Day533 Monday 02/13/12

ran 3.3 miles

Our president released his election-year budget plan today. From an AssociatedPress article, written by Andrew Taylor, “Taking a pass on reining in government growth, President Barack Obama unveiled a record $3.8 trillion election-year budget plan Monday, calling for stimulus-style spending on roads and schools and tax hikes on the wealthy to help pay the costs. The ideas landed with a thud on Capitol Hill.”

The Obama administration’s expectation is that the deficit will sink to $901 billion next year (this still requires our federal government to borrow $0.24 on every dollar we spend) and will make its way down to somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 billion by 2015. I'm sure that'll go just as planned. Have to spend money to save money, right?

Taylor went on to state, “The deficit for the current budget year, which ends Sept. 30, would hit $1.3 trillion, a near record and the fourth straight year of trillion-plus red ink.”

As the video above depicts, there is no guesswork and there is no need to get a general feeling of direction by studying the needle on a barometer. As Hannan said, “Just look outside your window.” Barack Obama’s destination is just across the pond in Europe. As we all watch how that is unraveling for them, our president continues to push in that direction regardless of all the warnings.

449.3 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day168.

Day532 Sunday 02/12/12

ran 2.1 miles
Today ends week seventy-six of running against Obama. I ran 22.2 miles this week averaging 3.17 miles per day.

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

That was the oath our president took when he was sworn in. Yet, so many of his legislative actions have teeming numbers of states appealing his actions to higher courts. Or they seek interstate compacts to avoid some of his decisions, which have been deemed unconstitutional by Americans.

No president in history has ever been so limited by the Constitution to reach his goals as Barack Obama, yet he swore to defend it. Our president challenges it constantly. On Day526 I posted a quote from an interview Barack Obama had with NBC:

“What’s frustrated people is that I’ve not been able to implement every aspect of what I said in 2008. Well, it turns out our founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes.”

They designed a system to prevent people like you from violating it, Mr. President. After citing the oath you took, after the actions you’ve made, and after the idea that you suddenly discovered it turns out that our founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than you would like, I have one question:

How do you swear one thing and at the same time do another?

The oath does not state, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, disregard, destroy, and redefine the Constitution of the United States.”

452.6 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day167.

Day531 Saturday 02/11/12

ran 2.0 miles
Sarah Palin’s speech at CPAC has turned out to be the most highly anticipated and received message at the Conservative Political Action Committee’s conference. After instantly silencing a few Occupy Wall Street hecklers she went on to raise multiple standing ovations with her words. The video speaks for itself.

I am almost through with my list of our fifty states and the important stats and presidential voting histories they each have. I wanted to compile this list as a key to quickly reference when the election arrives, rather than having to listen to five different news stations all reporting different things about which directions different states will be likely voting. So, here is the second to last one. Click on “States of the Union” to the right to view more information on other states.

Stats and facts about the state of Wisconsin:

• Wisconsin was the thirtieth state to join the union on May 29, 1848, two years before California and two years after Iowa.

• Population, as of 2010, is 5,686,986.

• Senators are Ron Johnson (R) and Herb Kohl (D).

• Representatives are Paul Ryan (R), Tammy Baldwin (D), Ronald Kind (D), Gwen Moore (D), James Sensenbrenner (R), Thomas Petri (R), Sean Duffy (R), and Reid Ribble (R).

• Wisconsin has ten electoral votes. Historically, the state voted primarily red through 1928. Wisconsin turned blue, like many other states, during the Great Depression and World War II. From 1944 to 1984 the state was unpredictable and swung in both directions from election to election. However, Wisconsin has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every single election since 1988. Barack Obama defeated John McCain 56% to 42% in 2008.

454.7 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day166.

Day530 Saturday 02/10/12

ran 4.3 miles

I don’t know about you but I missed the memo that we recently declared war on Iran.



I do recall that a couple weeks ago our president was self-aggrandizing his accomplishment of pulling troops out of the Middle East and bringing them back home. I recall very recently that he claimed we had achieved what we had set out to do in that region, and that we were close to the end. I didn’t believe it but those are the sorts of things presidents say. I remember he cut a substantial amount of funding to the Pentagon, as well.

But to hear that we have officially declared war on Iran seems counter-productive to the above-mentioned alleged achievements.

On February 5, 2012, President Obama invoked, fresh out of the box, the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act), issuing an executive order declaring the threat of Iran to be a National Emergency. Iran’s threat to sever oil supplies is the basis of the declaration.

