US President’s weekly Yahoo News updates

Once per week, I consolidate comments I’d posted to recent articles appearing on Yahoo News. I share my views, written as if I actually were the US President. [I’m working on that.] The following were posted between Sept. 26 and today, though appear below in no particular order. As is my usual custom, if I open with a quoted item, that’s from the article itself.

I hope you enjoy all 14 of these mini-essays/comments.

ONE:

[I’ll open with one comment I tried to post, but which Yahoo barred.]

“It was about this time five years ago when political strategist David Axelrod sat down and wrote a memo…”

Seriously? Does anybody really buy that? The Unknown Mulatto of the Thin Resume got elected by passing muster with the Elite (some people call them Illuminati). They, for one thing, made sure the media didn’t savage the inexperienced candidate. In exchange, Obama promised increased activity in Afghanistan, basically maintaining Dubya’s GWOT initiatives. David Axelrod’s memo of encouragement had nothing to do with it.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Without the approval of the Elite way in advance, if Obama would have run and gained traction on his own, he would have been shot dead well before the election.”

TWO:

“….partly because the administration-backed National Transitional Council [Libya’s new rulers] can’t guard the weapons depots…”

Hmm…it’s more likely the NTC is simply looking the other way. Sorry, but I can’t hold back on this: I told you so.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Sin is punished one way or another – and the basis of our choosing winners (protecting civilians) was a lie from day one. And, yes, I consider the telling of falsehoods to be sinful.”

THREE:

Jack thinks [the USA’s] Founding Fathers created a “Constitutionally Limited Republic.” However, he’s overlooking the fact that nowhere in our Constitution is the creation of a single nation declared. The United States is simply that – a collection of states in a union. While it’s true this union is binding, it is really just that – a union of states (not a fusion into one state). Perhaps Jack would have been more accurate to claim, “our Founding Fathers created a Constitutional Union of Republics [plural].”

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I’m amazed at how many people gleefully point out that the US wasn’t intended by its Founders to be a democracy.”

FOUR:

“In a devastating double-blow to al-Qaida's most dangerous franchise…”

When I read openings like this, I think about Orwell’s Ministry of Truth [read: “Propaganda] busily cranking out the horse poop.

Killing two people (even high profile, so-called “leaders”) is not a devastating blow. What would have been more “devastating” would have been to capture both of them, try them for treason, and give them life sentences. What we did instead was create two more martyrs, which has quite the opposite effect than this so-called “devastating double-blow.”

Oh, well, at least we didn’t have any boots on the ground for this operation. Oh, wait a minute…yeah, I guess we did. Maybe the shorter list would be of those countries where we don’t have boots on the ground (sneaky boots or blatant boots). Are there any?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“This boots on the ground stuff is overrated…and it’s another way of saying we’re overextended.”

FIVE:

It won't matter who our next president will be. We’re too far past the point of no return, and it’s not even like our fate is in our own hands. The only strategies which will work are the only ones We-the-Sheeple won’t embrace – vote all incumbents out of office, and vote for independents when possible. We’re too programmed to abandon our addiction to the Dem/Pub Brand-Name labels. Advertising does pay, but oh at what a price!

And please stop making noise about Ron Paul. He's as much a believer in the Brand-Name system as are all the other pols. Why else do you think he couldn't have grown a pair and officially declared himself a Libertarian years ago - and stuck with it? It's simple: He's a political opportunist - nothing more, nothing less.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Google these words: Pudding face GOP.”

SIX:

I never thought I’d agree with Dick Cheney on anything. But he’s right.

However, I issue a disclaimer: Even though Obama supports “enhanced interrogation,” I maintain that the US has indeed “walked away from our ideals [not to mention international law]” under both administrations regarding…yeah, I’ll call it what it is – torture.

Obama owes Bush an even greater apology: Since his behavior and Bush’s regarding our meddling in Iraq and Afghanistan are indistinguishable, Obama might as well own up to continuing Bush’s legacy. [Go on, come right out and say it, Mr. Transparency President: "I am Dubya II."]

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Obama’s fancy footwork in Libya was truly his own, but he was inspired by that master dancer – Dubya himself.”

SEVEN:

Ron Paul destroyed any chance he might have had to win the GOP nomination. Saying “we now have an accepted practice of the president assassinating people” will not endear him to the GOP rank-and-file.

Personally? I think our government engages in assassinations – at home and abroad – pretty much whenever they want to. Who can stop them? You? Me? The Constitution? The point is, a major candidate can’t come right out and say we’re behaving extra-legally. No matter what good points Ron Paul may have, his detractors will pound him to insignificance with this.

