CALDERONI'S CORNER: EX-MARINE & PATRIOTIC FIREBRAND BEN TURNS HIS SIGHTS ON PRESIDENT & FELLOW-TRAVELERS WITHIN THE BELTWAY!

BEN CALDERONI

WASHINGTON POLITICIANS:  IT'S TIME     YOU STOOD UP FOR YOUR COUNTRY!

A common assumption these days is that, because he seems so disengaged from the business of governing, President Barack Hussein Obama,must be under the thumb of some grey eminence.  That very well may be; and, in a number of current hypotheses, Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros is named as the wizard behind the screen.  However, for the purposes of this article, it will be assumed that Soros is not directly calling the shots.  Nevertheless, there is much that can be included about Mr. Soros in future postings, for  there is no doubt that the enigmatic billionaire has laid waste to economies and furthered leftist tyranny.

Just a few days ago, my learned colleague John Barham referred to Obamacare as a "train wreck." Despite John's sincerity and devotion to the cause of American conservatism, I beg to differ with him on this point, as I see Obamacare as a well-designed plan to damage the American economy, kill jobs and bring down capitalism.  If it succeeds, our leftist enemies throughout the world will send up Hosannas  to their Marxist gods.

Having had direct experience with dictators and authoritarian leftists during my career abroad, I know very well the drill - and President Obama is following the blueprint to a "T."  In previous postings on Two for Texas, reference has been made to the strategy of the "big-lie."  And so, constantly, it is repeated by our would-be dictator that the other side is to blame, that his political opponents are "extortionists" and even "terrorists."  Such language is nothing more than a smoke-screen, allowing the president and his leftist lackeys to take cover in order  to carry on with the destruction of America through the decimation of the middle class, which has traditionally been the backbone of liberty and freedom in our society.

For the millions of Americans who have been seduced into becoming wards of the Obama welfare state, I have a few questions.  Did you really believe that this man was going to lower health care costs for everybody?  Were you concerned about your fellow Americans, or were you thinking only of how much you could game the system for?  Did getting a free phone and food stamps make you feel like a real American?  Were you ever exposed to the ringing words of President John F. Kennedy, who declared, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, but ask ask what you can do for your country."? So, think on this: just like the proverbial frog in the gradually warming pot of water, you could very well eventually find yourself a slave in the frothing boil that is authoritarian socialism.

THE SCARIEST HALLOWEEN OF ALL!

And please do not forget, too, that invariably with socialism comes corruption, and the most recent example of such is the website that was to promote Obamacare.  As taxpayers, are we not supposed to know about the particulars of the bid-process which came up with CGI as the architect and constructor of the website?  One supposes not, because this was apparently a process which did not result in competitive bids.  Is it a mere coincidence that Toni Townsend Whitley, Princeton class of 85 and a top executive of CGI, is a friend and college classmate of Michelle Obama?  Was it not known that the company had a history of failed undertakings in both Canada and the U.S.? Don't we understand that this is OUR MONEY going down the black hole of corruption? Are we too weak to protest the total lack of ethics and transparency in OUR government?  Are we       willing to allow the Republican Party to "go along to get along"? Are there not a plethora of violations that might warrant impeachment for this president?

There is absolutely no question about it.  We, the people, are being scammed by our own government!  Are you willing to write your congressman or congresswoman, voicing your concerns about the destructive path that Obama has placed this country on?  To come down to the essence of it all, the corruption in the District of Columbia has left us and our children holding the bag for some 17 trillion dollars. And, despite that, the debt ceiling always gets lifted and money magically comes off the presses for programs like Obamacare that we simply cannot afford.

And finally, for the beltway insiders, you are not ensuring our right to life, liberty and property. You do not serve honorably under our flag, and you do not risk your lives to the point that your coffins return from foreign fields draped with our flag.  No, you rotten bunch of politicians, you never had the privilege of learning about duty, honor and country, as I did, when I was a proud U.S. Marine!  And, if you are ever serious about finding decent role models, I would be most happy to tell you a thing or two!  And, if that doesn't sink in, you are absolutely hopeless, and even worse,  absolutely useless in the service of the United States of America!

God bless America!

Semper Fidelis!

JUST IN TIME FOR SPREADING CHEER FOR THE HOLIDAYS: THIRD WORLD TRIBAL POLITICS, FLIPS, FLOPS, LIES AND FAIURES, BUT HE'S NOT RESPONSIBLE!

JOHN B. SAYS, 

"NO, VIRGINIA, HE WAS NEVER SANTA!"

No matter how we reform health care. we will keep this promise.  If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period.  If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period.  No one will take it away.  No matter what.  

President Barack Hussein Obama, 2009

As if the disasters of the IRS scandal, the "Fast and Furious" fiasco and the Benghazi tragedy were not enough, in the weeks leading up to 2014 millions of Americans will be receiving notices that they are being dropped from their health care plans.  And, to make matters even worse, replacing those plans will cost them more money - in fact, a lot more money.  No doubt, their disappointment will be be stoked into disenchantment with the present occupant of the Oval Office, with the knowledge that President Barack Hussein Obama knew all along that the words he spoke guaranteeing that people could keep their health plans and their doctors were part of a calculated deception to grease the skids for the passage of the totally misnamed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Once again, we see the big lie strategy at work.

Those who 4 years ago had their doubts about Obamacare ever working were labeled rich and selfish Tea-Partiers and stingy Republicans.  And, in setting the pace for what would become their standard fall-back label, Democrats took great delight in branding Obamacare opponents "racists!"  However, under the present set of circumstances, those people now look more and more like "prophets."

