by Ed Martin.

I learned early in life that “crap happens” and sometimes there is absolutely nothing one can do to prevent it, despite all the knowledge, planning, precautions, and risk assessments.   In recent times we have seen a number of things “blow”:

1. Katrina: an act of God;
2. The US economic collapse of 2008: triggered by acts of cumulative individual greed and a government policy that insulated people from the ramifications of their own decisions (Fannie and Freddie backing loans for people who had no business borrowing that much;
3. The BP drilling rig in the Gulf:  cause not yet known.

As predictable as ants swarming over a discarded tuna sandwich were the Congressmen and women who held press conferences, pointed fingers, assigned blame, convened hearings, and otherwise pounded the table while looking earnest into the cameras so everyone could know they were on the job and watching our backs.    It doesn’t matter what “crap” happened, this specter is as predicable as sun in Arizona.   It’s enough to make one vomit and question the worth of all these so-called leaders we so naively have entrusted with power.

Janet Napolitano’s comments that BP is not doing enough to stop the spill or address the mess caused me to shut the tube off especially coming on the heels of her statement that the Mexican border is as secure as it has ever been, something she now is totally responsible for.    The “ants” in Washington are now scrambling to hold hearings so they can yell at someone just as they yelled and cursed at Goldman Sachs executives last week.

My observation about all of this is very simple: many of these Congress people we see on television have been around for a long time.    Their job is to ensure that emergency management functions properly when there is a Katrina; political motivations do not compromise normal economic decisions about loan integrity; and to ensure that offshore drilling permits are issued with proper environmental safeguards.   All this is to be done BEFORE there is a crisis and if things didn’t work out then they, as much as anyone else, are to blame.

Frankly I do not yet know what to think of the BP mess in the Gulf other than what matters most right now is to stop the oil from coming out as it currently is.   Government, BP, and everyone else for that matter, should be figuring out a way to stop the 200,000 plus gallons spewing forth each day as fast as possible while trying to contain the slick that will most surely damage our shores, cripple commercial fishing, impact tourism and affect thousands upon thousands of people.   Napolitano’s finger pointing, congressional table pounding, and Obama’s smart alec assignment of blame are sophomoric and nothing more than a low class transparent attempt to insulate themselves from criticism.

But what about us?   This is not about them.   When do they start thinking about the country first?  Where ARE our true leaders?

What is clear is that the current political class is reactive to whatever happens in the news and quick to point the finger at others rather than take a good hard look at what happened, why, and address the question of whether these events were truly “crap” that happened or could they have been prevented if THEY in fact had done a better job at having foresight, wisdom, and knowledge to ensure that those things properly the function of government were working right?

Every day we see examples of how government has screwed something up.   It’s amazing to listen to these politicians throw stones at Arizona on the immigration issue yet continue to absolve themselves for their failure to secure our borders.

While they stand around pointing fingers, I, as an ordinary taxpaying American, would like to know when is it that we will hold these people who work for us accountable.    Hopefully, this year.

By Ed Martin.

Make no mistake about it, there is a civil way underway here in America being fought out without violence but in the hearts and minds of countless Americans who want reform but not the wholesale change promised by the extreme leftists who have spun their way into power.   The upcoming election will be the most important of any of our lives.

The choice is not one between liberals or conservatives or even Democrats or Republicans.  It is a choice between BIG GOVERNMENT and ORDINARY PEOPLE.    It is a choice between those who go-along to get along, regardless of party and those who are willing to stand on principle to combat policies that are destroying individual initiative, strength, and entrepreneurship that have made this country as successful as we have been.

The battle is between government control and individual responsibility.   If those who advocate bigger and stronger government control win, then those of us who have worked hard our entire life so as not to be a burden to anyone else will be tempted to give up and say “why bother?”.  (The Atlas Shrugged syndrome.)

In my humble opinion the strongest candidates for the federal and state legislatures are those who have never run for office before, but are motivated by a true philosophical core that knows that we have been compromised, sold out, and then handed a bill to pay for those who have not been responsible for their own survival in a society that affords us the ability to be all that we can.

We are not victims!   We are Americans.   But the BIG Government types, largely within the Democratic Party (with occasional support from a bunch of lilly livered weaklings in the Republican Party) have convinced literally millions of Americans that they are victims and need to be taken care of.   They promise money they and we don’t have, sinking us into deeper and deeper collective debt.

The Washington based news media has no idea what is going on beyond the Beltway.  They sit around and dismiss the Tea Party movement, buy into the Obama talking points, and discount any real alternative proposal to big government solutions as not serious.   EXCUSE ME!!!!      Have they bothered to take a look at how those big government solutions have utterly failed wherever they have been tried?   Just look at the inner cities where the Democrats have stifled real development, initiative, and private sector job creation.    Why is it that Obama never used the term “Yes We Can” to mobilze people on the Southside of Chicago to create their own jobs, work hard, and read to educate themselves.   Why it is that this slogan was only used when he and his radical cronies sought the ultimate power of the Presidency?

People in America are strong, but too many stopped thinking that way.   Reliance on government solutions will weaken us, entrap us, and ultimately enslave us.   That is the history of BIG GOVERNMENT wherever it has been tried.    I’m voting for the people because I know that if you teach someone a trade they will find work.   I’m voting for the people because I know that if you teach a child to read and to want to read the boundaries of education are endless.   Schools give us a start but the responsibility to become educated rests with us, no one else.   

Bureaucracies need your money to keep going.   Obama has given us no change, only a continuation of the bigger and bigger bureacracies that have been strangling our free enterprise opportunity.

The next election is coming.  Talk to everyone you know and get them engaged.

If the people continue to lose, we will be overrun and then God help us all.

2010 will be the year for grassroots candidates not tied to the “political class” that has had their chance in public office.  In AZ CD-8 there have been two candidates who have been working hard for the past year building organizations to take out liberal Congresswoman Gabirelle Giffords – Brian Miller and Jesse Kelly.

Then – alas – State Senator Jonathan Paton opts to run.    I have spoken with Senator Paton and he seems like a nice enough guy but he has yet to answer specifically what was wrong with Miller or Kelly?    His supporters say Miller and Kelly can’t win – I’m not so sure.

The most important task is to defeat the attitude that BIG GOVERNMENT IS THE ANSWER AND WE MUST PAYadvocated by liberals like Giffords.    This should not be about incumbents looking for a promotion, unless there is quantifiable research (i.e. polling) that demonstrates that Kelly or Miller CANNOT win.   I, for one, do not believe it exists.

Frankly, I have met both Kelly and Miller and they both impress me as being the real McCoy.