From InfoWars, “The executive order directs all government agencies to respond immediately to the threat. It further invokes the authority of the 2012 NDAA, which gives the President the power to launch military action against any nation without the approval of Congress. Ironically, the State of Emergency order also accuses the Iranian central bank of deceptive banking practices.”

By the way, NDAA is the active legislation you’ve been hearing about that allows indefinite detainment without trial of American citizens. And, coincidentally, there are hundreds of active FEMA detention camps set up across the American landscape.

But, back to Iran. It wasn’t that long ago that our president was advocating the idea that Israel should revert back to 1967 borders, which would have been devastating to Israel and advantageous to countries like Iran who openly seek to destroy the Jewish nation. Mere months later our president is declaring war on Iran, the nation that would have been directly empowered by 1967 borders? But, here’s the thing. The reason this story isn’t resounding is because at first glance war is not being declared. But, technically it is. Our Constitution, up until NDAA, required war to only be declared when there was a direct threat upon Americans on American soil. Once a threat was deemed reasonable, contingent on the approval of Congress, war could be declared. That no longer exists as of very recently. Congress tolled much disapproval when Barack Obama ordered military operations in Libya because he circumvented their authority and their approval. Their authority and approval no longer apply.

That is a lot of lumpy and abrasive information to pass through the smooth and fine interpretive conduits of our collective American minds, but here’s the point. Having no ability to run on his record, Barack Obama has no choice but to create distractions and to fabricate situations if he wants to be re-elected. If the election were tomorrow, I don’t think he would stand a chance. In a figurative world, where you wake up tomorrow and hear that you have to spontaneously vote on that day, what would you do? It is only my opinion, but I don’t think Barack Obama would stand a chance today or tomorrow. Put any one of the four candidates against him. If you feel the same way, then what is his only option to change the mood and reason of voters between now and November? It’s nothing that his record can speak for. He would have to do something monumental and distracting enough to make a large amount of voters completely overlook the first three years of his presidency in exchange for whatever plan he concocts.

456.7 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day165.

Day529 Thursday 02/09/12

ran 4.2 miles
Regardless of where you stand on this issue, this is the American government overstepping one of the most important constitutional boundaries ever drawn. If they can do this, what else is possible? It is unbelievable that our president is pursuing such a controversial, direct violation of everything America stands for less than one year before the next presidential election.

461.0 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day164.

Day528 Wednesday 02/08/12

ran 3.1 miles
Obama’s contraceptive mandate has been the big issue the past few days. In usual form, he had assured that he would not enforce such a radical measure (as he is currently imposing on America) back in 2009 when he had signed his health care act.

Last night I posted about Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Penn) who was one of many members of Congress that were fired in 2010 during the midterm elections for siding with Barack Obama over issues like health care reform. She has recently come out and said she would never have voted for Obamacare had she known the final version of the bill would “force Catholic hospitals and Catholic colleges to pay for contraception”.

Along those same lines, author Eric Metaxas was on an MSNBC program today and he compared Obama’s contraceptive mandate to Germany’s holocaust policies (story from TheBlaze).

Metaxas’ book, which he had the opportunity to hand to Barack Obama personally, is named “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy”. The book describes the life of Bonhoeffer, who was hanged after being exposed in an elaborate plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

From TheBlaze’s article, written by Billy Hallowell, “Leading up to the Holocaust, conditions became less favorable to faith groups, yet no one stood up to prevent the downward spiral that would inevitably end in genocidal chaos. He then connected these small pre-Holocaust signs to the situation we’re seeing with the contraceptive mandate here in America.”

“In the early 30s, little things were happening where the state was bullying the churches. No one spoke up. In the beginning, it always starts really, really small. We need to understand as Americans — if we do not see this as a bright line in the sand — if you’re not a Catholic, if you use contraception — doesn’t matter. Because eventually, this kind of government overreach will affect you.”

Eric Metaxas

I don’t think our president is concerned with those who “cling to their bibles” and he appears to be achieving even more division among Americans than he has already created. He is running on thin fumes of desperation and it is simply disappointing that so many Americans continue to stay on this guy's ship as it sinks deeper and deeper.

465.2 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day163.

Day527 Tuesday 02/07/12

ran 2.4 miles
It is still very early but Rick Santorum is leading by double digits in all three states' races right now (8:47 p.m. here in Louisiana). Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota. Gingrich has the two-spot in Colorado and Missouri, and Paul is second in Minnesota. Romney is suffering third in all three states. Didn’t see that coming, but I like it. Still very early, though.