For all my dear readers in Cyberspace who are stingy. selfish and racist, let's see if we can uncover the logic of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Millions of people who had what they considered affordable health care coverage are going to lose it. OK. Then they will have to go to an Obamacare exchange & locate a more expensive plan offering less coverage than they originally had.  Right on! If they are at certain income levels, however, they will be subsidized by tax monies, which they and most members of the middle class pay for with their taxes. Uh-huh.  It is unlikely that many members of the middle class will qualify for subsidies.  Really? But they will continue to be taxed to pay for other people's subsidies. For crying out loud! The system, in large part, will be predicated on the assumption that young, healthy people will buy policies that they can neither afford nor need, so the young, healthy people will likely pay a modest fine rather than sign up for a costly policy that they see no need for. No kidding!  The monies that the socialist "wunderkinds" were anticipating will not materialize. Darn it! There will not be funds for subsidizing the policies of  poor people. A pity! The costs of coverage for those who pay will spike. Holy moley!  Policy holders will demand change. Makes sense!   Obamacare will collapse under its own weight! 

But, of course, none of this will be the fault of the president, just as he knew nothing about Fast and Furious, IRS shenanigans, NSA snooping or how those poor people at Benghazi lost their lives.  Gosh, don't you wish you could live the lifestyle of Barack Hussein Obama?  Just imagine, you could be totally absolved of responsibility for those things that you should be responsible for, while you could claim credit for the great achievements that you had nothing to do with!  And all the while, you could continue posing as the champion of the downtrodden and the dispossessed!

And for you, Mr. and Mrs. America of Main St. USA, there will be no dispensations, waivers and exceptions!  After all, you are not of the favored political classes, not Wall Street magnates,  political donors to leftist causes, labor leaders nor  members of the government.  You, Mr. and Mrs. America, must pay and pay and pay, for you, of course, are the cause of the desperate plight of the Medicaiders, Obamaphoners, ADCers WICers and food-stampers.

And so, dear readers, with those cheery thoughts I shall leave you with some Seuss-like limericks:

From "The Grinch," by Bish

Deo vindice!

God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!

THE BIG LIE - AMERICAN STYLE!

JOHN B. WANTS TO KNOW:

"DID THE 'GEN-XERS' SOMEHOW MISS MEIN KAMPF   DURING THEIR PRICEY COLLEGE EDUCATIONS?"

MULTIETHNIC
BARHAMS BEHIND
THE WALLS OF
BARHAM ABBEY

Anyone who has been exposed to Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf   knows that the Nazi monster made no bones about where he wished to take Germany. He was most explicit about his aims and his strategy, indicating that he would achieve his goals through "the big lie."

In other words, Hitler knew that even the most fallacious of statements could become believable, if constantly repeated.  Thus, around-the-clock repetition of anti-Jewish propaganda did the trick and allowed the mad man to become master of Germany.  Yes, it was repeated again and again, Germany was stabbed in the back, causing her to lose World War I.  Yes, it was the dirty Jewish money-grubbers who betrayed Germany and sold out to the international Jewish conspiracy.  Yes, the Jews were an inferior race and must be eliminated.  Yes, it was the Jews who controlled the governments of the Democratic West, which wanted to keep Germany in a position of     weakness.

A VERY SAD SIGN OF THE TIMES!

Lately, listening to the cacophony of D.C. leftist verbiage, I am constantly reminded of the big lie. For example, this morning, I heard a clip from the words of Senator Harry Reid, when his convoluted logic somehow led him to compare senators opposed to Obamacare to senators of more than a half-century ago who opposed civil rights legislation.  His implication was, of course, that 21st century senators in opposition to the Affordable Care Act are just as racist as those who had opposed the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  I, for one, am so very tired of a constant mantra of race, race race!  And, virtually in all instances, the issue of race doesn't really have anything to do with what is being discussed.  Let it not be forgotten, as well, that in Texas we have a notorious black Congresswoman who constantly peppers her tortured pronouncements with reminders that Republicans and Tea-Partiers alike are "demons" and "devils."  

WILL THIS GROUP KEEP GROWING?

A hoped for result for the D.C. socialists leading the Democratic Party is that the big lie strategy now dominating their  propaganda machine in Washington will lead to a great mass of Americans who, because of one factor or another, will identify with big government.  After all, third-generation welfare recipients, new immigrants entering the benefit rolls, Obamaphoners, Medicaiders and food-stampers will be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.  Not only will they be totally imbued with racial-identity politics, their psyches will be surfeited with class-envy, which is predicated on the fiction that it is somehow patently unfair that the "rich," whomever they might be, have accumulated wealth, while they have not.

Despite my reluctance to burst that big old Marxist balloon, the truth must be told.  If, somehow, all of the wealth of the richest people in America were to be expropriated, it would not - I repeat - it would NOT be enough to keep our present government running for one month!  Yet, a major part of the mantra of the big leftist lie is that the poor and and minorities are victims of the rich, whose hoarding of wealth has caused unprecedented misery and suffering.

Wealth in America has always been in the hands of the country's very large middle class.  That's why, dear readers, the middle class pays the bills.  Just think about it.  Rich people can afford top-notch tax attorneys, accountants and advisers.  Middle class people cannot afford such luxury. Consequently, middle class people - predominantly white but also including some educated minority folks - make up the majority of responsible people who pay the bills, provide for their families and, heck yes! - they even cover their family members with medical insurance!  And that's why Obamacare will end up soaking the middle class.

WILL THIS GROUP DISCOVER THAT THEY'VE BEEN ROYALLY "HAD?"

I can just see it now, those generation-x,young professionals who might have voted for Obama in places like New York, California, Ohio and Virginia and have paid for insurance costing perhaps 3,000-thousand dollars annually; and - big surprise- examining their insurance statements under the provisions of Obamacare, finding out that they are not only NOT going to be saving 2,500-dollars as was promised, but instead are going to be paying 100% more than was previously the case.  Hopefully, that will be a wake-up call for young, middle class professional people; and, hopefully, they will assist in the effort to rescue their country from the socialist siren-song of Obama's "Hope & Change," which has brought in its wake only destructive change and absolutely no hope.

