The Stafford Voice

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administration

Obama’s Afghanistan Strategy Announcement

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President Obama has stated that he will announce his strategy for Afghanistan on December 1, which will be addressed at West Point. It has been reported on that he will likely announce a troop increase between 30,000 and 35,ooo. While this is less than what Gen. McChrystal requested earlier in his assessment, the major spotlight will probably be his exit strategy. All of which will ignite the debate on everything dealing with how you commit to a troop surge to formulating an exit strategy that will ultimately leave Afghanistan and its people in a better way than befor troops first entered country.

The committing to an increase of troops weighs heavily on previous assessments and studies that were presented to Obama. Most controvercial of these assessments was issued by Gen. McChrystal, which found its way leaked into the hands of the media. This itself has presented a hurdle for the Obama team. The very metrics that got the president elected – the social media powerhouses of Facebook and Twitter – have been the distracting factor in easily formulating a plan for Afghanistan. In what is termed “the war of leaks,” the Obama administration has been faced with numerous leaks of information that has forced them to continuously rewrite their strategy. 

The long-awaited plan from Obama has stirred a great deal of controversy, namely speaking how America would exit the Afghan territory. Whatever the announcement may be, one guarantee by Robert Gibbs, White House spokesman, is that the war will not continue on for “another eight or nine years.” Reportedly, the upcomming announcement will include an exit strategy of “off-ramps,” points starting next June which could adopt a more limited strategy or even a halt of deployments.

The reported “off-ramp” strategy | McClatchy:

  • As it now stands, the plan calls for the deployment over a nine-month period beginning in March of three Army brigades from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., and a Marine brigade from Camp Lejeune, N.C., for as many as 23,000 additional combat and support troops. In addition, a 7,000-strong division headquarters would be sent to take command of U.S.-led NATO forces in southern Afghanistan — to which the U.S. has long been committed — and 4,000 U.S. military trainers would be dispatched to help accelerate an expansion of the Afghan army and police.
  • “We have to start showing progress within six months on the political side or military side or that’s it,” the U.S. defense official said.
  • It’s “not just how we get people there, but what’s the strategy for getting them out,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday.

Religious Leaders Issue Declaration Over Federal Abortion Funding

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In an effort to declare opposition over federally funded abortions, a coalition of Christian leaders have united and released their declaration.

Fox News – Bishops Press Obama to Strike Senate Provision Allowing Federal Abortion Funding

More than 150 Christian leaders, most of them conservative evangelicals and traditionalist Roman Catholics, issued a joint declaration Friday reaffirming their opposition to abortion and gay marriage and pledging to protect religious freedoms. The 4,700-word document, called “The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience” was unveiled on Capitol Hill during a press conference Friday.

Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience

We, as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered, beginning in New York on September 28, 2009, to make the following declaration, which we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities.   We act together in obedience to the one true God, the triune God of holiness and love, who has laid total claim on our lives and by that claim calls us with believers in all ages and all nations to seek and defend the good of all who bear his image.  We set forth this declaration in light of the truth that is grounded in Holy Scripture, in natural human reason (which is itself, in our view, the gift of a beneficent God), and in the very nature of the human person.  We call upon all people of goodwill, believers and non-believers alike, to consider carefully and reflect critically on the issues we here address as we, with St. Paul, commend this appeal to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including a special concern for the poor and vulnerable, claims our attention, we are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions. 

Because the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife, and the freedom of conscience and religion are foundational principles of justice and the common good, we are compelled by our Christian faith to speak and act in their defense.  In this declaration we affirm: 1) the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every human being as a creature fashioned in the very image of God, possessing inherent rights of equal dignity and life; 2) marriage as a conjugal union of man and woman, ordained by God from the creation, and historically understood by believers and non-believers alike, to be the most basic institution in society and; 3) religious liberty, which is grounded in the character of God, the example of Christ, and the inherent freedom and dignity of human beings created in the divine image.

While this is not the declaration in its entirety, it is a ver compelling read. It is highly suggested that it is read. If you value the meaning of life, you should read this. If you value that sanctity of marriage, you should read this.

Obama Rejects Proposed Strategies for Afghanistan

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Nov 11 has now come and gone, and so have all the proposals for action in Afghanistan. The hand-picked general submitted his assessment, which itself brought a good deal of controversy. However, General McChrystal was put on hold for Olympic bids, for Afghan elections, and even a few rounds of golf.

