Here's my question. How is it that President Obama has not been able to fill 57% of the more than 500 senior positions requiring Senate confirmation. According to the report in the New York Times, the president is still missing an assistant treasury secretary for financial markets; a director for the Agency for International Development; and even his Army secretary, as well as several top national security posts. Now, I know he's had problems confirming a majority of his picks, some with IRS problems, like Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, and others, who failed to pay their income tax in recent years. And others like Republican U.S. Senator Judd Gregg who, after being chosen, decided they were not on board with the Presidents radical policies. But why the sudden lack of attention as far as filling the rest of his Presidential appointments to his staff? Could it be that he just wants to bypass the vetting system altogether? I mean, as long as he's appointing his Czars, which DO NOT have to have Senate confirmation and report to no one else but President Obama, why go through the lengthily process?

Wow, I guess Obama wasn't kidding when he stated that he will fundamentally change this nation. One of the changes he seems to favor is to eliminate the checks and balances of power that were put into place, by our founding fathers, so that no branch of government was more powerful than the other. By appointing all his Czars he is doing away with the need for Congressional approval and having these czars accountable, not to the American people, but to him and him alone. Is this how our country was set up to run. I don't think so.

Just in case you were not aware, with over 250 of his presidential appointee spots still open, Obama has found the time instead to appoint the following Czars:


1. Afghanistan Czar - Richard Holbrooke
2. AIDS Czar * - Jeffrey Crowley
3. Auto Recovery Czar - Ed Montgomery
4. Border Czar * - Alan Bersin
5. California Water Czar
6. Car Czar - Ron Bloom
7. Central Region Czar - Dennis Ross
8. Climate Czar - Todd Stern
9. Domestic Violence Czar - Lynn Rosenthal
10. Drug Czar * - Gil Kerlikowske
11. Economic Czar * - Paul Volcker
12. Energy and Environment Czar - Carol Browner
13. Faith-Based Czar * - Joshua DuBois
14. Government Performance Czar - Jeffrey Zients
15. Great Lakes Czar - Cameron Davis
16. Green Jobs Czar - Van Jones
17. Guantanamo Closure Czar - Daniel Fried
18. Health Czar * - Nancy-Ann DeParle
19. Information Czar - Vivek Kundra
20. Intelligence Czar * - Dennis Blair
21. Mideast Peace Czar - George Mitchell
22. Pay Czar - Kenneth R. Feinberg
23. Regulatory Czar - Cass R. Sunstein
24. Science Czar - John Holdren
25. Stimulus Accountability Czar - Earl Devaney
26. Sudan Czar - J. Scott Gration
27. TARP Czar - Herb Allison
28. Technology Czar - Aneesh Chopra
29. Terrorism Czar - John Brennan
30. Urban Affairs Czar - Adolfo Carrion Jr.
31. Weapons Czar - Ashton Carter
32. WMD Policy Czar - Gary Samore

My question for you is, what do we really know about these people who are so closely advising our President?

It's starting to happen, can you feel it? It's happening all around you, do you see it? The buzz is getting louder, do you hear it? All around our country, people are finding their voices and raising them in opposition to what this administration is trying to do without the majorities consent. Representatives are coming home from Washington to town hall meetings, packed with everyday citizens who are furious at how decisions are being made by congress, and the President, about; their health care, how stimulus money is being spent and also how our tax dollars aren't being spent. They're demanding answers to questions the main stream media should be asking but won't.



They are still gathering in protest against taxes and government intrusion at rallies, like the one this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio, where thousands attended another Tea Party to protest "socialized health care, bailouts, rising national debt and a Columbus' proposed income-tax increase that would increase from 2 percent to 2.5 percent, which would mean $1 billion over the next 10 years taken out of the local residents wallets. By the way, it's funny how you saw nothing from the MSM about the thousands of people, who stood in the hot sun, to attend this protest, peacefully. I'm just saying.




These are people, just like you and me, who are waking up and realizing that they don't have to sit back quietly and watch our leaders lessen our freedoms and take control of our lives. They are remembering that this is a Nation of "We the People" and not of "Them the Politicians". We are starting to hold our elected officials accountable, as they should be, for their voting records, their wasteful spending and their careless passing of legislature that they haven't even taken the time to read.

We all have a voice, and our elected officials are there to echo it, loud and clear, to our countries leaders. The roles have reversed when our representatives are dictating, to us, the policies of an administration that cares more about their own agendas and special interests than the will of the American People as a whole. Find your voice, use it, raise it. What are you waiting for? What are you afraid of?