My beef with killing these two Americans [by means of a drone strike in Yemen] is strategic: Their value to al-Qaeda while alive is going to prove to be a lot less than their value now that they’re dead. Perhaps we wanted to remove these two threats – that’s one thing. But did we have to go and blat it to the entire world?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I will try my best to understand our leaders’ morality; I will never forgive their lack of intelligence.”

EIGHT:

Andy Rooney? What a massive discredit to the field of journalism! But, come to think of it, his schtick wasn't ever journalism - it was entertainment. A useful stooge for the Elite - nothing more. Good riddance, Andy!

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"Andy Rooney was a signficant contributor to our downward spiral as a nation, since too many people bought into this guy in a serious way."

NINE:

“AQAP has taken advantage of nearly nine months of sweeping unrest against President Ali Abdullah Saleh [of Yemen]…”

And what caused these “nine months of sweeping unrest?”  Maybe in part: Saleh’s people don’t think much of him cooperating with the US. I hope our intel orgs weighed the benefits of this high-profile killing against the costs to be incurred in terms of backlash.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"We're not very good at thinking ahead.”

TEN:

Hey, We-the-People, this actually simplifies our task. All We have to do is not contribute to any of the candidates, find out which candidates receive the most super PAC money and vote against them.

Wait! It’s even simpler than that. Vote against all incumbents, which of course means vote against Obama. Even if We detest the eventual GOP contender, vote for him/her (even Bachmann!) anyway. The only way we’ll teach our rulers a lesson is if We show they can’t count on us being so predictable.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“This should serve to encourage independents to run.”

ELEVEN:

The following is my response to Ronald, who had this to say in response to the item immediately above: “So then you've never voted your conscience? It's always AGAINST something or someone? "Teach our rulers a lesson" means nothing at all if you are voting FOR the lowest common denominator. And it simply continues the cycle of honoring mediocrity as excellence in our country.”

Ronald,

“Voting one’s conscience” doesn’t mean anything if the deck is stacked. “Voting my conscience” means voting for independents. But the deck is so badly stacked against them by the Dem/Pubs, they rarely even make it onto the ballot.

What our rulers are basically telling us is, “you have two choices – Democrat or Republican.” Unless we can break that monopoly, we’ll never gain access to independent candidates to any appreciable degree (which in my mind translates to “quality candidates not beholden to a party”). And the only way to break that monopoly is to show the Dem/Pubs that we’re not in their pocket – that is, that we can behave unpredictably.

As for your question, “It’s always AGAINST something or someone?” For a lot of people, that’s exactly what gets them out to vote in the first place; it’s called “voting for the lesser of two evils.” In that case, we’ll always be voting for evil, now won’t we?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Sure, I’ve voted my conscience before, but I’ve gotten tired of throwing my vote away. Time to challenge the Machine with a truly effective weapon – unemployment due to loss of office.”

TWELVE:

Netanyahu is about to learn a very important lesson: “Even though being (the state of) Israel means never having to say you’re sorry, that doesn’t mean that Israel won’t end up being very sorry.”

I can understand how some Egyptians might want to exploit a power vacuum in the Sinai, since they might want some payback for all of those years the US supported Mubarak’s efforts to suppress his own people. And since Israel is a “friend” of the US, well…I’ll let you finish that sentence.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“What goes around, comes around – Karma 101.”

THIRTEEN:

[Concerning winning enough primary delegates to remain credible.]

“That translates into money and that allows you to keep going."

Candidates who can attract money end up becoming officials who owe favors. In response, We-the-People should adopt three basic strategies: Vote against the incumbent, vote against the candidate pulling in the most campaign “contributions,” and stop donating. What the Status Quo loves (and depends on) is our predictability and how easily we can be manipulated. [Didn’t the faux “controversy” over “Great taste!” vs. “Less filling!” still leave you with (after all the foam, uh, I mean "dust" settles) really lousy beer?]

I think it was the old movie “The Wheeler Dealers” that had this great line: “The money doesn’t matter – it’s just a way of keeping score.” That’s the way the Oligarchs think as they go after what they really want – not money, but power. If we lose our predictability, we can skew their grand plans.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I’m the only candidate who is refusing (and not even soliciting) campaign contributions. Google the words: GOP pudding face.”

