Bold - Brash - Funny

For three years we’ve been forced to hear what Obama inherited and listen to his loyal lemmings harp about how bad a hand he was dealt...time to set some facts straight!

First look at Reagan, by the end of the summer of Reagan's third year in office, the economy was soaring. The GDP growth rate was 5% and racing toward 7%, even 8% growth. In 1983 and '84 output was growing so fast the biggest worry was that the economy would "overheat." In the summer of 2011 we have an economy limping along at barely 1% growth and by some indications headed toward a "double-dip" recession. By the end of Reagan's first term, it was Morning in America. Today there is gloomy talk of America in its twilight with unemployment of 8% or 9% and real output of about 1 percent.

Next let’s look at President Bush, he was “dealt” 9/11 and all that came with it and now is the never ending source of “war under false pretenses” or he “passed this mess on to Obama” crap.  First point of fact is the Bush debt is backend loaded and in large part due to the 2006 elections and all the spending Pelosi pushed.  Second, is that Obama has almost doubled in three years what Bush did in eight and it took the 2010 election and Tea Party to slow his never ending appetite for spending down.

Another case for comparison since 44 is turning out to be the 44th worst President is him to Truman.  He had to take the economy for a full war footing and manufacturing base and ensure that the post war America economy was not a bust with massive layoffs.  He also was forced to deal with a post WWII Soviet Union and massive communist expansion to include Korea.  In short Truman inherited far worse and never played the “Roosevelt” card.

It’s time to cut the incessant whining and admit that this administration is to blame for where we are as a country.  Its past time to call the progressive far left agenda and reckless mess that Keynesian economics have created what it is...a total failure on all fronts.  We have a President that champions being a victim and has his minions out in mass for three years selling this sack of rank, ripe, nasty, cow dung to cover for a woeful lack of competence on the issues and a dismal failure of leadership on any problem facing our great nation.

America looks like a second rate, cry baby nation, wallowing in self pity because the leader of the country engages in these very un-American traits.  One thing is for sure 2012 will usher in a new president that as a minimum must show some backbone, courage, and Reagan like traits that personify American exceptionalism. 

More at www.victorluebker.com

Tea Party Tactics and Strategy,

Tea Party Friends 2010 was a massive election win and historic by all measures, those of us that believe in limited and controlled government and fiscal responsibility won big!  The fact that the win was so big and so many voted shows just how powerful the TP message is in America, we are now on the verge of our biggest vote since that election; the budget.  It’s important that we now stay focus on tactics and strategy going forward.

On tactics we have to continue to fight each battle to the end.  In the case of the current debt vote and future votes we keep fighting until the vote is cast for the deal WE want and voted for!  Don’t back down because the progressive left is pulling out all the stops again with same  the ugly name calling and rhetoric we dealt with going into the 2010 election.  I’m here to tell you it will get worse and the name calling and charges will be stronger than ever so it’s a must we keep a united front.   When our debt gets downgraded, and it will….they (progressive left) will blame us vs. the real cause, out of control spending and unchecked government.   There is no value to giving in early as it will weaken our position in future negotiations.  Fact is, we stopped the progressive movement dead in its tracks in 2010 and are now backing the train off the tracks to fix the mess.  Call your reps, attend meetings, and make your voice heard until there is a vote on our terms!

On strategy, we need to always be looking at the larger war on fiscal responsibility, liberty, limited and non-intrusive government, and we have to continue to be the voice of reason and responsibility in the room.    It does us no good to attack others on the right in the heat of a battle to cut the debt.  It gives the left and progressive movement that is trying very desperately to divide us free ammo.  It takes us off message and further gives the message to the far left in this country.  They will make us the story not the debt and the issues facing America.  In short….it’s very BAD strategy to fight two battles at the same time when one is internal to the ranks.  Dealing with political leaders on the right that we feel are not fighting hard enough is best saved for the 2012 election and after the core issue (debt) has been won.  Having the major outlets and online blogs talking about a fight form us with Speaker Boehner is shortsighted and gives ammo to an enemy with and an empty gun…why do it???

