For Those Who Think For Themselves
Rather than let some "less than honest" person like Miuwtant tell you what Bobby Jindal said during his response to Obama's joint session speech, I figured you can read it and decide for yourself.
JINDAL: Who amongst us would ask our children for a loan so we could spend money we do not have on things we do -- we do not need? That is precisely what the Democrats in Congress just did. It's irresponsible. And it's no way to strengthen our economy, create jobs, or build a prosperous future for our children.
In Louisiana, we took a different approach. Since I became governor, we cut more than 250 earmarks from our state budget. To create jobs for our citizens, we cut taxes six times, including the largest income tax cut in the history of our state. We passed those tax cuts with bipartisan majorities.
Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences. We worked together to make sure our people could keep more of what they earn. If it can be done in Baton Rouge, surely it can be done in Washington, D.C.
To strengthen our economy, we need urgent action to keep energy prices down. All of us remember what it felt like to pay $4 at the pump. And unless we act now, those prices will return.
To stop that from happening, we need to increase conservation, increase energy efficiency, increase the use of alternative and renewable fuels, increase our use of nuclear power, and increase drilling for oil and gas here at home.
We believe that Americans can do anything. And if we unleash the innovative spirit of our citizens, we can achieve energy independence.
To strengthen our economy, we also need to address the crisis in health care. Republicans believe in a simple principle: No American should have to worry about losing their health care coverage, period. We stand for universal access to affordable health care coverage.
What we oppose is universal government-run health care. Health care decisions should be made by doctors and patients, not by government bureaucrats.
We believe Americans can do anything. And if we put aside partisan politics and work together, we can make our system of private medicine affordable and accessible for every one of our citizens.
To strengthen our economy, we also need to make sure that every child in America gets the best possible education. After Hurricane Katrina, we reinvented the New Orleans school system, opening dozens of new charter schools and creating a new scholarship program that is giving parents the chance to send their children to private or parochial schools of their choice.
We believe that with the proper education the children of America can do anything. And it shouldn't take a devastating storm to bring this kind of innovation to education in our country.
To strengthen our economy, we must promote confidence in America by ensuring ours is the most ethical and transparent system in the world. In my home state, there used to be saying: At any given time, half of Louisiana was said to be half underwater and the other half under indictment.
Nobody says that anymore. Last year, we passed some of the strongest ethics laws in the nation. And today, Louisiana has turned her back on the corruption of the past.
We need to bring transparency to Washington, D.C., so we can rid our capital of corruption and ensure that we never see the passage of another trillion-dollar spending bill that Congress hasn't even read and the American people haven't even seen.
As we take these steps, we must remember, for all of our troubles at home, dangerous enemies still seek our destruction. Now is no time to dismantle the defenses that have protected this country for hundreds of years or to make deep cuts in funding for our troops.
America's fighting men and women can do anything. If we give them the resources they need, they will stay on the offensive, defeat our enemies, and protect us from harm.
In all these areas, Republicans want to work with President Obama. We appreciate his message of hope, but sometimes it seems like we look for hope in different places.
Democratic leaders in Washington, they place their hope in the federal government. We place our hope in you, the American people.
In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government. We oppose the national Democratic view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government. We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, to empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.
In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear. Our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility.
Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust, and rightly so.
Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say this: Our party is determined to regain your trust.
We will do so by standing up for the principles that we share, the principles you elected us to fight for, the principles that built this in the greatest, most prosperous country on Earth.
You know, a few weeks ago, the president warned that our country is facing a crisis that he said, in quotes, "we may not be able to reverse." You know, our troubles are real, to be sure, but don't let anyone tell you that we cannot recover. Don't let anyone tell you that America's best days are behind her.
This is the nation that cast off the scourge of slavery, overcame the Great Depression, prevailed in two World Wars, won the struggle for civil rights, defeated the Soviet menace, and responded with determined courage to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man, and the American spirit will triumph again.
We can have confidence in our future because, amid all of today's challenges, we also count many blessings. We have the most innovative citizens, the most abundant resources, the most resilient economy, the most powerful military, and the freest political system in the history of the world.
My fellow citizens, never forget: We are Americans. And like my dad said years ago, Americans can do anything.