Now, it was commented in an previous post that if Obama delayed long enough, it would be cause enough to probe for yet another assessment. Well, enough time has passed that Obama is now asking for more information and direction that should be pursued. The absurdity in all of this is that if he knew how to act on pressing issues in a timely manner, this would not be an issue.

He has gone on record to say that this is his war. But there is one problem with that statement. He has continually shown absolutely NO ownership. The only things he’s been consistent on is putting off the direction needed, and that the troops are still in a dangerous way.

After announcing that none of the proposals would be chosen, instead he has embarked on a trip to Asia that will postpone the decision even longer if not until after Thanksgiving. The time has certainly come that something come to be in the way of a decision. The troops are waiting. The American people are waiting. The Afghan people are waiting.

For more commentary:

Ten Facts About The Pelosi Bill

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As more and more people get a chance to look deeper into the Pelosi option, more is known about the death of the greatest health care system in the world. House Republican leader, John Boehner shares some facts that everyone should know about the monstrous 1990 page bill. And it should be added that this is just the start of things to come.

John Boehner – 10 Facts Every American Should Know About Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-Page Gov’t Takeover of Health Care

1. RAISES TAXES ON MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill imposes a range of tax increases on families with income below $250,000, breaking a promise made by President Obama. Tax increases on middle class families include: an individual mandate tax of up to 2.5 percent of income for taxpayers earning as little as $9,350; repeal of a tax break on medicine purchased with funds from an HSA (health savings account); limits to tax relief through FSAs (flexible spending accounts); taxes on medical devices that will inevitably be passed on to consumers; and a new tax on all insurance policies.

2. MASSIVE CUTS TO MEDICARE BENEFITS FOR SENIORS. Despite grave warnings from CBO, FactCheck.org, and the independent Lewin Group that cuts to Medicare of the magnitude included in Speaker Pelosi’s bill would have a negative impact on seniors’ benefits and choices, Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill stays the course and cuts Medicare by hundreds of billions of dollars.

3. NO PROTECTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill claims to exempt small businesses from the steep eight percent ‘pay or play’ employer mandate. The facts tell a different story. Using Census data compiled by the Small Business Administration, this so-called ‘exemption’ hammers small employers with only, on average, 17 or more employees to new taxes and mandates. The outfits affected employ 70 percent of all small business employees, or 42.3 million workers. Adding to the assault on small businesses, the bill does not index the small business “exemption” amounts, meaning more and more small businesses will be ensnared by this job-killing employer mandate each year.

4. INCREASES THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE. Imposing a new $2 billion tax on insurance policies will be passed on to patients in the form of higher premiums. Changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit will, according to estimates by CBO, will raise Medicare Part B premiums by $25 billion and Part D premiums by 20 percent. And imposing an unfunded mandate on the states to pay for the bill’s Medicaid expansion will shift the burden of this expansion on state taxpayers who may experience tax increases to cover the cost.

5. USES GIMMICKS TO HIDE BUDGET-BUSTING COST, PILES UP DEBT ON FUTURE GENERATIONS. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill claims to be deficit neutral, but uses budget gimmickry to hide its massive total cost. Working families across America know they cannot simply decide that a bill they get in the mail doesn’t exist, but that’s exactly what congressional Democrats are doing. In order to meet the President’s ‘target’ spending total of $900 billion, Democrats have simply swept costly provisions under the rug, including the $245 billion ‘doc fix.’

6. IMPOSES JOB-KILLING EMPLOYER MANDATES. Additional taxes on employers and new government mandates that dictate acceptable insurance will place new and crushing burdens on employers. These are burdens that will ultimately fall squarely on the backs of workers in the form of reduced wages, fewer hours or lost employment. CBO agrees that “[e]mployees largely bear the cost of… play-or-pay fees in the form of lower wages.” According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s largest small business association, an employer mandate of this magnitude will disproportionately impact small businesses, triggering up to 1.6 million lost jobs. Two-thirds of those jobs would be shed by small businesses.

7. TILTS THE PLAYING FIELD IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNMENT-RUN INSURANCE COMPANY. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill promises not to give the government-run plan advantages over private insurers in the market, but the opposite is true. The bill provides billions in start-up funding for the government-run plan, and while it requires the plan to repay the money over time it does not require the plan to pay interest on this “loan.” This interest-free, taxpayer-subsidized loan is potentially worth millions of dollars and tilts the playing field in favor of the government-run plan.

