our enemies if we do not explore the newest technologies? But even this is not what got me rolling around on the floor!

The thing that got me laughing so hard I could hardly breathe was thinking about the billions of dollars Mr. Obama wants us to invest in unproven "green" energy technologies! Billions have been spent on these technologies since the term "green" was invented, and the only thing proven about these technologies is that they are nowhere near ready to power our nation. All of the green technologies combined cannot produce even 10% of the power our fuel hungry nation craves!

The president also stated that we should "reform our defense budget so that we're not paying for Cold-War-era systems...". He has obviously taken this approach to the energy world as well with his cap and trade idiocy for the coal industry. He clearly stated during the campaign that any company that wanted to continue to develop coal burning plants would be bankrupted by his plan. This while we sit on coal reserves that surpass all the oil in Saudi Arabia! While coal certainly is not the cleanest energy source in the world, neither is oil. If we bankrupt the coal industry we will never develop the technologies necessary to burn coal more cleanly, and our vast energy reserves, buried under North America in the form of coal, will be wasted.

Our president is clearly showing his lack of understanding of these issues. In between trips on Air Force One he is simply throwing radical left-wing liberal mud on the wall to see what sticks. And in the process he is ruining the greatest nation that has ever existed on this planet!

Dear Mrs. Obama

Congratulations are in order. After two years, and what must have seemed much longer to you, your husband has been elected as the forty-fourth President of the United States. It is an accomplishment to be proud of and an accomplishment that must be celebrated as an historical landmark for the United States of America. Only time will tell whether or not America has chosen wisely. Regardless of how history will eventually look back on his presidency, we know his place in history is secured.

I hope that this journey has been enlightening for you as well. I must confess that I have not read transcripts of your speeches and interviews in detail, and I have formed most of my opinions of you from the sound bites provided by the media. But I do not have a decidedly negative or positive impression of you at all. I would, however, like to take a few moments to reflect on the impressions I have formed.

First, I do not doubt that you are a highly intelligent and accomplished woman. You are to be commended for what you have been able to accomplish. I understand that you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth, and in fact, had a very challenging childhood. Your accomplishments are to be celebrated all the more because of this. And the fact that you were able to accomplish so much in such a "mean country" says a lot about you as well. Or does it say a lot about your misunderstanding of our nation?

Nowhere else in the world could you and your husband have achieved so much, particularly from such humble beginnings. This "mean country" has provided the opportunity for two African-Americans, one the son of a first generation immigrant, to rise to power in your fields of choice. Through hard work and individual enterprise both of you have been able to aspire and succeed with dreams that in any other country in the world would be absolutely unattainable.

But you are not alone in achieving such success in such a "mean country". Countless immigrants have come from countries around the world and by grit and determination risen to become business owners, corporate leaders, even millionaires. Only in the United States of America. Vietnamese immigrants, in spite of the ill feelings of the Vietnam war have succeeded. Chinese immigrants have found success even while we worry over all of the manufacturing jobs that have moved overseas. Indians have come to America armed only with a foreign education and become leaders in technical fields from engineering to medicine. And all of these immigrants achieved this in a country that did not speak their primary language.

So what is so mean about this country, where immigrants and citizens born at the bottom of our society alike can succeed in even their wildest dreams? I submit that there is really nothing mean about this country. Yes, there are mean people. But this country is far from mean! We celebrate the diversity of our country and the fact that anybody can succeed.

But just as you have succeeded, so have others succeeded - by hard work, determination, enterprise, and yes, a little luck. I believe your comments about our country were formed out of ignorance. I believe your comments were spoken out of naïveté. I believe you are a product of your environment. The Chicago area where you grew up, and certainly the church you have attended for the last twenty years, have promoted a feeling of resentment towards the white establishment - the "mean country" that prevents minorities of all kinds from attaining success. But even as you sat in the pews listening the the rantings of a Black Liberation Theologist, you were disproving his very assertions. Your own personal success disproves his theories. The theology that he professed is what is preventing African-Americans from succeeding. If African-Americans buy into his rhetoric they will continue to seek restoration of something that was not lost. We cannot rewrite the history books and erase the dark period of slavery from our past. But you were not a slave and I was not a slave owner. Neither can we erase the bigotry that existed on a large scale in the past. For many decades now bigotry has been a much more personal choice, and both sides are guilty of it. For example, I was truly insulted by the mean and racist words of some African-American ministers who called me a racist because I voted for John McCain, as if race was the only issue of note in this election. But we must leave our differences in the past. If African-Americans buy into the rhetoric of Reverend Wright, they will continue to expect a hand out. They will continue to scrape by with their entitlement mentality. It is not this "mean country" that is keeping them from succeeding. It is the idea that this "mean country" is keeping them from success. You did not buy into it and fought for your success. But even in your success you espouse the beliefs that you refuted - that this is a "mean country".

Now that your husband will have the opportunity to facilitate change, what kind of change will he make? Will he inspire others to dream. work hard, get a good education, and persevere, as you both did? Or will he propagate the sentiment that this is a "mean country" and that they need a handout - that they are entitled to something. This will only breed failure. Instead of empowering people of all backgrounds to put their nose to the grindstone and believe in themselves, this strategy will only make them dependent on a government that cannot, and was never intended to, take care of them. It will doom them to a life of mediocrity when the whole world lies at their feet if only they believe they can achieve. And the entire nation will suffer for their failure. For we only succeed together.

