The Father of Lies in America

"This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age?" - Rick Santorum speaking at Ave Maria University in Florida, Aug 29, 2008[1]

Because Rick Santorum is rising in the polls in his run for President, he recently made headlines for something he said four years ago at Ave Maria University when he spoke of Satan, the Father of Lies, attacking America.  Santorum might have been describing his own political candidacy. 

Santorum and other conservative politicians have mastered the rhetoric that attracts conservatives and Tea Partiers.  They fill their pre-election talks with obligatory references to being pro-life and pro-traditional marriage, protecting the unborn, being anti-tax, and advocating major cuts in federal spending.  It’s easy to dupe the gullible electorate with fine words about Christianity, morality, and family values, and lies.

Pro-Life?

“On occasion scientists working on the nuclear program in Iran turn up dead.  I think that’s a wonderful thing, candidly.” – “Pro-life” Rick Santorum campaigning in S. Carolina (video), Oct 27, 2011

If evil is the absence of good—there’s a void in America as US citizens cheer their potential rulers, who spout off about murdering Iranian scientists or embargoing Iran. 

Embargoes are another lie.  Politicians make them seem like business transactions.  But embargoes are acts of war that kill people: the US embargo of Iraq killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis before the US invaded Iraq (video).

The war in Iraq was fought over a lie: as a US senator, Rick Santorum supported George Bush’s invasion of Iraq in search of WMD when Iraq had no WMD.  Even after the Bush White House admitted no WMD had been found, Santorum held a 2006 news conference and lied:

“’We have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons,’ Santorum said.”[2][3]

Yes, Santorum knows about lies.

Now Santorum advocates attacking Iran to prevent them from getting nuclear weapons, the same lie the US told to justify invading Iraq.  “Pro-life” Rick Santorum wants to be President so he can lead the US into a war against Iran (video).

Santorum and his fellow pretend-limited government conservative R-candidates, Romney and Gingrich, are walking contradictions:

• They profess a reverence for life as long as it is unborn.
• They bemoan the growth of the federal government while pushing for the growth of government by their advocacy of a militaristic, security state.  They supported the execution of a US citizen without due process by the Obama administration.
• They tell us how damaging Obama’s domestic policies are, but they support the same policies when practiced by rulers with an R after their names.

“What Makes This Country Great”

"I'm an Italian guy from a steel town who grew up understanding what makes this country great.” – From Rick Santorum website

A good lie mixes some truth in with it.  Santorum’s campaign website mentions he grew up in a steel town, so you’ll think he is still a member of the working class.  Other than four years working as a lawyer, Santorum has worked in politics since he was 23.  After he was elected to Congress at 32, Santorum has held office or been a D.C. lobbyist ever since and lives just outside of Washington, D.C.

“What makes this country great” for Santorum is political power.  As a candidate for the Republican nomination for President, Santorum says he opposes the big government policies of Obama.  Santorum wants you to forget that he:

• talks about limited government, but supports the NDAA and the PATRIOT Act (video and PATRIOT Act votes in 2005 and 2006);
• pretends to be  a limited government conservative, yet Santorum admits he’ll vote for bigger government as he explained how he’ll “take one for the team” during the Mesa AZ Republican debate when he described voting for bigger government to support Republican President Bush on No Child Left Behind (video);
• professes to be a fiscal conservative despite voting five times to increase the National Debt limit: HR 2015 in 1997, S 2578 in 2002, HJ RES 51 in 2003, S 2986 in 2004, and HJ RES 47 in 2006 (video about Santorum’s big spending ways in Congress);
• protests Obamacare despite having helped create a new unfunded entitlement, Medicare Part D, as Republican Senate conference chairman;
• joined with senators Barbara Boxer and Frank Lautenberg to pass new federal gun control regulations;
• helped keep forced dues flowing to the labor unions by voting to kill the National Right to Work bill (video);
• pretends to oppose abortion despite bragging (4:30 in this video) about voting for funding birth control—which means he sent US taxpayer’s money to Planned Parenthood for abortions (video).[4]

As Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute says of Santorum:

“…Santorum might be viewed as the mirror image of Ron Paul. If Ron Paul’s campaign has been based on the concept of simply having government leave us alone, Santorum rejects that entire concept. True liberty, he writes, is not ‘the freedom to be left alone,’ but ‘the freedom to attend to one’s duties to God, to family, and to neighbors.’ And he seems fully prepared to use the power of government to support his interpretation of those duties.”[5]

The Spiritual War in America

When nearly half of Americans polled want a preemptive attack on Iran now, and when government murder of US citizens without trial is cheered by the mob, the Father of Lies is winning.[6]

When Rick Santorum talks about government murder of Americans as good and murder of Iranian scientists as a “wonderful thing” and he gets your vote, the Father of Lies has won.

_____________________________

[1] “Faith in Public Life: A Personal Journey,” speech by Rick Santorum, Aug 29, 2008, Ave Maria University, (Accessed at http://www.avemaria.edu/Portals/0/Podcasts/2324.wma on Feb 24, 2012).

[2] “Lawmakers Cite Weapons Found in Iraq,” by Dafna Linzer, The Washington Post,  Jun 22, 2006, (Accessed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062101837.html on Feb 29, 2012).

[3] “Report: Hundreds of WMDs Found in Iraq,” Jun 22, 2006, Fox News, (Accessed at http://web.archive.org/web/20080424081106/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200499,00.html on Feb 29, 2012).

[4] “Santorum's Contradictions: A Record of Forcing Catholics to Pay for Contraception,” by Thomas R. Eddlem, The New American, 20 Feb 2012, (Accessed at http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/10930-santorums-contradictions-a-record-of-forcing-catholics-to-pay-for-contraception on Feb 24, 2012).

[5] “Santorum’s Big-Government Conservatism,” By Michael Tanner, National Review Online, Jan 4, 2012, (Accessed at http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/287068/santorum-s-big-government-conservatism-michael-tanner on Feb 28, 2012).