Advocate openly, aggressively, and publicly about this issue (debt) until the vote is cast.  Don’t get sucked into side conversations about the Speaker of the House and side deals.  Once the bill is signed or not we access and build a plan for the next steps that ARE required to save the country from collapse and ensure political leaders report to us, elections count, we proved that and 2012 we will again.  Stay strong, stay focused and keep a wary eye on those that seek to divide and concur!

Victor Luebker is a conservative blogger, speaker, and serves as the national coordinator for the Armed Forces Tea Party.

More at www.victorluebker.com

The Downfall of a President,

Last night we saw the unofficial end of the Obama Presidency.  His speech last night was a last ditch appeal from him, to Americans to save his Presidency from a Legislative branch that has turned its back on him.  He reached out with worn out phrases and references to the mess he created, the grand ideas that have never taken hold and his unwillingness to put policy ahead of ideology.  It was really a sad sight to see him use the national stage to beg for a lifeline, all the while still not offer a plan on how to solve a mess he made far worse than it ever needed to be.  I felt like I was watching that Regis Philbin game show “who wants to be a millionaire”  and any minute my phone was going to ring with the President asking me for the answer to the question “How do I tackle the debt”?

This is a President that I feel even Harry Reid has given up on and decided that the only “Hope” for America is to “Change” who is in the White House.  I’m of the strong belief that even his own party knows how weak he is on leadership, how stubborn he is on ideology, and how badly he has alienated the business community.  The ship of state is adrift and all sides know where the blame lies and have taken public and private measures to marginalize Mr. Obama.

From now through the 2012 election you’ll see an increasingly more aggressive Legislative branch force feed the President the policies they want addressed and carve him out of the process of making decisions.  All sides are fed up with his empty ideas, over stated dooms day predictions, and his general lack of executive ability on the national stage. He is good in front of a crowd with practiced lines…he is the cartoon penguin of DC…”Smile and wave boys, just smile and wave”.

In short he was a great story when he was elected and once the glitter and glitz wore off in public and private, people soon realized how empty the suit really is.  From his aloof stance with other world leaders, to his my way or the highway smug tactics with republicans, and his constant bashing of business via class warfare rhetoric and over regulation he has been a disaster like no other President in the last 100 years.

Tonight in what could have been his first real defining moment and opportunity to have a Reagan style breakout with Americans and he blew it.  He came out whining and begging for you to save him from himself and all the people around him; that in his egocentric mind are to blame for all the ills he has inherited.    This is a guy that luck boxed his way to the top executive position in the country and now we are all paying the price.  Thank god that even Democrats, albeit in private see through the gimmicks, poll tested words, and talking points.  Today is the dawn of a new day, the post Obama Presidency…..and for that we can all find some relief!

More at www.victorluebker.com

Greece can’t solve a problem of too much debt by taking on even more. We will note, however, that by some measures, the United States is even more deeply in hock than Greece.

Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio is 143%. America’s is officially 97%. But the $14.3 trillion national debt, stacked up against a $14.7 trillion economy, doesn’t tell the whole story. Look at these numbers:

• $14.3 trillion: “official” national debt

• $5 trillion: Amount Uncle Sam is on the hook for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

• $62 trillion: Total liabilities and unfunded obligations for Social Security and Medicare

That doesn’t count the black box of bailouts.

We know how much the Federal Reserve doled out in emergency loans: $16.1 trillion between Dec. 1, 2007, and July 21, 2010. We know that because yesterday the Government Accountability Office completed its first-ever audit of the Fed, made possible largely through the persistence of Rep. Ron Paul (R.-Tex.) making that audit, however incomplete, the law.