FOURTEEN:

“And thanks to a lack of political consensus combined with Europe's unwieldy decision-making process, any new plan likely won't go into effect…”

The preceding sentence describes the US fairly accurately. My suggested remedy for both – the EU and the USA? A new governance system based on a model I created in the 70’s – actually, in 1976 in honor of the US bicentennial. Google these words for a description of CSR: Cross-Sectional Representational Representation.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Over the years, the main problem I’ve had promoting CSR is that people are highly resistant to change. Kind of makes you wonder how the US was brave enough in the early days of the Republic to go with something as radical as the Constitution crafted by the Founding Fathers. Have we lost our courage?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

“Declare your independence by voting for independents. If there aren’t any available, vote against all incumbents – bar none.”

Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com

US President’s weekly Yahoo News updates

Once per week, I consolidate comments I’d posted to recent articles appearing on Yahoo News. I share my views, written as if I actually were the US President. [I’m working on that.] The following were posted between Aug. 22 and today, though appear below in no particular order. As is my usual custom, if I open with a quoted item, that’s from the article itself.

I hope you enjoy all 14 of these mini-essays/comments.

ONE:

“British warplanes struck a large bunker Friday in Moammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte”…

NEWS FLASH: In a daring raid in broad daylight by a single low-flying plane from Gaddafi’s air force, Westminster Abbey was leveled by a huge bomb blast earlier today. Radio Free Libya issued only this terse statement within minutes after the attack: “One good turn deserves another.”

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Naw, didn’t happen. There will be retribution but it won’t be this obvious or this soon.”

TWO:

"Little by little the US is becoming Mexico."

Some Mexicans embrace the concept of Reconquista, meaning to take back what the US took from Mexico. They figure, one good turn deserves another.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"When I asked my Mexican-American father-in-law about Reconquista ("Is it true?"), he just smiled."

THREE:

[“Congress may be able to approve the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan even if President Barack Obama should object, a Republican senator said Tuesday.” By slipping it into a general defense appropriation bill.]

“Obama still would have the right of veto, but exercising it would mean scuttling approval for a wide array of defense programs.” Maybe it’s about time to scuttle a wide array of these programs, which are not really as defensive as they are world dominators.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Vote for me and I’ll veto all military appropriations that exceed half of those currently in effect.”

FOUR:

“Both Cameron and Sarkozy will now brandish their cojones, claiming to have had ‘a good war.’”

Fine. I suppose you have to have something to show the peasants as the economy sinks deeper into the toilet. BTW, those so-called “good wars” don’t come cheap. And it remains to be seen how much more will have to be paid after the rebels win. Assuming they really do win.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“I say, jolly good show and all that rot.”

FIVE:

"You can be God fearing and patriotic?" No you can't, for to be "patriotic" is actually a form of discrimination - saying, you love part of God's creation more than other parts. And your "God bless the USA" further reinforces this point. It should be "God bless all of us."

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"I never had much use for the term 'God fearing,' since 'God worshipping' or 'God loving' seems a better salute to the Almighty."

SIX:

Pro-Gaddafi forces have suffered the wrath of US and NATO bombings for months, making me wonder how much actual fighting the rebels did. You have to wonder why they continue to fight on; maybe they know something about the rebels that we don’t.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“The saddest part of this undeclared war against Gaddafi? Voters in the Coalition of the Duped won’t care about their leaders fighting without their consent – as long as ‘we’ win and it didn’t cost ‘too’ much.”

SEVEN:

"S&P will continue to produce ratings that are comparable, forward looking and transparent.” How about ratings that are accurate? Ratings that are based on some type of scientific methodology? Naw…

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I still say the entire ratings system is nothing but a scam.”

EIGHT:

“The picture The Daily Mail paints of the rebel plan contrasts sharply with the reports we used to receive of a disorganized opposition.”

Oh, make no mistake about this: This opposition had been very well organized for years. The question now: What price did we pay, and will we yet pay, for our involvement?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Be careful what you ask for.”

NINE:

An example ALL of us should emulate. I’d like to go to a social gathering someday and not hear people talk about how much they earn (usually disguised as, “This is what I do for a living.”). I’d like to hear, “This is how much I gave last year and I deeply regret it wasn’t more” or “This is how little I live on, giving most of it away…and still I feel not sufficiently shorn of greed.” Only by means of compassion and almsgiving can any land be transformed into a Buddha-Land.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Imagine a land where the main goal in life, shared by everybody, was to attain enlightenment.”

TEN:

@ Van K

The Con Con wasn’t organized to “throw out the Articles.” According to Wikipedia, “Although the states' representatives…[to the Con Con] were only authorized to amend the Articles, the representatives held secret, closed-door sessions and wrote a new constitution.” So our Constitution was created under rather dishonest circumstances, wouldn’t you say? Certainly a far cry from your claim that “we organized a [Con Con] to throw out the Articles.”