[6] “Newsmax Poll: Nearly Half of Americans Say Attack Iran Now,” Feb 27, 2012, By Jim Meyers,Newsmax.com, (Accessed at  http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/iran-attack-nuclear-israel/2012/02/27/id/430675?s=al&promo_code=E478-1 on Feb 28, 2012).

Your Federal Government At Work

It’s primary season for the upcoming Presidential election in the US.  As “limited government conservative” Presidential candidates for the Republican party explain their unique qualifications for President, consider these recent examples of our overreaching federal government:

• To “protect us from drugs,” the federal government frequently conducts drug raids.  In a city-wide drug raid in Fitchburg, MA, the FBI took a chainsaw to Judy Sanchez’ door while she was in her apartment with her three-year-old daughter and pet dog.  Sanchez was lucky, neither her dog nor anyone in her family was shot.[1]  It wasn’t the first time government agents raided the wrong home in the drug war, and it won’t be the last.  Many other innocent citizens have been killed by the feds while they “protect us” from drugs.
• To “keep us safe from terrorism,” we must now sacrifice our liberties and endure the indignity of body searches and porno-scans.  When our protectors at La Guardia Airport in NY spotted two suspected pipe bombs in a passenger’s luggage, TSA agents seized the passenger’s property and simply left the suspected pipe bombs in a public area.  For six hours hundreds of passengers passed by the confiscated suspected bombs and police were not notified.[2]  It turned out to be much ado about nothing, as the suspected pipe bombs were merely gold and silver pipes for use as homeopathic medicine.
• In addition to sacrificing our liberties as the feds “keep us safe from terrorism,” it also seems we must sacrifice our property as well.  Almost every day there’s a story of another TSA agent being prosecuted for stealing from travelers they’re “protecting.”[3]
• To “protect us from guns,” the federal government let guns be sold to people who were buying for Mexican drug cartels.  Code-named Fast and Furious, the federal government program strong-armed Arizona gun dealers into violating gun laws and now both political parties dispute who was running the program.[4]
• To “keep making homes affordable,” government-sponsored enterprises: Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, after a taxpayer-funded bailout in 2008, are now owned by taxpayers.  Freddie Mac sets the rules for refinancing home loans and made rules making it difficult for homeowners to refinance their mortgages to get lower interest loans and stay in their homes.  Freddie Mac recently invested in mortgage-backed securities that are profitable when homeowners are trapped in high interest loans.[5]  Meanwhile, sister organization Fannie Mae has been under investigation for nearly a decade for fraudulent foreclosures.  According to whistleblower Nye Lavalle:

“Fannie Mae, its directors, servicers and lawyers appeared to have an institutional policy of turning a willful blind eye to evidence of mortgage origination and servicing fraud.  When confronted directly with this evidence, Fannie not only failed to correct and remedy the abuses, it assisted in continuing the frauds via institutional practices that concealed fraudulent foreclosures.”[6]

• To “serve the American people,” the federal government employs about two million people, not including those in the military or the Postal Service.  For those of you out of work or having a tough time making ends meet, your federal employees feel your pain—the House just approved an extension of a two year pay freeze for federal employees.[7]  Unlike you, the majority of federal employees still get pay increases during a “pay freeze” and get compensated on average, 16% more than private sector employees.[8]

The Tea Party has become a political force by making noises about limited government since Obama was elected President.  But of the R-candidates for President who supposedly embrace the limited government philosophy, only Ron Paul believes in limiting the limited federal government.  Mitt-Romneycare-Romney doesn’t.  Newt-Moonbase-Gingrich doesn’t.  Rick-Votes-for-National-debt-increases-5-times-as-Senator-Santorum doesn’t.

Only Ron Paul:

• Wants to stop the War on Drugs (video) and has consistently advocated ending it (video).  Ron Paul wants to end the war on drugs and he understands the 2nd Amendment.
• Wants to abolish the TSA.
• Wants to end government-sponsored enterprises (video).
• Wants to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget as soon as he takes office.

If you are a voter and truly want a limited federal government, what lies do you tell yourself when you support your “limited government” candidate instead of Ron Paul for President?

__________________________________

[1] “FBI Uses Chainsaw In Raid On Wrong Fitchburg Apartment,” By Jim Armstrong, WBZ-TV, Jan 31, 2012, (Accessed at http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/01/31/fbi-uses-chainsaw-in-raid-on-wrong-fitchburg-apartment/ on Feb 2, 2012).

[2] “'Bomb’ botch at LaGuardia,” By PHILIP MESSING and TIM PERONE,  Jan 31, 2012, NY Post, (Accessed at http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/bomb_botch_at_lag_cNNAisTre0rBixGKlehknI on Feb 2, 2012).

[3] “NYC agent arrested in latest TSA theft allegation,” AP, February 02, 2012, (Accessed at http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/02/police-tsa-agent-at-jfk-stole-5k-from-passenger/ on Feb 4, 2012).

[4] “Report by House Democrats Absolves Administration in Gun Trafficking Case,” By CHARLIE SAVAGE, Jan 31, 2012, NY Times, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/us/politics/operation-fast-and-furious-report-by-democrats-clears-obama-administration.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha24 on Feb 2, 2012).

[5] “Report Prompts Calls To End Freddie Mac's Conflict Of Interest,” by Chris Arnold and Marilyn Geewax, Jan 30, 2012, NPR, (Accessed at http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/31/146110055/report-prompts-calls-to-end-freddie-macs-conflict-of-interest on Feb 4, 2012).

[6] “A Mortgage Tornado Warning, Unheeded,” By GRETCHEN MORGENSON, NY Times, Feb 4, 2012, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/business/mortgage-tornado-warning-unheeded.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25&pagewanted=all on Feb 5, 2012).

[7] “House approves measure to freeze federal salaries,” By Ed O'Keefe, Feb 1, 2012, Washington Post, (Accessed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/federal-pay-freeze-bill-comes-up-for-a-vote/2012/02/01/gIQAJwg9iQ_story.html?wpisrc=nl_fedinsider on Feb 4, 2012).

