Tuesday, February 28, 2012

A TEAPOT CALLING THE KETTLE RED

Staunch Tea Party financial benefactor and Texas Medical Association PAC donor, Dr Jacques Roy of Rockwall Texas has been getting the money he's been funneling to Republican causes from the most unlikely of sources – Medicare and Medicaid! And that's not the half of it. United States attorneys in Texas have secured indictments against Dr. Roy and the company he owns, Medistat Group Associates for defrauding Medicare and Medicaid out of $375 million dollars. Dr. Roy, his company and six other named defendants are charged with conducting a fraudulent billing scheme that began in early 2006 and continued until November of last year. According to the federal indictments, Roy and his accomplices submitted tens of thousands of bogus invoices to Medicare and Medicaid for services and tests that were never performed.

At the same time as Doctor Roy was bilking the federal government's two largest medical care programs, he was also a regular contributor to "Our Country Deserves Better PAC – TeaPartyExpress.org" the Republican Tea Party's National Political Action Committee. Dr. Roy was also a contributor to the Texas Medical Association PAC, which supports only candidates opposed to President Obama's health care initiative.

What we have here is a classic example of the teapot calling the kettle red (the Republican color of choice). With one hand, Dr. Roy gave financial support to political organizations trying to eliminate federal programs that provided health care to the poor and the elderly. With his other hand, Dr. Roy defrauded those same programs of $375 million dollars. Typical right-wing hypocrisy!

KILLING IN THE NAME OF RELIGION

Nothing gets the inner-violent nature of mankind stirred up more than religion. The 17th century French philosopher, Blaise Pascal put it more succinctly when he wrote, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

The Crusades that occurred during the Middle Ages and the Spanish Inquisitions that were conducted during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, both by the Catholic Church, provided solid proof for Pascal's observation, as did the post-reformation wars between Protestant England and Catholic Spain and France. In more recent times, religious violence has proliferated between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, Jews and Muslims in the Middle East, Hindis and Muslims in India, and between Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims in the Middle East and Asia.
What I find perplexing about our world's religiously inspired violence is that all the major religions involved have major tenets denouncing the use of violence and demand that their followers treat fellow human beings with respect and compassion. The world's major religions all have some version of the "Golden Rule", and yet, those rules are so universally ignored that you have to wonder whether most believers know they exist.

Take yesterday's religious killings in Pakistan, for example. In an area known as the Kohistan District, a group of armed Sunni Muslim fanatics unleashed a barrage of gunfire at a bus full of Shiite Muslims. Eighteen Shiites were killed and more were injured. The reason for the attack was religion. Sunni Muslims hate Shiite Muslims. Shiite Muslims hate Sunni Muslims. It's been that way for the past 1400 years, and whenever they can, both groups kill followers of the other with fervor and religious satisfaction. Both sides view their Muslim counterparts as something less than dogs. I guess that's how they get around their version of the "Golden Rule". Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Hindus have been using that logic for years. I guess if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for the Muslims too.

Monday, February 27, 2012

IMPATIENT WING-NUTS RUIN EVERYTHING

We've hear the adage before; a few bad apples spoil the bunch, but of late, it seems to be happening more frequently than usual. Take Russia, for example. Reports out of Moscow this morning indicate that a small group of individuals have been arrested by Russian Security forces for plotting to kill Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin. The suspects were reportedly acting on orders from Chechen rebel leaders. What makes this a case of rotten apples is the fact that hundreds of thousands of protestors have recently taken to the streets in Moscow and other Russian cities in largely peaceful demonstrations against Putin's government and policies. The demonstrations were making political headway and foreign observers have been suggesting there was a very real possibility that Putin's hold on Russia's Politburo, the country's legislature, would come to an end. Now, that's all in doubt. The assassination plot may leave ordinary Russians feeling skittish about taking a giant step toward political change. Nobody wants another wave of violence and killings, and Putin now has the perfect excuse to crush his political opposition; all because a few impatient wing-nuts couldn't wait on peaceful protests to achieve their ultimate goals.

America's 'Occupy Movement' provides another good example. The group's aim is to draw attention to systematic economic inequality in America and the cruelty it inflicts on a large segment of our Nation's citizenry. Protests that started in New York sprang up in hundreds of cities across America and political polling data indicated that the Occupy Movement's message was resonating with disaffected voters everywhere. That's when wing-nuts entered the picture and started ruining the Occupy Movement's progress. In New York and Oakland a hand-full of Occupy Movement protesters physically attacked a few opponents of their movement, and that violence erupted into clashes with the police. Overnight, the Occupy message became synonymous with violence, and much of the Occupy Movement's political gains were left in debris cluttering the streets.

It doesn't take more than a few wing-nuts to ruin a good cause. Unfortunately, they're out there!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

WILL IGNORANCE PREVAIL?

On March 21, 2011, I posted a piece on this blog criticizing Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett's plan to cut $1.6 billion in state funding from public education and suggested that the governor's next logical step would be to do away with public schools and let folks educate their own kids. Who knew that such an idea would take hold in mainstream Republican circles so quickly? Maybe I have psychic powers that I never knew existed, but now that G.O.P. presidential candidate Rick Santorum has made the abolition of public education a part of his national platform, I guess there's no denying that my "Magic 8 Ball" really can see into the future.

Will ignorance prevail?

"The future is uncertain."

Saturday, February 25, 2012

RELEASING THE ANGER

The Internet is ablaze with photos of mobs of Afghans rioting over the burning of copies of the Qur'an at a NATO military base in that country. Soldiers were shot. Rioters were killed. Innocent citizens were caught in the crossfire. The letter of apology sent by President Obama to Afghan President Hamid Karzai hasn't done much to quell the violence. Then again, you can't blame Obama for that failure. He didn't order the Qur'an burning. He didn't burn the Qur'an. He didn't sanction it, not that that matters to the rioters on the streets of Kabul.

Sometimes I think the Afghan mobs have nothing better to do; or maybe they're just looking for any excuse available to release their caged anger, the kind of anger that builds up when life holds little by way of hope for something better and more productive. You see that sort of thing in prison riots. The lack of hope breeds anger, the anger builds up pressure, and eventually a match comes along and lights the fuse, like some lunatic who decides to burn a holy book without care or thought of the consequences. With that spark, the rioters seize their opportunity and the streets explode…people die…and millions around the globe watch and shake their heads…and wonder why.