Next, my preferred model (glad you brought it up) is to replace the current Constitution with one based on Cross-Sectional Representation, a concept I developed in the 70s. Essentially, this replaces all Congressional Districts with Cross-Sections, with constituents randomly assigned from a national list of eligible voters – there no longer being a Senate or a popularly-elected President. This is a cornerstone of my own campaign for the presidency. If you’re concerned about our growth for the next 13 decades, you should be very keen on replacing our current Law of the Land with one based on CSR.

As for “sorry,” no need to apologize, though I hasten to add, “nostalgic bubble” is not where I’m coming from. My complaint is that whatever powers the Founders intended the states to keep, as enshrined in the Constitution, have been systematically destroyed by an overreaching national government. I don’t champion what you call a “sovereign states model;” rather, I believe the states were intended to keep a significant degree of sovereignty in the name of checks-and-balances (as also were We-the-People). But somehow, the feds ended up taking way too much.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“If we’re supposed to be one nation, then why wasn’t our name changed? Last time I checked, it’s still called the United STATES.”

ELEVEN:

“The pledge … states that, if elected, Perry will send a Constitutional amendment…to the states for ratification…” This is misleading since the Pledge actually states, “…if elected President, I will: One, support sending a federal constitutional amendment…to the states for ratification.”

So, what’s the difference? The President cannot, as the article indicates, send any amendment to the states – that’s up to Congress or an Article V Convention should one be called by Congress. However, the President can “support sending [an]…amendment…to the states.”

Perry can support whatever he wishes. However, I wish he wouldn’t support this provision (also in the Pledge): “[to] establish a presidential commission…to investigate and document reports of Americans who have been harassed or threatened for exercising key civil rights to organize, to speak, to donate or to vote for marriage and to propose new protections, if needed.” If citizens have been “harassed or threatened” for any reason, there are already laws on the books to protect them. We don’t need to “establish a presidential commission.” That is, we don’t need to unless Perry wants to spend hard-earned taxpayer dollars to needlessly duplicate existing institutions.

But I guess Perry isn’t as interested in saving money as in pleasing the ever-voracious base.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Actually, why didn’t Perry [or Bachmann, Santorum, Romney (who should know better), or Pawlenty (RIP)] show a little independence by signing a pro-marriage pledge in his own words instead of mindlessly signing a version promoted by some pressure group.”

TWELVE:

@ Stephen

There was a time when the "melting pot" description fit. But we're so polarized now, there are thousands of mini-communities that don't think of themselves as Americans first and which don't care to "melt into" any larger community (if indeed there is such a thing).

If you think about it, that was the intent of the Founding Fathers. This was never supposed to be ONE country. Someone pointed out to me that the word “democracy” doesn’t appear in our Constitution even once. So he concluded that our form of govt was (instead) a “constitutional republic.”

I returned the favor by pointing out to him, “You mean, ‘it’s a union of constitutional republics (more than one).”

There was never supposed to be “one nation [under God]” as in the Pledge of Allegiance. It was supposed to be a United Nations of sorts. But the Elite didn’t like that, so they did everything they could, after the Civil War, to destroy the sovereignty of the individual states.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Anyone who uses the term ‘melting pot’ these days is showing their age. Oh, I’m 60 by the way.”

THIRTEEN:

[This is based on a story about a mom who wanted to “Bullyproof” her 12-year-old son, who had been bullied in school for years.]

“The bully's friends told Martin to get up, but … ‘I chose not to.’

Of course, this story could have taken another turn. For instance, “The bully’s friends told Martin to get up. And when he didn’t, one of them took a flying leap and kicked him in the head and broke his neck. Martin’s heartbroken mom then took a shotgun and blew his instructor away before turning the weapon on herself.” Sounds pretty horrible, doesn’t it? But sometimes real life turns out that way.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Deep down inside, a lot of Americans suffer from the residual effects of ‘bully problems’ they had as kids, which is probably why we’re so much into the Pre-emptive Strike strategy.”

FOURTEEN:

One problem I have with Ron Paul is, ironically, the very thing I could praise him most highly for: His better-than-average devotion to the Constitution. Because of that devotion, he cannot see the need (not to amend but) to completely replace our current Constitution. Unfortunately, there are people out there who really believe we could not (even if we wanted to) replace the Law of the Land. [NEWS FLASH: Yes, we have that unalienable right.]

