Shocking Newsweek Cover: 'Hit the Road, Barack - Why We Need a New President' - Updated

NewsBusters:

After some of the recent Obama-loving/Romney-bashing Newsweek covers, the one hitting newsstands Monday is guaranteed to turn some heads.

Under the picture of our dear leader are the words, "Hit the Road, Barack: Why We Need a New Leader."

The article is written by Niall Ferguson, a British historian and economist that backed John McCain in 2008.

After an introduction, Ferguson made his case:

In his inaugural address, Obama promised “not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.” He promised to “build the roads and bridges, the electric grids, and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.” He promised to “restore science to its rightful place and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost.” And he promised to “transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.” Unfortunately the president’s scorecard on every single one of those bold pledges is pitiful.

He continued:

[T]he total number of private-sector jobs is still 4.3 million below the January 2008 peak. Meanwhile, since 2008, a staggering 3.6 million Americans have been added to Social Security’s disability insurance program. This is one of many ways unemployment is being concealed.

In his fiscal year 2010 budget—the first he presented—the president envisaged growth of 3.2 percent in 2010, 4.0 percent in 2011, 4.6 percent in 2012. The actual numbers were 2.4 percent in 2010 and 1.8 percent in 2011; few forecasters now expect it to be much above 2.3 percent this year.

Unemployment was supposed to be 6 percent by now. It has averaged 8.2 percent this year so far. Meanwhile real median annual household income has dropped more than 5 percent since June 2009. Nearly 110 million individuals received a welfare benefit in 2011, mostly Medicaid or food stamps.

Welcome to Obama’s America: nearly half the population is not represented on a taxable return—almost exactly the same proportion that lives in a household where at least one member receives some type of government benefit. We are becoming the 50–50 nation—half of us paying the taxes, the other half receiving the benefits.

And all this despite a far bigger hike in the federal debt than we were promised. According to the 2010 budget, the debt in public hands was supposed to fall in relation to GDP from 67 percent in 2010 to less than 66 percent this year. If only. By the end of this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), it will reach 70 percent of GDP. These figures significantly understate the debt problem, however. The ratio that matters is debt to revenue. That number has leapt upward from 165 percent in 2008 to 262 percent this year, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund. Among developed economies, only Ireland and Spain have seen a bigger deterioration.

Ferguson also took aim at the media's coverage of Obama:

Yet the public mistakes his administration’s astonishingly uninhibited use of political assassination for a coherent strategy. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in London, the civilian proportion of drone casualties was 16 percent last year. Ask yourself how the liberal media would have behaved if George W. Bush had used drones this way. Yet somehow it is only ever Republican secretaries of state who are accused of committing “war crimes.”

Indeed. As we've seen in the past three and a half years, Obama can do virtually anything he wants and his media will either applaud or look the other away.

That said, after spending the bulk of his lengthy piece chronicling the current White House resident's missteps, Ferguson spoke glowingly about Paul Ryan:

He is one of only a handful of politicians in Washington who is truly sincere about addressing this country’s fiscal crisis....But one thing is clear. Ryan psychs Obama out. This has been apparent ever since the White House went on the offensive against Ryan in the spring of last year. And the reason he psychs him out is that, unlike Obama, Ryan has a plan—as opposed to a narrative—for this country. [...]

The voters now face a stark choice. They can let Barack Obama’s rambling, solipsistic narrative continue until they find themselves living in some American version of Europe, with low growth, high unemployment, even higher debt—and real geopolitical decline.

Or they can opt for real change: the kind of change that will end four years of economic underperformance, stop the terrifying accumulation of debt, and reestablish a secure fiscal foundation for American national security.

And this is actually Newsweek's cover story this week making one ask a simple question: Why?

Since Tina Brown's Daily Beast took over the failing magazine, it has been one of the most left-leaning publications in the country.

So why with less than three months to go before Election Day would they publish a 3,200-word cover story severely criticizing Obama whilst basically endorsing his opponent?

Could it be the Daily Beast/Newsweek combination has not been attracting the kind of readership they expected, and they believe a little objectivity was in order?

Or is this just a tiny dose of conservatism before a deluge of the most biased Obama-loving/Romney-bashing imaginable?

As the late Ed Hart used to say, we will know in the fullness of time.

(HT NB reader Dave Smith)

About the Author

Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.