I get angry watching the injustices in this world. Sometimes, I growl. Sometimes, I moan to anybody who will listen. Oftentimes, I take out my anger on the keyboard with my computer, and you get to read the results. I'd like to think my ranting makes a difference, but at least I know that nobody will die in the process, and no innocents will be caught in the crossfire.

LOSING TO A WINLESS TEAM

In 2008, the Detroit Lions football team, which posted the N.F.L.'s worst single regular season record of 0-16, still managed an average attendance of 54,497 at each of its games played at Detroit's Ford Field. Yesterday, the front-runner Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, drew 1,200 supporters at a rally held at spacious Ford Field by Detroit's Economic Club.

In 2008, everybody knew that the Detroit Lions football team stunk, but with the 2009 first pick in the draft solidly in their corner, Lions fans knew there was reason to hope for the future, or at least 54,497 thought so on any given Sunday. That's why they showed up to cheer for their team.

The same can't be said for Romney or his supporters. There's no first round draft pick in their future. Perhaps that's why only 1,200 showed up.

Friday, February 24, 2012

CRITICAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS NOT A WELCOMED GUEST AT PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS' TABLE

Surprise! Surprise! The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a well-respected, nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C., just released the results of its latest study on the impact that budget plans of our current presidential candidates would have on the national debt. The budget plans of Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney lead to the highest federal deficits and do nothing to pay down the national debt. President Obama's plan would curtail federal deficit spending to a much greater degree, but payments on the national debt would only occur if higher taxes were levied on the wealthy, America's economy quickly returned to boom year levels and the country stayed out of another war. Only Ron Paul, whose draconian spending cuts and ideas regarding a virtually non-existent federal government are roundly rejected as lunacy, comes close to eliminating federal deficit spending, but even Paul's plan makes no provisions for paying off our 14 trillion dollar national debt.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget conducted a thorough review of the plans currently on our political table and should be congratulated for their efforts, but I doubt they'll get the credit they deserve. Presidential politics in America seldom engages in rational analysis. That kind of thinking isn't popular with the electorate.

VIOLENCE BEGETS VIOLENCE

There is a scene in the movie, Ben-Hur, where Esther, the slave Ben-Hur has freed, confronts him over the anger and desire for bloody retribution he harbors against his childhood friend, the Roman governor of Judea. "Violence begets violence," Esther warns, "just as dog begets dog!" Ben-Hur is unmoved. His anger blinds him to the warning, and he chooses to ignore it.

The other day, Esther's words came to mind when reports surfaced on the Internet regarding an interview conducted by the Fars News Agency, an Iranian media outlet closely connected with the Iranian government. The woman being interviewed was Bolouri Kashani, the wife of the late Mostafa Roshan, who was the Iranian nuclear scientist that was assassinated last month when a bomb was planted on his car. The nuclear scientist's wife was reported to have said that her husband wholeheartedly sought the destruction of Isreal and that the goal of her husband's work was the annihilation of Israel.

Esther was right. "Violence begets violence, just as dog begets dog!"

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The United States Postal Service has announced plans to close thousands of small postal facilities and lay off close to 35,000 employees. What does that mean? It means that 35,000 disgruntled former postal workers may be coming to community near you!

VIOLENCE IN OUR SCHOOLS

In 1974, I was a junior in a parochial high school. Academically, I was a good student and a member of the National Honor Society. I participated in extra-curricular activities, including forensics and chorus.

I was also the recipient of verbal and physical torment from several students we popularly refer to as bullies. In fact, I’d been receiving similar treatment from bullies in school for as long as I can remember. Over the years I’d made numerous complaints to authority figures. On occasions, the bullies were punished, but that frequently resulted in equally damaging repercussions to me. Most bullies have bully friends.

One day I made a complaint to the assistant principal about one bully’s constant shoving me in hallways. The bully was supposedly “disciplined”. The next day as I walked through the hallway at least ten guys “accidentally” knocked into me with such force that I experienced physical pain. While walking to my seat in the cafeteria an “unseen foot” tripped me. I crashed to the floor with my lunch tray and the eyes of several hundred laughing students came to rest on me. Needless to say I was humiliated. But I was also angry.

The next morning, determined to be push around no more, I took a loaded handgun to school. I wasn't looking for trouble. I didn't go searching for a bully to kill. I'd just reached the point where I couldn't take it anymore bullying, and the only thing that gave me any sense of empowerment was the loaded .22 caliber handgun in my pocket. Thankfully, I didn't have occasion to use it that day. Perhaps a higher power intervened.

Now, when I look back on that particular day and the circumstances that led me to the edge of a violent abyss, I can see why a particular chain of events brought me to that place. For years, I'd been assaulted and tormented. Authority figures did not correct the situation. My feelings were never validated. I did not feel safe. I had access to a weapon, and finally, I felt justified in defending myself. I'm not saying I was justified. I'm just saying – that's the way it was.

Whenever I think of violence in school, I can't shake the feeling that we must be clear with our children that “might does not always mean right”! I’m convinced one of the reasons Americans still have an uneasy feeling in their gut about the whole Vietnam experience is that it shattered the bubble on this belief. I’m equally convinced that we keep trying to deny it. Just because we’re strong and can exert a lot of muscle doesn’t make it right for us to do so. But I think we teach our kids it is!

When I think of this I’m reminded of a bumper sticker I've seen that says: “The West wasn’t won- it was stolen.” In the teaching of our country’s history we glorify the pioneer experience and the westward expansion. The reality was that settlers swept westward across lands that were inhabited by several million Native Americans and simply “moved in”. When the Natives retaliated against the settlers our government went to war with them, and eventually the “might” of the forces of our government won.

Today, if I drove my car out West, saw a nice plot of ground with a scenic view and decided that I wanted to “move in and set up shop”, there’s a very good chance I’d soon be staring down the barrel of some rancher’s Winchester. Or, I’d be sitting in a jail charged with trespassing. Few adults today would find my actions defensible, but how many would be so critical of the actions of the pioneers. We’d be touting the rancher’s right to defend his land, but do we teach that the Native Americans were justified in defending the invasion of their land with force? I don’t think so. There is an inconsistency in our teaching that children pick up on. It’s subtle to be sure, but children are masters at catching the subtle. It’s how they learn.

