Sarah Palin: Congressional Freshman - For Such A Time As This

Sarah Palin posted the following note on her Facebook page yesterday:

Out here in proverbial politico flyover country, we little folk are watching the debt ceiling debate with great interest and concern. Today I re-read the open letter I wrote to Republican Freshman Members of Congress in November 2010, just days after they were ushered into office in an historic landslide victory due in large part to the activism of commonsense patriots who are considered part of the Tea Party movement. I respectfully ask these GOP Freshman to re-read this letter and remember us “little people” who believed in them, donated to their campaigns, spent hours tirelessly volunteering for them, and trusted them with our votes. This new wave of public servants may recall that they were sent to D.C. for such a time as this.

The original letter is pasted below, with added emphasis to certain passages that I feel are especially relevant to the current discussion.

All my best to you, GOP Freshmen, from up here in the Last Frontier.

Sincerely,

Sarah Palin

P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries.

******

November 13, 2010

Welcome to all Republican Freshmen and congratulations!

Congratulations to all of you for your contribution to this historic election, and for the contributions I am certain you will make to our country in the next two years. Your victory was hard fought, and the success belongs entirely to you and the staff and volunteers who spent countless hours working for this chance to put government back on the side of the people. Now you will come to Washington to serve your nation and leave your mark on history by reining in government spending, preserving our freedoms at home, and restoring America’s leadership abroad. Some of you have asked for my thoughts on how best to proceed in the weeks and months ahead and how best to advance an agenda that can move our country forward. I have a simple answer: stick to the principles that propelled your campaigns. When you take your oath to support and defend our Constitution and to faithfully discharge the duties of your office, remember that present and future generations of “We the People” are counting on you to stand by that oath. Never forget the people who sent you to Washington. Never forget the trust they placed in you to do the right thing.

The task before you is daunting because so much damage has been done in the last two years, but I believe you have the chance to achieve great things.

Republicans campaigned on a promise to rein in out-of-control government spending and to repeal and replace the massive, burdensome, and unwanted health care law President Obama and the Democrat Congress passed earlier this year in defiance of the will of the majority of the American people. These are promises that you must keep. Obamacare is a job-killer, a regulatory nightmare, and an enormous unfunded mandate. The American people don’t want it and we can’t afford it. We ask, with all due respect, that you remember your job will be to work to replace this legislation with real reform that relies on free market principles and patient-centered policies. The first step is, of course, to defund Obamacare.

You’ve also got to be deadly serious about cutting the deficit. Despite what some would like us to believe, tax cuts didn’t get us into the mess we’re in. Government spending did. Tough decisions need to be made about reducing government spending. The longer we put them off, the worse it will get. We need to start by cutting non-essential spending. That includes stopping earmarks (because abuse of the earmark process created the “gateway-drug” that allowed backroom deals and bloated budgets), canceling all further spending on the failed Stimulus program, and rolling back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels. You can do more, but this would be a good start.

In order to avert a fiscal disaster, we will also need to check the growth of spending on our entitlement programs. That will be a huge challenge, but it must be confronted head on. We must do it in a humane way that honors the government’s current commitments to our fellow Americans while also keeping faith with future generations. We cannot rob from our children and grandchildren’s tomorrow to pay for our unchecked spending today. Beyond that, we need to reform the way Congress conducts business in order to make it procedurally easier to cut spending than to increase it. We need to encourage zero-based budgeting practices in D.C. like the kind fiscally conservative mayors and governors utilize to balance their budgets and reduce unnecessary spending.

There in the insulated and isolated Beltway you will be far removed from the economic pain felt by so many Americans who are out of work. Please remember that if we want real job growth, we must create a stable investment climate by ending the tidal wave of overly burdensome regulations coming out of Washington. Businesses need certainty – and freedom that incentivizes competition – to grow and expand our workforce.

The last thing our small businesses need is tax hikes. It falls to the current Democrat-controlled Congress to decide on the future of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. If it does not permanently renew all of them, you should move quickly to do so in the new Congress. It would remove from households and businesses the threat of a possible $3.8 trillion tax hike hitting all Americans at the worst possible moment, with our economy struggling to recover from a deep recession! You must continue to remind Democrats that the people they are dismissing as “rich” are the small business owners who create up to 70% of all jobs in this country!

