Commander in Cheif

That is the title given to the president of the United States. That title reflects the primary and fundamental duty of the presidency. It is the primary duty because if the United States is not protected and defended from our enemies then we will fall.

It is, therefore, troubling and more than troubling to see that Mr. Obama has ceded the command of the United States military to a foreign entity. Some may argue that NATO is part of the United States. Unless they can show anything that proves that NATO is under the legal authority of the United States, then NATO is a foreign entity.

For Mr. Obama to have ceded the command of the United States military to a foreign entity is a grave breach of faith with the American people, a betrayal of our military, and a violation of his oath of office.

Our military is made up of free men and women who have chosen, voluntarily, to give up many of their constitutional rights to be allowed to protect and defend this nation. To protect and defend this nation. Not to protect and defend the world. Not to be put under the command of a foreign entity. But to serve, protect and defend this nation.

If Mr. Obama is willing to cede the primary, fundamental duty of the office of the president of the United States of America, that of Commander in Chief, then he is unfit to perform any of the other duties of the presidency. Because he has done this, ceded the command of the military, for the first time in American history, Mr. Obama must be impeached and removed from office.

Call your senators and representatives in the United States Congress and let them know how you feel about this.

"If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth." ~ Num 30:2

Welcome Baron!

Update:There was a mix up in communications(entirely my fault and my apologies to the Baron)and we are working to re-schedule this interview. We did have a classic example of American denial in the chatroom calling himself "sharia lawyer".

This week's show will have a guest that I am very excited to welcome. His pseudonym is Baron Bodissey. He is one of the founders of the blog "Gates of Vienna". If you have been to any site that talks about the dangers of sharia law and the steady rise of Islam in the world today, chances are, they will have a link to the Gates of Vienna blog.

There is an excellent reason for this.

This blog is a phenomenal resource for anyone wishing to know what is going on regarding the spread of Islam in the world outside of America, or indeed, just what's going on in the world outside of America. The articles are well written and researched. There are a number of contributors from overseas who are willing to translate news items from other countries and allow them to be posted there.

It is my hope that the other founder of the blog, Dymphna will also be able to squeeze us into her busy schedule, but we will make do without her if we must. These folks have also had their hands in the site "Elisabeth's Voice".

If you've ever had questions about what's really going on with all this Muslim/Mozlem, jihadi, creeping sharia, Geert Wilders and Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff stuff, tune in and start learning for yourself. The show will be rated mature, because many of the reasons Islam is presenting a challenge for the world are not for young ears. This blog is truly an example of an irate, tireless minority making a difference.

"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked." ~ Psalm 97:10

Breach of Faith

What are we doing in Libya? I have heard the question asked time and time again in chat rooms and on blogs. No one quite seems to know what we're doing in Libya. That's a good question but a better question is how are we doing what we're doing in Libya.

We have a voluntary military force. That means that our families and friends, our brothers and sisters, who sign up for military service, who sign up and in the process sacrifice their constitutional rights, (because they give them up to serve in the military), do so of their own free will, in order to serve and protect the United States of America. They enter that contract with the understanding that they will be working to protect and defend this nation. They sign up with the understanding that, although our Commander in Chief may order them to work with the military of other nations or under U.N. auspices, that they will always be under the command of the United States when they're doing so. They enter that contract with the faith that they will be held to the standards of the United States military.

Mr. Barack Hussein Obama, serving as our Commander in Chief, has ceded the command of our military, our United States military, to NATO. He did this without consulting Congress, without consulting the American people, and without consulting the other party to the contract of service in the U.S. military itself, our military personnel. This is a breach of faith. It is a serious breach of faith.

Our military personnel serve under the uniform code of military justice, also known as the UCMJ. Under that code, our military personnel are required to take under consideration the constitutionality of any order they are given. They are required to reject any order that they think would undermine, endanger or oppose the Constitution of the United States of America. That's all of our military personnel, from the highest star-rated general to the lowest deck scrubber and toilet cleaner.

I don't know the military code that governs NATO missions. Do our soldiers? Our military personnel are required, in basic training, to learn and memorize the uniform code of military justice. They are to know the parameters under which they serve and the conditions under which they must refuse to serve. The NATO parameters or the parameters of commanders from different countries who may now be commanding our troops, is a question mark. There should never be a question mark in our soldier's minds as to chain of command, disciplinary procedures or any other requirements for their jobs. For Mr. Obama to have put our soldiers under the command of a foreign entity without so much as a by your leave, is a breach of faith at a basic level.

