Jakubczyk on Common Sense

Applying faith and reason to ideas, issues and events in today's world

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Oil prices continue to fall ...hmmmm

So now that the speculators realize that the American people are not going to continue to get hosed, will the congress pay attention ?

As we all cut back on our driving, the people are asking Congress to open up the drilling.

and the Democrats who want $8.00/gallon gas prices continue to say NO.

So will the people punish the Democrats in November???

Will the Republicans blow a golden opportunity to actually connect with the American people?

We shall see.

Sowing the seeds of confusion

After reading an article in The Times on New Jersey.com. I found it necessary to write the author Jeff Trently and correct him on a few errors. The letter below is self explanatory. Expect to see more of these efforts to sow confusion among Catholic voters as November comes closer.


Dear Mr. Trently,
Your article provides an incorrect assessment of the Catholic position and provides an easily misunderstood conclusion to the USCCB's document re faithful citizenship.
While it is absolutely correct that Catholics must form their consciences and follow those well formed consciences in voting - as in all actions - it is incorrect tot say that Catholics can vote for a pro-abortion candidate when there is a qualified pro-life candidate running for the same office. Indeed the pro-abortion candidate does not meet the threshold test when there is a candidate whose position on abortion is consistent wit church teachings.
Further there is no equal comparison between "racism" which is an "attitude" and abortion which allows for the destruction of a living human being. While racism is wrong and must be condemned, abortion - because it takes a life - is of a greater seriousness and is intrinsically evil.
Thus Catholics are not free to vote for pro-abortion candidates when there is a qualified candidate who opposes abortion. Since none of the candidates espouse any "racist" positions, the racism issue is a non issue in this year's national elections.
Your quotes appear to be selective and misrepresent the rest of the document. In fact one only may consider voting for a "pro-choice" candidate when there is no other alternative and voting for him will not cause any greater harm to the society.
Thus in the case of the national elections, where Obama is very pro-abortion and would repeal, rescind and otherwise lessen certain protections to women and unborn children, one cannot vote for Obama without violating the very clear directives of following a properly formed conscience that must always seek the protection of the weak and the oppressed.
The unborn child is the victim of exploitation and an aggressive attack upon its being. Thus one may argue that this War on the unborn by pro-choice advocates is never justified or permitted and must always be opposed. If one wants to bring up the War in Iraq as a counter-point, then the question becomes to what extent is supporting a candidate who supports the war against the unborn any better than opposing a candidate who supports the war in Iraq. The war in Iraq allows for individuals to make choices and to work out terms to end the hostilities. the war against the unborn has been waged by the liberal democrats and abortion extremists for 35 years and they have no intention to end the hostilities.
I would recommend that you consider that efforts by pro-abortion liberal Catholics and democrats to paint Obama as acceptable to Catholic voters is based upon a serious misreading of the teachings of the Catholic Church.
To form one's conscience, one must embrace goodness and truth. One must study the issues and the candidates and know what they propose and how they have voted. Finally one must pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not going to counsel anyone to vote for a person who believes it is permissible to kill children, who regrets having voted with the Senate to allow the courts to consider saving Terri Schiavo's life and who believes that Planned Parenthood, the world's largest provider of abortion is a good organization.
I can cite to the text of the document if you question this analysis. However, I would ask you to read the document before presenting an article which can be misunderstood by the public.
The Bishops are not giving the pro-abortionists a pass this election. Church teachings do not change with the wind. The Church has always declared abortion an intrinsic evil. to support the killing of children puts one outside God's plan for the blessing of the human race. It puts one on the side of those who oppose the good,the true and the beautiful. Those who favor abortion have no respect for the inalienable right to life of all persons.
Thank you for considering these thoughts.
John J. Jakubczyk



One should read the booklet, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, if one has any questions one the role of ones conscience in determining how to vote. But let me help you because it is rather simple regardless of how one attempts to complicate the question.

question 1.
Where does the candidate stand on the life issues, i.e. abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide?
question 2.
What is the candidate's voting record on these issues?


question 3.
What does the candidate state he will do if elected to address these issues?

question 4.
Will the candidate's actions or policies cause harm to those at risk, i.e. the unborn, the elderly, the medically disables and dependent?