Thank you for listening. God bless you. God bless Louisiana. And God bless America.
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Here are the lines he is most likely to be attacked for. They are sacrilegious to the left.
- We believe that Americans can do anything. And if we unleash the innovative spirit of our citizens, we can achieve energy independence.
- We oppose the national Democratic view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government.
- We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, to empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.
How DARE HE!?!?!?
And he even points out what I have been saying for a long time. The big government Bush/McCain/Snow/Specter wing of the Republican Party walked away from the core principles of the party. Jindal observes this, and vows to bring the party back to its principles.
HOW DARE HE!!!
Since you are a big whiner about people taking things out of context, well you just stepped in your own bear trap. You conviently, left out this key piece from Jindal:
"Those of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina -- we have our doubts.
Let me tell you a story.
During Katrina, I visited Sheriff Harry Lee, a Democrat and a good friend of mine. When I walked into his makeshift office, I'd never seen him so angry. He was yelling into the phone: "Well, I'm the Sheriff and if you don't like it you can come and arrest me!" I asked him: "Sheriff, what's got you so mad?" He told me that he had put out a call for volunteers to come with their boats to rescue people who were trapped on their rooftops by the floodwaters. The boats were all lined up ready to go, when some bureaucrat showed up and told them they couldn't go out on the water unless they had proof of insurance and registration. I told him, "Sheriff, that's ridiculous." And before I knew it, he was yelling into the phone: "Congressman Jindal is here, and he says you can come and arrest him too!" Harry just told the boaters to ignore the bureaucrats and go start rescuing people."
The point being? He was NOT in that office, when that phone call was made.
If you really think for yourself you will come to the conclusion that Rational_Thinker is a compulsive liar and a very angry man.
The post above is not an accurate transcript of Jindal's speech. It is a partial transcript. But what can you expect? The passage below from his speech - that I referred to in my blog - is not included in the blog text above. I wonder why? I watched the speech so I know what he said.
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http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/25/america/25jindal-text.php
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Bobby Jindal's Obama Response Speech - An Excerpt
Quote
Let me tell you a story. During Katrina, I visited Sheriff Harry Lee, a Democrat and a good friend of mine. When I walked into his makeshift office, I had never seen him so angry. He was literally yelling into the phone. "Well, I'm the sheriff, and if you don't like it, you can come and arrest me." I asked him, "Sheriff, what's got you so mad?" He told me that he put out a call for volunteers to come with their boats to rescue people who were trapped on their rooftops by the floodwaters. The boats were all lined up and ready to go. And then some bureaucrat showed up and told him they couldn't go out in the water unless they had proof of insurance and registration.
And I told him, "Sheriff, that's ridiculous." Before I knew it, he was yelling in the phone. "Congressman Jindal's here, and he says you can come and arrest him, too." Well, Harry just told those boaters ignore the bureaucrats and go start rescuing people.
Unquote
This story is not true. The Congressman's own staff has admitted that he was nowhere near Sheriff Lee and this rescue operation as it was actually taking place. The news is in the blogosphere so far but it is making its way into the mainstream. Here's an example:
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/02/27/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4834777.shtml
The funny thing is why anyone would believe the original story in the first place. Are you kidding me? Someone was going to stop people from going off in boats to rescue people because of registrations and insurance? Who was this gallant bureaucrat, anyway? Part of the Sheriff's own department? We don't know. But it sure does sound bogus to someone like me who has been involved in large-scale disaster-response operations. When lives are in danger you cut the red tape.
Of course the sheriff in question died in 2007 so who knows for sure, huh? The story about red tape preventing rescues seems about as made up as the story the rational one told the other day in another post here about some kid coming by to do some work for him and how he sent the kid packing because he refused to do the job for a measly $12 per hour. Yeah, right.
There are liars and then there is Rational_Thinker. Best of breed.
Two things we know about both Chris Hamm and Miuwtant are that they are both liars and numb as a door knob. You both offer nothing because your credibility has been destroyed on this site. I think you just post to read your own thoughts to yourself, how pathetic.
Nice, Patrick. I post links and quotes and support my statements with verifiable facts and sources. All the time.
Where are yours?
Miuwtant:
You mean Jindal... exaggerated?