The article behind the Newsweek latest edition…

Niall Ferguson: Obama’s Gotta Go

Originally posted Aug 19, 2012 1:00 AM EDT

Why does Paul Ryan scare the president so much? Because Obama has broken his promises, and it’s clear that the GOP ticket’s path to prosperity is our only hope.

I was a good loser four years ago. “In the grand scheme of history,” I wrote the day after Barack Obama’s election as president, “four decades is not an especially long time. Yet in that brief period America has gone from the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. to the apotheosis of Barack Obama. You would not be human if you failed to acknowledge this as a cause for great rejoicing.”

Despite having been—full disclosure—an adviser to John McCain, I acknowledged his opponent’s remarkable qualities: his soaring oratory, his cool, hard-to-ruffle temperament, and his near faultless campaign organization.

Yet the question confronting the country nearly four years later is not who was the better candidate four years ago. It is whether the winner has delivered on his promises. And the sad truth is that he has not.

In his inaugural address, Obama promised “not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.” He promised to “build the roads and bridges, the electric grids, and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.” He promised to “restore science to its rightful place and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost.” And he promised to “transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.” Unfortunately the president’s scorecard on every single one of those bold pledges is pitiful.

In an unguarded moment earlier this year, the president commented that the private sector of the economy was “doing fine.” Certainly, the stock market is well up (by 74 percent) relative to the close on Inauguration Day 2009. But the total number of private-sector jobs is still 4.3 million below the January 2008 peak. Meanwhile, since 2008, a staggering 3.6 million Americans have been added to Social Security’s disability insurance program. This is one of many ways unemployment is being concealed.

In his fiscal year 2010 budget—the first he presented—the president envisaged growth of 3.2 percent in 2010, 4.0 percent in 2011, 4.6 percent in 2012. The actual numbers were 2.4 percent in 2010 and 1.8 percent in 2011; few forecasters now expect it to be much above 2.3 percent this year.

Unemployment was supposed to be 6 percent by now. It has averaged 8.2 percent this year so far. Meanwhile real median annual household income has dropped more than 5 percent since June 2009. Nearly 110 million individuals received a welfare benefit in 2011, mostly Medicaid or food stamps.

Welcome to Obama’s America: nearly half the population is not represented on a taxable return—almost exactly the same proportion that lives in a household where at least one member receives some type of government benefit. We are becoming the 50–50 nation—half of us paying the taxes, the other half receiving the benefits.

Niall Ferguson discusses Obama's broken promises on ‘Face the Nation.’

And all this despite a far bigger hike in the federal debt than we were promised. According to the 2010 budget, the debt in public hands was supposed to fall in relation to GDP from 67 percent in 2010 to less than 66 percent this year. If only. By the end of this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), it will reach 70 percent of GDP. These figures significantly understate the debt problem, however. The ratio that matters is debt to revenue. That number has leapt upward from 165 percent in 2008 to 262 percent this year, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund. Among developed economies, only Ireland and Spain have seen a bigger deterioration.

Not only did the initial fiscal stimulus fade after the sugar rush of 2009, but the president has done absolutely nothing to close the long-term gap between spending and revenue.

His much-vaunted health-care reform will not prevent spending on health programs growing from more than 5 percent of GDP today to almost 10 percent in 2037. Add the projected increase in the costs of Social Security and you are looking at a total bill of 16 percent of GDP 25 years from now. That is only slightly less than the average cost of all federal programs and activities, apart from net interest payments, over the past 40 years. Under this president’s policies, the debt is on course to approach 200 percent of GDP in 2037—a mountain of debt that is bound to reduce growth even further. Read full article HERE

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2012 Election Game On: Class vs. Crass… Hope vs. Nope

Video: The Tail of Two Leaders

Mac Lewis: The logic of the ad in one line: “If voters think on election day that Obama is the cool one, but Romney is the competent one, Obama will lose.”

Matt Lewis wrote Wednesday morning that Obama vs. Romney is starting to look a bit like a “Mac vs. PC” commercial. Here’s the RNC kinda sorta embracing that framework to make the point that what America has with The One is the policy equivalent of a Sad Mac.

Lewis:

Republicans, of course, will claim the contrast favors them — that Tuesday night demonstrated a serious candidate talking about serious issues — versus someone “slow-jamming” with a comedian (while the economy crumbles).

But it also reminds me that the Obama vs. Romney clash creates a PR/optics problem for Republicans: Policy aside, Obama seems cool — while Romney seems more like The Man. (This might not matter, however. Voters might decide they personally like Obama, but that they want a technocrat to fix the economy. Sometimes we need The Man!)

