Two quotes start off this TRACKSIDE, one from an early American statesman and one from a noted geopolitical analyst:

“The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.” –Senator Daniel Webster (1782-1852)

“Morally, committing the lives of citizens to waging war requires meticulous attention to the law and proprieties. … I am making the argument that the suspension of Section 8 of Article I as if it is possible to amend the Constitution with a wink and nod represents a mortal threat to the republic. If this can be done, what can’t be done?” – - George Friedman, STRATFOR

The failure of Congress to hold the President accountable for plunging us into war without a formal declaration by Congress does represent a mortal threat to our country. Congress whistles past the graveyard while the President shreds the Constitution. What Congressional authority will he usurp next? Maybe the budget. He could declare a national fiscal emergency that demands unilateral action, that a Congressional budget debate would take too long to keep the dollars flowing to his favored constituencies. Or will he just dismiss Congress as irrelevant? That in effect is what he has done by his actions.

The President has said that he wants Gadhafi to be ousted, but our mission is just to enforce the no-fly zone – he would not put “boots on the ground.” We now find that we do have boots on the ground – it was a hard swallow from Day One to accept “no boots on the ground” – somebody had to be providing time-sensitive targeting data, laser pointing for laser-guided weaponry, and battle space coordination with the rebels. To compound the folly, the Administration is talking about arming the rebels, who they admit, they do not know much about. Just what we need, more printing-press dollars being used to put weapons in the hands of al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood and to put our country deeper in debt. (But then, the Administration has experience with giving weapons to bad guys with its Operation Gunrunner on the Mexican border.)

And speaking of enforcing the no-fly zone, it would certainly be appropriate for NATO (or whomever is pulling the strings), to enunciate the enforcement rules of engagement. It appears that the no-fly zone was endangered by Libyan small craft in the harbor of Misratah. To take out this danger to our aircraft, a U.S. P-3 patrol aircraft launched one or more Maverick missiles at a 40-foot coast guard cutter that had to be beached, and an A-10 Warthog made splinters of one small boat with its 30mm Gatling gun. All in all, in the words of one commentator, it is silly to call it a no-fly zone when it is obvious that the target list goes well beyond just enforcing a no-fly zone.

The Patriot Post raised another question about the no-fly zone and the “humanitarian” basis for our undeclared war on Libya in the April 1st edition:

”Reasonable people have asked how Libya qualifies for a NATO-imposed no-fly zone and air strikes to neuter the Libyan military, but Syria is somehow different. Don’t the Syrians want exactly the same relief from a murderous, tyrannical government that the Libyans want? Isn’t the regime using deadly force against civilians? What happened to the “interests and values” about which Obama so sanctimoniously opined?”

And it is not just Syria that belies the veracity of the President’s stated rationale for taking us to war against Libya. Scan the news and you can find repressive regimes slaughtering people: Ivory Coast, Bahrain, and Yemen to name a few. Why just pick Libya? An easy target to build 2012 election campaign points? Doing the will of Europe for oil? Or something more devious? The President has said that the mission is not regime change, but it has been reported that a European diplomat admitted that the no-fly zone was but a diplomatic smokescreen designed to get Arab states on board with a military operation that had regime change as the real goal. I do not doubt it in the least. An author on the American Thinker website, in the same vein, ends his article asking:

“How do voters feel about Congress being sidelined to serve the interests of the Arab League?”

The President lies to the American people and gives Congress the mushroom treatment. Articulated or not, we are in a Constitutional crisis. When is Congress going to stand up and be counted? When is Congress going to act to protect the supremacy of our Constitution, the bulwark of our freedom?

See you Trackside.

Where were you Raj when your party was passing stimulus after stimulus, bailout after bailout of corporations that deserved to go under? Where were you while your party took over one industry after another? Where were you while your President advocated (and continues to advocate) centralization of the US economy, lead by an ineffective government?

After all Mr. Goyle, you are a prominent politician, a former ACLU lawyer who, according to your own campaign finance records, has numerous political contacts in Washington D.C. When your party was heading up the take over one industry after another, what were you doing to stop it? You say you want to represent the people of south-central Kansas, but in reality that is something you can do without a title or an office in D.C., isn’t it? So what have you done besides produce an ad to get yourself elected to stop the bailouts, to stop the madness?