How does this relate to reducing school violence? The bully needs to know that “might does not make right”. Those children sitting around watching the bully need to know that “might does not make right” and the child who has been the recipient of the bully’s might needs to receive our validation of their feeling that “might does not make right”.

For starters, we must be more up front and critical of the fact that might doesn’t make right and admit to examples in our nation’s history where people in this country were wrong for believing so. We’ve had a long history of using our might. Our history of admitting mistakes has been far shorter.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

EVEN LIBERALS BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL

A 2007 Gallup survey of Americans found that 7 of every 10 people questioned indicated that they believed in the Devil. The results of that Gallup poll have been bandied about lately as proof that Americans are buying into the snake-oil being sold by Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum. I beg to differ with that assessment, because I'm a blazing liberal and I count myself among the 7 in 10 Americans who believe that the Devil actually exists. In fact, I think he looks a helluva like Rick Santorum. Imagine that!

VIRGINIA'S G.O.P. ULTRASOUND RULE…and my Democratic amendment!

Virginia's Republican legislature is ready to forward a bill to the Commonwealth's Republican governor requiring women to have internal vaginal probes before seeking an abortion. It's the latest in a long line of G.O.P. efforts to deprive woman of control over their own bodies, not to mention access to abortions, but if Virginia Republicans really want to be fair about their efforts, they'll include my own Democratic amendment to their bill.

I propose that all males within the Commonwealth of Virginia be required to undergo an internal penis probe before engaging in any sex act that could result in the fertilization of a female egg. Failure to undergo such a procedure within 48 hours of engaging in sexual intercourse should constitute a felony. Requiring such a procedure would cut down on the overall number of sexual encounters performed in the Commonwealth, and thus, reduce the number of abortions. That is the aim, isn't it?

BOOK BURNING - A CONTINUATION OF IGNORANCE

Book burning has never been a good idea. In fact, it's downright maddening, and that's why I can sympathize with the anger that has erupted across Afghanistan at news that Americans have once again burned copies of Islam's most sacred book – the Qur'an. The burning of the Qur'an is not just a slap in the face of a particular religion. It's an insult upon a rich and vibrant culture and the civilization that sprang forth from it. It's like stabbing the soul of a follower of Islam. Plus, it's just plain mean and insensitive.

Consider how Americans would feel at the sight of mobs burning the American flag. Imagine the outcry in this nation if Bibles were burned. For Muslims, the burning of the Qur'an carries the same sentiment.

Book burning as a political or religious tool has a long and storied past. The Chinese Emperor Qin did it in the 3rd century BC. Egyptians monks did it in the 4th century AD. A Spanish king ordered it done 200 hundred years later and included the homes in which the books were found to underscore his point. When the Turks invaded India near the end of the 12th century, they made a bonfire out of the great library at the celebrated Nalanda University. During the later 15th and early 16th century, the Spanish Inquisition took its turn by destroying thousands of Qur'ans and other Arabic manuscripts. In the late 1800's, New York's Society for the Suppression of Vice undertook a massive purge of the written word by fire (along with lewd pictorial representations). In the 1930's Germany's Third Reich torched millions of volumes at the Opernplatz in Berlin and, of course, American idiots in these earliest years of the 21st century have taken to burning the Qur'an again. Some people never learn, and the ignorance continues.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

THE HUBRIS OF FRANKLIN GRAHAM

When Reverend (and I use that term loosely) Franklin Graham, the son of renowned Evangelist, Billy Graham went on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show today and espoused his doubt that President Obama was a Christian and hinted that Obama was Muslim instead, I've little doubt that Graham was intending to inflame the right-wing religious (and I use that term loosely too) zealots in America who are determined to continue their campaign of denigrating our President by essentially calling him the anti-Christ.

It really doesn't matter what the zealots think, because God knows the true nature of Obama's soul and His is the only opinion that counts, but I find it rather irritating that so much time is wasted by America's right-wing religious zealots judging one man's personal faith instead of concentrating on their own souls. There were reasons why Jesus sternly warned his Disciples against judging the souls of others. First of all, it's a Divine task. Next, men are too blinded by their own faults to accurately sit in judgment of others. Finally, mankind lacks the necessary humility to pass the kind of judgment Franklin Graham and his ilk like to make. Only the perfectly humble can do that job. That's why it's a task solely reserved for God.

Graham might find comfort in calling himself and his right-wing zealots, 'Christians', and labeling others as evil non-believers, but there will come a day when the Christian label doesn't mean squat in the eyes of the Divine, and only that which resides in the souls of individual men matters. Jesus warned the religious zealots of His day about what awaited them. I hope Graham and his followers were listening!

MY ONE MILLIONTH MISTAKE

I can't be absolutely certain, but I think this morning I committed the one millionth mistake I've made during the course of my lifetime. I forgot to use cooking spray on the griddle before making pancakes. The first one I made burned. Obviously, that wasn't the first bone-headed move I ever made, and it probably won't be the last, but I thought I'd honor the occasion by ruminating over some of my past mistakes in the hope of not repeating them again. If reading about some of my most memorable lapses in judgment (*) helps you avoid making similar errors in the future, so much the better!

(*) The mistakes cited herein are not in chronological order or ranked according to my own personal level of stupidity.

Pepper is not medicine!

When my son was about 8 or 9 years old, he caught a bad cold and would not blow his nose. Listening to his persistent attempts to clear his nasal cavities without using a tissue was driving me batty, and for some reason I thought that a good sneeze was exactly what a doctor would recommend. If my son wasn't going to blow his own nose, I could speed the process with a homemade remedy you won't find in any medical literature – a pepper inhalant…not to be confused with "pepper spray", though my son might beg to differ! I sprinkled a dash of pepper on my finger, held it up to my son's nose and told him to inhale quickly. He did…and I'm sad to say that remedy didn't work. What followed was a string of 'deleted expletives' from the mouth of a young kid, followed by a jeer that I was a stupid dad…which I guess I was.

Always check the number first!

Back in my college days, I met a girl that I thought was very interesting and I wanted to ask her to go on a date. There was one small problem – I'd been dating another co-ed, and although we hadn't officially broken-up, we were drifting apart and I knew there was little future for that relationship. Still, it was a sticky situation. Undaunted, I tracked down the new young lady's telephone number and gave her a call. When the phone was answered, I asked if I could speak to the "new girl", only to have the voice on the phone reply, "I'm sorry, Steve. You called the wrong number." The voice promptly slammed the phone down. I'd mistakenly called the number of girl I'd been dating…well, right up to the point where she hung up on me.