Remember the words of one of our Founding Fathers;

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. - Thomas Jefferson

Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal, Left or Right. You gotta love our Vice President, Joe Biden. Whether you are on the Right, looking forward to hearing what great gaff comes out his mouth this time, or you're the left, who cringe every time he has to make a public speech, for fear of what he might say next. One thing you can truly count on, Our VP will always tell you what's on his mind. Wow, who would have thought, in this day and age, a Washington Politician saying what he feels. You know, as a Conservative, I don't agree with Mr. Bidens politics, but, I do have to respect a man that speaks from his heart. Sure, in dealing with other governments or others in general, it is important not to offend and to be tactful in your approach, but, since when has being politically correct been more important than telling the truth? I wish more politicians would worry less about the terminology used in describing situations at hand ,and worry more about informing us with the facts and truth of what we are up against. We don't need to be coddled, we're adults. Whether you think we can handle it or not, we deserve to know.

What bothers me the most is when I hear the media talk about; how the VP's candor is a "persistent challenge for Obama.". Why is that? Is it because they wish he would be more diplomatic in his speech, or, is it because that, when VP Biden speaks the truth, it brings to light key facts that the President would much rather have us in the dark about? Such as how the Obama Administration "misread how bad the economy was." Or, on the campaign trail, when he stated that; Obama, if elected, would face a "generated crisis" to "test the mettle of this guy." The latest incident happened this week when he said, during an interview with The Wall Street Journal, that Russia would have no choice but to cooperate with the United States because it is on the brink of sharp decline, referring to their current economic problems. Sure he could have phrased it better but, does that make his statement any less true?

I am not saying that Joe Biden is the ideal statesmen. I am fully aware of how diplomacy works. What I am saying is that; we need to listen, a little more carefully, to what our Vice President is saying these days. For this reason: I believe that, when a person speaks off the top of their head, ( and not off a teleprompter ) you are more likely to hear some unintentional truths slip out. More so than from a canned response or a written statement. If that is what it takes for us to get the real facts, about what is happening and what our leaders are thinking, than I say; Let Joe speak freely, and let him speak often.

I can see why the topic of Health Care Reform is such a priority in our country today. The facts and figures show compelling evidence that there is a need to fix the current system. That doesn't mean we have to scrap what we have all together and start from scratch. We, as a nation, still have the best Health Care System in the world today. Whatever IS working in that system can definitely be improved on and whatever isn't working should definitely be changed. Common sense, right?

You see, I am one of the “46 million uninsured” in America. At 46 years old, I have never had medical, dental or vision. Now, do i need it? Yes! Do I want it? of course. I thank the Lord that I have never had to have been hospitalized without insurance, yet. Being over weight and having high blood pressure, at my age, it's just a matter of time. I have always been a commission sales person, so, when I was younger and made the money, I was healthy and insurance wasn't a priority. Now that I am a small business owner and not so healthy, I can't afford it. That doesn't mean, that I believe, the government should be responsible in supplying it for me either. As it stands for me right now, I do have a regular doctor, I just don't see him as regularly as I should. I have to pay cash for my doctors visit and cash for my blood pressure medicine, so when things are tight financially, that's one of the things I sacrifice. The thing about my situation now is, when I do go to the doctors, I go to the doctor I know and trust. I have that choice. When I do go, I have an appointment and I am seen in a timely manner. Because I don't go as often as I should, usually my visits are more urgent, and require more immediate attention, so I am grateful I don't have to wait for weeks or even months to get in and be seen. This is what scares me about a government run plan. Even though it might supply me with the ability to go and be covered, the fact of having to go to a doctor that I am not comfortable with or know anything about bothers me. And if the government plan makes me wait weeks or jump through hoops to be seen, chances are, I won't go. At least not until I absolutely have to. So much for health maintenance. As a small business owner, who had to let go of his employees because of this economy, If I am waiting in lines to see a doctor for a check up, My business is closed with no one to operate it. So do I shut down my business for a couple of hours or maybe even a whole day, to go get a check up, or do I convince myself I'm fine and it can wait another month so I can run my business and make a living. It's already a strain to shut down my store just to go to the DMV. I don't even want to think about what it would be like to have the government running my doctors or hospitals.

Yes, We need reform. But as Americans, we need the freedom to be able to choose which doctors we see and when we see them. We need affordable plans, but we need plans that are best suited for our individual needs. Not some blanket system that takes away the individual factors that make up our unique medical situations. I don't want to have to look up at a monitor to see how close I am, to my number being called, when trying to see a doctor and, I don't want to have to trust what one physician says without the option of getting another opinion of a doctor with whom I am confident and comfortable.

I don't know, maybe because I have no insurance I don't have a right to be so critical. But I am not asking for the government to cover me either, or do I want to be fined $2,500 if I don't have a plan of my own. President Obama said, in his press conference last night, that it's not about him, he has the WORLDS BEST INSURANCE for his family, but proceeded to say that he believes everyone should be able to have good insurance at a reasonable cost. Well to be fair Mr. President, either give the rest of the country some of that "Worlds Best" insurance you have, or, you and your family, sacrifice and take one of the those " good insurance at a reasonable cost" plans your trying to push on us. THE U.S.