Another issue of vital importance is border security. Americans expect our leadership in Washington to act now to secure our borders. Don’t fall for the claims of those who suggest that we can’t secure our borders until we simultaneously deal with the illegal immigrants already here. Let’s deal with securing the border first. That alone is a huge challenge that has been ignored for far too long.

On foreign policy and national security, I urge you to stick to our principles: strong defense, free trade, nurturing allies, and steadfast opposition to America’s enemies. We are the most powerful country on earth and the world is better off because of it. Our president does not seem to understand this. If we withdraw from the world, the world will become a much more dangerous place. You must push President Obama to finish the job right in Iraq and get the job done in Afghanistan, otherwise we who are war-weary will forever question why America’s finest are sent overseas to make the ultimate sacrifice with no clear commitment to victory from those who send them. You should be prepared to stand with the President against Iran’s nuclear aspirations using whatever means necessary to ensure the mullahs in Tehran do not get their hands on nuclear weapons. And you can stand with the Iranian people who oppose the tyrannical rule of the clerics and concretely support their efforts to win their freedom – even if the President does not.

You need to say no to cutting the necessities in our defense budget when we are engaged in two wars and face so many threats – from Islamic extremists to a nuclear Iran to a rising China. As Ronald Reagan said, “We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.” You will also have the opportunity to push job-creating free trade agreements with allies like Colombia and South Korea. You can stand with allies like Israel, not criticize them. You can let the President know what you believe – Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, not a settlement. And for those of you joining the United States Senate, don’t listen to desperate politically-motivated arguments about the need for hasty consideration of the “New START” treaty. Insist on your right to patient and careful deliberation of New START to address very real concerns about verification, missile defense, and modernization of our nuclear infrastructure. No New START in the lame duck!

You can stand against misguided proposals to try dangerous, evil terrorists in the US; precipitously close the Guantanamo prison; and a return to the failed policies of the past in treating the war on terror as a law enforcement problem. Finally, you have a platform to express the support of the American people for all those around the world seeking their freedom that God has bestowed within all mankind’s being – from Burma and Egypt to Russia and Venezuela – because the spread of liberty increases our own security. You, freshmen lawmakers, can and will be powerful voices in support of foreign policies that protect our interests and promote our values! Thank you for being willing to fight for our values and our freedom!

In all this, you should extend a hand to President Obama and Democrats in Congress. After this election, they may finally be prepared to work with Republicans on some of these issues for the good of the country. And if not, we will all be looking forward to 2012.

Remember that some in the media will love you when you stray from the time-tested truths that built America into the most exceptional nation on earth. When the Left in the media pat you on the back, quickly reassess where you are and readjust, for the liberals’ praise is a warning bell you must heed. Trust me on that.

I and most Americans are so excited for you. Working together, we have every right to be optimistic about our future. We can be hopeful because real hope lies in the ingenuity, generosity, and boundless courage of the everyday Americans who make our country exceptional. These are the men and women who sent you to Washington. May your work and leadership honor their faith in you.

With sincere congratulations and a big Alaskan heart,

Sarah Palin

Cut, Cap and Balance!

I really don't know what else to say. I'm not interested in wimpy efforts to appease the Washington elite, I'm interested in REFORM! The August 2nd deadline to increase the debt ceiling is totally bogus. This is a manufactured crisis of Obama's own doing.

After watching his horrific speech last night, I was left with the feeling that we are witnessing the most quintessential demagogue of our time. Barack Obama is right up there with the most radical leaders that have ever had the good fortune of being elected President of the United States. He's right up there with Woodrow Wilson. In fact, he has surpassed Wilson's idiotic socialist agenda and set a new standard for trying to further a Marxist agenda.

Barack Obama can be compared to Jimmy Carter in his incompetence. But Jimmy Carter was not the socialist demagogue that Barack Obama is. Not even close! I believe that Barack Obama is doing this ON PURPOSE! Jimmy Carter was a buffoon, but Barack Obama is the worst embodiment of socialist thought to ever hit the White House.

So, what do we do?

We don't capitulate! We don't take Cut, Cap and Balance off the table and put forth some namby-pamby alternative that merely acquiesces to the leftists' demands.

We hold the line!

Everyone talks about Boehner calling Barack Obama's bluff. But what is the bluff?

The bluff is that the Republicans will not allow the debt-ceiling debate to end up at the point where it shuts down government and creates a "disaster". They don't want to blamed for a government shutdown, as they were in 1995, during Clinton's administration.