A Commander in Chief who has served in the military will understand the requirements of a military chain of command in the United States military. Mr. Obama does not have that experience. So, perhaps he can be forgiven for, once again, making a mistake of inexperience. But being forgiven and suffering no consequences for mistakes are two different things. This is a decision that could spill American blood. This is a decision that puts Americans in harm's way, while not serving the vital interests of America. This is a decision that sets an unnerving precedent, if uncontested, for the use of the American military. Even Mr. Clinton's executive order PDD25 did not allow the command of our military to be ceded to a foreign power.

Mr. Obama has claimed to have a law degree, to have been a Constitutional scholar and yet, he seems to have had no problem breaching the contract under which our American military personnel serve. In the contract of service for our military, the offer is clearly to serve in this country's military, to sacrifice ones Constitutional rights, and to gain by that, whatever may be gained by way of pay, experience and training. Once you join the military, you are governed under the UCMJ, not the Constitution of the United States. That is a considerable sacrifice.

It is generally understood, that the military will be under the command of America's Commander in Chief and that it will serve the United States of America. There has never been any implication in that contract that the military of the United States of America would become the United Nations rent a cop, or a branch of NATO. There has never been any implication in that contract that our soldiers would be under the command of any one other than America's Commander in Chief, or that they would serve any purpose that does not serve the interests of America. Historically, American troops have never served under the command of a foreign entity.

There is an implication, however, that the blood, the sweat and the toil of American soldiers will NOT be used to serve the interests of a foreign entity. A president who understands the value of life would honor that implication. Mr. Obama, by his vote while serving as a senator for Illinois, has shown that he does not value life.(This is as concrete an example to demonstrate the value of promoting Christian principles and values in our nation and selecting Christian leaders for our nation as any one could wish.) To put our families and friends, our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters under the command and disciplinary procedures of a foreign entity without their consent is a breach of faith and contract that is unconscionable.

Many people have spoken about whether or not Mr. Obama's putting our military at risk in Libya when we have no vital interests in Libya is an impeachable offense. Their reasoning is that they thought the president of the United States was required, as the Commander in Chief, to get Congressional approval to deploy the military. They believed that it was in the Constitution somewhere that the president must do so. It is not.

The call for impeachment is nonetheless valid, because Mr. Obama has breached the contract of the United States of America with every single service man and woman who signed up to protect and defend this nation.

To place our military under the command of a foreign entity, to risk spilling American blood for reasons beyond our vital national interests or our protection and defense, is a breach of faith between the office of the presidency and the American people.

For this reason, Mr. Obama does not deserve and should not be allowed to continue to act as the president of the United States of America.

"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit" ~ Prov 29:23

The Flipside of Feminism

The Flipside of Feminism:What Conservative Women Know - And Men Can't Say is the name of a book just released on March 15th. The authors are Suzanne Venker and Phyllis Schlafly.

This book examines the fallacies of feminism and the damage done to our society because of it. It also presents some solutions for repairing that damage.

I'll be interviewing Mrs. Venker on this week's show. You can join us in the chat room here or call in to listen live from 1:30 - 2:00 CST or comment at (347) 855-8134. (Of course, as always, the show will be available in the archives or for download on the player on the side of the blog.)

"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."~ Prov 14:1

A Visit to the Capital - Let's Move Forward

I had the opportunity to visit the capital last week and I have a few photos to share along with some notes about the changes I noticed from when I was down for the TEA parties the last few years and now, in (What I sincerely hope is) the aftermath of these protests. The first thing I noticed is that there were more people than usual walking around outside the building itself. Many were carrying signs and stopping to engage in conversations with those they met as they were walking. Then I crossed the street and saw my first annoying thing. The sidewalks were covered with anti Walker, anti budget repair bill and pro-union graffiti. (Thankfully in chalk, at least I'm pretty sure most of the ones I saw were in chalk.)Perhaps that why the lawns were so torn up, people must have been attempting not to smudge the artwork of their fellow protesters. Yes, I'm sure that must be it, after all, what's a few million in sod and landscaping costs compared to chalk drawings on the sidewalk reviling our legislators?

Next was a man with a bullhorn walking around and around the capital building. His comments, at that time were addressed to Governor Walker, asking him to come out and speak to the people. (As I left after my visit, his tone had changed, he was taunting the governor, calling him a coward and saying:"Hey, why don't you hold your breath for 25 minutes?" Must be some of that new civility stuff.)

