Red, White, and Blue in the Face!

My hosting service took a big hit in one of the datacenters they use — my site was on the server that died. I’ve essentially been offline here for 9 days.

I’m not going to try and catch up with the news thats been going on except to reference these articles that I had intended to blog about:

“I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African-American,” Carter told “NBC Nightly News.” “I live in the South, and I’ve seen the South come a long way, and I’ve seen the rest of the country that shares the South’s attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans.”

“That racism inclination still exists, and I think it’s bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people — not just in the South but around the country — that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It’s an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply,” Carter said. [emphasis mine]

Former President Jimmy Carter must have lost touch with reality or he’s part of a concerted effort by the Left to shut down the debate, or any attempt at debate, of politics and policy in this country. By his statement Mr. Carter demonstrates an abominable ignorance of and disregard for the viewpoints of those opposing the present administrations policies.

It would be naive of me to suggest that there is no one in America who actually dislikes President Obama – I’m sure there are fringe wingnuts on all sides who for one illogical reason or another dislike him as a person and some who probably dislike him because he is black. But to say that everyone and anyone who disagrees with the Presidents policies or proposals does so because the President is a black man is simply out in left field. The animosity that is being intensely demonstrated is an animosity toward the governments proposals and policies and, I sincerely believe, is being demonstrated not only against this administration and the Democrats but against everyone and anyone in government now and any time over the past 2 decades. The animosity is directed at those who had first contributed directly to the root causes of the failure of the U.S. (and subsequently the global) economy and then had the brass to try and blame the entire thing on someone else (popularly, that someone else is most often President George W. Bush) all the while claiming no responsibility for their own documented actions. As if that wasn’t enough, the majority of these people then lined up like pigs at a trough, and while much of America was staggering under the weight of financial losses and increasing unemployment, proceeded to spend our hard earned dollars on wasteful and fraudulent projects. These self-same politicians who have demonstrated an unabashed hypocrisy in the full view of the American people day after day for the last 8 months are now of the opinion that we, the American people, are simply in their way and obstructing their so-called agenda.

If those who claim we’re upset because we don’t like President Obama because President Obama is a black man would get their heads out of their butts they would see endless examples that would prove them wrong. I myself and particularly proud of Mr. Obama and of this country for electing him as President. No disagreement I have about anything is directed at the person of the President, but is instead a disagreement with the policies of the President. [As an aside I might add that I am disappointed with the people President Obama has chosen to surround himself with – these people reflect a radically Leftist tendency and do not reflect the popular direction in this country but instead oppose the popular direction which has been proven to be largely tending toward conservatism] It is decidedly disengenous to describe those who disagree with political policies and agendas as “racists” and reflects desperation in the Liberal camp.

The Majority Party in this Adminstration and in our Congress along with those who support them have failed to recognize a salient point – Mr. Obama’s election was not a mandate for a near-Socialist agenda but was a mandate for change. Included in the majority that voted for Barack Obama were a large group of moderate, centrist and conservative voters who evidently chose to ignore what Mr. Obama said he was planning to do and instead chose to vote for him simply because they couldn’t vote for John mcCain. The better part of the voters who put Mr. Obama into office are not racists  but are simple, hardworking Americans who want their government to work for them not against them. The evidence for this continues – a recent Gallup poll shows that a significant number of Americans are identifying themselves as conservative rather than liberal. Why? Because they are racist? Good grief – don’t be simple. It’s because they do not identify themselves with the extreme liberal policies of this Administration. How, pray tell Mr. Carter, does that make them racist? Last point – if so many of us white people believe “that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country” how do you explain President Obama’s election? Whites, by any measure, are still the majority in this country sir (better than 70% conservatively), so your argument is, on its face, simply illogical.

Mr. Carter, I can’t believe you really meant what you said but in the event you did actually mean it all I have to say is, thank God you aren’t President!

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi couldn’t have been more clear by her statements in support of a “must have” public option in proposed health care legislation. She was adamant more than once that leaving out a public option was not an option. Unless you’ve been tuning out the news you cannot have missed the House Speakers statements. Carrying things even further (as she usually does) Speaker Pelosi was quoted as saying that the health insurance companies are the “villains” in this debate.