I have news for you. There is no disaster on the horizon in regards to the debt limit. This is a manufactured crisis with no basis in reality. It is formed from the rhetorical perfidy of Barack Obama.

Here's the deal. The Washington Post, CNN and the major networks can poll adults all they want. Those polls are absurd because a sample of adults does not indicate what the electorate will do. Those "adults" do not all vote. They sit on the sidelines and answer their phones in the evening while they watch TV. They respond to some pollster in a way to get back to their couch as soon as possible!

Hold the line!

Congressional Republicans, are you listening to us?

If the Republican Congress does not hold the line in this debate, they and we are doomed!

Update: Sarah Palin weighed in on the Greta van Susteren show last night.

Horrific speech by Obama

This is so amazing. Obama just came out and unloaded on: Bush, the Tea Party, House Republicans, corporate jet-owners, small-business owners and again, Republicans in Congress.

It was a horrific display of a Presidential speech to the citizens of the United States. I will post the video when it's available and juxtapose it with John Boehner's response.

Unbelievable!

Update: Here's a good synopsis from Fox News.

Update2: Here is Obama's speech:



and here is John Boehner's response:

Demons and Demagogues

True to form, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has decided to demagogue the House Republicans as "extremists". He specifically referred to the Tea Party and suggested that it's right-wing extremism was the major influence of Republicans.

So, what do you think Tea Party? What's that old saying? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me". This is just more of the same BS from Washington liberals and our socialist President.

As Sarah Palin likes to say, 2012 can't come soon enough!

Update: Here is a great piece by Randall Hoven at American Thinker to bolster the arguments put forth by the Tea Party.

Wait for it......

Rasmussen's Daily Presidential Tracking Poll portends a very bad week for Obama. This poll is a three-day rolling average, taken each night via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters. Today's poll showed a 6 pt drop in the average since Friday's results were published. I can't wait to see what it does tomorrow, especially with headlines like this.

Breaking News: National Rollout for 'The Undefeated'

ARC Entertainment Announces Massive National Rollout for Sarah Palin Film, 'The Undefeated'

Beginning September 1st Video-on-Demand and Pay-Per-View to Make the Film Accessible to Approximately 75 Million Homes Through Major Cable and Satellite Companies Such as DIRECTV, DISH Network and Time Warner Cable The Video on Demand / Pay-Per-View Launch to be Backed by Multi-Million-Dollar Marketing Campaign DVD to Launch October 4th in Stores Nationwide with an Initial Shipment Estimated at 250,000 Units Walmart to Receive a “Special Edition” Version of the Film Limited Engagement Theatrical Release to Continue Nationwide Throughout August and September.

Sarah Palin: Lame Duck President

Sarah Palin posted a virtual evisceration of Obama on Facebook last night. This is just so good!

After listening to the President’s press conference today, let’s keep in mind the following:

This is the same president who proposed an absurdly irresponsible budget that would increase our debt by trillions of dollars, and whose party failed to even put forward a budget in over 800 days! This is the same president who is pushing our country to the brink because of his reckless spending on things like the nearly trillion dollar “stimulus” boondoggle. This is the same president who ignored his own debt commission’s recommendations and demonized the voices of fiscal sanity who proposed responsible plans to reform our entitlement programs and rein in our dangerous debt trajectory. This is the same president who wanted to push through an increase in the debt ceiling that didn’t include any cuts in government spending! This is the same president who wants to slam Americans with tax hikes to cover his reckless spending, but has threatened to veto a bill proposing a balanced budget amendment. This is the same president who hasn’t put forward a responsible plan himself, but has rejected reasonable proposals that would tackle our debt. This is the same president who still refuses to understand that the American electorate rejected his big government agenda last November. As I said in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Tax Day Tea Party rally, “We don’t want it. We can’t afford it. And we are unwilling to pay for it.”

Now the President is outraged because the GOP House leadership called his bluff and ended discussions with him because they deemed him an obstruction to any real solution to the debt crisis.

He has been deemed a lame duck president. And he is angry now because he is being treated as such.

His foreign policy strategy has been described as “leading from behind.” Well, that’s his domestic policy strategy as well. Why should he be surprised that he’s been left behind in the negotiations when he’s been leading from behind on this debt crisis?

Thank you, GOP House leaders. Please don’t get wobbly on us now.

2012 can’t come soon enough.