Nothing Mr. Goyle. You’ve done nothing.

You’ve done nothing because you are 100% in lockstep with Speaker Pelosi and President Obama. Your lower than the corporations you skewer in your ads, a politician who will do anything, say anything to get elected.

Take a look at the ad and decide for yourself. Goyle has been described as charismatic and charming by some, but this ad certainly doesn’t show it. Goyle comes across as so wimpy he must feign anger at policies his party continues to support.

After the U.S. Senate results were in, Sen. John Cornyn issued a statement critical of the Democratic candidate, Lisa Johnston.

“Democrat nominee Lisa Johnston has clearly demonstrated that she would simply serve as another rubberstamp for President Obama and Harry Reid’s out-of-control economic agenda if she makes it to Washington.”

The “huh” moment came when the Kansas Democratic Party’s official blog came to Johnston’s aid by guarenteeing that she’ll be no rubberstamp. In fact according to them, it’s nothing more than mudslinging because, you know, she’s already told them she won’t be another rubberstamp for Harry Reid and Obama. She’s going to vote against her own party. You know, the party that’s posting her response on it’s own official blog.

“During a July 15, 2010 bipartisan candidate forum in Mound City, KS, Lisa was asked “Will you as a Senator vote according to the wishes of the people you represent even if it meant voting against your party line?” She replied, “Absolutely, without question. One of the things I am committed to is leading with integrity and having an independent mind.”

Independent mind? Right. Which is why the party’s official blog had to write about it. Because the Kansas Democratic Party has clearly demonstrated their willingness to fully support candidates that don’t 100% adhere to an all out liberal mind set.

Psst. Does party leadership’s endorsement of Chris Steineger ringer a bell? The name Mark Gilstrap jog anybody’s memory? The guy who voted against his party and got thanked with a party recruited and funded primary opponent?

Yea right, the KDP is going to support somebody who doesn’t tow the party line. Because they’ve clearly been so tolerant in the past.

Besides, how is she going to respond to a puff question like that?

“Oh yes, I believe 100% in the economic and social policies of our President and Harry Reid, both of which I know nearly 70% of the voting public in Kansas don’t approve of. I think what they’ve done for America is right on. I’d support government run health care that I know not a single sane Kansas voter supports and I’d pretty much go to Washington and jump however high Harry Reid told me I needed to jump.”

Now that would have been a truthful response. Of course it also would have been a suicidal response.

Oh, and by the way, I know the elitists at the KDP probably won’t figure this out anytime soon, but by continually referring to your candidate as, “Dr. Lisa Johnston,” all you’re doing to making her seem as if she’s better than the people she wants to represent. Only elitists like Johnston insist on people recognizing her educational status by calling her “Doctor.” We know power tripping on your students is educationally in vogue Lisa, but you should really get a grip on that before you have a Barbara Boxer moment at a candidate forum. I’m not sure what’s up with Democrats and their love of titles but apparently it’s a universal thing.

Maybe instead of Doctor, Lisa would prefer to be addressed as “Independent Doctor Lisa Johnston.” Or “Independent, committed, not a politician, independent, vote against my party, independent Doctor Lisa Johnston.” She could be like the educational elite who put more letters about how educated they are behind their name than are in their name.

Oh, that’d make an awesome “I approve this message” message.

“My name is Independent, committed, honorable, independent, not really a Democrat, independent, Doctor Pepper, independent, Doctor, Doctor Lisa Johnston, and I have to tell you I approve this message because I’m clearly smarter than you and I’m not quite sure you’d figure that out without me telling you.”

All kidding aside, does anybody really think Johnston (PhD, MD, DO, MSKJLEKKWIUTH, blah…) won’t be just another “Yes” vote for Reid and Obama?

Nah, I didn’t think so.

President Obama issued a “presidential determination” on Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

The presidential notice alters a key provision of the 1999 Defense Authorization Act that required that the president notify Congress whether a transfer of missile and space technology to China would harm the U.S. space-launch industry or help China’s missile programs.

