Constitution Sunday (on Tuesday) - Balanced Budget Amendment

The Constitution does not limit the amount of debt that the United States may incur. Congress borrows money by issuing bonds and Treasury certificates. At different points in our nation's history (for instance, now), shy high deficit spending has resulted in public support for a constitutional amendment that require a balanced budget. These two articles (one by Rich Lowry and one by Daniel Indiviglio) take countering points of view. Lowry is a very smart and conservative guy, but too often takes the overly pragmatic path. The Constitution, with its enumerated powers, consent of the governed principle and checks and balances was intended by the Founding Fathers to be a restraint on the potential power of the Federal government. The Founding Fathers considered and were concerned about the possibility that an uninformed electorate could cede some of that power back to the governing class. That is exactly the situation we are in now and in order to back away from the abyss, I think it may be time for some more Constitutional restraints. The Balanced Budget Amendment is one whose time has come. Indiviglio presents a good case.

Good Guy of the Week - Feminists For Life

Good Guy of the Week can obviously include women. Feminists For Life is a pro-life nonprofit organization. Their motto? "Women deserve better than abortion. Refuse to choose." Actresses Patricia Heaton and Margaret Colin are honorary chairs of this organization. Pat Goltz and Cathy Callaghan founded FFL in 1972. This feminist organization is very unlike most others of its kind. This organization actually supports life and not the women's right to "choose."

Quote of the Week - Samuel Adams

"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders."

-Samuel Adams

Important Current Event - Debt Ceiling Debate

For the second week in a row, this is the news story that most "adults" are watching closest. The country's real conservatives are all over the map on this one. Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has presented at least a couple of different plans to address this issue and he got enough votes to get one of them through the House - only to be voted down unceremoniously by Harry Reid and his ilk in the Senate. The Republicans who are voting against the Boehner plan want deeper budget cuts and they want them now, now, now. They also want a Balanced Budget Amendment - and their obstinacy and principles forced Boehner to accede to their wishes for a vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment in the latest roll-out of his Bill (the one that passed on Friday). The Dems who are voting against Boehner's bill aren't sure what they want, but it isn't fiscal discipline. Some of them (most) want higher taxes on the "wealthy" who are already paying the large percentage of the bills. All of them are playing politics with the debt ceiling, trying to figure out a way to make the Republicans look bad. Whose fault is it that we have a bunch of petulant children representing us in our Representative Government? Ours, of course. Or at least those of us who believe that we should exercise our right to vote, but don't believe that we should take time away from reality TV to get informed about the important issues facing our country. I am being way too gracious here. I am using the collective us and we when I don't really intend to include myself in the ill-informed, misinformed group of voters who are responsible for the mess we are in. If we want to be represented by adults, we have to act like adults when we go to the polls. Get informed. Start with the Constitution. Now, back to the ongoing debate. Here are some good articles to help get you informed. Thomas Sowell supports the Boehner plan. Andy McCarthy doesn't. Both are way smarter than me. I'll go with the wisdom of Thomas Sowell on this one, but I'll also say keep chargin' Tea Party!

This Week in History- President Eisenhower signs "In God We Trust" into Law

On July 30, 1956 President Eisenhower signed a law officially declaring "In God We Trust" to be our nation's motto. The phrase would also be printed on paper money. The phrase was printed on coins long before, during the Civil War era. In 1954 at a Flag Day speech, Eisenhower stated that, "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

Historical Site - Mount Rushmore

Located near Keystone, South Dakota, this historical site was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln. The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres and is 5,725 feet above sea level. Doane Robinson (a South Dakota historian) first came up with the idea to carve the likenesses of famous people into the Needles to attract tourists. Borglum rejected the Needles and decided to carve Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt (Teddy), and Lincoln into Mt. Rushmore. Construction began in 1927 and the faces were completed between '34 and '39. The original concept was to depict each president from head to waist, but lack of funding caused construction to end in October of '41. The U.S. National Park Service now manages the memorial that attracts approximately 2 million people annually.

Bad Guy of the Week - La Raza (The Race)

The Left-wing of the United States would have you believe that the organization known as the National Council of La Raza is a just a friendly ethnic based lobbying organization concerned about the well-being of "latinos." We would also be called racists for pointing out evidence that raises doubt about their agenda. So be it. The irreplaceable Michelle Malkin lays out the case against La Raza in this article. Here is a sampling, but read the whole article:

- "The Race" supports driver's licenses for illegal aliens.

- "The Race" demands (yes, demands) in-state tuition discounts for illegal alien students that are not available to law-abiding citizens and law-abiding legal immigrants.

- "The Race" opposes a secure fence on the border - of course.

- "The Race" has consistently opposed post-9/11 security measures at every turn.

- "The Race" bitterly protested common-sense voter ID provisions as an "absolute disgrace."

- "The Race" thrives on ethnic supremacy - and the people's unwillingness to call it what it is. Victor Davis Hanson has no problem "calling a spade a spade" - "The organization's very nomenclature is hate speech to the core." La Raza, of course, means The Race. Can anyone even imagine the outcry if a group of white people called themselves "The Race." How long would it take the Main stream media to denounce them as Neo-Nazis?

La Raza........Bad Guys!