Brand images, though, often outlast political campaigns. And from a purely superficial standpoint, the GOP — especially if Romney makes a milquetoast running mate pick — risks reinforcing its image as your father’s party.  So the GOP V.P. pick could be a factor this election and if not for this election, it might reinforce a brand for the next time?!?

With a couple of events and a couple of speeches the 2012 Election focus was set and the race is on, all in one day.

While President Obama appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for some slow ‘jammon’ that ended up looking and sounding anything but presidential except to the (MSM) media Obamabots, Mitt Romney took the stage in New Hampshire and claimed his position as the presumptive GOP nominee after winning 5-primaries on Tuesday. That one move showed leadership and has changed the conversation.  Within 24-hours Gingrich announced that he was leaving the race, former GOP primary candidate endorsed Romney and the RNC announced that Mitt Romney was now their presumptive nominee unveiling their support and the support of many behind the scenes already working together to defeat Barack Obama, including with the Ron Paul Campaign though Paul has no plans of dropping out of the race..

Romney looked and sounded presidential creating an echo over the blogosphere and even among some mainstream media outlets that a presidential Romney made slow jammom Obama look anything but presidential.

Mitt Romney Kicked-Off His Presidential Campaign with the words “A better America begins tonight”.  Romney hit all right notes, said all the right things and sounded believably concerned.

Transcript of Romney’s “A Better America” Speech:

"Thank you Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York! And tonight I can say thank you, America. After 43 primaries and caucuses, many long days and more than a few long nights, I can say with confidence – and gratitude – that you have given me a great honor and solemn responsibility. And, together, we will win on November 6th!

We launched this campaign not far from here on a beautiful June day. It has been an extraordinarily journey.

Americans have always been eternal optimists. But over the last three and a half years, we have seen hopes and dreams diminished by false promises and weak leadership. Everywhere I go, Americans are tired of being tired, and many of those who are fortunate enough to have a job are working harder for less.

For every single mom who feels heartbroken when she has to explain to her kids that she needs to take a second job … for grandparents who can’t afford the gas to visit their grandchildren … for the mom and dad who never thought they’d be on food stamps … for the small business owner desperately cutting back just to keep the doors open one more month – to all of the thousands of good and decent Americans I’ve met who want nothing more than a better chance, a fighting chance, to all of you, I have a simple message: Hold on a little longer. A better America begins tonight.

Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better! The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it’s not the best America can do!

Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together.

This has already been a long campaign, but many Americans are just now beginning to focus on the choice before the country. In the days ahead, I look forward to spending time with many of you personally. I want to hear what’s on your mind, hear about your concerns, and learn about your families. I want to know what you think we can do to make this country better…and what you expect from your next President.

And I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’ll probably start out talking about my wonderful wife Ann – I usually do – and I’ll probably bore you with stories about our kids and grandkids. I’ll tell you about how much I love this country, where someone like my dad, who grew up poor and never graduated from college, could pursue his dreams and work his way up to running a great car company. Only in America could a man like my dad become governor of the state in which he once sold paint from the trunk of his car.

I’d say that you might have heard that I was successful in business. And that rumor is true. But you might not have heard that I became successful by helping start a business that grew from 10 people to hundreds of people. You might not have heard that our business helped start other businesses, like Staples and Sports Authority and a new steel mill and a learning center called Bright Horizons. And I’d tell you that not every business made it and there were good days and bad days, but every day was a lesson. And after 25 years, I know how to lead us out of this stagnant Obama economy and into a job-creating recovery!

Four years ago Barack Obama dazzled us in front of Greek columns with sweeping promises of hope and change. But after we came down to earth, after the celebration and parades, what do we have to show for three and a half years of President Obama?

Is it easier to make ends meet? Is it easier to sell your home or buy a new one? Have you saved what you needed for retirement? Are you making more in your job? Do you have a better chance to get a better job? Do you pay less at the pump?

If the answer were “yes” to those questions, then President Obama would be running for re-election based on his achievements…and rightly so. But because he has failed, he will run a campaign of diversions, distractions, and distortions. That kind of campaign may have worked at another place and in a different time. But not here and not now. It’s still about the economy …and we’re not stupid.

People are hurting in America. And we know that something is wrong, terribly wrong with the direction of the country.

We know that this election is about the kind of America we will live in and the kind of America we will leave to future generations. When it comes to the character of America, President Obama and I have very different visions.