Look before you grab!

When I was eleven or twelve years old, my family frequently visited my grandparents at a weekend cabin my grandparents owned in a heavily wooded area. We were often joined by aunts and uncles and hordes of cousins. A small stream ran through the property and my cousins and siblings and I frequently tied ropes to trees and amused ourselves by swinging over the stream. One Sunday, several kids were already in the process of performing Tarzan impersonations over the stream when I decided to join the fun. Nobody had an extra rope, so I set off searching for a chord heavy enough to support my weight. I finally found a large black garden hose lying beside the cabin, and I called to my grandmother for permission to borrow it. She nodded yes, so I grabbed the hose in one fluid motion and started moving toward my rowdy cousins. Unfortunately, the twelve foot black snake that I'd wrested from its afternoon siesta was not too keen about being tied to a tree, and when I discovered the snake was not a hose a second later, my heart nearly stopped. Look before you leap…that applies to grabs too!

Monday, February 20, 2012

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER LUNACY

I know I've been picking on Rick Santorum lately, but he's the latest G.O.P. candidate du jour and not a day goes by that he doesn't say something stupid, even by Republican standards. Rick's most recent rant, suggesting that public education should be eliminated, is the perfect example. If Santorum had his way, all children would be home-schooled; by whom I have no idea, because in a Republican economy a majority of two-parent households can't afford the luxury of one parent staying home to conduct educational classes. Kids living in single-parent households…well, they'd basically get screwed.

Santorum forgets that not everybody gets the congressional 'free health insurance for life' benefit or has access to corporate donors willing to drop $50,000 a pop for a 45-minute inspirational speech on the joys of fathering a brood of seven. I'm not questioning Santorum's virility, just his haughtiness.

Somebody from the business world ought to take Rick aside and clue him in on the necessity of having an educated workforce. I was tempted to add "citizenry" to that list, but the fact that Santorum is the front-runner among Republicans, the supposed brains in American, means that there's little hope of that happening.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

CASTING STONES IN GLASS HOUSES

Years ago, two of my children and I were walking in a local mall when we ran into one of my former high school teachers. I introduced my children to her, and she spent several minutes chatting with each of them about their school classes and various extra-curricular activities. As our conversation wound down and we were about to head off in different directions, my teacher nodded her head toward me and said to my daughter, "He's a good guy."

As I reflect back upon that incident, I wonder how my daughter would have felt if, instead of uttering a word of praise, the woman had told my daughter that her daddy was a no-good, godless bastard who looked down on crippled folks, and was responsible for leading America to ruin.

I bring up that incident because we're currently mired in the ugliest of all political seasons – a presidential election year, and because the probable candidates have children that they're still rearing. President Obama and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two children; Malia, age 13 and Natasha, age 11. Their daughters have been raised in the Christian Faith, nurtured and educated in loving surroundings, and by all accounts, are two bright, well-adjusted and intelligent young ladies who any parent would be proud to call their own.

But you and I read the papers. We know that not a week goes by without two or three letters to the editor and several syndicated columnists suggesting that Obama is a no-good, godless bastard who looks down on crippled folks, and is responsible for leading America to ruin. The G.O.P.'s current favorite son, Rick Santorum spewed out that drivel just last week, and I have to say that such rhetoric sickens me.

I have no doubt that Rick Santorum deeply cares for his wife and children. I have no doubt he loves God. I have no doubt that he loves his country and has a sincere desire for Americans to prosper. I don't share many of his political beliefs. I think some of his views are unwise, unfounded and would result in needless pain and suffering. I believe some of the policies he advocates are downright cruel, some even dangerous, but none of those political differences would cause me to debase Rick Santorum in the eyes of his children in the same way Santorum's words debased President Obama in the eyes of his two girls.

Santorum is famous for denouncing his political opponents as being "anti-family", but a guy who would lie to daughters about their daddy really shouldn't be throwing stones in a glass house.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

KILLING THOSE WHO MOURN KILLINGS

While Americans were mesmerized by the litany of well-known voices singing at today's funeral service for Whitney Houston, mourners in the Middle East were chanting to a different tune – the sound of gunfire and tear gas cannisters. In Damascus, Syria, government security forces fired upon a funeral procession, killing two and injuring scores of mourners who were honoring three young men that were killed two days ago in an anti-Bashar al-Assad regime protest. The al-Assad regime didn't take kindly to the funeral procession passing within eye-sight of the Presidential Palace, so the security forces attacked the crowd with bullets and tear gas. Scores of mourners were also arrested, leaving little doubt that the al-Assad government has no plans to let-up on the brutal crackdown it's been conducting on citizens in every part of Syria.

Bashar al-Assad's days are numbered, but the continuous reign of terror that his government has been orchestrating against the Syrian citizenry leaves little doubt that thousands more will die before that day arrives. Eventually, all tyranny falls. Let's hope a-Assad's happens sooner than later.

THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK

I'm not sure there's a better example of "the pot calling the kettle black" than today's report that Rick Santorum told an Ohio crowd of Christian Evangelicals and Tea Party members that President Obama follows a 'phony Christian theology'. If Obama's desire the feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give comfort to the sick and seek justice for the oppressed is 'phony Christian theology', then the Jesus mentioned in the New Testament must have been a fraud, and millions of Americans should be calling themselves something other than followers of Christ.

G.O.P. v. JESUS DEBATE (Part IV)

Moderator: “Mr. Santorum will answer the next question first. What role, if any, should the government play in providing for the poor in America?

Santorum: "None! Now, I'm sure this Jesus fellow standing next to me will be biting his lip over what I'm about to say, but it's about time somebody had the courage to say what millions of hard-working Americans are thinking every day! We're tired of supporting millions of deadbeats who don't mind sucking at the public's tit, until it's time to show up for a job interview or a urine test. Then, it's one crying excuse after the next. When I'm elected, the poor will learn how to swing a hammer or starve, because the day I take office is the day the welfare checks stop!

Jesus: "Blessed are those who feed the poor, for they shall see God."

Santorum: "Spoken like a true lazy liberal!"