8. THREATENS CASH-STRAPPED STATES WITH UNFUNDED MANDATES. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill swells the number of Americans on the government rolls by expanding Medicaid eligibility. Medicaid is financed through a federal-state partnership, but the bill dumps nearly ten percent of the mandated expansion included in the bill onto the states. States, already struggling with fiscal constraints, would be left on the hook for billions of dollars due to this unfunded mandate.

9. CREATES A NEW MONSTROSITY IN THE TAX CODE. Starting in 2011, Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill imposes a 5.4 percent tax on adjusted gross income above $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for married couples. Yet, the dollar amounts for which the tax kicks in are not indexed for inflation. We’ve seen this horror film before: the Alternative Minimum Tax, another Frankenstein’s monster of the tax code, also wasn’t indexed for inflation and now affects millions of middle class families with incomes below the Democrat’s surtax.

10. MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO CURTAIL JUNK LAWSUITS. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill misses a critical opportunity to rein in junk lawsuits and costly defensive medicine. The bill includes only a voluntary grant program to deal with the medical liability crisis instead of including real reform, which would produce tens of billions of dollars in savings, improve efficiency in our health care system and reduce costs for patients and providers.

The Pelosi Health Bill Option

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Health care reform takes new form today with the release of the Pelosi Option.

This 1990 page option convieniently falls below the $900 billion limit imposed by President Obama at a cost of $894 billion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). However, the CBO indicates more analysis is needed and that the report was not final.

Certainly more time is needed with a bill staged at a whopping 1990 pages. Everyone needs more time to read and dissect this new proposal that is said to be praised by Obama. The Pelosi Option had no Republican input.

So, what can be expected in the Pelosi Option?

  • require everyone to sign up for insurance from their employer, a government program or a pool
  • an expansion of Medicaid
  • penalties for employers who don’t provide health care for employees
  • higher taxes

Is this the end of the list? No, but rather a simple start. Pleanty of time should be allowed in order to read this version, but Pelosi reportedly would like to have it voted on by Veteran’s Day.

If you have the time to read the Pelosi Option, please do. They have proven in the past that they are unwilling to take the time to. If something sticks out to you, and think it deserves more attention, feel free to contact me. Together we can dissect it and share what we find.

Click here to read the bill.

Afghanistan Awaits Tee Time Decision

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Almost two months ago, General McChrystal submitted his assessment on the situation in Afghanistan along with some requests. His most debated request being a surge of troops in upwards of 40,000.

Still without a decision, President Obama has yet to signal what direction he wants to go with Afghanistan. However, this does not mean that he has not been busy.

USAToday reports that Obama is now tied with former President Bush when it comes to rounds of golf, matching him at 24 rounds. Barack has only been in office for 10 months, while Bush elected to stop playing after 2 years and 10 months.

While Obama has been busy teeing off on the links, he has at least been thinking of what his next actions will be, after an election run-off in Afghanistan.

Fox News reports:

The administration is debating whether to send tens of thousands more troops to the country, while the Afghan government is moving to hold a Nov. 7 runoff election between President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah. The runoff comes after complaints by international monitors of fraudulent voting in the first election. 

But, Obama’s critics say the time for him to make a decision is running out.

“Republicans want very much to support the president’s decision,” Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., told “Fox News Sunday.” But he cited Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s own warning that U.S. and NATO forces may only have about one year before the insurgency’s momentum becomes irreversible. 

“It’s been more than two months since the recommendation went to the president. And Gen. McChrystal is talking about a 12-month time frame,” Kyl said. “So clearly time is of the essence here.”

Obama said to a group of Navy service men and women that he “will never rush the solemn decision of sending [troops] into harm’s way.”

First Amendment Under Attack

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Benjamin Franklin said it best when he said, ” Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.”

Never before has free speech been tested as it is being tested today. Free speech against the media is something that is challenged all the time, with special attention when an opposing view is in question. One view that is under heavy attack is that of Fox News. The White House is waging a war against Fox, namely because of its opposition and the opinion shows showcased in its evening lineup.

One front of this war on free speech is being led by the Diversity Czar, Mark Lloyd. As the Diversity Czar, he holds enough power to make the fight a lot harder than it should be.

Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association (NRA), wrote in his column Standing Guard at American Rifleman Magazine:

One of the radical ideological appointees embedded in the Obama political machine is a man with a dream for the First Amendment. His name is Mark Lloyd, and as Obama’s “Diversity Czar” at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), he plans to wield immense power over the way Americans can communicate.

In his vision, a day would come when talk radio would be replaced with government-approved “progressive” local radio and by a smothering National People’s Radio.