As for the big lie, it continues ad infinitum, clogging most of the media and sabotaging meaningful discussion of the real problems facing our country.  The bottom line:  we simply cannot afford unworkable, pie-in-the-sky socialist pipe-dreams, which drive up costs, rob the economy of jobs and create debt, which results in more taxes tomorrow.  Isn't it high time, dear readers, that we all realized this and took meaningful steps to end this farce in Washington?

Texans will never, never, never compromise with socialism!

Deo vindice!

Good bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!

CALDERONI'S CORNER: HOW OTHERS SEE US

           A  PLAY ON LETTERMAN: 
         A CANADIAN VIEW

BEN CALDERONI

Recently, while rummaging through the wonderful world of Cyberspace, a top 10 list of American stupidity caught my eye.  Apparently contrived by an astute Canadian observer of the American scene, it succinctly captures the essence of the bizarre world of American culture and politics.  As such, it  is shared with our readers, with the hope that both the humor and tragedy of it all will touch a chord.

1. Only in America could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a 35,000-dollar-a plate-fund-raiser.

2. Only in America could people claim that the government discriminates against black Americans, when that group  boasts a black president and even a black attorney general.  At the same time, 20% of the federal workforce is black, while the black population amounts to 14% of America's  population overall. Furthermore, 40% of all federal entitlements go to blacks, three times the rate of outlays to whites and 5 times that going to Hispanics.

3.  Only in America could two people of great responsibility for the tax code, Tim Geithner, who headed the Treasury Department, and Charles Rangel, who formerly led the House Ways and Means Committee, both turn out to be individuals who fudged on their tax returns.  Both of these fellows were in favor of raising taxes!

4. Only in America do terrorists kill people in the name of Allah, while the various media react by fretting that there might be a backlash against Muslims.

5. Only in America would they make people who want to legally become citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege, while debating whether or not those who came illegally should attain citizenship.

6. Only in America are people who believe in their Constitution and wish to maintain a balanced budget thought of as "extremists."

7. Only in America would you need a drivers license to cash a check or buy a six-pack - BUT NOT TO VOTE.

8. Only in America would people demand that the government investigate oil companies for price-gouging because of the price of gas going up, when the return on capital invested in major oil companies is less than half that of money invested in major manufacturers of tennis shoes.

9. Only in America could the government collect more taxes from the people than any nation in recorded history and still spend a trillion dollars more than it has for a year and complain that it does not have enough revenue.

10. Only in America could rich people, who pay 86% of all income taxes, be accused of not paying their fair share by people who do not pay any taxes at all.

It makes one wonder just what is going on in our country.  No wonder many in the world believe that Americans are idiots.  Come to think of it, maybe we are!

Semper Fidelis!

God bless America!

IS THIS NOT REMINISCENT OF A BROKEN RECORD?

PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHY DO YOU NOT SPEAK OUT AGAINST VIOLENCE BY BLACK YOUTH AGAINST WHITE SENIOR CITIZENS?

THE VICTIM SHOWING PHOTO OF HIMSELF & BRIDE

On October 18, an 87-year-old World War II veteran, Lawrence E. "Shine" Thornton, was accosted, robbed and knocked down in his driveway in Greenville, Mississippi. Thornton died as a result of the injuries he sustained, after being transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

THOSE CHARGED

Four black teenagers, Edward Johnson, Leslie Litt, Geblonski Murray, and Terrance Morgan, have been charged with the crime.


Lawrence Thornton was a highly respected senior citizen in Greenville. A local celebrity famed for his"hand-crafted" tamales, Thornton was an oft-honored guest at various Greenville festivals.

Meanwhile, President Obama, who has a quick tongue when any violent episode might be construed as white on black, remains silent.  And savage attacks by black youth against easy targets such as the aged and infirm will likely continue.

In such an instance, it should be asked, "Just who, for goodness sakes, are the racists?"  For almost 5 years, this nation has been subjected to race-baiting on a scale not seen in a half-century.  But, when the clouds of obfuscation and cover-up are lifted, the overwhelming evidence remains that whites are ever so much more likely to be attacked by blacks than vice versa.  But nary a word addressing this disproportionate rate of violence is heard from the White House.   Is this not another instance of presidential hypocrisy?

RIP - AD ASTRA:  Lawrence E. Thornton

Deo vindice!

God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State be forever red!

ONCE AGAIN, IT'S THE FAULT OF THOSE DAMNED OLD REPUBLICANS!

JOHN B. AT THE LECTERN

JOHN B. WONDERS, "HAS THAT TRAIN WRECK PULLED INTO THE STATION?"

That cold-looking, bureaucrat, who last spring could not bring herself to assist in cutting red tape to make a lung-transplant possible for a 10-year-old dying Pennsylvania girl, just can't seem to accept responsibility for anything going on at the Department of Health and Human Services. Words amounting to "I'm sorry" or "Mea culpa"   have somehow not made it into Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's vocabulary.  

KATHLEEN "ICE QUEEN KATY" SEBELIUS

If making it clear to her interlocutors on Thursday that she really was not responsible to the American people didn't raise some eyebrows, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen "Ice Queen Katy" Sebelius took another dubious step in revealing her true self by denouncing Republican members of Congress as the culprits responsible for her department's failed Obamacare website.

Yes, Republicans may be blamed for attempting to point out that neither the website nor the entire support apparatus were ready to be rolled out on October 1, and that the better part of valor would have been to postpone the implementation of the legislation for a year.  Yes, Republicans questioned the fairness of the act and insisted that its provisions should apply to ALL Americans, across the board, and no slack should be cut for anyone, not members of Congress, labor unions, big business or the president's political cronies.  Despite the warnings, Katy Sebelius and her Obamiac colleagues insisted on steamrolling the opposition and plunging dead ahead into Obamacare infamy.  