Moderator: "Mr. Santorum. It's Mr. Romney's turn."

Romney: "That's okay, Mr. Moderator. I know Ron is passionate about starving folks; probably just as passionate as Jesus is about handing out food stamps on the taxpayers' dime. You see, when I was governor of Massachusetts, I imposed severe conservatism on those New England liberals, and they cowered faster than the Jews did to the Romans. That's true respect, and if you want the poor to respect you, the best thing you can do is take apart the companies that employ them, put the poor on the street and cut off the safety net. The poor just magically go away. I don't really care about the poor. If you stop thinking about them, they truly don't exist.

Gingrich: I used to be poor once! That was, oh, I'd say about a month after my first divorce settlement, but look at me now. I'm on national TV. I've got friends pumping millions of dollars in PAC money into advertising campaigns telling the world what a great guy I am. I've got a beautiful trophy wife. I've got a half-million dollar line of credit at Tiffany's. Not too shabby, eh? Why do I have all those things? Because I decided I didn't want to be poor. It's that simple. That's the beauty of America. If you don't want to be poor, you don't have to be. You just have to pick yourself up and go for the gusto!

Ron Paul: "Sounds like a beer commercial? I'd like a good frosty mug!"

Moderator: "Mr. Santorum, any rebuttal?"

Santorum: "A poor kid came up to me the other day whining about having no food in his refrigerator. I told the kid to go home and tell his mom to get up off her lazy butt and go earn some money for food. That's what I call governmental tough love."

Jesus: "That woman went out and prostituted herself for the boy's supper. She caught AIDS in the process. She will die in 2 years and her son will be homeless."

Santorum: "Good! One less mouth to feed."

Romney: Jesus may have inherited a lot from his Dad, but in my church, we look at things differently. The journey west made Mormons tough. It wasn't pleasant watching the poor die, but my ancestors did so I wouldn't have to care about the poor, and I'm grateful for their sacrifice.

Gingrich: "When you've written as many books as I have, you realize that most poor people want to be poor. They like being poor! They like playing the victim! Did you ever look at a line outside a food bank? Everybody looks so downbeat. When they come out with a bag of groceries, they're happy. Why is that? I'll tell you why. It's because now they have something to use to buy dope."

Ron Paul: I'll make a pact with America's poor people. You stay out of my life and I'll stay out of yours."

Friday, February 17, 2012

G.O.P. v. JESUS DEBATE (Part III)

Moderator: “The next question is for Mr. Paul. Mr. Paul, are Americans safer now that Osama bin Laden has been killed and does the Obama Administration deserve any credit for bringing bin Laden to justice?”

Ron Paul: Osama bin Laden was just one man. Am I glad he's dead? Of course I am! He killed a lot of Americans and he paid the price. That was good, but what I'm concerned about is this notion that America should fight wars on the other side of the world and not take care of the war going on here at home. We should put our own house in order first.

Santorum: “You could kill Osama bin Laden a hundred times over, and as long as you have people right here in America, killing innocent babies in their mother's wombs, nobody is safe. I'm with Ron; I'm glad bin Laden is dead, but if you think for a second that America is any less safe, well…you've never seen the butchery that goes on at an abortion clinic. If you're looking for a place to bomb, there are plenty right here at home.

Moderator: “Jesus?”

Jesus: “Have you ever heard of an evil child being born? Of course not! That’s because all children are innocent and precious. However, there is evil in the world and over time some children grow and lose their innocence to the Prince of Darkness. It has been this way since the day the world was created and it will remain so till the end of time. Until the Kingdom of God is fulfilled nobody is ever safe from evil.”

Moderator: “Mr. Romney?”

Romney: “There’s no denying we’re safer from the threats posed by Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. That doesn't mean that we can sit back and rest on our laurels like Obama has. When I'm elected President, I'll bomb Iran back to the Stone Age, if that's what it takes to get them to give up their nuclear ambitions.”

Gingrich: "While Mitt was making money hands over fists in the Grand Cayman Islands, and Santorum was trying to figure out which abortion clinic to firebomb next, I was busy writing several books warning Americans of the dangers of appeasement in the Middle East. The books are still available at Amazon.com, or if you care to donate a million to my campaign, I'll send you an autographed copy. My point is that in several of my books I warned America about the towel-heads, and nobody listened. I'm glad our Navy Seals got that bastard bin Laden, but don't start giving Obama the credit. He just made a phone call. Any sixth grade flunky can do that!"

Moderator: "Mr. Paul, any rebuttal?

Ron Paul: I don't know much about flunkies. I just know we should bring our boys home."

Santorum: I'm telling you. America is on the road to ruin. Do you know how many babies die from IEDs every year? Unless we take back America today, millions more will die tomorrow.

Jesus: “Weeds spread and take root faster than flowers. Pull one weed and two more will spring up in its place. Unless a gardener sows the seed of harmony and nurtures it daily, weeds will multiply faster than they can be pulled and no garden is safe.”

Romney: "It's impossible to think we're safer today with millions of Mexicans pouring over our border on a daily basis."

Gingrich: These guys just don't have a clue. I balanced the budget in the 1990's when the godless liberals were pouring into Washington. If you want somebody who is going to protect the American way of life, I'm that man!"

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

G.O.P. v. JESUS DEBATE (Part II)

Moderator: “This next question is directed to Mr. Gingrich first. Do you believe it is or is not necessary to strip mine coal from atop mountains in West Virginia and why?

Gingrich: "In West Virginia, in Pennsylvania and in Canada too! If I'm elected President every household in America will have a coal-burning stove and we'll move Heaven and Earth to mine that black gold, wherever it's found."

Ron Paul: "At my age, bringing the top of a mountain down to me is a big plus!"

Santorum: Back when I represented the great coal-producing state of Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, and that was before the liberals temporarily seized control of the place, you couldn't walk ten feet in that state without seeing something that was created or made better by the coal industry. Even protesters outside abortion clinics would throw coal when they demonstrated. If I had my way, they'd be firing coal bullets.

Jesus: “If men had faith, they could move whole mountains without destroying one tree. For that matter, with faith, a man could turn salt water into enough fuel to power humankind for all eternity. You see, with faith, anything is possible...even finding ways to provide energy without destroying this earth created by my Father.”

