Yes, the Democrats recovered quickly from Wednesday's butt-kicking at the hands of Romney.  The myriad of excuses for Obama's poor performance cooked up today by campaign staff and the media are nothing short of astounding in their ridiculousness.

They range from the thin air in Denver, to the failure of Jim Lehrer to stifle Romney's challenge of Obama's phony facts, to the fact that Romney simply lied.

Romney lied?  Lied about what?  Excuse me, but exactly what promises has he made to the American people that he has broken?  This is nothing but a cheap and childish and desperate attack, especially considering its source.

After all, Obama has done nothing but present half-truths and outright lies for four years, repeating them over and over until the typical brain-dead liberal can recite them as scripture.  There's an old saying invoking the actual color of kettles versus pots, but I will refrain from giving the race-baiters any ammunition.

But I digress.  The unemployment numbers came out today, and Democrats across the country danced in the streets with what they claim to be new and certain proof that Obama's policies are indeed working, and that the Republicans can go suck eggs.

Let's examine these unemployment numbers.  From the government's own website, the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

"The unemployment rate decreased to 7.8 percent in September, and total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 114,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today."

We are supposed to believe that adding 114,000 jobs lowered the (U3) unemployment number by three tenths of a percent, down to 7.8% ?  Using some simple math, this means there are roughly 38,000,000 employed in this country (basic math).

That number isn't even close, so there must be some other way to calculate this magical indicator of our economic health.  Let's go back to the BLS website:

"The unemployment rate declined by 0.3 percentage point to 7.8 percent in September...The number of unemployed persons, at 12.1 million, decreased by 456,000 in September."

Interesting enough, with only 114,000 jobs added in September, the number of people unemployed fell by 456,000.  I wonder what happened to the other 342,000 people in September.

So according to our government, the true number of people unemployed today is 12.1 million,  This represents 7.8% of the labor force, then that puts our labor force a bit over 155,100,000:

"The civilian labor force rose by 418,000 to 155.1 million in September while the labor force participation rate was little changed at 63.6%."

155,100,000 people, at a 63.6% utilization rate, yields 98,600,000 people with jobs and there are 56,500,000 members of this "labor force" who apparently don't want to look for work.

I find the 42.1 million person difference between those "in the labor force" who don't want to work and those who are "officially counted" as unemployed a bit mind boggling.

Government math is indeed confusing.  I wonder how they ever balance their checkbook?

Voter ID Law - What's the Problem?

As a Libertarian with strong conservative values, it is easy to identify the viewpoint of the far-left extremist.  And the dogged opposition from the left towards adopting a Voter ID law is a perfect example.


Photo ID is required to cash a check, to rent a car, to buy alcohol, to use a credit card, to board a plane - yet those on the left claim any photo ID law is simply a "ploy to disenfranchise" voters.  Talk about your conspiracy theories...

If fraud is so small as to make no difference in an election, then why such staunch opposition to a voter ID law?  What is there to hide?  And convictions for voter fraud are difficult to obtain, which yields ammunition to the argument that "actual"voter fraud is non-existent.

Of course, using this logic, I feel all warm and fuzzy to know that only 1055 people cheated on their taxes in 2010.  Or at least that's how many people were actually convicted by the IRS - and those guys have some serious stroke!

In truth, voter fraud during presidential elections is extremely small by percentage.  But where it truly makes a difference is during state and county elections, the local governmental positions which most directly effect the citizens who vote.

When you claim that a voter ID law is a Republican ploy, are you implying that Democrats are the only ones who attempt to commit voter fraud?  Or is it that Democrats are the party incapable of obtaining photo IDs?  What exactly are Democrats so afraid of when it comes to protecting the voting rights of the citizens of this country?  And why do you never hear of Democrats complaining about Republican voter fraud?