Then, it was time to find which door was open. (Another change, as during and after the TEA party rallies and pretty much for all of my life, the capital has been open to the people to come and go at will through all the doors during normal hours.) As I entered, it seemed much darker than I remembered it. and then there was the next shock, a metal detector with a table and bins for all pocket contents. Okay, a reasonable precaution given the death threats to our legislators, I went through it, it wasn't a virtual strip search machine after all. The beeper went off. After a thorough search of an otherwise empty, but deep pocket and three more beeping scan results from the wand, I found the errant penny and was allowed to pass into the capital building itself.

The hallway seemed unusually dim as did the rotunda chamber. All the usual lights appeared to be on and it was a sunny day, yet the hallways branching off the rotunda seemed dark and forbidding. Most with velvet ropes across them, not truly blocking, but definitely giving the impression that people weren't welcome to go that way. The capital has always been a rather solemn place for me to visit, but not like this. I don't know if it was some adjustments to the regular lighting, the obvious police presence throughout the building, the attitude of the other people inside the building or what, but it seemed very forbidding and dark, not at all like the capital I was used to. In the center of the rotunda chamber there were people laying out fliers in a circle as though someone on one of the other floors would be photographing them even though I was informed that the upper levels were closed to visitors at this time. As I looked around for the hallway leading to Representative Kestell's office, I saw a man sitting on the floor chatting cheerfully with the woman beside him. At his side was a sign saying he was on a hunger strike until the bill was thrown out or something. It said he was on day 11. He seemed awfully cheerful for someone who had gone without food for 11 days, but I often feel better when I'm fasting, so maybe he does too. In any case, I don't think that's going to work, since I hadn't seen or heard anything about someone on a hunger strike at all. I found Rep. Kestell's office fairly quickly and was greeted by Sara Mikolajczak, one of Rep. Kestell's staffers. I had been running late, so I had the opportunity to chat with this delightful young woman for a few minutes while Rep. Kestell finished up a meeting. She was able to confirm many of the more disturbing things I had heard about or read about the protest. (Things like the smell, the noise, the overall nastiness of the protesters towards anyone on the opposing side.) She showed me the budget and said that they expected it to get just as bad when the time for the vote on that comes around. We talked about the difficulty of removing the signs and tape from the many different, old and rare types of marble used in the capital building. Then I was able to see Rep. Kestell. I asked how he was doing and whether or not he was rethinking his career in public service. He said that he didn't think there was a single legislator on either side of the debate that hadn't been wondering if they really wanted to have this job after watching the behavior of these protesters over the past weeks. In my opinion, that is one of the biggest challenges that has come out of all this. How can we get good people to run for and hold office if the citizens are going to behave like spoiled little brats when they don't get their own way? When former Governor Doyle was in office, and doing some really egregious things, conservatives did not come and tear up the capital. Conservative citizens and legislators did not attempt to hold the entire state hostage. We did the right thing. The people contacted their legislators, expressed their opinions and voted in the next election. Conservative legislators held their noses and voted against horrible bills that they knew would pass anyway because that was their job. That is the way it is supposed to work. No disrupting offices with constant drumming, no pounding on doors and windows and certainly no spitting on those who have been elected to serve us. That is not how a REPUBLIC works. but then, perhaps the protesters can be forgiven, since they clearly believe we live, not in a republic, but in a democracy-poor things. Perhaps they'll learn some manners when they become informed about the difference between the two and why a republic is better. Then we talked about the fiscal issues facing the state. Rep. Kestell expressed great respect for the budget office, saying that the head of it treats having accurate numbers almost as a religion. This man will not fudge the numbers for anyone and he has been trying to get the legislature to cut spending for a number of years now with no luck. Now we are at the tipping point and all the hard decisions have to be made now, because no one was willing to make any of them earlier. He expressed a confidence that both the budget repair bill and the budget, while cutting a number of things that people will not like, are the right thing to do to get WI into a place from which we can start addressing some of the more serious and larger issues that face us. State Sovereignty education and health care came up as a few of those areas.

He then urged me to share the facts with people. Because we cannot continue to spend like we have been and no amount of protesting will make money fall from the sky. Nor will any amount of protesting about fiscal realities relieve us of the burdens placed on our economy by the hoops we are jumping through to get money from Washington.

