Under Obama our credit rating continues to fall

Ratings agency Egan-Jones on Friday downgraded the U.S. country rating to AA-minus from AA, citing the Federal Reserve's latest stimulus program to boost the sluggish economy.

The Fed on Thursday said it would pump $40 billion into the U.S. economy each month until it saw a sustained upturn in the weak jobs market.

"(The) Fed's QE3 will stoke the stock market and commodity prices but in our opinion (it) will hurt the U.S. economy and, by extension, credit quality," Egan-Jones said in a statement about the latest quantitative easing program.

"The increased cost of commodities will pressure profitability of businesses, and increase the costs of consumers thereby reducing consumer purchasing power."

Moody's Investors Service currently rates the United States Aaa, Fitch rates the country AAA, and Standard & Poor's rates the country AA-plus. All three of those ratings have a negative outlook.

Source

Biden and Ryan—the debate

Some are rubbing palms to see this debate. And two Catholics? Unlike Protestants (I’m a Lutheran in a new synod, but have been a member of two other denominations), who get stuck with boring, endless, everyday sin--fornication, gossip, stealing--they get to have levels and degrees of sin. And there's a difference between tolerating sin and promoting sin, says this author:

"Biden promotes (and does not merely advocate toleration of) things the Church considers to be intrinsic evils, something no Catholic can in any circumstances do. And he tolerates things no government ought ever to tolerate without the loss of legitimacy. Ryan, on the other hand, has never, so far as I know, advanced or promoted something the Church considers an intrinsic evil. There are two such areas that might be pointed out: abortion and homosexual "marriage."

This article contains full quotes from both candidates.

http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=47443

I thought Hillary was doing a pretty good job

until she came up with this question:

Today, many Americans are asking – indeed, I asked myself – how could this happen? How could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from destruction? This question reflects just how complicated and, at times, how confounding the world can be.

Really?  Is that what we were asking? Does anyone outside the delegates in Charlotte who screamed to take God out of the party and hand over Jerusalem really think what the world got after Arab Spring (fundamentalist Muslim tyrants) was better than what it had before (secular Muslim tyrants)?

Complicated?  It was the anniversary of 9/11.  You guys had been reviewing gleefully the death of Osama bin Laden as the high point of a flat presidency.

Don’t go all girly on us, Hil.

From Paul Ryan

“We don't need sugar high economics. We don't need synthetic money creation. We need economic growth. We want wealth creation. We don't want to print money. We want opportunity and growth.”

Can’t say for sure, but I assume he’s talking about QE3, the fed’s plan to print more money to goose Obama’s campaign with artificially high profits for investments in the next 2 months, then of course, the plunge. Printing money makes the stock market look good and some crony capitalists might make a profit, but it doesn’t create solid jobs. Today a good friend confided her fears for the economy—she’s a single, professional woman and very scared.

Valerie Jarrett has better protection . . .

“The consulate in Benghazi was an interim facility, with only a standard door lock for security, and worse, Ambassador Stevens was traveling with only a light security detail, rather than in the heavily armed convoys our diplomats in the region usually employ. The attack on the Benghazi was no mere target of opportunity spurred by reaction to the “Innocence of Muslims” film; the film is just a pretext. The killing of Ambassador  Stevens was a premeditated hit, planned and carried out as retaliation for the recent drone strike that killed the number two Al Qaida operative in Afghanistan recently. The vulnerability of Stevens at the Benghazi compound was scouted out carefully. All the other embassy protest activity is just covering theater.”

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/09/chaos-at-the-state-dept.php

Obama’s supporters, not his detractors, are hurting him

“Before he became president, people were already naming their kids after him. Songs and poems were written about him. Women dreamed about being with him. Black men and children spoke about finally having a role model to look up to. Once he became president, a few public schools even changed their names to include Obama’s name. He was to be not just the Commander in Chief, but the Unifier of the World. Not even a year in his presidency and with no major accomplishment under his belt, he was handed the Nobel Peace Prize. The supernaturally high expectation trap for him was set not by his detractors, but by those who were too gullible to realize that he was just a politician.