Our Founding Fathers could have been more honest – and trusting of future generations – if they had included words to this effect in their Constitution: “At least once every 25 years, at least half of the states must re-ratify this Constitution; failure to do so, resulting in a new Constitutional Convention [which could rewrite the whole thing].”

Frankly, our current archaic document is dragging us down. Witness legislative gridlock and the anti-democratic Senate filibuster rule. I favor a model that weans us away from the corruption inherent in geographically-based Congressional Districts. These CD’s should be replaced by Cross-Sections each electing a Congressman from a constituency drawn at random from a list of all eligible voters in the country. No more Senate. One chamber – a House, with each Rep serving a cross-section of the nation’s voters.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“What this really boils down to is one question: When are we going to really consider ourselves to be ONE nation, instead of a collection of fiefs forever at war with, or in destructive competition with, or working at cross-purposes with other such fiefs?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * *

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

“Yes, you’ve probably noticed by now that I respond to individuals in my posts. I invite all questions, especially via email sent to bpa_cinc@yahoo.com . Since the response to my presidential bid has been so (er) underwhelming, it’s not like I’m too busy for a bit of one-on-one.”

US President’s weekly Yahoo News updates

Once per week, I consolidate comments I’d posted to recent articles appearing on Yahoo News. I share my views, written as if I actually were the US President. [I’m working on that.] The following were posted between July 25 and today, though appear below in no particular order. As is my usual custom, if I open with a quoted item, that’s from the article itself.

I hope you enjoy all 26 of these mini-essays/comments.

Posted on Yahoo! News

ONE:

[This, which I consider more important than any which follow, was posted most recently (7-31 @ 5:40 PM).]

The GOP-dominated House should immediately pass a bill with the following provisions:

ONE: To raise the debt-ceiling, but only by an amount sufficient to enable borrowing for one more month.

TWO: To condition ONE (above) with mandatory spending cuts of $1T spread over a decade.

THREE: To include this oath which would irrevocably bar consideration of any other bill for three weeks: “By voting for this bill, I hereby swear by means of an oath, equal in authority to the Oath of Office which is required of all Representatives before assuming office, that I will not vote for any other bill to raise the debt ceiling earlier than 3 weeks from today.”

This kind of bill would be a “take it or leave it” offer to the Senate, which the Senate could not refuse since (due to the oath contained therein) the House could not consider any other variation for three weeks.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“No matter what Congress manages to pass in the next day or two, the GOP will kick themselves for not having used this approach to force the Senate (and Obama) to dance to their tune.”

TWO:

Maybe we’re being a bit hasty – insisting that North Korea de-nuke. Seeing how China wants to claim the whole South China Sea, maybe we could use NK to keep China in check. Politics do make strange bedfellows, so what I’m suggesting isn’t all that preposterous. NK could even raise much-needed money by selling its missile and nuke know-how to Thailand and Australia, which would give China reason to think twice about throwing its weight around locally.

This just in: NK agrees to de-nuke if we do. Like that’s ever going to happen.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“We’re still on hair-trigger nuke alert, in case anyone has forgotten.”

THREE:

"We cannot wait for the House any longer," Reid said.

Well, Senator, you don’t have any choice. According to Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution (which you’d sworn to uphold): “All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives…” If the debt ceiling is raised, thereby authorizing the sale of US Treasury bonds (which would qualify as “raising revenue”), the bill allowing this must “originate in the House.” End of story.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Someone’s got to call Reid on his shit.”

FOUR:

As a Buddhist, I can easily find fault with all of the Abrahamist faiths. It’s easy to cite chapter and verse, in order to lay blame, in all Hebrew, Catholic, Protestant, and Islamic scriptures and histories.

However, the real reason the FBI (and the West) fear the Moslem is – he is resisting. He does not want a Coca Cola vending machine in his mosque or a 7/11 near his madrassa. He doesn’t want the Westerner encroaching on his land or propping up the dictators that oppress him. There are not many who resist Western values left in this world. Even the Chinese ditched their Mao suits and embraced capitalism years ago. The Muslim is the last holdout against a world we seek to remake in our own image.

Like, nobody would ever accuse the FBI of gross oversimplification in order to advance their own agenda. Just saying…

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“It will be interesting to see how the karma involved in this culture clash plays out.”

FIVE:

“[Tea Partiers] are unfit for governing," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

Well, Chris [I can call you “Chris,” can’t I?], that depends on what you mean by “governing.” If you mean business-as-usual, go-along-to-get-along styles of governing, they got us into this debt mess in the first place.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“The fact that Chris is a Democrat tells me, front and center, that he is unfit for governing – since he’s just one more party animal lapping at the public trough.”