- Sarah Palin

Cornwallis: It ends today...

Update: I'm bumping this up to a current post. It's something our Congressional leadership needs to see! Hold the freeking line!

As far as Cornwallis goes and needless to say, it didn't end that day. Nor should it end now.

Remember Sarah Palin's appearance on SNL?

Hat tip: Roderic Deane

Update:

Spenditol - Washington's new drug

Hat tip: Texans for Sarah Palin

Stirring Sarah Palin video

Enjoy!



I'm left with one thought. Who else has the balls cojones?

Update: Please go see "The Undefeated". You will understand what this woman is really all about.

Addendum: This video is too good to ignore:

Walking into Mordor

Bill Whittle is one of my favorite essayists. He does a regular video called "The Firewall". Here is his latest entry and it's a good one:

So, how's 'The Undefeated' doing today? Pretty darn good!

Josh Painter at Texans for Sarah Palin has a rundown on tonight's theater results for "The Undefeated":

Theater manager in Phoenix reports "Only Harry Potter beating 'The Undefeated'...

Atlanta, GA 'The Undefeated' is Number 1 in theater out performering 'Transformers'...

4pm showing of 'The Undefeated' ends with five minute standing ovation in Atlanta!

Atlanta - 7pm showing of 'The Undefeated' sold out 3 hours in advance!

"The #Undefeated" 4pm showing in #OrangeCounty is packed full except for the "stiff neck seats" that nobody wants ever.

The Undefeated is Number 1 in #Atlanta #GA out performing Transformers

AMC Ahwatukee theatre mgr told me they sold so many tickets for #Undefeated that they had to move it to a bigger screen!

Undefeated sold out 7:10 and 10:04 showings in Kennesaw. #1 movie in this theater tonight!

People in the theater CHEERED when they saw Palin at the tea party rally.

Kennesaw GA 3 showings sold out!!

PalinUndefeated attitude is spreading like wild fire. Watch the Dems start eating themselves

How come nobody in the MSM is RTing that @PalinUndefeated is selling out and getting standing Os?! Aren't they "objective" RTers?!?

Full House at Universal Cineplex Orlando, FL for 'The Undefeated'!

MSM - Where are the "empty theaters" now?

Just got back from the movie. My 3 skeptics will now be a part of Sarah's Army.

People around me are saying, "WOW" about the frivolous ethics complaints. They didn't know.

Houston showing is almost full except for the lower 2 rows. ;-)

Audience applauding Sarah's inaugural address in #Undefeated in Kennesaw!

Drove 8 Hours To See The #Undefeated! Very Well Made, Exhilarating & Inspirational

Amazing! People in this theater had NO idea about ethics complaints & why she resigned! They do now!

This is just the beginning folks. There will be much more to come tomorrow. To quote Josh Painter: "Wonder how the Democrat Party state chairman in Arizona will explain his prediction that there would be low turnout for the film in Phoenix?"

Three great videos about 'The Undefeated'

Time is short! Get out and support all conservatives by attending this movie.

The Undefeated - Listening in the Lobby

__________

The Undefeated - Spirit

__________

We Are The Undefeated

__________

Featured blog by Josh Painter is a must-read because we will not be defeated!!

Gov. Palin's enemies further motivate her troops to fight for her
__________

It's not too late! We can turn the tide of Obama's statism and preserve the principles of our Constitution.

America Held Hostage!

To me, any suggestion that Social Security checks might not go out is reprehensible!



This President is all about class warfare and scare-mongering.

Obama must go!

Update: Investor's Business Daily has a great analysis here.

A Call to Action

Personally, I have already bought 10 tickets and they are all spoken for.

James Pethokoukis: 'The issue isn’t default...'

This from James Pethokoukis, at Reuters:

Here’s a great chart from Goldman Sachs that shows how government revenues and obligations will likely match up in August:

As is clearly shown, there is enough cumulative money coming to pay interest, SS, Medicare and defense. Not that there wouldn’t be cash managements issues. That and several other issues are addressed in a Q&A from a GS report last week. Some excerpts (bold is mine):

Q: What happens on August 3 if the debt limit is not increased?

A: … Using August 2010 spending and receipts as a proxy, the Treasury will probably take in $5-$10 bn in revenue on August 3, leaving insufficient revenues to make Social Security payments partly unfunded even if all other spending is deferred. Since the Treasury has carried a minimum cash balance of about $20 bn since 2009, and currently carries a balance of $74 bn, Social Security payments might still be made by drawing down the Treasury’s cash balance.