Voting is a right, but it is a "qualified" right, subject to citizenship, residency, age, etc.  You have a right to withdraw money from your own bank account at any time, but you must be "qualified" through proper identification to exercise that right.  In the same manner, you should be made to prove that you are indeed a resident of the county in which you wish to cast your ballot.

As to that 80-year old "people" you know who will be unable to vote if Texas enacts a photo ID law, perhaps she should make it a priority to obtain a photo ID if she wishes to continue to exercise her right to vote.  What is disgraceful is how Democrats always use Grandma to defend their continued quest to allow non-citizens to vote, or to pay voters to cast multiple ballots as they are bused around the counties on election night.

If the government were to establish a "national photo ID" and provide it at a minimal cost to all citizens, would this make Democrats happy?  It certainly should, if the disenfranchisement of legal voters was the true root of their opposition.

Finally, the US has a voter turnout averaging 48% over the last fifty years (55% for general, 40% off-year).  If anyone feels "disenfranchised" during any election, you still have two years in which to obtain the proper identification.

What does it take to vote in an election?  Before you can vote in any election, you must first register.  In order to register to vote, you must prove:

you are a United States citizen;

you are 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you file this form (note: you must be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary or other election in which you want to vote);

you live at your present address at least 30 days before an election;

you are not in jail or on parole for a felony conviction and;

you cannot claim the right to vote elsewhere.

If you meet these requirements, you are then issued a Voter Registration card.  What's the problem with adding a photo to that card?

Cost prohibitive?  Oh, please - with the $14 trillion that Obama will have added to our debt before he's run out of office, not counting the next decade of Obamacare taxes, don't tell me that it will cost the taxpayers too much.  If there is one thing Washington is NOT opposed to, it's the spending our money.

Another Christmas Miracle

In a grand display of self-sacrifice, Obama sent his wife and kids off to Hawaii without his glorious presence, so that he might save Christmas for 160 million Americans.  And, by remaining on the job, he's managed another in an unending series of historic accomplishments:  a two month extension of his Payroll Tax Holiday!  Once again, America is saved - praise be to Obama!  Hallelujah!

You see, Democrats are all about fairness and social justice. And they display a bulldog-like tenacity when protecting the Holiest of Holies, Social Security and Medicare.  Woe to unto any evil Republican who might taketh away thine rightful benefits, especially in this season of giving.

Would it be that we mere commoners were intelligent enough to divine the great and powerful Obama's master plan, we would see that the best way to preserve Social Security is to have everyone who still earns a paycheck pay less into it.  This stroke of genius falls right into line with the Democrat's idea that unemployment checks are the fastest way to stimulate our economy.  Who are we to dare argue with the great minds of Washington?

I know, I know...saving Social Security by diverting funds from it does seem rather contradictory, even hypocritical.  Some say this is because Democrats fail to see the difference between FICA, which is arguably not a tax, but collected and tied to benefits such as Social Security and Medicare, and all other taxes meant to fund the out-of-control federal bureaucracy.

We must remember not to lose our faith; we must remember to not question our rulers, for they have the knowledge of things we mortals cannot possibly comprehend.  We must truly believe that diverting funds away from the two signature programs of Democrats is not an obvious attempt to purchase votes from those in this country still ignorant enough to believe in that most ethereal of promises, Hope and Change.

Even though the irony of this promise is becoming more obvious each day, as most have lost hope of ever seeing any change, we must not forget the fact that the true mystery of Obama's holy mantra may be beyond our comprehension as lowly taxpayers.

Yet, even after all of this, you would begrudge Dear Leader his well-earned time of rest?  Blasphemer!  You are not fit to remain in the collective.

Quote of the Day:

Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome who have so enthusiastically acclaimed and adored him and rejoiced in their loss of freedom and danced in his path and gave him triumphal processions.  Blame the people who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of the "new, wonderful, good society" which shall now be Rome's, interpreted to mean "more money, more ease, more security, more living fatly at the expense of the industrious."