Section 1512 of the 1999 law requires the president to certify to Congress in advance of any missile equipment or technology exports to China that the export will not harm the U.S. space-launch industry and that “missile equipment or technology, including any indirect technical benefit that could be derived from such export, will not measurably improve the missile or space launch capabilities of China.”

Why was this law necessary? Because Clinton-Gore Administration was very willing to sell missile technology to China in the 1990s. As a result, sensitive technology was passed along to China which may be used to vaporize American cities. But laws don’t seem to apply to President Obama, who governs by his own will while his media cheerleaders look the other way.

It was foolish for us to do this in the 1990s and is even more dangerous for us to do it now.

The chief sponsor of this resolution is Kansas National Committeewoman Helen Van Etten. Talking with her today she said,

“I feel the Republican National Committee needs to call on President Obama to restore strict limits on the transfer of missile and space technology to China and call on Congress to exercise its oversight authority to ensure that the Obama administration does not undermine United States security and sovereignty by selling valuable missile and space technology to China. “

If you agree, let your RNC representatives know as they’ll likely be voting on this later this month when they meet in Hawaii. You can find the Kansas RNC member info here and the other states’ RNC member info here.

Proposed Resolution to Keep U.S. Missile Technology from China

WHEREAS, President Obama’s socialist policies are advanced through unprecedented and colossal deficit spending involving trillions of dollars with this deficit spending being financed in significant part by Chinese purchase of U.S. treasury bonds; and

WHEREAS, China is the largest creditor of the United States, holding more than $750 billion dollars in U.S. government debt yet the Obama administration continues to try to persuade China to buy more U.S. treasury bonds and fails to address China’s concern about the devalued dollar due to Obama’s deficit spending; and

WHEREAS, on September 29th 2009, Obama shifted authority for approving sales of missile and space technology to China from the White House to the Commerce Department; a shift that loosens export controls and benefits Chinese missile development, and increases the possibility for “mishandled” missile technology transfers to China; and

WHEREAS, in the Clinton administration such a transfer of technology improved China’s long-range nuclear missile accuracy and reliability and also enabled the Chinese military to demonstrate an anti-satellite missile capability, which has become a major threat to U.S. military’s heavy reliance on satellites for command, control, and communication; and

WHEREAS, the Annual Report to Congress: Military Power of the People’s Republic of China, 2009 states that China continues to develop and field disruptive military technologies, including those nuclear, space, and cyber warfare, that are changing regional military balances and that have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region; and

WHEREAS, China has already begun to initiate hostile activities such as waging cyber warfare by attacking the Pentagon and White House computer networks; and

WHEREAS, the American people have good reason to be concerned about the demonstrated hostile actions and intentions of China directed toward the United States, Taiwan, and the rest of the world; and

WHEREAS, the American people have good reason to be concerned about the foreign policy implications of huge deficits that create a dependence on hostile foreign nations for financing; and

WHEREAS, the American people have good reason to be gravely concerned that President Obama is willing to trade missile technology to China in order to finance the huge deficits needed to fund his socialist policies;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

THAT the Republican National Committee calls on President Obama to restore strict limits on the transfer of missile and space technology to China and calls on Congress to exercise its oversight authority to ensure that the Obama administration does not undermine United States security and sovereignty by selling valuable missile and space technology to China

AND FURTHER THAT upon the approval of this resolution the Republican National Committee shall deliver a copy of this resolution to each of Republican members of Congress, all Republican candidates for Congress, as they become known, and to each Republican state and territorial party office.

Chief Sponsor:
Helen Van Etten, National Committeewoman for Kansas
Co-Sponsors:
Cathie Adams, State Chairman for Texas
Bruce Ash, National Committeeman for Arizona
Evie Axdahl, National Committeewoman for Minnesota
James Bopp, Jr. National Committeeman for Indiana
Donna Cain, National Committeewoman for Oregon
Cindy Costa, National Committeewoman for South Carolina
Demetra DeMonte, National Committeewoman for Illinois
Peggy Lambert, National Committeewoman for Tennessee
Carolyn McLarty, National Committeewoman for Oklahoma
Randall Pullen, State Chairman for Arizona
Pete Ricketts, National Committeeman for Nebraska
Steve Scheffler, National Committeeman for Iowa
Ruth Ulrich, National Committeewoman for Louisiana
Solomon Yue, National Committeeman for Oregon

Queen Kathleen and Democratic Senator Arlen Specter attended a town hall meeting in Philadelphia where the two were trying to convince a large audience that they knew what was best for the nations health care system. Imagine their surprise when the audience insisted they read legislation before they pass it and stop and think about what exactly they’re doing before they vote. Sounds reasonable, right? Not for Queen Kathleen.