[8] “Comparing the Compensation of Federal and Private-Sector Employees,” Congressional Budget Office, Jan 2012, (Accessed at  http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/126xx/doc12696/01-30-FedPay.pdf on Feb 4, 2012).

From page 23 of the report:

“For workers at all education levels, the cost of total compensation averaged about $52 per hour worked for federal employees, compared with about $45 per hour
worked for employees in the private sector with certain
similar observable characteristics. Thus, total compensation was about 16 percent higher, on average, for federal workers than for similar private-sector workers, indicating that the government spent about 16 percent more on total compensation than it would have if average
compensation had been comparable with that in the
private sector, after accounting for differences in those
characteristics.”

Dangerous Men

“...he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law...

“The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.”

― Article II Section 2 of the US Constitution

President Obama (D) appointed Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three others to the National Labor Relations Board while the Senate was in “pro forma” session.  According to the Obama administration:

“The President nominated Mr. Cordray last summer.  Unfortunately, Republicans in the Senate blocked his confirmation.  They refused to let the Senate go forward with an up or down vote.  It’s not because Republicans think Cordray isn’t qualified for the job, they simply believe that the American public doesn’t need a watchdog at all.  Well, we disagree.”

“…Here are the facts:  The Constitution gives the President the authority to make temporary recess appointments to fill vacant positions when the Senate is in recess, a power all recent Presidents have exercised.  The Senate has effectively been in recess for weeks, and is expected to remain in recess for weeks.  In an overt attempt to prevent the President from exercising his authority during this period, Republican Senators insisted on using a gimmick called “pro forma” sessions, which are sessions during which no Senate business is conducted and instead one or two Senators simply gavel in and out of session in a matter of seconds.  But gimmicks do not override the President’s constitutional authority to make appointments to keep the government running.  Legal experts agree.  In fact, the lawyers who advised President Bush on recess appointments wrote that the Senate cannot use sham “pro forma” sessions to prevent the President from exercising a constitutional power.”[1]

The Senate Rs were doing what the Senate Ds did back when Bush was President and Obama was a Senator: pretending to be in session over the end of the year by gaveling in for a few minutes and ignoring the President's nominees.  But now that he’s President, Obama decided the Senate can't do that.

“Do As I Say, Not As I Do” says President Obama

This isn’t the first time our “Constitutional scholar” President has changed his interpretation of the powers of the executive branch now that he’s President:

• In 2007, Candidate Obama promised not to use signing statements as a candidate (video) and reneged after he was elected.
• Candidate Obama acknowledged it is un-Constitutional for the President to attack a country without authorization from Congress.  Yet as President he has bombed Libya, and launched drone attacks in Pakistan and Yemen killing hundreds of civilians.
• Candidate Obama also said the USG cannot detain US citizens without due process[5].  President Obama has executed US citizens without due process.

“Do As I Say, Not As I Do” says the Opposition

Now the opposition party is in an uproar about the President violating the Constitution by appointing four bureaucrats:

• Rush Limbaugh, who also pretends to be a Constitutionalist, said “Obama is acting outside the Constitution,” and “defying the Constitution.”   He called it “lawless behavior,” and analogized Obama’s action as taking “a pee on the Constitution.”[2]
• Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) called it an “unprecedented power grab,” and said, “The precedent that would be set by this cavalier action would have a devastating effect on the checks and balances that are enshrined in our Constitution.” 
• Other “limited government” conservatives called it another example of how liberals “pay lip service to the Constitution.”

Where were those same champions of the Constitution when:

• Ron Paul pushed to end the Fed, which emits fiat paper money and devalues the savings of all, but those controlling the financial system, by bailing out big banks?  Why do the same champions of the Constitution ridicule Paul for advocating gold-backed money when Art I Section 10 of the Constitution states that “No state shall… make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts…”?
• The USG pursued undeclared wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Libya?  Art I Section 8 of the Constitution says only Congress shall have the power to declare war.[3]
• Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) which allows indefinite detention without due process for US citizens (which the federal government was doing anyway?[4]  Provision 1021 of the bill, which grants the President the authority to have the military indefinitely imprison US citizens, violates our 4th and 5th Amendment rights to be secure in our persons and to be subject to due process of law.
• Congress passed and continues to renew the PATRIOT Act which violates our 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures?
• Congress created the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA, which routinely violates our 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures?
• The Obama administration executed American citizens without due process?

How will our champions of the Constitution vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) which threatens our 1st Amendment right to freedom of expression?

“A Dangerous Man”

Both sides quote the Constitution while they're out of power and ignore it once they’re in power.  Nothing gets the loyal opposition quoting the Constitution faster than when the other side tries to get one over on them.  But when both sides agree to violate the Constitution, watch out.  Of the Republican candidates for President this year, only Ron Paul criticizes the attack on our liberties at home and calls for following the Constitution.

Now both parties are beating the drums for war against Iran.  Only Ron Paul, called “a dangerous man” by opponents in his own party, warns against overreacting and starting a war with Iran (video), pointing to the million deaths of Iraqis and thousands of deaths of US troops in Iraq as an example of what we risk.[6]

Ron Paul is a dangerous man.  He means it when he talks about following the Constitution.  And people are listening.

___________________________

[1] “America's Consumer Watchdog,” The White House Blog, Dan Pfeiffer, Jan 4, 2012, (Accessed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/04/americas-consumer-watchdog on Jan 7, 2012).

[2] “Rush Limbaugh: ‘Lawless’ Obama Is ‘Taking A Pee On The Constitution’,” by Jon Bershad, Jan 5, 2012, (Accessed at http://www.mediaite.com/online/rush-limbaugh-lawless-obama-is-taking-a-pee-on-the-constitution/ on Jan 7, 2012).

[3] Congress cannot delegate the authority to declare war to the President as it has with it's Authorization to use force legislation.  That is an attempt to amend the Constitution which requires a different process than passing legislation.