Government is at the center of his vision. It dispenses the benefits, borrows what it cannot take, and consumes a greater and greater share of the economy. With Obamacare fully installed, government will come to control half the economy, and we will have effectively ceased to be a free enterprise society.

This President is putting us on a path where our lives will be ruled by bureaucrats and boards, commissions and czars. He’s asking us to accept that Washington knows best – and can provide all.

We’ve already seen where this path leads. It erodes freedom. It deadens the entrepreneurial spirit. And it hurts the very people it’s supposed to help. Those who promise to spread the wealth around only ever succeed in spreading poverty. Other nations have chosen that path. It leads to chronic high unemployment, crushing debt, and stagnant wages.

I have a very different vision for America, and of our future. It is an America driven by freedom, where free people, pursuing happiness in their own unique ways, create free enterprises that employ more and more Americans. Because there are so many enterprises that are succeeding, the competition for hard-working, educated and skilled employees is intense, and so wages and salaries rise.

I see an America with a growing middle class, with rising standards of living. I see children even more successful than their parents - some successful even beyond their wildest dreams – and others congratulating them for their achievement, not attacking them for it.

This America is fundamentally fair. We will stop the unfairness of urban children being denied access to the good schools of their choice; we will stop the unfairness of politicians giving taxpayer money to their friends’ businesses; we will stop the unfairness of requiring union workers to contribute to politicians not of their choosing; we will stop the unfairness of government workers getting better pay and benefits than the taxpayers they serve; and we will stop the unfairness of one generation passing larger and larger debts on to the next.

In the America I see, character and choices matter. And education, hard work, and living within our means are valued and rewarded. And poverty will be defeated, not with a government check, but with respect and achievement that is taught by parents, learned in school, and practiced in the workplace.

This is the America that was won for us by the nation’s Founders, and earned for us by the Greatest Generation. It is the America that has produced the most innovative, most productive, and the most powerful economy in the world.

As I look around at the millions of Americans without work, the graduates who can't get a job, the soldiers who return home to an unemployment line, it breaks my heart. This does not have to be. It is the result of failed leadership and of a faulty vision. We will restore the promise of America only if we restore the principles of freedom and opportunity that made America the greatest nation on earth.

Today, the hill before us is a little steep but we have always been a nation of big steppers. Many Americans have given up on this President but they haven’t ever thought about giving up. Not on themselves. Not on each other. And not on America.

In the days ahead, join me in the next step toward that destination of November 6th, when across America we can give a sigh of relief and know that the Promise of America has been kept. The dreamers can dream a little bigger, the help wanted signs can be dusted off, and we can start again.

And this time we’ll get it right. We’ll stop the days of apologizing for success at home and never again apologize for America abroad.

There was a time – not so long ago – when each of us could walk a little taller and stand a little straighter because we had a gift that no one else in the world shared. We were Americans. That meant something different to each of us but it meant something special to all of us. We knew it without question. And so did the world.

Those days are coming back. That’s our destiny.

We believe in America. We believe in ourselves. Our greatest days are still ahead. We are, after all, Americans!

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."

To quote Jedediah Bila, “With this one speech, Romney changed the discussion from class warfare to a discussion of hope and choice.”

SuperPac American Crossroads also produced a new video entitled: “Cool” - After four years of a celebrity president, is your life any better?  It is focused toward the young…

Meanwhile Obama looked foolish and inept appearing in one of the worst skits ever, demeaning his position and the office of presidency after having spent taxpayer money to campaign and to promote his new student loan program into an election issue.  But the problem with that is Obama’s record and that Romney agrees with Obama on helping students with their loan debt while the economy keeps them from getting jobs, making it a non-issue.

Under Obama:

• 1 in 2 recent college grads are jobless or underemployed
• 85% of recent college grads are moving back with their parents
• Student loan debt exceeds 1 Trillion Dollars

Breibart.com:

And now it seems that Obama’s Fallon appearance violated campaign law

Last night, President Obama appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s unwatchable show to “slow-jam the news.” By this, Fallon meant that Obama would read a campaign speech about student loans, Fallon would utter a few lines to back him up every so often, and his lead band singer would warble in support of Obama’s propaganda.

Only one problem, aside from the fact that this was possibly the worst “comedy” segment in the history of mankind: it violated campaign finance law.

The equal time rule states that if a licensee permits a person “who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station.”

There are exceptions to the rule: appearances on (1) a bona fide newscast, (2) a bona fide news interview, (3) a bona fide news documentary, or (4) on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events.

