Missouri's 7th District, U.S. House of
Representatives
Bringing LIBERTY to
Capitol Hill -- 2010 OZARKS
VIRTUAL TOWN
HALL
Saturday Morning, May 22nd, 2010, 10:30am
A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning
Radio Address
Click here
to listen to the May 22nd, 2010 Ozarks Virtual Town Hall
Notes and Summary of the President's Weekly Radio
Address:
BP Spill Independent Commission
The
White House Press Office: – In this week’s
address, President Obama announced that he has signed an executive
order establishing the bipartisan National Commission on the BP
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling with former two-term
Florida Governor and former Senator Bob Graham and former
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency William K. Reilly
serving as co-chairs.
The bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling is tasked with providing
recommendations on how we can prevent – and mitigate the impact of
– any future spills that result from offshore drilling. (continued
below)
The federal government only has the powers granted to it --
"enumerated" -- in the
Constitution.
The "General Welfare" clause is no
exception to this principle.
"States Rights" --
most government should be carried out on a local level.
The Constitution created a federal government with
very limited powers, bound down by
the "chains of the constitution."
The Bush-Obama Regime believes it has vast, unlimited powers to
cure all diseases, fund all causes, and bring salvation.
These are the reasons given by Osama bin Laden for declaring a
"fatwah" (holy war) against the U.S.
All of these accusations are true.
All of these government actions are contrary to the
Constitution.
The biggest cause of terrorism --
and the most dangerous threat to the personal safety and
security of ordinary Americans like you and me -- is the Federal
Government of the United States.
America's Founders envisioned the American people, acting as
businessmen, humanitarians, and missionaries, engaging in
commercial and charitable activities around the world, bringing
peace and receiving the admiration of 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.
Obama is following in Bush's unconstitutional, anti-Christian
footsteps.
This money-creation system is immoral and unconstitutional. It
steals from the poor and elderly.
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."
Everyone who signed the Constitution, if they were here today,
would urge the repeal of the Constitution and the abolition
of the government created by that document.
One month ago this week, BP’s
Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off Louisiana’s coast,
killing 11 people and rupturing an underwater pipe. The resulting
oil spill has not only dealt an economic blow to Americans across
the Gulf Coast, it also represents an environmental disaster.
In response, we
are drawing on America’s best minds and using the world’s best
technology to stop the leak. We’ve
deployed over 1,100 vessels, about 24,000 personnel, and more than
2 million total feet of boom to help contain it. And we’re
doing all we can to assist struggling fishermen, and the small
businesses and communities that depend on them.
Who is
"we?"
Folks on the Gulf Coast – and
across America – are rightly demanding swift action to clean up
BP’s mess and end this ordeal. But they’re also demanding to
know how this happened in the first place, and how we can make
sure it never happens again. That’s what I’d like to spend a
few minutes talking with you about.
First and foremost, what led to
this disaster was a breakdown
of responsibility on the part of BP and perhaps others,
including Transocean and Halliburton. And we will continue to hold
the relevant companies accountable not only for being forthcoming
and transparent about the facts surrounding the leak, but for
shutting it down, repairing the damage it does, and repaying
Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss.
But even as we continue to hold
BP accountable, we also need to hold Washington accountable. Now,
this catastrophe is unprecedented in its nature, and it presents a
host of new challenges we are working to address. But the question
is what lessons we can learn from this disaster to make sure it
never happens again.
If the laws on our books are
inadequate to prevent such an oil spill, or if we didn’t enforce
those laws – I want to know it. I want to know what worked
and what didn’t work in our response to the disaster, and where
oversight of the oil and gas industry broke down. We know, for
example, that a cozy
relationship between oil and gas companies and agencies that
regulate them has long been a source of concern.
Secretary of the Interior Ken
Salazar has taken steps to address this problem; steps that build
on reforms he has been implementing since he took office. But we
need to do a lot more to protect the health and safety of our
people; to safeguard the quality of our air and water; and to
preserve the natural beauty and bounty of America.
In recent weeks, we’ve taken a
number of immediate measures to prevent another spill.
We’ve ordered inspections of all deepwater operations in the
Gulf of Mexico. We’ve announced that no permits for
drilling new wells will go forward until the 30-day safety and
environmental review I requested is complete. And I’ve
called on Congress to pass a bill that would provide critical
funds and tools to respond to this spill and better prepare us to
confront any future spills.