One story I wanted to point out tonight was the contrast of California's beloved Nancy Pelosi (District 8) to a quote from ex-Representative Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Penn). Dahlkemper was one of the many 2010 midterm election Representatives who was fired by her district for supporting Barack Obama’s health care plan, stimulus package, and all together generally unapproved actions.

As quoted by Dahlkemper:

“I would have never voted for the final version of the bill if I expected the Obama administration to force Catholic hospitals and Catholic colleges and universities to pay for contraception.”

Furthermore:

“We worked hard to prevent abortion funding in health care and to include clear conscience protections for those with moral objections to abortion and contraceptive devices that cause abortion. I trust that the president will honor the commitment he made to those of us who supported final passage.”

In contrast, what was it Nancy Pelosi had said?

“Let’s pass the bill so we can see what’s in it.”

This is just the beginning of surprises to come.

I have to believe that unemployment numbers are as easy to manipulate as presidential approval numbers because I cannot wrap my head around the polls I read when they say that Barack Obama has 50% of America convinced that he is working in our best interests.

468.3 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day162.

Day526 Monday 02/06/12

ran 4.1 miles
Here is a small excerpt from Barack Obama’s NBC interview yesterday on the “Today” show.

“What’s frustrated people is that I’ve not been able to implement every aspect of what I said in 2008. Well, it turns out our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes. But what we have been able to do is move in the right direction.”

I firmly believe a majority of American voters are grateful that our president has not been able to implement his objectives more broadly and it is our president who is frustrated with his inability to defy our Constitution more thoroughly.

Look at what he said about the founders of this nation---they designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than he would sometimes like because they anticipated leaders like Barack Obama who would hold little regard for the ideas that have made America the strongest, most prosperous and free nation on Earth for over two centuries.

Our president certainly doesn’t hide his intentions. The quote above plainly conveys the message that if it were within his power he would compromise the ideas and the principles of our founders, who are the designers of what has been such an amazing and free country for nearly 250 years.

470.7 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day161.

Day525 Sunday 02/05/12

ran 2.8 miles
Today ends week seventy-five of running against Obama. I ran 23.7 miles this week, averaging 3.39 miles per day.

Nevada has spoken and they want Mitt Romney. Romney had a landslide victory winning nearly half of the vote, just as he had achieved in 2008. The next few states the candidates will be visiting have Romney polling on top and it is looking more and more like he will be the candidate to face Obama. That being said, though, nothing would surprise me as this year continues to unravel.

I will take any one of these guys we have to choose from to go head to head with Barack Obama. Romney is not my first choice but I will take anyone but Obama. My first choice is Ron Paul and here is my logic. The most efficient way to counteract someone as radical as Barack Obama is to replace him with someone equally radical in the opposite direction. I don’t think Paul stands a good chance of being the final nominee, but that is where I stand.

The general consensus is that Romney has the best chance of defeating Barack Obama, but it is an unpleasant reality we face that our candidates’ ideas are compromised by the notion that they don’t stand a chance against Barack Obama. Even more unfortunate is the idea that Barack Obama is such a threat. I would put a plank of wood up against this president and vote for it, but there are plenty of others who feel very differently.

474.8 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day160.

Day524 Saturday 02/04/12

ran 2.2 miles
According to a story from TheGuardian, written by Tania Branigan, China recently cut off Internet connections and mobile phone signals with the simple flip of a switch on a specific thirty-mile area in Sichuan. This area in Sichuan was the site where two Tibetan exiles were shot and killed during a protest. As a result, an uprising is surfacing that the Chinese government would like to quell. The Chinese government claims that Tibetan monks were attacking the Chinese police and that they responded in self-defense. However, the monks claim they were holding a peaceful protest.

I tend to believe the monks. The reason I am sharing this story is because I think it is important to realize that this sort of thing can happen to us right here in America. Remember Egypt? The beginning of the Arab Spring? The Egyptian government flipped the switch on the Internet to prevent its people from organizing through social networking. As you read these words our American government is discussing numerous forms of Internet censorship and our president also has a kill switch for the Internet. As issues continue to escalate around the world and right here in our own country, it is frightening to imagine waking up one day in the middle of a science fiction novel like “1984” or “Brave New World”.