Q: Are Treasury interest payments at risk?

A: We do not think so. … There are two basic reasons that interest payments should not be called into question: First, if the August 2 deadline is missed, it is very difficult to see the debate dragging to August 15, when interest payments are made, since we doubt there will much congressional appetite for a protracted lapse in borrowing authority. … Second, the Treasury is likely to prioritize payments. While the sharp fiscal contraction that would result from prioritization would have negative short-term economic consequences and would be difficult to implement, it nevertheless seems likely if necessary.

Q: If other non-interest payments are missed, would that constitute a default?

A: Probably not, at least from the rating agency perspective. The rating agencies have not been entirely clear on this point, but S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch all appear to view a failure to pay other obligations to be different from a default. S&P has already put the US on negative outlook due to longer-term fiscal issues, and the other two rating agencies have indicated they will move to a negative outlook if no agreement is reached by August 2.

Update:
The President of the United States has rejected the notion of prioritizing obligations of the U.S. Government. He is holding the economy hostage!

A Rogue Warrior's Strategy for Conservatives

In an American Thinker opinion piece, Rob Cunningham echos something I said in a recent email sent to everyone I know in the immediate area I live. I have the fortunate circumstance of living close to the Grapevine Mills AMC Theaters, which is only one of 10 locations across the country that will premiere Stephen Bannon's new documentary on Sarah Palin, Joseph Goebbels (Hitler's propaganda chief) said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." Unfortunately, that is still true today. "The Undefeated".

Per Rob Cunningham:

I implore every freedom loving American to see Stephen K. Bannon's documentary on the life and career of Sarah Palin. And furthermore, every conservative, Tea Party activist, free-market capitalist, persons of faith or no-faith, and all influential leaders, regardless of whom their preferred 2012 presidential candidate might actually be, should leverage all their talents, skills, resources and creativity to ensure the maximum number of people experience this movie in public theaters.

Stay with me on this, please.

Why do I make this claim? The simple clarity and raw truth offered in "The Undefeated" stands at the ready to educate tens of millions of citizens, perhaps influencing an entire generation of voters. This documentary deeply connects, on both an intellectual and emotional level, and stirs one's very soul. This film brilliantly serves as a modern-day case study, and clearly illustrates how our agenda-driven news media, entertainment industry and political power brokers brazenly operate, in plain view and with cold-blooded intentionality, in a tireless attempt to destroy a very decent fellow citizen. When presented with basic facts, Americans will recoil in disgust.

If principled republicans, tea-partiers and libertarians choose to no longer remain silent, misinformed or "neutral" while one of our strongest and most influential "movement conservatives" is repeatedly and falsely attacked, we will empower every single person and candidate within our movement.

[...]

This movie delivers a massive body blow to the media, it dilutes the effectiveness of liberal scare tactics and will vaccinate millions against infection from traditional "news" reporting. By powerfully highlighting the media's methods of distortion, one of the most powerful weapons used against all conservatives, is damaged.

"The Undefeated" will be released the week of July 15th through July 21st at AMC theaters in 10 major US cities. A positive reception at each of these theaters is critical to ensuring a much larger national audience benefits from this film. Those interested can purchase tickets online at http://theundefeated.cinedigm.com/tickets.html.

In one July week, our entire conservative movement can become enormously stronger if we work together and "get out the viewers." Invite a few friends, visit with your neighbors or organize a youth group. By making a concerted effort to better educate ourselves and our fellow citizens, the best and brightest conservative leaders across our nation will benefit.

It's easy to make a point. It is so much harder to make a difference. If conservatives in ten cities become engaged and encourage all they can to attend "The Undefeated," we'll each be making a positive difference in America. We'll be helping to bring educational value to a generation of citizens and possibly impacting their lives, forever.

This movie is not just about Governor Palin, but about the appalling attack on all conservative leaders by our mainstream media. It is imperative that anyone that considers themselves to be slightly conservative, conservative or very conservative sees this movie. It puts media bias front and center, but more importantly, it chronicles the truth about a conservative record that needs to be illuminated for everyone to see.