THOSE PANTS DO APPEAR TO BE ON FIRE! 

And, yes, the long-predicted train wreck has begun.  If the website is ever up and running, Americans will come face to face with all the lies that were told in selling Obamacare.  No, the average family is not going to be saving $2,500 in annual health insurance costs. No, not everybody gets to keep their doctor.  No, not everybody will get to keep their original insurance.  And, yes, yes, yes, insurance costs are going to go up, up,up!

Doctrinaire socialists will do it every time.  The world is full of failed socialist systems.  One need only  look as far as Canada & Europe to see the folly of national health care. Ever wonder why Canadians who require immediate medical treatment flock to the U.S.? And Socialist systems of one color or another have only abject failure to show for their efforts throughout the Third World, wrecking economies and spreading misery.  

Thus, dear readers, do we allow to continue the socialist sacking and pillaging of America, a country which was once a beacon of hope to the world for freedom, self-responsibility and opportunity; or, will we unite and call a halt to the inept, incompetent and subversive elements that are now posing as this nation's leaders?  Real leaders lead from the front, not from the top. Authoritarians strut and preen as "leaders," but their leadership style merely consists of the imposing of impossible schemes on non-consenting populations.  It is time to draw the line.  This is America, and we must stand up for her!  Not only our own freedom, but the freedom of future generations is also at stake.

Deo vindice!

God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State be forever red!

CALDERONI'S CORNER: More thoughts from Ben!

BEN CALDERONI

WILL AMERICANS ALLOW THESE GOALS TO BECOME REALITY?

  








During the 1960's, Congressman Albert Herlong of Florida read into the Congressional Record (App, pp. A 34-A 35, January 10, 1963) the stated goals of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).   In an effort to draw attention to certain ideas that are current on the political scene today and to, perhaps, encourage our readers to compare and contrast, I am listing below 17 of the goals, as they were cited by Congressman Herlong:

1. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

2. Develop the illusion that total disarmament {by} the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

3. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind.

4. Gain control of the schools and use them to promote socialist and Communist propaganda.

5. Infiltrate the press, obtain control of editorial writing.  Gain control of key positions in radio, TV and motion pictures.

6. Continue discrediting American culture.

7. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and a free press.

8. Break down standards of morality in books, magazines,  motion pictures, radio and TV.

9. Present homosexuality, promiscuity , and degeneracy as "normal, natural, healthy."

10. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social religion."

11. Discredit the American Constitution {as} inadequate, old-fashioned out of step with modern needs.

12. Discredit the American founding fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

13. Belittle and discourage the teaching of American history.

14. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture, education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

15. Infiltrate and gain control of unions.

16. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

17. Discredit the family as an institution.

Herlong eventually left the Democratic Party, feeling that its steady drift to the left had led to its evolving into a socialist movement, destined to undermine America's traditions, freedoms and strength.

A cursory reading of  these goals, followed by a consideration of the objectives of the Obama administration, should be sufficient to send chill-bumps throughout one's body.  Let us not assume that this is mere coincidence!

Semper Fidelis!

God bless America!

JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN: COULD WE BE WITNESSING THE PREMATURE DEATH OF OBAMACARE?

SECRETARY SEBELIUS, AKA "ICE QUEEN KATY"
MUST ANSWER FOR MAJOR HHS FOUL-UP!

With some Democrats in Congress abandoning ship and dreadful prospects in store for the website, the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act seems destined for pipe -dream cemetery.  Certainly, if a like project had come off the drawing boards in such fashion in the private sector, there would be hell to pay.  But, with Obama's poorly thought out health plan, the government will probably continue to throw taxpayer money at a program and a website that were destined from the get-go for serious shortcomings.

In testimony before Congress, website developers criticized Health and Human Services planning and preparations, stating that testing of the site was an HHS responsibility.  Somehow, the testing never got done, and Obama's administration charged ahead full- bore, paying no heed to sentiment in the House of Representatives that  maintained that a delay in the act's roll-out was necessary.

NEW BANNER FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

The website developers, however,  have a checkered past and a reputation for dropping the ball in their undertakings in both Canada and the U.S.  In developing a health registry for the government of Ontario, there were so many delays that eventually C.G.I.'s work became obsolete, and the project was for naught.  More than 24 million Canadian dollars were spent with C.G.I. before it was determined that their work was inappropriate for the task at hand.

In Vermont, C.G.I. has had so many delays in performing work that the state government is considering invoking penalties against the company.  But the big question remains that, in taking bids for a key project, how could the federal government's bidding process end up with a contractor with a spotty record of non-performance?

 Nancy Pelosi , as Speaker of the House, stated more than three years ago that Congress needed to pass the act in order for us to know what was in it.  Well, we are getting more and more familiar with Obamacare, and it is turning out to be quite scary.  So, just in time for Halloween, perhaps special Congressional death panels need to be summoned to consider if Obamacare is worthy of life-saving treatment.

With a growing chorus of demands for the resignation of "Ice Queen Katy" Sebelius, the beleaguered HHS secretary has responded by stating unequivocally that she does not work for those calling for her to step down.  That leaves Two for Texas wondering just who our "public servants" are working for these days.  There was a time when they were thought to work for the American people.  But, when you are an lifetime inside- the-beltway elitist like Katy, her statement fits her experience.

To the Democratic manor born, Mrs. Sibelius had as her father Democratic Governor John Gilligan of Ohio.  She served as a lobbyist for the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association before being elected to the Kansas legislature.  Eventually, she won the governorship of Kansas, and that position propelled her to the heights of the Obama cabinet as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department.  Her husband, Gary, is a federal magistrate and the son of a former congressman.  In effect, Mrs. Sibelius and her family have had a long history of slopping at the public trough.  In meeting hard-fast deadlines in the private sector, this lady would probably be at a total loss.

