Silken Slippers and Hobnail Boots Surviving the Decline and Fall

by R.E. Hannay

  * Another survey found conservatives three times more likely to say it would be “humiliating to receive money without having to work for it.” They also found liberals were much more likely to say it was justified to keep money you found that doesn’t belong to you.

  Liberals and conservatives don’t just vote differently. They are different.

  GLOBAL WARMING - A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC REPORT

  The Oregon Institute of Science & Medicine does research on a variety of scientific and medical subjects. They made an analysis of global warming arguments and the effects of human activities on climate, and particularly the effects of burning fossil fuels and carbon dioxide. After completing their analysis, they solicited petitions in support of their conclusions and so far have received signatures from 31,487 scientists directly involved or qualified in the field of climate studies. Those signatories are screened for scientific qualifications to express their opinions. The names of the scientists and their degrees are listed on the Institute’s website, grouped alphabetically and cross-referenced by their states. The website page is https://www.petitionproject.org/

  The undated letter of transmittal to climate scientists who are potential signatories, written by a past president of the National Academy of Sciences, the President Emeritus of Rockefeller University, follows:

  Research Review of Global Warming Evidence:

  Enclosed is a twelve-page review of information on the subject of "global warming," a petition in the form of a reply card, and a return envelope. Please consider these materials carefully.

  The United States is very close to adopting an international agreement that would ration the use of energy and of technologies that depend upon coal, oil, and natural gas and some other organic compounds.

  This treaty is, in our opinion, based upon flawed ideas. Research data on climate change do not show that human use of hydrocarbons is harmful. To the contrary, there is good evidence that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is environmentally helpful.

  The proposed agreement would have very negative effects upon the technology of nations throughout the world, especially those that are currently attempting to lift from poverty and provide opportunities to the over 4 billion people in technologically underdeveloped countries. It is especially important for America to hear from its citizens who have the training necessary to evaluate the relevant data and offer sound advice.

  We urge you to sign and return the petition card. If you would like more cards for use by your colleagues, these will be sent.

  (signed) Frederick Seitz, Past President, National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. President Emeritus, Rockefeller University

  The following is their abstract of the aforementioned scientific review:

  "A review of the research literature concerning the environmental consequences of increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to the conclusion that increases during the 20th and early 21st centuries have produced no deleterious effects upon Earth’s weather and climate. Increased carbon dioxide has, however, markedly increased plant growth. Predictions of harmful climatic effects due to future increases in hydrocarbon use and minor green house gases like CO2 do not conform to current experimental knowledge. The environmental effects of rapid expansion of the nuclear and hydrocarbon energy industries are discussed.

  Many have made their living from what Viscount Matt Ridley calls "The Extreme Weather Scam", not just from research grants to prove man-made global warming by burning carbon fuel. Various reports have said that Al Gore has made several hundred million dollars personally through his Church of Global Warming. Now that the canard has mostly been exposed, his liberal group has taken to calling it "climate change". Since the climate is always changing, the anti-carbon attacks are slightly different, but it’s the same fake blame game.

  What produced this cult and why does it still attract a large congregation? It belongs in the class of emotional, irrational thinking: Don’t confuse me with facts, I’ve already made up my mind. Years ago the Rev. Gore’s doomsday prediction was for a 19-foot rise in ocean levels in two decades, wiping out many coastal cities, but so far it is almost too small to measure, an estimated two inches. Gore is running a close second to Barry Soetero for the 2014 Pink Panther trophy. A shipload of climate scientists entering Antarctica to study the supposed meltdown there became stuck in the ice on Christmas, 2013. An Australian ice-breaker sent to rescue them could not penetrate the ice and a heavy Chinese ice-breaker became stuck in ice six miles from the scientists. In January they were rescued by helicopter. As this goes to press, a third ice-breaker is attempting to reach the two ships still embedded in the global warming ice.

  The current statements that “scientists agree that the climate changes are man-caused” are also spurious, with temperature variations well within the range of the typical 1,500 year climate cycle. Recently there has been some evidence that part of the planet’s natural gas is not carbon-based, produced not by decaying organic material but by chemical action of other materials.

  Mostly overlooked in the frantic political maneuvering are the statements by many of the objective (not the grant-motivated) scientists that the very slight warming trend during the last century does more good than harm, opening up more food-producing land on an over-populated planet.

