WASHINGTON'S EVER-GROWING ARROGANCE

Unless you have ever had the misfortune of dealing with law enforcement or the octopus-like arms of a civil attorney suing you, perhaps you haven't had this moment in life just yet. It's that moment when you finally realize the phrase "They can't do that" no longer means anything.

When you tell a police officer they have no "probable cause" to do something, the unabashed answer now is "I don't need any". When the attorney buries you under meaningless, unending paperwork or frivolous delays that cost you more and more each day, it's easy to think "They can't do that". When local officials double or triple your tax bills you can't help but say "They can't do that!" They can.

The truth is people in positions of authority or control do things every day because for the past 40 years Americans have not said "No. You can't do that!" We have given away far too much power to those who will abuse it.

The latest example comes from our Congress in Washington.

Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) have issued a letter to fifty of the nations largest health insurance providers asking for all manner of financial data. Their arrogance to ask private companies to reveal the information is based on anger that the insurance companies would actually fight back against a group of political radicals who are out to put them out of business.

Waxman and Stupak have absolutely no right to ask for the information but they do have the power to be abusive, declare the corporate officers in Contempt of Congress and basically make their lives miserable. "They can't do that" you say? Think again. This pattern of behavior goes back to the days of McCarthyism and Black Lists.

Think of it this way. If a local government official sent you a letter saying they wanted to know all your spending habits, just how much money you had in the bank, what you were planning on doing in the future with your money and a variety of other invasive questions, how would you feel?

President Obama gave another one of his pompous smoke screen talks Wednesday claiming it was a "moral obligation" to support his health care boondoggle. The real truth is that Americans do have a moral obligation they must exercise. That obligation is to remove current members of Congress from office.

It's the politicians turn to moan and cry "They can't do that!", but we can. 2010 is just around the corner. Get to work on that goal today.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WATCHED THIS MOVIE?

Sure, most of you weren't even around in 1939 so unless you were lucky enough to have an older adult set you down in front of this movie, you've probably never seen it.

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" is an American 1939 comedy/drama film starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, about one man's effect on American politics.

James Stewart established himself as a leading actor with this film, the one he is perhaps most identified with - and it was the fifth film he made in 1939. He was again teamed with his co-star Jean Arthur (in the role of a cynical secretary) from the previous year's Best Picture winner, Capra's You Can't Take It With You (1938). Stewart's character represents the powerful forces of American freedom, democracy and morality over oppression and evil in his emotional portrait of a naive, idealist, patriotic young politician who, after being sent to Washington (a symbol of liberty and democracy) as a junior senator from an un-named state, matures in wisdom, fights political corruption within his state's political machine, and guards American values as a moral hero.

The film is enhanced by a travelogue-montage of tourist sights in the nation's capital, and Dimitri Tiomkin's medly of flag-waving Americana songs ("Yankee Doodle," "My Country 'Tis of Thee," "Red River Valley," and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"). Production work included reconstructing a perfect replica of the Senate chamber, and the film was faithful to how American democracy works (i.e., how a bill becomes a law, political machines, filibustering, etc.).

The wonderfully-acted, absorbing and human film was popular at the box-office and critically successful too. However, the film caused some controversy and pressure was brought to bear to hinder its release (two months after the outbreak of WWII in Europe), due to the fact that Capra's film was propagandistic, depicted political corruption, and appeared to paint an anti-democratic picture of the US government and its inner workings. But the film also called for faith in traditional American values of patriotism and faith in the people, and provided an educational lesson in how bills are passed through Congress.

Capra's film received eleven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (James Stewart), Best Supporting Actor (Harry Carey and Claude Rains), Best Score (Dimitri Tiomkin), Best Sound Recording (John Livadary), Best Film Editing, Best Interior Direction (Lionel Banks), Best Screenplay (Sidney Buchman), and Best Original Story.

http://www.filmsite.org/mrsm.html

BRACE YOURSELF. THE WORST IS YET TO COME

This past weekend I had an opportunity to speak with a retired Vet who is struggling with a very guilty conscious.

