Yearly Archives: 2012

New details about Clinton’s thoughts during Lewinsky scandal

February 14, 2012 – 2:37 pm

Bill Clinton admits to having inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky

Uploaded by on Nov 18, 2010

Bill Clinton admits to having inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

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After the story I have some links to related posts.

Bill Clinton Struggled to Deal With Lewinsky Affair, Film Says

ABC NewsBy Huma Khan | ABC News – Mon, Feb 13, 2012

George Bridges/AFP/getty Images

Bill Clinton apparently struggled with whether to talk publicly about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, as his aides were surprised, even dismayed, about his relationship with the 23-year-old.

A new documentary focusing on Clinton’s life and presidency reveals that he contacted pollster Dick Morris to gauge whether he should come out with the truth when news of the affair broke.

“He said, ‘Ever since I got here to the White House I’ve had to shut my body down sexually I mean, but I screwed up with this girl. I didn’t do what they said I did, but I may have done so much that I can’t prove my innocence,'” Morris recalls in the film “Clinton,” which was written and directed by Barak Goodman.

“And I said to him, ‘The problem that presidents have is not the sin, it’s the cover up and you should explore just telling the American people the truth.’ He said, ‘Really, do you think I could do that?’ And I said, ‘Let me test it, let me run a poll.’ So I took a poll and I tested popular attitudes on that and I called him back and I said, ‘They will forgive the adultery, but they won’t easily forgive that you lied,'” Morris says in the documentary to air on PBS next week.

Meanwhile, several of Clinton’s aides were convinced he was set up.

“He’s got all these enemies who are out to get him,” Clinton’s labor secretary, Robert Reich, said in the film. “He wouldn’t be so stupid as to jeopardize his entire presidency. For what? No, that was not the Bill Clinton I knew.”

Clinton first denied the affair that broke out in the news media in 1998, famously saying he “did not have sexual relations with that woman.” He later admitted to oral sex with the young intern and said his relationship with Lewinsky was wrong and inappropriate.

“I am profoundly sorry for all I have done wrong in words and in deeds,” he said Dec. 11 1998. “I never should have misled the country, the Congress, my friends or my family. Quite simply, I gave in to my shame.”

Although his subsequent impeachment made him only the second U.S. president to be impeached, Clinton’s aides say that in a way, the former president himself set up barriers that he could then leap across and he was always confident he could find his way back.

“How many second chances does any one person deserve?” his former press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, said in the film. “Clinton’s view is as many second chances as a person is willing to try to take. As many times as you fail, don’t you deserve the chance to redeem yourself? Isn’t history loaded with people who have fallen and gotten up, fallen and gotten up and done great things?”

The documentary also details the challenges Hillary Clinton faced as first lady. Clinton was, behind the scenes, a powerful force in the White House but aides said her strengths often turned into his weaknesses.

“Voters thought that it was a zero-sum game, that for Hillary to be strong, Bill would have to be weak, and as a result the perception of Hillary’s strength became a perception of Bill’s weakness,” Morris said.

Hillary Clinton was blamed by many for a weak turnout in the 1994 election and for the failure of the administration’s health care reform plan in 1993 that failed to gain momentum.

“She was outspoken, she was smart, she was hard driving, and some people resented her,” Clinton’s Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes said in the film. “Remember during the campaign, it was two for the price of one, well people aren’t electing two for the price of one. They’re electing the president.”

The documentary airs on PBS Feb. 20-21, as part of  its “American Experience” series.

Related posts: 

Timeline of Newt’s affairs

Here is the timeline of Newt’s affairs from the Huffington Post article dated 7-11-11: On Wednesday, Newt Gingrich is expected to formally announce he’ll be running for President in the 2012 election. The former Speaker of the House, whose past infidelities and messy divorces have long been fixtures in the press, is hardly the only […]

White House interns again?

Bill Clinton said he always wanted to be like JFK. Earlier I posted about the recent claim of a White House intern who claimed to have a 18 month affair with JFK. Now I wanted to take a look back at the scandal in 1998 and I have included some info on Newt’s misdeeds and […]

Picture of Mimi Alford who claims to have had 18 month affair with JFK

The issue of White House interns has come up before. One of the late night shows commented that Newt knew exacting what he was going to do on the first day as president: “Rehire Monica Lewinsky!!!” I have talked about this issue before and have linked several related articles below. There are several articles about […]

Schwarzenegger kids dealing with betrayal before whole world

Arnold Schwarzenegger FILE – In this April 4, 2011 file photo, actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, poses after receiving the insignia of Chevalier in the Order of the Legion of Honor during the MIPTV (International Television Programme Market) in Cannes, southern France. Schwarzenegger delayed his Hollywood comeback Thursday, May 19, 2011 as he […]

 
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Bill Clinton, Current Events | Comments (1)

President Obama:“do not consider ourselves a Christian nation” (Part 2 of David Barton’s response)

February 14, 2012 – 10:44 am

America’s Founding Fathers Deist or Christian? – David Barton 2/6

Is President Obama Correct: Is America No Longer a Christian Nation?