  It appears that the cultists’ hatred of carbon-based energy, our main source, is just another way for the limousine liberals to control the lives of a public who are increasingly dependent on governments. Since increasing socialism has inevitably produced a stagnant, less productive economy, the Socialist/Democrats needed a new way to maintain their credibility and control. Eureka! Man-made global warming! Now largely discredited, the Democrats refuse to give up their new invention, as is Gore while he circles the globe in his carbon-burning jet to promote his alternative-fuel businesses, then returns to jet between his two carbon-fueled, carbon-electrified mansions.

  THE BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA LEGACY

  A Parvenu's Developing Record

  Bypassing Congress, legislating from the White House and defying statutory and court-ordered requirements. Using threats of punishment, bureaucratic delays and refusals to issue approvals and permits to legitimate applicants in order to prevent them from doing things the law permits but that he personally opposes.

  With no military experience and understanding, and after being elected on a platform of getting out of foreign wars, starting and prolonging wars in defiance of the constitutional requirement for congressional authorization, the latest an unapproved providing of weapons to the Islamist rebels in Syria, part of whom are al Queda members.

  In 2012, when terrorists attacked the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya for five hours, Obama ordered a hold on military flights being sent to protect the embassy. The U.S. ambassador and three others were tortured, dragged through the streets and murdered. The Obama administration lied about the nature of the incident and their failure to respond, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "What does it matter?"

  Administering by selectively refusing to enforce laws he doesn’t approve, while issuing executive orders to legislate matters Congress has refused to pass, in defiance of his sworn oath of office to protect, support and defend the Constitution. A typical case: his executive order not to enforce certain immigration laws on deportation of illegal aliens.

  Nominating persons with little or no business experience to cabinet positions that are responsible for managing the largest business in the world, persons who are socialists dedicated to changing our free enterprise system to fascism – government control of privately owned property.

  Making appointments of other radical, unqualified persons to high positions, either by illegal “recess” appointments or by hiring new “czars” without Senate approval.

  Instead of being the country’s full-time chief administrator, being a full time political campaigner and vacationer at taxpayers’ expense, always working to remake the cou
ntry into his personal utopia, not to the citizens’ preferences or in their best interests. When not campaigning, he and his family go on very expensive vacations at taxpayers’ expense. One report said $1.4 billion was spent on Obama family vacations for 1911 alone.

  Punishing success and thrift, rewarding failure. Rewarding political donors and punishing supporters of his political enemies, among other ways by using the awesome power of the IRS – alternately called Inquisition Reborn to Slaughter.

  He and his congregation call any opposition to his radical mission racist, while he and they are the ones actually guilty of racism.

  Restricting Christian and Jewish religious freedom while protecting and forgiving Muslim insults, threats, misbehavior and crimes.

  Always blaming others for his Administration’s scandals and corruption; he “just heard about it on the news”.

  Changing positions frequently and lying about facts, such as changing the methodology used in calculating the official government unemployment and inflation rates to produce the desired results.

  His great pride and joy, his signature “achievement”, was Obamacare – the [Un]Affordable Care Act. The Socialist/Democrats rammed it through Congress without reading it and without a single Republican vote. In October, 2013, after three and a half years and an estimated $600 million to design a website for people to sign up, his incompetent administration’s website crashed on opening and it still isn't working, nor is Obamacare itself. In their desire to prevent people from knowing what others were paying, they created a monster that didn’t work. Obama criticized that website to conceal his real failure, that Obamacare is a monstrous, expensive and unworkable attempt to nationize our medical care.

  Above all, his legacy is a continual, concerted effort to remove the United States from the rule of law under the Constitution, from a land of opportunity and ownership to an Orwellian police/welfare state, with citizens and illegal aliens dependent on the whims of Big Brother and his dream regime, aided by illegal left-wing groups like ACORN and liberal billionaires like George Soros, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

  October 2013: When the U.S. debt ceiling was reached, he refused to negotiate terms of a solution, demanding that he be permitted to continue his outrageous spending. He then shut down “non-essential” government operations, including not just all national park and monument facilities to make the public feel the pain of his being forced to slightly reduce the rate of his increased spending. He roped off access to unmanned sites such as the Vietnam Memorial wall, preventing veterans from visiting it. He blocked the viewing sites at Mt. Rushmore, declared 1,100 square miles of Florida ocean off limits to fishermen, blocked access to privately owned and operated businesses on federal land, denied access to their homes of homeowners on federal land near Lake Mead in Nevada, closed the commissaries (grocery stores) on military bases but kept the golf course open where he plays golf at Andrews Air Force Base. These are petulant acts to punish the public for opposing him, conduct to be expected of a banana republic dictator, not a U.S. president.