In my email, I noted that Joseph Goebbels (Hitler's propaganda chief) said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." Unfortunately, that is still true today. Were you aware that at one point during her tenure as Governor and before John McCain picked her as his running mate, she had an approval rating in Alaska of almost 90%? I'll be you didn't, because the mainstream media refuses to report it.

Please see this movie. I can attest to its impact, having seen it a little over a week ago. It truly is a game-changer for ALL conservative-minded people.

Update: I fixed a bad link for "The Undefeated".

Just released: The Undefeated Official Movie Trailer

Update: Andrew Breitbart gives his opinion of the movie

The much anticipated Sarah Palin documentary by filmmaker Steve Bannon comes out in theaters next Friday, July 15th. People can now see the trailer for the first time. I’ve now seen the film three times and one thing that stands out is how Sarah Palin has always been on the offensive and refuses to apologize for who she is. Subsequently, there are tens of millions of Americans who not only relate to her, but her ballsyness contrasts more with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party. If Sarah Palin doesn’t run for the Presidency, someone in the Republican Party should take note on what real leadership looks like.

Democrats who watch this will see somebody they wish they had on their side—and they did once, in Alaska. Governor Palin stood up to the deservedly vilified ExxonMobil whose criminal misconduct with the Exxon Valdez was exacerbated with years and years of legal wrangling and deep-seated corruption that Governor Palin took on directly. Bannon’s movie is not a woe-is-her exercise in victimology; it’s a jarring look at how entrenched politicians and entrenched media can distort reality to maintain the status quo.

I have built a brand and a mission based upon pointing out media distortion and lies. I have never seen a greater disparity between the media Sarah Palin and the real one. Mainstream media types who have seen this movie are admitting as much but claim that it’s Sarah Palin who drastically changed into a completely different person. No, this was a manufactured Palin, manufactured to destroy her in the pursuit of protecting Barack Obama.

Rebels of all stripes who come to this film with open eyes will be inspired by a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a warrior who took on the system and won.

The Undefeated

I'm not one to argue about trivial things. It's too easy to jump into a conversation about who said what and why. On the other hand, I do worry about big things. I worry about the status of my country when my kids become adults and are trying to fend for themselves. I worry about how the growth of the federal government might consume the private sector. I don't want my kids to have to work for the government.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm amazed at the number of people who aren't paying attention. Don't get me wrong. I'm truly grateful for the Tea Party. Those that have attended Tea Party events should be applauded, but what do they do afterwards?

I've attended Tea Party events and they remind me of revival meetings. The event fires you up and you go home with all kinds of motivation to do this or that, and then it fizzles....until the next election.

There are so many things to do in advance of an election. Waiting passively for the next slate of candidates to vote for is wrong! An impassioned electorate is tantamount to providing a good slate of candidates. You cannot sit there and watch as the mainstream media defines the proper candidate. The PEOPLE should decide who wins or loses.

I have never participated in a grass-roots effort before, but I feel the need to do so now, or forever hold my peace.

I'm supporting a Sarah Palin presidency, because I truly believe that her heart is in the right place to make the necessary adjustments and put our country back on the right path. I abhor everything that Barack Obama stands for. I don't know where he came from, but he didn't come from any place that I recognize.

Please go see the movie "The Undefeated". If nothing else, it will enlighten you to recognize the bias in the media and maybe, just maybe, it will inspire you to get involved now, before November of 2012.

Impeachment Now?

Barack Obama has flaunted the Constitution since the moment he began his term in office. Now, it appears that he has taken it to a new level. Word has it that team Obama is now looking at a unilateral increase in the debt limit, avoiding the gridlock in Congress over the need to or not to raise the debt limit.

Per Talking Points Memo (TPM):

While the federal government has been playing chicken with U.S. credit, liberal academics -- and even some Democratic members of Congress -- have begun questioning whether the legislative branch actually has the power under the Constitution to force the federal government to default on its debts.

Their argument rests on a unique reading of the fourth section of the 14th Amendment, which seemingly forbids Congress from preventing the country from paying what it owes: "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law...shall not be questioned."

It's an interpretation that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) called "crazy talk," and that President Obama refused to comment on at a recent press conference.

But even if it's correct, and even though Republicans are holding the debt ceiling hostage to unpopular conservative legislative priorities, it's not a step the administration wants to take, or would be able to take lightly.

Conversations with experts indicate that the president would likely need one of the most powerful offices in the government to agree with this view before they could blow past the debt limit. And even if Obama got the go-ahead, the White House would have to be prepared for epic political and legal battles with the GOP, which would no doubt follow if Obama took such drastic action.