Now, isn’t Kathleen Sebelius the one who was Governor of Kansas when they passed legislation, which, by the way, no Representative or Senator had read, that allowed the state to become the first in the nation to own casinos. And since that time, hasn’t the state only broken ground on one casino when four were planned and has had to bid and rebid casinos across the state because company after company passes on building in Kansas? Now, wasn’t gambling supposed to solve all of our state’s financial problems forever and ever Kathleen?

So, how did that bill that nobody read work out anyway???

So with that in mind, get a load of the explanation she tries to pass off to the crowd.

“I’ve never been in Congress.”

I love it! But you had no problem signing a bill as Governor that you knew full well no one had read. And look what it’s gotten us!

Oh, and isn’t Arlen Specter one of three “Republican” Senators who voted for a “Stimulus” bill that none of them had read?

That crowd had every right to boo not only Specter, but Sebelius right off the stage. Both have a clear history of endorsing the kind of behavior that has gotten us into this mess and they both deserve to be told exactly what they heard yesterday in Pennsylvania.

It just so happens that both topics came up this morning on a Kansas City talk radio program and Kris Kobach, constitutional law professor at UMKC, shared his views on both topics. Listen here.

Castro - Chavez - Ortega - Obama

Unfortunately, the labels and platitudes have confused what should be a simple charge. Elected Republicans should govern by the principles they profess in campaign rallies and advertisements. Those principles were once the difference between the parties. The Democratic Party has always been an amalgam of special interests and constituencies with specific needs and wants cobbled together with government programs and spending. The Republican Party, at its best, is a party of broad ideas and principles. For example, those who tend to vote Republican believe in limiting the size and scope of government and respect the guarantees of individual freedom and liberty of our Constitution; they respect life and its diversity; and they understand that free market capitalism, the glue that holds the Republican party, and our Nation, together, is both the most efficient and most moral economic system.

Elected Republicans, particularly in Congress, have expanded government; ignored the Constitution; bailed out failed big businesses with taxes collected from successful small businesses; and spent, and spent, and spent. The Republican Congressional network of wasteful earmarks, corporate welfare and politically motivated subsidies simply recast the Democratic model of purchasing votes (ethanol anyone?). Now, Republican leaders express surprise that in a fiscal arms race to decide which party can spend the most, the Democrats have won.

Republicans can only govern creatively and effectively when the deeds and actions of their candidates match their words.

Fox News headlines Sebelius tax problems

News is breaking today that Kathleen Sebelius has paid over $7,000 worth of back taxes over a three year period, thus becoming just another Obama nominee who loves to tax but apparently hates to pay up.

You can see all the articles here.

So far, Senate Democrats seem to still be behind her nomination but one has to wonder if it’s because there truly isn’t any problem with not paying taxes or if the administration is simply running out of options for the HHS post. Sebelius has previously been passed over for VP, other administration posts and was the second line choice for HHS. Maybe it has less to do with what is ethical and more to do with limited options.

This combined with problems of favoritism in Medcaid reimbursements and political and financial support from abortionist George Tiller, who is now under investigation from the Board of Healing Arts, has to be taking its toll.

My question is, would the “unintentional mistakes” have been caught if Sebelius hadn’t been nominated for HHS? Probably not. And that’s over $7,000 that the rest of us honest taxpaying citizens would have had to cough up.

Perhaps we should ask Obama to nominate more elected Democrats. It seems to be doing wonders for the government’s tax revenue.

The most demonstrative pro-abortion governor in the history of the United States has been selected by President Obama to become the Health and Human Services Secretary. Even though I am excited to have our Governor “out of Dodge” due to her horrible tax and spend policies as well as liberal thoughts on energy, I have great concern for the impact she will have in our nation regarding health care.