With Americans becoming more and more concerned about "glitches," flaws and non-functioning Obamacare call-centers, the ill-conceived Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act may be rapidly spiraling toward collapsing under its own weight of ignorance and incompetence.  And, dear readers, such an eventuality cannot come too soon.  If there is a lesson to be learned from this fiasco, it would be that the big government types who imbibed the potent leftist libations served in such abundance in Ivy League settings are badly out of touch with reality, and, even worse, are all to prone to undertake government schemes not in keeping with the desires of the American people.

Deo vindice!

UNDAUNTED INCOMPETENCE AND IGNORANCE: HOW MUCH MORE CAN THIS POOR COUNTRY ENDURE?

FOR SHAME, FOR SHAME: A NEW LOW IN
LEFTIST NASTINESS!

The title of the late historian Stephen Ambrose's best seller was "Undaunted Courage."  Courage as a political virtue, seems to be more and more in short supply these days in the Obama White House. Instead, those who are calling the shots in the administration appear to be so consumed with their power-complexes that they are out of touch and unaware of their own ignorance and incompetence, which have led the country to a new low point of failure.

Barely three weeks ago, Obama sycophants in Congress, in an effort to deflect public attention from the many failures and shortcomings of Obamacare, were shrilly branding their opponents as "jihadists, arsonists and extortionists."  And this week, Democratic Representative Allen Grayson hit a new low in emailing (probably at taxpayer expense) a nasty diatribe featuring a burning cross in which the Tea Party and its supporters in Congress were likened to the Ku Klux Klan. Well, dear Representative Grayson, more than one can play that game, as the stench of Nazi race-baiting wafts very strongly from your recent transmission in cyberspace.

When public policy begins to cause disruption, eventually citizens take notice.  When legislation results in inconvenience, stress and strain, legislators will hear about it.  And what can the offending "public servants" do?  Why, of course, they can divert attention to extraneous matters.  There's always the old standby of this government - racism!  It seems to work almost every time.

With revelations of flawed planning and execution having to do with Obamacare surfacing by the hour, those who voted for and supported this incomprehensible law are seeking cover.  But, to Mr. & Mrs. America, who pay their taxes and consider themselves law-abiding, this law and the website which touts it are boondoggles of incompetence and ignorance.  If we can't expect our government, in 3 and 1/2 years to get a new program up and running, what, by golly, can we expect it to do in a professional and efficient manner?

Three weeks ago, Republicans in the House were suggesting that, considering its many problems, at the least Obamacare should be delayed for a year.  His Almighty Arrogance, the president of the United States, would not even consider negotiating the matter.  And, now, it appears that, out of desperation, the  Republican suggestion for delay will become the administration's fallback position for Obamacare.

On another front, owing to the Syrian morass and the infamous "red-line" of the Obama administration's strategy of supporting real jihadists and terrorists, the U.S. has lost power and prestige throughout the world.  Combined with ill-considered pro-Muslim Brotherhood policies and the subsequent fall of the Morsi government in Egypt, President Obama has presided over what is perhaps the most egregious foreign policy failure in the last half-century.  And then, of course, there is still Benghazi, smoldering with the taint of incompetence in the background.

Hard- to-
believe and shocking revelations continue to shake our traditional alliances.  Is it possible that the NSA could tap the communications of the presidents of France and Mexico, the prime minister of Germany, the royal family of Saudi Arabia, the monarch of Jordan  and the sheikhs of  the UAE and Kuwait?  But, wait a minute.  What is that shuffling sound?  It could, perhaps, be those who were thought to be our allies taking leave of their respect for the government that currently prevails in the United States of America!

Yes, dear readers, hard times are facing us, and all because of the reelection of the current occupant of the White House.  Are there still enough of us who value our American traditions of  strength, liberty and freedom, or have our numbers in our country been so swelled by the medicaiders, food-stampers and Obamaphoners, not to mention the legions of faux political refugees, that the electorate will now respond only to the prospect of more bread and circuses?  We can only pray that the recent travesties of incompetence characterizing the present administration will serve as a gigantic wake-up call.

Deo vindice!

CALDERONI'S CORNER

THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: 

WHO WON?  WHO LOST?

BEN CALDERONI

Was there any question as to who was going to win?  Of course not; the corrupt Obama administration won - again.  And, of course, honest, hard-working American citizens were shafted - again, while the president, Senator Reid and Representative Pelosi went about their merry way in paving the way for the enslavement of future generations of Americans to poverty and misery.

In negotiating with anyone, you have to study your foe - who he is, where  he comes from:  money, wife, children, education, etc.  You cannot negotiate with someone who has nothing to lose - in this case, the president, whose arrogance may be summed up as, "It's my way or the highway!"

This president is negotiating with our money and our future.  Either way, he wins.  As to the shutdown on the 17th, he wins, as his main goal is to destroy America.  In the process, he got the Republicans to agree to raise the debt limit and to fund Obamacare.  This president is, for all practical purposes, a scam artist who has wasted trillions of dollars on socialized medicine schemes, blatant and corrupt kickbacks to his political donors and failed "green energy" projects.

The United States is BROKE, with 17 trillion in debt, and that figure is rising by the day.  We simply cannot afford this rotten administration, which many times has shown itself to be incompetent and irresponsible.  They have destroyed everything they have ever touched, including the postal service, and now they dare to take over the 1/6 of the economy represented by health care.

With impunity, they used the shutdown to threaten veterans and those drawing social security, the majority of social security recipients being women.  How very low it was to threaten to hold back social security outlays on November 1 - unless, of course, the Republicans caved and agreed to a deal!

The government is now playing games with our money and our lives.  They have nothing to lose; however, it is up to us to remind them that the funds in Social Security belong to us, the citizens, and not to the government.  This is our hard-earned money, yet they threaten to take it away.  Yes, it is time to fight back; and, no matter how incredible it seems, our own government has, in effect, declared war on middle America, that segment of society which pays the bills.

