Burt, I believe the Joan Rivers of Congress earned all of that money flat on her back flashing the V-sign with her legs to the taxpayer.

College folk like Ron Paul because his principles attract them, and they're still naïve enough to believe that principles can change the world.

To their credit, Paul's principles espouse liberty rather than the all-pervasive state that the Occupy folks clamor for.

Personally, I like Paul in spite of his foreign policy, because foreign policy is not the most important thing affecting our country right now. A Ron Paul that could get things done and also ceded to the wisdom of the Joint Chiefs would be more or less the perfect candidate, but we've never lived in a perfect world.

I, too, am amused by the adherents of vast secretive conspiracies. As if human beings are truly capable of such organization and planning without grandstanding by anyone. These same people believe man capable of building utopia.

Holmes,

Thanks to the visual you've provided, I'll be skipping lunch today...

@Norge: I long ago lost my appetite when I became aware that Pelosi has a face tighter than a snare drum, but the same could not be said for other parts of her anatomy. Weight loss - the only positive thing to come from an Obama admistration.

Burt, I find it interesting that the relatively large number of Ron Paul fans who read your sometimes witty articles don't seem to mind you calling them "dunces" and "deranged."

I propose that people should vote for whom they wish, regardless of your blathering, because Obama is going to win the election anyway. So, I encourage readers to vote their hearts, not for the same political hacks who will do nothing to change anything. So, I say vote for the most conservative candidate, which strangely, includes Ron Paul. Perhaps that way, in 2016, Republicans will have gotten the message and changed their "same old strategies" ways.

And by the way, Burt, you wrote two brilliant articles to begin the year, then you devolve into attacks on Ron Paul, who everyone knows by now, will not win the election. I guess you must like calling people dunces. Give us some fresh perspectives, please!

Burt: You made my morning. Thanks for keeping things in perspective and delivered with humor. Also, I'm relieved to know I'm neither a dunce or completely deranged. Regards from Alaska.

On Ron Paul fans: We want to right the ship without listing to the other side. Please find the next best candidate in your eyes. He may pass before the election even takes place.

Burt, there is something positive to be said about making France the policeman of the world. It would open up the opportunity for a new industry in the US, that being the production of white flags. That would be one industry producing something we could export to France.

Richard Ryan

Lamar,Missouri - Birthplace of Harry S Truman

Tex Horn: So long as Ron Paul doesn't follow the example of Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry, I will consider him and his followers fair game. I don't know where you get the idea that Ron Paul's groupies don't mind being called "dunces" and "deranged." I get plenty of email from them calling me far worse names. But, to be fair, you must admit that I have also attacked Newt Gingrich a great many times. My question is why you keep coming back if you haven't liked my articles since the first two of 2012. You must be a masochist.

Richard: As a capitalist, I commend you. You might even get Bain Financial to help finance the white flag factory.

JJStryder: An excellent point. Most Utopians are liberals, which figures, because they are inevitably divorced from reality.

Burt

This is not brief. If that's a must, just hit the delete button now. Published Delta Democrat Times Greenville, MS 9-27-07

A highly placed government official, too cowardly to let his name be used, told me of a recent Senate Committee Hearing that did not go quite as planned.

The Committee Chairman began: “This is a bipartisan hearing. Each committee member will be allowed fifteen minutes for opening remarks. After which each witness will also be allowed fifteen minutes to make an opening statement if desired.”

A woman at the witness table rose with the microphone in her hand and said, “Mr. Chairman, I have a question, if you don’t mind.”

The unexpected and unheard of interruption momentarily stunned everyone in the room.

The chairman stuttered, “Er, ah, Madam, uh, please take your seat. You will be given the opportunity to make an opening statement at the proper time.”

“No, senator, I’m not sitting down until I get something straight. Am I to understand that before you start asking us questions all of you sitting up there are going to make fifteen minute speeches?”

