Associated Press Article About Obama Presidency

 AP: Mounting Controversies Are All About Trust  

by Liz Sidotti, Associated Press   

"As a candidate, Barack Obama vowed to bring a different, better kind of leadership to the dysfunctional capital.

He'd make government more efficient, accountable and transparent.

He'd rise above the "small-ball" nature of doing business. And he'd work with Republicans to break Washington paralysis.

You can trust me, Obama said back in 2008.

And - for a while, at least - a good piece of the country did.

But with big promises often come big failures - and the potential for big hits to the one thing that can make or break a presidency: credibility.

A series of mounting controversies is exposing both the risks of political promise-making and the limits of national-level governing while undercutting the core assurance Obama made from the outset: that he and his administration would behave differently.

The latest: the government's acknowledgement that, in a holdover from the Bush administration and with a bipartisan Congress' approval and a secret court's authorization, it [the Obama administration] was siphoning the phone records of millions of American citizens in a massive data-collection effort officials say was meant to protect the nation from terrorism.

This came after the disclosure that the government was snooping on journalists.

Also, the IRS' improper targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny as they sought tax-exempt status has spiraled into a wholesale examination of the agency, including the finding that it spent $49 million in taxpayer money on 225 employee conferences over the past three years.

At the same time, Obama's immigration reform agenda is hardly a sure thing on Capitol Hill, and debate starting this week on the Senate floor is certain to show deep divisions over it.

Gun control legislation is all but dead. And he's barely speaking to Republicans who control the House, much less working with them on a top priority: tax reform.

Even Democrats are warning that more angst may be ahead as the government steps up its efforts to implement Obama's extraordinarily expensive, deeply unpopular health care law.

Collectively, the issues call into question not only whether the nation's government can be trusted but also whether the leadership itself can.

All of this has Obama on the verge of losing the already waning faith of the American people.

And without their confidence, it's really difficult for presidents to get anything done - particularly those in the second term of a presidency and inching toward lame-duck status.

The ramifications stretch beyond the White House.

If enough Americans lose faith in Obama, he will lack strong coattails come next fall's congressional elections.

Big losses in those races will make it harder for the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, especially if it's Hillary Rodham Clinton, to run as an extension of Obama's presidency and convince the American public to give Democrats another four years.

Obama seemed to recognize this last week.

He emphasized to anxious Americans that the other two branches of government were as responsible as the White House for signing off on the vast data-gathering program.

"We've got congressional oversight and judicial oversight," Obama said. "And if people can't trust not only the executive branch but also don't trust Congress and don't trust federal judges to make sure that we're abiding by the Constitution, due process and rule of law, then we're going to have some problems here."

The government is an enormous operation, and it's unrealistic to think it will operate smoothly all of the time.

But, as the head of it, Obama faces the reality of all of his successors: The buck stops with him.

If the controversies drag on, morale across America could end up taking a huge hit, just when the mood seems to be improving along with an economic uptick.

Or, Americans could end up buying Obama's arguments that safety sometimes trumps privacy, that his administration is taking action on the IRS, and that he's doing the best he can to forge bipartisan compromise when Republicans are obstructing progress.

Every president faces the predicament of overpromising. Often the gap can be chalked up to the difference between campaigning and governing, between rhetoric and reality.

As with past presidents, people desperate to turn the page on the previous administration voted for the Obama they wanted and now are grappling with the Obama they got.

From the start of his career, Obama tried to sculpt an almost nonpartisan persona as he spoke of bridging divides and rejecting politics as usual.

He attracted scores of supporters from across the ideological spectrum with his promises to behave differently.

And they largely believed what he said.

Back then, he held an advantage as one of the most trusted figures in American politics.

In January 2008, Obama had an 8-point edge over Clinton as the more honest and trustworthy candidate in the Democratic primary.

That grew to a 23-point advantage by April of that year, according to Washington Post-ABC News polls.

Later that year, the Post-ABC poll showed Obama up 8 points on Republican nominee John McCain as the more honest candidate.

Obama held such strong marks during his first term, with the public giving the new president the benefit of the doubt.

Up for re-election, he went into the 2012 campaign home stretch topping Mitt Romney by 9 points on honesty in a mid-October ABC/Post poll.

But now, that carefully honed image of trustworthiness may be changing in Americans' eyes.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted late last month found 49 percent of people consider Obama honest and trustworthy, a dip from the organization's last read on the matter in September 2011 when 58 percent said the same.

He also has taken a hit among independents, which used to be a source of strength for him, since his second-term controversies have emerged.

Now just 40 percent say he is honest and trustworthy, down from 58 percent in September 2011.

Obama has waning opportunities to turn it around.

He's halfway through his fifth year, and with midterm elections next fall, there's no time to waste.

If he can't convince the American people that they can trust him, he could end up damaging the legacy he has worked so hard to control and shape - and be remembered, even by those who once supported him, as the very opposite of the different type of leader he promised to be."

--end of article.