Only the second provision could be construed as saving NBC from giving Mitt Romney equal time. But this was not a bona fide news interview. In fact, it wasn’t an interview at all – no questions were asked, no answers were given. It was literally Obama reading a campaign speech over a guitar, a horn, a keyboard, and some drums.

Not only was this appearance in violation of equal time law, it was clearly an in-kind contribution by NBC to the Obama campaign. As the Federal Elections Commission states, “A donation of services is … considered an in-kind contribution.” Under applicable law, contribution of broadcast time is considered such a service. This was a campaign commercial for Obama, and the Obama campaign was not charged for it. A minute of network time can cost up to a couple million dollars; this segment ran a full five minutes. There is no doubt that Obama was given millions of dollars of free advertising time, and the Romney campaign should invoke all available law to make that clear.

NBC should be punished to the fullest extent of the law (because they are a repeating offender). Mitt Romney should be given equal time, and an equally sycophantic propaganda piece by Fallon. Obama should be ashamed of himself (though, of course, he has no capacity for shame).   Video HERE

Speaker of the House John Boehner also weighed in this week on Obama campaigning on the public dime.  Boehner said Obama misuses Air Force One for political trips and that he is now trying to make a political issue out of student loans, hitting swing states to make speeches without having to cover the cost for campaigning.  Using taxpayer dollars to fly to battleground states to make political points is 'pathetic, said Boehner.  Read more Here.

Of course violating campaign laws, ethics or tradition doesn’t seem to matter to Team Obama.  He has been campaigning and appearing at fundraisers on the taxpayer dime for months.  Yet, they had the audacity to announce this week that President Obama would be beginning his official campaign in about a month.  At some point the American people are going to get tired of being played for fools on top of watching their country being spent into bankruptcy.  As Mitt Romney said the other night, “It is still about the economy and we’re not stupid”

By Ask Marion~

The Essence of the American Spirit

If US can't love soccer after this, it never will

My husband is a sports fanatic.  Our daughter was a great goalie when she played soccer as a kid.  And if I can go to the field, arena or ball park on a nice day for a game (of most anything)… I’m up for it.  But, soccer and sports are not at the top of list, especially these days!  However, I happened to get up from my computer and head to the kitchen for a coffee refill earlier today when my husband hollered, “You really gotta come watch this!”  It was the Women’s World Cup Soccer quarter finals between the U.S. (favored to take it all) and Brazil.  I figured fine… I’ll watch for 5-minutes and will head back to what I was doing.  An hour later, I was still sitting there.  In the end the game gave me more hope than I had had for a long time… it was the embodiment of the American Spirit played out on a soccer field in Germany…. with the world cheering USA, USA, USA!!!  As Coach Pia Sundhage, a Swede, put it: "It's something about the American attitude, and finding a way to win," she said, slowly shaking her head. "Unbelievable."

Not that the American team isn’t ready, prepared and able to win and go all the way… but they were fighting a battle against a great opponent, with questionable shenanigans if not down right cheating going on from both the Brazilian team as well as the referees. So the fact that they clawed and fought like champs to the end and the tougher it got and the closer to the end of the game they came, the harder they fought… to come out victorious in the end, it gave me a feeling deep inside that I haven’t had for awhile.  And the stands, filled with people who aren’t always on our side, were cheering wildly.  It gave me hope for America, Americans and our Republic.  Sometimes we wait to the last minute, but it always seems as the Marine Corps motto says “When the going gets tough the tough get going!!  And in the end we win with the people of the world cheering us on.

God Bless America, God Bless Freedom and God Bless Our U.S. Women’s Soccer Team for reminding us what we are made of! 

And if you missed the game, see if you can find a replay.  It is worth the watch!!  Marion~

If Americans don't fall in love with soccer after this, well, maybe they never will…

Yes, the epic quarterfinal win by the U.S. women over Brazil featured nearly everything their countrymen hate about the "beautiful game."

They faced off against a team with better individual skills, plus an imagination and intuition about how to play that develops only over decades. They were handcuffed by lousy calls—with no chance of appeal—then mocked by dives and fake injuries cynically designed to steal their momentum and the little time that remained on the clock.

To top it off, after hard work and a last-gasp equalizer erased all that, their fortunes still hinged on those notoriously fickle penalty kicks.

But oh, oh, oh, that ending.

Oh, so just, if not exactly swift.