Over the past several years, President Barack Obama has repeatedly claimed that America is not a Christian nation. He asserted that while a U. S. Senator, 1 repeated it as a presidential candidate, 2 and on a recent presidential trip to Turkey announced to the world that Americans “do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” 3 (He made that announcement in Turkey because he said it was “a location he said he chose to send a clear message.” 4 ) Then preceding a subsequent trip to Egypt, he declared that America was “one of the largest Muslim countries in the world” 5 (even though the federal government’s own statistics show that less than one-percent of Americans are Muslims. 6

The President’s statements were publicized across the world but received little attention in the American media. Had they been carried here, the President might have been surprised to learn that nearly two-thirds of Americans currently consider America to be a Christian nation 7 and therefore certainly might have taken exception with his remarks. But regardless of what today’s Americans might think, it is unquestionable that four previous centuries of American leaders would definitely take umbrage with the President’s statements.

Modern claims that America is not a Christian nation are rarely noticed or refuted today because of the nation’s widespread lack of knowledge about America’s history and foundation. To help provide the missing historical knowledge necessary to combat today’s post-modern revisionism, presented below will be some statements by previous presidents, legislatures, and courts (as well as by current national Jewish spokesmen) about America being a Christian nation. These declarations from all three branches of government are representative of scores of others and therefore comprise only the proverbial “tip of the iceberg.”

American Presidents Affirm that America is a Christian Nation

With his recent statement, President Barack Obama is the first American president to deny that America is a Christian nation – a repudiation of what made America great and a refutation of the declarations of his presidential predecessors. Notice a few representative statements on this subject by some of the forty-three previous presidents:

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were. . . . the general principles of Christianity. 13JOHN ADAMS

[T]he teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally….impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teaching were removed. 14 TEDDY ROOSEVELT

America was born a Christian nation – America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture. 15WOODROW WILSON

American life is builded, and can alone survive, upon . . . [the] fundamental philosophy announced by the Savior nineteen centuries ago. 16 HERBERT HOOVER

This is a Christian Nation. 17 HARRY TRUMAN

Let us remember that as a Christian nation . . . we have a charge and a destiny. 18 RICHARD NIXON

There are many additional examples, including even that of Thomas Jefferson.

Significantly, Jefferson was instrumental in establishing weekly Sunday worship services at the U. S. Capitol (a practice that continued through the 19th century) and was himself a regular and faithful attendant at those church services, 19 not even allowing inclement weather to dissuade his weekly horseback travel to the Capitol church. 20

(The fact that the U. S. Capitol building was available for church on Sundays was due to the Art. I, Sec. 7 constitutional requirement that forbade federal lawmaking on Sundays; and this recognition of a Christian Sabbath in the U. S. Constitution was cited by federal courts as proof of the Christian nature of America. 21 While not every Christian observes a Sunday Sabbath, no other religion in the world honors Sunday except Christianity. As one court noted, the various Sabbaths were “the Friday of the Mohammedan, the Saturday of the Israelite, or the Sunday of the Christian.” 22 )

Why was Jefferson a faithful attendant at the Sunday church at the Capitol? He once explained to a friend while they were walking to church together:

No nation has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example. 23

President Jefferson even closed presidential documents with “In the year of our Lord Christ” (see below).

Even President Jefferson recognized and treated America as a Christian nation. Clearly, President Obama’s declaration is refuted both by history and by his own presidential predecessors.

13. John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams, editor (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1856), Vol. X, pp. 45-46, to Thomas Jefferson on June 28, 1813. (Return)

14. Ferdinand Cowle Iglehart, D.D., Theodore Roosevelt, The Man As I Knew Him (New York: The Christian Herald, 1919), p. 307. (Return)

15. Paul M. Pearson and Philip M. Hicks, Extemporaneous Speaking (New York: Hinds, Noble & Eldredge, 1912), 177, printing Woodrow Wilson, “The Bible and Progress;” The Homiletic Review: An International Monthly Magazine of Current Religious Thought, Sermonic Literature and Discussion of Practical Issues (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1911), Vol. LXII, p. 238, printing Woodrow Wilson, “The Bible and Progress,” May 7, 1911. (Return)

16. Herbert Hoover, “Radio Address to the Nation on Unemployment Relief,”American Presidency Project, October 18, 1931 (at:http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=22855).(Return)

17. Harry S. Truman, “Exchange of Messages With Pope Pius XII,” American Presidency Project, August 28, 1947 (at:http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=12746).(Return)

18. Richard Nixon, “Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast,” American Presidency Project, February 1st, 1972 (at:http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3597).(Return)

19. See, for example, Bishop Claggett’s (Episcopal Bishop of Maryland) letter of February 18, 1801, available in the Maryland Diocesan Archives; The First Forty Years of Washington Society, Galliard Hunt, editor (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1906), p. 13; William Parker Cutler and Julia Perkins Cutler, Life, Journal, and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler (Cincinnati: Colin Robert Clarke & Co., 1888), Vol. II, p. 119, to Joseph Torrey, January 3, 1803, and p. 113, his entry of December 12, 1802; James Hutson, Religion and the Founding of the American Republic (Washington, D. C.: Library of Congress, 1998), p. 84. (Return)

20. William Parker Cutler and Julia Perkins Cutler, Life, Journal, and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler (Cincinnati: Colin Robert Clarke & Co., 1888), Vol. II, p. 119, in a letter to Dr. Joseph Torrey on January 3, 1803; see also his entry of December 26, 1802 (Vol. II, p. 114). (Return)