The bottom line is that many of the demands placed on us, as a state, by Washington are costly and ineffective. In other words, my grandmother was right when she used to say that government money always costs you more than you get. The feds give us money(our own money) for our schools and other things - as long as we jump through their hoops and don't squawk about how much of the money that we could have had for our schools is going, instead, to the layers and layers of bureaucrats who spend their time thinking up ways to prevent us from getting more of our own money to put towards our schools. (And this, when the federal government has no Constitutional authority to have anything to do with the education of our children. That is supposed to be left to the state and local levels.)

After thanking Rep. Kestell and his staffers, I went to see Sen. Leibham, but he wasn't in. So I left a note on the sign in sheet and thanked his staffers for their service. Then I went to visit Sen. Grothman. Now Sen. Grothman is not from my district, but I felt so bad upon viewing the video of him being mobbed that I felt I must visit him and thank him for his service, particularly. Sen Grothman has been a staunch supporter of conservative values, fiscal responsibility and Constitutional government for many years and he deserved better from the citizens of WI than to be mobbed like that. Public sector union members aren't all thugs(Although, I now think a goodly number more than I would have ever credited before this protest began are very badly behaved indeed.)and the taxpayers are not robber barons out to enslave the "poor little union workers. (Who are apparently unable to stand up to their employers without unions-although they can take days off from work and engage in medical fraud and other less savory activities to defend their wish to have someone else to do it for them.How does that work?) I think it's time for us to remember that we are all in this together. "We must hang together or we will assuredly hang separately" if we cannot get our state back onto solid fiscal ground. If we can do this, then we can assert ourselves as a state and really make the changes that need to be made to make our state what it needs to be as our federal government runs amok and courts hyperinflation and ruin. Let's get our own house in order and then go after Washington. Because it's not about who's in the oval office or the legislature so much as it is about sustaining our nation. The time for hard decisions is now. Let's make them and move forward. That is our state motto as embodied by the statue of Lady Forward on the top of our capital building is it not?

"And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea."~ Exodus 14:15-16

Senator Leibham Explains His Vote

I know that there are many still wondering what those who voted for the budget repair bill were thinking. (As though fiscal responsibility wasn't a good enough reason.) there are also those claiming, that because a judge issued an injunction to the implementation of the budget repair bill, that laws were broken to pass that bill into law. As I pointed out in the post "Not One Penny For Tribute" it is unlikely that any laws were broken.

The point of this post is not to address the legal nonsense that will surely go on for far too long and cost WI taxpayers yet more money, but rather to share the reasoning of one of the Senators who voted to pass this bill for those who still don't understand that WI is broke and that means there must be cuts somewhere. I am sharing Sen. Leibham's "Capital Connection" column. Rep. Kestell called into my radio show and the link to listen that or download it is on the player on the side of the page.

Capitol Connection

By State Senator Joe Leibham

February 24, 2011

~ Information on Senate Bill 11 ~


Governor Scott Walker has unveiled a proposal that seeks to provide local government elected officials (city council members, school board members, etc.) with the authority to make decisions regarding most issues related to the people they employ. In addition, the plan would specifically require most government employees, including myself, to pay a greater portion of health care premium costs and half of the annual contribution to pension/retirement plans. Governor Walker believes these changes are necessary so that state and local elected officials will have all the tools needed to best manage upcoming budgets that will receive less state aid due to our ongoing budget crisis and economic slow down.

Without a doubt, the Governor’s proposal (officially known as Special Session Senate Bill 11) has created an historic level of interest and concern. It has been an amazing week as tens of thousands of citizens from our state (and now on a daily basis – more and more people from across the nation) have decided to participate in the law making process by sharing input with their government, protesting or demonstrating in public rallies. While things have gotten a little intense at times, overall this has been a positive experience.

The amount of input provided to me and questions asked has also been amazing. Thousands of district residents have called, e-mailed, or visited with me personally to discuss the bill, ask questions, and share their thoughts both in support and opposition. While I have tried my hardest to return calls, meet with people personally, and respond to e-mails, the sheer volume has been a challenge to manage. I appreciate everyone’s patience as I work to read and respond while managing all of my legislative responsibilities.

Many of the contacts have included questions about the bill. In an effort to provide answers, below I have attempted to summarize the major questions raised and provide factual information regarding specific provisions in the bill:

Will existing public employee contracts be impacted by the provisions in this bill? Existing employee contracts cannot and will not be impacted by the bill. The provisions included in the bill will only go into effect after an existing contract comes to an end.

What is required in the bill regarding contributions to state pension plans? State, school district, and municipal employees that are members of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) would be required to contribute 50% of their annual pension payment. The payment amount for WRS employees is estimated to be 5.8% of salary in 2011.