Marcus Tillius Cicero (106 - 40 B.C.)

Take The Quiz!

Damn - I only scored 3 out of 9.  What this shows is that, in spite of the myriad of insane demands by this Flea Bagger "movement," there is common ground between all Americans when it comes to the failure of our government and its migration to corporatism.

There are major divides, however, when it comes to solutions.  The Flea Baggers want more government and more spending, a $20 minimum wage, a waiver of all debt, free health care, free college education, or any of the other bits of equine excreta espoused by the "Occupy Wall Street" cretins that I noticed the "quiz" failed to touch upon.

This "quiz" was a weak attempt to give some shred of credibility to the senseless protests of these spoiled group of societal freeloaders, angry that they may just have to work for a living.  A fine example of the manipulation by the media.  As you should understand by watching Fox News, it is easy to get the answers you're looking for, if you simply ask the right questions.

Quote of the day:  "Just when the protest seemed to turn violent, the police managed to disperse the crowd by firing job applications at them."

As for the true problems we face, we can all agree that for too long, politicians have bowed to corporate interests.   The problem has gotten completely out of hand, so much so that Obama doesn't even try to hide it anymore.  He has made up his mind that his administration will decide which businesses, industries, and institutions will succeed and which will fail.  As we have seen, our government has an extremely poor track record in picking winners and losers.

It comes as no surprise that this administration's choices have favored his biggest campaign contributors, which receive favorable legislation as repayment for their continued support.  But, as both the Tea Party and the Flea Baggers have implied, America has the best form of government that money can buy.

Word of advice:  watch what Obama does over the next few months, and notice the complete abandonment of his 2008 theme of uniting America.  Knowing he has almost no chance of re-election, he is like a wounded animal that has been cornered by his own undeniable record of failure.

Now that numerous scandals of his failed and corrupt administration are coming to light, I wonder how much longer he will continue to blame everyone else for his own shortcomings.  Any person of character would accept responsibility of his office and either change course, as Clinton did, or resign, as Nixon did.  Unfortunately, Obama does not possess such character, as we have seen by his arrogant yet incompetent leadership.

His rhetoric will be become exponentially more divisive as the elections grow near, and his frustration with what he sees as "GOP opposition" to his socialist agenda may yet bring out the radical leftist he has tried to so hard, and spent so much, to conceal from the public.

But, as long as Team Obama keeps driving the wedge deeper, we will continue to fight each other instead of facing our common enemy.  And because of voter ignorance and gullibility, a slick campaign and a billion dollars is apparently all that is required these days to rent a room at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Running a campaign and running a country are not the same thing, and it has become painfully obvious that a two years as a Senator from Illinois did nothing to prepare Obama for the most difficult job on the planet.  And a bunch of entitled college students selfishly whining about the burden of their self-inflicted student loans cannot possibly be compared to a genuine political movement such as the Tea Party.

Harry's Got it Handled

I'm not sure what upsets me the most about all this, Reid's insistence of a new "millionaire tax" or the fact that Washington would even consider passing this "Stimulus, Jr" spending bill.  Considering the failure of it's predecessor, it is fairly easy to understand why Obama is shying away from using the term "Stimulus."

Knowing full well this "jobs" bill will do nothing but bail-out another round of public employees, the goal is to fund this politically-motivated spending bill by adding a half-trillion to our debt.

To claim this latest bail-out will be "paid for" by a decade of yet-unrealized revenue is an insult to the taxpayer's intelligence.  How do these Congressional cretins think they amassed a $14 trillion debt in the first place?

Even if this new "millionaire's tax" actually meets the revenue expectations of what we spend today, don't expect this tax to disappear after 10 years.

Clown Prince Harry may fool some of the idiots out there, but this is not a method to finance Obama's already-doomed "Jobs Act."  It's just the progressive's method of raising taxes on everyone, slowly, surely, and permanently, so that the size of our government and it's out of control spending can grow forever.