Side-Stepping the Constitution; WH angry at McChrystal; US $ no longer to be used for oil trading

1) Is Obama's Handling of Honduras a View of Our Future? The United States is different from most other countries in many ways. One unique aspect of our country is that our elected officials, officers of the court, and the military, all pledge their allegiance to the Constitution and not to an office, individual or party. This assures continuity of the ideals set forth by the founders. The Supreme Court of Honduras in conjunction with their Congress and military reacted to defend the Honduran Constitution earlier this year, when President Manual Zelaya introduced a referendum to change the Constitution to permit him to run for another term outside of the term limits specified in their Constitution. Aside from his action being extremely unpopular, their Supreme Court ruled his move illegal and thus took action to defend their Constitution and, with the approval of their Congress, had their military remove him from office. The entire world condemned the Honduran leaders' corrective measure. It was not surprising to see countries not used to defending a written set of ideals react negatively to the Honduran action, but it is shocking to see the President of the United States and his administration join with these other nations in condemning the Honduran defense of their Constitution (emphasis mine). The Obama administration went further and cutoff aid to this brave nation that did nothing more than take a stand that their government is subject to their people and not the other way around. Our history, our culture, our DNA clearly should have every American confused and frightened. …Now let's look at current events. Why is Mr. Obama condemning Honduras? Could it be because he also is about to side-step a constitution -- our Constitution (emphasis mine)? The various versions of the healthcare reform measures passed by three House Committees along party lines by the Democrats and about to be passed by the Senate Finance Committee, most likely along party lines by the Democrats, will require all Americans to purchase health insurance. If passed by the full House and the full Senate -- most likely under an extreme budgetary measure known as reconciliation, which requires only 51 votes -- and then rationalized in conference and passed by both chambers and signed into law by Mr. Obama, there will clearly be -- or there should be -- a constitutional challenge.   At that point, the people of the United States will be facing the threat of a new law that the majority of Americans have so far indicated they do not support; a constitutional challenge; and a president that has demonstrated contempt for constitutional doctrine. Have I got your attention now (emphasis mine)?   Did you ever think that a tiny poor nation struggling to hold to the precepts of its freedom as Honduras is would be a stand alone beacon of truth and right? Did you ever think that this tiny nation trying to hold on to its freedom would be condemned for doing so by an American president? Did you ever think that we may be facing a similar constitutional challenge? See: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/is_obamas_handling_of_honduras_1.html 2) White House angry at General Stanley McChrystal speech on Afghanistan The relationship between President Barack Obama and the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan has been put under severe strain by Gen Stanley McChrystal's comments on strategy for the war. According to sources close to the administration, Gen McChrystal shocked and angered presidential advisers with the bluntness of a speech given in London last week.  The next day he was summoned to an awkward 25-minute face-to-face meeting on board Air Force One on the tarmac in Copenhagen, where the president had arrived to tout Chicago's unsuccessful Olympic bid. In an apparent rebuke to the commander, Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary, said: "It is imperative that all of us taking part in these deliberations, civilians and military alike, provide our best advice to the president, candidly but privately."  When asked on CNN about the commander's public lobbying for more troops, Gen Jim Jones, national security adviser, said:  “Ideally, it's better for military advice to come up through the chain of command.” …He told the Institute of International and Strategic Studies that the formula, which is favoured by Vice-President Joe Biden, would lead to "Chaos-istan". …He went on to say: "Waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome. This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely, and nor will public support."  The remarks have been seen by some in the Obama administration as a barbed reference to the slow pace of debate within the White House. Gen McChrystal delivered a report on Afghanistan requested by the president on Aug 31, but Mr Obama held only his second "principals meeting" on the issue last week.  He will hold at least one more this week, but a decision on how far to follow Gen McChrystal's recommendation to send 40,000 more US troops will not be made for several weeks. …The general has responded with a series of candid interviews as well as the speech. He told Newsweek he was firmly against half measures in Afghanistan: "You can't hope to contain the fire by letting just half the building burn."  As a divide opened up between the military and the White House, senior military figures began criticising the White House for failing to tackle the issue more quickly.  They made no secret of their view that without the vast ground force recommended by Gen McChrystal, the Afghan mission could end in failure and a return to power of the Taliban. See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/6259582/White-House-angry-at-General-Stanley-McChrystal-speech-on-Afghanistan.html And: http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1009/candidly_but_privately_7340d14f-72d4-4fc1-982f-3946362a3951.html 3) Did We Elect a Beta Male As President? We're all somewhat familiar with the body language dogs display when they greet each other. The dominant alpha male approaches directly, asserting his authority, while the beta male genuflects, crouches, tucks his tail, and may even end up on his back, exposing his neck in acquiescence, making sure the alpha male knows he has no intention of challenging him. With his "we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist" opening to the world's dictators, the President is exhibiting classic beta male behavior, in essence rolling over on his back and exposing his throat to them to make sure they know he has no intention of challenging their authority. Of course, the problem is that he's not simply exposing his throat, he's exposing America's collective throat, sending the message that he's a typical beta male intent on submitting to all the alpha male leaders around the world, and damn the consequences. …The Obama administration has also offered conciliatory gestures to the genocidal Sudanese leader Omar Hassan al-Bashir, and it has dispatched none other than John Kerry to meet with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. This, of course, is not to mention his somewhat more visible overtures to the world's alpha male thugs: Obama has consorted jovially with Hugo Chavez and his counterpart Daniel Ortega, he's bowed down to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, he's agreed to halt plans to install a missile defense system in eastern Europe to placate Vladimir Putin, and he's offered the aforementioned hand to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, despite the latter's expressed unwillingness to even agree to acknowledge the truly important issue of Iran's nuclear weapons in our talks, all quintessential beta male behaviors. …The president's beta-male proclivities are arguably putting the safety of his constituents, the citizens of our country, in serious jeopardy (emphasis mine). See: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/did_we_elect_a_beta_male_as_pr_1.html 4) The demise of the dollar: In a graphic illustration of the new world order, Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning – along with China, Russia, Japan and France – to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar.  