21. See, for example, Church of the Holy Trinity v. U. S., 143 U.S. 457, 465, 470-471 (1892); City Council of Charleston v. S.A. Benjamin, 2 Strob. 508, 518-520 (S.C. 1846); State v. Ambs, 20 Mo. 214, 1854 WL 4543 (Mo. 1854); Neal v. Crew, 12 Ga. 93, 1852 WL 1390 (1852); Doremus v. Bd. of Educ., 71 A.2d 732, 7 N.J. Super. 442 (1950); State v. Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co., 143 S.W. 785, 803 (Mo. 1912); and many others. (Return)

22. Ex parte Newman, 9 Cal. 502, 509 (1858). (Return)

23. Hutson, Religion, p. 96, quoting from a handwritten history in possession of the Library of Congress, “Washington Parish, Washington City,” by Rev. Ethan Allen. (Return)

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in David Barton, Founding Fathers | Comments (0)

Jeremy Lin: Thanking Jesus like Tebow

February 14, 2012 – 10:40 am

I have not hesitated to say before how much I admire Tim Tebow. Well I am becoming a fan of Jeremy Lin too. (Here are some links to other fine articles on Jeremy’s faith.)

New York Knicks: Why Jeremy Lin Will Become the Tim Tebow of the NBA

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 31: Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks drives past Detroit Pistons Walker Russell #23 of the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2012 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

 

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Amid the smoke and rubble of the New York Knicks’ season, a man, a hero, a legend has emerged—a man of humility, courage and faith who can run a Mike D’Antoni system. The legend that is Jeremy Lin has only just begun. The NBA answer to Tim Tebow has arrived. 

In games where the Knicks D-League point guard has attempted at least 10 shots, the Knicks are undefeated. If they can maintain this winning percentage with him as the starter, the Knicks would be able to finish with a record of 51-15, good enough to challenge the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat as the Beasts in the East.

OK. Well, maybe that’s not going to happen. The Knicks do have an unlikely star in the making, though. Lin has electrified the city of New York, taking it by storm, even in the wake of the New York Giants winning the Super Bowl.. 

In the last two games, he has totaled 53 points and 15 assists. More importantly, the Knicks offense has been more “offensive” in a good way than in a bad way. 

Lin has a lot of similarities to Tebow. Both are men of devout Christian faiths and aren’t intimidated about expressing it. During his postgame interview on the NBA TV’s Gametime Monday night, Lin had “Tebowian” words of gratitude, “I want to just thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” 

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He went on to praise his teammates and his coach and flow praise about how fortunate he was to have the opportunity. 

In that regard, he is also similar to Tebow, not just in the humility he expressed, but also in the fact that he is, in fact, actually very fortunate to receive the opportunity to prove himself. 

As with Tebow, you didn’t get the feeling that he was putting on an act for the cameras but that it was a genuine “aw, shucks” attitude. 

Finally, when he’s playing, it’s clear his teammates are behind him. His genuine self-confidence and likability make his team want to succeed and believe that they can. He really is a reason they are winning. 

That the team won last night with Amar’e Stoudemire missing the game due to his brother’s death and Carmelo Anthony only playing six minutes due to a groin pull is evidence enough of that. 

The Knicks may have found their point guard in the most unlikely of places. If he maintains this kind of play, Skip Bayless may have a new favorite topic—Jeremy Lin, the hero who saved New York. 

Related posts:

Related posts:

Jeremy Lin’s Christian Faith (Part 6)

Jeremy Lin – Knicks vs Kings FULL COMPLETE HIGHLIGHTS 2.15.12 HD ____________________ Jeremy Lin Post Game Interview. Sacramento Kings Vs New York Knicks. February 15th 2012 Uploaded by Smosharticles on Feb 15, 2012 Jeremy Lin Post Game Interview. Sacramento Kings Vs New York Knicks. February 15th 2012, 02/15/2012 10 Points, Career High 13 Assists in […]

Jeremy Lin’s Christian Faith (Part 5)

Uploaded by doko0218 on Feb 15, 2012 Jeremy Lin Alley Oop To Landry Fields Knicks vs Kings _______________________ Jeremy Lin – Knicks vs Kings FULL COMPLETE HIGHLIGHTS 2.15.12 HD ____________________ Jeremy Lin Post Game Interview. Sacramento Kings Vs New York Knicks. February 15th 2012 Uploaded by Smosharticles on Feb 15, 2012 Jeremy Lin Post Game […]

Jeremy Lin’s Christian Faith (Part 4)

Jeremy Lin 4th quarter highlights vs Raptors (GW 3pts.) || 2.14.12 || HD Uploaded by geraldd39 on Feb 14, 2012 Jeremy Lin hits the game-winner to lift Knicks over Raptors for their sixth straight win. _________________ Here is a portion of an interview with Jeremy Lin about his faith: Evangelical Portal The Faith and Fate […]

Jeremy Lin’s Christian Faith (Part 3)

