Inauguration of a Dictator

A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning Radio Address
and the Address of the President-Elect

Click here to listen to a replay of the January 17, 2009 Ozarks Virtual Town Hall

Notes and Summary of the President's Address: "Thanks for the Memories"

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. For the last eight years, I have had the honor of speaking to the American people Saturday mornings through this radio address. In hundreds of broadcasts, I have talked to you about important issues affecting our security and our prosperity. And today, in my final address, I want to send a simple and heartfelt message: Thank you.  (continued below)

The President-Elect: This year’s inauguration will be the most open and accessible in history. Thousands of people will come together—not just in the capital, but across the nation—to serve their communities and ring in a new era of change in America. (continued below)

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How the President (and the President-Elect) Differs from the American vision of "Liberty Under God":

• Read about the inauguration of the American Government:
  • Before the Declaration of Independence
  • After the Constitution
• The Constitution created a government of very limited power.
• The federal government only has the powers granted to it -- "enumerated" -- in the Constitution.
• The "General Welfare" clause is no exception to this principle.
• America was founded as a "City upon a Hill," a Christian nation from which the Gospel would be promoted around the world.
• The Constitution created a very small federal government, limited to the powers enumerated in the Constitution.
• This new government was not intended to be the policeman of the world.
• The American people, acting as businessmen, humanitarians, and missionaries, would engage in commercial and charitable activities around the world.

  • The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible."
    — Washington, Farewell Address (1796) [Washington’s emphasis]

  • I deem [one of] the essential principles of our government, and consequently [one] which ought to shape its administration,…peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.
    — Jefferson, First Inaugural Address (1801) 

• Bush's unconstitutional military invasion of Iraq has destroyed Christianity in that country.
  • Under Saddam Hussein's secular government, Christians in Iraq had greater freedom than in most other Arab nations, and one of the largest Christian populations in the Muslim world was in Iraq.
  • Iraq is now an Islamic theocracy under Sharia law. The Christian population has been destroyed. Christian Churches are burned and terrorized with impunity.
• America was founded on the philosophy of "Liberty Under God."
  • "Liberty" means freedom from government suppression of ideas and confiscation of wealth
  • "Under God" means we have a personal responsibility to love God and neighbor.
• The original American Dream: Everyone dwelling safely under his own Vine & Fig Tree
  • Human beings are endowed with the right to property by God, not the government.
• America's Founders spoke of this as "an Experiment in Liberty" (1787-1887)
  • The "experiment" was a success: a Free Market made America the most prosperous and admired nation in history
• In the 20th century, the experiment in liberty was replaced with another experiment: an experiment in central planning
  • also known as "corporatism," "fascism," and "socialism," America is no longer prosperous and admired, but bankrupt and despised.
• The original American dream of personal, private ownership, has been replaced with private indebtedness and public control.
• "No Taxation Without Representation" - a rallying cry of the American Revolution.
  • Taxes consume more than 2/3 of everything you earn
  • There is no real representation
  • Most Americans would rather have the rates of taxation that George III imposed on the colonies
• The Constitutional goal of a representative republic has been replaced by the concept of an "Administrative State."
  • The overwhelming majority of laws today are not made by elected representatives, but by unelected bureaucrats.
• America's Founding Fathers would conclude that The First Amendment had been repealed
  • There is no freedom of religion: the U.S. is officially atheistic.
  • There is no freedom of the press: the media is the lapdog of "the Establishment."
• The Invisible Hand of the Free Market works better than the Visible Fist of Government

President Bush's Saturday Morning Radio Address	Another Perspective: "Liberty Under God"
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. For the last eight years, I have had the honor of speaking to the American people Saturday mornings through this radio address. In hundreds of broadcasts, I have talked to you about important issues affecting our security and our prosperity. And today, in my final address, I want to send a simple and heartfelt message: Thank you.
Eight years ago, Laura and I left our home in Texas to come to Washington. Through two terms in the White House, we have been blessed by your kind words and generous prayers. We have been inspired by those of you who reach out to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, and care for the sick. We have been moved by the courage and devotion of those of you who wear the uniform. Serving as your President has been an incredible honor.	Ironic, that those who "wear the uniform" are the ones who are causing the hunger, inflicting need and deprivation, and creating the sick and injured.
Like every individual who has held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet I've always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.	In nearly every case, these "tough decisions" were decisions that should have been made by the Free Market, rather than by the government.
The decades ahead will bring more hard choices for our country, and there are some guiding principles that should shape our course. While our Nation is safer than it was seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient, and determined to strike again. America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve. And we must never let down our guard.	Our nation is in greater danger than it was seven years ago. The threat is nuclear. Not America, but the U.S. government did that which brought about the attack. The U.S. government is a conquering empire that imposes its uninvited rule over the unwilling.
At the same time, we must continue to engage the world with confidence and clear purpose. In the face of threats from abroad, it can be tempting to seek comfort by turning inward. But we must reject isolationism and its companion, protectionism. Retreating behind our borders would only invite danger. In the 21st century, security and prosperity at home depend on the expansion of liberty abroad. If America does not lead the cause of freedom, that cause will not be led.	Nothing wrong with these words, but the hidden agenda behind them is dangerous.
As we address these challenges -- and others we cannot foresee today -- America must maintain our moral clarity. I've often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This Nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense -- and to advance the cause of peace.	It is "unconstitutional" -- according to the Bush Administration -- for public school teachers to teach children that God says "Thou shalt not kill." Killing innocent non-combatant men women and children in Iraq was wrong.   Again, nice-sounding words, coated with blood.
Eight years ago, on a cold January morning, I stood on the steps of the United States Capitol, placed my hand on the Bible, and swore a sacred oath to defend our people and our Constitution. On that day, I spoke of "our Nation's grand story of courage and its simple dream of dignity." Next week, my term of service will come to an end -- but that story and that dream will continue.
On Tuesday, Laura and I will join all Americans in offering our best wishes to President Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two beautiful girls. And later that day, we will return to the love of family and friends in Texas. I will depart office proud of my Administration's record. And I will spend the rest of my life grateful for the opportunity to have served as President of the greatest nation on Earth.
Thank you for listening.