As HHS secretary, Sebelius will have a major impact in crafting a health care plans that could cover abortions with taxpayer funds or require insurance companies to cover abortions in their plans. Sebelius could also, if confirmed by the Senate, issue new regulations overturning the protections President Bush put in place that protect pro-life doctors and medical centers.

Sebelius is best known for her close relationship with late-term abortionist George Tiller, who has escaped prosecution and accountability on many occasions until just recently when a Wichita judge ordered the green light that his criminal case should be tried.

As Kansas governor for 6 years now, Sebelius’ lax standards has caused criminal cases to go uninvestigated. She has also dominated liberal campaigns with tainted abortion money through her political allies, to whom Tiller has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars not only to these allies directly, but to Sebelius’ own “Blue Stem” Fund. Her position favoring abortion is so radical and extreme that Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City called her to stop receiving communion until she disowns her support for the “serious moral evil” of abortion.

Governor Sebelius vetoed a bill last April that the legislature approved that would have strengthened the state’s limits on late-term abortions. That followed by a year her veto of a bill requiring explicit medical reasons for a late abortion, which was preceded by vetoing other pro-life legislation in 2006, 2005 and 2003. She has appointed pro-abortion politicians to posts and committees that oversee agencies that investigate the violation of Kansas Laws on abortion. And she has allowed late term abortions to continue even though Kansas Law specifically does not allow the horrible procedure.

Sebelius has had secret fundraisers with Tiller and Planned Parenthood, many times at the governor’s mansion, which she failed to officially report as a campaign event. Once again using Kansas ’ taxpayer money to promote and honor abortionist and abortion related industries and to raise money for her or her friends campaign coffers.

The good news is that now the national spotlight is on Sebelius and her illegal activities will be investigated and looked at from people across the nation. They will find out that Sebelius political machine makes Chicago politics look like a day at grammar school. Sebelius is cunning and liberal. She is far from the Blue Dog Democrat that the drive by media portrays. And her day in the Obama spotlight will provide the nation with a glimpse of the embarrassment we Kansan’s call, Governor!

As HHS secretary her damage to our country’s health services will be significant and her abortion power unyielding. More abortion parties and fundraisers to come!

Except this time the event location will be 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue !

Feeling like the last kid to get picked for the playground soccer game, it looks like Governor Sebelius will finally get picked after all the “good” nominees are taken.

Sebelius jumped on the Obama bandwagon early and so it was with a bit of surprise and a lot of laughter that the state got to see her rejected for a VP spot, then time after time after time rejected for a cabinet nomination. Only after the fall of numerous nominees did Sebelius finally get her life long wish to leave Kansas.

It’s unfortunate that Gov. Sebelius might still be in a position to harm Kansans. If confirmed, she’ll have a national audience to try her brand of socialized medicine rather than just one state.

On the up side, I can’t wait for the U.S. Senate to dig into her ties to George Tiller. There have been numerous reports that her nomination was tied up due to her close ties to the notorious abortionist. What sweet justice that the man who was her main financier may be the one who keeps her from furthering her political career.

The Johnson County bloggers at Red County have a nice list posted of what our children and grandchildren will be paying for in the years to come.

I’ll share some of my favorites:

• $1 billion for NASA
• $2 billion to develop advanced batteries for hybrid cars
• $650 million for the digital TV converter box coupon program (because reality TV spurs the economy)
• $3.7 billion to conduct “green” renovations on military bases (I thought they already wore camo?)
• $1 billion for the 2010 Census (to count just over 305 million people)
• $3.4 billion for fossil energy research (Remember folks, it’s the green Democrats that voted for that…)
• $98 million earmarked for a polar icebreaker (this one just puzzles me, couldn’t we just wait for ‘em to melt?)
• $500 million for forest health and wildfire prevention
• $25 million for the Smithsonian Institution
• $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts

Finally, my ultimate favorite two:

• $10 million for urban canals
• $290 million for flood prevention

If I have to explain why that’s funny, we’re in real trouble.

Nostimulus.com surpassed half a million signatures in the waning hours of the spendulus debate, but it made no difference to the Democrats or three “moderate” Republican Senators. The site is still up if you just feel a need to sign it. I’m sure AFP will keep ownership of the domain name. I have a feeling this won’t be the last “stimulus.”

