The Westmoreland Watchman: February 2009
THE WESTMORELAND WATCHMAN
A PUBLICATION OF THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY CONSERVATIVE COALITION
VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2
FEBRUARY, 2009
160 MAUS DRIVE
IRWIN, PA 15642
E-MAIL: [email protected]
724-744-2607
OUR NEXT MEETING IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17ST
Our first meeting of the "Conservative Coalition" was an excellent event in January, and Attorney Brad Tupi gave a good summary of how America was and is a Christian nation. On a sub-freezing night, more that 40 people showed up and many new faces were among those in attendance. The changeover from the "Christian Coalition " to the Conservative Coalition" has appeared to be seamless so far, and our memberships through January have exceeded anything we experienced in previous years. All of this is good news and shows that many people are not only fed up with the direction America is heading but are also willing to do something about it!
Our plans for the February meeting include a 10 minute DVD on how gun control has been adversely affecting Great Britain. We also have a 40 minute DVD entitled, "The Siege Against Western Civilization" featuring former special assistant CIA officer Herb Meyer. He worked under CIA Director Bill Casey and President Reagan and gives a serious analysis of the war we are facing on various fronts. I’m sure you’ll find it of great interest. Depending on their schedules, we also hope to have several of our recently elected State representatives fresh from their first month in Harrisburg tell us how things are shaping up in that tax and spend area of the Commonwealth. Their take on Governor Rendell’s 2009 budget should be very interesting.
ALSO: February 17th is the first day that petitions can be circulated and signed for various judicial and county office seats. There will be a number of candidates present for these offices, and this will provide an excellent opportunity for you to meet some of them. We will also allow them time to speak and briefly express why they think you should vote for them. In March and April, we will have a more comprehensive "Candidate’s Night" where these folks can debate and express their views in greater detail. Because we have a pretty full plate planned for February 17th. WE WILL BEGIN AT 7:30PM. As usual we will meet at the Christian Fellowship Center located in Penn Township at the intersection of Route 993 and Ridge Road east of the Bushy Run Battlefield. Please urge your friends and neighbors to attend and if you have any questions, call me at 724-863-2520.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
As we entered February, well over 100 members had already joined our cause, many of them being new folks who have heard about our efforts and wanted to participate in an action outfit. In the "Conservative Coalition" we try to cover as many areas as possible because we know that everyone has a main issue they think is most important. Our goal is to have members concentrate on that subject they are most familiar, urging their circle of friends and contacts to make a difference. Our cumulative efforts will turn the tide—we can’t roll back the liberal tide all at once, but by concentrating on specific issues, we can put pressure on the liberals and halt or delay many of their programs. Whether it be pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, anti-tax, pro-business, for improved border security, against pornography, against foreign aid or a host of other worthy issues, we invite all people of good moral character and strong religious beliefs to join with us as we make a difference in Pennsylvania and the nation. Our modest annual dues are $12 for individuals and $20 per family. Of course, we gratefully accept larger donations so we can buy more DVD’s, books and other educational tools for victory. If you want to join a new exciting group of fellow conservatives, please make your checks out to Westmoreland County Conservative Coalition or (WCCC) and mail them to 160 Maus Drive, North Huntingdon, PA 15642. Just so you know that you don’t have to be a resident in Westmoreland County to be a member, we already have over 20 people from outside the county and state who have joined, including some from AZ, CA, CT, FL, NY and OH. In fact, the very first person to submit his membership in 2009 was a 96 year-old gentleman from White Oak, PA and that was followed by a 97 year-old man from FL! Both have keen minds and are concerned about the future of America and possess the zeal of some people half their age. Spread the word and this newsletter!!
So take the plunge and join with like-minded conservatives. We can paraphrase Benjamin Franklin when he said at the time of the American Revolution, "If we don’t hang together, we will all surely hang separately!"
"OBAMANATION" IN LESS THAN A MONTH!
President Obama has been in office just over 3 weeks and the White House has already taken on a circus-like atmosphere. We have been bombarded with dire economic news for months and at the Inauguration, Barack spelled out how bad a situation he was inheriting. So one would think that, being faced with such an onerous burden, Obama would hit the ground trying to solve our economic and unemployment woes. But how foolish of us to think that would be first on his agenda! No, he must take care of more important things like seeing how many unborn babies we can kill! Obama could hardly wait to reverse the Mexico City Policy authorized by President Bush in 2001 that prevented U.S. tax dollars from being used to perform abortions overseas. Barack also authorized the use of embryonic stem cells, departing from Bush’s policy that they were sacred human life and off limits to research. These two actions show the type of devious person America has as its President. Naturally, he snubbed the several hundred thousand pro-life marchers who descended on Washington only two days after Barack took office, and then immediately took this perverted action after they left town. But, at the same time, Obama rushed to make sure that he would take steps to close down Guantanamo Bay and protect the rights of the terrorists who have vowed to destroy America. Now that is really putting your priorities in order—what a clown and traitor. Of course our own home-grown clown, Congressman John Murtha, thinks moving some of the Gitmo detainees into the Johnstown area wouldn’t be a bad idea. He probably will ask for a billion or so in the new "Stimulus" package to build a new prison in his District!