Turns out the villains in this drama are the politicians who once again prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are representing themselves and could care a fig about America and Americans and Speaker Pelosi is running a close race for first place in this contest for biggest hypocrite of the year.

She has insulted Americans who she supposedly represents and who have elected her to the office she occupies calling them Nazis and labeling their grass roots protests as “astroturf” implying their anger is manufactured and their protests organized by PACs. The evidence belies this — sure there must be some few who fall into the organized protest category but I challenge you to view a video of this weekend’s Washington protest and tell me those signs are mass produced by organizers. No way.

On Tuesday Speaker Pelosi said the public option was essential for passing a health-care bill in the House. Now she seems to be backing down and on Thursday said 

“This is about a goal. It’s not about provisions,” Pelosi said, adding that as long as legislation meets goals of “affordability and accessibility and quality … then we will go forward with that bill.”

She said she still thinks a public option is the best way to achieve those goals, but when asked if inclusion of a public option was a non-negotiable demand — as her previous statements had indicated — Pelosi ruled out any non-negotiable positions.

(CNN-Democratic leaders in Congress soften on public option)

 What could be behind this change of heart? Villains are they? Well, yes, absolutely they are unless they have a check with her name on it. Gee, guess what! They DO have a check with her name on it!

EXCLUSIVE: UnitedHealth Lobbyist Announces Pelosi Fundraiser As She Begins Backing Off Pub Option

Speaker Pelosi should resign or be impeached immediately. The arrogant corruption here is simply beyond belief and this sort of behavior has become the norm in Washington these days.

Martin P. Wohlforth, 47, Greenwich, CT – husband, father, friend

Martin P. Wohlforth. The managing director of the investment firm Sandler O’Neill was at work with dozens of co-workers on the 104th floor of the south tower when the first plane struck the north tower.
Wohlforth called his wife, Susan, president of the Junior League in Greenwich, saying Port Authority officials had advised south tower workers that their building was safe. Susan Wohlforth started home.

Twenty minutes later, after the second plane hit, Susan Wohlforth’s secretary received a scratchy, faint phone call. Martin Wohlforth identified himself twice, and asked for Susan. Then the connection was lost.

Susan Wohlforth and the couple’s 16-year-old daughter, Chloe, went to the disaster scene and showed his picture around, hoping for a bit of news. They heard nothing. At least 70 Sandler O’Neill employees have not been accounted for.

“He is truly an excellent, husband, father and neighbor,’ said Susan’s sister, Cricket Burns. “He is so well loved.’

– The Hartford Courant

*******
Martin P. Wohlforth, 47,town resident 20 years

Martin Phillips Wohlforth, 47, a Greenwich resident for almost 20 years, died Tuesday, Sept. 11, at the World Trade Center in New York City.

Born Oct. 22, 1953, in New York City, he was the son of Robert and Mariann Wohlforth of Naples, Fla.

Mr. Wohlforth, known as “Buff” to family and friends, was a managing director at Sandler O’Neill & Partners on the 104th floor of tower two.
quote:
He was raised in Demarest, N.J., and attended Bergen Catholic High School. He graduated in 1976 from Princeton University and continued to be a supporter and active alumnus, along with his father, sister and father-in-law.

He was a member of The Stanwich Club, where he enjoyed his life-long passion for golf.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Wohlforth is survived by his wife, Susan Telesco Wohlforth, and daughter, Chloe Wohlforth, both of Greenwich; and two sisters, Priscilla Stumm, of Chestnut Hill, Mass., and Elizabeth Tatsuno, of Cincinnati, Ohio.

–The Greenwich Time

Princeton Alumni Weekly Memorial

Legacy.com Memorial

NY Times – Snapshots of a Family

There remain dozens of online photo memorials. Here a just a few:

The Black Day, 911 Photo Archive, Days of Terror, Shattered, Profiles of 9/11

An extensive collection of photos of 9/11 memorials in the NYC area.

This post is part of Project 2,996 – Never Forget

(H/T: Catholic Exchange)