"I really don't know what to say," veteran Abby Wambach began seconds after the United States won the penalty-kick contest 5-3.

But it didn't take her long to come up with something.

"That is a perfect example of what this country is about, what the history of this team has always been," Wambach added. "We never give up."

If only this once, even the haters back in the States should be able to appreciate why the rest of the world believes there's no greater drama in sports than watching a team trying to validate its national character in a World Cup. And for a nation wearied by a fluttering economy and political paralysis, it could hardly come at a better time.

Highlights of the game were shown between innings on the large video board in Yankee Stadium, and a crowd half a world away from Dresden, Germany, erupted as if it was there. A stream of luminaries as diverse as LeBron James and GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman rushed to Twitter to pass along congratulations—humbled, one hopes, by a display of grit and teamwork that has become increasingly rare back home.

So perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that U.S. coach Pia Sundhage, a Swede, summed it up as eloquently as anyone else.

"It's something about the American attitude, and finding a way to win," she said, slowly shaking her head. "Unbelievable."

As fate would have it, the win Sunday came a dozen years to the day of the previously most famous moment in U.S. soccer history, men or women, when Brandi Chastain put her penalty kick past China's Gao Hong to win the 1999 Women's World Cup and then stripped down to her sports bra. But that moment really said more about a paradigm shift in the culture of all sports in America than it did about the culture of soccer here.

Empowered by Title IX, the women on that team had grown up as girls determined to claim their share of the ball fields and resources that were always available to boys. And with opportunities and support for female athletes advancing faster here than anywhere else, plus a talented and photogenic superstar in Mia Hamm, the U.S. women were the class of the field when international play began in earnest in 1991.

They've managed to keep their place near the top of the game, coming into this cup ranked No. 1. But the small advantages they enjoyed over a handful of rivals are gone, and the even larger ones they held over the rest of the world are drying up fast. The simple truth is that even the best U.S. players, women and men, still don't know how to play what we stubbornly insist on calling soccer and what everyone else has called football for more than 150 years.

What you won't see in the highlights from Sunday's game was how much more talented just about every Brazilian was than her American counterpart, or how they instinctively moved without the ball to create space and string together short, intricate passes to play their way out of tight spots or create chances close to the goal.

More than a style, what the Brazilians and every other power shares is a common purpose and identity, a swiftness of thought that comes from generation after generation playing one game—and only that game—a certain way and then passing those lessons down, in this case from fathers to daughters instead of just sons.

Here, the world game is still an afterthought. It hasn't made a deep enough dent in the sporting psyche to rank alongside football, basketball and baseball, let alone be deemed enough a priority to develop an institutional memory. The U.S. women, at least, have benefited from having access to the best athletes a rich nation of almost 300 million can produce, something that's never been true for the men's team.

Even so, whatever breakthroughs U.S. soccer teams achieved over the last few decades have been almost entirely the result of a supreme effort by a dedicated corps of players who refused to be daunted by the odds. So it was one more time Sunday, by a women's squad that was forced to play short-handed for all but a few minutes of the final hour and never gave up.

"It was a hard way to win, a hard way to lose," Wambach said finally.

"You want the better team to always win and I think the better team did win. But sometimes," she added. "it doesn't always go that way."

———

By Jim Litke,  a national sports columnist for The Associated Press, posted at MercuryNews.com

This is the Brazilian flag… it says:  "ORDEM E PROGRESSO," which means "order and progress" in Portuguese.

Sounds an awful lot like social order or socialism and progressivism to me!!

Old Glory with her stars and stripes that stands for liberty and (individual) freedoms sounds a whole lot better to me!  M~

Video:  USA Vs Brazil Video Winning Goal @ FIFA 2011 Women's World Cup Quarter Finals (2:19 mins)

Video:  USA vs BRAZIL Women's World Cup ~ 2-2 ~ EXTRA TIME ~ USA DEFEATS BRAZIL 5 - 3 in PENALTY (5:38 mins)

If you can find a replay of the game… catch it if you can!!

Something to Make Your Liberal Friends Crazy - Palin-Bachmann 2012

Something to Make Your Liberal Friends Crazy!!  -  Palin-Bachmann 2010

Video:  Something to Make Your Liberal Friends Crazy!!  -  Palin-Bachmann 2010

The Audacity of American Exceptionalism

Fear Factor: Palin Derangement Syndrome

WeeWee’d Out

Bachmann: Obama Worst President in US History

See: Sarah Palin's Alaska - Get a Real View of Palin and Her Family, Instead of the Ugly False Picture Painted by the Progressive Media,

Sunday Night on TLC for 8-weeks, Beginning 11.14.10.