Jeremy Lin 4th quarter highlights vs Raptors (GW 3pts.) || 2.14.12 || HD Uploaded by geraldd39 on Feb 14, 2012 Jeremy Lin hits the game-winner to lift Knicks over Raptors for their sixth straight win. _________________ Here is a portion of an interview with Jeremy Lin about his faith: Evangelical Portal The Faith and Fate […]

Jeremy Lin’s Christian Faith (Part 2)

Jeremy Lin 4th quarter highlights vs Raptors (GW 3pts.) || 2.14.12 || HD Uploaded by geraldd39 on Feb 14, 2012 Jeremy Lin hits the game-winner to lift Knicks over Raptors for their sixth straight win. _____________________ Here is a portion of an interview with Jeremy Lin about his faith: Evangelical Portal The Faith and Fate […]

Jeremy Lin’s Christian Faith

Jeremy Lin 4th quarter highlights vs Raptors (GW 3pts.) || 2.14.12 || HD Uploaded by geraldd39 on Feb 14, 2012 Jeremy Lin hits the game-winner to lift Knicks over Raptors for their sixth straight win. _____________________ (Here are some links to other fine articles on Jeremy’s faith.) Another article on Jeremy Lin’s faith: The God […]

Tim Tebow’s Faith (Part 2)

  This is a RUSH transcript from “The O’Reilly Factor,” June 3, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS GUEST HOST: In the “Back of the Book” segment tonight, Tim Tebow is a quarterback for the Denver Broncos and a man of deep faith. That faith […]

Tim Tebow’s faith (Part 1)

Tim Tebow’s faith (Part 1) I really respect Tim Tebow and I wanted to pass along an article that defends him. Tim Tebow, Faith and Blasphemy Culture, Evangelicals, Featured, Protestant, Religion, Sports — By J.F. Arnold on August 17, 2011 at 5:05 am I won’t pretend to be an expert in the world of sports. I can tell you if a given team […]

Tim Tebow rallies the Broncos and may be a starter soon

I think the world of the character of Tim Tebow. Tim Tebow played well in a reserve role Sunday, but did he play himself into a starting quarterback job? Well, Tebow’s loyal fanbase certainly thinks so after the former Heisman Trophy winner tried to rally the Denver Broncos, even though they ended up losing to […]

Tim Tebow’s Christian faith not abandoned in locker room

I am thrilled to get the chance to share the following article with you today. I got a call from Tim Keown who is a writer for ESPN Magazine a few days ago. He had read a post from my blog on Tim Tebow and wanted to ask me some questions. One of my answers […]

Tim Tebow’s Faith (Part 3)

Tim Tebow’s Faith (Part 3) Another look at the faith of Tim Tebow. Q & A: Tim Tebow on Faith, Fame, & Football The NFL athlete reflects on his outspoken faith, whether athletes should attribute their wins to God, and moving from the Focus on the Family ad to Jockey ads. Interview by Sarah Pulliam […]

Tim Tebow being persecuted for his Christian faith?

It is clear to me that Tim Tebow is trusting in the Lord and he does not want to get discouraged by the world’s negativity. However, I do not think that he believes that if you have faith then you will become rich and everything you do will bring success as the world thinks of […]

 

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Vol Coach looks needs victory over Hogs on way to NCAA berth

February 14, 2012 – 9:37 am

I think that the hogs and the vols both need 10-6 conference records to get in the NCAA. I have said all year that we need two road victories to do that. I do assume that we will need to beat Florida in Fayetteville to accomplish that.

Cuonzo Martin: 10-6 in SEC puts Vols ‘in good shape’ for NCAA

  • By Mike Griffith
  • govolsxtra.com
  • Posted February 13, 2012 at 1 p.m., updated February 13, 2012 at 7:40 p.m
Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin watches as his team plays Florida during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012. Tennessee defeated Florida 75-70. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin watches as his team plays Florida during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012. Tennessee defeated Florida 75-70. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

 

UT first-year men’s coachCuonzo Martin said Monday if the Vols go 10-6 in the SEC, he believes they’ll be “in good shape” to make what would be the program’s seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.

Since 1992 only three eligible SEC teams have won 10 or more conference regular-season games and failed to make the NCAA tournament, according to the conference office.

First things first, UT (13-12, 5-5 SEC) plays host to Arkansas (17-8, 5-5) on Wednesday (TV: MyVLT, 8 p.m.) in a battle of teams tied for fifth place in the league.

“I look back at our RPI, when it was 290 against Austin Peay (on Dec. 1), and now it’s like (110),” Martin said. “We’re definitely making progress as a team at the right time.

“I think if you win your next five, I don’t think there’s any question at this level in this league,” Martin said. “With the NCAA, you don’t have a true gauge of, here’s the criteria; in one year, it can change on you.

“If we win 10 league games we’ll be in good shape, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be in for sure. You do your job, put in your work, and when Selection Sunday comes, if you’re a part of it, you’re a part of it.”

After Arkansas, the Vols close the regular season playing: at Alabama (1:30 p.m., Saturday); home vs. Ole Miss (7 p.m., Feb. 22); at South Carolina (8 p.m., Feb. 25); at LSU (9 p.m., Feb. 29) and home against Vanderbilt (4 p.m., March 3).

The SEC tournament takes place March 8-11 in New Orleans.