After taking care of his "mission of death", Obama has since been trying to ram a nearly trillion dollar "Stimulus" package down our throats that is far more welfare spending than job creation. In spite of our precarious national situation, there are tens of millions of people trying to conduct their lives in an orderly fashion, striving to make America strong once again. Many of us are praying that God will stymie Obama’s socialistic plans and that strong opposition will rise up against Congress. Recent events seem to indicate that James’ admonition in Chapter 1, verse 8, that "a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways," is being played out in Obama’s life. Rush Limbaugh has been taking a lot of heat because he made the statement that "I hope he fails" when asked about whether he was wishing Obama success. Millions of Americans echo Rush’s views as we said several months ago that if Obama succeeds with his plans, America will be in grave danger. Of course,Rush and others of us who hold this view are being called narrow-minded and unpatriotic, but those are titles that we should wear proudly. To put this whole idea of patriotism in perspective, allow me to quote what Teddy Roosevelt said 100 years ago. "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiently or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth—whether about the President or anyone else—save in the rare cases where this would make known to the enemy information of military value which would be otherwise unknown to him." What true American can argue with T.R.’s analysis? But remember, the key is telling the truth! There is so much to dissect about Obama’s plans and associates that we don’t have to resort to stretching the truth or telling falsehoods about his plans for America. Every day his Administration provides us with ample ammunition to expose an agenda that will harm our country. Let us be watchmen on the wall sounding trumpets of truth and encouragement to millions of conservatives who feel isolated and alone in this battle.
Ever since his election, Obama has been compared to FDR. That has been magnified since everyday we are being told we are nearing a Depression. Unfortunately, the comparisons are numerous and in most cases they don’t bode well for America. The cause or causes for the Depression have been argued and debated for almost 80 years, but most experts now agree that two factors were the main culprits. One was how the Hoover Administration approached the stock market bubble of that day. (The Market was at 343 at the end of October 1929!). They contracted the money supply and stifled more investment while at the same time placed tariffs on foreign products that caused an international backlash against America’s ability to sell products overseas. During 1929, and 1930 over $450 million in gold flowed into America, seeking a haven from European economic chaos. Secondly, instead of following the old gold standard rules that would have increased money to banks and citizens, the Fed sold bonds that soaked up money from the economy and thwarted any monetary expansion. This caused the "roaring twenties" business boom to stutter and the perfect storm of that era hit America with full force. Hoover was worried about inflation and overreacted by causing massive deflation which crushed business. Unemployment that was 3% steadily rose to double digits and eventually to 25% at the height of the Depression.
After 3 more years of poor policies by Hoover, FDR came riding to the rescue with his band of "Red" men and was elected in 1932. Many of his disciples, mentors and associates were either communists, socialists or idealists who thought government would and could solve all the problems. Men like Rexford Tugwell, Stuart Chase, Felix Frankfurter, Henry Morgantheau, John Maynard Keynes, Harry Hopkins, Harold Ickes, Communist sympathizer and ACLU founder Roger Baldwin and others had all visited Europe and especially Russia. They believed America had many failings and laid the blame on Big Business (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?). These early one-worlders thought the "future" lay in 5-year plans and collective measures, especially in farming, unions and utilities. At that time, there was already hard evidence that Lenin and Stalin had killed hundreds of thousands through forced famines and collectivization of farms, but this was ignored by Walter Duranty of the NY Times. When the famine subject came up, it was always blamed on droughts and bad weather conditions. This team of one world visionaries who saw first hand the brutality and pathetic living conditions in Russia looked past that suffering, believing "Uncle Joe" would finally figure out how to make it work. The Big Government approach by FDR and all his make-work projects only served to prolong the Depression 4 or 5 years, and it was World War II that finally saw America’s industrial might bring us out of our doldrums. Quite a price to pay for the socialist planning by FDR and his team! In the process, many government agencies and policies were implemented that are still with us today. The Ponzi scheme of Social Security is probably the biggest weight still on America, but FDR’s recognition of Stalin’s Russia and other social welfare programs he instituted are still haunting America. SS was to be a supplement to a person’s savings with the withholding taxes never to rise above 2%. Today, millions rely almost solely on Social Security income and have become in effect beholden to the government. Obama’s National Health Care will work similar wonders to millions and keep us in the government corral.