Deciding who to support is not that difficult this year. John McCain has a 25 year pro-life voting record, is endorsed by Arizona Right to life and the National Right to Life Committee and is committed to selecting judges who will value the sanctity of human life.

Barack Obama has a 100% pro-abortion record according to NARAL, is a proud supporter of Planned parenthood, wants to use tax dollars to pay for abortions, regrets having voted to allow the courts to consider saving Terri Schiavo's life. Barack Obama does not qualify to ask for my vote. He does not cross the threshold of life. He does not meet the basic qualifications to hold public office in my mind because he will not defend, protect and uphold the Constitution which recognizes the 5th and 14th amendment the right to life of all persons.

It is that simple.



Friday, July 18, 2008

Oil prices drop - hmmmm

Last month I suggested that perhaps the rise in the spot oil price just might be related to the fact that there has been an increase in world demand coupled with our refusal to develop new sources. I urged Senator McCain to call for offshore drilling and opening up new sources along with the development of new refineries. I suggested that this is a national security issue.

Well since that time President Bush has rescinded the 199o ban on offshore drilling and called on Congress to allow for drilling to address the current crisis.

And guess what happens on the speculative futures market? The price dropped. In fact over the last three days the price has tumbled $16. Now analysts argue that reduced demand is part of the reason along with the drop in natural gas prices.

But I think this is where speculation is raised to a higher art. After all we have seen this rapid rise in price which the Democrats are loving because it slows the economy and depresses people. And when people are unhappy, they vote Democrat. Raise the price of gas and Al Gore is ecstatic. His latest speech begs to have someone ask what is going on with that fellow.

But the minute the speculators factor in the possibility that the United States just might get serious in the energy business, the price drops. They know what we all know. America has the resources to fuel this economy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Just a reduction would lesson the outward flow of the dollar , keep the dollar in this country, provide for jobs, and strengthen the auto industry which must get serious about two things, finding a successful and cost efficient way to fuel the next generation of automobiles, and retooling the U.S. side of their multi-national corporations. You see is a little confusing to find the U.S. Automakers building factories outside the U.S. and then see foreign auto manufacturers building plants IN the U.S. But that is another story for another day.

The point of this article is that merely suggest that the U.S. is going to frill at home and the futires market reacts.

Imagine if we could move Congress to rescind the ban on offshore drilling and allow the refineries to be built. Add a few nuclear plants in the mix and we just may find ourselves exercising some common sense.

Now if this could translate to some real relief for consumers at the pump....

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Uncovering the rest of the story in recent TIME poll on McCain and the Catholic Vote

On InsideCatholic.com Deal Hudson writes a blog about a Time article by Amy Sullivan concerning the upcoming election and the Catholic vote. From reading the article it would appear that Time Magazine wants Catholics to believe that they can vote for Obama with impunity and without any constrictions. The writer therefore showcases Doug Kmiec, a conservative law professor, former dean, and well known Catholic who appears “hell bent” on making himself the Benedict Arnold of the pro-life movement.

The article suggested that Catholics were evenly split between McCain and Obama and that such polling did not bode well for McCain. Hudson begged to differ and I would agree although maybe for slightly different reasons.

The story pulls up the old canards and reminds everyone of Pastor Hagee's past anti-Catholic statements, ignoring what one could would suggest was a serious step in the improving Catholic-Protestant relations when conversations between Hagee and Bill Donahue of the Catholic took place this Spring. There is also the typical arrogance of such magazines as Time, suggesting that the priests had better be careful or else.

The story also failed to address some of the reasons that this theory was suspect or any person who thought different from Kmiec. But enough of the bias, I was concerned if there was any truth to the story. After all Sullivan referenced a poll done by Time/CNN and as much as I poured over the story, I could not find any of the details. So I clicked on a cgphic and there on the bottom of the page was the source of the data and the polling organization.

There was the headline.Catholic Vote Up For Grabs”

It sounded as though Sullivan was right. Then I read the next paragraph.

"John McCain holds a wide 11-point lead over Barack Obama, 42% to 31%, with 26% undecided among likely Catholic voters, according to the latest national Time Magazine Poll, conducted June 18 – 25."

Sullivan throughout her whole article conveniently ignores this bit of data. She does not even mention this part that likely voters support McCain by 11 points.

It is only when polling all those who state that they are Catholic (and that could include a lot of non-practicing Catholics) one getsthe results that the vote is ‘up for grabs.”