From Ron Paul’s speech in the House, 8 Oct 2002 on the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002:

“This is not a resolution to declare war. We know that. This is a resolution that does something much different. This resolution transfers the responsibility, the authority, and the power of the Congress to the President so he can declare war when and if he wants to. He has not even indicated that he wants to go to war or has to go to war; but he will make the full decision, not the Congress, not the people through the Congress of this country in that manner.”

[4] “Obama Says Bill Breaks With Our Values, Signs It Anyway,”  The Atlantic.com, By Conor Friedersdorf, Jan 3, 2012, (Accessed at http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/01/obama-says-bill-breaks-with-our-values-signs-it-anyway/250828/ on Jan 7, 2012).

[5] “Barack Obama's Q&A,” By Charlie Savage, Boston Globe, Dec 20, 2007, (Accessed at  http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/CandidateQA/ObamaQA/ on Jan 9, 2012).

[6] “Rick Santorum calls Ron Paul ineffective, dangerous,” By Michael A. Memoli, Jan 8, 2012, (Accessed at http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-paul-santorum-record-debate-20120108,0,7996570.story on Jan 8, 2012).

The Defeat of America By Terrorists

“And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” - George Bush Sept 14, 2001 in NYC (video)

Crowd roars, chanting: “USA.  USA.  USA.”

Killing Americans

A decade ago on 9-11, foreigners on American soil killed thousands of civilians in four horrific commercial airplane crashes.   Three days later New Yorkers rallied around the President as he promised to strike back at “the people who knocked these buildings down” and dared spill American blood.

Within weeks, the US government retaliated by invading Afghanistan.  Before the decade had ended, the US government, already expert in killing foreign civilians, had invaded two foreign countries and killed thousands more Afghan, Iraqi, Pakistani, and Yemeni civilians.  US troops still occupy Afghanistan and Iraq today, regularly attacking Pakistan and Yemen with drones: all in the name of “fighting terrorism” and “protecting our freedoms.”

Or so the US government would have us think.

The Terrified States of America

“Americans are asking ‘Why do they hate us?’

“They hate what they see right here in this chamber: a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.” - Then-President Bush in an address to a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, explaining why terrorists attacked Americans. 

After 9-11, there was little talk of federal regulations that prevented airlines and citizens from defending themselves on airplanes and helped the attacks succeed.  Instead the federal government and the media terrorized citizens with public talk of WMD and mushroom clouds.  Playing on those fears, the US government justified limiting the very freedoms it pretends to defend with:

• the PATRIOT Act
• the TSA
• the Department of Homeland Security
• seemingly endless undeclared and therefore un-constitutional wars
• Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo
• torture
• extraordinary rendition
• assassination lists.

The federal government bureaucracy grew in response to 9-11 and most Americans sat back  as the federal government listened to their phone calls, opened their mail, frisked them in public places without probable cause of criminal activity, and forced them to show their identity papers while traveling.  Most Americans are still sitting back.

“Targeted Kill” Lists Under Bush

"I can assure you that no constitutional questions are raised here. There are authorities that the president can give to officials.  He's well within the balance of accepted practice and the letter of his constitutional authority." - Then-national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice November 2002, after Bush administration killed US citizen Kamal Derwish with a Predator drone.[1]

Less than a week after 9-11, on Sept. 17, 2001, President Bush signed a classified directive authorizing the CIA to kill or capture suspected al-Qaida members and create detention facilities where suspects could be interrogated and tortured.[2]  The directive didn’t distinguish between foreigners and US citizens.  If the US government thinks a US citizen is a “terrorist threat” to the US, the government will imprison or execute that person without due process, despite their precious freedoms Bush would outline three days later in his September 20th address to Congress.  Bush also authorized a “kill list” of terrorist leaders to be executed by the CIA.   

One year after 9-11 in November 2002, the US government killed American terror suspect Kamal Derwish with a Predator drone in Yemen as “collateral damage” when it was targeting another person on the “kill list.”  Most Americans let their government kill an American without due process and without complaint.

“Targeted Kill” Lists Under Obama

"And he repeatedly called on individuals in the United States and around the globe to kill innocent men, women and children to advance a murderous agenda." – President Obama on the assassination of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki

Our “constitutional scholar,” President Obama is no better than Bush when it comes to killing US citizens without due process.  Obama’s Director of National Intelligence in 2010, Dennis Blair, acknowledged that the US government would execute US citizens without due process in court if they were involved in terrorism.

In June 2010, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel under the Obama administration wrote a secret 50-page memorandum to rationalize its planned execution of US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki.[3][4]  And on September 30, 2011, the Obama administration announced the US had killed two American citizens in Yemen: Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan.[5][6]  Unlike Derwish, a US citizen killed during the Bush administration, the Obama administration intended to execute Awlaki, also a US citizen. 

Obama’s Press Secretary, Jay Carney, speaking of Awlaki’s execution, assured Americans that it was all legal (video), but repeatedly refused to state whether the Obama administration would supply any evidence even after the fact:

Carney: He was obviously also an active recruiter of al Qaeda terrorists, so, I don’t think anybody in the field would dispute any of those assertions.

Tapper (reporter): You don’t think anybody else in the government would dispute those assertions…?

Carney: I wouldn’t know of any credible terrorist expert who would dispute the fact that he was a leader in al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula and that he was operationally involved in terrorist attacks against American interests and citizens.

Tapper: Do you plan on bringing before the public any proof of these charges?

…

Tapper: Can you show us or the American people?  Has a judge been shown?

Carney: Again, Jake, I’m not going to go any further than what I’ve said about the circumstances of his death.  And the case against him which you’re linking.

…

Tapper: Is there going to be any evidence presented?

Carney: I don’t have anything for you on that.

After their deaths, when the two men could not defend themselves against government accusations, anonymous government sources detailed the accusations against them which President Obama echoed.[9]

“Awlaki was the leader of external operations for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In that role, he took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans.” - President Obama [10]

According to Obama, Awlaki was an American “guilty of planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans.”  Doesn’t our system of government require that evidence must be given in a court of law before a final determination of guilt can be made? 