Fast forward almost 80 years, and we see that in the same way, Obama has drawn together a team of socialists and radicals, many of whom were mentored by Saul Alinsky, Bill Ayers, Frank Marshall Davis and scores of other Leftists from the 1960’s. Far from contracting the money supply like Hoover, Obama is proposing historical levels of spending which down the road will trigger massive inflation and insurmountable debt. As this newsletter goes to print, Congress is debating the Stimulus package with some of the GOP conservatives slashing billions while the Democrats are slipping new programs in. The final deal will certainly be near one trillion dollars with much more to follow as the rathole of Washington sucks up our tax dollars at a record pace.
Fortunately, talk radio and other conservative sources have exposed billions of dollars in outlandish projects that have raised the ire of even average America. If the final vote has not yet taken place, keep hammering away at your Senators and tell them to VOTE NO! Even if the Senate okays this measure, it will have to go back to the House for their approval, so make sure your Representative hears from you also. For your ready information here, are a few of the hundreds of wild projects that Congress and Obama have incorporated into the "plan that will save America". As you ponder them, please see if there are any items listed that America couldn’t survive without and how many long term jobs will be created. Be sure to point out this waste to your Representatives.
• $ 6 billion to turn federal buildings into "green" buildings.
• $2 billion to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because the project was inefficient!
• $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $23 billion already!
• $650 million for the digital television (DTV) converter box computer program.
• $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees
• $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters (where are they now?).
• $248 million for furniture at the new Department of Homeland Security headquarters (You mean to tell me that the furniture costs half as much as the new building?).
• $125 million for the Washington, D.C. sewer system (That may be necessary to carry all this sludge away!)
• $88 million for the Coast Guard to design new polar icebreakers ( I thought the icecaps were melting!).
The list goes on and on with just as insane earmarks and pork projects as those I’ve given you.
The only way America is going to get out of this mess is by cutting taxes and allowing free enterprise to pick up the pieces to restore the economy. Cutting payroll taxes would be a true stimulus while government spending will only lengthen the slowdown. Most of Europe and Japan have tried various forms of government bailouts and oversight that have NEVER worked in bringing back prosperity. After you contact your representatives, take a moment and drop President Obama a note quoting George Santayana, who said, "Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it!" Like all Socialists, Obama thinks he and his economic team know best and believe, just like those in FDR’s Administration, that more government is the answer. His signature on the Schip program for children on February 4th is just another step toward National Health care, and once America gets that, the government takeover of our lives may be irreversable.
Meanwhile, it will take many months to right the financial markets, and those who made irresponsible loans and investments will have to take their losses. But bailouts and unwise lending will only exacerbate the problem.
Every day Obama seems to have another of his top choices for key positions fall by the wayside because of tax problems or some other conflict of interest. My wife Carolyn said that if he picks enough folks who owe back taxes perhaps he’ll be able to cover the "Stimulus" expense! I did like the proposal by Rep. Carter (R-TX) who introduced what he called the "Rangell Rule". This was named after Democrat Charles Rangell of NY, who failed to pay thousands in back taxes on property he owned and sold. Mr. Carter believes if we made a mistake on our taxes, we should just be able to write "Rangell Rule" on our tax return and be forgiven of any penalties.
We were all delighted to see Tom Daschele drop out as Health and Human Services chairman, although I’m sure there is some other lesser known socialist who is just as dangerous and committed to implementing National Health Care. It’s amazing how Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was able to dodge and weave around his failure to pay $40,000 in back taxes, especially since he is overseeing the IRS! Of course, the "RINO’S" in the GOP confirmed Geithner with very little opposition along with Hillary as Secretary of State. They also helped confirm Eric Holder as Attorney General, Dennis Blair as Director of National Intelligence, Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security and Leon Panetta as head of the CIA. The terrorists must be licking their chops as these "defenders" of the Constitution and "civil rights" are now in charge of Intelligence and Security apparatus! Panetta has no experience in the intelligence field as is true of some of the other Obama appointees and Cabinet members. Speaking of inexperience, I’d like to return to the FDR vs Obama comparison. Liberal columnist Walter Lippmann described Franklin Roosevelt in 1931 as" a pleasant man who, without any important qualifications for the office, would very much like to be President." That sounds pretty much like the Barack Obama story to me!
