Thursday, February 28, 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

President of Vice's Advance Team


If this is how the Obama Administration abides by flag which many brave soldiers have died to protect, imagine how this White House will protect our constitutional rights regarding the Second Amendment. 

To echo the emphatic outburst from our national treasure, it IS a big "f"-ing deal. 



William F. Buckley on Communication

William F Buckley

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Street Legal In NYC


New York voters can thank their duly elected officials, Mayor Michael "No Big Gulp for You"  Bloomberg (D-R-I-? NYC) and Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) for such prescient policies which are portrayed by the Lamestream Media as "common sense solutions". 

Unfortunately, the Empire State's insanity is looking to spread throughout the nation.  And both Cuomo and Bloomberg harbor aspirations for higher office. 

Jimi Hendrix on Love

Jimi Hendrix Power of Love

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Sheila Jackson Lee--Free At Last?

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX 18th) made a shocking statement at the well of the House of Representatives last week.



While Congresswoman Lee gave plaudits to President Lincoln for freeing the slaves, her floor speech made two anachronistic assertions.  Firstly,  Rep.Jackson Lee presented herself as a freed slave.  Well, the Emancipation Proclamation was promulgated by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.  As Rush Limbaugh joked,  Sheila Jackson Lee looks good for her age but she has to be over 110  years old.



 Then Rep. Jackson Lee  claimed that this Congress had freed the slaves. Not quite.    More like the 33rd Congress not the 113th Congress. The House of Representatives did pass the 13th Amendment on January 31, 1865.  It was ratified by the required 3/4ths of states on December 13, 1865.  In fact, the Mississippi legislature had approved the 13th Amendment in 1995 but had only altered the Federal Register this February.   But certainly this Congress did not free the slaves.

Maybe Representative Sheila Jackson Lee was preoccupied about coordinating with her chauffeur for her one block commute.  After all, she needed sufficient time to change outfits so that she  so could spend  up to eight hours  seat squatting waiting on the aisle  to hug President Barack Obama at the State of the Union speech.

President Barack Obama greets Rep Sheila Jackson Lee at 2013 State of the Union

Considering the regal way that Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee treats her staff, it's no wonder that so many Hill Rats yearn to say "Free at last!".


Frederick Douglass on Politics

Frederick Douglass

If only contemporary audiences could really hear the wisdom of "Liberty's Champion":

Monday, February 18, 2013

George Washington on Faith

130218 Washington

Washington's Birthday (Observed)




Most calendars indicate that today is Presidents’ Day.  But it has come to my attention that this is a misnomer which truly misses the mark.  Popular observance of President’s Day have come down to silly sales and a day off for the government.  While we might enjoy the bargains at the malls and the time off in and around the District of Calamity, we really ought to observe the real meaning behind the holiday.

Prior to the standardization of the Uniform Holiday Act in 1971, the shortest month used to have two holidays, both Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12th) and Washington’s Birthday (February 22nd) which many states observed.  Even though an early draft of the Uniform Holiday Act referred to the third Monday in February as Presidents’ Day, the Congress never changed the observance from “Washington’s Birthday”.

Rather than have a holiday celebrating the general office of the Presidency, or being forced to celebrate James K. Polk, it seems appropriate to honor the father of our country, George Washington.

SEE MORE at DCBarroco.com

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Real Time Problem= Math Is Hard

Comedian Bill Maher prides himself on his prowess on simple math and politics, as is seen as he schools investment broker and financial commentator Peter Schiff on economics-





Recently, Bill Maher called out Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) for being a liar about the debt.  Simple math points out the real problem with the HBO jester's comedic calculus-



To be politically incorrect (sic), Maher is an ideological idiot.  With skills like that maybe Maher might become the Vice President.  Oh, yeah that job is already aptly filled by Vice President Joe Biden.




We know that we can count on Biden-


A POTUS Valentine?


Considering the on-air statements of MSNBC's Chris Matthews towards President Barack Obama, such a Valentine would not be surprising.


Of course, Chrissy is upset at critics who continue to tease him about the tingling up his leg. But it seems that holding one accountable for one's actions is just tinker toy and tease over a "Zero Dark Thirsty" muffed media moment. 


Rick Warren on Love

Rick Warren Love

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

SOTU Reactions--Stay Thirsty My Friends



During Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) Republican response to the 2013 State of the Union speech, he experienced some cotton mouth and took a swig of water which was stored slightly out of frame. 




Perhaps he should have wet the whistle between giving his Spanish State of the Union rebuttal  and the English edition. 

Admittedly, the optics of this "Water-gate" were awkward.  Even the cameraman in the Speaker's ante-chamber blurted out "Uh oh". In follow up media appearances, Rubio used self-deprecating humor to minimize the muffed moment.  But it is sad to think that this slight media misstep dominates the coverage of the evening.  

