President
Bush's
Saturday Morning Radio Address
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Another
Perspective:
"Liberty Under God"
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| THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. For
years, America's automakers have faced serious challenges --
burdensome costs, a shrinking share of the market, and declining
profits. In recent months, the global financial crisis has made
these challenges even more severe. Now some U.S. auto executives
say that their companies are nearing collapse -- and that the only
way they can buy time to restructure is with help from the Federal
government. |
- Other businesses can make these same claims:
- • Makers of vinyl LP records
• Makers of 8-track tapes and players
- • Makers of rotary dial telephones
• Makers of glass milk bottles
- All of these industries have gone the way of the do-do bird.
We wouldn't think of the federal government bailing out these
businesses; why should the federal government bail out
manufacturers of gas-guzzling SUV's?
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| This is a difficult situation
that involves fundamental questions about government's proper
role. On the one hand, government has a responsibility not to
undermine the private enterprise system. On the other hand, government
has a responsibility to safeguard the broader health and stability
of our economy. |
The federal
government has no such responsibility. No provision of the
Constitution can be cited to validate this claim. Not a single
person who signed the Constitution would agree that the
Constitution gave the federal government power to take money from
"We the People" and give it to particular businesses
(special interests) when the federal government is already
TRILLIONS of dollars in debt itself. This is absolute insanity. |
| Addressing the challenges in the
auto industry requires us to balance these two responsibilities.
If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it
would almost certainly lead to disorderly
bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers. Under ordinary
economic circumstances, I would say this is the price that failed
companies must pay -- and I would not favor intervening to prevent
automakers from going out of business. |
By what standard is
the free market "disorderly?" By what standard is the
national system of bankruptcy courts "disorderly?" |
| But these are not ordinary
circumstances. In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession,
allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible
course of action. The question is how we can best give it a chance
to succeed. Some argue the wisest path is to allow the auto
companies to reorganize through Chapter 11 provisions of our
bankruptcy laws -- and provide a Federal loan to keep them
operating while they try to restructure. But given the current
state of the auto industry, my economic advisors believe that
bankruptcy could now lead to its disorderly
collapse -- sending our economy into a deeper and longer
recession. |
- What exactly is "the U.S. auto industry?" Is it
more than
- • those Americans who are employed building cars?
• those Americans who buy or use cars?
- What about those Americans employed by Toyota, Kia, Hyundai,
Honda, BMW and other companies that manufacture cars in the
U.S., and what about the Americans who choose to buy cars from
those companies rather than the companies who want the
government to take money from you and give it to them?
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| A more responsible option is to
give auto companies an incentive to restructure outside of
bankruptcy -- and a brief window in which to do it. My
Administration proposed legislation to achieve this, but Congress
was unable to get a bill to my desk before adjourning for the
year. This means the only way to stave off a collapse of the auto
industry is for the
executive branch to step in. So yesterday, I announced
that the Federal government will grant loans to auto companies,
which will provide help to them in two ways. |
This is completely
unconstitutional. The Executive Branch is charged with carrying
out the legislation enacted by Congress, not with making new laws
when it feels Congress has failed to do so.
Where does the President get the money to loan to these special
interests? Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the Constitution
says, "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives" |
| First, the loans will give
automakers three months to put in place plans to restructure into
viable companies -- which we
believe they are capable of doing. Second, if restructuring cannot
be accomplished outside of bankruptcy, the loans will provide time
for companies to make the legal and financial preparations
necessary for an orderly Chapter 11 process that offers a better
prospect of long-term success. |
GM
has a $60 Billion negative worth. Bush is giving them $20 billion.
This cannot make GM "viable." |
| The terms of the loans will
require the auto companies to demonstrate how they would become
viable. They must pay back all their loans to the government, and
show that their firms can earn a profit and achieve a positive net
worth. This restructuring will require meaningful concessions from
all involved in the auto industry -- management, labor unions,
creditors, bondholders, dealers, and suppliers. If a company fails
to come up with a viable plan by March 31st, it will be required
to repay its Federal loans. Taken together, these conditions send
a clear message to everyone involved in American automakers: The
time to make the hard decisions to become viable is now -- or the
only option will be bankruptcy. |
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| The actions I'm taking represent
a step that we all wish were not necessary. But given the
situation, it is the most effective and responsible way to address
this challenge facing our Nation. By giving the auto companies a
chance to restructure, we will shield the American people from a
harsh economic blow at a vulnerable time. And we will give
American workers an opportunity to show the world once again that
they can meet challenges with ingenuity and determination, and
emerge stronger than before. |
How can violating a
sacred oath and transforming America from a capitalist to a
socialist nation be "responsible?" |
| Thank you for listening. |
|
Kevin Craig's Platform:
The Democrat Party Radio Address:
The The
Democratic Radio Address was delivered by Barack Obama, the
President-Elect.
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Remarks of President-elect Barack
Obama
Radio Address on the Economy |
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Saturday, December 20, 2008 |
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| Good morning. |
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Over the past few weeks, Vice
President-Elect Biden and I have announced some of the leaders
who will advise us as we seek to meet America’s twenty-first
century challenges, from
strengthening our security, to
rebuilding our economy, to
preserving our planet for our children and grandchildren.