Assassination is not Due Process

“The precedent set by the killing of Awlaki establishes the frightening legal premise that any suspected enemy of the United States - even if they are a citizen - can be taken out on the President's say-so alone.  Part of the very concept of citizenship is the protection of due process and the rule of law.  The President wants to spread American values around the world but continues to do great damage to them here at home, appointing himself judge, jury, and executioner by presidential decree.” – Ron Paul writing in the NY Daily News, Oct 3, 2011

The fifth amendment was added to the US Constitution to protect individuals: no person shall “be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”  The fifth amendment is one of ten in the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution to protect Americans from a too-powerful government.  The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to explicitly limit the powers of the federal government.  Everything in the Constitution is based on a mistrust of government—an expectation that those in power will tend to abuse their power. 

Today the unrestrained executive branch fulfills the worst expectations of those who wrote the Constitution:

• It has created an assassination list, where individuals are executed without due process.[11]
• Moreover, the evidence against those on the list is classified—a case of the fox guarding the henhouse as the American people are forced to trust the government to determine whether the government is breaking the law.

Sadly, most Americans forgo their fifth amendment rights as they willingly relinquish their liberties and trust the government.  “This is war,” they tell themselves.  But how can this be war if no war has been declared per the Constitution?

If this really is war, why did the Obama administration go to the trouble to write a secret 50-page memorandum by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel to attempt to justify its planned execution of Awlaki?

Ron Paul labeled the killings an assassination, warning Americans to beware of accepting government executions without due process.[12]  You didn’t have to search very long on your radio (45 minutes into this podcast) to find mouths that roared about “crazy Ron Paul” and how Awlaki was an “enemy combatant” and didn’t deserve any of his rights.  Would those same “mouths that roared” be calling Ron Paul crazy if he defended their first amendment right to freedom of expression if the government decided to take it away?

It’s a short step from accepting an undeclared, un-constitutional war, concentration camps, and government executions of American citizens without due process, to accepting the execution of Americans for other seemingly good and expedient reasons.[13]

Evidence of America’s Defeat

 

The evidence:

• submissive citizens in porno-scanners, hands up high, legs spread like prisoners, waiting for their jailers’ permission to move
• submissive parents standing by and watching as their children are molested by TSA agents
• the “land of the Free” as a surveillance state—if US troops overseas truly were fighting for our freedoms—and they’re not—they’d be losing the war[14][15][16]
• Americans cheering the murder of other Americans who oppose US government invasions and ignoring the murder of foreigners for the lies of the US government.

Over ten years ago on the night of 9-11, then-President Bush addressed the nation and predicted the victory of justice and peace over terrorism:

“This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.”[17]

Bush was wrong.  In America, the terrorists won.

_______________________

[1] “Killing Americans: On uncharted ground in attack,” Matt Apuzzo, AP, Sept 30 2011, (Accessed at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9873878 on Oct 1, 2011).

[2] “Timeline: History Of Harsh Interrogation Techniques,”Corey Flintoff, Apr 22, 2009, NPR, (Accessed at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103376537 on Oct 7, 2011).

The existence of this directive was discovered by an ACLU FOIA request.

[3] “Secret U.S. Memo Made Legal Case to Kill a Citizen,” By CHARLIE SAVAGE, NY Times, Oct 8, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/world/middleeast/secret-us-memo-made-legal-case-to-kill-a-citizen.html?pagewanted=all on Oct 9, 2011). 

[4] “Secret White House memo made case for legally killing Anwar al-Awlaki: Report,” BY Tina Moore, DAILY NEWS, Oct 8, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/10/08/2011-10-08_secret_white_house_memo_made_case_for_legally_killing_anwar_alawlaki_report.html on Oct 9, 2011).

[5] “Anwar al-Aulaqi, U.S.-born cleric linked to al-Qaeda, killed in Yemen,” By Sudarsan Raghavan, Sept 30, 2011, Washington Post, (Accessed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/anwar-al-aulaqi-us-born-cleric-linked-to-al-qaeda-killed-yemen-says/2011/09/30/gIQAsoWO9K_story.html on Sept 30, 2011).

[6] “2nd American in Strike Waged Qaeda Media War,” By ROBBIE BROWN and KIM SEVERSON, NY Times, Sept 30, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/world/middleeast/samir-khan-killed-by-drone-spun-out-of-the-american-middle-class.html on Oct 5, 2011).

[7] “Al Qaeda's Anwar al-Awlaki killed in Yemen,” CBS/AP, Sept 30, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/30/501364/main20113732.shtml on Oct 7, 2011).

Government sources didn’t mention the Pentagon recruiting Awlaki when he dined at the Pentagon after 9-11 (video), nor his attendance at a prayer group for Muslims in Congress.[8][9]

[8] “EXCLUSIVE: Al Qaeda Leader Dined at the Pentagon Just Months After 9/11,” By Catherine Herridge, FoxNews, Oct 20, 2010, (Accessed at http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/20/al-qaeda-terror-leader-dined-pentagon-months/ on Oct 7, 2011).

[9] “Some Muslims Attending Capitol Hill Prayer Group Have Terror Ties, Probe Reveals,” By Jana Winter, FoxNews, Nov 11, 2010, (Accessed at http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/11/congressional-muslim-prayer-group-terror-ties/ on Oct 7, 2011).

[10] “Remarks by the President at the "Change of Office" Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ceremony at Fort Myer, Virginia,” Sept 30, 2011, ” (Accessed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/30/remarks-president-change-office-chairman-joint-chiefs-staff-ceremony on Oct 1, 2011).

[11] “THREATS AND RESPONSES: HUNT FOR AL QAEDA; BUSH HAS WIDENED AUTHORITY OF C.I.A. TO KILL TERRORISTS,” By JAMES RISEN and DAVID JOHNSTON, NY Times, Dec 15, 2002, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/world/threats-responses-hunt-for-al-qaeda-bush-has-widened-authority-cia-kill.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm on Oct 11, 2011).

