Nothing is Free

Well, here he came, Slick Willy riding in on his stallion (private jet from his Hollywood pal) in shining armor to save the day.

Our 42nd president came in an orchestrated blaze of glory, freeing Laura and Euna from the grasp of the communist Koreans.

Before I go into a little bit about the rescue, please do not get me wrong -- I have the utmost joy in my heart that these young ladies were returned home safely to their families and friends. Saving these ladies from certain doom was a great, great thing.

But at what cost were they returned home? This morning as I watched the plane come into Los Angeles, I was feeling a little unsure of the situation. The news outlets were reporting that the sending of former President Clinton to save the journalists was a "wheels-in-motion" response from communication by the ladies themselves to their families.

What did Kim Jong Il have to gain from this encounter? After all, the journalists seemed to be nothing more than a bargaining chip for North Korea in an effort to make a statement to the whole world. It's clear that they did not commit any real crime. And the threats of labor camps and confinement may have just been hollow as well -- Il was waiting for something he could use.

What exactly happened in the negotiations? We're told that Il's nuclear advisors were in the talks with Clinton as well. If nothing else, Kim got some great photo opportunities with the former president- something very valuable to Il and his regime. They have been cut off from the international community for some time now, and photos of him and a generally well-respected former US president? Well his PR people must be ecstatic.

What did the United States have to give up in order to get back the journalists? Time will only tell.

Stay tuned.
-WHTT

The Most Important Seat At The Table

I'm here with what I hope will be the first of many daily posts on this blog.

On president Obama's Organizing for America website, he claims in the video below that "the most important seat at the table" in the health care debate is that of the American people.



Mr. President is right. The most important voice should be that of you and I. But it's not. Its the voice of the Administration, singing in chorus with that of Democrats in Congress. They're pushing with all their might to move legislation through, despite cries from a number of sources that their "reform" doesn't mirror the intentions of the population.

A recent Gallup poll which was published last week showed no cries of majority support for health care reform. In fact, as the poll states, 34% of Americans feel that a government reform of health care would worsen the current system.

A step into the realm of socialized medicine is one we cannot afford to take. Once we as a nation cross that line, it will be nearly impossible to return to any semblance of a conservative society--the kind this great nation was founded to be--ever again.

We cannot afford to echo the sentiment of "WE MUST ACT NOW" which was so quickly shoved down our throats in the passing of the Recovery Act. The stimulus isn't working. There are no jobs. And all because....? We acted quickly? I think not. A bill which will forever change the course of our nation should be debated rigorously. And as the "opposition" (read: majority) opinion begins to make its voice heard at town hall meetings and protests, liberal congressmen dismiss the cries as not grassroots but "astroturf." Pelosi, Reid and Co. are encouraging their cronies to cancel their town hall meetings for fear of too much dissent.

We cannot stop now. We have, as the President said, the most important seat at the table.

Keep fighting.
-WHTT