Toadfish Monastery

November 14, 2012

An open letter to Senator/Captain John McCain:

Mr. McCain,

There was a time that my admiration of you and an unquestioned respect was immense.  I felt that respect for you for many things that you have done but chief among them is your declination to an offer to be given your freedom from the Hanoi Hilton...  It was obvious that you stayed to provide the much needed leadership to your fellow prisoners.   In my eyes that made you a true hero.

Well Captain, your showing of disrespect for yourself and your prejudicial attack of Susan Rice was less than a representation of the Officer that I knew in the Navy.  (The definition that I am using for [prejudice] in this case is: FORMING AN OPINION BEFORE ACTUALLY KNOWING THE FACTS.)  And in doing that you have lost me as one of your cheerleaders.

I would suggest that you do a bit of homework to find out who and what a person is before making a verbal attack on them.  Methinks you should at least complete your [requested] select committee investigation of the president and his admiration and what Susan Rice said.

If I am wrong about my assessment of this subject I apologize. 

No matter which side of the coin is right or wrong I wish you would quit acting like a locked-and-loaded full-time pissed-off "old white man."

Still in service to our great nation,

Joe Kenneth Eshleman
Master Chief Petty Officer; CWO-4; Lieutenant USN (Retired).

 545 vs. 300,000,000






EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS SAID IN THIS MESSAGE.  READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT DEBACLE.

Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.

                                                                545 PEOPLE
                                                            By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget.  The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices......545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.   In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority.  They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.  I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault.   They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.   No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.   The president can only propose a budget.   He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.   Who is the speaker of the House?   Nancy Pelosi.  She is the leader of the majority party.  She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility.   I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what THEY want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in  IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.   Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible!

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses, you and I.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Don't forget that this also stands true for a lot of your local and state elected officials!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO! The old new guy, the resident humorist.  I've been really busy (and still am) building a new home.  Haven't had very much time for my 'puter.  Just thought I would check in and let you all know that the 'bear' hasn't eaten me yet.

Will drop in when I can...

joe e

Merry Christmas...

Q: Do you know what's wrong with political jokes?

A: They get elected

joe e

In keeping with my belief that humor is a must for a completely fulfilled life, I now present you humor from the "Land Of NOMIS."

joe e