IT IS TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE

It is with deep sadness that I recommend that the American voter take decisive action at the coming National Election… CLEAN HOUSE IN WASHINGTON. It cuts to my very core to make this suggestion, because I now believe we must start at the top of our government, and go as deep as our individual convictions lead us to clean up our inept leadership.

Yes, your Commander did vote twice for President George Bush, and I still believe that he is a well meaning gentleman who was, and still is correct in claiming International Terrorism is a major threat confronting our nation. That threat must be faced and eliminated before it destroys our country and the American way of life. On the other hand, President George Bush as our Commander in Chief is, and was responsible for an administration that has failed to adequately address the day to day financial issues confronting our nation.

It is apparent that our problems go much deeper than just the Executive Branch of our government, because it is our Congress that makes and passes the necessary legislation, provide oversights, and approves spending. Congress, the House and the Senate, have resorted to such bitter political sniping that nothing is being addressed, nor accomplished. Members of both Houses of Congress have served their personal self-interests and failed repeatedly to meet their sworn duties as our elected officials. Let me tell you that few, if any, Members of Congress will be influenced by our current financial crisis, because they are protected, over-compensated, and over-perked fat cats. It is you and me who will pay for their malfeasance.

If Congress had acted in a non-partisan way we would not be in the perilous financial times that confront our nation today. Where was the over-sight that the Congressional Committees should have provided? I suggest that with very few exceptions, the entire bunch of ineffective, inefficient, self-serving elected officials be replaced. Virtually every member of Congress is compromised by their personal financial greed in soliciting contributions from special interests and lobbyists for their personal re-election campaigns. The entire earmark system is nothing but a political blackmail pay-off for votes or campaign funding. That system could be fiscally beneficial if it were transparent with open discussion and specific issue voting approval, or with presidential line item veto.

The fingers point far beyond our elected officials. It goes to the bureaucratic government system of support employees who owe their jobs to their Congressional bosses, and do their bidding, not the peoples work. Where were the appointed leaders of the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Treasury Department’s investigative divisions such as the FBI, to ferret out misconduct domestically, and even the CIA to delve into government corruption, and waste overseas?

Our elected officials are so entrenched with the business leadership and obtaining their huge financial campaign contributions that they have shielded themselves from appropriate Congressional oversight. Why didn’t Congress prohibit excessive executive compensation packages sooner? Now the cat is out of the bag, and the Congress is puffing their chests, and pointing fingers demanding immediate action, again after the fact.

Money clearly corrupts, and we cannot clean this situation up until we get the excessive amounts of money out of the system. Look at the staggering sums of money being spent frivolously by the candidates in this election, federally, regionally, and even locally. Can you imagine how many problems could have been resolved had just a portion of those campaign funds been assigned to solving issues, and not filling political pockets. When are we going to wake up and say enough is enough?

Let me give you one very good example of what I am talking about. How could Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid D-NV announce the Senate would not vote on the House approved Energy Bill until after the election? Senator Reid, with all his taxpayer perks, is not hurting like you and me. How can the Senate go home to campaign for their Presidential choice, and raise more campaign funds for themselves, without solving their constitutients daily needs. We, the taxpayers, are hurting with artificially high gasoline prices that are filling the pockets of anti-American foreign governments, and the Senate goes on vacation! Sixty or seventy percent of the American Public want oil drilling in Alaska’s ANWR, but neither the House or Senate have included it in their Bills. Give me a break, because that action is unconscionable.

You should read Glenn Greenwald’s (author and one-time constitutional and civil rights litigator) blog of December 10, 2006 (www.glenngreenwald.blogspot.com) that clearly establishes the fact that Congressman Rahm Emanuel D-IL, and Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) lied about the fact that he had prior knowledge of former Congressman Mark Foley’s (R-FL) e-mails to House Pages. As a member of the House Ethics Committee why did he not act? Also, how is it that Emanuel came to Congress with approximately $45,000 and six years later he is a millionaire? He is a big booster and adviser to Obama, which raises more smoke to that candidacy. The greed and deceit continues unabated.

Do you know what is really sad? Both Presidential candidates are carrying plenty of baggage on this problem too. Their skirts are not clean, because they have been out trying to feather their own nests on the campaign trail while the house was burning back in Washington. I believe that McCain has been well vetted, but I do not believe that the same scrutiny has been given to Obama. I have a good track record at smelling smoke, and there are several issues that need answers on Obama’s past relationships, and financial dealings that have been buried or suppressed. Why? Be very careful what you wish for before you vote, because you could pay a very harsh, expensive penalty.

Your Commander calls for a renewed awareness of DUTY, HONOR AND COUNTRY by both voters and our politicians.

News releases today announced a settlement on the Emergency Bail-out of our financial institutions. I hope it works, and is not a typical quick-fix Washington patch job that will require further financial adjustment down the road.

When will the little guys like you and me wake up? We better do it before it is too late and we have absolutely nothing left. IT IS TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE IN WASHINGTON FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.

COMMANDER GRANGER