In the den of thieves and liars that now passes as the White House, nary a word was heard about cutting back on the extravagant lifestyle of First Lady Michelle Obama, who employs her own personal staff of 22 assistants at an annual cost of  1.6 million dollars, plus benefits.  As for the president's staff of 469, isn't there some room for cost-cutting?  And, do we really need 43 persons called "czars" reporting to an American president?  And why must the vacations of a chief executive, who is supposedly a champion of the downtrodden, cost this nation more than 15 million dollars?

Why are not drastic cuts considered for the food-stampers, medicaiders and Obamaphoners?  Of course not, for such action would spread misery to the core  of this president's constituency.  Better to keep the bread and circuses going in an effort to expand the base.

We, the people of these United States, must take action.  We cannot afford to waste any more time in requesting significant action from our representatives.  It is now time for us to demand that this government should abide by the Constitution and the rule of law.  Either our "public servants" listen to us, or we fire them.  Yes, throw them out of Congress and expose them for the charlatans that they are!  

I shall continue to expand on this theme in future postings.

God bless America!

BEN CALDERONI JOINS TWO FOR TEXAS

BEN CALDERONI

Two for Texas and America is pleased to announce that there are now two contributors publishing timely columns.  The editorial staff will be augmented by Ben Calderoni, who will be joining John Barham to form a dynamic duo of conservative commentary and thought.

Mr. Calderoni, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.  For many years, Calderoni served as a senior executive for major oil companies operating in Latin America.  He currently lives in Mexico, where he is an entrepreneur involved in real estate and tourism.

Ben Calderoni is far from shy in admitting that he voted for President Barack Hussein Obama in 2008, believing that the Democratic candidate was truly a middle-of-the-road politician.  Like many, however, Ben  was soon disillusioned to discover that President Obama had no intention of adhering to a moderate course.  Since that time, he has devoted himself to exposing not only the mendacity of the present administration, but opposing as well the ill-advised and reckless economic schemes prevailing at the highest levels of Congress.

Ben Calderoni is not known for pulling his punches.  His straight forward style will tell each and every story like it is.  He is a hard-hitter who believes strongly that the bullying tactics of the left must be met with an uncompromising response and a commitment to exposing the nefarious plans of the Washington elite to impose a socialist society on America.  Two for Texas is truly honored to be able to welcome Ben Calderoni to its blog.

MASS SHOOTINGS AND THE LARGER PROBLEM OF THE MENTALLY ILL

COLORADO SHOOTER JAMES HOLMES

Congress Avenue in Austin was, for many years, one of my favorite destinations in Texas.  There were bookshops, boutiques, nice hotels, coffee shops and, during the week, the thoroughfare was full of well-dressed people, who worked in banks, law offices, engineering firms and state office buildings.  Lunch hour on Congress was a veritable fashion runway, as the young and up-and -coming folks crowded into trendy restaurants on the avenue.  For me, flying from Brownsville to Austin for meetings was not at all hard duty.

ADAM LANZA: NEWTOWN SHOOTER

But, alas, that was more than 20 years ago.  Austin now prides itself on being "weird,"  and it more than lives up to its desired designation.  If one strolls along Congress today, one not only encounters   the cacophony and exhaust of a plethora of buses, on most blocks there is the lingering odor of human feces and urine, the calling cards of of Austin's ample population of the weird.  Odds are also great that strollers will be panhandled and even harassed by individuals whose appearance easily sets them apart as seriously disturbed human beings.

Yes, we are now paying the price for policies set in motion during the late 1960's.  The idea at the time was that pharmaceuticals could more easily and inexpensively control the growing number of mentally incompetent individuals.  As a consequence, cities like Austin have burgeoning populations of street people who have become menaces to themselves and to the population at large.

ARIZONA SHOOTER JARED LOUGHNER

Little thought was given to where the deinstitutionalized would live, how they would eat and what means would be employed to insure that they would be able to regularly receive their medications.  And, today, federal, state and local authorities seem at a total loss on how to deal with the situation.

NAVY YARD SHOOTER AARON ALEXIS

Ever notice how the perpetrators of mass shootings are either  mentally unstable adults or  children coming from homes marked by irresponsible parents?  Yet, if normal citizens would demand that our authorities issue public information on these individuals and keep close tabs on their whereabouts and  backgrounds, we would be accused of prejudice and breach of privacy. It is easy to imagine the ACLU making a cause celebre out of any such effort.  Consequently, demented minds are given carte blanche to wreak havoc on society, engaging in atrocious acts of mayhem, massacre and murder.

It is even more absurd how the anti-gun lobby is quick to capitalize on the acts of the manic, somehow tying their deeds to the great mass of honest, tax-paying American citizens who believe in the unqualified legitimacy of the 2nd Amendment and in their right to possess arms.  The hypocrisy of the anti-gunners blinds them to the havoc in our society which stems from the failure to deal in a meaningful way with the larger issue of mental health and how government has failed us in this regard.

How was it, for example, that the behavior of Aaron Alexis, a Navy veteran and a civilian who worked for the Navy, was never deemed to be problematic, bizarre and dangerous?  How was it that Major Nidal Hassan was not seen to be a menace at Ft. Hood?  There are, indeed, a myriad of questions that need to be asked about the dense, obtuse and nonsensical policies of government which make it all too likely that atrocities of this kind will continue to occur. And it must be remembered that the exploitation of the senseless acts of the demented for the purpose of disarming the general population will not result in a safer, more secure society, but only in a country which has surrendered a vital freedom.

Deo vindice!

WITH PORK AND EARMARKS, IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL!

In a Congressional effort to restore a functioning government and to end a budgetary impasse, one would hope that our "public servants" who have committed their lives to unselfishly serving the United States of America would have focused totally on the task at hand.  However, in the recently completed agreement to end the shutdown, our ever opportunistic Solons in D.C. sealed the deal by loading on several million dollars worth of our tax monies for pet projects that had nothing at all to do with the business at hand.