[...]

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) acknowledged that President Obama might be able to issue debt beyond the limit without Congressional approval in order to avoid defaulting, but warned against doing so without extensive study.

"It's probably not right to pursue at this point and you wouldn't want to go ahead and issue the debt and then have the courts reverse it," he said.

By Bradbury's reading, Obama would have a hard time justifying issuing new debt to pay old debt. Based on the text of the amendment, and an analysis of the legislative debate at the time the 14th Amendment was ratified, Bradbury concludes, "I believe that this provision of the Fourteenth Amendment means that the federal government may not cancel or fail to honor debt previously issued with the authorization of Congress (including valid, previously issued Treasury bonds).

You can read the rest here. Go ahead Barry, make my day!

Update: Here's some more background from Hot Air.

Team Sarah's 'Get Out The Viewer' campaign

Team Sarah, an independent Pro-Palin activist organization, is helping to get the word out about the new Sarah Palin documentary, "The Undefeated", premiering on July 15th in 10 selected markets throughout the U.S.

Josh Painter at Texans for Sarah Palin has the scoop:

Team,

You can be the spark that becomes a grassroots revolution helping to ignite, solidify, inform, and unify Americans around the values that Sarah Palin represents, and, frankly, it isn't that terribly hard!.

Team Sarah wants to see "The Undefeated" become a BIG success and we are treating this like OPENING DAY in a long battle to promote the VALUES we see that Sarah Palin represents!

But, we need to ACT!

Please don't waste time.

Click on the link below and start purchasing your tickets for Opening Weekend July 15, 16, and 17:

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SEATS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

We need to SELL OUT the evening shows on July 15th and 16th if you BELIEVE IN THE MESSAGING and VALUES OF THIS FILM.

If you believe in Sarah Palin and the values she represents in country today, now is YOUR CHANCE to stand up and make a HUGE IMPACT with what amounts to only a little effort.

The Undefeated needs strong attendance to roll out across the country in subsequent weeks. Your fellow Americans DESERVE to see this movie. Strong attendance, we believe, will also send a strong message to the liberal media elites and their political cronies- that Americans are hungry for REAL leaders who can navigate tough storms instead of sound-biting their way along to pander for votes or media support.

You can get the rest of the scoop here, and I strongly recommend that you do!

The Presence of Sarah Palin

One of the things that impresses me about Sarah Palin is the presence of being that she brings to a room. It's hard to describe and I haven't experienced it personally, but it seems palpable.

It reminds me a little bit of the time that Robert Kennedy ran for President. I was in 8th grade and he happened to make a trip to my home town. As luck would have it, his motorcade drove right past my grade school. Being that it was a Catholic school, the nuns and teachers were more than willing to let us line the street as RFK drove by. I remember it well as he waved to us from the convertible limousine he was in. Several weeks later, after I "graduated" from 8th grade, I was crushed when my mother woke me up the morning after that fateful California primary and told me that Robert Kennedy had been shot and wasn't expected to survive.

The Kennedys carried a charisma with them during their political life, although I would venture to say that Teddy did not. It's not something that is yours as a birthright, it is something transient, but real.

Sarah Palin has that charisma and following that we haven't seen since John or Bobby Kennedy. Reagan had it, but his was born out of experience and the wisdom of age. Sarah, on the other hand, possesses both the conviction to principle, as did Reagan, and an overwhelming presence of being, the likes of which I have not seen since RFK's drive-by so many years ago.

It's so very hard to explain the "it" that Sarah Palin possesses. All I can say is that "it" is there and if she so chooses, "it" could realistically propel her into the White House.

I feel like a kid again, watching an icon drive by and hoping that "it" is real. Please watch "The Undefeated". The movie will change your opinion of what “it” is.

The Republic of Brokistan

Mark Stein is a great writer. He often fills in for Rush Limbaugh when Rush is off, but his writing style is exquisite. He posted a piece today at National Review Online which deserves mention.

July 2, 2011 7:00 A.M.
Obama’s Declaration of Dependence
The self-reliant citizenry is history.

Dozens of countries have “Independence Days.” November 25th, for example: Independence Day in Suriname. In that instance as in most others, the designation signifies nothing more than transfer of de jure sovereignty and de facto operational control from a distant European capital to a more local regime. 1975 in Suriname’s case. They had the first military coup seven years later.