  A graphic portrayal of the Obama legacy is in The Pink Panther, starring Inspector Barack Clouseau-Obama and his sidekick, Cato-Biden.

  When a small man casts a long shadow, the sun is about to set. - Lin Yutang.

  THE SOPHOMORE CIVICS CLASS

  This semester’s project was to organize and operate a federal government and to formulate policies and programs to solve the country’s economic, political, medical, legal and social problems. To lead the project, the class agreed that it would be nice to elect the one black student, Brak Hussein, to be president. He had recently entered the school and would not tell anyone about his background, but he is a smooth talker and is multi-cultural, an important asset in any group. Brak immediately issued an executive order requiring all advertising with people to include at least one black person, and he appointed a committee to review all advertising and punish all violations.

  The class’s second action was to give one trillion dollars to the class’s friends, the people and unions who had supported the students who wanted a new stadium, a new student union building with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and trips to see historic sites, museums, national parks, rock concerts, Disneyland, the Mardi Gras, and the Super Bowl. These trips were deemed to be essential to a broader education and to assure Brak’s reelection. Since the school was in a deep recession and the faux government didn’t have any money to give to their friends, Brak got the class to order its Treasury Department to issue Treasury notes and bills to borrow the money, and to have the class’s Federal Reserve system print another trillion dollars, then have the Fed buy the Treasury bonds from itself. Isn’t that neat? When asked who will provide the money needed to retire the Treasury bonds when they come due, Brak read a teleprompter statement saying they are still working on that.

  Another piece of early legislation is called BrakCare, changing the class's medical care system to socialized medicine controlled by the government. Seventy percent of the class opposed this proposal because it would cost the taxpayers $10 trillion more, half the employers said they would terminate their private medical plans, and 45 percent of the doctors surveyed said they would close their practice when the plan goes into effect. However, Brak and the leadership panel he appointed (also called Brak’s toadies) were able to force the legislation through before the class was permitted to read the 2,600 pages. Brak said they would like it, once they learned what it does. He was able to get enough votes for passage by giving special gifts and privileges to a number of undecided classmates, the Medical Association, insurance companies, the AARP and class Senator Mary Landrieu.

  As president, Brak is automatically commander-in-chief of the class's military forces (the class opposition group calls him the Teleprompter-in-Chief). Initially he promised to get our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan within a few months, but later he sent in more troops and also started bombing Libya and sending military “equipment” to Syria, Lebanon and Mali. When asked how he could start the Libya war without the approval of the class, he said, “Just dropping bombs and killing other people isn’t a war. None of our own troops have been killed yet.”

  Another part of the class’s plan is to expand the membership and power of the labor unions, since they provide a lot of money for school projects and elections. Brak said our teachers belong to a union and spend a lot of time and money working with Congress for special legislation to benefit teachers, and the unions are a big help in stuffing ballot boxes during school elections. Nancy Baloni, elected class vice-president, is a strong supporter of unions. When this reporter asked her about reports that her family’s many businesses are all non-union, she said, “Are you kidding? Are you kidding?” and left the room.

  The country has a serious immigration problem, with an estimated 11 million mostly unskilled illegal aliens competing with our own unskilled citizens for jobs. The president and Nancy proposed a simple solution: just make the illegal aliens U.S. citizens. The class turned that down, but Brak issued an executive order guaranteeing protection of the illegals from the police and providing equal treatment and benefits for them, as well as making their children citizens. He said these new people are needed as voters in the next school election because they promised to vote for Brak and Nancy. Brak said the ballots would be printed in both Spanish and English because most of the illegals can‘t read English. Many members of the class are reported to be unhappy with his plans, but Brak says the problem will be solved when the foreigners are more than half the population and control the country.

