The Congressman and the Constituent

My heart raced as I sat in the room with several hundred colleagues at the University/Medical Center where I work. It was several years ago. Congressman Jim Cooper had come to explain how the Affordable Care Act would affect us. I had a question I knew would be controversial but since most in the room had employer provided healthcare, I thought it was relevant.

“Congressman Cooper, in 2007 before he was President, Barack Obama said “But I don’t think we’re gonna’ be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There’s gonna’ be potentially some transition process. I can envision a decade out or 15 years out or 20 years out.” What’s your response? Mr. Cooper replied,

“Well, I don’t follow the President around so I don’t know if he said that.”

And that was the end of it.

Last year Politifact chose the President’s promise that, if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it, as the Lie of the Year.

President Obama did say those words. The video’s at Breitbart.com. Obama does plan to eliminate employer plans in favor of a government plan and Jim Cooper has supported him every step. Cooper may or may not know what the President said but one thing is clear; he doesn’t care. As someone who works in healthcare, is covered by my employer and is a registered and highly likely voter in Cooper’s 5^th District, I expected better.

Corruption

When an Administration uses the power and resources of government to reward its friends and punish its enemies, it is intrinsically corrupt.

When some become rich based largely on their political affiliation and whose campaign they donated to, it is neither right nor fair.

And in addition to the actual victims of Administration’s punishments, the greater victims are those high ideals Americans once held in high esteem – Justice, Equality, Freedom and the Rule of Law. When corruption rules, these are the real victims.

Does Anyone Remember Bart Stupak?

Does Anyone Remember Bart Stupak?

During the 2010 debate on Obamacare, Bart Stupak was the leader of a group of Democrat Pro-Life Congressmen in the House of Representatives. To get Stupak’s and his followers votes, Obama offered an Executive Order, promising federal monies would never be used to fund abortion. 

Of course today, because of Obamacare, federal funds are used for abortions, to the point of requiring Catholic institutions to provide abortion-inducing drugs against their will and against their First Amendment religious rights.

After betraying his own convictions by giving in to Obama and the Democrat leadership, Stupak saw the writing on the wall. Much like Judas Iscariot ‘retired’ from Jesus’ disciples, Stupak announced his retirement from Congress a month after Obamacare was passed.

Bart Stupak could have stopped the coming train-wreck that is Obamacare but he didn’t. Given the biggest stage of his life to do the right thing, he caved. As a result, he is an afterthought in history.  A sad commentary on what could have been his greatest moment.

The Wrong Guy

Have you ever known a girl who was dating a guy who was really bad for her? The evidence is all around but she is completely blind to it. Instead of admitting what those around her can clearly see, she gets mad at you for telling her.

That’s a lot like talking to Obama supporters. On the one hand, you care about your friend. On the other, it’s hard not to think, you get what you deserve.

Yeah, it’s a lot like that.

Government and Integrity

When a government loses its integrity, it has lost everything; everything, that is, except its power.

Gun Control Shot Down

Any bad day for Obama and Big Government is a good day for the Constitution and individual freedom.

Freedom

Never confuse freedom with a despot who happens to agree with you.

The Great Facebook War of 2008 – 2012

 I need a vacation.

Sunday night I will take my Facebook page down. It may be for a few days or a few weeks – maybe longer.

I am tired.

To be honest, I sincerely feel sorry for both sides of our divided country – the Patriot who sees tyranny now in his own country and the sheep who neither sees nor cares.

I warned in 2008 that an Obama Presidency would make a bad situation worse. It did. In 2012 I warned that a second Obama term would make things much worse. It will.

But, to borrow a phrase from one of my songs, here is ‘the thing that hurts most.’ Many of my friends thought that, to me, it was about being right, about winning. It was not. The last four years have been good to me. Few of the policies that have lead to unemployment and declining wealth have affected me. But they have affected millions of others. And whether they are on the left, right or in-between, it was and is about them.

I was un-friended by some. To be sure, I could count those on one hand…ok, two. I could name them but I won’t. There were various reasons but it all seemed to come down to this; they thought I wanted to be right but they were wrong. I wanted to warn them that, if I was right, we were headed down the wrong road, and fast. And that still holds true today.

For those who think the few million votes that decided the election proves you were right, history is replete with millions of people who were fooled by the words of a man but lived to bitterly regret it. As I said before, November 7 will be too late. Every time I see stock market declines or layoffs I will want to say I told you so. But that won’t stop it. As it turns out, warning ingrates is a thankless task.

After a billion dollars of negative campaign ads by the President against a very good man, some are surprised that the nation is so divided. Now that they’ve won, they want to return to civility. Really? Good luck with that.

And so, I need a vacation – at least for a few days, maybe longer.

If you need me, look me up in the phonebook. I’m in Nashville. Meanwhile, if I have anything to say, I will say it at https://dearsheep.wordpress.com/ If I have anything to play, I will play it at http://www.reverbnation.com/johnshaw

John Shaw

A Choice. A Prediction.

A Simple Choice and a Prediction

The Choice:

One man turned around dozens of businesses, a state and the Olympic Games. He is promising to turn around a nation that is struggling with unemployment and debt. He brings experience and no personal agenda.

One man promised to turn around a nation and he failed. He brought no experience to the job and strong personal agenda to ‘fundamentally transform America.’

The Prediction:

In 2008 I predicted that an Obama election would produce a ‘weaker and poorer America.’ I knew Obama would make make matters worse. But he made things much worse than even I thought.

If Romney wins, the economy will turn around very quickly, picking up steam and adding plenty of jobs by 2014.

If Obama wins, things will get much, much worse, very quickly.

When you walk into the polls and see those two names, you have one last chance.

Romney or Obama (any third pary candidate is a vote for Obama).

November 6 is your last chance. November 7 will be too late.

What Might Have Been

What would you have done with an extra $2,500 to $4,000 dollars over the last four years? While it’s difficult to pin down the exact amount over the four-year period, there is no disagreement that the U.S. median income has declined, and substantially.

Depending on who you are, here are some of the things you could have done.

Pay off a credit card (or two)

Go to DisneyWorld (or DisneyLand)

Drop in on the kids in another city

Buy a car

Go on a mission trip

Buy an iPhone

Donate to charity

Go to movies

Beer and pizza

Buy a new computer

Pay down a student loan

Entertain – more parties

Eat better

Vacation in Florida

Follow your football team to away games

Download more music and games

Visit a friend in another city

Pay down a mortgage

Visit the parents

Buy a bike

Help a neighbor

Buy a new washer and dryer

Take a skiing trip

Buy new skis

Celebrate an anniversary – in style

Go to concerts

Pay the cable bill

Save more

Pay the rent

Buy new clothes

Pay the utilities bill

Have Starbucks (every day)

Go home for Thanksgiving

Eat more fruit (it’s expensive)

Take the family to nicer restaurants

Fly to Paris

Buy a flat-screen TV (a really nice one)

Buy a Les Paul guitar

Spa-massage treatment

Buy an engagement ring

Get married

Have a baby

Get a puppy

Start a business

Pursue your dream

What would you have done?