“If you don’t say you think some about (postseason), you’d be lying,” said UT juniorSkylar McBee, who has averaged 13.7 points in his first three starts. “But if you start looking too far ahead, you can lose sight of what’s next.

“If we focus on taking care of what’s at hand, the big picture will take care of itself.”

That said, Martin’s Missouri State team got snubbed last season despite winning the rugged Missouri Valley Conference outright with a 15-3 league record and a No. 39 RPI.

“That was tough,” Martin said. “But it’s part of it.”

Closer to home, Alabama failed to make the NCAA field last season despite going 12-4 in the SEC and posting a No. 48 RPI.

In 2008-09, South Carolina and Auburn each went 10-6 and failed to make the NCAA tournament, the Gamecocks with an RPI of 58 and Auburn’s at 64.

UT freshman Jarnell Stokes isn’t ready to start crunching numbers; he’s just ready for more wins.

“We definitely plan on going to the (NCAA) tournament,” Stokes said. “It would be amazing, but we feel we can beat any team we step on the floor with.”

More McBee: McBee has heard his critics loud and clear, but instead of being upset with them, he appreciates the edge they provide.

“Everyone has doubters, but that just keeps you hungry,” said McBee, a former walk-on who leads UT with 48 made threes and is shooting a team-best 41.4 percent beyond the 3-point arc. “When you get satisfied, you’re in trouble. As long as you have that voice in your head reminding yourself you have doubters, you’re going to work hard if you’re a competitor.”

The Vols are 9-0 in games McBee has scored in double digits, and UT’s three-game win streak coincides with his addition to the starting lineup.

Hall’s Improvement: Junior center Kenny Hall has impressed Martin since replacing Stokes in the starting lineup, particularly on defense.

“It’s amazing; He’s done a good job without fouling,” Martin said. “He’s playing defense without fouling. I don’t want to say anything to him about it because I don’t want him to start thinking about it. He has made a conscious effort of working hard in that area.”

Stat Facts: UT has scored the same amount of points in SEC play (612) as its opponents. The Vols have attempted 205 free throws and made 144 in SEC games, while opponents have attempted 202 and made 145.

Top Five: UT’s hold on ranking in the top five in national attendance for a seventh consecutive season is slipping. The Vols are averaging 17,192 per home game after only 14,784 turned out for last Wednesday’s home game with South Carolina.

Wisconsin, which is sixth in the nation in attendance, is averaging 17,171 per home game.

Plenty of tickets are available for Wednesday night’s game against Arkansas, including lower-level seats.

Mike Griffith covers Tennessee men’s basketball. Follow him at http://twitter.com/MikeGriffith32

Related posts:

When are the Razorbacks going to get road victory, maybe in Knoxville?

Arkansas must get a couple of road wins if we hope to make it to the NCAA Tournament this year. By reading the comments on Arkansas Sports 360 it appears the fans are anxious for one.  Looking at the schedule and there remains games at Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State. The Miss St game would […]

 

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

An open letter to President Obama (Part 7, A response to your budget)

February 14, 2012 – 8:14 am

On Bloomberg, Sessions Discusses Astounding Gimmicks In President’s Budget

Uploaded by on Feb 13, 2012

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Rep. James Lankford Responds to President Obama’s $3.8 Trillion Budget

Uploaded by on Feb 13, 2012

Rep. James Lankford (R-OK) responded to President Obama’s FY 2013 budget proposal that fails to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term as promised. The budget also delayed the tough decisions to cut spending and reform entitlements that are needed to avoid a debt crisis.

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Senator Blunt Participates in Press Conference in Response to President Obama’s Budget 2/13/2012

Uploaded by on Feb 13, 2012

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) participated in a press conference with GOP Senators in response to President Obama’s budget proposal on February 13, 2012.

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Corker Says President’s 2012 Budget Proposal Shows “Lack of Urgency” on Spending

Uploaded by on Feb 14, 2011

In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., expressed disappointment in President Obama’s 2012 budget proposal, saying it displayed a “lack of urgency” to get federal spending under control. Corker has introduced the CAP Act to dramatically cut federal spending over the next decade.

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Obama’s 2012 Budget Numbers

Uploaded by on Feb 19, 2011

Erica Hill speaks with business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis about President Obama’s 2012 budget plan.

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1,000 Days Without A Budget

Uploaded by on Jan 24, 2012

http://blog.heritage.org | Today marks the 1,000th day since the United States Senate has passed a budget. While the House has put forth (and passed) its own budget, the Senate has failed to do the same. To help illustrate how extraordinary this failure has been, our new video highlights a few of impressive feats in history that have been accomplished in less time.

_______________________

President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

The Heritage Foundation website (www.heritage.org ) has lots of good articles and one that caught my attention was concerning the budget you released on Feb 13, 2012 and it concerned the incorrect opinion out there in the USA that you can not pass a budget in the Senate because of the Republicans. Here in Little Rock we have liberal bloggers that have been saying this too.

The blogger in Little Rock who goes by the username “Elwood” on the www.ArkTimes.com blog noted on Feb 13, 2012 on the Arkansas Times Blog:

 You don’t get it both ways Salty Repub.

The process blockers in the Senate, your heroes, won’t allow anything to come to the floor for a vote. Take it up with McConnell.