  When he assumed the presidency, Brak was concerned about getting the class to approve nominations he wanted to make to handle different parts of what he calls his government. He solved that by directly appointing people called “czars,” who report only to him. Neat, huh? Brak’s teleprompter explained that czars, who we never had before, were needed immediately. He said that having the class consider all new legislation and appointments is too ti
me-consuming, causes dissension in the class and prevents some of his plans from being implemented. He said executive orders are a much better way to legislate, leaving those matters for him to decide. Also, he is appointing only modern judges who don’t feel limited by the Constitution and who like to legislate by court action.

  Brak and Nancy, both wealthy, hate other wealthy people unless they’re from Hollywood or provide money for school programs. They say other rich people are greedy and Brak has made elaborate plans to take money from the people he thinks have too much money, to give to the people who support their school projects and who will vote for them at the next election and also will handle the ballot boxes. This reporter asked Brak and Nancy if the people with more money don’t have it because they work harder and save more of their money, and aren’t they the people who make and run the businesses that provide the jobs? They said, “It is simply unfair for some people to have more than others! We need to ‘redistribute’ their money to the right voters.”

  Brak’s Toadies have continued to borrow more money to stimulate the economy, but so far the only effect has been to stimulate the size and cost of their faux government. Brak says the economy is much stronger now but critics note that the cost of living has gone up but is falsely calculated, unemployment stays very high and is falsely calculated, the frightened banks and businesses are hoarding their money and not lending, investing or hiring, and new regulations on businesses are causing many to move business to more friendly countries with lower taxes and less regulation. However, the Toadys continue to print more play money to pay for their new programs, including fighting several distant wars to promote freedom and giving foreign aid to many other countries who hate us. The class has increased the national debt $6 trillion since starting their project, and some members are predicting national bankruptcy, but Brak and Nancy say the only problem is that the greedy businesses and millionaires won’t spend their money to create new jobs.

  Some class members pointed out the country’s dependence on foreign oil from unfriendly sources. Regardless, Brak virtually stopped offshore and some domestic drilling and blocked necessary pipelines. The class held a court proceeding and ordered him to reopen offshore drilling, but he has defied the court order by having his oil czar refuse to issue new drilling permits. Because he predicted disastrous results from global warming and rising oceans, Brak proposed taxes on all carbon-based fuels and large subsidies to encourage the development of windmills, solar power and other expensive energy sources. Some class members pointed out that 30 years ago the same people predicted disaster from global cooling, and that now climate scientists say that the long-term danger is still global cooling, Brak responded that all the present problems including global warming and global cooling were caused by George W. Bush.

  The class discussed many social matters and ordered freedom for homosexuals to marry and to play with each other in the armed forces. They also voted to encourage single mothers to stay on welfare by not letting any of their children’s various fathers live with the family. They said fatherless homes provide a more modern lifestyle. They also voted to provide free medical care for pregnant girls in school, day care for their children and other expensive welfare. They also voted a letter of support for this year’s prom queen, Heather Getme, who is seven months pregnant, praising her controversial selection as a nice thing to do. A California subcommittee headed by Governor Moonbeam Brown passed legislation requiring that homosexuality be taught and encouraged in all schools.

  A local banker and former business owner, Wanton Bleed, offered to talk to the class about their project but was told they don’t want any prejudiced information from business sources affecting their governing.

  We told Brak that one critic said his ideas have been tried many times before and have never worked. He said he was sorry that he didn’t have time to respond because he had an important campaign speech to give and then is taking his jumbo jet, Air Force One, to St. Andrews for an important golf game and then on to Africa to meet Michelle and the girls. They took Air Force Two for the vacation in Africa. Michelle was exhausted from last month’s vacation at Martha’s Vineyard, and he wanted them to meet their relatives in Kenya.

  He said he hasn’t had time to lead the class lately because of the demands of constant campaigning and of studying the best methods for organizing more community rabble-rousers. After they return from Africa he has plans for extensive vacationing. They will be working vacations; he needs time for planning next year’s campaigning. He said his cabinet and czars are running the country anyway (one wag said the word is pronounced ruining), and his new teleprompters can make speeches by themselves.

  When this reporter asked him about reports that his Africa trip will cost the taxpayers $100 million, he said, “That is nonsense, it’s only $95 million.” It will be interesting to see how the class project works out.