What we don’t know is how much of that has been paid back.  “We have literally injected about $5.3 trillion,” said Dr. Paul earlier this month during his questioning of Fed chief Ben Bernanke, “and I don't think we got very much for it. The national debt went up $5.1 trillion.”

Bernanke did not challenge those figures.

“To get our overall fiscal gap under control,” writes Boston University professor Laurence Kotlikoff in Bloomberg, “the U.S. must cut spending or raise tax revenue by $20 trillion over the next decade, far more than either the president wants or the House Republicans seek.”

Yep: The latest number we see bruited in Washington is $3 trillion. Whatever the final number -- and there will be a last-minute deal; there always is -- it will be substantially less than $20 trillion over 10 years. The can will be kicked as it keeps getting kicked in Greece.

We note here that the total of outstanding credit default swaps on U.S. Treasuries crested $4.8 billion this week. Uncle Sam has now surpassed Greece in this category.

Measured in year-over-year change, America is number one: Net notional CDS outstanding grew 109%. That means there’s double the bets out there on a U.S. default compared with a year ago.

“You may not know this, but the U.S. has actually defaulted a number of times already,” writes Chris Mayer this morning. He cites five instances:

• 1779: The government was unable to redeem the continental currency issued during the Revolutionary War

• 1782: The colonies defaulted on the debt they took out to pay for the war

• 1862: During the Civil War, the Union failed to redeem dollars for gold at terms stated by the debt contracts

• 1934: FDR defaults on the debt issued to finance World War I, refusing to redeem it in gold. The dollar is devalued 40% against gold

• 1979: A bureaucratic snafu results in interest going unpaid on some small bills.

“With the exception of 1979,” Chris says, “which was mostly due to administrative confusion -- the U.S. simply ran out of money each time. The end result was the dollar had to be devalued. Meaning it lost significant purchasing power.

“My guess is that the U.S. will default again. It may not technically be called that, but the only way for the U.S. to meet its financial obligations is to print a lot of money.”

What does that mean in practical terms?  In Greece, professor Savas Robolis at Panteion University in Athens reckons that by 2015, the average Greek employee and pensioner’s standard of living will have fallen 40% compared with 2008.

Even now, Americans are turning to their credit cards to pay for groceries and gas. According to First Data Corp., the volume of gasoline purchases put on credit cards jumped 39% over the last 12 months.

You don’t want to be the average American in a default scenario, whenever it arrives. Ray Dalio, the head of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s biggest hedge fund, puts that day in “late 2012 or early 2013.”  Story is a re-print from Forbes magazine.   The Path to Debt in America by Addison Wiggin originally appeared in the Daily Reckoning.

More at www.victorluebker.com

10 ways to fix America:

1. Balanced budget amendment – We should expect our political leaders to balance a dam budget as a basic job requirement.

2. Term limits – No reason for lifetime politicians like Charlie Rangel, it just encourages self interest over the national welfare.

3. Fix the tax code to end all the loopholes and deductions – It’s time, period!

4. Workfare not Welfare - expect something for something not something for nothing – Why do we not require drug testing and some contribution to the national good in exchange for the funds your fellow Americans give you…is that really too much to ask?

5. 10% cut in budget across the board – It can be done and saying over wise is just false.

6. Tackle immigration issues and force all companies to document and pay payroll taxes on labor – You can’t take money out of the economy without it impacting us all.  Time even illegal’s get taxed and companies document their status as employees not even a secret economy.

7. End foreign aid to countries we owe money to.  Aid should be considered payment on debt – Why do we pay twice to countries we owe money too? 

8. Build America, a national infrastructure overhaul – National, massive projects!

9. Go to the moon and beyond don't give space to Russia and China – Space is America’s domain and a source of our frontier identity, we own space…pay for NASA and manned flight.

10. Expect Gen Y to do more than whine! – Sorry but you’re not entitled to $50k jobs out of college….earn your keep and start by replacing the worded entitled with sacrifice!

More at www.victorluebker.com