Fleeced......

by Dick Morris

Assuming everything in this book is true, this is a book everyone should read. Here is the drive-thru breakdown:


*Democrats court hispanics for future party strength, this is why they are against immigration accountability.
*National Health Insurance Exchange will regulate private insurance.
* Patriot Act helps arrest and prosecute terrorists & would be terrorists, Obama and others claim it violates privacy rights. To date, there is no evidence that supports that anyones privacy has been abused by the privileges aloud the investigators by the Patriot Act.
* Obama is FOR merit based pay for teachers and making it easier to get rid of poor teachers. (In my opinion this is his only redeeming stand so far.)


*Liberal Media -- Mainstream media purposely down plays terrorist threats for 3 reasons:
*to get democrats elected (Republicans have tough stand against terrorists)
*to protect their idea of civil rights
*tiptoe around minorities
Media is succeeding in lulling us all to sleep in regards to real terrorist danger.


*Fairness Doctrine -- Leftists complain that talk radio is under control of conservative owners and that these owners aren't in it for the money but rather to push an ideological line. (Morris says," Only in America would being motivated by idealism, not money, be considered a negative.") ---Leftists not only want fair air time on the radio they want equal ownership!!
Ironically, one leftist radio show already did try to succeed and failed because listeners didn't like it. So this fairness doctrine is just to muscle their way in to public radios through regulations. I say, fine, as long as we regulate mainstream media and Hollywood too.


*Congress -- From January to April of 2008, Congress has averaged 1 1/2 days of work a week. THEY HAVE A 1 1/2 DAY WORK WEEK!!! Hello!! What do they do with all the rest of the time?? You'll see in a minute. Send a message to your senator and representative!! Congress needs to be regulated!!


*Lobbyists -- This must be what our elected officials do with the rest of their time--meet with lobbyists from everywhere--middle eastern countries, European countries, manufacturers ...you name it. Other countries pay millions and millions a year to lobbying firms to represent their causes to American legislatures. The lobbyists' job?--to improve the clients image through media, minimize opposition, and set up meetings with officials (like our representatives and senators). Lobbying is an extremely lucrative business. Most elected officials turn into lobbyists when their terms are up. Morris suggests that all elected officials be required to post their schedules on the internet. I say, we should require them to pass a five day work week law for themselves. They have to be on the floor for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Maybe we could reduce the hold lobbyists have on them if we reduce their free time away from the floor.


*The Dubai-ing of America -- I don't know what to say about all of this. In short, America is being bought out by other countries. We are selling to foreign countries--many of which do not care for our best interest.
Recently, a French manufacturer was awarded an American defense contract that American owned Boeing had bid on. Now, our tax dollars are paying French workers and our artillery is being made by the French. I hope they are always on our side--are they even on our side right now?? This isn't necessarily a case of 'being bought out' by foreign countries. The American government awarded this bid to a French cooperation over an American one. How can this happen you ask--lobbyists.


*Credit Card Fleece ---No surprise. Universal default says your credit card company can penalize you for not having good credit with someone else--even if you've always been up to date with your credit card payments. Double cycle billing is when they charge you interest based on an average balance over 3 months-even if you pay your bill off every month and no new charges were made. They mail their bills later on purpose to encourage late payments. They charge to pay by phone and change interest rates on existing balances. Go to http://www.cardratings.com/ to see if your credit card co. does any of these things. Incidently, credit card companies pay members of congress to avert any regulations. This made me feel like cutting up my credit card--I only have one--I still may do it.


* Teachers Unions --"When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children." -Albert Shanker, Former Pres. of New York United Federation of School Teachers. Well that says it all. But these unions aren't even looking out for the best interest of teachers anymore. They take money from investment firms and then tell teachers to invest their retirement plans through these firms. Teachers do, because they trust the union, but these particular investment funds are no good deal. Teachers would end up with 3 times the money with more than one of any other investment options. Sad.


*Gauntanamo Bay -- Bush said that because the terrorist captured don't officially represent any country (they wore no uniforms, were part of no army), they are not entitled to the protection of the Geneva Convention. So, prisoners were treated poorly I guess. How poorly? I don't know. But 'global media pressure' is pushing to release these prisoners and Bush has caved. Why do we need to let them go? I don't get it. At most, we can just say 'Ok, from now on we will treat them like POW's'. Of course, the ACLU is ready to defend the violated rights of these 'poor prisoners'. My opinion--the ACLU has it's head up a chickens butt. They are crooked. Incidently, several of the prisoners released from Guantanamo have been recaptured or killed fighting against American soldiers. Da.