If you have ever read George Orwell’s “1984” then you are familiar with the formula 2+2=5. If have not read the book, and I highly recommend it, "2+2=5" is a conclusion that the books fictitious government convinces the lead character, Winston, to understand and accept as a logical sum of two and two. As ridiculous as that sounds, the novel was far ahead of its time, as science fiction tends to be, but here in reality, in the year 2012, here is an explanation from the mind of a government proving in their eyes that two plus two can indeed equal five.

These are some quotes from CMP (Connected Mathematics Project) textbooks. These textbooks are not widespread but they have been in circulation since the nineties and they are the product of the "New World Order" that our government and many other governments have slowly been working toward since the first Bush. The Agenda 21 story you may have heard about represents an effort to create a global village in which constitutions and history are done away with and the entire earth is governed by one united entity. Their vision is one where everything is miserably fair and oppressively equal. One of the first things necessary to perform a task of this gravity is to dumb-down an entire generation of human beings; hence, Connected Mathematics.

"They learn that mathematics is man-made, that it is arbitrary, and good solutions are arrived at by consensus among those who are considered expert."

Basically, humankind arrives at a state of idiocracy in which they do not have the desire to question how two apples in one hand and two apples in the other hand make five apples, but experts, or their government, tell them there are five and they simply nod.

"Because the curriculum does not emphasize arithmetic computations done by hand, some CMP students may not do as well on tests assessing computational skills...We believe such a trade-off in favor of CMP is very much to students' advantage in...the world of work."

???!

Here is another example of two plus two equaling five.

"Generally, more highly educated people, who have higher incomes, consume more resources than poorly educated people, who tend to have lower incomes. In this case, more education increases the threat to sustainability."



Global sustainability. Global equality. Global utopia. This stuff sounds farfetched but it has been permeating through the cracks of our American pride and beliefs for two decades and we are beyond the point of simply closing our eyes and just hoping that it goes away.

I can tell you this. Freedom, liberty, and capitalism have never been the result of a human conditioning process. They do not require textbooks, propaganda, or convincing. I'd venture to say they are human elements. They are inherent and instinctive. Yet, right before our eyes, we all apparently need to be re-educated.

477.6 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day159.

Day523 Friday 02/03/12

1,600 miles!!!

ran 3.7 miles
Today was a big mile marker and just a few days ago I finished the seventeenth month of running against Obama. It’s still hard many evenings, running and getting caught up in all of this news on a daily basis, but I feel it is important. There is a questionable sense of navigation steering our American ship and it is often difficult not to question the validity of our nation’s compass.

Now that Barack Obama’s presidential term is culminating we can only review what has happened in what will soon be the past four years and attempt to filter his actions into a more concentrated conclusion.

In 2008, we were already $9-plus trillion in debt, Barack Obama was running for president, blaming George Bush for every problem we had, and even claiming that it was unpatriotic for Bush to raise the debt ceiling, further increasing our national debt---an action Obama would go on to outperform. America was in an official recession and our president decided to sign sweeping legislation to reform health care, which would cost hundreds of billions of nonexistent tax dollars. He signed a stimulus package teetering on one trillion dollars that went on to reveal its greatest accomplishments in the form of bonuses for bankers and bankrupted alternative energy corporations. Then the mid-term elections arrived. Americans spoke up by firing many of the Democrats who voted for Obama’s ideas. The House of Representatives acquired an eclipsing majority and nearly claimed the Senate. From that point forward, Barack Obama increased his executive orders, deflected all blame onto his Congress, and, coincidentally, Occupy Wall Street emerged. As an aside, here is why I think OWS was a completely orchestrated, well-organized plot to stir class warfare in America. If nothing else, America is original. We are pioneers of social and political movements. OWS showed up to the international protest party way too late. But, on the other hand, the Tea Party was responsibly and effectively creating real change before the Arab Spring or the unoriginal, uninspiring Occupy Wall Street group showed up. Our president currently blames Congress for all of our problems and his reason is because they refuse to cooperate with his vision. But the members of Congress he is referring to were put into office by Americans from numerous different states that wanted to put the brakes on his motives. They are simply performing their job description as assigned by the people of America who voted for them.

So here we are. It’s a full-blown battle of money and mudslinging to win the votes of hundreds of millions of Americans. Our electoral process is unscrupulous and seems to deviate from everything that would normally define logic, but it is what it is.

When November arrives this year and you cast your vote, remember that everything Barack Obama has achieved, whether he has made your life better or worse, has been on the backs of unborn Americans in the form of national debt that shows no signs of decreasing any time soon.