And, before we get too jubilant over the reopening of the government, it might be well to remind ourselves of a few things.  For one, those people in D.C. on opposite sides of the aisle just do not like each other.  In fact, there is no love lost between right and left on the political spectrum, and this will make it more difficult than ever to expect these "statesmen" and "stateswomen" to work toward a modus vivendi.

The agreement to end the shutdown provided that spending could resume - but only until the middle of January.  And, with so much rancor existing between the concerned parties, it is beyond one's imagination that, come January, the warring factions will bury their hatchets and work together for the good of the country.

Our aloof president, who has "red-lined" this country out of virtually all of its allies in the Middle East, never pretended to give any leadership toward compromise on what he considers his crowning achievement - the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  At the same time, Obamacare has badly stumbled coming out of the gate, giving more fuel to critics who see the present administration as totally incompetent.  Once again, presidential leadership will be nil when crucial budgetary matters must be resolved.  Why do I have a feeling, dear readers, that, in the final analysis, we are all about to be red-lined?

A quick check of the polls reveals that the president's approval rating is steadily dropping toward the 40% range.  Congress, with its recent debacle over the shutdown, rates about as low as a trip to the dentist.  If for some reason there were a "love-fest" in Congress, just how many Americans would have any trust left for the principal actors at this point?

To make matters even worse - if that's possible - the shutdown -ending deal was marked by a significant amount of pork and earmarks being attached.  There was 2.2 billion for dam completion in Kentucky, 450 million for flood relief in Colorado, 636 million for tackling wildfires,  and even 174,00 to the multi-millionaire widow of deceased Senator Frank Lautenburg of New Jersey, who probably considers the death benefit to be nothing more than chump-change.

So, dear readers, we seem to be stuck between that proverbial " rock and a hard place."  It is most apparent that, no matter the gravity of matters to be considered before the august body of Congress, any and every opportunity will be taken to advance the extraneous interests of our "public servants."

The pundit Lou Dobbs was fond of saying that our country had "...the best government that money could buy."  I, for one, am becoming more and more convinced that our present government would not be worth buying, no matter the price.

Deo vindice!

"ICE QUEEN KATY" TO WALTZ IN BOSTON WHILE WEBSITE CRUMBLES!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO "THE BUCK STOPS HERE"?

KATY "CUTS THE RUG" WITH CHUBBY HUBBY

Serving as a dean and provost  during my career in higher education,  I knew that I was ultimately accountable for what worked and didn't work in my area of responsibility.  For example, as a dean of student affairs, I supervised admissions, registration, student employment, financial aid, athletics, child care, campus security, student housing, testing and grant-supported programs.  On many occasions, I was forced to curtail my personal plans to deal with unanticipated developments and emergencies.  I can't even guess how many football tickets to games at my alma mater that went unused because of last minute problems on campus.

In the private sector, expectations are perhaps even higher.  If a new product, for example, is flawed,  those responsible will be called to task.  They might even be fired.  At the very least, the concerned managers and developers will spend long hard hours in rectifying the problem.  The market place is, indeed, a very competitive place where incompetence cannot be tolerated.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sibelius is directly charged with oversight of the implementation of the oddly misnamed Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare), which latest polls show Americans opposing to the tune of 56%.  With recent news indicating that the new law is experiencing a myriad of "glitches," accountability for the foul-ups is not forthcoming.  In other words, nobody in the administration is willing to utter a "mea culpa."

"ICE QUEEN KATY" SIBELIUS TURNS DOWN LUNG-TRANSPLANT
FOR 10-YEAR-OLD

Yes, dear readers, this is the same Secretary Sibelius who last June turned down a dying 10-year-old girl for help in obtaining a lung transplant.  And now, with Congressional leaders calling for her testimony on assorted problems with insurance exchanges and a barely functioning Obamacare website, "Ice Queen Katy" can't be bothered, because she is slated to be waltzing in Boston on Thursday evening.  I can only say that if I had responded in like manner, even at my low level of responsibility, I would have been presented post-haste with my walking papers!

Obamacare is supposed to be the great achievement of the 21st century and the savior of those not endowed with medical insurance!  It is, we are told, the crowning glory of the Obama administration.  With all of the hoopla and 3 and 1/2 years to prepare, should we not expect the system to function?  What would Steve Jobs and Bill Gates do in such a situation?  Would they be accountable?  Would they demand accountability from those charged with responsibility for project implementation?  Of course they would.  And they would not go prancing off for a gala in Boston!

Do you not agree with me, dear readers, that we deserve better from our "public servants?"

Deo vindice!

RELIGION OF PEACE SLAUGHTERS 85 CHRISTIANS IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

 CHRISTIANS PREPARED FOR BURIAL IN PAKISTAN

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  (John 13: 34-35)




Love is a word that calls forth many things in many minds.  Certainly, love is not passive.  By its very nature, it is demanding.  St. Paul's definition spans a tremendous assortment of characteristics, as he declared, "Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage; it does not take offense or store up grievances.  Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth.  It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure what comes."

Be that as it may, the words of Jesus carried even more profound  depth when he called upon his followers to love one another.  We may indeed endure what comes, but to imagine that Christ would wish his followers to do so in a passive manner strains one's credulity.

A Christian loving presence would also include protection, support, sympathy, sharing, commitment and encouragement.  And God knows how very much Christians throughout the world are in need of this kind of love from their fellows in the the lands where Christians are now being actively persecuted.

Most American Christians have no idea that 85 of their coreligionists fell victim to a suicide bomber on September 23 in Peshawar, Pakistan, for such news rarely or ever is covered by the leftist-controlled major media outlets. And neither, apparently, does the U.S. Department of State feel that any effort should be expended in speaking up for beleaguered Christian minorities in Muslim countries.