“Well, no, Madam, there will be no speeches, merely opening statements in which…”

The lady witness interrupted, “Whatever you call them, speeches or opening statements, there are thirteen of you sitting up there and do you expect us to just sit here for over three hours before you start to question us? With no disrespect, senator, I’ve better things to do than sit at this table for that long”

"Look, this is my first visit to Washington and I brought my camera and bought a tourist map. So I’ll just leave and get some souvenir photos to share with members of my Ever Cheerful, Ever Lovin’ Ladies Club back home. But don’t worry, I’ll watch the time and promise to be back in time to answer questions.”

With that the woman picked up her purse and camera and started to leave the room.

To the chairman’s left a Democrat senator lost her temper and angrily said, “Mr. Chairman, in all my years as a United States Senator never have I been exposed to such a vulgar display of disrespect by a witness. I suggest, Mr. Chairman, that you strongly rebuke this unruly and ignorant person and order her to take her seat and remain silent until being allowed to speak!”

To the chairman’s right a Republican senator spoke up. “Mr. Chairman, in the true spirit of bipartisanship in this important committee hearing, for which I commend the distinguished chairman for calling, I cannot agree more with the gentlelady. Mr. Chairman, I too, insist you remind the witness who she is and who we are.”

With angry senators to his right and to his left, TV cameras aimed at him and the usually bored media now paying strict attention to every word, the visibly upset chairman said, “Madam, if you will please…”

The witness interrupted again.

“Well now, don’t that just put the fur on the fox! If there’s any reminding to do here, it’s you who need it! I know who you are, you’re public servants. Have you forgotten we taxpayers pay your salary? Have you forgotten that we don’t work for you, that you work for us?”

The now livid Democrat senator shouted, “How dare you question this committee? If you do not immediately take your seat and be silent I personally will make you regret for the rest of your ignorant and miserable life the day you dared to disrupt this hearing!” And she bellowed “NOW TAKE YOUR SEAT!!!”

Instead, the witness stood firm and said in a strong, confident voice, “Senators, you may hold high office, but that doesn’t give you the right to sit up there and look down your noses at us witnesses. And it doesn’t give you the right to treat us like dirt or call us names. Let me remind you again that you’re public servants, our servants, not our masters. I have great respect for the office of United States senator, but very little for you. Now, unless you arrest me I’m leaving and will come back in three hours to answer your questions.”

As the outspoken and determined witness left the hearing room, she was quickly followed by the other witnesses, spectators and members of the media.

My cowardly anonymous source added that when the senators finally recovered from the shock, they each gave a fifteen minute opening statement to an empty hearing room and when the last one finished they gave themselves a round of thunderous applause.

Caution: my anonymous source is so anonymous I don’t even know who it is, so I can’t guarantee this actually happened.

Burt, I have never believed that Samuel Adams is a wide receivers for the Oakland Raiders. Like me, almost everyone knows that he owns a brewery!

I'm a completely deranged dunce and proud of it, Burt. We completely deranged dunces are able to actually learn something from the past, which you and the other "Even-a-RINO-is-better-than-a-Demo" tribe members can't seem to do. Another RINO in the White House will either end up capitulating with the Dems, or his agenda will be nullified due to the unwillingness of the Republicans in Congress to put up a real fight for or against anything. I predict Obama will be re-elected; but if he's not, there will not be any great change from the course the nation is on now. Nothing will be repealed, nothing will be cut or cut back (with the exception of the military), the country will continue to slide and the Republicans will still gladly accept the blame. After all, they are merely the flip-side of the coin.

As for Ron Paul, if he were elected he would accomplish absolutely nothing because he'd have both democrats AND Republicans united against him.

And Burt, please don't throw out that tired old line about Supreme Court nominees. How much resistance did the Repubs put up to the last 2 nominees? A Republican president won't be able to get a real conservative past Senate review (and the Republicans in office won't put up a real fight for their own nominee) and will have to nominate a "moderate" that will appease the Democrats, which means they will be a liberal on the bench.

Again, the coin has 2 heads. Tails, we lose.

Burt,

So, according to Robert Sweeney if Ron Paul is elected President and can't get anything accomplished then both the Democrats and the Republicans will be to blame. Is sounds like he is taking a on Obama's blame someone or something else for your shortfalls instead of taking responsibility for them. I'll bet when his favorite football team looses it's not ever their fault either.