Palin Taking Trip to England and Israel

Palin in Haiti on Humanitarian Trip with Franklin Graham

 

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

"Every time a Democrat mocks Sarah Palin, an independent gets their wings."

See: Journolists: The Truth of Media Fraud Confirmed

Put a ‘Real Pair’ back in the White House!

The only thing that would scare them more: 

The Simple Joys of Life

Life is a blessing. I sometimes buy a lottery ticket, when the jackpot is enormous~ ;-)

By Ari Bussel Saturday, February 13, 2010 - CFP

The future is anchored in the past. Growth is fed by family values, honesty, integrity and always stepping back to look at the bigger picture, putting oneself in the shoes of another, asking: Am I behaving the way I would want to be treated? A momentary immense anger can dissipate into nothing if we only evaluate the situation and ask ourselves: Why are we angry? What is it we are fighting? Is it worth our energy and emotions?

Life is a blessing. I sometimes buy a lottery ticket, when the jackpot is enormous. My mother says that one only needs one winning ticket, so I do not buy more than one. I persuade myself a few cents of that dollar go to our schools, although this is not even a lukewarm excuse for indulging a lottery ticket. Then I have the feeling that the ticket I bought is the winning one. The following morning I will only have to drive and claim the winning jackpot.

I wake the next morning, before knowing if I won the jackpot, and I seem to be negotiating with myself: What will I do with all the money left after Uncle Sam takes his share?

Time and time again my discussion turns out the same way: I start thinking, what am I missing today? Will I eat out more often? Will I fly in a higher class of service or stay at better hotels? Will this make any difference? Will I be a stronger, smarter, better person? Without fail, I always conclude that I am blessed beyond realization. Yes, it will obviously be nice to have a disgustingly large amount of money in my bank account. Will the tellers treat me differently? They will not – we already have a very good relationship – they can do nothing and I stopped expecting. Will I be able to do anything faster, more efficiently or differently? Probably not. Will I be protected against a bank failure? Not over the Federal limits.

So I continue in my chess game with myself, moving yet another piece – with a lot of money, much good can be done. To which the other side immediately moves its own piece, reminding me what I already know: Throwing a lot of good money into something is never the solution. On the contrary, the easier the money flows in, the lesser the appreciation, and the effectiveness of each additional dollar is often dramatically reduced. We think we are owed, we deserve what we have and get and we forget to be good human beings.

We all know the saying that a person cannot take his bank account with him to the after life, nor can she take her jewelry or art collection. I have known many very wealthy individuals who suddenly became old, ill or very old, and could not control basic activities. They become dependent on others. They lost their independence. Did the money make much of a difference? It allowed them care around the clock, hired helped and better accommodations. But the dignity only remains when you are treated as a human being, as a friend, as someone special. None of this can be bought by money. It is earned, coming as a result of remembering to be a good human being throughout your life. Only then do others remember, treat you as you once were, not the shadow you have become.

More recently we were taught another lesson: Even those with immense wealth can lose it. The stock market crashes, Madoff’s Ponzi scheme sees the light of day, an investment bank goes under, and the list goes on and on. Often with no control over life’s unexpected turns, one can find oneself with what one knew to be secure wealth dissipating and nothing remaining (in the good case) or debt replacing the previous positive balances.

I live a simple life, and when the market crashed I did not lose my pants since I did not gamble in the marketplace before. Unlike many others, who would go early every morning to trade, I did not. I thus did not make enormous amounts of money (any in fact), nor did I lose any. I was risk-averse, or simply did not have the money to play around. Life was not boring – before or after the crash.

I live a simple life, and I often find beauty in things that others view mundane. A smile at a time I am hurting. An extended hand when I can use help. I am surrounded by friends who act exactly that way, giving without any pretense or expectation. I can trust them and not be afraid because I know that ulterior motives, egos, personalities or considerations do not enter the equation. When they call and ask me if I can join them in an hour, I do not ask why they didn’t call sooner. I take what I get and give thanks. I am delighted to be extended the opportunity in the first place. When they tell me they are about to move, I show up to help.