Today, I am pleased to announce members of my science and
technology team whose work will be critical to these efforts. |
Not only is it unconstitutional for the federal government to
attempt to meet such challenges, the federal government is the
chief cause (or fabricator) of these problems
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Whether it’s
the science to slow global warming;
the technology to protect our troops and confront bioterror and
weapons of mass destruction;
the research to find life-saving cures;
or the innovations to remake our industries and create
twenty-first century jobs—today, more than ever before,
science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our
security and prosperity as a nation. It is time we
once again put science at the top of our
agenda and worked to restore America’s place as the world
leader in science and technology. |
There's no evidence
that reducing America's standard of living to that of primitive
savages will stop "global warming."
Would private businesses have developed weapons of mass
destruction without funding and direction from "the
government?
How many life-saving cures have been invented by the government? |
| Right now, in labs, classrooms
and companies across America, our leading minds are hard at work
chasing the next big idea, on the cusp of breakthroughs that
could revolutionize our lives. But history tells us that they
cannot do it alone. From landing on the moon, to sequencing the
human genome, to inventing the Internet, America has been the
first to cross that new frontier because we had leaders
who paved the way: leaders like President Kennedy, who inspired
us to push the boundaries of the known world and achieve the
impossible; leaders who not only invested
in our scientists, but who respected the integrity of the
scientific process. |
Are
Politicians Leaders? - William L. Anderson |
| Because the truth is that
promoting science isn’t just about providing resources—it’s
about protecting free and open inquiry. It’s about ensuring
that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by
politics or ideology. It’s about listening to what our
scientists have to say, even when it’s inconvenient—especially
when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science
is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding
of the world around us. That will be my goal as President of the
United States—and I could not have a better team to guide me
in this work. |
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| Dr. John Holdren has
agreed to serve as Assistant to the President for Science and
Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy. John is a professor and Director of the
Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard’s
Kennedy School of Government, as well as President and Director
of the Woods Hole Research Center. A physicist renowned for his
work on climate and energy, he’s received numerous honors and
awards for his contributions and has been one of the most
passionate and persistent voices of our time about the growing
threat of climate change. I look forward to his wise counsel in
the years ahead. |
Does
the US Need Another Chief Technical Officer? - Tim Swanson |
| John will also serve as a
Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology—or PCAST—as will Dr. Harold Varmus and Dr. Eric
Lander. Together, they will work to remake PCAST into a vigorous
external advisory council that will shape my thinking on the
scientific aspects of my policy priorities. |
Obama
and "Political Science" |
| Dr. Varmus is no stranger to
this work. He is not just a path-breaking scientist, having won
a Nobel Prize for his research on the causes of cancer—he also
served as Director of the National Institutes of Health during
the Clinton
Administration. I am grateful he has answered the
call to serve once again. |
What percentage
of Obama's appointees are re-cycled from the Clinton or other
Administrations? A far greater percentage than represents real
"change." Obama is just another player in "the
Establishment." |
| Dr. Eric Lander is the Founding
Director of the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard and was one
of the driving forces behind mapping the human genome—one of
the greatest scientific achievements in history. I know he will
be a powerful voice in my Administration as we seek to find the
causes and cures of our most devastating diseases. |
Government's
Genetic Failure - Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. |
| Finally, Dr. Jane Lubchenco has
accepted my nomination as the Administrator of NOAA, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is
devoted to conserving our marine and coastal resources and
monitoring our weather. An internationally known environmental
scientist and ecologist and former President of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, Jane has advised the
President and Congress on scientific matters, and I am confident
she will provide passionate and dedicated leadership at NOAA. |
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| Working with these leaders,
we will seek to draw on the power of science to both meet our
challenges across the globe and revitalize our economy here at
home. And I’ll be speaking more after the New Year about how
my Administration will engage leaders in the technology
community and harness technology and innovation to create jobs,
enhance America’s competitiveness and advance our national
priorities. |
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| I am confident that if we
recommit ourselves to discovery; if we support science education
to create the next generation of scientists and engineers right
here in America; if we have the vision to believe and invest in
things unseen, then we can lead the world into a new future of
peace and prosperity. |
The greatest
achievements in science have come from breaking away from the
"consensus." Government subsidization of the
"consensus" or of politically correct scientists is
unscientific. |
| Thank you. |
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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
Here are ways you can help.
Support This Campaign
Send emails. Find out how this free tool can
change everything.
Revenge:
Vote Against Every
Politician Who Voted for the Bailout, No Matter What
Communicating with Government and Media
- Contact Congress -- this
is from the JBS website, powered by "CapWiz," from Capitol
Advantage. Lots of organizations use capwiz. If you don't want to go
through the JBS, search for capwiz
on Google and find another organization that uses it.
Notice that you can also contact media through this webpage.
- Action E-List
Sign up for the JBS Action E-List and be notified when you can
make a critical difference on important issues.
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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.
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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.
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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 »
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"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 »
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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 »
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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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Click here
for a replay of this edition of the Ozarks Virtual
Town Hall
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