In the history of mankind, many republics have risen, have flourished for a less or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens lost the power of governing themselves and thereby of governing their state. TR

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White House Dossier

Open Thread || December 27, 2013

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  2. Trump Schedule|| Tuesday, December 10, 2019

78 thoughts on “Open Thread || December 27, 2013”

  1. Lee

    I just read on http://www.foxnews.com: Lawmakers & Veterans groups are stepping up efforts to fight cuts to benefits for military retirees under the bypartisan budget agreement passed by Congress before the Holiday Break.
    I think they should have cut money out of their salary as well. For that matter make cuts from their retirement benefits.

      1. Lee

        I think they should pass bills less than 500 pages at a time.
        As well I think they should be told to write book reports (Bill Reports). We had to do book reports in school, to make sure we read and that we comprehend the context. I am tired of them trying to squeeze in everything they can in the bills.
        If I were in their position, I would contantly think of not only the wefare of the Country, but the future of my kids, relatives & friends, etc.

        1. Julie Brueckheimer

          I agree. These ‘comprehensive’ bills have got to go. They are destroying our country when you come to it. So many laws being passed without our knowing it.

      1. srdem65

        Thanks for the link. He’s right, and has every right to be outraged that the pension he secured with his body and soul would be fiddled with by DC elites who only looked at numbers and not the people that would be impacted.

        Some of us could say the same about the massive cuts to Medicare. As taxpayers, we contributed all our working lives to the Medicare coffers only to find out that the DC elites considered that money to be nothing more than a piggy-bank for their special project – Obamacare.
        Now, doctors who cared for the disabled and elderly are turning them away because of Medicare cuts, and those of us who depend on Medicare find that our benefits are cut, too.

        I don’t belittle the veteran’s complaint at all, but would just like to point out that many of us are victims of a clueless, heartless ruling class in DC.

        1. Susan

          Point well taken, srdem. I’m reminded of Pastor Martin Niemoller’s words “First they came…”. Well, eventually they will be coming for US all, so we must take a stand and stop the march toward totalitarianism while we still have a chance.

  2. PBB

    Keith,

    Thanks for a great year of honesty in reporting! Our country will need even more of it in the next 11 months before 2014 elections.

    Rest up golfing in Hawaii with the Presdent! LOL

  3. srdem65

    Silly me, I clicked on a story about CNN’s Anderson Cooper and a word I won’t write here. As if the story he related on CNN wasn’t crude and disgusting enough, CNN didn’t see any reason to censor it.

    1. Susan

      Well, he was interviewing Preezy’s homosexual rights czar, so not surprised where the conversation went. Think it’s good CNN didn’t censor him, but they probably wouldn’t be so amenable to Phil Robertson’s point of view. At least we get some insight into how Anderson Cooper turned out the way he did ;-)

      2. srdem65

        Sorry, I disagree. CNN should have censored his comments and never allowed them to air.
        There has to be some standard, some bridge that can’t be crossed, something in place that prevents conversations like that to air on a cable channel that is broadcast into public places like airports, bus stations, and restaurants to prevent offending innocent viewers and their children.
        Who among us would want to explain to our 10 yr old what Cooper was talking about if they asked?

        No US cable channel, other than the XXX pay per view ones, can even accidentally show a female’s nipples on air without being censored and fined by a government watchdog agency.

        2. Susan

          All you say is true, but who will be the arbiters of what is acceptable language and what is not? In my opinion, it should be the viewer who decides; not some bureaucratic board of elitists who see themselves as the morality police. If the public is offended by Mr. Cooper’s words, they can always voice their displeasure to the business proprietor, and ask them to change the TV channel.

          2. Julie Brueckheimer

            Our country is a weird compound of totalitarianism and decadence. On the one hand we have political censorship and on the other anything goes in sexual matters. Historically, the totalitarian regimes have been at least outwardly prudish: Russia, China, the Muslim theocracies and so on. In Germany a totalitarian regime came to power partly in response to the decadence of the Weimar Republic. The only historical resemblance I can see we have is probably the late Roman Empire.

    1. srdem65

      Well, yes. There could have been a crazed racist tea-party type lurking along the hiking trail who meant to harm the Os.
      The huge motorcade is to prevent elderly crazed racist tea-party types from losing control of their vehicle and causing harm to the O or slowing his rush to the golf course.

      Serious now. How much fun could it be to go hiking or golfing or whatevering when you’re surrounded by security guys who tell you when you can go and when you must stop.
      Who wants to go swimming or build sand castles when some guys are watching every move you make with their binoculars?

      I’m assuming they would have more freedom of movement at Camp David because of it’s secure environment.

  5. Julie Brueckheimer

    I have never watched Duck Dynasty, nor have I ever used Twitter. Therefore I have a question about the hundreds of thousands tweets supporting Phil Robertson were kept from being printed. Was this a violation of the First Amendment, or is Twitter considered in the private sphere and able to do whatever it wants?

      1. srdem65

        My theory on misplaced commas, missing or misspelled words has evolved to; if it makes sense, then it’s OK.
        Without an “edit” clickon, I’d be doomed to forever fixing what my fingers wrote before my brain was engaged.

    2. srdem65

      It’s a privately held company and assumedly has the right to censor anything that appears on their site. Newsmedia, print or digital does the same. MrK uses a censor mode if someone crosses a certain line in their comments.