I responded with this:

I am afraid that President Obama does not need any Republicans help to get his budget passed. There are 53 Democrats in the Senate and it only takes 51 votes to get the budget passed. You may have seen President Obama’s White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew on “Meet the Press” but he was incorrect.

“You can’t pass a budget in the Senate of the United States without 60 votes, and you can’t get 60 votes without bipartisan support,” Lew said on CNN’s State of the Union. “So unless… unless Republicans are willing to work with Democrats in the Senate, [Majority Leader] Harry Reid is not going to be able to get a budget passed.” Lew repeated the claim in a slightly different form on NBC’s Meet the Press, saying “One of the things about the United States Senate that I think the American people have realized is that it takes 60, not 50, votes to pass something.”

Here is a link to a good article on it from the Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/13/morning-bell-white-house-spin-machine-hits-brick-wall/

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If you have the majority in the Senate then why can’t you get a budget passed? Is it true that the Republicans are holding up getting a budget passed in the Senate?

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your committment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

__________________________

Jack Lew on CNN

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in President Obama, spending out of control | Comments (0)

President Obama’s budget is attempting to get him re-elected

February 14, 2012 – 6:54 am

1,000 Days Without A Budget

Uploaded by on Jan 24, 2012

http://blog.heritage.org | Today marks the 1,000th day since the United States Senate has passed a budget. While the House has put forth (and passed) its own budget, the Senate has failed to do the same. To help illustrate how extraordinary this failure has been, our new video highlights a few of impressive feats in history that have been accomplished in less time.

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I have to be frank and it seems that this budget proposal presented on 2-13-2012 to Congress was just an attempt by a President to get himself re-elected by promising a lot of free lunches to a lot of special interest groups.

Obama’s Budget: This Isn’t Built to Last

Posted by Tad DeHaven

In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama said that he wanted an American economy that is “built to last.” Today’s release of his fiscal 2013 budget proposal shows that the president still thinks he can build economic prosperity with more spending, taxes, and debt. Those are the building materials for an economic time-bomb that will explode on future generations.

The following charts show that federal spending and debt as a share of the economy would remain at elevated levels under the president’s budget proposal:

Given that policymakers always seem to find an excuse to spend more money than was planned – and that there are virtually no limits on what the government can spend money on – these figures could prove to be optimistic.

So forget about the president’s cheap sloganeering about “investing in our future.” And ignore the double-talk about “re-establish[ing] fiscal responsibility.” The fact is the president is proposing to spend $47 trillion dollars over the next ten years – almost $6 trillion of which would go toward interest on the debt alone. This budget isn’t about creating an economy that’s built to last – it’s about keeping the president’s Democratic constituencies satisfied in November and selling voters on the impossible promise of more free lunches.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in President Obama, spending out of control | Comments (0)

Each American’s Share of National Debt Is Growing

February 14, 2012 – 12:56 am

Each American’s Share of National Debt Is Growing

Everyone wants to know more about the budget and here is some key information with a chart from the Heritage Foundation and a video from the Cato Institute.

As Washington continues to spend more than it can afford, future generations of taxpayers will be on the hook for increasing levels of debt. The amount of debt per citizen will skyrocket.

INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS (2010)

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Each American's Share of National Debt Is Growing

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Congressional Budget Office (Alternative Fiscal Scenario).

Chart 21 of 42

In Depth

  • Policy Papers for Researchers

  • Technical Notes

    The charts in this book are based primarily on data available as of March 2011 from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The charts using OMB data display the historical growth of the federal government to 2010 while the charts using CBO data display both historical and projected growth from as early as 1940 to 2084. Projections based on OMB data are taken from the White House Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The charts provide data on an annual basis except… Read More

  • Authors

    Emily GoffResearch Assistant
    Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy StudiesKathryn NixPolicy Analyst
    Center for Health Policy StudiesJohn FlemingSenior Data Graphics Editor

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Washington has never seen a tax that don’t like

February 14, 2012 – 12:54 am

Washington has never seen a tax that don’t like.

The Value-Added Tax Must Be Stopped – Unless We Want America to Become Greece

Posted by Daniel J. Mitchell

Sooner or later, there will be a giant battle in Washington over the value-added tax. The people who want bigger government (and the people who are willing to surrender to big government) understand that a new source of tax revenue is needed to turn the United States into a European-style social welfare state. But that’s exactly why the VAT is a terrible idea.

I explain why in a column for Reuters. The entire thing is worth reading, but here’s an excerpt of some key points.

Many Washington insiders are claiming that America needs a value-added tax (VAT) to get rid of red ink. …And President Obama says that a VAT is “something that has worked for other countries.” Every single one of these assertions is demonstrably false. …One of the many problems with a VAT is that it is a hidden levy. …VATs are imposed at each stage of the production process and thus get embedded in the price of goods. And because the VAT is hidden from consumers, politicians find they are an easy source of new revenue – which is one reason why the average VAT rate in Europe is now more than 20 percent! …Western European nations first began imposing VATs about 40 years ago, and the result has been bigger government, permanent deficits and more debt. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, public debt is equal to 74 percent of GDP in Western Europe, compared to 64 percent of GDP in the United States (and the gap was much bigger before the Bush-Obama spending spree doubled America’s debt burden). The most important comparison is not debt, but rather the burden of government spending. …you don’t cure an alcoholic by giving him keys to a liquor store, you don’t promote fiscal responsibility by giving government a new source of revenue. …To be sure, we would have a better tax system if proponents got rid of the income tax and replaced it with a VAT. But that’s not what’s being discussed. At best, some proponents claim we could reduce other taxes in exchange for a VAT. Once again, though, the evidence from Europe shows this is a naive hope. The tax burden on personal and corporate income is much higher today than it was in the pre-VAT era. …When President Obama said the VAT is “something that has worked for other countries,” he should have specified that the tax is good for the politicians of those nations, but not for the people. The political elite got more money that they use to buy votes, and they got a new tax code, enabling them to auction off loopholes to special interest groups.