So why the slippery reporting.

Why.

Go back to the story’s use of Kmiec. The democrats know that they have to weaken the Catholic vote on the pro-life issue. They know that they cannot attack it straight on or we pro-lifers will just quote Obama as supporting infanticide, Planned Parenthood, PBA, etc.

So the Obama people have decided to dust off Kmiec, quote him as being for Obama and point out how "pro-life" and "Catholic" he is, using the daily mass language, etc.

Next Obama gives a speech on faith based initiatives. The press speaks in glowing terms. Barry Lynn of the ACLU laments Obama’s tack toward the Center and everyone is suppose to believe that he is moving toward reasonableness. Until you read the speech. Until you realize that in Obama’s world, religious and faith based organizations would not be allowed to exercise freedom of speech.

.

Let me quote directly from my friend Hugh Hewitt

Here's the core of Obama:

He's hard left.

He wants the marginal rate on total federal taxes, including his social security tax hike, to immediately rise at least 57% on the highest earners. Obama wants to raise taxes even in a weak economy, though this is a recipe not just for recession but worse. Obama also wants to raise taxes on dividend income and to return the death tax to its highs of eight years ago.

Obama has proposed more than a trillion dollars in new spending.

Obama wants to cut and run from Iraq, with withdrawals of crucial forces beginning immediately upon his entry into office. Obama has never met one on one with General Petraeus and has not been to Iraq in more than 900 days. He is indifferent to the incredible progress made by our troops and the Iraqi Defense Forces and the Iraqi government in the last 18 months.

He supports the decision extending habeas rights to Gitmo detainees and he thinks the most liberal member of the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is a great model for future Supreme Court appointments.

Obama supports gay marriage, and opposes the California constitutional amendment to restore marriage to the definition overturned by a 4-3 vote of the California Supreme Court in May. He supports abortion on demand, including partial birth abortion.

Obama has the slightest grasp on history, and routinely makes the sort of errors about basic facts that shock knowledgeable observers, like arguing the Kennedy-Khrushchev summit in Vienna was an example of the benefits of one-on-one diplomacy.

Obama is not a strong friend of Israel. He spent 20 years in a church that was openly hostile to Israel, and he reversed himself on Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel after one day of criticism by Palestinians.

Obama is running a dirty campaign, and the serial assaults on John McCain's service, most visibly by Wesley Clark but by many others closely associated with Obama, is repulsive. These are not hits by independent 527s but by close associates and advisors of Obama.

Michelle Obama's campaign rhetoric has been very divisive, is full of anger and resentment about "moving the bar," and not being proud of the country, and has led to her high negatives with the public.

Obama's close friends, mentors and associates are deeply troubling: the radical pastor Jeremiah Wright, the unrepentant terrorists William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, the convicted swindler Tony Rezko, and now a long line of "public housing developers" who took the money and failed to deliver on promises of safe and secure housing for Obama's poorest constituents.

Obama's judgment on key appointees is suspect, and he has had to fire the head of his vice presidential search team because of ties to the subprime mess and dump numerous "foreign policy advisors" for their hostility to Israel.

Obama's deal with the Teamsters to end federal oversight of the union smells very bad indeed and telegraphs the sort of cronyism we could expect from an Obama Adminsitration. Obama's mentor and real estate partner is Rezko, who helped the Obama's buy their home, a home on which the Obamas received a mortgage that looks to many like a sweetheart deal.

Obama, like the other leaders of the Triple D Democrats --the Don't Drill Democrats-- doesn't care about the price of gas, and refuses every initiative to increase supply and thus bring that price down.

Obama has broken his word on his commitment to public financing of the campaign and to meet John McCain in frequent debates. Obama can't be trusted to keep even high-profile promises he made even only weeks ago.

Away from a teleprompter Obama stumbles and stutters and lapses into a closed circle of cliches that betrays almost no reading or curiosity about the world around him,and a massive ignorance of the war in which we find ourselves. Even when he works from a prompter he says nothing at great length with wonder phrasing but zero substance.

Make no mistake. The national media is going to put an all out push for the election of Barack Hussain Obama. The press and the media hate the Republicans and Bush so much that there will not even be any hint of fairness.

Be prepared. This is going to get ugly.