No, his concerns are not because of anything he might have done while wearing his uniform and serving his country. He told me he is now fully retired from regular employment because he made a conscious decision back in 2006 while working in the home mortgage industry.

He and everyone around him was making money hand-over-fist, writing home mortgages. He knew it couldn't last so he set a goal for himself. "I decided to make a million dollars (or more) in as short a time as possible and then retire."

"I wrote as many Adjustable Rate Mortgages with one per cent down, that I possibly could. They always went through so it was just a case of finding more and more people who wanted to own a home, even though I knew many of them could not possibly afford the purchase."

What he is feeling very uncomfortable about now -- even after witnessing the "collapse" both banks and Americans in general have seen over the past ten months -- is that he knows those ARM's issued are about to "reset" after three years. The time table is the Spring of 2010. We're about to see the bulk of the "option arm-risky loans" written by the banks, re-adjust from a Fixed-- "Teaser-rate" -- to a Variable rate.

Home owners will go from a 4.25-4.5% interest rate, to 8-10% (Libor rates). People will no longer afford their mortgage payment! Foreclosures will skyrocket!

He openly admitted that 2010 will make 2009 look like a minor blip and yes, this will be reflected in the current sucker's rally now on Wall Street. In other words, 2010 will see thousands of home owners "walking away" from their homes and their mortgage obligations because the value of their property will be much lower than the obligation of their loan. WITH INTEREST RATES GOING UP SUBSTANTIALLY on the resets, a $1000 a month home mortgage payment may jump to $1,500, $2,000 or more! As an added bonus, there are tens of thousands of "balloon payment" mortgages that will come due in 2010 and beyond. That reflects a full-fledged, nationwide mess.

On top of that disaster he said associates who still work in the mortgage industry quietly tell him that many major banks and mortgage holders have created "shadow foreclosures" that they are hiding from the government and the American people. Thousands of properties have gone belly-up already but the mortgage holders are not putting them back into MLS or open real estate listings. They are holding them back to create the illusion that home prices are stabilizing and that inventories are falling -- making NOW the time to buy.

RealtyTrac, an Irvine, CA-based foreclosure listing firm, reports that up to 700,000 foreclosed homes are not included in the multiple listing service (MLS). The housing inventory is currently pegged at 3.8 million properties, or close to 10 months of waiting at the present sales pace. With this shadow supply, however, selling is expected to take a lot longer, causing a further drop in prices.

Banks cannot let go of these properties in one go, as it could drastically reduce prices in the most hard-hit communities. Home prices have already dropped as much as 30% in some communities, and experts say they can fall even further. Some areas may need to drop another 30%, says, Barrack, just to get back to normal levels from 1998. (see link below)

His final comment was that the average American home is worth $125,000 (maybe $135,000) but definitely NOT the $250,000 to $350 or $400,000 many are imagining or hoping for. That level of "recovery" in pricing is many years away (if ever). With the ever rising tax obligations governments are placing on people and the Obama Administration's ongoing efforts to redistribute wealth, it is very, very doubtful that American citizens will be financially healthy enough for any future housing "boom".

Another personal note on housing from this weekend. An associate of mine purchased a three bedroom home in Florida Saturday. He put $1,000 down with a sale price of $41,000. The current owner "just wanted out!" and was feed up with trying to stay in the home.

Maybe it's time to buy stock in any manufacturer or distributor of tents because it certainly appears that's where many people are going to end up living.

Send your "Thanks" to Barney Franks in D.C.