Well, I guess his aspiring national political career is over, right? Because the Beltway press made it quite clear during Al Gore's 2000 campaign that exaggerating was a disqualifying offense for the White House. Exaggerating revealed a disturbing character defect and that people prone to exaggerate were not only narcissistic, self-aggrandizing creeps, but could not be trusted to hold high office. Ever.
Sorry, Gov. Jindal. The press has been quite clear about that fact. Your only hope is that the press will suddenly adopt completely separate standards for judging Republican and Democratic aspirants. And that the media's previously unwavering obsession with exaggerations will fail to materialize this one time.
And c'mon, what are the odds that will happen?
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Patrick50:
Apparently you also read them. What does that say about your self-respect?
Patrick50. Since you continue to flaunt your "elitist" intelligence and education. Please explain how we are lying. This is the freaking public record. You can Google Jindal's entire speech.
You are the classic underachiever. You just aren't willing to do even a slight bit of research. A truly learned man would do his due diligence and come back here and report your findings. Instead you sit there and launch insults and character assassinations, based upon zero evidence, and a purely indefensable position.
You've been hiding lately haven't you. Can't take the heat. You have all the class of a driveby shooter. Take the potshots from the car, then drive away as fast as you can.
How sad. Pfeeble50. Grab your blankey, it might get cold tonight.
Patrick is just showing his I.Q. again.
First off, I pulled that transcript off a news site verbatim. I did not edit or remove anything, so if it was missing, it was not intentional.
Second, it appears that the left-wing blog is a-buzzing like flies around a pile of cow poo thinking "OOooooh, we caught Bobby Jindal in a lieeee!!""
http://www.crazyontap.com/topic.php?TopicId=45969&Posts=3
Apparently, Jindal did not know, when he walked into the sheriff's office, that the boat issue had already been solved, the sheriff had unilaterally authorized the rescues, and that he was talking to someone afterward who was telling him he might go to jail for violating a bureaucratic red tape.
The story is 100% completely true, however, Jindal was unaware that the sheriff had already made the call and was jokingly pulling him into the "gonna take the rap" list.
This is not unknown by the left. They know the situation. They know the circumstances. They know Jindal was telling the truth. And yet they continue to propagate the lie.
R_T: You are 100% correct in your post and follow up comments. The left wing is trying their best to destroy Jindal before he can become a viable threat in the future. Look at all the promises Mesiah Obama made during his two year campaign speeches, the press has already noted that he has not made good on many of them.. So one could conclude that Obama lie's.
Check your shoes. I think you stepped in some 100% truth.
The story was presented as an example of Bobby Jindal's dynamic and supportive presence at the height of the Katrina disaster. The essential element of the story, that he was there at the scene helping to correct government stupidity at a time of high need - was false. There is no doubt about that; his own staff has admitted it. Time will tell whether he will own up to this or not.
At his first moment on the national stage he blew it. Clearly and unequivocally.
Honest people would admit it and move on. But when you are as invested in your ideology as some who post on this site that simple act apparently becomes as hard as pulling your own teeth.
The idea that Jindal walked into the Sheriff's office ONE WEEK AFTER THE ACTUAL INCIDENT and overheard a phone call and somehow thought that boat rescues were STILL going on is an example of just how flimsy the "rational thinking" is on this issue. Anyone familiar with Katrina will know that the vast majority of dramatic rescues occurred in the first few days after the storm. After a week the focus was on house-to-house searches for bodies in the areas still under water or where water had recently subsided, especially in New Orleans. So the very idea that he didn't know that the issue had already been solved when he "overheard the sheriff on the phone" is pure hokum.
I hope he is very careful with this. The cover up is always worse than the initial lie.
Currently, right wing blogs are approaching this from the side. They are saying that Jindal was in fact in the area of the disaster when rescues were in process so this is all a big to-do over nothing. Problem is they can't say his story is true because it isn't. So it comes back to this: Governor Bobby Jindal told a false story to the American people in a carefully-prepared nationally-televised speech.
Whoops.