SIX:

“….the Senate – where a united GOP [or any determined minority caucus] can kill bills with filibusters…”

Actually, by filibustering, the GOP would do nothing but focus blame on itself as the party of obstructionism. They should refrain from that tactic and simply allow a straight up-and-down vote.  And then they can paint Obama as just another politician trying to grease his way to reelection by kicking the can (of debate) down the road, past the 2012 marker.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“If elected as your next president, I will make destruction of the filibuster option one of my top priorities.”

SEVEN:

“…which proved the Muslim world did not need al-Qaida to bring down governments, from Tunisia to Egypt.”

Without radical movements like al-Qaida to nurture the seeds of resistance, there never would have been an Arab Spring.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“There has always been tension between the rulers and the ruled throughout Islamic history. This is nothing new.”

EIGHT:

“… Reid plans to table Boehner's House bill and move toward his own version(?) of a debt ceiling package.”

There’s one small problem with “his own version.” He can’t do that, according to Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution: “All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.”

All the Senate can do is amend the original House bill, and not offer “his own version.” And there are limits to amending. For instance, the Senate could amend to remove the provision for a Balanced Budget Amendment. But they can’t “amend” to increase the amount of the debt-ceiling. Since it is the will of the House that this “bill for raising revenue” is to be the first of two such bills, the Senate can’t amend to roll both bills into one.

Since all bills for “raising revenue shall originate in the House,” the Senate cannot usurp that right by insisting that that second bill’s “raising (of) revenue” be incorporated into a bill intended by the House to be for a lesser amount.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Why doesn’t Harry Reid just dig a grave, throw in the Constitution, and bury the thing he’s so blatantly disrespecting?”

NINE:

Declare your independence by voting for Independents. Or by at least voting against all incumbents.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"I'm the only candidate rejecting all campaign donations. Hope that tells you something."

To which “Bert” replied:

Not really, he could want to run on the government's dime. He could be another loser. Not enough info.

To which I replied:

Bert, your points are well-taken. However, in this day and age of the internet, anyone with a keyboard can simply google my name. A little detective work goes a long way. I’d like to explain more but, you know, Yahoo censors. I hope this reply gets through. [NOTE: It didn’t get through - Yahoo censors again.]

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“My personal candidacy isn’t anywhere nearly as important as my program. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

[There are too many “Berts” out there who will claim “not enough info.” There is enough info, but they’ve got to meet me halfway to obtain it. I can’t dish it out on a silver platter. Obviously, Yahoo will not allow me an unrestricted forum to spread the word. “Bert, I can’t do this alone.”]

TEN:

“…we believe that failsafe mechanism [to prevent the US from defaulting] is the 14th Amendment and the president of the United States."

Wrongo! That “failsafe” is Article I, Section 8: “The Congress shall have power to … pay the debts and provide for the…general welfare of the United States…”

It doesn’t say “The President shall provide for the general welfare,” or “pay the debts.” It does say, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the [USA].” That is, the President’s role is to execute (that is, “to carry out or put into effect”) the will of the people as manifested by their elected Congressmen.

In spite of hype to the contrary, the Constitution did not create an imperial presidency. Our own lack of vigilance did that.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“You’ll be amazed at how little power the Constitution actually bestows upon the President. Read the blessed thing!”

ELEVEN:

If Romney gets the GOP nod, don't worry - everybody will come to know his religion. And also that he believes the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible. That alone will sink his WH bid.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"Sorry, folks, but that's just the way it is."

TWELVE:

The Constitution doesn’t say the President has the right to veto in advance. If the President receives a bill for signature but doesn’t sign it because he has objections, he’s supposed to put those objections in writing. That way, Congress can determine what POTUS wants and then “reconsider it."

Article I, Section 7: “Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider it.”

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Come on, people, where are all of those Common Sense Constitutional Conservatives Sarah Palin's been talking about? Why am I the only one citing chapter and verse of the Law of the Land?”

THIRTEEN:

What if this little girl wasn’t so cute – would Yahoo posters be as sympathetic? I hope all the publicity she’s getting doesn’t turn her head. She might end up suffering more long-term damage from well-meaning “sound bites” than from any bite marks left by that shark.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I cringe when I see strangers walk up to a toddler and say ‘Oh what a cute little girl.’ The die is cast.”