Obama may soon be compared to Benito Mussolini since Barack is proposing to limit CEO salaries to $500,000 if their businesses or institutions receive Federal bailout money! Or perhaps to old Huey Long from Louisiana, who in 1931 wanted to prevent government loans to companies where the presidents made a $15,000 salary! If there are any bright business leaders that turn around their industry and the economy, why shouldn’t they be rewarded with greater salaries? The Senate is full of multi-millionaires who waste billions of our dollars each year that have hurt our economy. Why doesn’t Barack seek to curtail their earnings and their lucrative pensions?
He is also using scare tactics that if the "Stimulus" isn’t passed, America will suffer for years to come and unemployment will reach Depression levels. He has Nancy Pelosi so worked up that she said we will lose 500 million jobs a month! I guess all those zeroes has the Speaker confused! Since a large part of the "Stimulus" package is for college costs, why doesn’t Barack demand that universities lower their tuition rates and use some of the billions they have in endowments? With most of the nation experiencing one of the coldest winters on record, Ozone Al has been fairly low key although his surrogates are still promoting the "Global Warming" nonsense. The State of Kentucky is like "Katrina in Ice". Hundreds of thousands of residents were and still are without power for more than two weeks, yet Obama hasn’t visited the area. Where is the Media outcry over his lack of concern like they accused George Bush when the disaster occurred in New Orleans? The double-standards are obvious and will continue during the foreseeable future as the Media love affair with Obama continues unabated. If this much has happened in Obama’s first three weeks, what will the next four years be like?
TYRANTS AND FAMINE
2009 marks the 50th year of Fidel Castro’s brutal rule in Cuba, and of course Obama wants to have discussions with their government to ease tensions. Just as Walter Duranty of the NY Times glossed over and hid the truth about Stalin’s vicious regime, Herb Matthews of the Times called Fidel, the "Robin Hood of Cuba, and submitted glowing reports of his "revolution." When a few sane people questioned Fidel’s communist connections, Matthews claimed that "Castro is not only not Communist but decidedly anti-Communist!" This type of claptrap ensured Castro’s rise to power, and President Eisenhower gave immediate recognition to his coup over the pro-American Batista government. Since then, the Left, and especially Hollywood, has showered praise on Fidel. Oliver Stone described him as "selfless and moral. Goofy Harry Belafonte claimed, "If you believe in freedom, justice and democracy, you have no choice but to support Fidel Castro." Jack Nicholson called him "a genius" and the foreign policy expert Chevy Chase chimed in with, "Socialism works. I think Cuba might prove that." Meanwhile, millions of Cubans have suffered every form of depravation, starvation, torture and death during the last 50 years. Tens of thousands braved shark-infested waters to come to Florida, many of them perishing in the attempt to be free. The most classic case was in 2000 when young Elian Gonzales arrived in Miami after his Mother died in getting him across those 90 dangerous miles of ocean. Of course, the Clinton/Reno team made sure he was sent back at gunpoint to that paradise island. America has been blamed for the economic plight of Cuba because of our various embargoes, but their basket case status is only because of their Communist way of life. They are free to trade with other countries, but their internal failure is the best example of why we must stop Obama and his brand of Socialism.
At the same time, Zimbabwe is currently in the news. They have been suffering even worse conditions under the Communist dictator Robert Mugabe for nearly 30 years. Formerly known as Rhodesia, this country used to be prosperous under white rule. Thousands fled INTO Rhodesia from neighboring African states that had chaos and mayhem as a way of life. Food was plentiful, and their economy boomed with their natural resources being mined and sold worldwide. But the United Nations, Jimmy Carter and other do-gooders demanded that black rule be imposed. Mugabe’s Marxists won the battle for control, and Zimbabwe has been on a downward slide ever since. In 2002, Mugabe targeted 95% of white owned farms for redistribution to blacks. The results have been massive shortages and despair to where up to half of the 12 million citizens face some form of starvation. Hundreds of thousands have died in conflicts and civil wars, and the socialistic policies have caused inflation to go through the roof. They just issued a $50 million note a few weeks ago for which you might be able to get a sandwich and cup of coffee! Most Americans assume nothing like that could happen here, but out of control inflation could hit through wild government spending. Cuba, Iceland, North Korea and dozens of other countries are going through very difficult times, and this fits perfectly into the plans of the New World Order crowd and their plans for a one-world currency. We must stand up against the insane policies of Obama and Congress!