But we also need to take a
comprehensive look at how the oil and gas industry operates and
how we
regulate them. That is why, on Friday, I signed an executive order
establishing the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. While there are a number of
ongoing investigations, including an independent review by the
National Academy of Engineering, the purpose of this Commission is
to consider both the root causes of the disaster and offer options
on what safety and environmental precautions we need to take to
prevent a similar disaster from happening again. This
Commission, I’d note, is similar to one proposed by
Congresswoman Capps and Senator Whitehouse.
I’ve asked Democrat Bob Graham
and Republican Bill Reilly to co-chair this Commission. Bob served
two terms as Florida’s governor, and represented Florida as a
United States Senator for almost two decades. During that time, he
earned a reputation as a champion of the environment, leading the
most extensive environmental protection effort in the state’s
history.
Bill Reilly is chairman emeritus
of the board of the World Wildlife Fund, and he is also deeply
knowledgeable about the oil and gas industry. During the
presidency of George H.W. Bush, Bill was Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, and his tenure encompassed the
Exxon Valdez disaster.
I can’t think of two people who
will bring greater experience or better judgment to the task at
hand. In the days to come, I’ll appoint 5 other distinguished
Americans – including scientists, engineers, and environmental
advocates – to join them on the Commission. And I’m directing
them to report back in 6 months with recommendations on how we can
prevent – and mitigate the impact of – any future spills that
result from offshore drilling.
One of the reasons I ran for
President was to put
America on the path to energy independence, and I have not
wavered from that commitment. To achieve that goal, we must pursue
clean energy and energy efficiency, and we’ve taken significant
steps to do so. And we must
also pursue domestic sources of oil and gas. Because it
represents 30 percent of our oil production, the Gulf of Mexico
can play an important part in securing our energy future. But we
can only pursue offshore oil drilling if we have assurances that a
disaster like the BP oil spill will not happen again. This
Commission will, I hope, help provide those assurances so we can
continue to seek a secure energy future for the United States of
America.
A totally
unconstitutional goal. See Article II of the Constitution
“Why
Americans Should
Celebrate Christmas
365 Days
a Year”
The word "Christ" means "King." The Message
of Christmas and the Principles set forth by the Christ (the
Messiah) who came that first Christmas are the real solution to
America's problems. The Federal Government is at war with Christmas
and "The
Way of Peace" announced by the Prince
of Peace. The Government should be on His
shoulders (Isaiah
9:6-7). Abolishing a Messianic State
is the only appropriate way to honor the Messiah. Otherwise
Christmas becomes mass hypocrisy.
The Word became flesh. The Creator of the universe
becomes a human being. He came to His own, but His own did
not receive Him, preferring darkness rather than light.
John the Baptist prepares the way for the Messiah, as
prophesied of Elijah.
As you read the
Gospel accounts, ask yourself how you would react if you knew
these accounts were really true. Not just true in some
"religious" sense, but reported in the New York
Times, proven in a court of law, or acknowledged by your
personal hero. (How do you know something
is true? Do you even have any "heroes?") How should
you change your life if your Creator became a human being? How
should Washington D.C. react if this human being claimed to be
the true Ruler?
The Prophet Micah predicted
that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Jesus'
parents lived in Nazereth. Therefore God predestined
Caesar to issue a decree (probably relating to taxes) that
would bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem before Jesus was
born.
Bush claims the same global
power of confiscation and migration as Caesar did. Thousands
of Christians have been forced to move out of Iraq to make way
for Bush's Islamic Theocracy.
An army of angels announces the birth of the Messiah,
saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace to
those with whom He is pleased!”
Man's chief
end is to glorify God and live in
peace. The Bush Administration's chief end is to erect a
"wall of separation"
between God and government so that the State gives no glory to
God, and to wage war, thereby "stimulating the
economy."
“Now when they had seen Him, they made widely
known the saying which was told them concerning this
Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things
which were told them by the shepherds.”
When Herod got word of the birth of a rival king, he
behaved in a perfectly logical way (for someone who wants
to protect his power): he massacred all male babies
the age of Jesus. Herod recognized that Jesus was a threat
to Herod's power.
Every day in America 4,000
unborn babies are murdered. These babies must threaten
something.