[12] “Ron Paul on Anwar al-Awlaki’s Demise: ‘I Think It’s Sad’,” The State Column, Oct 01, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/ron-paul-on-anwar-al-awlakis-demise-i-think-its-sad/ on Oct 7, 2011).

[13] “Ron Paul: US could target journalists for killing,” By Philip Elliott, Associated Press, October 5, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2011/10/05/ron_paul_us_could_target_journalists_for_killing/  on Oct 7, 2011).

[14] “Post-9/11, NSA 'enemies' include us,” By James Bamford, Sept 8, 2011, (Accessed at http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=CA0FDA14-61EA-4015-A80B-1F6D34C59183 on Oct 9, 2011).

[15] “Senate Approves Bill to Broaden Wiretap Powers,” By ERIC LICHTBLAU, NY Times, July 10, 2008, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/washington/10fisa.html?pagewanted=all on Oct 9, 2011).

[16] “Coming soon to a trash bin near you: The FBI,” By David Morgan, CBS, June 13, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/13/national/main20070845.shtml on Oct 9, 2011).

[17] “President Bush Speaks to the Nation,” PBS, Sept 11, 2001, (Accessed at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/terrorism/july-dec01/bush_speech.html on Oct 7, 2011).

Remember

“We became the radical Islamist movement's most effective recruiting tool. We descended to its barbarity. We became terrorists too.” –Chris Hedges “A Decade After 9/11: We Are What We Loathe”

It’s the ten-year anniversary of the the horror of 9-11 and our federal government wants to be sure we remember.

World Trade Center September 11, 2001

But our federal government also wants to be sure we forget.

 

Victim of US Bombing

Our rulers want us to remember thousands dying in NYC, but hope we’ll forget our own federal government killing hundreds of thousands of innocents in Iraq with an embargo, thousands more in Iraq and Afghanistan with bombs and invading troops, hundreds of civilians in Libya (video) with bombs, and hundreds more in Yemen and Pakistan with unmanned drones.

Selective Memory

"There's a picture of the World Trade Centre hanging up by my bed and I keep one in my flak jacket. Every time I feel sorry for these people I look at that. I think, 'They hit us at home and, now, it's our turn.' I don't want to say payback but, you know, it's pretty much payback." –Spec. Michael Richardson, on duty with U.S. forces in Iraq

"Oh my God, they killed my kids...God may take revenge on them. They took everyone from me.” –Ata Mohammad, 60

Our rulers want us to remember the horror of 9-11.  They’re hoping you’ll think like Michael Richardson and Ata Mohammed, but ignore the fact that the US government killed Mohammad’s children.  Our leaders want us to support or at least forget:

• the un-Constitutional US invasion of Afghanistan, purportedly because the Taliban refused to extradite a former ally of the US against the USSR (video) [1][2]
• the un-Constitutional pre-emptive invasion of Iraq over a lie about WMD against a former ally of the US against Iran
• drone attacks in Pakistan and Yemen
• torturing prisoners in Abu Ghraib
• a concentration camp in Guantanamo
• the gruesome horror of war and what it does to innocent children who happen to be Moslems.

At home, our leaders want to keep us fearful so they can justify:

• unlawful imprisonment, torture, and abuse of American citizens by the federal government [3]
• extraordinary rendition of American citizens [4]
• the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): a bureaucracy of 22 agencies and nearly 200,000 employees, including the TSA, headed by Big Sis, that treats all Americans like criminals
• the USA PATRIOT Act, its continuing extension by Congress, and secret interpretations of the law by our government that citizens are not allowed to know about [5]
• the REAL ID Act requiring a national ID
• treating Americans like criminals to the point where travelers get their genitals groped at the airport
• requiring you to carry your papers when you travel
• roving bands of Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who can rifle your bags at any time while you’re in an airport
• warrantless tracking of cell phones [6][7]
• banks, employers, and stores collecting even more information from, and about you, and reporting to the federal government
• the TSA checking you before you get on the bus or train.[8]

When America Was Freer

Our rulers want us to forget life before 9-11, a time when the federal government wouldn’t even consider doing what it now does with impunity.  Remember before 9-11:

• “Your papers please” was always said with a German accent in WWII movies as a reminder of the horrors of the militarism of Nazi Germany
• Torture was what the bad guys did.
• Spying on neighbors was something Hitler Youth did in Nazi Germany
• Your Fourth Amendment right to be secure in your person was still protected
• The federal government couldn’t listen in on your phone conversations without a warrant.
• The touching of a a child’s private parts by anyone but a licensed and practicing physician would have resulted in a punch to that person’s face by anyone within striking distance. 

Freedom Isn’t Free

“There would soon, however, be another reaction. Those of us who were close to the epicenters of the 9/11 attacks would primarily grieve and mourn. Those who had some distance would indulge in the growing nationalist cant and calls for blood that would soon triumph over reason and sanity. Nationalism was a disease I knew intimately as a war correspondent. It is anti-thought. It is primarily about self-exaltation. The flip side of nationalism is always racism, the dehumanization of the enemy and all who appear to question the cause.”  –Chris Hedges “A Decade After 9/11: We Are What We Loathe”

Gung ho supporters of the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan love the “freedom isn’t free” slogan and its implication that someone else has paid for our liberty with their lives.  The slogan is not only ironic, but misguided.  US government soldiers do not fight for our freedom in foreign countries.  All the liberties we’ve lost this last decade at the hands of the federal government should make people realize that the enemy of our liberty is not overseas.

The real price we pay for our freedom is by bearing the responsibility to exercise it when our leaders seek to take our freedom away from us.  Ask yourself:

• If the war in Afghanistan did not stop Osama bin Laden, who is now dead, why are US troops still there?[9]
• If there were no WMD in Iraq, why did the US government really invade that nation?

Pay the price for freedom.  Remember.

_______________________________________

[1] “This war on terrorism is bogus,” by Michael Meacher, 6 Sept 2003, The Guardian, (Accessed at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/sep/06/september11.iraq on Sept 11, 2011).