Romney: "Personally, I like oil futures. You can bundle them into credit default swap securities and transfer capital gains on income from those securities to companies based in the Grand Cayman Islands and avoid paying federal tax on any of your profits. That's how you can make a killing and not get your hands dirty with something like coal. On the other hand, there's something strangely satisfying about buying up a coal company and raiding that company's pension fund because everybody knows that black lung disease kills miners long before they ever get to retirement. It's a win-win for the boys up stairs!

Moderator: “Mr. Gingrich, any rebuttal?”

Gingrich: “If the American people give me Divine power, I’ll put oil and gas in places where it can easily be obtained without destroying the environment. Look, this wasn't my call. It was liberals like Jesus' dad who put the gas and oil in the most difficult places to extract and now radical environmentalists want to blame we conservatives for trying to keep the lights and heat on in American homes. Of course we’re trying to protect the environment, but I’m not going to stand up here and apologize for making it possible for ordinary folks to cook and see their food at night.

Ron Paul: "Let's forget about the towel-heads in the Middle East. Dig baby. Dig!"

Santorum: [facing Ron Paul] "You've been talking to Sarah again, haven't you? Yeah, I admire her too."

[audience claps and chants, "Palin", "Palin" "Palin" until the moderator raises his hand to silence the crowd]

Santorum: [cracking a wide smile] Yeah, I'm considering her as my running mate. Look, I want to address what Jesus said. That sounds nice in church, but we’re talking ‘real world’ here…where ordinary Americans get a light and heat bill every month. And if Jesus is talking about another heat and light welfare program…well, that’s not going to fly with American taxpayers.”

Jesus: "I am the light of the world. Whoever shall follow me will never walk in darkness.”

Romney: "Glad to hear that Jesus, but from where I'm standing your ledger books just don't add up. If America follows where you're going, pretty soon we'll all be drowning in red ink…deficits as far as the eye can see. That's not what Americans want in a leader. They're looking for somebody who can go toe-to-toe with Obama, and I'm that guy!"

Monday, February 13, 2012

G.O.P. v. JESUS DEBATE (Part I)

Moderator: “Good evening gentlemen. The agreed upon format for tonight’s debate will be as follows. Since Jesus already knew which questions were going to be asked, all candidates have been provided with a full list of possible questions and there will be no deviation from that list. I will ask a question and each candidate shall have 90 seconds to provide an answer. After all candidates have given their answer, each candidate will be given an additional 30 seconds to provide a rebuttal comment. At the close of the debate each candidate will have three minutes to give a closing statement. Are there any questions about the format?”

Santorum: “No.”

Jesus: “Not at this time.”

Romney: "Not now, maybe later."

Gingrich: [turning to Romney] "Flip-flopper!" [turning back to moderator] "No. I've always believed in rules!"

Ron Paul: "Suits me."

Moderator: “Fine. Jesus won the coin toss, but elected to allow Mr. Romney to answer the initial question first. Therefore, Mr. Romney, here is the first question for you. Do you favor a Constitutional Amendment to ban flag burning?

Romney: “Absolutely! Burning the American flag is an affront to the millions of service men and women who have fought bravely over the years for this Country. Back where I come from, people stand up for their flags, and if they can make a buck printing them on tee-shirts; so much the better!

Gingrich: "Frankly, Mr. Moderator, I'm appalled that you'd ask such a question. That claim by my ex-wife that I burned her red, white and blue lingerie is utterly false. In all the marriages I've had over the years, there has never been one shred of proof that I have demeaned the stars and stripes in any manner whatsoever. I fully support a Constitutional Amendment to ban flag burning, and again, I'd like to voice my outrage over what has become a constant theme of the liberal, elite press – trying to soil my good name."

Ron Paul: "Well, you know, setting Old Glory afire is a form of freedom of speech; not that I would do such a thing. I find it repugnant and just plain stupid. I'm just worried that the flag is getting us into too many wars. 'Keep the flag at home,' I always say."

Santorum: I cry every time I see a flag being burned by one of those godless Democrats. It's as if a tiny baby is being ripped from a mother's womb. Plus, all those liberals are desecrating the memory of our fallen soldiers who served this country and held the flag near and dear to their hearts. If I’m elected, I won't wait for a Constitutional Amendment. I’ll ban flag burning by executive order immediately after ordering the death penalty for contraceptive use.”

[Major applause from the audience]

Jesus: “I don’t believe I could support such an amendment. In fact, burning one’s flag is probably a good idea if the flag has become a false idol or is getting in the way of a man’s pursuit of eternal salvation. Besides, what good is it if a man owns one hundred flags and flies each in front of his home as proof of his patriotism, but does not honor the principles upon which his country was built? Is it not better that a man burn his flag, but quietly adhere to righteous principles, than noisily sound his allegiance to a flag, but not follow the principles it was meant to represent? Flags are symbols of worldly kingdoms but have no place in the Kingdom of God. Anything that stands in the way of the Kingdom of God should be burned.”

Moderator: “Any rebuttal that the candidates wish to share?”

Romney: “Every church in America is flying a flag, for heavens sake! Are you saying all those God-fearing Americans are wrong? I don’t think so! Maybe some liberals think it’s okay to tell people what they can and can’t do in church, but here in America we have freedom of worship and if flying the American flag is part of that worship, so be it!”

Gingrich: "Yeah, but it's probably not something you in the left-wing press want to hear. Look, Jesus might have experience ruling Heaven, but here in America, we do things differently. We like our flag. We respect our flag. We die for our flag. We fly it proudly 364 days a year; giving it a vacation only on Martin Luther King Day. If liberals want to burn flags, let them adopt their own flag and go burn it in Hell.

[More applause from the audience]

Ron Paul: "I think my first answer was sufficient."

Santorum: "If we allow flag burning where would it stop? This country is on the road to ruin, and if we don't reel in the flag burners and baby killers, nothing will be left in America to burn."

Jesus: “It is written in the law handed down from Moses. Thou shalt not have false idols.”

[The audience boos]

Sunday, February 12, 2012

A G.O.P. DEBATE WITH JESUS

For the next ten days Yorktowne Fee Liberal readers will be treated to an exclusive debate between Republican Presidential Candidates and Jesus, leader of past and modern day Christians. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the debate. Monday's blog entry will feature question 1. Stay tuned!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

TAKING AMERICA BACK - THE QUESTION IS TO WHEN?