Over the hour when President Obama gave his 6500 word State of the Union speech (the second shortest SOTU during his presidency), there were many incredible utterances which should make political watchers squirm.  Mr. Obama claimed to have reduced the deficit by $2 Trillion during his time in office.  The White House must have employed some creative accountants to conjure up that false factoid, as the deficit had grown by $6 trillion over four years.  Then there was the audacity of hope which Obama exclaimed that his 29 new programs won't cost taxpayers any more money.  If that is true, it must mean that there will be unfunded federal madates to the states to cover universal pre-school.  Another Federal mandate which gets dumped on cash strapped states. 

But instead of exploring the impact of the laundry list of new Obama initiatives, it was "smarter government" for the Obama stenographers posing as the elite Liberal Media to promote the "Zero Dark Thirsty" meme.   So instead of thirsting for the truth,  the Lamestream Media sates itself by spreading the snark which is an ad hominem attack on Obama's opponent. 

For those who care about the country, it is wise to stay thirsty for the truth, even if it is lampooned by the Liberal Media.

Blaise Pascal on Sin

Blaise Pascal

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Remembering Abraham Lincoln's 204th Birthday


 On the 204th anniversary of his birth, here is a re-enactment of Abraham Lincoln's brief Second Inaugural Address, delivered on March 4th, 1865, less than six weeks before he was felled by an assassin's bullet.



If only blue and grey partisans had taken Lincoln's words urging reconciliation to heart.  Instead we had twenty years of antagonistic Reconstruction and nearly a century of  Jim Crow laws.

Abraham Lincoln on Freedom

Abraham Lincoln

The nose of this bronze bust of Lincoln is discolored by so many visitors rubbing it. 

If you plan to visit Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Illinois, do not expect to have an engaging encounter Ã  la Night at the Museum.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns

Benedict XVI upon his election April 19, 2005 [AP photo: Domenico Stinellis]

It was a shock to the world the Pope Benedict XVI (ne Josef Ratzinger) offered a letter of resignation today from the Papacy during a consistory which was just slated to canonize three saints.  Benedict XVI was elected pope April 19, 2005 and at age 78 was the oldest Pope elected to the Chair of St. Peter.  Cardinal Ratizinger had developed a reputation as a doctrinaire  Rottweiler as he headed the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the office of  Holy Inquisition) during most of Pope Blessed John Paul II’s  26 ½ year reign . Benedict XVI surprised critics as being a gentle German Shepherd during his nearly eight year tenure leading the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation will take effect as of February 28, 2013 8 pm Rome time. There will be a two week period when it will sede vacante and then the College of Cardinals will meet to vote on who will become the next Pope.


Pope Benedict XVI Crest
Pope Benedict XVI had hinted at the possibility of resigning during an interview with a German journalist in 2010 if he did not feel that he was physically or mentally capable of fulfilling the mission of the papacy.  Some had speculated that Benedict XVI might resign at the conclusion of the Year of Faith, which is slated to end November 24th.  Yet Benedict XVI heeded his prayerful examination of conscience and chose the end of February.  This could be symbolic as the announcement was made on the same day as the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes which is also the Church’s World Day of the Sick.  However the date also coincides with the signing of the Lateran Pacts (1929), when the Republic of Italy recognized the sovereignty and independence of the Vatican City state.

In his letter of resignation, Pope Benedict XVI noted:

 After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. 



READ MORE at DCBarroco.com

Derek Jeter on Virtue

Derek Jeter

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Remembering Ronald Reagan's 102nd Birthday



 Happy 102nd birthday wishes for the Gipper! 

 If the mural that was made out of Jelly Bellies, Reagan's favorite candy, wasn't sweet enough, let them eat cake.

Marcus Aurelius on Life

Marcus Aurelius

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Weighing the Wisdom of the "Wise Latina" Sonia Sotomayor



In May 2009, President Barack Obama named Sonia Sotomayor as his choice to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court.  One bump on her way to achieving a 68-31 Confirmation vote by the Senate was dealing with a ““Wise Latina”” line that Sotomayor had been dropping into public speeches between 1994 and 2003.  Sotomayor clarified during the hearings to a sympathetic Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) that “[w]hile life experience shapes who one is, "ultimately and completely" a judge follows the law regardless of personal background.

That statement seems somewhat ironic as Vice President Joe Biden’s official swearing in ceremony on January 20th 2012 was moved from Noon as is directed in the US Constitution to 8:15 a.m. so that Associate Justice Sotomayor could maintain her other obligation, a book signing appearance in Manhattan that afternoon for her autobiography “My Beloved World” (“Mi mundo adorado”).

Justice Sonia Sotomayor swearing in Vice President Joe Biden, January 20, 2013 8:15 a.m.


Other sitting Supreme Court Justices have published best-selling books while sitting on the Nation’s High Court, as Associate Justice Clarence Thomas had in 2007  with his memoirs “My Grandfather’s Son”.  But these extracurricular activities should not impede on the duties which accompany the public office which one has been entrusted.  It seems troubling to rearrange constitutionally set schedules to accommodate a personal P.R. appearance.

READ MORE at DCBarroco.com 

Charlton Heston on Character

Saturday, February 2, 2013