Millions of Americans who call themselves Christians, on
the other hand, are no threat to tyranny.
None of them are being killed. Bush has killed a thousand
times more human beings than Herod did, and confiscated a
billion times more wealth than Herod did.
Herod's son Antipas played a small role in the execution
of Jesus Christ. But Jesus rose from the dead, was
enthroned on the throne of David at the right hand of God,
and assumed the rightful role of King over all nations.
"Beginning today and
culminating on Sunday morning, Christians will celebrate with
their families the resurrection of Christ, His victory over
death. We will remember that He gave His body and His
blood—washing clean the faults and the
shortcomings of the world. In our rejoicing we will renew
the hope that is ours through the risenLord." Ronald
Reagan: Statement on the Celebration of Passover and Easter
Listeners' Questions
Orange, Calif: So many Christian commentators today
make the claim that virtually all founding fathers were really
members of anti-Christian secret societies, e.g., Masonic orders.
Your approach to the history of the founding period of our nation is
that the Founding fathers were Christian and by implication that the
intent behind the Constitution was overwhelmingly Christian. Could
you comment on the difference between these perspectives?
"In recent
years, Freemasonry and its links to the Founding Fathers has
been a focal point of controversy. This new work explores the
truth behind this connection and corrects the numerous myths
about Freemasonry and the Founders. Primary sources reveal
both the Founders' limited involvement with Freemasonry as
well as the dramatic changes that Masonry has undergone since
the time of the Founders. This work provides an insightful
history of the secret society and offers convincing proof of
its relatively small influence on America's foundations." WallBuilders.com:
The Question of Freemasonry and the Founding Fathers
"No political
order can be religiously neutral, and the modern political
order in the United States and other Western nations, called
"pluralism," is in reality polytheism. As in the
ancient world, polytheists are offended at those who claim
that there is only one God, and this is why orthodox
Christianity is increasingly under assault in the United
States and throughout the Western world. In this book, Gary
North brings his many years of theological and historical
research to bear on the question of how this polytheistic
state of affairs came about, and what must be done about it.
In a powerful argument, sure to be controversial, North points
a finger at the framers of the Constitution of the United
States, who self-consciously broke with 1000 + years of
Western heritage by not referring to the Trinity and to Christ
as King. This was the hole in the dike, North contends,
through which modern secularism has poured. No one concerned
about the state of the American nations can afford to ignore
this book." Free
online
"The question
of where ultimacy lies should be central to the Christian. It
is easy to see the social implications of allowing priority to
fall to either the one or the many. This volume examines
in-depth the Christian solution to the problem of the one and
the many — the Trinitarian God. Only in the Godhead is this
dilemma resolved. Only in the Trinity does there reside an
equal ultimacy of unity and plurality. Rushdoony examines the
history of Western thought from the standpoint of the one and
the many and demonstrates clearly that the most astute
thinkers were unable to resolve this philosophical conflict.
What is needed now is a complete return to the Trinitarian
view of God and its implications for a Christian social
order."
Every American could be born with a comfortable
inheritance for education, a first home, or medical care; instead,
every American is born in great debt.
Washington D.C. central planning increases debt, does not create
the "Vine &
Fig Tree" life.
What a month it’s been since
the initial explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform just
off Louisiana’s coast.
While the gulf oil spill most
directly impacts Louisiana and our immediate neighbors, people
all across the country certainly share in our feelings of
anxiety as the ongoing gushing of the well continues.
They’ve also shared by
joining together to provide relief for those most affected by
this tragedy. And I know I speak for all Louisianians when I
express how grateful we are for that outpouring of support.
As we continue to work toward a recovery solution, none of us
should lose sight that there are families who’ve lost loved
ones. That is the greatest tragedy -- something everyone in
Washington should try a little harder to remember.
I’ve also been all along
Louisiana’s coast over the last few weeks meeting with those
economically devastated -- oystermen and fishermen, mayors and
local officials and others hit hard by the impacts of the spill.
They have clearly expressed
that they don’t want a handout -- they want a job and a
paycheck. And through the Vessels of Opportunity program, many
of these folks have been hired to man the coastline and marsh
protection efforts underway.
But clearly more needs to be
done.