*SHADOW: http://www.cdloanmod.com/loss-mitigation-news.php?a=shadow-foreclosures-may-slow-down-housing-recovery

US REP. TOM PRICE PLEADS FOR DEMS TO STOP HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER

TOM PRICE PLEADS FOR DEMS TO STOP HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER

Everyone absolutely must get involved and make your thoughts known to your senators and your local congressman regarding this disastrous health care legislation. Don't wait until it's passed then complain about rationing of health care itself, less access to doctors and specialists and the very real possibility of you being forced into a wholly government run system where your current insurance may very well bcome null & void. Congress is at recess and the representatives are back in your area holding town hall-type meetings. Make your opinions known!

In our lifetimes, this is probably the most important issue ever facing us, and it's a very negative one at that.

Please look at this You Tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jdgdg6SWI&feature=channel

This video that was made of US Rep. Tom Price-6th Dist. on Wednesday.

Tom is a member of the House Healthcare Committee, and the video was shot in the Wed. Committee meeting. Please tell your friends to stop by this blog and watch the link with Tom. This healthcare legislation MUST be defeated. Tom has said that our Constitution is being burned right before our very eyes. We must, Democrats and Republicans alike, let our leaders know that this plan is unacceptable.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE MISDEMEANOR?

Here's the latest example of just how gender-biased the United States Legal System truly is. If you are a woman, you aren't going to jail.

The definition of "Misdemeanor" is largely based on a crime in which the value involved is lower than $1,000. Here's a situation in which a woman steals nearly $137,000, plea bargains to a misdemeanor and gets FIVE DAYS of Community Service. If you are not already upset, I'll just remind you it was Taxpayers' money she stole.

The CRIME --

The wife of Monkees vocalist Micky Dolenz pled guilty Friday to charges that she defrauded a public housing program in New York City.

Authorities in the city's Department of Investigation said Donna Quinter, 54, illegally received $136,866 in government rental subsidies for an apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

The subsidies were supposed to go to middle-income families who were in danger of being forced out of a rent-regulated apartment building that was being converted into luxury condominiums.

Investigators say Quinter failed to disclose that she was sharing the apartment with a friend who paid rent. The home also wasn't her only residence. Since marrying Dolenz in 2002, the former flight attendant has lived with her husband in Bell Canyon, California, an exclusive gated community outside Los Angeles.

Quinter surrendered to authorities in New York on Friday morning, then resolved the case in a matter of hours. She wrote out a check to the city for the full $136,866, went before a judge in Manhattan and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor larceny charge, then received her sentence: five days of community service.

THE PICTURE OF ARROGANCE!

Obama's revealing body language from the “Beer Summit”.

I am stunned that the official White House Blog published this picture and that it is in the public domain. The body language is most revealing. Sergeant Crowley, the sole class act in this trio, helps the handicapped Professor Gates down the stairs, while Barack Obama, heedless of the infirmities of his friend and fellow victim of self-defined racial profiling, strides ahead on his own. So who is compassionate? And who is so self-involved and arrogant that he is oblivious? -- Thomas Lifson of the American Thinker

OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE & PIZZA

OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE & PIZZA

Want to know how to order a pizza in 2010? http://aclu।org/pizza/images/screen.swf

LOU PRITCHETT’S LATEST APPEAL TO AMERICA

(SENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES ON JULY 18, 2009)

Take heart America! In only six months President Obama has finally awakened the '600 pound average American gorilla' by his “Ready, Fire, Aim” approach with the auto industry, the unions, the banks, Guantanamo, health care, czars, credit cards, and energy.

His strategy of deliberately overloading the system with program after program designed to both confuse and deceive the public is right out of the anarchist play book and clearly proves how dangerous he, his administration and his agenda are.

A universal truth states that the best indication of what a man will do in the future is what a man has done in the past. Given this, another three and a half years of Obama will be totally disastrous, both financially and morally, for this country.

Our only hope is to dump the Congressional clowns and elect adults in 2010 in order to stop the bleeding and then to finish the job by sending Obama back to the thing he does best--community organizing---in Chicago in 2012.

Failing this, we fail our children and we fail our country. -- Lou Pritchett