479.8 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day158.

Day522 Thursday 02/02/12

ran 3.5 miles
WWJD? Remember that? What would Jesus do?

Apparently Jesus would like Barack Obama to raise some serious taxes and to redistribute wealth. Today, Barack Obama successfully achieved channeling not only Jesus, but also Muhammad, Moses, Plato, any one of the numerous Hindu deities, and a few other Gods, saviors, and prophets and they all seem to concur that they want our president to raise taxes and to redistribute wealth at a scope never before conceived in American history.

WWBOD?

How does this man push legislation encouraging abortion and gay marriage and in the same breath cite the Bible and refer to the Koran. Choose one or the other because you cannot have both, Mr. President. The American bible-thumpers see right through you and we all know how Muslims feel about homosexuality. As a side note, I am not conveying a position with either abortion or homosexuality. I am just pointing out how oblivious our president is to the contradictions that are coming out of his mouth and how desperate he must feel to make reference to as many religious and philosophical figures he could think of in one breath---all agreeing that his idea is the most illuminated one out there. His idea has been tried many times and has failed an equal number of times.

483.5 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day157.

Day521 Wednesday 02/01/12

ran 4.8 miles

There is a refreshing glimpse of what could be.

The WashingtonExaminer reported Gallup’s annual state-by-state presidential approval numbers yesterday in an article written by Conn Carroll.

According to Gallup:

“Overall, Obama averaged 44% job approval in his third year in office, down from 47% in his second year. His approval rating declined from 2010 to 2011 in most states, with Wyoming, Connecticut, and Maine showing a marginal increase, and Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Jersey, Arizona, West Virginia, Michigan, and Georgia showing declines of less than a full percentage point. The greatest declines were in Hawaii, South Dakota, Nebraska, and New Mexico.”

We often hear that President Obama is a huge threat to win a second term and that only this candidate or that candidate can beat him, but then you see Gallup put out a prediction of a humiliating defeat as the map above indicates and one can’t help but wonder why there is so much contradiction in the information that constantly cascades through the minds of every one of us.

My point is, that map above is one that I hope becomes a reality in November, but it could reflect a completely opposite outcome and I would be equally indifferent to its message. Our news sources are all over the place and equally abundant are their contradictions with one another. News is good but it is up for interpretation.

The question of whether Barack Obama deserves a second term or not has little to do with all of the debatable information our eyes and ears gather sitting in front of computers, radios, computers, newspapers, and magazines. This guy has not been walking a tight rope between two political sides in which arguments can counterweigh one another to maintain a sense of balance. There is no aisle. The aisle is a wall that Barack Obama built with his decisions.

My biggest concerns are the strength of our economy and the decimating of our national debt. Everything else dovetails right into the empowerment derived from these two issues being dealt with directly. Our president is achieving nothing, regardless of unemployment numbers, gas prices, house values (none of which are anything to brag about), or anything else you can think of, as long as he keeps building all of his (arguable) successes on piling up debt that is the product of spending money by the trillions that simply does not exist.

487.0 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day156.

Day520 Tuesday 01/31/12

ran 2.8 miles
We all know the score in Florida. So, here is to keeping our eyes on the ball.

Clinton, version 2.0: “it’s not just the economy, stupid, it’s also the debt.”

From an article written by David Rogers from Politico

This will make four consecutive years that Washington faces a $1 trillion-plus deficit. And this sum of tax dollars is actually a sub-deficit of our total deficit of $15.2 trillion, which is in the process of growing to an additional overall $16.4 trillion.

Our debt at the end of 2011 surpassed GDP for the first time in America history. No household lives like this so how is it that our federal government does? It makes no sense and it will only last so long.

Nearly half of this country is convinced that Barack Obama has made progress but what I don’t understand is how that percentage of people consider his actions to be progress when everything he has done has been at the expense of inflating our national debt to a point that it will pop like a balloon in the very near future.

If you or I had a credit card with an endless spending limit and if we had no sense of obligation to pay the debts we stacked up then we could also do some convincing things to make us equally as impressive to those who so passionately support Barack Obama and his failed direction. Our current president has no desire to quell our national debt and every desire to increase it. Yet nearly half of this country does not recognize the destructive destination right in front of their faces. It’s a simple, straight highway and the exit form America as we know it is just on the horizon.

491.8 miles to go.

Here is what happened one year ago on Day155.