From the annual blessing of the
boats in Chalmette -- a somber event this year -- to the public
meetings with the Vietnamese community in New Orleans that
continues to struggle in working with BP on claims issues,
I’ve listened, learned, and left with a much deeper
perspective on how people’s lives all along the coast have
been disrupted.
That’s why it’s so
frustrating to many Louisianians that while the crisis actually
continues in the gulf -- while we’re still fighting to contain
the well -- Washington Democratic Committee chairmen have rushed
to create media events for television cameras instead of
devoting full attention to stopping the immediate problem.
I guess it’s typical of the
culture in Washington for politicians to believe that they can
solve an ongoing crisis with statements and testimonies in
Congressional committee rooms. But the time for committee
hearings is for after the well has been capped -- not before.
Folks closer to the scene
understand that we want 100% of the attention of all parties
focused on our two most immediate problems: stopping the gushing
oil, and protecting our coastlines and marshes from the oil.
In addition to capping the
well, coastal communities are in desperate need of more floating
containment barriers, known as "boom." And I’ve
talked numerous times to Adm. Thad Allen about this need.
But this boom is really just a
Band-Aid to the larger wound of the spill. A greater, more
substantial solution would be for the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to work immediately with our state to build up and
extend our barrier islands made from materials dredged from the
immediate area -- our rivers and deltas.
With BP, by the way,
appropriately paying the bill.
To prevent this type of
incident from ever happening again, I’ve also worked with
other Gulf Coast senators to introduce legislation that
addresses two specific areas:
the liability cap for the responsible party of a spill,
and greater technological preparedness to address any future
incidents much more rapidly and effectively.
Our Oil Spill Response and
Assistance Act would establish a
new liability cap equal to the last four quarters of the
responsible party’s profits or double the current limit,
whichever is greater.
The bill would establish much
greater reserve requirements for the amount of boom -- capable
of withstanding up to six-foot waves -- and would direct work on
technology to effectively cap leaks like the one currently
gushing in the gulf.
That would make offshore
drilling safer, smarter and more reliable, but
not extinct.
Maybe it should be
extinct! Who is Washington D.C. to make this economic
decision? Why not let a Free Market make this choice?
Some in Washington have tried
to seize on this real human tragedy in the gulf to advocate for
a radical new energy agenda. That only cheapens the loss of
those who’ve lost loved ones and brushes aside the ongoing,
unsolved problem to spring forward with an emotionally charged
political agenda.
That’s wrong and, frankly, an
example of bankrupt leadership.
Both
Republicans and Democrats say they want to decrease our foreign
dependence on oil, but ending all domestic energy
production offshore would only make us that much more dependent.
Who are
Republicrats and Demoblicans to make this choice? Why not let a
Free Market decide?
And this false choice on how to
proceed in the future of energy exploration in the wake of a
terrible accident contributes little to the debate.
We all acknowledge that
alternative fuels are the future, but the sad reality is that
they are still very much in the future from a practical-use
standpoint.
That’s why domestic energy
production is critical to free
ourselves from foreign energy sources and should provide
a bridge toward that more renewable, cleaner future.
I believe Americans understand
that, even in the midst of this tragedy. And I know Louisianians
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."
GeorgeWashingtonCoaching.com
Every great athlete has a coach.
If you want to be a great American you need a coach.
If you want to achieve great things for your country, you need a
coach.
Imagine what you could do if George Washington, "the Father of
his Country,"
could travel through time and be your personal coach.
The results could be extraordinary.
Find out why you need a personal coach, and why GeorgeWashingtonCoaching.com
is the foundation for an extraordinary life.
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.
Help End the Mexican Civil
War
Black-market profits caused by drug prohibition fund a civil
war in Mexico that's threatening to spill over our borders.
Drug profits also fuel the terrorists who are killing U.S.
soldiers in Afghanistan. It's time to dry up the black-market
profits. It's time to end drug prohibition.
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).
End
the FED
The Federal Reserve System constantly inflates and deflates the
supply of money and credit, causing booms and busts. It's time
to get off this roller-coaster. It's time to end the Fed.
No
Bailouts!
No government money, whether borrowed or taxed, should ever be
used to bailout private financial interests. If you agree,
please send Congress a message telling them so.
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).
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 . . .
"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 »
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.
Click herefor a replay of this edition of the Ozarks
Virtual Town Hall