The blame game and
RUSSERT: But, Mr. Mayor, if you read the city of New Orleans' comprehensive emergency plan-- and I've read it and I'll show it to you and our viewers--it says very clearly, "Conduct of an actual evacuation will be the responsibility of the mayor of New Orleans. The city of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life-saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedure as needed. Approximately 100,000 citizens of New Orleans do not have means of personal transportation."
It was your responsibility. Where was the planning? Where was the preparation? Where was the execution?
MAYOR NAGIN: The planning was always in getting people to higher ground, getting them to safety. That's what we meant by evacuation. Get them out of their homes, which – most people are under sea level. Get them to a higher ground and then depending upon our state and federal officials to move them out of harm's way after the storm has hit.
RUSSERT: But in July of this year, one month before the hurricane, you cut a public service announcement which said, in effect, "You are on your own." And you have said repeatedly that you never thought an evacuation plan would work. Which is true: whether you would exercise your obligation and duty as mayor or that – and evacuate people, or you believe people were on their own?
MAYOR NAGIN: Well, Tim, you know, we basically wove this incredible tightrope as it is. We were in a position of trying to encourage as many people as possible to leave because we weren't comfortable that we had the resources to move them out of our city. Keep in mind: normal evacuations, we get about 60 percent of the people out of the city of New Orleans. This time we got 80 percent out. We encouraged people to buddy up, churches to take senior citizens and move them to safety, and a lot of them did. And then we would deal with the remaining people that couldn't or wouldn't leave and try and get them to higher ground until safety came.
Russert also quoted previous statements from Nagin about alleged racism delaying response, as Nagin had said, "[t]he more I think about it, definitely race played into this. If it's race, fine, let's call a spade a spade, a diamond a diamond. We can never let this happen again. Even if you hate black people and you are in a leadership position, this did not help anybody."
"Who in the leadership position hates black people?" asked Russert.
"I don't know who hates black people," responded Nagin, "but I will just tell you this, that I think the imagery that came out across the nation portrayed that this was primarily poor black people that were affected. And I don't know if that affected the response or not. But I got really upset when I heard about some of our residents walking to one of the parish lines and were turned back by attack dogs and armed guys with machine guns."
When asked what his biggest mistake was in connection with the disaster, Nagin said, "My biggest mistake is having a fundamental assumption that in the state of Louisiana, with an $18 billion budget, in the country of the United States that can move whole fleets of aircraft carriers across the globe in 24 hours, that my fundamental assumption was get as many people to safety as possible, and that the cavalry would be coming within two to three days, and they didn't come."
- We believe that Americans can do anything. And if we unleash the innovative spirit of our citizens, we can achieve energy independence.
- We oppose the national Democratic view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government.
- We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, to empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.
Rational_Thinker,
I never thought it could happen. I agree with you on all three of your points.
General Motors and Chrysler keep getting in line or another $20 billion in government handouts on top of the billions they've already received.
It leaves me with the sick feeling that we are throwing money at these walking dead for one reason: because they claim that their demise would be more expensive than keeping them on permanent life support.
Instead of giving billions to bloated oil companies and 20th century automotive giants, why not offer a few billion to anyone who develops a car that gets 100 mpg or that emits zero emissions?
Ron Gremban of Corte Madera is an electrical engineer and committed environmentalist. He spent several months tinkering with a typical Prius hybrid, but in the trunk sits a stack of 18 brick-sized batteries that puts the Prius' already high mileage on adrenaline. Ron gets 80 mpg on his regular commute to work.
Monrovia-based Energy CS has converted two Priuses to get up to 230 mpg by using lithium ion batteries. It is forming a new company, EDrive Systems, that will convert hybrids to plug-ins just like it.
UC Davis engineering professor Andy Frank built a plug-in hybrid from the ground up in 1972. They were converted from non-hybrids, including a Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Suburban. He has built seven hybrids, one of which gets 250 mpg. Let's see Japan beat that.
Tesla Motors of San Carlos builds high performance plug-in electric sports cars that can do 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 125 mph and a range of 221 miles between charges. The EPA estimates the cost of powering the vehicle is just 0.02 cents per mile. For financing, they had to partner with Lotus of Great Britain and an Irish utility company who now own a piece of Tesla.
Why aren't innovators like these getting encouragement from our government?
Why do we need the government to encourage anyone to do business? We should just let them succeed or fail and stay out of their way.