      Our only right to free speech is either when no one is listening, or standing outdoors in front of a random crowd.
      I guess.
      Or if you form your own media, newsletter, radio show, etc.

    5. Susan

      I love “Duck Dyansty” and watched every episode with my husband. It’s one of only a few TV shows we watch. Which reminds me, the new season of “Justified” starts January 7th! Since the flap, we have blocked the Atheist & Elitist channel on every one of our satellite receivers and have no intention of unblocking them until they apologize to Phil Robertson. I have a Twitter account but rarely post. The leftists are particularly nasty on Twitter, so always feel like I need a bath after reading some of their bilge. Twitter is just as bad as Facebook with their censoring of conservatives, but it’s their bailiwick, so we just have to live with it or create our own forum.

    6. Star

      I thought that scruffy looking guy speculating about what females (I am one) have to offer below the Mason-Dixon line was yuck to the max. I had watched a few mins sometime and could not see the appeal–and the comments as they read on paper seemed pretty sanctimonious. Is this over yet–or about over? Again, diff strokes for diff folks. I never missed Bill the Exterminator on A&E but now heard he was nailed on misdemeanor MJ charges. Is there nothing left?

      2. AFVet

        I couldn’t see the appeal of women wearing vagina suits either.
        At what point do we put a stop to free speech Star ?
        A duck hunter with a popular TV show that quotes the Bible, or some radical feminists that promote abortion.

      3. Julie Brueckheimer

        Everyone–or almost everyone–has a line not to be crossed. Mine is if children are involved or if children are exposed (no pun intended) to something they are not mature enough to deal with.

  6. Mandy Manners

    SNIP

    The administration is seeking a complete or partial IDF withdrawal from the Jordan Valley, where the border between Israel and Jordan lies at the eastern edge of Judea and Samaria, also called the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority has long sought control of the valley. However, Israel and Jordan are opposed to an IDF withdrawal, which they fear would enable the transit of terrorists and arms through Jordan into the West Bank.

    SNIP

    After a prominent retired Israeli general spoke out against IDF withdrawal from the Jordan Valley, Israeli media reported that the Obama administration’s head envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Martin Indyk, convened a meeting of Israeli security officials. He pressured them to drop their objections to the plan and make media appearances in support of it to help sell a skeptical Israeli public on the benefits of a reduction in security.

    SNIP

    http://freebeacon.com/obama-admin-to-idf-generals-stop-being-so-concerned-about-israels-security/

    1. AFVet

      If I were you, I would be very cautious on posting that type of comment on this site.
      We are Patriots.
      The one that you need to watch out for is the one called Star.

        1. Star

          He is referring, I think, to some gal (?) named Mary who clumped over to this site on Fri and started insulting us. I gather I am the enforcer… I think Keith zapped her off though.

      1. gracepmc.

        Mandy @ 12/28/ — 12:04 am, With this Administration and all the problems we and our old allies have with the lack of US presence in the world it’s not easy to keep up or sometimes determine priority,

        Obama has abandoned Israel and is using them to his ends. But he has also abandoned Christians world wide and those fighting for freedom and human rights everywhere.

        The lack of comments does not necessarily reflect lack of concern or outrage. We are in a huge mess.

    3. srdem65

      Oh, to be young and so sure of what is right.
      To never question what you believe, to never look at both sides of anything, is the mark of the young and innocent.

  8. AFVet

    Sarah needs to go to the senate.
    Cruz, I like.
    Scott Walker as VP I like. Gov., beat the unions.
    Mike Lee I like, maybe as majority leader in the senate.
    I admire Sarah Palin and her conservative philosophies however, her running for P or VP will derail the effort that we need to accomplish to take our country back from the progressive agenda that has now taking the insurance companies over due to regulations, and our schools due to common core due to what essentially amounts to bribes to the state governments.

    A totalitarian government wantabe is what we have now.
    It is up to us to stop it.

  9. gracepmc.

    Obama is late for everything. Increasingly it looks like he is going to be late in reporting for duty in protecting the US from Iran’s nuclear weapons capability.

    You have to ask yourself if Obama or Kerry knows what a centrifuge is.

    1. gracepmc.

      4 American military in Libya released. Should never have been held in the first place. Obama probably traded a terrorist or spy like he did with the Iranian scienti

  13. Lee

    A&E caves Phil Robertson back in.
    I am proud of the comment of LA. Governer Bobby Jindal:
    “I am glad to hear that the folks at A&E came to their senses & reconized that the tolorence of religous views is more important than political correctness. “Today is a good day for the freedoms of speech & religious liberty”

  14. Lee

    Did anyone see the TST (Time Saving Toss)?
    On Fox man threw delivery box to the porch, instead of placing it.

    Speaking of Postman. I do not bake sweet dishes.
    I have had the same Postman for over 13 years. I saw him in the store parking lot the day after Christmas. I got out and grabbed a couple of store bought treats I had bought for my teenage son. I gave him the treats. Yes I wll figure out a better gift for a very nice, devoted postman,
    for the next Christmas.

    1. Star

      My mailman is the greatest. On days when I cannot walk well, he helps by bringing the mail up to me halfway in the driveway. He is a sweetheart. His alternate came the day before Christmas Eve and I asked her what we could get postmen and women for Christmas–the internet says no cash, nothing worth mnore than $20, etc. She said, “I think you can do whatever you want.” We always get him something about the Dallas Cowboys–he loves them.

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