You can see some amusing — but also painfully accurate — cartoons about the VAT by clicking here, here, and here.

For further information on why the VAT is a horrible proposal, including lots of specific numbers and comparisons between the United States and Western Europe, here’s a video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity.

Daniel J. Mitchell • February 28, 2011 @ 10:49 am

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Cato Institute, Taxes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

“Tennis Tuesday” John McEnroe part 4

February 14, 2012 – 12:53 am

 

Born: February 16, 1959
Wiesbaden, Germany
American tennis player and television commentator

John McEnroe was one of the most successful and high-profile players in the history of tennis. Throughout his career, McEnroe won seventeen Grand Slam titles, seventy-seven career single titles, and seventy-seven doubles titles.

Childhood on the court

John Patrick McEnroe Jr. was born on February 16, 1959, in Wiesbaden, Germany, where his father, John McEnroe Sr., was serving in the United States Air Force, and his mother, Kay McEnroe, was a surgical nurse. He was the oldest of three sons. In 1963 his family moved to Queens, New York, where he was raised. At an early age he showed advanced hand-eye coordination and athletic ability. According to his father, when John Jr. was only two years of age, he could strike a ball with a plastic bat, and at age four he could hit it a considerable distance.

It soon became obvious that McEnroe possessed a great deal of natural ability on the tennis court. Oddly, although he won several junior tournaments, and moved steadily upward in rank, he was never rated number one on the National Junior circuit. In 1970 McEnroe began training with Tony Palafox, a former Davis Cup (an international team tennis tournament) player for Mexico, and Harry “Hop” Hopman, a former Australian Davis Cup coach, at the Port Washington (Long Island) Tennis Academy.

McEnroe attended Trinity School, a well-known and expensive Ivy League preparatory school in Manhattan, where he was known to be funny, witty, and rowdy. He did above average scholastically—although by his own admission, he could have done better if it weren’t for his many sports activities: four years of soccer and tennis as well as two years of basketball.

Youngest win in Wimbledon finals

In 1977, after McEnroe graduated from high school, he was given the opportunity to play in Europe, where he won the French Juniors Tournament. Aiming for the Junior’s title at Wimbledon, he had to pull out of the event when he qualified for the men’s senior competition. Not only did he qualify for this important tournament, but he advanced to the semi-finals, where he was beaten by the more experienced Jimmy Connors (1952–), who won in four sets. At that time, McEnroe became the youngest man ever to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals. He also solidified his reputation as one of tennis’s “bad boys” along with Jimmy Connors and Ilie Nastase (1946–). His disturbing, emotional outbursts were directed at linesmen, opponents, and himself. Although McEnroe played somewhat inconsistently for the remainder of the year, he was voted Tennis magazine’s Rookie of the Year for 1977.

That fall McEnroe attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, on a tennis scholarship. He led the school’s tennis team to the NCAA Championship in 1978. After his freshman year he decided to turn professional. In the summer of 1978 McEnroe was eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon but reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Open. By the end of that year, he was ranked sixth in the world in singles and fifth in doubles.

Temper tantrums and superstardom

As McEnroe’s talent came to public attention, so did his “superstar” personality. At no tournament did his comments and disruptive

John McEnroe. Reproduced by permission of the Corbis Corporation.

John McEnroe.
Reproduced by permission of the

Corbis Corporation

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actions stand out more than they did at Wimbledon, which was run by the traditional All England Club. Whether there was any truth to his claims or not, McEnroe believed that the Wimbledon umpires were out to get him. Although McEnroe lost in the fourth round at the 1979 Wimbledon tournament, later that year he bounced back and won his first U.S. Open Championship, defeating fellow New Yorker Vitas Gerulaitis. McEnroe became the youngest player to win the U.S. Open since 1948.

At Wimbledon in July 1980 the world watched as one of tennis’s greatest rivalries developed between McEnroe and Bjorn Borg (1956–). The highlight of the match took place in the fourth set, which went into a tiebreaker. It took twenty-two minutes and thirty-four points for McEnroe to finally win the set. But Borg emerged victorious (1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7, 8–6). It was Borg’s fifth consecutive Wimbledon title, but it also showed the world that McEnroe had the endurance and mental toughness to be a top player. The rivals met again at the U.S. Open, where McEnroe found himself defending the title against a determined Borg, who had yet to win the Open. In a match with as many games as their famous Wimbledon final, McEnroe emerged the winner (7–6, 6–1, 6–7, 5–7, 6–4).