*Dangerous Toys -- The Consumer Product and Safety Commission doesn't do it's job. They claim they don't have enough resources to carry out their obligations but deny any new funding to thier organization claiming that 'voluntary' compliance by cooperations is the best way to go.
Interesting that the head of the CPSA and others take lovely trips all paid for by China and toy manufacturers. Conflict of interest.


*Flood Zones -- Wealthy people re-re-rebuild beach homes that are repeatedly destroyed by hurricanes. They get a really good deal on flood insurance (subsidized by the government) so what do they care? They will just keep rebuilding in the same place over and over--and they can, becuase no ones telling them not to. So I'm paying for the luxury beach home of someone else and I will probably pay to re-rebuild it after the next hurricane. I don't care if they want a beach home on the beach and I don't care if it continually is destroyed and rebuilt in the same place--as long as they are building it on their dime.

What a President Should Know.....

......but most learn too late.

I loved this book, I'm not really sure why. I think it's because he talks to the reader like he/she is the President--yep, that's why I like it. Here are my two favorite pieces of advice from this book;

"There is no time like the present to start reinforcing the people who bring you the bad news and not just the ones who bring you the good news. [You can get the bad news in a discreet setting or in a public setting.] The person telling you the bad news to your face is to be cherished and cultivated, he or she is doing you a huge favor."

I don't have an exact quote for the second one, but he strongly advised anyone against serving a second term. He makes a good case against it. He went through all the presidents who served second terms. Mostly second terms are spent on the defensive--nothing good much happens. The media gets nit picky (in my own words--the media gets bored you and is looking for anything to make a story out of) and many second terms are spent in scandal of some kind. He says most presidents spend their whole first term making decisions based on getting re-elected, but by the time they get to that second term, they have lost their individuality--they have become the 'administration'--and the ferver/energy that got them elected in the first place is gone. He's says it's better to serve one term, do one really great thing for America, and leave on top before the responsibilities of the office drag you down.

There are other interesting points discussed in this book but I will write about them another time. He discusses the complexities of health care, education, taxes and, yes, war. He also talks about the logistics of trying to keep tabs on all the committees, cabinets and staff that work for the White House. It was interesting to learn how much the government has grown in 100 years.
100 years ago, one small victorian building held most of the different departments--including the Department of Defense which is now housed in the massive pentagon. The CIA has been created since then and has the whole Langley, Virginia complex. The old victorian building now holds only a fraction of one department. And one president is supposed to be able to oversee all of these people. Talk about feeling small and overwhelmed.

Culture Warrior by Bill O'Reilly

Bill O'Reilly for the most part appeals to traditionals and conservatives which he claims include
Republicans and Democrats. In this book he cautions that we don't cling to the old assumption
that if I'm Republican--all Democrats are bad, or if I'm Democrat--all Republicans are bad.
He claims there are people with traditional values in both parties and they need to work together to fight the war being waged by secular progressives.

Secular progressives are the 'liberal' people who ;
*challenge the role of religion in our society
*challenge the role of traditional marriage
*want big government in the hands of a few--them
*defend the rights of criminals at the expense of victims
*believe that civil rights are about 'whatever feels good for me' or 'what is in my best interest' rather than 'my rights based on maintaining the common good'.
*seem to have a huge following in Hollywood and in mainstream media

O'Reilly list several cases where the ACLU has been on the side of criminals and 'liberal' progressive movements rather than families, children, rape and murder victims. (This example is not in the book, however, the ACLU is poised to defend Gauntanamo Bay prisoners, and gay marriage advocates but hasn't seemed to find any time to help Joe [the Plumber] who is being investigated personally by the Ohio government simply for asking Barack Obama a question about taxes--interesting?)

This book is meant to 'out' the secular progressives (liberals) that are pulling strings behind the scenes (with millions of dollars) in our courts and legislature to promote their ideals--ideals that are fundamentally different than the ones America has been built on and that MOST Americans still hold.

What seems to bother O'Reilly the most is that the majority of Americans would never go for the stuff these liberals are selling--but most Americans don't know it is going on.
He calls for Americans to stop building their lives around their favorite television programs and Hollywood releases and start following what is going on in government.

He believes that if all Americans were aware of what values/rights were at stake, they would start getting more involved. He has motivated me to find out who my Senator and Congressman are and I won't hesitate to email them when I don't like how things are going. To be quite frank, I don't think this will do much good. But I get some satisfaction in knowing and I can and did do it.