[2] “WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TALIBAN?” By Michael Rubin, Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol 6, No. 1, March 2002, (Accessed at http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2002/issue1/mrubin.pdf on Sept 11, 2011).

“The decision to arm the Afghan resistance came within two weeks of the Soviet invasion, and quickly gained momentum. In 1980, the Carter administration allocated only $30 million for the Afghan resistance, though under the Reagan administration this amount grew steadily. In 1985, Congress earmarked $250 million for Afghanistan, while Saudi Arabia contributed an equal amount. Two years later, with Saudi Arabia still reportedly matching contributions, annual American aid to the mujahidin reportedly reached $630 million.”

[3] “Analysis: Americans say mistreated by U.S., some courts listen,” By Basil Katz, Reuters, Sept 9, 2011, (Accessed at http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110909/us_nm/us_sept11_bivens on Sept 11, 2011).

[4] “Challenge to CIA renditions dismissed,” AP, Sept 8, 2010, (Accessed at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39067928/ns/us_news-security/#.Tm11o-xNLVo on Sept 11, 2011).

[5] “There’s a Secret Patriot Act, Senator Says,” By Spencer Ackerman, May 25, 2011, Wired, (Accessed at http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/secret-patriot-act/ on Sept 11, 2011).

[6] “FOIA Victory Will Shed More Light on Warrantless Tracking of Cell Phones,” by Mark Rumold, Sept 10, 2011, Electronic Frontier Foundation (Accessed at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/09/eff-victory-forces-government-disclosure-court on Sept 11, 2011).

[7] “New Patriot Act Controversy: Is Washington Collecting Your Cell-Phone Data?” By Mark Benjamin, Time, June 24, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2079666,00.html on Sept 11, 2011).

[8] “Surprise! TSA Is Searching Your Car, Subway, Ferry, Bus, AND Plane,” By Jen Quraishi, Jun. 20, 2011, (Accessed at http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/06/tsa-swarms-8000-bus-stations-public-transit-systems-yearly on Sept 11, 2011.

[9] “US 'planned attack on Taleban,” Sept 18, 2001, by George Arney, BBC, (Accessed at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1550366.stm on Sept 11, 2011).

More questions are raised here and here.

Foregone Conclusion

Democracy: a system of government in which the cows think they pick who milks them.

The Budget Control Act of 2011 (pdf) passed Congress and President Obama signed it, telling the American people:

“Congress has now approved a compromise to reduce the deficit and avert a default that would have devastated the economy.”

The noise about deal-making in Washington, D.C. over the increase in the federal government debt limit was pure political theater—a scripted performance for the American people.  The President and Congress pretended to debate and take political risks to fix the federal government’s finances, but the outcome was a foregone conclusion—increase the national debt limit.  Everything else was putting lipstick on a pig—a show for the rubes, whose price of admission is paying taxes and being prodded like cattle at airports and train stations. 

Despite the dramatic entrance of shooting victim Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) during the vote, arriving just in time to cast her vote for continued  spending of non-existent money, the conclusion was never in doubt.[1]  The votes to increase the debt limit in the House: 269-161, and the Senate: 76-24, weren’t even close. 

The only question was how much the limit would be raised.  Our political “leaders” agreed to the largest increase in the debt limit ever—a $2.4 trillion increase to the current national debt limit of $14.3 trillion.  The new $16.7 trillion limit is more than the entire economic output of everyone in the US—and the new limit is expected to be exceeded in two years.[2]  The $2.4 trillion increase is greater than the total national debt accumulated by the federal government from 1791 to 1987—the first 196 years of its existence.

Who Does the Dirty Job?

“It was a long and contentious debate.” –President Obama after signing the Budget Control Act of 2011

The congressional “debate” was mainly about how to sell the debt limit increase to the working people who pay the bills and vote to “pick” their rulers:

• Rs said they wanted no new taxes, spending cuts over the next 10 years, and a small increase to the debt limit so the next increase would come before the next Presidential election.
• President Obama and congressional Ds wanted tax increases, spending cuts over the next 10 years, and an increase to the debt limit over to $16 trillion so that with the current rate of deficit spending, the debt limit would not be exceeded until after the next Presidential election.

Leaders of both parties have never been averse to deficit spending or increasing the debt limit above the ridiculously high amount that already exists: since 1946 both parties have increased the debt limit 96 times.[3][4]  This time, both Ds and Rs wanted an agreement that let them keep spending money the government doesn’t have, but each wanted an agreement that made the other side look bad. 

In 2006, then-Senator Obama voted against increasing the debt limit when then-President Bush (R) was in office.  When asked about his 2006 senatorial  vote today(video), President Obama (D) acknowledged his vote was part of the same political game.[5]

Congressman Mike Doyle (D-Pa), expressed the true purpose of the exercise when he criticized Tea Party tactics during the negotiations:

“We have negotiated with terrorists.  This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money.”[6]

Default or Fearmongering?

“Default is a false threat. We take in over $220 billion in revenues every month and our debt service is only roughly $20 billion. The only way we will default is if the President of the United States makes the irresponsible choice not to pay our debts.” - Mark Meckler, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots

Default is a false threat.  The US would not have defaulted on its debt.  The federal government takes in more than enough in tax revenues to pay interest on its debt and more.  That the US government would default was a lie—a lie to intimidate voters.

Citizens are always told this lie when their rulers want to increase spending.  Politicians scare taxpayers into agreeing with spending increases by threatening cuts to things taxpayers want.  Politicians never mention cutting out things taxpayers don’t want.

Ron Paul called it “fearmongering” (video).  When government says “default,” people become afraid.  They think they won’t be getting their checks any longer.  The fearmongering distracts the public from the real issue: that their dollars are worth less as a result of the increased debt.