The 1981 Wimbledon tournament saw McEnroe and Borg once again in the final. This time McEnroe ended Borg’s five year reign as he won in four sets (4–6, 7–6, 7–6, 6–4). That same year, in September, McEnroe defended his U.S. Open title once again against Borg (4–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–3). Borg, perhaps feeling that his reign was over, retired after this defeat. McEnroe became the only man since Bill Tilden (1893–1953) to win three consecutive U.S. Open titles.

McEnroe’s decline and comeback

In 1984 McEnroe won eighty-two of eighty-four matches, including his fourth World Championship of Tennis final, his third U.S. Pro Indoor Championship, and his second Grand Prix Masters title. He captured his third Wimbledon title, soundly defeating Connors (6–1, 6–1, 6–2), and his fourth U.S. Open title (beating Ivan Lendl 6–3, 6–4, 6–1). This victory was to mark the last major title of his career.

In 1986 McEnroe took time away from tennis and married actress Tatum O’Neal, his girlfriend of two years (after the birth of their first child, Kevin), and retreated to his Malibu, California, home. His break from tennis did not last long as he came back in August to face Boris Becker in a tournament in Stratton Mountain, Vermont. The match invited comparisons to the earlier Borg-McEnroe rivalries. Unfortunately, his comeback never fully took shape. He continued as a Davis Cup player and his successes in Cup play earned him more press than his occasional singles titles. McEnroe, who has four children, divorced O’Neal in 1992. He married singer Patty Smyth in April of 1997. The couple has two daughters.

Sports broadcasting and charity work

In 1995 McEnroe began to call matches with the USA Network’s coverage of the French Open. This began his present broadcasting career. He is a network television commentator for both NBC and CBS at Wimbledon, the French Open, and the U.S. Open. He currently competes in a select number of tournaments and special events, largely for charity. In 1999 McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and was named captain of the Davis Cup team.

Although McEnroe’s lack of single-minded devotion may have brought his tennis career to a halt, his charitable activities have brought to the public eye a side of him that was not seen during his reign as champion. An avid rock fan and guitar player, McEnroe occasionally plays at charity events. His interest in art led him to open the John McEnroe Art Gallery in New York City, which features up-and-coming young artists.

For More Information

Evans, Richard. McEnroe, a Rage for Perfection: A Biography. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982.

Evans, Richard. McEnroe: Taming the Talent. Lexington, MA: S. Green, 1990.

McEnroe, John. You Cannot Be Serious. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Keith Green’s article “Grumbling and Complaining–So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt?” (Part 1)

February 14, 2012 – 12:03 am

Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live)

Uploaded by on May 25, 2008

Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980

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This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out every month and I always enjoyed reading it. Below is a portion of an article he wrote  and I still remember some of the things he said over 30 years ago when I first read it.

Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt

Grumbling and Complaining —So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt?

By Keith Green

  “Now the people became like those who complain about adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.” (Num. 11:1-2)

Grumbling and complaining is one thing we don’t get too concerned about these days. I mean everybody grumbles about something, right? Husbands and wives complain about each other. Kids tell each other how terrible their folks are. Christians grumble about one another – even about their leaders!

The nation of Israel had a long history of grumbling and complaining. You can read about the misery it brought them in the first five books of the Old Testament. I have to confess, for a long time I didn’t like those five books because I thought they were full of The Law. God’s wrath could be pretty terrible. Sometimes He sent plagues or fire from heaven. In Numbers 16, you read about the “rebellion of Korah” when the ground opened up and 250 people who complained against Moses and the Lord were swallowed alive. That’s heavy!

Now the New Testament – that seemed easy in comparison! We were given a new law to keep. The law of love and liberty. As a new Christian, I heard nothing but “love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy” which was great because without them I’d be dead as a doornail! Yet I kept running across scriptures in the New Testament that really turned my head around. Jesus also made some strong statements about obeying the laws of God.

In Matthew, Jesus rebuked the people of three cities where He’d taught and performed many miracles. He wasn’t exactly trying to win a popularity contest when He said: “Woe to you… For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes… (And) if the miracles had occurred in Sodom that occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless, I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” (Matthew 11:21-24) In other words, “If I don’t judge you in light of all you know, I’m going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!”

I’m not pointing out these scriptures to say, “You’d better listen or God’s gonna get ya.” That’s not God’s heart. He is “slow to anger, full of lovingkindness and compassion.” (Ps. 145:8) What I am saying is that those who lived under the old covenant may have had a harsher requirement – but they’ll have an easier judgment than we who live under the new covenant. Why is that?

During the old covenant, the Spirit of God only came to rest upon people, empowering them to do mighty deeds. But it never lived in them to help them fulfill the law. Today, under the law of love and liberty, the Holy Spirit lives in us, to help us keep the law. James says, “..be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves… But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein… this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:22,25 KJV)

I want to make this point strongly: Once God has led us out of our old sinful lives by His Spirit, we must be careful not to return.

I found an important warning sign while reading Old Testament books like Numbers. This signal can tell you if you’re headed backwards where you’re no longer led and controlled by the Holy Spirit. No longer walking forward with God. It seems like a little “insignificant” sin. In fact, some people don’t think it’s a sin at all! I’m talking about grumbling and complaining.
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Keith Green,
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)