  ELECTION DECISIONS, SLIGHTLY SIMPLIFIED

  Once upon a time, people voted mostly as Democrats, Republicans, Socialists -- or “I don’t vote.” Many would vote a straight party ticket -- no individual candidates. As communications and education improved, that changed to some extent. Now a substantial percentage of the public listens to some of the filtered issues and mud-slinging and makes at least some effort to choose candidates rationally rather than by political party. Ideally, voters should compare the candidates’ leadership, managerial and performance records, their strengths and weaknesses, their judgment, and most important, their integrity: do they tell the truth, are they consistent in their beliefs and positions, or do they change their positions simply to woo different audiences? Most important, they consider, “Can I trust him?”

  For president, anything candidates say about specific issues should be secondary in selecting the most powerful person in the world. Where they stand on the proper role of government versus personal responsibility, on gun control, abortion, welfare, immigration, medical care and everything else should be secondary. “I like his position on that issue,” or “I like the way he sounds or looks, debates and so on are all subordinate to the most important question: “Can I trust this person and his judgment?” The president of the United States has his finger on the trigger of the most powerful weapons in the history of the world and he is the most important decision-maker concerning the economic health and prosperity of the world. He must have the judgment, leadership abilities and record to draw 310 million Americans (and six billion other people) together as well as possible.

  Integrity itself is obviously not enough, but without it, no candidate for Congress or other high office should even be considered. An unpredictable person with a history of lies and deceit, changing positions, circumventing laws and court decrees by refusing to enforce them, legislating by executive orders, and displaying personal arrogance identifies a loose cannon. Nixon, the Clintons, Obama and McCain are good examples. When voting, everyone needs to remember the awesome responsibility and power of this most important person in the world. Candidates who pass the integrity test should then be eligible for consideration based on the other matters involved in voting decisions.

  MISLEADING POLITICAL EUPHEMISMS

  The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name – Chinese proverb

  Some Ronald Reagan comments from those who knew him remind one of the coming presidential elections. The dramatic contrast between Reagan and the mountebank Obama suggest that the most effective way to beat the gang of radical America-changers is to plant seeds of distrust in the minds of voters, both those in the center and the larger segment who are politically on autopilot and who don’t study candidates and issues. For five years Obama has failed to do a long list of things he promised to do and lied about many things on many occasions. He defies the Constitution and tries to run the country like a dictator in central Africa. An open microphone caught him telling the president of Russia that after the last (2012) election he would in his final term “have more flexibility” (to do thi
ngs for Russia that the U.S. public opposed).

  Recent Republican presidential campaigns have been a combination of weak candidates and poor campaigning. John McCain was nominated by the insiders because of his seniority in the Republican Party, in spite of being an unimpressive, unreliable candidate with a record of promoting bad legislation jointly with liberal Democrats. His strategy was mostly moving to the left to try to win elections by out-Democratting the Democrats. Gentleman Mitt Romney brought a water pistol to his gunfight with Obama.

  Some wag said the Republicans are good at snatching defeat from victory. Like Reagan, candidates should aggressively educate the public on how free enterprise brings prosperity and how socialism and a big-government welfare state produce economic stagnation and poverty. In the last election, Romney and his campaign didn’t engage in Obama-style character assassination and appeals to emotions as the Demogogues do but he talked only about the issues and what he proposed to do to start a climb out of the hole the liberal big-government gang of radicals have dug us into. Big mistake. This isn’t a debate to the Democrats, it’s a war to change the country into a welfare state of people and businesses dependent on the Democrats and do it any way necessary to win. Lying, cheating, making impossible promises – anything to win elections and control. The Republicans need to fight a war, campaign with a continuing barrage of facts about the Democrats’ lies, broken promises, corruption, growth of government and regulations,  reckless spending of money borrowed from our children and grandchildren, the terrible Obamacare and Dodd-Frank legislation, the Democrats’ continuing attempts to raise taxes on everyone, not just the "rich”, and to raise energy costs “to be like Europe”. Most important, they need to explain how the Democrats' welfare state destroys the opportunities of the citizens, that the “free” welfare state ruins their personal opportunities to achieve prosperity and liberty. There is a treasure house of facts available on all those matters but the Obama puppets in the liberal news media effectively mute, distort and fail to report damaging facts, and often just lie.

  Words form the basis for human communications and understanding. Consider the difference between identifying someone as a courtesan instead of a whore; a baby as a love child rather than a bastard; political spending as an “investment”; educating people, not ranting; explaining, not carping. Republican campaigners and many conservatives and libertarians are victims of the news media’s use of words, often having been suckered into using the liberals’ euphemisms, deceiving words and phrases - words that distort reality in favor of the liberals.

