A Concerning Executive Order

I'm sure most conservatives (and hopefully most Americans) would agree that the United States Constitution and American Sovereignty are two of the greatest gifts that we have as Americans.

The Constitution affords more rights and protections than any other document in history. The entire document, which includes the 210 year old The Bill of Rights, is rightfully cherished in this country.

American Sovereignty allows Americans to enjoy these rights in peace, without worrying about the United Nations, the European Union, Russia, China, the International Criminal Court, Interpol, and the International Court of Justice, who, for the most part, have little jurisdiction in the United States of America.

There are some who say that we should be bound under the rules, regulations, and laws of several international organizations, however, I would disagree with these folks.

And here's why:

These organizations do not have to respect all the laws of the United States of America. They are not subject to our representative government. They do not answer directly to the American people. I, as an American citizen, have no means to hold them accountable. Most importantly, they are NOT subject to the United States Constitution.

As such, I disagree with any attempt to put the American government or its citizenry under the realm of control of any entity that does not fall under the jurisdiction of our most important document: The United States Constitution.

Therefore, I am concerned about this:

President Obama issued an executive order. Didn't hear about it? It was done quietly. I give the administration credit that it is actually on the White House website, but I ponder: Why isn't the administration shouting this new executive order from the rooftops? After all, if it's good for the American people, then you should share with us WHY it's good for the American people.

Here's an analysis of what the executive order means:

Admittedly, my area of expertise does not lie in International Law, but one thing seems certain. At the beginning of this month, American citizens could use the Freedom of Information Act to determine what Interpol is up to, similar to an American citizen using the FOIA to determine what the FBI is up to. However, after this executive order, Interpol is now immune from FOIA requests, which should be disconcerting to all Americans, both conservative AND liberal, who value transparency and openness in government and law enforcement.

Perhaps President Obama should explain to us why this executive order was necessary.

Blizzard Musings

While we are in the midst of the worst blizzard in recent memory, I thought I might throw out some links for a day filled with snow and billowing wind.

1. Chet Culver's not doing so well. The Iowa poll in late November placed him at a significant disadvantage for the gubernatorial election in eleven months. Here's a few highlights:

- Culver has been governor for the past three years, but only 34% of Iowans think the state is headed in the right direction.
- Culver would lose to Terry Branstad 57% to 33% (24 points...yikes)
- Culver would lose to Bob VanderPlaats 45% to 37% (8 points...more modest)
- Although Culver would defeat Chris Rants and Christian Fong by 7-8 points, it's most likely due to lack of name recognition for Rants and Fong.
- Chet Culver's approval rating is only 40%.

These numbers are not a recipe for victory for the incumbent.

On the Republican side, we'll see who actually faces Culver in the general election. Fong has already dropped out, but he might receive the nod for Lt. Governor if Branstad wins the primary. Fong is pro-life, and I highly doubt Branstad would choose a pro-abortion running mate again.


2. The U.S. has racked up more debt for the first two fiscal months of 2010, then ever before. So much for blaming the debt on George W. Bush and the Republicans. This debt baby fully belongs to the Democrats now...although, as I discussed earlier, the Democrats have been in charge of the budget since the 2006 mid-term elections, so really, any fiscal crisis lies squarely in their hands (admittedly with help from President Bush)

3. Speaking of the stimulus, recent headlines have revolved around several wasteful stimulus spending projects, most notably the nearly $1 million spent for monitoring ant behavior. Also, the firm of one of Hillary Clinton's top advisers received $6 million from the stimulus monies, which brings questions of conflicts of interest. Is it any wonder that most Americans don't trust Washington D.C.?

4. On a lighter note, President Obama has been immortalized with his first statue in Indonesia.

I do support the idea that a child can do anything he puts his mind to. I do not support Barack Obama as Jesus Christ.

Stay warm, folks.