I received this article with a note that said, "See, even a liberal journalist with the AP is onto Obama!"

Liz Sidoti is the national politics editor for The Associated Press, and after reading her article, I don't see that she is onto Obama in any way, shape, or form.

I see this as an "Obama Supporter" putting out an her explanation as to how its everyone else's fault that these things are taking place and not Obama's fault at all.

She is very worried about the President's legacy.  

She comes off as an ardent supporter just trying to tell President Obama that he needs to get it together - and that his time is running out before the 2014 election when the Democrats want to take back the House.   

In her article, she's spreading the blame for things all around, listing Congress and the courts, while purposely ignoring that this is solely an Obama administration problem.

Why is this solely an Obama administration problem? Because it is solely their doing!

The Republicans in control of Congress did not authorize the investigating and political attacks on Tea Party organizations and other Conservative groups and individuals, it was Democrats in positions of power that did these things.

Either it came from the White House, or from Democrats in high positions, but they were the ones who have over-stepped their authority and broken the law. They are at fault here no matter how hard a political supporter like Liz Sidotti wants to whitewash it, or spin it, or get you to think.

Facts are facts, Democrats ordered these things to take place, and articles like this which try to deflect the attention away from the Obama administration and place it on others does nothing but try to deceive the American people.

Liz Sidotti says "the IRS' improper targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny as they sought tax-exempt status has spiraled into a wholesale examination of the agency," as if that were a bad thing! 

The IRS should be investigated from top down to make sure that no White House can ever use any agency of the government against the American people.

That huge fact seems to be lost on Ms Sodotti. She's more worried about the Obama legacy.

Why is it so important to her that she get a message to the President to turn things around?

It's because she is worried about 2014 and subsequently 2016 elections, which she believes is an "extension of Obama's presidency."  

Why is she worried about the President turning this all around as soon as possible?

She said Obama needs to "convince the American public to give Democrats another four years."
She knows that Obama and the Democrats need to take Congress, the House of Representatives, back in 2014 so that they can put an end to all of these Congressional investigations, she's saying Obama doesn't have much time to turn things around.  

And yes, that's exactly what Democrats are hoping for. Victory in 2014 means an end to the investigations into their wrong doings.  

A win during next year's mid-term election for the Democrats means they can do whatever they want and no one will be in any position to investigate anything they're doing!  

Abuse of power? They'll be able to say, so what!  

Intrusive government? They'll say, big deal!  

Government over-stepping its authority? They'll know no one's there to stop them! No one!  

As for AP writer Liz Sidotti?   

Remember that she is not a conservative by any means - and is in fact a Liberal Obama supporter.

Does this mean that the Associated Press is no longer in the pocket of the Obama administration? No. Not by any means.

It just means that this one AP writer, Liz Sidotti, wrote a slightly-negative piece about the President's troubles. That's all! 

Out of this, she may be invited to the White House to meet with the President and be reassured that they will win back the whole Congress next year.

The administration will probably reassure her that that is the reason this administration has been working so hard to stifle the Tea Party and other conservative organizations from educating Americans on the issues.

And yes, as an Obama supporter, Liz Sidotti may be soothed by their strategy.

She'll try to explain to the administration that was just trying to give them advice in her article. She may even take an oath of allegiance to Obama while she's at the White House.

What she doesn't realize is that the Obama administration does not trust anyone, even someone who may claim to be a loyal supporter.

The Obama administration will probably have her credentials looked at; there may even be pressure put on the AP to fire her if she acts up again.

It's almost certain that her phone records and e-mail may be seized and searched; that her finances will most likely be looked at; that she will most likely be investigated and audited by the IRS; that the FBI will probably red-flag her "file."

The FBI or Homeland Security may want to search her home, and will most likely want to know who she associates with.

And yes, if she does not cooperate with the Obama people and show them that she is still a team player and loyal supporter, she will most likely be put on Obama's Enemies List.

This article may ruin her career; this may stop her from covering important stories or gaining access to information that she previously could have had.

Her family's safety and security may be at risk over this. And yes, she may feel all sort of other forms of reprisals from the Obama administration.

Don't think so?

Wake up! That's what the Obama administration does.


Story by Tom Correa

On This Day: June 10th, 1964

Imagine all of the things in American History that have taken place on June 10th?

On June 10th, 1752, Ben Franklin and his son fly a kite in a strom and it gets struck by lightning. It was a shock to Ben!


June 10th, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to write a Declaration of Independence.

June 10th, 1793, Washington D.C. replaced Philadelphia as capital of United States.



June 10th, 1801, the North African State of Tripoli declared war on the U.S. The dispute was over merchant vessels being able to travel safely through the Mediterranean.

It was June 10th, in 1869, that the steamship S.S. Agnes arrives in New Orleans with 1st ever shipment of frozen beef

June 10th, 1871, Captain McLane Tilton leads 109 U.S. Marines in naval attack on Han River forts on Kanghwa Island, Korea.