In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, Taliban-inspired attacks on the tiny Christian population are a daily occurrence, as efforts to impose Sharia law take on renewed emphasis.  And, despite Christian pleas for protection, Pakistani law enforcement continues to turn a deaf ear.  Consequently, Christian shop-owners, workers and others going about their daily routines are subject to murder, extortion, kidnapping and rape from Muslim extremists.

In such a setting,  it should not be forgotten that religious minorities are virtually helpless, as their government is unwilling to afford them any sort of defense.  In effect, those Christians among their numbers are martyrs for the Faith, daily undergoing persecution that would rival that of believers in the early Church.

Keeping in mind that Islam is living in its 15th century, it perhaps is more understandable how countries such as the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan" can pass and impose blasphemy laws on their populations.  A case in point is that of Asia Bibi who, after her conviction in a Pakistani court for blaspheming Islam because she testified of her love for Jesus, has spent years languishing in prison.  Asia Bibi continues to be subject to mistreatment, malnutrition and separation from her family; but, still, she remains strong in her faith.

Strangely, a U.S. government which prides itself on promoting individual rights, freedom and equality on the international scene is largely ineffective or silent in speaking up for Christians.  But what can be expected in a country which more and more is witnessing the erosion of Christian values from its society as its government runs rough shod over religious freedom in many of its official undertakings?

At the same time, Washington appears to be doing all that it can to promote more Muslim immigration to the United States.  For example, the Muslim component of those entering the country as "political refugees" is now up to 40%, virtually all of whom are eligible for Medicaid, food stamps, public housing, disability insurance, child care, Obamaphones, home energy assistance, post-secondary education assistance and much, much more.  And, all the while, Asia Bibi whiles away her time in a dirty Pakistani prison.

As Christians, we should never miss the opportunity to excoriate our public servants who forget that this was once a Christian nation that cared about persecuted Christians abroad.  Yes, and we should demand that our government put teeth into its resolutions to support persecuted religious minorities.  Countries such as Pakistan should be put on notice that their failure to protect Christians and other minorities will cost them in terms of foreign aid.  And, our feckless representation in the U.N. must be made to continuously cry out to the international community that religious persecution is evil and insupportable.

And, on this Sunday in October 2013, let us pray for Asia Bibi and all Christians throughout the world who pay a terrible price for their strong faith.  We could also send hope to Asia through letters expressing our LOVE.  Asia's prison address may be obtained through Voice of the Martyrs at:
www.prisoneralert.com/

And, last but not least, the Pakistani embassy in Washington needs to know of the displeasure of American Christians who condemn that country's 15th century religious policies:
info@embassyofpakistanusa.org

Deo vindice!

"SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE STATE OF DENMARK!"

Words spoken by Marcellus in Shakespeare's Hamlet voice his conviction that the reign of King Claudius had ushered in a time of moral and political corruption, although the king himself had originally cut a monarchical figure and had possessed all of the superficial characteristics of a ruler.  Somehow, I cannot help but draw parallels between Claudius and the present occupant of the White House.

During the recent shutdown, which by the way affected only 17% of government, it became crystal clear that there was a dichotomy of enforcement, which was defined by political considerations.  For example, World War II veterans originally encountered barriers upon attempting to visit the monument to their sacrifice of 70 years ago, while National Park personnel were under orders to allow an immigration demonstration on the National Mall, never mind the fact that there is virtually nothing to do for park personnel in keeping a monument "open."  Obviously, our veterans do not rate as highly as illegal immigrants in the minds of the leftist oligarchy now in power in our nation's capital.

Like King Claudius, President Obama dazzled his onlookers with original promise that would remain unfulfilled.  In Obama's case, statements that rang with the "audacity of  hope" have resonated hollowly from the mendacity of the one who uttered them.  As examples, the following may prove enlightening:

1.  Obamacare:  The law will save the average family $2,500 each year.

2.  Obamacare:  If you like your present medical plan and your present doctor, you will not have to change.

3.  Obamacare:  The process will be open and transparent.

4. NSA:  American citizens will not be wiretapped illegally.

5. Government bailout of financial institutions:  Every dime will be recovered, with interest.

6.  Budget:  The deficit will be halved.

7.  Same-sex marriage:  The Defense of Marriage Act will be supported.

8.  ACORN:  He never really had anything to do with the organization.

9.  Guantanamo:  The base will be closed.

10. Taxes:  Those earning less than $200,000 annually will not be subject to an increased tax load.

Many voted for Obama in 2008 under the false premise that he would unify the country. But the nation has been divided as never before.  Most would agree that their president should be a mediator and an arbitrator.  However, in the recent Congressional stalemate over the budget, our president did not deign to moderate or compromise.  In fact, he was missing in action as partisanship prevailed, and Congress divided along party lines.  Never in memory had a president presented such an aloof image in a like situation.

On the international scene, the Russian president is now seen as a much more dynamic force than the American leader.  As a result, the few allies of America in the Middle East are now scrambling to rethink their alliances.  And Americans are wondering how it could ever have been conceivable that their country could support an insurrection in Syria controlled by jihadists and Islamists.  Is the foreign policy concocted in Washington on almost a daily basis the result of incompetence or design?

And, finally, lest we forget, this administration has been marked by the tendency of the IRS to be used as a bully-boy against political enemies, the lying and deceit of the Benghazi disaster and the inability or reluctance of the Justice Department to explain how thousands of American firearms were forwarded to Mexican drug cartels.  If Americans are not disturbed by these instances of questionable governmental ethics, then there is something very wrong with the body politic.

Yes, dear readers, it may be that America has reached the nadir of its political decline.  Just as Marcellus saw a reign that fostered moral corruption and deterioration, we are witnessing that things have gotten out of hand in Washington; and, indeed, something is very rotten in the state of America.