  One example is using  “progressive” instead of “liberal” or “left-wing.” Progressive is a positive word, denoting progress, which certainly is not what the Democrats’ sclerotic policies bring. The Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute and other conservative organizations defend the use of progressive, saying that was the historic word for liberalism, but that was a hundred years ago – Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson – not progress in the current understanding of the word. Now everyone says we have “progressive tax rates” instead of “escalating tax rates” or ”penalizing tax rates”, with taxes assessed at increasing percentages as income increases. That makes it a penalty tax on success rather than encouraging success and productivity with flat tax rates. The only progress of the current “progressives” has been progressive destruction of the Constitution; failing to enforce our immigration laws, encouraging illegal aliens to take jobs from our underclass of poor blacks, Latinos and whites and putting a huge burden of free medical care on our hospital emergency rooms and on our many welfare programs.

  The welfare-state liberals have been able to get almost everyone to use the terms “redistribution” and “transfer payments” instead of the honest description, “political theft of private assets” - taxes destined to buy votes and pay for pet social-engineering and expensive “renewable energy” tax-paid subsidies. The Obama gang distort reality by talking endlessly about fairness - " The top wage earners don’t pay their fair share.” The reality is the top one percent of earners pay almost 40 percent of total income taxes and the bottom 50 percent pay less than 4 percent, Republicans do a terrible job of discrediting the fairness lie. Obama’s endless promises to increase taxes only on the “rich” are another deceit. Many of his actions have resulted in changes that filter down as increased hidden taxes and other increased non-tax costs to the middle and lower classes, and his pet Obamacare disaster increases taxes and medical costs at all levels. As Obamacare implodes and millions have their good medical plans cancelled, the Democrats call the cancellations “transitions to Obamacare”.

  When talking about the former tax code that had been in effect for 10 years, the Democrats and the liberal news media always described any deviation from the scheduled increase in taxes January 1, 2013 as “extending the Bush tax cuts” instead of “raising taxes on January 1”. After a century of Marxists and liberals attacking capitalism, that word has a negative connotation to many. It would be more accurate to talk about free enterprise, liberty and economic opportunity. The same tarring has been applied to the “rich” and the “wealthy.” When appropriate, it would be more accurate to describe such people as successful, more productive, innovative or prosperous.

  Some other suggestions for better and more accurate semantics:

   * Democratic party:  use Democrat party or Democrat candidate. Democratic has a different, misleading meaning.

  * Entitlements:  use government or welfare payments, as appropriate. They are legislated payments; people are not entitled to them.

  * Undocumented immigrants:  use illegal aliens – that’s what they are. We don’t call illegal drug dealers unlicensed pharmacists. Thomas Sowell said, “I’m so old I can remember when people paid their own medical bills, illegal aliens were illegal aliens, and New Yorker cartoons were funny.”

  * Unemployment rate: use official or government unemployment rate, which is about one-half the actual unemployment rate.

  * Poverty level:  use official or reputed poverty level. A family of four with two children in school is entitled to subsidized breakfasts and lunches for the children if the family income is below $84,000. Our so-called “poverty levels” are ridiculous. Almost 50 million Americans are given “food stamp” debit cards, to protect them from the public knowing they are on welfare. Much of that food welfare is spent for liquor, cigarettes, luxury food or exchanged for cash.

  * Quantitative or monetary easing:  use printing money, or printing counterfeit money when appropriate instead of letting the monetary destroyers conceal the truth of the inevitable inflation that will destroy savings of the frugal people.

  * Safety nets:  use welfare payments or programs.

  * Obamacare:  Don’t use Affordable Care Act -- it is not. Call it (Un) Affordable Care Act.

  * Gays:  use homosexual. Gay means happy, but they often appear to be unhappy and spoiling for a fight.

  * Some words should always have quotation marks: “Stimulus.”  “News” media.  “Entitlements.”  “Official” unemployment rate.  “Official” cost of living index. “Official” poverty level.

  * Why call a best-selling book “a New York Times best seller,” giving free advertising to the Democrats’ propaganda machine?

  * Ben Bernanke: "Helicopter Ben", scattering printed money out of his helicopter.

  * Barack Hussein Obama: Teleprompter Obama, or our Teleprompter-In-Chief.