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
This year marks the 200th birthday of two noted men, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. Both have made their mark on mankind, Lincoln to set men free and Darwin by reducing men to the level of animals. Without being too dramatic, I truly believe the world is on the brink of choosing either Lincoln’s or Darwin’s way of life. In fact, Darwin followers in Britain have placed signs on buses saying , "There is no God!" They and most of Europe have lost their Christian faith. We must choose the principles of Lincoln who loved freedom and God.
• Norman Thomas, who ran for President six times on the Socialist Party, said in 1944, "The American people will never knowingly accept socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism,’ they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program. I no longer need to run for President because the Democratic Party has adopted our platform." I believe we have seen the results of his prophesy in the election of Obama!
• At the National Prayer Breakfast on February 5th, Obama made the following incredible statement, "There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being." This from a man who is doing the bidding of every pro-abortion group to kill more babies! I hearken back to his interview at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church when he said "it was above his pay grade to say when life begins." Barack is all for science, which proves life begins at conception, but strives to promote abortion at every chance! James 1:8.
A PARTIAL LIST OF NATIONAL AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES
Please use this list often and boldly to contact our elected officials to make known your opposition to and support for various measures and proposals. We still have the right to petition and bring our concerns before Congress and Harrisburg. These men and women are our employees and must hear from us! Many of them may have closed minds to our views, but we must keep hammering away in a firm and respectful manner to change bad policies. WASHINGTON PITTSBURGH AREA
President Barack Obama 202-456-1414 202-456-2461 (fax)
Senator Arlen Specter 202-224-4254 202-228-1229 (fax) 412-644-3400 412-644-4871 (fax)
Senator Robert Casey 202-224-6324 202-228-0604 (fax) 412-803-7370 412-802-7379 (fax)
Cong. Tim Murphy 202-225-2301 412-344-5583
Cong. John Murtha 202-225-2065 814-535-2642
Cong. Jason Altmire 202-225-2565 202-226-2274 724-226-1304 724-226-1308
Cong. Mike Doyle 202-225-2135 202-225-3084 412-261-5091 412-261-1983
Cong. Bill Shuster 202-225-2431 202-225-2486 724-463-0516 724-463-0518
CONGRESSIONAL SWITCHBOARD 202-224-3121
PENNSYLVANIA STATE GOVERNMENT
Governor Ed Rendell 717-787-2500 717-772-8284 (fax)
Lt. Governor Joe Scarnati 717-787-3300 717-783-0150 (fax)
Attorney General Tom Corbett 717-787-3391 717-783-1107 (fax)
Senator Sean Logan 412-380-2249 Senator Jane Orie 412-630-9466
Senator John Pippy 412-262-2260 Senator Kim Ward 724-600-7002
Rep. James Casorio 724-861-0247 Rep. Paul Costa 412-824-3400
Rep. Anthony DeLuca 412-793-2448 Rep. Dan Frankel 412-422-1774
Rep. Marc Gergley 412-754-3500 Rep. Ted Harhai 724-446-4288
Rep. Bill Kortz 412-466-1940 Rep. Tim Krieger 724-834-6400
Rep. Joe Markosek 412-856-8284 Rep. Daryl Metcalfe 724-772-3110
Rep. John Pallone 724-339-1990 Rep. Joe Petrarca 724-567-6982
Rep. Joe Preston 412-361-3692 Rep. Mike Reese 724-423-6503
Rep. Mike Turzai 412-369-2230
STIMULUS UPDATE
On February 10th, the Senate by a vote of 61-37 passed a $ 838 billion "Stimulus" measure with the help of three so-called Republicans including our own Arlen Specter. Many of us called his office and were told our views had been passed on to him. You can see how much he listens to the folks of PA and throughout the Country! Not satisfied with ignoring us once, Arlen stuck his finger in both of our eyes and finished the job on Friday the 13th voting once again to pass the conference plan that will hasten our slide into wild inflation. WE MUST GET RID OF HIM IN 2010 OR SOONER!
Speaking of "RINO" Arlen, the man who almost beat him in the 2004 GOP Primary election, Pat Toomey, is coming to North Huntingdon on March 20th, for a major speech. There is talk that Pat may be challenging Arlen again for the Senate or he may choose to seek the Governor’s office in 2010. In any event, there are not many who know more about conservative economics and government waste than Pat Toomey. Currently he is President of the Club for Growth in Washington, D.C. Please mark your calendars for Friday, March 20th. The dinner will be held at Stratigos Banquet Centre off Route 30 in North Huntingdon with the doors opening at 6PM and the dinner at 7PM. The cost is $35 per person and tickets may be ordered by calling Ben Wren at 724-961-8180 or [email protected]. Spread the word about this important dinner!