Anyway, I don't see America as the Policemen of the World, but we have to protect our Country from all enemies foreign and domestic. In todays world we can't just sit back and wait for the threat to fully develop and attack us. We have to be prepared and we also have to make sure that our allies are prepared protected from common threats for our own and their interests. Anyone who doesn't see that lives in the same dilusional world that the liberal utopians do.

If I were to bet on the eventual one world government at this time I would bet on an Islamic one.

Islam has the tenacity and the obsession. Islam also has the cowardice complex of the West liberals flaging the face of Islam no less than the matadour flags the face of the big bad bull.

Ron Paul followers are fanatics, and though the Cubs will win the world series before Ron is ever elected, they will swear by him to God himself. Rons isolationist policies are absurd and scarry, unfortunately isolationism is a reflection of cowardice and deriliction of duty.

His royal highness the King, and of course his wife, our Queen, were somewhat perturded by waiting a few extra hours to fly out together, so the Queen took Air Force 2, followed by the King a few hours later on Air Force 1. I myself ate cake that day.

BTW, when Nancy Pelosi dies, how will anyone know the difference between her usual facial contenance and her death face?

Nobama 2012, vote republican. Thank you.

It is great fun to read the delusional remarks from Ron Paul supporters. If we all just vote for the eventual nominee, who won't be Dr Paul, and everyone else on the ballot identified with an (R) after their name, we can start to take back this country from the criminal treasonous marxist statists that compose the Democrat Party. I believe it is far more important to take over both houses of congress, than who is in the oval office. With control of the House and Senate, an Obamao re-election could be overturned by impeachment of him and Biden. Who is next in line? why the speaker of the House, who would be a Republican.

I read Burt's column and many others every day. In reading all the comments for this one today, I don't really think any of us disagree with the basic ideas. It's all just a matter of how it's stated and the degree of seriousness used, or maybe a little bit of different interpretation. The basic idea is if the Chicago Cockroach is re-elected, the country is screwed. Some, like Burt, are confident Obozo is on the way out. Others, like me, are not so sure and have little confidence in the American electorate. We need to stick together, unlike what the current Republican candidates for the nomination are doing--writing the democrats' attack ads for them.

For the most part, I agree with JAC, Jonathan and PDK. I disagree with Robert Sweeney, and would remind him that the flip-side of the coin is the opposite, not the same. I would add that the GOP represents the head side and the Democrats represent the tail.

Burt

Burt, Robert Sweeney has it correct. I would bet the farm that everyone of the bills Ron Paul sponsored were actually authorized by the Constitution. How many of the bills the other 434 members of the House sponsored were actually authorized by the Constitution, did anyone say few to none? As for the Democraps and republicrats, they are opposite sides of the same coin. There is one political party with two squads, sometimes the democraps are on offense and sometimes the republicrats are on offense.

Howard: If the parties are equally awful and identical, what miracle would you expect Rep. Paul to perform if, by some miracle, he were elected? If you're a nihilist, be a nihilist, but don't pretend that Paul is America's savior.

Burt

See what someone else thinks of Ron Paul:

http://americanvisionnews.com/1278/voddie-baucham-answers-why-ron-paul

Burt, there is a difference between the two parties. The democraps want to turn us into a communist country tomorrow, the republicrats will wait a few weeks. When was the last time, if ever, you heard a republican big shot (you can't call them leaders) say Barry is a communist?

How many republicans voted against the defense appropriations bill with it's unconstitutional provisions. How many republicans were for censoring the internet, until the people screamed? My own senator, Enzi, is sponsoring a bill to allow states to tax internet sales. Then there were the bills to increase the debt limit.

See what someone else thinks of Ron Paul:

http://americanvisionnews.com/1278/voddie-baucham-answers-why-ron-paul

If Mr. Obama and his circle of friends are not socialists, why are they acting like ones?

Robert Sweeney->

"please don't throw out that tired old line about Supreme Court nominees."

