A nine percent approval rating and these are the people we’re expecting will fix our health care problems? Give me a break.

This month’s release of Rasmussen Reports’ survey of congressional approval ratings serves a scathing reproach of politicians on Capitol Hill. For the first time since Rasmussen has been tracking congressional approval ratings, less than 10 percent of Americans say Congress is doing a good or excellent job.

Against President Bush’s much-publicized poor approval ratings, today’s poll shows Congress’ numbers have plunged to less than a third of the president’s.

The most recent report calculates a mere 9 percent approve of congressional performance, while a majority of Americans, 52 percent, say Congress is doing a poor job, which also ties a record high.

I cannot understand how we think these criminals are going to make anything better. They’re the least trusted group of decision makers in the country. We could throw them all out and start over, but how? These people control our lives and they aren’t going to gracefully bow out just because a few hundred million serfs are feeling unhappy.

Servants don’t tell masters what to do.

In a nation where the government wants citizens to follow rule of law concepts, it is ironic when that same government stays busy ensuring that it completely ignores rule of law by passing illegal legislation.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday that could shield phone companies from billions of dollars in lawsuits for their participation in the warrantless surveillance program begun by President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Which part of the 4th Amendment is not clear?

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The arrogance in Washington D.C. is so overwhelming in 2008. When Congress fails to respect the law of the land they are sowing the seeds of rebellion. Why should any citizen respect Congress if Congress doesn’t respect the citizen? And thus is a society weakened from the inside.

Go ahead and spy on me without just cause. While you watch me, I’ll be watching you as well, and ignoring your rules as necessary.

‘It will help our intelligence professionals learn our enemies’ plans for new attacks,’ Bush said just hours before the House approved the bill, 293-129. ‘It ensures that those companies whose assistance is necessary to protect the country will themselves be protected from liability.’

What the new legislation will do is ensure that a whole new class of domestic enemies is created unnecessarily. When the government spies on its own citizens, those citizens will becoming increasingly discontented. I’m flabbergasted that the Bush administration hasn’t figured this out in eight years. Not only are we expected to shoulder a tax burden that would undoubtedly have caused another American Revolution had it been tried in colonial times, but we are expected to allow our D.C. overlords to record us whenever they feel like it - without any notice, without any burden of proof, without any oversight at all.

Utter bullshit. Both of our Presidential candidates supported this crap legislation, further proving that the “choice” being offered to Americans in the upcoming election isn’t really a choice at all. No matter which puppet you vote for, you can rest assured that the United States will be less free in four years than it was when you voted.

Want to know what Congress is planning to do with the money they want to steal from you in 2009?

Defense: $515 billion ($294)
Homeland Security: $38 billion ($0; was in Domestic Necessary)
Domestic Necessary: $713 billion
Domestic Worthy Causes*: $305 billion ($217)
Social Security: $644 billion ($409)
Medicare: $408 billion ($197)
Medicaid and SCHIP: $224 billion ($136)
Interest: $260 billion ($223)
Total: $3107 ($1789)

Numbers in parentheses are how much was spent in fiscal year 2000. Source article here.

Here is the projected income:

Personal income taxes: $1259 billion ($1004.5)
Corporate income taxes: $339 billion ($207.3)
Social Insurance receipts: $949 billion ($652.9)
Other taxes: $153 billion ($161)
Deficit: $400 billion (surplus $236 billion)

I disagree with the authors’ conclusions - let’s completely eliminate Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as a start - it cannot be done in one year, but it can be done. That would balance out the budget by eliminating almost a trillion dollars in theft. Social Security is an illegal Ponzi scheme, whether anyone will admit it or not. People too stupid to live healthy lifestyles and put money aside for the time when their health inevitably starts to fail deserve to suffer the consequences (I include myself in this group; I am a former smoker).

Once we get the trillion dollars of “I’m too stupid to take care of myself” money out of the budget, we can tackle the $305 billion in “domestic worthy causes” - honest people call that money pork. The proposed budget is criminal!

Is it just me or does anyone else think that Congress telling professional sports what substances players may or may not use is like putting Satan in charge of Auschwitz because the living conditions are bad? Might as well put the heroin addicts in charge of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Some aspects of our modern American reality are completely idiotic.

Our national attitude towards drugs is one of those aspects.