FOURTEEN:

“…even after [Boehner] bluntly told fellow Republicans to ‘get your ass in line’ behind his plan.”

Say, what? Is that how leaders of the greatest lawmaking body in the world address their fellow legislators? If we didn’t have [Dem/Pub] Party Animals in Congress, if we had independents-only at the helm, we wouldn’t be hearing such stuff as “toe the line,” or “my way or the highway,” or “I know where you live.” [Okay, that last was a little over the top, but not by much!]

We’d have the collective wisdom of 435 of our best and brightest leading citizens at our disposal. How long has it been (if ever) that anyone has ever referred to our House of Reps as a source of “collective wisdom?” What’s wrong with us that, out of 300+ million Americans, we can’t do better than the jackals who manage to "place" their names on the ballot?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Face it, good people, the deck is stacked very much against us. So what’s left? Prayer?”

FIFTEEN:

Sniff…I’m getting all teary-eyed…China wants to copy the US in yet one more respect – Gunboat Diplomacy. Doesn’t that bring back a wave of nostalgia? If China wants to take over the South China Sea, the US should not resist. It is not our place to resist nor would it profit us. China has some very powerful neighbors who could and should weigh in – Japan, South Korea, Australia, even India. Besides, if the US decided to take over South America, would/could China resist such a move?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“We can’t (afford to) be the policeman of the world. Got to draw the line somewhere.”

SIXTEEN:

"The idea seems to be that if the House GOP refuses to raise the debt ceiling…”

Whoa, pardner, slow down a bit. The House GOP isn’t refusing to do that – they just want to do it on their terms. Same as Obama – he wants to do it on his terms. Again, McCain is guilty of oversimplifying – SURPRISE! Not to mention he’s throwing his two-cents in at truly the 11th hour.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“McCain is one incumbent who definitely needs ousting – along with the other 99 senators who are breathing our air.”

SEVENTEEN:

The power of the Congress to impeach is absolute and unreviewable by any court of law or other authority. And an impeachable offense is whatever Congress says it is. End of story.

That’s why we really don’t have three separate but equal branches of government. The Founding Fathers meant for the Congress to be superior to the other two. If Obama were to take it upon himself to raise the debt ceiling (without Congressional authority), he should be impeached. I know there’s talk about the 14^th amendment giving him the right to act on his own. But Article I overwhelmingly defeats that flimsy basis.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“There’s a very good reason why the House and Senate are given top billing in the Constitution by means of Article I – with the President listed in Article II. That was no accident.”

EIGHTEEN:

“The White House objects to the requirement for a second vote before the 2012 elections.”

Did they come right out and say that? If so, they deserve a bit of grudging respect for candor. But only a bit.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I guess that’s what we’ve been reduced to – a people who are satisfied with only bits and pieces. Whatever happened to a grand national vision?”

NINETEEN:

“But without someone to articulate those feelings, a third party seems unlikely to make much impact in 2012.” You do understand that this state of affairs is entirely by design. It’s called a Win-Win situation for the Two-Party System. Get with the program.

“Third party advocates insist there is still plenty of time to find a candidate before the 2012 presidential election.” That’s the problem with third party advocates – they suffer from a Savior Complex (the need for One Great Man to descend from heavenly clouds to save the day).

But…please do consider me: I am an independent presidential candidate for 2012 with two messages:

ONE: We need to get rid of all “party” animals in our Congress,

TWO: We ought to consider voting for candidates who put their campaign promises in the form of a written contract – like mine, which includes this: “Within 90 days of my inauguration, all US government forces (in and out of uniform) will be completely out of Iraq and Afghanistan. If not, I voluntarily submit to impeachment.”

So-called third party advocates would do far better to rally people against voting for incumbents. Start there. Then work on prepping people to vote for Independents. Voters have so propagandized into thinking of third parties as “fringe groups” or, somehow, un-American, they have to be deprogrammed. This can be done but not without effort. And not by waiting for that One Great Man.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“If not me, who? Oh...not Ron Paul...he's a firm believer in the Two-Party System. You don't think so? Tell me, is he even suggesting you vote for non-Dem/Pub congressmen?”

TWENTY:

Don't bother to support Ron Paul who, in reality, serves a very special and useful function for the Elite. People can (uselessly) rally around him, which is an effective way to let off steam. And that’s important, lest the natives get too restless. Ross Perot served that function, got 20 million popular votes but…not a single Electoral College vote. But We-the-People were “allowed” to let off steam by voting for him.