With the economy’s continuous slide downward, the Obama fan base has acted more like stage hands for cheap magic show in Vegas. No president is perfect. But because they (the fan base) already set the tone for his term as nothing less than perfection, they have used every excuse in the book to cover up his imperfections. Bad economy? It’s the Tea Party’s fault. High unemployment numbers? Blame business owners for not hiring. Middle East policy utterly fails? Blame Romney for criticizing Obama.

When Obama went to the Middle East not too long ago to apologize and to lecture those world leaders how to basically conduct themselves, his fan base gave him every accolade out there. Later, he was praised for his “leadership” in helping to create what they called “The Arab Spring”.”

From Duane at BlackInformant.com

And the Good News is . . .

This is great. He plans to be breaking out of his tomb. Me too. Don't know when, but for Christians, that's our hope--"We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. . . so we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen." Paul writing to the Christians living in Corinth in the 1st century A.D.

Will Obama go after other parts of the first amendment—he’s already taken out religion with the HHS Mandate

The president believes in free speech.  He didn't do anything about Dave Letterman making sexual remarks about Palin's young daughter; he didn't do anything about Bill Maher's film that insults Jews, Christians, AND Muslims; he enjoys sexist, racist hip hop music.  So really, is he going to go after a YouTube film?  Hmmm. That depends if it is politically expedient.

In Sydney, Australia, police used pepper spray against the protesters, who chanted "Obama, Obama, we love Osama" and waved placards saying "Behead all those who insult the Prophet."

And look who just last week was bragging about taking out Osama. And not giving Bush any of the blame.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/protests-anti-islam-film-spread-australia-200-clash-police-u-s-consulate-sydney-article-1.1160356#ixzz26Z2CetMv

Will Obama now give back PAC money from donor who insulted Islam in a film?

Bill Maher made a film that mocked Christianity and Islam. Bill Maher also contributed $1 million to a pro-Obama super PAC. Will Obama now give it back since the administration is blaming a youtube video that's been out for months for violence on 9/11?

Maher's film "Religulous" grossed over $13 million after having a production budget of $2.5 million. As of 2012, it's 15th among the highest grossing documentaries in the US and was the highest grossing documentary of 2008. [Wikipedia] "He takes shots at the three major monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Religulous also mocks the more bizarre elements of Scientology and Mormonism. Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism get a free pass." [Purple state of mind]

A Jew ridiculing Islam? That would have provoked a riot, if that's what this mess in the Middle East  is about.  But there’s always free speech for the Democrat. Just not for others.

Let’s blame an obscure film instead of the 9/11 anniversary and a careless President

The "producer" of the offensive internet film about Islam which has spurred violence in Mid-East? Created by a 55-year old man, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, convicted on bank fraud charges and banned from the INTERNET as part of his sentence.  Oh yes, that should stop it.

But then, the violence would have happened anyway. It was 9/11 and guess who had just finished several days in Charlotte celebrating the death of Osama, killed by Obama?  And who would ever think that even a small group would want to retaliate and pick that date.

Why ARRA didn’t pull us out of high unemployment

Have you wondered why the "stimulus" didn't stimulate? One tiny example. $200 million went to 22 locations to "implement evidence-based strategies to reduce tobacco use." Like much of ARRA, our money went to programs to change behavior, not to improve the business climate. To support the government employees working on those strategies, in 2011 another $100 million in another program was awarded to float anti-tobacco initiatives. And still we have a smoking president.

Although I think cessation programs are payment to Big Pharma, they are always listed as part of the success in reducing smoking (from 43% in 1964 to 19% in 2010). I must know hundreds of former smokers, heard stories of everything from cold turkey, to oxygen tanks, to miracles from God who took away the desire, but I've yet to hear one about a government paid for cessation program.

Smoking in federal buildings and spaces was outlawed under Clinton in 1997.  Someone big didn’t get the memo. In July 2011 HHS expanded this to any tobacco produce use, including in vehicles and any outdoor spaces.

Never forget. . .

And now we have a reminder of his continuing fumbles in the Middle East to add to the “values vote.”

Activist judges again

The unions are not giving up.

Obama volunteers are really, really special—it’s always about him!