A standard phrase heard these days on Republican presidential campaign trails is the pledge to "take America back", but as often as I've heard that phrase repeated in one form or another, I've never heard anybody answer the simple question that arises in my mind – back to when? If, as the Republican candidates are suggesting, Americans are yearning to return to better days gone by, you'd think that somebody would supply a date so the rest of us could set the calendar on the time machine that's supposedly going to take us there. Is that too much to ask?

Let's take a few moments and examine our options. Do we want to give up our modern electrical conveniences, empty our cities and return to 1773, when rioters in Boston were busy dumping tea into the water, or 1775, when most colonists owned a gun and there was no income tax or food stamps, but an eight-year war on American soil was about to begin and half the infants born died before reaching their first birthday?

How about 1861? Those were certainly happy times. A Republican (Abe Lincoln) was ensconced in the White House. Republicans controlled Congress. Over seventy percent of all white Americans owned a gun, blacks knew their place (slaving away on a plantation) and there was no income tax. Of course, that was also the year when Southern Democratic soldiers (a/k/a Confederate Forces) attacked the United States military base at Fort Sumter in South Carolina - commencing the Civil War, meaning that three quarter of a million Americans were about to meet a very violent death. Another five hundred thousand would sustain serious injury before the war was over, but at least folks didn't have "Obama-care" or Medicare shoved down their throats.

How about 1906? That was a vintage year. A Republican (Theodore Roosevelt) was enjoying his stay at the White House. Most American women (except for a few loud-mouths in the suffrage movement) knew their place, over half of all Americans owned a gun and government regulations didn't interfere with industry demands that kids put in a 16-hour work day and labor in unsafe conditions. Kids lucky enough to attend school started the day with a prayer and got their butts lashed with a belt (at school & at home) if they stepped out of line. Sure, lots of Americans were dying from tainted foods and work-related injuries, but people didn't have to pay income tax to fund government inspectors or put up with the A.C.L.U. suing to keep a crèche display off government property.

What about 1930? What a year! Another Republican (Herbert Hoover) was living comfortably in the White House. American industry had its first pro-business President and a half-million Mexican immigrants were forcibly returned to the land of their birth so they wouldn't compete with American citizens for the scarce number of jobs available after the 1929 stock market crash. Sure, by then America had a federal income tax and Hoover raised the top tax rate from 24% to 63% of net income. Everybody errs now and then, even Republican presidents. A mere 5000 U.S. banks had failed within ten months and tens of millions of Americans were homeless and penniless, but gun control was not on anybody's agenda, government waste was not an issue and welfare queens simply didn't exist. How can folks resist taking America back to those good old days?

How about 1957? There's another exciting year! I was born in February, a celebrated Republican ("Ike" Eisenhower) was running things in the White House and Elvis Presley was lighting up the stage on the Ed Sullivan Show. The Ku Klux Klan were keeping blacks in their place down South, Jim Crow laws did the same up North and the F.B.I. was hot on the trail of union leader, Jimmy Hoffa. Plus, men could slap their wives if dinners were cold without worrying about being socked with a protection from abuse order. Yeah, the top federal tax rate for earned income was 91% (kind of high for a Republican President), most American T.V.s were still black and white sets and the Asian flu claimed 70,000 American lives that year, but at least the government wasn't wasting money on medical research and people could still buy a pack of cigarettes without a government-mandated warning label. Back then, cars could spew as much pollutants into the atmosphere as their super-charged engines would muster and anybody who wanted to buy a gun could do so – no questions asked (unless, of course, you were black). Just thinking of those days brings a tear to my eye.

What about 1982? That's the year when Republican icon, "the Gipper" (a/k/a Ronald Reagan) was in control of the White House and the hearts of modern-day conservatives. Deregulation and trickle-down economics were all the rage. The federal air traffic controllers' union lay in ruins. American armed forces went on a spending spree to bankrupt the Soviet Union while federal spending on social programs designed to help the poor and disabled was slashed by sixty (60%) percent. Yeah, the U.S. unemployment rate hit 10.8 percent (not like Obama's current 8.3%) and liberals were successful in passing a federal ban on assault weapons following the assassination attempt on Reagan's life by that wing-nut, John Hinkley, but the top federal income tax rate for wage earners fell from 60% to 50%, ketchup gained official recognition as a vegetable for federally funded school lunch programs and the National Rifle Association acquired its most potent political weapon since the invention of gunpowder. What could be a better time to be alive?

If Republican presidential candidates are serious about taking America back – choose a year, and then, let's talk!

Friday, February 10, 2012

NO BUTTS OR BOOBS ON RICK'S FRONT LINE

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has made it clear that if he is elected as President of the United States, women in America's armed forces will not be permitted to serve on the front lines in combat. Putting women in combat situations is "not in the best interest of men, women or the mission", he said. Rick would certainly know, since he's spent all of ZERO minutes in the military, and even less time in combat, unless you count the time he spent being the lawyer for the World Wrestling Federation as combat time.

Santorum is worried that men in uniform on the front lines will lose sight of their objective if women are allowed to block their views with curvy boobs and boot camp honed-posteriors. Clearly, he's never seen a short U.S. Army private wearing body armor and a fifty-pound weapons pack. Without looking at the head, you frequently can't tell the difference between a man and a woman.

Santorum won't let gays serve either, but that's another story.

It ought to irk men in uniform that a guy like Santorum would think that with women around, they'd put something other than their mission first, but there again, Santorum never served in the armed forces so he wouldn't have a clue what something like 'Semper fidelis' was really all about. They don't have that at the WWF.

I haven't conducted any scientific research on the subject, but the women I know who've served in the military are greatly offended by Santorum's viewpoint because it implies that women in uniform are second-class warriors. Take my wife's Aunt Elizabeth, for example. Aunt Elizabeth served in the "China-Burma-India" theater of operation in World War II and she came home with the medals to prove it, not to mention the scars of serving in a hospital unit that blazed its own trails and set up operations within earshot of the front lines. Mortars frequently fell on their hospital camp. Those were combat situations in the mind of Aunt Elizabeth and her fellow female soldiers; maybe not for Santorum, but they are to me too, and thousands of husbands and fathers came home from that Asian theater because those female soldiers in combat acted just as capably as their male counterparts.

Thanks, Aunt Elizabeth. You're the woman!