Secret meetings have already been held by finance ministers and central bank governors in Russia, China, Japan and Brazil to work on the scheme, which will mean that oil will no longer be priced in dollars. …This sounds like a dangerous prediction of a future economic war between the US and China over Middle East oil – yet again turning the region's conflicts into a battle for great power supremacy. China uses more oil incrementally than the US because its growth is less energy efficient. The transitional currency in the move away from dollars, according to Chinese banking sources, may well be gold. An indication of the huge amounts involved can be gained from the wealth of Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar who together hold an estimated $2.1 trillion in dollar reserves. See: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-demise-of-the-dollar-1798175.html 5) The Fed Fighter: DealBook’s Ron Paul Interview …Q. Which brings us to your bill to audit the Federal Reserve. What would an audit show, and why do you think that information is important?  A. It is going to show what kind of promises the Fed made, what kind of loans they made, which companies benefited, which companies did not. We want to know about these international arrangements. You know if they can enter into arrangements with other countries and other central banks and issue new money and credit — they are literally a government unto itself. The Fed is making appropriations that are off the books and didn’t go through Congress. That should be unconstitutional. They are making agreements with other governments. That’s treaty-making and we don’t even know about it. They always say it is to maintain an orderly financial system, but there is nothing orderly about it. They created problems, and it is something we deserve to know about. See: http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/the-fed-fighter-dealbooks-ron-paul-interview/ 6) Fear of Losing Private Health Insurance Trumps 'Public Option' Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters nationwide say guaranteeing that no one is forced to change their health insurance coverage is a higher priority than giving consumers the choice of a "public option" health insurance company. See: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/october_2009/fear_of_losing_private_health_insurance_trumps_public_option 7) DHS to hire up to 1,000 cybersecurity experts WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will hire up to 1,000 cybersecurity experts over the next three years to help protect U.S. computer networks, an Obama administration official said. …Department officials could not say precisely how many cyberexperts now work at DHS and its various component agencies such as the Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Napolitano said she doubts it will be necessary to fill all 1,000 of the authorized positions, but she is focused on making DHS a "world-class cyberorganization." The Obama administration has set cybersecurity as a top priority but has yet to hire a cyberczar to head up its efforts. Chris Painter, the White House National Security Staff's acting senior director for cybersecurity, said the president remains committed to finding someone for the post. See: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/02/dhs.cybersecurity.jobs/ 8) Iowa rep.: Anti-bullying czar pushes "homosexuality" on kids Rep. Steven King (R-Iowa), a religious conservative, wants President Obama to dump "school safety czar" Kevin Jennings, claiming the former history teacher promoted "homosexuality" in elementary schools by penning a forward for a book titled [I kid you not] "The Queering of Elementary Education." Jennings' appointment as head of the Education Department's Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools is part of a push by the Obama administration to recognize increasing problem of school bullying, underscored by the recent beating death of 16-year-old Chicago honor student Derrion Albert. The 1999 book, a compilation of essays seems to be largely focused on eliminating homophobia among children in schools aims to foster diversity. The book jacket description [cribbed from Amazon] says the tome "is not about teaching kids to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight. It's not part of a sinister stratagem in the "gay agenda.'" King isn't so sure, and released the following statement: “Kevin Jennings lacks the appropriate qualifications and ethical standards to serve in a presidential administration. Despite serving as the ‘safe schools’ czar, Jennings has demonstrated a willingness to look the other way on sexual abuse. His life’s work has been the promotion of homosexuality, even in elementary schools, and he has demonstrated no qualifications to make students safer in our schools. Jennings is committed to the ‘safety’ of only a narrow portion of American students, while expressing disdain for religion and traditional values. President Obama should fire Kevin Jennings immediately.” See: http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/1009/Iowa_rep_Antibullying_czar_pushes_homosexuality.html 9) 'Gay' sex morally good, says Obama pick Tapped to head Equal Employment Opportunity Commission "Gay" sex is morally good and is as "wonderful" as heterosexual relations, according to Chai Feldblum, President Obama's nominee to become commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  "Gay sex is morally good," she said. "Now you may think that might be a little crazy to go out there and say gay sex is good. But think a second. Society definitely believes that heterosexual sex is good. Right. Heterosexual sex within a certain framework – marriage – I mean, you can't get more dewy-eyed and romantic in this society about how wonderful that is."  Continued Feldblum: "If you're not being cynical for the moment, I think that does reflect a correct understanding that sex is often a basic building block for intimacy and that intimacy and connections within couples and within families are integral building blocks for a healthy society."  Feldblum is an outspoken homosexual rights activist and Georgetown law professor. She offered her sex remarks at a UCLA symposium on homosexuality available on YouTube. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=112003 Oh, and by the way, she also praised pologamy and believes, “traditional marriage should not be privileged above other forms of union.” See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=112002