“On Wednesday, President Obama compared his campaign volunteers to the embassy staff who were murdered by Islamist gunmen in Libya while speaking in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Washington Examiner reported.

"And obviously [our] hearts are broken for the families but I wanted to encourage those folks at the State Department that they were making a difference,” he said.

“The sacrifices that our troops and our diplomats make are obviously very different from the challenges that we face here domestically but like them, you guys are Americans who sense that we can do better than we’re doing….I’m just really proud of you,” he added.”

http://www.examiner.com/article/report-obama-compares-campaign-volunteers-to-murdered-embassy-staff

Rahmbo’s values in the news

As of August 6, 272 American and NATO troops had been killed in Afghanistan in 2012. In Chicago, 318 people had been murdered by that same date. . . Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel chose to strut in front of the national media about his outrage about Chick-fil-A executives and their opposition to gay marriage, saying, "Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values."

And murder is?

http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVButlerMarriage90912.html

I don’t tweet

I don't have a Twitter account, wouldn't even know how to check this.  Is it true? "Obama's Twitter account was peddling campaign sweatshirts during the Andrews AFB ceremony to welcome home the four Americans murdered in Benghazi."

QE3

So what exactly is quantitative easing 3? (QE3) In layman's terms it is printing and distributing money right before the election to fool the American people.

“Historically, stocks have initially risen when the Fed has announced these programs only for the rally to run out of steam down the track.

Some economists believe the benefit to the economy will be modest this time, but fund managers are hopeful there will be a recovery in the housing market.

“QE3 is certainly a positive for markets in the short term [about the first week in November, I’m guessing ]” Financial Review (Australia)

Do you really want a president who will mortgage your grandchildren’s future for his election?

Have the Democrats or the President spoken out about this war on women?

Is this the best way to use this crisis?

Embassies attacked. Americans killed. Quantitative easing again to devalue our dollar and investments. And our brave, bold President is hiding behind Mitt Romney's tax returns for cover. Oh yes, and a YouTube video is to blame. Not bragging about killing bin Laden or how he directs drones into other countries. Not saying Egypt isn’t our ally (who knew?).

One source I read says it took the Administration 9 hours to retract the apology that appeared on Twitter from the Embassy staff about the YouTube film. I wonder if it would have ever appeared if Romney hadn't shown some leadership in this vacuum. There are conflicting news reports about whether the Marines had ammunition. As usual, the President and his media are focusing on Romney rather than Obama’s own gaffes and stumbles.

I’m really torn.  On the one hand, I think Obama’s place is in Washington right now conferring with advisors and experts and not out campaigning in Vegas and Columbus, but on the other, I’m sort of glad he’s leaving it to people wearing big boy pants who don’t whine, moan and blame, and will just do what has to be done to protect us and Americans over seas.

http://gerarddirect.com/2012/09/13/arab-spring-shows-its-true-face-two-embassies-attacked-us-ambassador-killed/

Friday Family photo—Remembering 9/11/2001

You're never too old to want to hear a reassuring word from your parents. Can you stand just one more 9/11 memory? In 2001 my father was still alive (my mother died in 2000). His 3 surviving children (my sister Carol died in 1996) were all over 60. We all called him, "just to talk." When someone has lived through the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, been a Marine in WWII, created a business, sent you all to college debt free, visited his own parents daily, and rarely complained about his own pain or discomfort, well, you just hope he might have some answers. He didn't. But it sure was reassuring to hear Daddy's voice.

Dad looks like he’s sporting a halo, but it was a dish on the book shelf. In April 2000 he bought the Lustron built by his parents in 1949 and left his lovely apartment at Pinecrest where he had been living with my mom and where his adult children naively believed he was safe and secure.  I think this photo was taken at Easter when we drove to Illinois to help him settle in the house.  We returned there for our 40th anniversary celebration with Illinois family in September, he flew to Columbus, Virginia and Florida (the grand tour to visit children and grandchildren) in December 2000, and we returned to Illinois in April  2002 to help him move to assisted care.  He really couldn’t handle the cooking part of living alone.  He died May 18, 2002. 

He was always independent and feisty to the end.  No halo would have fit.