OBAMA RELAXES RULE REQUIRING PRIESTS BE ISSUED CONTRACEPTIVES

President Obama has taken steps to quash the latest uproar over contraceptives, medical insurance and religious freedom by announcing that his Administration will re-write federal health insurance regulations to allow Catholic and other religious institutions to "opt out" of providing medical insurance coverage for contraceptives as part of the insurance coverage those institutions provide to their employees. That means that while Catholic priests won't be forced to wear condoms, they will have to pay for them out of their own pockets if they choose to do so. That seems only fair.

Studies have also suggested that as many as 2/3 of Catholic women in America use or have used birth control pills in spite of the ban on such medication issued by the Vatican. Of course, the Vatican doesn't put bread on the average Catholic table, or pay any of the $200,000 plus it takes to raise a kid these days, so I can understand why many Catholic women (and their husbands too) would ignore the edicts handed down by their church hierarchy. If there's one thing that's painfully obvious to all except a bunch of bishops, cardinals and the pope, it's that Catholic leadership doesn't have a clue when it comes to sexual matters. They may think they do, but they don't. (See, Exhibit # 1...the widespread priest sex abuse of children scandal)

Still, I have to hand it to the President for showing some flexibility when it comes to the contraceptive issue because there are a lot of people who have genuine religious views on the matter and their conscientious objections are just as valid as those who think that contraceptive use is morally acceptable. Early indications are that Catholic groups, including Bishops and Catholic hospitals, are happy about the President's accommodations. So is the Planned Parenthood organization, which might sound odd at first, but that's because the new Obama Administrations rules will force insurance carriers to offer contraceptive coverage for free in exchange for government payments. It's a win-win for all sides. Watch Congress jump in and screw things up. Yeah - I'm jaded.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

THE WAR TO COME

When leaders stop fighting for peace, war is sure to follow. ~ Anonymous

War is about to break out in the Middle East again, not because it must, but because those who hold the reins of power no longer desire to expend the effort or make a sacrifice to achieve a lasting peace. The fight for peace is winding down, and so are the chances that horrendous pain and human suffering can be averted. I'm referring to the war the leaders of Israel are preparing to launch against the leaders of Iran over Iran's decision to acquire a nuclear bomb to use against the Jewish State. War is coming. The only question is when.

Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refuses to back down from his pursuit of nuclear weaponry and his desire to flood the earth with Israeli blood. Israel's hawkish prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to wait idly on the sidelines for Iran to acquire the weaponry it needs to carry out the Ayatollah's maniacal wish. Both leaders see no use for peace. Both leaders have given up fighting for it. War is sure to follow. The only question is when.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

SAVORING THE MOMENT, EVEN IF IT STINKS

I appreciate candor in a politician because a willingness to be truthful with the public is the foundation of good governance. Lies and half-truths may fool voters and win elections, but in the long run they don't advance the public interest because you can't build sound government policy on something that isn't true. Those who try will eventually be exposed for their fraud.

Earlier this week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney decided that he wanted to be candid with the public and share his innermost thoughts regarding the poor in America. He told a CNN reporter who was covering the Florida Republican primary that he's not concerned about the poor. I found his honesty refreshing. G.O.P. politicians seldom acknowledge their callous indifference to the plight of the poor so openly.

Over the years, Romney made tens of millions of dollars by putting thousands of hard working individuals out of a job and their families in dire financial straits, but he's not shy about those accomplishments and he's certainly not going to apologize for the wealth he's amassed. His fellow Republican candidates may chide him over his business practices, but I get the feeling they're just jealous it was Romney raking in the dough and not them.

Don't get me wrong. I find Romney's lack of concern for the poor as repugnant as fresh skunk road-kill; no offense to skunks, but I have to give credit to Romney for dropping all pretense and saying what he truly believed. Those are rare moments in a presidential campaign. You have to savor them whenever they occur.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

HAPPY GROUNDHOG'S DAY

According to sacred scriptures, on this day in the year 33 A.D., Jesus Christ emerged from the tomb, saw his shadow and predicted that there would be six more weeks until Pentecost. Or was that Punxsutawney Phil? Or Octarara Orphie? Maybe I'm just a little mixed-up this morning. It's Groundhog Day! Go outside and celebrate!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

RICK SANTORUM AT HIS CRUELEST

Republican presidential hopeful, Rick Santorum, was at his callous best today when asked by a young kid what he planned to do to make drugs more affordable. Santorum responded with well-rehearsed "double-talk", but his answer was clear and unsympathetic - not a damn thing!

I labeled Santorum's response well-rehearsed double talk because his initial response was to attack the boy who asked the question and the boy's family. You be the judge. Here is what Santorum said:

"People have no problem going out and buying an iPod for $900. But paying $200 for a drug they have a problem with - that keeps you alive. Why? Because we've been conditioned in thinking that health care is something we should get and not pay for."

Now, let's examine Santorum's response more closely. He was essentially saying that the reason people can't afford expensive drugs is because they waste money on other areas of their lives and expect something for nothing. Santorum had no knowledge of the financial situation of that young kid's family, but his automatic assumption was that if the family couldn't afford drugs to keep a child alive, it was the family's fault. That sounds cruel to me. Then again, that's Santorum.

The mom in that family yelled out that she was going bankrupt just to keep her kid breathing. Santorum was unmoved. He could afford to be. His kids get the best government funded health care available because Santorum was a former U.S. Senator and that's a perk he gets for the rest of his life. Talk about getting something for nothing.

Santorum responded to the mom saying as follows:

"Look, I want your son and everybody to have the opportunity to stay alive on much-needed drugs. But the bottom line is, we have companies with the incentives to make those drugs. And if they don't have the incentives to make those drugs, your son won't be alive and lot's of other people in this country won't be alive. We either believe in markets or we don't."

For Santorum, mainataining unfettered freedom in the pharmaceutical marketplace is more important than maintaining affordable access to life-saving drugs for everyone. In his view, drugs are a luxury for those who can afford to pay the going rate. For those who can't - well, tough!

Rick Santorum likes to fancy himself as a pro-life crusader, but his bottom line is the pharmaceutical industries' bottom line, and when forced to choose between drug company profits and the life of a deathly ill child, he believes that life is cheaper than the cost of a pill. That may be his idea of family values, but they're not mine.