But in America “Independence” seemed as much a statement about the character of a people as a designation of jurisdictional status. The first Americans were British subjects who had outgrown a British king as benign and enlightened as any ruler on the planet. They demanded “independence” not from foreign rulers of another ethnicity but from their own compatriots with whom they had a disagreement about the nature of government. Long before the Revolutionary War, small New England townships governed themselves to a degree no old England towns did. “Independence” is not about the replacement of a king in London with a president in Washington but about the republican virtues of a self-reliant citizenry free to exploit its own potential.

Please, no snickering. The self-reliant citizen? In the damning formulation of contemporary American vernacular, he’s history — as in over and done with, fuhgeddabouttim. What’s left of that founding vision on this less than Glorious Fourth of July 2011 in the Brokest Nation in History? “You go talk to your constituents,” President Obama taunted Republicans on Wednesday, “and ask them, are they willing to compromise their kids’ safety so that some corporate-jet owner continues to get a tax break?”

In the Republic of Brokistan, that’s the choice, is it? Give me safe kids or give me corporate jets! No corporate aviation without safe kiddification! In his bizarre press conference on Wednesday, Obama made no fewer than six references to corporate-jet owners. Just for the record, the tax break for corporate jets was part of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” — i.e., the stimulus. The Obama stimulus. The Obama-Pelosi-Reid stimulus. The Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Democratic-party stimulus that every single Republican House member and all but three Republican senators voted against. The Obama–Corporate Jet stimulus that some guy called Obama ostentatiously signed into law in Denver after jetting in to host an “economic forum.”

You can read the rest here. It's really quite good!

Marco Rubio nails Obama for his class warfare rhetoric

Marco Rubio took to the Senate floor yesterday to respond to Barack Obama's absurd rhetoric during his press conference on Thursday.

Quit sending me emails!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick and tired of people sending me emails about this or that outrage that's taking place in our country. The bottom line is this: the country is going to hell in a hand-basket if we don't do SOMETHING to change it! Forwarding incendiary emails might make you feel good, but it doesn't do a dad-gum thing in the entire scheme of things.

We are at a major crossroads. Either step up to the plate and lead or relegate yourself to a supporting role for those who do. Forwarding emails is a completely bullshit way to say you're doing something! Fill the cannons or replenish the powder, but don't sit there and tell me who pisses you off!

Couldn't have said it better!

From Roderic Deane comes this:

Standing front and center, exposed and fearless

I saw the documentary of Sarah Palin last night. "The Undefeated" will premiere in 10 markets around the U.S. on July 15th and the timing couldn't have been better unless, of course, it premiered on July 4th, but I digress. This movie will destroy your preconceived opinions of Sarah Palin. It puts her record as Governor of Alaska front and center and gives a very moving account of her rise in politics. More importantly, it gives the viewer a very studied explanation as to why she resigned as Governor. That segment alone will make you realize that your perceptions of Sarah Palin have been misled by the mainstream media and left-wing blogosphere.

She has done what many of us might want to, but are fearful of for sake of being criticized. That fear has paralyzed the elitist Republicans in Washington as well as the members of the Republican "machine" throughout the United States. I was ashamed of myself when I saw the movie and thought back to all the times I acquiesced in the face of criticism toward my conservative views. No longer.

This movie will inspire everyone to stand up for your beliefs and to stand true for the things that matter to you. Don't shy away from criticism, it is the elitist's way of governance. Changes are only made by going against the grain of those elitist's opinions. Our current crop of politicians would have been laughed out of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. I can guarantee you that Sarah Palin would have been a welcome voice and active participant, so true are her ideals to those of our Founding Fathers.

Our Founding Fathers risked EVERYTHING in their pursuit of freedom from tyranny. The very ending of the Declaration of Independence states the following:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

I ask you, who amongst the current crop of announced Presidential candidates would do the same? Who amongst YOU will carry such a devoted commitment into next year's elections?

Sarah Palin is an example for all of us to follow. She has endured ridicule, scorn and death threats toward both she and her family. Would you be as committed as she in the face of such disdain?

It's time to be front and center, totally exposed and totally fearless to prove that we can stand with Sarah Palin! We must not let her fall!

Fantastic video from the premiere of "The Undefeated"!

This video was produced by the same people that made the movie. It's very good!