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Kevin Craig's Platform:

• "Vine & Fig Tree" - the original American Dream - work, profit, save, invest, enjoy - not "easy to borrow," perpetual debt; not "invade other nations" to secure our own wealth.
• Terrorism
• Iraq
• Beat Swords into Plowshares.

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The Democrat Party Radio Address:

The The Democratic Radio Address was delivered by Barack Obama, the President-Elect.

Remarks of President-elect Barack Obama Radio Address on the Economy
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Good morning. On Tuesday, the world will be watching as America celebrates a rite that goes to the heart of our greatness as a nation. For the forty-third time, we will execute the peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next.	The amount of power that will be transferred represents a shocking betrayal of everything America's Founding Fathers fought for and against.
The first Inauguration took place 220 years ago. Our nation’s capital had yet to be built, so President George Washington took the oath of office in New York City. It was a spring day, just over a decade after the birth of our nation, as Washington assumed the new office that he would do so much to shape, and swore an oath to the Constitution that guides us to this very day.
Since then, Inaugurations have taken place during times of war and peace; in Depression and prosperity. Our democracy has undergone many changes, and our people have taken many steps in pursuit of a more perfect union. What has always endured is this peaceful and orderly transition of power.	The biggest change "our democracy" has undergone is the transition from a Republic to a Democracy. Obama speaks of America as a democracy (a half dozen times in this short address) because his power depends on lots of Americans ignorant enough to vote for socialism rather than individualism -- big government rather than self-government.
For us, it is easy to take this central aspect of our democracy for granted. But we must remember that our nation was founded at a time of Kings and Queens, and even today billions of people around the world cannot imagine their leaders giving up power without strife or bloodshed.	The power transferred from Bush to Obama vastly exceeds the combined power held by all the Kings and Queens of the world in 1776.
Through the ages, many have struggled for the right to live in a land where power does not belong to one person or party, and many brave Americans have fought and died to help advance that right.  Through the long twilight struggle of the Cold War, our transitions from one President to the next provided a stark contrast to the suffocating grip of Soviet Communism. And today, the resilience of our democracy stands in opposition to the extremists who would tear it down.	There is only one party in the United States. Its grip is as suffocating as that of the Soviet Union.   Who are "the extremists" who would tear down America? Am I an "extremist" because I oppose "democracy?"
Here at home, transitions also remind us that what we hold in common as Americans far outweighs our political differences. Throughout the current transition, President Bush and his Administration have extended the hand of cooperation, and provided invaluable assistance to my team as we prepare to hit the ground running on January 20th.	Translation: there is only one political party in the U.S. There is no essential, important, constitutional difference between the Bush-Clinton regime and the Obama regime. Meet the New Boss
There is much work to be done. But now, all Americans hold within our hands the promise of a new beginning.
That is why the events of the next several days are not simply about the inauguration of an American President – they will be a celebration of the American people. We will carry the voices of ordinary Americans to Washington. We will invite people across the country to work on behalf of a common purpose through a national day of service on Monday. And we will have the most open and accessible Inauguration in history – for those who travel to the capital, and for those who choose one of the many ways to participate in the Inauguration from their own communities and their own homes.	What does this mean: "open and accessible?" Past inaugurations were "closed and secretive?" In fact, the inauguration will be one of the most tightly-guarded and inaccessible in history, because of the belief by government that "Something Will Happen."
Together, we know that this is a time of great challenge for the American people. Difficult days are upon us, and even more difficult days lie ahead. Our nation is at war. Our economy is in great turmoil. And there is so much work that must be done to restore peace and advance prosperity. But as we approach this time-honored American tradition, we are reminded that our challenges can be met if we summon the spirit that has sustained our democracy since George Washington took the first oath of office.
Addressing the nation that day, Washington explained his decision to serve, saying, “I was called by my country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love.” This Tuesday, we can reaffirm our own veneration and love for our country and our democracy. We can once again provide an example to the world, and move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and progress at home.
Thanks.