Deficit Reduction

“This compromise guarantees more than two trillion dollars in deficit reduction.” – President Obama

The much ballyhooed spending cuts were not cuts to actual current spending.  They were cuts to proposed increases in spending for next year.  News stories about the agreement are filled with details on the elaborate spending cuts and savings inflated by Washington, D.C. political math:  

• The bill promises $917 billion (pdf) in spending cuts by putting caps on proposed increases in discretionary spending over the next 10 years.[7]
• The bill also promises $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction, by including an allowance for interest savings, and requiring reductions in both discretionary and direct spending to make up for any shortfall in the targeted $1.2 trillion over the next ten years.
• The cuts are over ten years because it makes the amount of spending cuts seem larger when they’re multiplied by ten.
• While the doubtful future spending cuts take place over ten years, the newly increased $2.4 trillion debt limit is expected to be exceeded in less than two years.  So the federal government is still overspending by more than a trillion dollars a year.

Rs made certain that the spending cuts matched the amount of increase in the debt limit to give the appearance that they fought for reduced spending, but if the debt keeps rising, the federal government is still overspending. 

Ds pretended it was painful to vote for a bill that didn’t let them increase spending as much as planned—but D-leaders involved in the negotiations said they were able to keep the discretionary spending cuts to a minimum — just $7 billion in real terms in 2012, and an additional $3 billion in 2013.[8]

The real purpose of the bill was to let the federal government spend another $2.4 trillion it doesn’t have.  That’s why the politicians spent so much time talking about how they were cutting future spending—they didn’t want the average American thinking too much about their political rulers robbing them in plain sight today.

Cutting Increases in Future Spending

“There is nothing in this framework that violates our principles. It’s all spending cuts.”  – John Boehner

"In fact, this bill will never balance the budget.  Instead, it will add untold trillions of dollars to our deficit.  This also assumes the cuts are real cuts and not the same old Washington smoke and mirrors game of spending less than originally projected so you can claim the difference as a ‘cut.'”– Ron Paul

When politicians talk about  budget cuts they play by different rules than you or me.  For example, the Budget Control Act of 2011 talks about $917 billion in cuts over ten years.  Using real math that should be almost $92 billion in cuts the first year.  It would be if politicians used real math to plan their finances. 

But in Washington, D.C. our leaders have no respect for the intelligence of the American people.  According to their math, in the near term, the bill sets budget numbers for 2012 that would require a real cut of $7 billion in discretionary spending from 2011 levels.  But because that’s $25 billion less than projected spending would have been had it kept pace with inflation, our leaders are taking credit for $25 billion in savings.  In 2013 they estimate even higher inflation, so there are only $3 billion in real cuts for which they claim an even higher amount of savings.

So for the first two years of the ten year budget control plan, our leaders are making $10 billion in real spending cuts while taking credit for an average of $180 billion over two years, and claiming a total of $917 billion in spending cuts for the ten years from 2012 - 2021.

If Joe Sixpack could play by the same rules, instead of declaring bankruptcy when hopelessly in debt, he could ask a bank for a loan, explaining that he had decided not to buy his planned two new $90,000 Porsches every year for the next ten years—that instead he’d make a cut and buy just one new Porsche every year.  Using the same reasoning as our politicians in Washington, D.C., Joe Sixpack could multiply the cost of each new Porsche he will not purchase by 10, factor in savings for anticipated inflation on the money he isn’t spending, add savings on interest he is not paying on a loan he didn’t need to get for money he didn’t spend.  Joe could say he was saving a couple of million dollars in the next ten years, so could he please have a loan for two million dollars?

The difference between Joe Sixpack and the federal government is that after the bankers stopped laughing hysterically at Joe’s ridiculous plan, they’d give Joe the bum’s rush out the door.

Democracy: the Ideal Form of Government

“If the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives gives into establishment pressure by voting to increase the debt ceiling once again, you will know that the status quo has prevailed.” – Ron Paul, May 23, 2011

The debt limit has been increased many times in the past.  This time the mob was getting unruly, so our democratic system of government let the crowd blow off steam by voting for Tea Party candidates who talked a good game.  Despite all the rhetoric, the key point about the latest circus side show is an agreement that the debt limit will increase and the federal government gets two more years to spend money that doesn’t yet exist.  The status quo has prevailed.

That’s the beauty of our democratic system of government—it defuses riots and revolts by letting the cows think they have a say in who milks them.  Did you wake with all of the noise during this performance?  Your rulers want you to rest easy, go back to sleep—they’re taking good care of you.

_____________________

[1] Any who doubt Giffords’ mental capacities after she was shot in the head, can be assured that Giffords hasn’t forgotten that a congresswoman’s job is to keep the financial fraud going as long as possible.

[2]  “Gross Domestic Product: First Quarter 2011 (Third Estimate); Corporate Profits: First Quarter 2011 (Revised Estimate),” US Dept of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, June 24, 2011.

On June 24, 2011 the GDP was $15.1 trillion.

[3] GAO Letter to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, February 23, 1996 (pdf), (Accessed at http://www.cnsnews.com/sites/default/files/documents/GAO-HISTORY%20OF%20DEBT%20LIMIT.pdf on Aug 3, 2011).

[4] “The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases,” (pdf), by Andrew Austin and Mindy Levit, Congressional Research Service, April 5, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.cnsnews.com/sites/default/files/documents/DEBT%20LIMIT%20HISTORY-CRS.pdf on Aug 3, 2011).

[5] Here is then-Senator Obama’s speech on March 16, 2006 opposing an increase in the debt limit.

[6] “Sources: Joe Biden likens tea partiers to terrorists,” by Jonathan Allen & John Bresnahan,  Politico.com, Aug 1, 2011, (Accessed at http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60421.html on Aug, 1, 2011).

[7] “Section-by-Section Analysis of the Budget Control Act of 2011 as Announced on July 31, 2011” (pdf), House Rules Committee, (Accessed at http://www.rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_1/legislativetext/731%20CBAsbs%20v2.pdf on Aug 3, 2011).

[8] “Debt deal: $32.4 billion per page,” Stephen Dinan, Aug 1, 2011, Washington Times, (Accessed at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/1/debt-deal-32-billion-page/ on Aug 3, 2011).