During the House and Senate debate I had a nightmarish flashback to the last time a legislative body voted on a massive piece of legislation without reading it.

Of course, everyone by now knows what a cash cow state-owned casinos turned out to be for Kansas. And not allowing legislative oversight in the bill, that was an excellent idea. I can only imagine what American citizens will learn about this spending bill over the next year or two.

U.S. House rules state that all conference committee reports must be made available for 3 calendar days before a vote to allow Representatives to read the bill. The Democrat controlled House passed a special resolution to waive that rule so a vote on the 1100 page bill could be taken not even 24 hours after it’s final draft was made available.

Democrat Reps and Senators must be very fast readers.

I can think of a few high points though. Every Representative and all but three Republican Senators voted against the bill. What a dramatic return to conservative principles. It’s certainly refreshing to see that most of our Republican officials intimately understand what lost them the election and what they need to do to begin to win again.

Imagine if Republicans had acted like Republicans several years ago.

Other Kansas spendulus blog posts:

Kansas Meadowlark – “‘Yes We Can’ Pass $787 Billion ‘Stimulus’ Without Anyone in Congress Reading the Bill”
Red County JoCo – The short list of your grandchildren’s debt
Wichita Liberty – NoStimulus.com Effort Crosses 200,000 Petitions
Wichita Liberty – Tim Phillips of AFP explains NoStimulus.com
StimulusWatch.org – Lists all Kansas Stimulus projects

Gov. Sebelius caring for Greensburg tornado victims

I’m going to make a simple request of Gov. Sebelius: Either get out or get to work.

Over the past six years your administration has created far too many problems for the taxpayers of this state to put on hold while you prance around Washington trying to sell yourself for a job you already told everyone you didn’t want.

Leadership doesn’t mean you propose a budget that neither takes into account the full extent of the crisis facing our state nor realistic solutions to the problem. Honest and truthful leaders don’t tell the voters they are staying to solve a budget crisis, criticize legislative leaders trying to find solutions to our money problems and then jump ship when you see greener pastures.

Those actions are not the actions of an honest, trustworthy leader. They are the actions of a self-seeking, egotistical politician. So if you are unwilling or unable to do the work of the citizens of Kansas, move on so true Republican leaders can find solutions to problems you helped create.

Kansas’ problems simply can’t be trumped by your sales pitch to the Obama administration. Either get out or get to work.

What has interested me the most is the piggybacking by various media and companies. Some of it is real, some imagined and some incidental. But it all has to do with the “O” symbol that graced everything Obama during the campaign.

The worst offender I’ve experienced has been CBS. They recently had a “Yes We Can Monday.” I personally have no problem with a theme night to support a new President. In fact, it is wholly American to want to rally around a new leader.

But is CBS encouraging patriotism or Obamatism (if that’s a word)? It’s troubling that months out from the election, we’re continuing to see the “Obama symbol” showing up in place of truly American symbols.

What would have been said in Sept. 2001 if large W’s had been slapped on cars and buildings rather than the American flag? Would the public have tolerated that? I’m certain CBS wouldn’t have had a “W Wednesday.”

I got a lot of emails during the campaign with many unkind things to say about Obama. Many were true but many weren’t as well.

However, one hit the mark in retrospect. It showed different pictures of Obama’s “O” symbol on everything from his plane to clothing. The email questioned his patriotism because the “O” replaced the American flag in many places. Is that okay during a campaign? In my opinion, no. But that doesn’t concern me nearly as much as the same campaign graphics showing up on national TV two months later.

Pepsi unveiled a new logo in the past week or so, and it’s eerily similar to another logo. Can you guess which one?

Bank of America seems to have the same thoughts as the Obama campaign. Although, they thought of it first. I wonder if they’re considering a copyright lawsuit? Well, nothing some “economic stimulus” funds can’t fix!

And finally, don’t think American companies are the only one’s thinking “Obamaness”. Check out the Korean Airlines symbol. But, Korean Airlines has had the same logo for years, so it’s not like they’re Pepsi and redesigned their logo to be more, I don’t know, Obama-lite.

Well, here’s to four more years of unbiased rule!