Mrs. Obama, as you become more worldly, and get to know the America outside of the confines of Chicago and the Trinity United Church of Christ, I am convinced you will find a country that is much warmer and friendlier than you have dared to dream actually exists. I am certain that over time, if you have an open mind and an open heart, you will recognize the goodness of this country. And I pray that you and your husband inspire Americans to succeed as you have. Both of you have great stories of what can be accomplished - but only in America! Celebrate your stories and lead others to dream that they too can accomplish great things!

Counting the Cost

As Barak Obama sails into the White House propelled by his "righteous wind" the rest of America can finally sit back, catch our collective breath, and contemplate what we have done. I must give credit to all of the candidates and their staff for the commitment and endurance they displayed to complete a campaign that in some cases lasted two years. I have been fully focused on the election for less than a year, and for all but the last three months from the comfort of my own home. And I am exhausted.

As with anything worth doing, what the American people have accomplished comes with a cost. Anybody following the press today must agree that what we have done certainly was worth doing! A country with a legacy of slave ownership and a long history of civil rights strife has elected an African-American to the most powerful office in the land - arguably the most powerful office in the world. This truly is of note. We can feel very good about this noble accomplishment. It certainly was a long time coming. I believe it was long overdue. But I cannot say I am proud of the American people for this accomplishment because I believe the cost was too great. While I heartily applaud the election of an African-American to the Presidency, I believe we have selected the wrong African-American. Again, because the cost is too great.

There are many other issues over which we can debate. We can debate the economy, the Iraq War, taxes, gun control, and many, many other issues. However, since the American people, flushed with the excitement of this historical moment, seem to believe there is one overwhelming issue over which to rejoice - the selection of an African-American - I choose to count the cost based on a single issue. What we have paid for this historical accomplishment is our moral and ethical fiber. We have sold out to the radical left wing on the most fundamental issue - life. Barak Obama promised that the first thing he would do as president of the United States is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. This single action would negate all state-level pro-life legislation.

Barak Obama believes a woman has a right to abort her fetus based on the sex of the child. Eighty-two percent of all Americans, and 87.5 percent of American women oppose legislation that would provide this choice. Barak Obama does not believe a physician should be required to notify the parents of an underage female seeking an abortion. Seventy-seven percent of all Americans and 73.5 percent of American women disagree. While fifty-five percent of all Americans believe that life begins at conception and twenty-three percent believe it begins when the child can survive outside the mother's womb, Barak Obama is not sure. And while fifty-one percent of all Americans and 55.5 percent of American women believe that abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter, Barak Obama does not. Surveys have shown that in general, most Americans believe that moral concerns should be more important in their daily lives than material concerns. Once again, Barak Obama disagrees.

It is clear that America does not agree with Barak Obama on this fundamental issue. Though surveys show the American people believe morals are more important than material things, they plainly did not demonstrate that with their vote. No, the voting public clearly elevated other issues in this election above moral issues. Yes, we have righted a wrong that has cursed our nation since its birth. We have taken one huge step for racial equality. This is noble indeed. However we have paid a cost that I believe is far too dear. We have sacrificed our unborn children on the altar of Civil Rights.

Will We Choose To Abandon Our Founding Fathers' Principles?

During the 1960's, President Eisenhower ordered Ezra T. Benson, Secretary of Agriculture, to give Nikita Kruschev, the leader of the Soviet Union, a tour of some of our Agricultural facilities. During the tour Kruschev made the extremely bold statement that communism would eventually "consume democracy" in the United States. Naturally, Secretary Benson rebuked this absurd assertion. Mr. Kruschev insisted, and in fact declared that it had already begun. He said that it would be a slow process and that our government would begin to employ communist and socialist programs gradually. He further suggested it would be so gradual the average American would not even recognize it was happening. One of the leading indicators of a socialist government is a massive federal government. Another tenet of socialism is the redistribution of wealth. Sound familiar? Sadly, we witnessed movement in this direction during the Democrat Clinton administration. Even more disconcerting, it has accelerated during the "conservative" Republican Bush administration.

This evening we stand on the brink. An Obama presidency would certainly fulfill the prophecy of Nikita Kruschev. Some may say this statement is an exaggerated, paranoid Republican diatribe. However, it is the words of Obama himself that offer all the evidence we need to know that under his administration the America our Founding Fathers envisioned will cease to exist. Obama has clearly stated that he believes the principles upon which our country was founded should be overturned. In 2001 he said "As radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical. It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution". The Warren Court was recognized as the high point in the use of judicial power for social change. I call this legislating from the bench. The Justices are supposed to render their opinions based upon strict interpretation of the rule of law, as defined in the Constitution, not influence opinions based on their personal social affinity. I believe suggesting that we should "break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers" is treason in no uncertain terms. Yet tomorrow millions of Americans will go to the polls and vote for a man who is determined to undermine all that makes America free.

Are you afraid? You should be. Because today, we are The Land of the Free. Tomorrow may be quite another story. Regardless of who wins tomorrow I, for one, will be glad to see the election season end. It has been a distraction from the intended purpose of this blog - to examine the blessings and curses of the principles upon which our great nation was founded and has thrived for centuries - principles which may be soon be overturned before our very eyes.