In the Orwellian name of “diversity,” censorship will reign.

In his powerful FCC post, Lloyd is shaping the critical components of the Obama administration’s backdoor censorship of electronic and digital communications. He is doing it through the “regulatory” process—outside any specific congressional authority. FCC has the power to determine who gets broadcast licenses and who is barred. Political misuse of that power is the key.

But keep in mind that with this administration, criticism is always treated as nothing more than a “distraction” from the relentless agenda.

Lloyd declared, “… that conservative talk radio dominates the airwaves of our country to the detriment of informed public discourse and the First Amendment.”

Got that? The free market of ideas—where individual Americans choose with their radio dials—exists “to the detriment of the First Amendment.”

With Lloyd empowered as “Diversity Czar” at the FCC—and Soros ultimately pulling the strings—this effort in the coming months to turn radical anti-First Amendment theory into public policy will move at a rapid pace. It will be merely one part of a flood of “Change” aimed at silencing any political opposition at any cost.

So, in theory, you will not be able to choose what you want to listen to. You will be forced to listen to a myriad of radio voices. Long gone would be the days where you turn the dial to one station to listen to like-minded talkshow hosts, instead you would have to search and search to find five minutes you may or may not agree with.

One strange bit of irony in this is that the arguement for free speech is being voiced by a leading member of the NRA. Some say that the 2nd Amendment was written to protect the 1st Amendment.

The Waiting Game for Afghanistan

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With the announcement of a run-off election for November 7 in Afghanistan, hopes for action by President Obama rise. Without having made one decision about future actions in Afghanistan, it looks as though a decision won’t be made any time soon.

So the question arises: Will Obama have waited too long to make a decision that he will order a new strategy assessment report?

Without pressure from either side, it may be possible. Another possibility would be his hand-picked commander, General McChrystal, to step down or be released from command. Without the support and trust of the President behind him, why wouldn’t he.

The problem Obama is facing is one of popularity. However, popular politics isn’t cutting it with the troops. They are the ones suffering and in need of help. Continuing to put pressure on NATO for support and troops isn’t going to cut it. It is time for Obama and his administration to step it up and decide whether they want to win or lose.

So far, many feel they are on track to lose.

Obama Team ‘Controlled’ Media During Election

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It was no secret that the media was in it for Barack Obama during the election. Now it is being bragged about by Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director, that they “controlled” the media to look “popular.” This comes as Dunn and the White House is attacking Fox News.

What Dunn said:

She explained that the campaign favored live interviews so that Obama’s words could not be edited — “so that what the voters heard we determined, as opposed to some editor in a TV station.” 

She said Campaign Manager David Plouffe put out Web videos so the campaign could avoid talking to reporters and focus the media message. 

“Whether it was a David Plouffe video or an Obama speech, a huge part of our press strategy was focused on making the media cover what Obama was actually saying as opposed to why the campaign was saying it,” she said. “One of the reasons we did so many of the David Plouffe videos was not just for our supporters, but also because it was a way for us to get our message out without having to actually talk to reporters. … We just put that out there and made them write what Plouffe had said as opposed to Plouffe doing an interview with a reporter. So it was very much we controlled it as opposed to the press controlled it.”

Afghanistan Waits on Health Care Reform

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Day in and day out, people turn on the news and hear more and more about the proposed health care reform, and how the President wants it done and passed in as little time as possible. True that there are things wrong with the health care system, but there are many more important issues on the table that continue to get brushed aside.

Health care this, health care that. Baucus bill here, Baucus bill there. What about taking a stance on the future of Afghanistan and whether or not to send more troops? This has become more of a game to the current administration. The only downfall to not taking action soon is that more and more American soldiers will continue to die at rediculous rates.

The time is over! It is time to decide on a direction for Afghanistan. Understanding the dificulties of politics, at some point one would question the President on when he would make his next move. Today’s delay comes way of waiting on election outcomes. True, it would be nice to have the backing of the incoming government to support any future steps. However, the major concern comes when the lives of not only Americans are in danger, but the Afghan people.

The pressure on health care has taken front stage before the lives of the American troops. American soldiers are continuing to die, while a new health care bill takes shape. The American troops should always come first! NOT health care reform!

Take a good look at history. How was America so victorious during WW2? The soldiers came first. America was behind it’s troops 100%! There wasn’t a health care bill being shoved through Washington at the time. Global Warming/Cooling wasn’t a hot topic. Failed government policies weren’t debated and blamed on the previous administration. NO! The troops came first. The President listened.