If Ron Paul had wanted to, he could have officially switched parties (to become a card-carrying Libertarian) back in 1988. That would have lent legitimacy to their cause. When he lost the presidential election in ’88, he could have gone back to Congress as the leading spokesman for third-parties in general. That would have shown voters it’s OK to have third-party guys in Congress. But he didn’t, though that’s where he could have been most useful.

Like it or not, in spite of his rhetoric, Ron Paul is very much an Establishment creature. And will attract supporters who think One Great Man can solve all our problems.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“One man alone can’t do It – especially one man (Ron Paul) who isn’t agitating against the Two-Party System itself.”

TWENTY-ONE:

“… only [Breivik, the alleged Norwegian terrorist] ‘understands the truth.’”

If only Breivik understands the truth and, presumably, is the only one who can understand the truth, then why did he bother to write a 1500 page manifesto?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“As a terrorist, Breivik ranks as a colossal failure – by singlehandedly destroying his own cause."

TWENTY-TWO:

“…$1 trillion in savings assumed to derive from the end of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.” [Remember: When you “assume,” you end up making an ass of u and me.]

Our involvement in those two countries will continue to cost us for decades to come, even if most of our troops manage to come home. Infrastructure support and training don’t come cheap. But, to add insult to injury, we’ll continue to spend to “support” and still end up losing in the long run. That’s called, “throwing good money after bad.”

Some of you might remember what happened to the “peace dividend” which was supposed to appear after we pulled out of Vietnam. Turns out, those savings never materialized.

There will always be another reason to spend money or ask for “emergency appropriations.” And there will always be another fresh-face, “peace candidate” Senator Obama to denounce these measures. And the Elite will find always find excuses to send out the troops. Let me guess – Africa? To counter Chinese aggression in the Congo? Or to “secure” the Amazon River when we get to the point of fighting water wars? Or to perhaps depose some local warlord we deem not to be in compliance (get used to that word)?

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“When the Dem/Pubs talk about kicking the can down the road, they’re talking about kicking your can.”

TWENTY-THREE:

Hillary Clinton satisfied the Chinese who hold so much of our debt, saying, “Look, even if we default, you don’t have to worry. We’ll give you the deed to the State of Nevada, including Area 51. The feds own 87% of that land anyway, so we’ll put that up as collateral if we can’t redeem your bonds within the year.”

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“I hope she cleared that with the President before making such a bold move. Saying, ‘It’s OK with Bill’ doesn’t carry much weight anymore.”

TWENTY-FOUR:

[RE: A cinematic remake of Snow White, featuring the title maiden in battle armor.]

Let me guess...In a reversal of sex roles, Snow White will ravage the Sleeping Prince when he awakens after she does all the fighting. Oh, wait...I'm thinking of the New Adventures of the Randy Sleeping Beauty. My bad!

Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"Will this be the tag line: 'Abstinence isn't a sissy thing.'"

TWENTY-FIVE:

If you’re thinking, “American justice needs to be reformed,” forget it. That won’t happen unless we do a political version of a dental procedure known as “scaling and planing.” This kind of deep cleaning involves removal of all Dem/Pub "tartar," to be replaced by Independents. If you don’t want to do that – if you CAN’T do that – then kwitcher beefin’ and get with the program. That means:

Cops get to do whatever they want; judges tyrannize local courts; 5 to 4 Supreme Court decisions split along ideological lines; the debt ceiling will be raised whether you like it or not (you got a problem with that?); presidents who get to dabble in an occasional war; (spare) change you can believe in; spending you can’t believe in; it’s not what you know but who you know; rule by supermajorities, filibusters, and Two Party System warfare; a Constitution which is in desperate need of a complete overhaul – I’m talking complete replacement, people; earmarks for legislators’ pet projects; out of control campaign spending with elections going to the greatest fundraisers…

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“Love it or leave it.  Or…show a little independence by voting for Independents. Or at least, vote against all incumbents – bar none…they’re all worthless POS.”

TWENTY-SIX:

“…calls from constituents saying, ‘If I don't get my Social Security check, it's your fault.’”

With “constituents” like that, who needs enemies? Sounds like these callers would be the last to even consider voting for anyone but a Dem/Pub. There is a terrible price to indulging exclusively in “Brand X vs. Brand Y” thinking. What part of “enlightened self-interest” are these people not getting? 

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

“If politics in this country only boils down to whose ox gets gored, we might as well forget that beacon of hope on the hill which has attracted immigrants for 200+ years.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

“I’ve derived a great deal of insight by reading Yahoo News articles and meditating on their contents and readers’ comments.”

Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com