I am hoping that, at the speed in which this administration is writing bills, passing laws, spending money and changing policy, this Bullet Train of Change has an emergency brake. My head is spinning trying to keep up with the intense pace that things are being done. And what is up with the month of August? The President wants EVERYTHING done by this time. Sotomayor, Cap and Trade, Health Care, Why? Whatever happened to "slow & steady wins the race"? I agree that we want and need things done, but, I don't want them done fast as much as I want them done right. It's all "Hurry up and Wait" with Obama it seems. Hurry, we need the stimulus, now, wait for the results to be seen and felt. Hurry and pass Cap and Trade, now, wait for China and India to come on board. Hurry with Health Care reform, but, wait while we come up with a plan to pay for and implement it. We can't fix things over night that have been broken for years. I applaud the intentions, we need to have progress and find solutions, but, to do something, just for the sake of saying that we are doing something, is not the right solution.

My Father always told me to "Take your time, do it right the first time. That way you won't have to waste time in doing it all over again"

It seems like all I keep hearing about, in regards to the 2010 and 2012 elections, is; Who will be the next great leader to emerge from the Republican Party. With Sen. "X" gone or Gov. "Y" out of the running, who will be the parties next rising star ? Or, with both parties losing face in the public eye and more and more outrage is being heard, against Republicans & Democrats, through events like the "Tea Parties", Is America looking to an Independent to rise from the ashes and rubble and steer our nation back in the right direction?

Here is my concern. As voters, what are we looking for in deciding who will be the next candidate we choose to support ? Are we saying; "Oh, I like this person because they're "pro-life" or " I don't like this person because of their position on " gay marriage" ? Maybe it's as simple as," they're a Republican, they're a Conservative, they're an Independent or they're Black, she's a Woman, so, They have my vote". With the shape our country is in, we need to be focusing on the core problems that affect everyone. The economy, National Security, Health Care and Energy Independence. To put our own personal "special interests" before the needs of our country, as a whole, is just plain selfish. We need to get behind, as a nation, the person who will best Lead us, in regards to our core issues, rather than a person who just wears the Label that most reflects our self interests.

Let me personalize this point a bit. I am a Conservative Christian, Small Business Owner. Those are my labels, it seems. I would love to have someone like a Mike Huckabee as president. He's a Christian who is for; pro-life, sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman and wants to get rid of the IRS. Unfortunately, the chances of someone like MH, with such outspoken christian morals, being elected as president are very slim. Too many dividing issues. So, if I have to get behind someone who doesn't agree with my ideology on social and moral issues, but, is strong on ( I believe ) the 4 core issues that need to be addressed, than that would be for the good of my country and not for my own personal interests. All that means to me is that the responsibility of teaching my children about; God, His will for us, morals and ethics, falls directly on me as their father. I would then hope and pray that the choices that they would make as adults, in the areas I mentioned above, would be influenced by how I raised them rather than how society might influence them. Isn't that the way it should be anyways ?

Someone I also believe would be outstanding for our country would be Sarah Palin. Now, do I believe Sarah would make a great President ? Yes! Do I believe that she is strong enough to tackle the 4 issues that are holding this great country back? Yes? Do I think that the American people will give her the chance to do the job she is more than capable of doing? I don't know. I'm afraid that because the MSM and the people on the far left had made such a fuss about her, they would refuse to see the ability of her as a Leader, and spite themselves, just to save face. It's the same thing in reverse. Us backing a candidate for the wrong reasons ( personal interests, labels ) is just as bad as not voting for the right candidate for the wrong reasons ( saving face ) when it comes to the overall good of the country.

**In my opinion ( and remember, like my blog title states, "I'm nobody special" ) The best chance the Republican Party has in 2012 is to find their front runner and put Sarah Palin on the ticket as their running mate again. With what she brings to the table, combined with the experience and respect the Republican Presidential Candidate should have ( better have), It will be a winning combination. I don't believe John McCain was that candidate. By the time 2020 rolls around, No one would be able to say anything about Sarah Palin regarding her experience. Remember, this is just my opinion. I'm not a political strategist. **

My point is this, We all desire to have some one who believes and thinks just like us ( I would say like me, you would say like you ) running our country. The problem is, there are so many different us's in the U.S.. It would be impossible to ever find that one person to match everybodies individual ideologies. All we can do is, as a country, agree on what issues are most important for the success of our nation. I named 4, maybe there's more, maybe less. Issues that affect EVERYONE, not just our special interests. Find a leader that will focus on those issues and fix what is most important right now. Then, when we, as a nation, are back to some degree of normalcy, we can then take back up the personal issues on more of local level. That's where, I believe, they should be taken care of in the first place.