Friends. Friendship. Trust. Honesty. Do we always behave the way we would expect others to behave toward us? As I attempt to cross the street, ten seconds remaining, a lady in a Mercedes and a blue placard turns left into the cross walk. She could have waited another few seconds (not to mention she is required to do so by law). Instead she was angry with me. How dare I interrupt her drive! At another crosswalk, someone almost ran me over, although those who have seen me know that I am quite tall and cannot be missed.

Earlier this week we were invited to hear a foreign diplomat speak at a Church. We braved the hour drive each way and arrived an hour early due to security considerations. We decided to precede the event with lunch. Although there are many restaurants in this upscale neighborhood, we chose the Bookstore and Café at the Church. Since they hosted the event, we wanted to reciprocate and spend some money there as well.

When I walked in, I felt I had gone back in time. My mother often remarks nostalgically about life in America some decades ago. Things were simpler and people were nicer. Neighbors extended a hand, kept an eye on the kids when you rushed your wife in labor to the hospital. Bringing over a cake or inviting the neighbor for barbeque – were commonplace. People were not in a rush as they are today. Life was quieter, no air-conditioning, one car, one black and white TV, one telephone line. Things were not disposable (from diapers to furniture to spouses). They stayed together, as my parents for almost 50 years now.

People used to walk, there was appreciation of our Country, Flag, Pledge of Allegiance. Challenges were plenty, but people found the time to be with their kids, to travel and see this great country. People connected with their maker, and attendance at a Church (or for us at a Synagogue) was a regular family event.

There was no sense of entitlement. Instead, there was personal responsibility. You had to work hard and make your way in life. You studied (and worked at the same time, yes, no one paid for school), you raised your kids and did not give them everything they saw in the window front. You were responsible for your actions, for raising a family, for doing something extra – for another person, at Church, for the community or your Country.

As we stepped into the Café I recalled my mother’s nostalgia. We stood and debated our order. Not only were we greeted with a smile and a thanks (think about it – someone happy you are there to bring business!) he even helped us make our choices. Changes? Not a problem! Please be seated, we will bring the food to the table. Remember the days when full service at a gas station did not cost more, and you were greeted with a smile?

Once we were unafraid someone would steal our wallet or our identity, if we left the car unlocked, the front door ajar – all these simple things, conveniences of life that brighten our day, one less thing to worry about.

As we converged on the registration tables, people did not shove others aside, or rush ahead in line. Somehow everyone managed to present a picture ID, get registered, receive a nametag and proceed to the next line. Inside, past the security check, sitting did not cause a rancor: whether you were seated in one table or another, you still saw the stage, could hear the speaker and find good company around you.

I am smiling as I am thinking of gala dinners here in Beverly Hills for various non-profit organizations. I do not want to sit next to her, my wife cannot sit here when my mistress is in the next table or why are they sitting two feet closer than we are? Did we not pay enough? This petty bickering is all too familiar to event organizers. And who is complaining? Sadly, it is usually those extremely rich and spoiled.

The simple things in life – not one pastor argued about seating arrangements. On the contrary, they stood up and introduced themselves, shaking the hands of those around the table. Everyone in the audience was equally as important as everyone else. Then they said a prayer, a blessing, giving thanks.

It was a pleasure to be reminded that if we expect little, we may find much. We can discover hidden treasures not measured in dollars, the size or weight of jewelry, or the brand name printed on the handbag, the tie or the coat. Indeed, I may not be walking in a $500 pair of shoes or wearing a $200 tie, but I still can walk and find a tie I like. I am surrounded with family and friends, we appreciate the health we are given, enjoy the ability to see the sunrise in the morning, smell the citrus trees blossoming, feel the abundant rain unlike previous winters in Los Angeles and smile with happiness filling us inside and out.

Celebrate life! You will discover there is always so much to enjoy and be grateful for.

Sometimes, especially those of us who were given both the blessing and the burden of really seeing what is going on around us, need to remember that life is a blessing and a gift and that in-between “the fight” and getting prepared for the worst while hoping for the best we must be reminded not to forget to live! Enjoy the special moments when they come along: take a few moments to smell the flowers or watch the sunrise or sunset each day; enjoy the family and friends that you are fighting so hard to save the future of America for; watch the Olympics even if they are on NBC and cheer for the USA, the underdogs, our great neighbors the Canadians or an athlete from the Country of your ancestry; and fight on out of love and purpose, not fear or necessity. The more you take part in life, the more opportunity you will have to share what you know and have learned!! Ask Marion~

What some economic experts day we, the Average American, should do to prepare for the worst, while praying for and expecting the best - video