Really? You think Kagan or Sotomayer is Alito's equal or Robert's? Or you don't think Alito and Roberts are conservative enough? You want Obummer to nominate the next couple and have a lock on the Supremes for the next 20 years? We won't survive that, no matter what else happens even if we have the House and Senate.

Federal judgeships, particularly the Supremes, are a critical reason to win back the White House. Then if we can repeat the kind of results we saw in 2010, then we have a good chance to actually get some things done. A conservative in the White House will have a hard time getting anything done without holding the both houses, IMO.

As far as not rejecting Obummer's nominees, the Senate Republicans have the somewhat quaint and old-fashioned notion that a president should be able to have the people he nominates, unless they are clearly incompetent or (usually) criminal. That was the way things were for the most part before Bork. I think they need to catch up to the current battle to the knife that the Democrats play, and stop all this, "My worthy collegue" stuff. "This ain't beanbag" as Yogi memorably said.

Note that I am not as upset with the current House as many are. They have passed some good bill that the Senate hasn't even looked at, so that shows what we here know: it is really the Senate who is obstructing things. Meanwhile, they are only 1/2 of 1 branch of government and they have susbstantially blocked the Obama/Reid/Pelosi steamroller. They have accomplished a number of items that Obummer originally said he would never sign.

Burt, you overlooked several facts regarding Dr. Ron Paul. Yes, doctor and part of the Hippocratic Oath, "first, do no harm".

Regarding the other stuff, I am tired of all the bickering, so I'll continue to read your stuff as I know you are a good person.

As a nation we still aren't serious. It's going to take some real pain, far beyond the pain we're currently feeling, to finally wake people up to the importance of adhering to the Constitutional limits of the federal government. I'm beginning to see some progress towards efforts to rein in the government, but like in Wisconsin, those efforts are going to be fought viciously until every last drop is drained from the public coffers. Unless we get serious about our future.

Mike--It warms my heart to know that I'm not the only person who recognizes that the Supreme Court is the real legacy that a president leaves in his wake, for better or worse.

Truth: I believe I am a good person. So far as I can tell, Dr. Paul is a good person. But the fact remains that neither of us should be President.

Regards, Burt

Why not you as President, Burt? You are intelligent, exude wisdom, and have a sense of humor that would be the bane of stodgy liberals. Three attributes that the current occupant of the White House is totally devoid of, and yet has enough support to run for a second term. And it would be a joy listening to the “debates” with you skewering the pointless platitudes of the pontificating pundits.

Burt - The Supreme Court argument is a hollow one. Remember when kommandant klinton nominated the Anti-american Communist Lawyers Union head lawyer, Ginsberg, to be a supreme? Benedict Dole the Republican Big Shot (you can not call him a leader) urged his fellow senators to vote for her. The vote for Ginsberg was better than 90 for. How many republicans filibustered against Barry's two nominees to be supremes? And before anyone jumps on me for comparing Dole to Arnold both were war heroes and wounded in battle and both sold out because their wives were jealous they did not get promotions. Arnold was responsible for the defense of West Point and the victory at Saratoga, where he was wounded. Dole thought he had a divine right to be king (oops President).

When was the last time the republicans stood on principal? They could not even remove klinton from office. Remember Lott saying lets get this thing over?

Howard: Frankly, I think every president is entitled to seat any justice he wants on the Court. People should understand there are consequences to elections.

I will point out that Bush placed Alito and Roberts on the Court, and I don't accept that they represent a hollow argument.

W.T.: I can't argue with you. I would certainly make a better president than the one we have now, but, then, so would my dog Duke. But it's really not a job I'd like. Imagine spending all your time with the likes of Reid, Pelosi, Waxman, Rangel, etc.

Dictator, yes; president, no.

Regards, Burt

Burt - Bush the Elder placed Souter on the Court and Eisenhower gave us Earl Warren. Ford gave us Stevens. Bush the Younger tried to give us Harriet Meyers (sp). And Reagan gave us O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy who wrote the decision, we should follow international law. I wonder what James Madison, John Jay, Joseph Story or John Marshall would say about following international law?