What Would America's Founding Fathers Do?

The men who threw tea into the Boston Harbor over a tax of 3 pence per pound would not be happy with a tax ten times greater on every gallon of gas. Those who took up muskets over a total tax burden of less than 3% would not be happy with the fact that the federal government now takes more than half of everything you earn.

Today it is illegal for public school teachers to teach their students that the Declaration of Independence is really true (and not just an outdated historical document). The federal government is clearly at war with everything the Founding Fathers stood for.

America's greatest Americans would abolish today's federal government.

Muskets are Not an Option

There are two reasons why we should not take up arms to pull off the violent overthrow of the federal government, even if America's Founders would surely do so. First, the feds have nukes. Second, violent revolution is unChristian and unBiblical. We must beat our swords into plowshares and use persuasion to abolish tyranny. This is time for a revolution of ideas.

Revolution Won't Come in a Day

John Adams once wrote that the American Revolution began in 1761, when Massachusetts attorney James Otis began legal challenges to the Writs of Assistance. He lost the case, but "American independence," Adams wrote, "was then and there born." Now do the math. That means it took 15 years to convince the rest of America to declare Independence (1776). Then another seven years of war was required before a Peace Treaty was signed (1783), and then six years before the Constitution was finally ratified (1789). That's almost 30 years. (And Jefferson said we shouldn't go 20 years without another rebellion!) How can we hope to convince Americans to fight for principles they were never taught in government schools? We need to be in this battle for the long term. "Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty."

The Internet Can Speed up the Revolution

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Make Congress Read Their Bills Before Voting Make Congress read every word of every bill they create before they vote on it. Urge your Representative and your Senators to sponsor DownsizeDC.org's “Read the Bills Act” (RTBA).

TWIC - A Backdoor Real ID Card Real ID is dying. But the Department of Homeland Security has a new plan to subject every American to a national ID card anyway. They plan to pick off one occupational field at a time, starting with the maritime industry. One man is fighting back. Meet him, and help stop this backdoor Real ID plan.

Stop the Killer Horse Hormones The FDA "outlawed" the use of Estriol, an estrogen medication that's bio-identical to human estrogen. Doctors must now prescribe animal-derived estrogen instead. Are bio-identical hormones dangerous, while animal-derived hormones are safe? No. The practice of medicine is moving to chemically identical to human hormones and away from animal hormones. Learn why the FDA decided to endanger women's health in this way, and take action.

End Asset Forfeiture If the government suspects you used your house or car in a crime, they can take it and sell it at auction. They don't even have to prove your guilt. They call this practice civil asset forfeiture, but it's really theft. It violates the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 14th Amendments. It also encourages law enforcement to put profits before justice. Tell Congress to end civil asset forfeiture.

Support an Iraq Referendum Americans keep debating when, how, or if to leave Iraq. Maybe we should ask the Iraqi people what they want. After all, it's their country. Tell Congress to request that the Iraqi government hold a public referendum on the U.S. occupation. Learn more »

Make Congress read every word of every bill they create before they vote on it. Urge your Representative and your Senators to sponsor DownsizeDC.org's “Read the Bills Act” (RTBA). For a summary of what RTBA does To read the RTBA legislation To send your message to Congress in support of RTBA
Unelected bureaucrats create tens-of-thousands of new dictates each year. Making rules is the job of Congress, not bureaucrats. DownsizeDC.org has drafted the “Write the Laws Act” to end bureaucratic “legislation without representation.” Click here . . . For a summary of “Write the Laws” To read the “Write the Laws Act” To ask Congress to introduce the “Write the Laws Act”

"Cap and Trade" is not the way The politicians seem to be unifying around "cap and trade" as a way to cut CO2 emissions. If they take this step it may be the largest increase in the size, scope, and intrusiveness of government since the creation of Medicare. Worse still, it may not even achieve its purpose. Please tell Congress to oppose "cap and trade." Learn more »

Support Ron Paul's “American Freedom Agenda Act” The politicians have done great harm to this country in response to the 9-11 attack. A bill has been introduced that will undo much of that harm. Learn More »

Iraq Waste Big government prospers through failure. Each new failure is used to justify more spending and new powers. Wasteful spending in Iraq is the latest example. One way to change this is to hold government accountable. A new bill in Congress seeks to provide some of the needed accountability. Please support it. Learn more »

Stop the War for Terror U.S. policy has inflamed the Middle East. It has made terrorism more likely rather than less. We seem to be fighting a war for terror, rather than on terror. This policy must stop. The place to start stopping is with Iran. We must not attack Iran. War with Iran would devastate our economy, disrupt world oil supplies, and recruit more terrorists. Click here to stop this war before it starts.

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