What is required in the bill regarding contributions for health insurance? State employees would be required to pay at least 12.6 percent of the average cost of annual health insurance premiums. Local employers participating in the Public Employers Group Health Insurance Plan would be prohibited from paying more than 88% of the lowest cost plan. Local government employers who use other health insurance plans or are self-insured would be able to set the contribution rate and the subject would be prohibited from the process of collective bargaining.

Will legislators and the Governor be required to participate in these changes to health care and pension contributions? All elected officials including legislators and the Governor will be required as of April 1, 2011 to make these contributions for health care and pensions. For elected officials the pension contribution is estimated to be 6.65% of salary in 2011.

Will public employees still be allowed to form unions? Public employees will still be allowed to form unions. An annual vote will be required to maintain certification as a union, and dues would be collected by the unions, not by the employer.

What will happen to the process of collective bargaining? The process of collective bargaining would continue for the establishment of the base wage for represented public employees.

Will there be caps on base pay? Base wage increases could not exceed increases in the consumer price index (CPI) unless approved by a referendum.

What will happen to items like overtime, premium pay, merit pay performance pay, pay schedules and automatic pay progressions? These items will be determined by the local employer (school board, local municipality, county board, etc.).

What will happen to various workplace rules that are currently bargained for collectively? At the local level these items will be managed and approved by the local employer. For state employees, work place rules would be developed by Office of State Employment Relations and approved by the legislature’s Joint Committee on Employment Relations.

What workplace protections will remain for public employees after passage of the bill? Wisconsin’s Civil Service System (WCSS) will not be changed by the bill. WCSS is a system for hiring, retaining, and promoting employees based on an objective assessment of their qualifications and ability to do their work. The system that has been in place since 1905 is grounded on two cornerstones: hiring decisions are merit based, and removal from service must be based on just cause. An employee cannot be discharged, suspended, or demoted except for just cause. The system includes two processes under which a public employee can pursue a grievance against their employer. The first is through the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission and is found in Wisconsin Stats s. 230.44. You can view this statute by visiting: http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&d=stats&jd=230.44

Matters which affect an employee’s condition of employment are covered by a grievance procedure found in chapter ER 46 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code: http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=WI:Default&d=code&jd=ch.%20er%2046

In addition, the bill now requires, per an amendment I sponsored, that a local government employer either adopt the WCSS or establish a grievance system that covers at least all of the following: (a) a grievance procedure that addresses employee terminations; (b) employee discipline; and (c) workplace safety.

If a local governmental unit creates a grievance procedure under these provisions, the procedure must contain at least all of the following elements: (a) a written document specifying the process that a grievant and an employer must follow; (b) a hearing before an impartial hearing officer; and (c) an appeal process in which the highest level of appeal is the governing body of the local governmental unit.



Are law enforcement officers exempt from the provisions of the bill? Fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and members of the State Patrol are exempted from the provisions in the bill.

How many votes will be required to vote this bill out of the Senate? The state constitution requires twenty (3/5’s of the total members) senators present for the vote to take place, but only 17 votes (a simply majority of the total members) for the bill to pass.

As the legislative process and deliberation continues on this bill, I am hopeful this factual information will be helpful.


It is an honor representing the residents of the 9th District in the State Senate!


Sincerely,



Joe Leibham
State Senator
9th District

"And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
"~ Luke 12:32

"Quit Your Job or Die

Discover the Importance of Self-Employment "

That's the title of a book by Joshua Tolley. I'll be interviewing Mr. Tolley on Irate, Tireless Minority on Wednesday, March 16th.

The point of this book is to get you thinking about how you are using your most important asset, your time. And how to find the courage to take the steps necessary to gain freedom for you and your family.

God may have closed the door Himself, but He asked Noah to build the ark. Noah did not go to his local government and beg for funding. He built the ark.

There has been too much talk of how the government is to take care of us or that if we just pray, God will save us from ourselves. That's hardly consistent with the founding principles of this nation or the Biblical precepts upon which it was founded. If we are going to restore our government to it's Constitutional limits, we need to dust off that entrepreneurial spirit and get to work.

(If they keep protesting, those public sector union employees down in Madison will soon find themselves in need of this book too. If so, let's hope they can rediscover the reason that a republic is better for us all than a democracy at the same time.)

Mr. Tolley is business/behavioral strategist and this may be a good place to start if you're tired of selling your most valuable asset, your time, to someone else.

"Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?"~ Psalm 89:47