June 10th, 1898, U.S. Marines landed in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
June 10th, 1909, the Morse Code "SOS" distress signal is transmitted for the first time in an emergency. The Cunard liner S.S. Slavonia used the signal when it wrecked off the Azores.

June 10th, 1921, the US Naval Dirigible made a forced landing on a San Diego high School Campus after the under work collapsed under the Air Ship and narrowly missed the school flagpole.


On June 10th, 1943, during World War II, the Allies began bombing Germany around the clock.
On June 10th, 1944, the youngest pitcher in major league baseball pitched his first game. Joe Nuxhall was 15 years, 10 months and 11 days old.

June 10th, 1948, was the day that test-pilot Chuck Yeager exceeded the speed of sound in the Bell XS-1.

June 10th, 1952, President Harry Truman, an ultra-liberal Democrat, announces his desire to "Nationalize"American steel industry similar to Communist governments.


June 10th, 1954, General Motors announced the gas turbine bus had been produced successfully.
June 10th, 1961, after injuries sustained while on a trip to Canada, President Kennedy's back injury is improving although he is still using crutches to get around.


On this day in 1964, Congressional Democrats Filibustered the Civil Rights Act.

The bill was called for by President John F. Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11, 1963, in which he asked for legislation, "giving all Americans the right to be served in facilities which are open to the public—hotels, restaurants, theaters, retail stores, and similar establishments," as well as "greater protection for the right to vote."

Emulating the Republican's Civil Rights Act of 1875, President Kennedy's civil rights bill included provisions to ban discrimination in public accommodations, and to enable the U.S. Attorney General to join in lawsuits against state governments which operated segregated school systems, among other provisions.

One day short of a year later, June 10th, 1964, was a dramatic day in the United States Senate.

For the first time in its history, cloture was invoked on a civil rights bill, ending a record-breaking filibuster by Democrats that had consumed fifty-seven working days.

The Democrats, the party of slavery, secession, segregation, and the KKK, fought against equality for 83 days and lost that day.

The hero of the hour was minority leader Republican Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen of Illinois

Senator Everett Dirksen, the Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate, condemned the Democrats for their 57-day filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Leading the Democrats in their opposition to civil rights for African-Americans was Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV).

It's true, on the morning of June 10, 1964, Senator Robert Byrd who was a Democrat and former Klu Klux Klan member from West Virginia completed a filibustering address that he had begun 14 hours and 13 minutes earlier opposing the legislation.

Byrd joined with Democrat Senators to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1964, personally filibustering the bill for 14 hours.

Until then, the measure had occupied the Senate for 57 working days, including six Saturdays.

With six wavering senators providing a four-vote victory margin, the final tally stood at 71 to 29.

Never in history had the Senate been able to muster enough votes to cut off a filibuster on a Civil Rights bill. And only once in the 37 years, since 1927, had it agreed to cloture for any measure.

Despite an 83-day filibuster in the Senate, President Johnson signed the bill into law.  Later, Byrd would also opposed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In the early 1940s, Byrd recruited 150 of his friends and associates to create a new chapter of the Ku Klux Klan in Sophia, West Virginia.

Byrd became a recruiter and leader of his chapter. When it came time to elect their Exalted Cyclops, their top officer in the Klan, Byrd won unanimously.


In 1946, Byrd wrote to segregationist Mississippi Senator Theodore G. Bilbo:

I shall never fight in the armed forces with a negro by my side ... Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.

—Robert C. Byrd, in a letter to Sen. Theodore Bilbo (D-MS), 1946

In 1947, Byrd wrote a letter to a Grand Wizard stating, "The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation."

Yes, Robert Byrd, who got into politics as a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan and draft dodger during World War II, spoke against the bill for 14 straight hours.

But that wasn't his only demonstration of old style Democrat bigotry, Byrd was the only senator to vote against both Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court, the only two African-American nominees.

In the Thurgood Marshall situation, Byrd asked FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to look into what Byrd believed to be the possibility that Marshall had either connections to Communists or had a Communist past.

In a March 4th, 2001, interview with Tony Snow, Byrd said of race relations:


They're much, much better than they've ever been in my lifetime ... I think we talk about race too much. I think those problems are largely behind us ... I just think we talk so much about it that we help to create somewhat of an illusion. I think we try to have good will. My old mom told me, 'Robert, you can't go to heaven if you hate anybody.' We practice that. There are white niggers. I've seen a lot of white niggers in my time, if you want to use that word. We just need to work together to make our country a better country, and I'd just as soon quit talking about it so much."

Byrd's use of the term "white nigger" created immediate controversy.

When asked about it, Byrd apologized saying the phrase dated back to his boyhood and he was trying to articulate strongly held feelings.

I can't help but wonder why, even up to his death, Democrats called Senator Robert Byrd "the conscience of the Senate."

In 1964, in his speech, Republican Senator Dirksen called on the Democrats to end their filibuster and "accept racial equality." 

Accepting racial equality is something that Republicans have fought for since the 1850s - well over 150 years.

It is what the Democrat Party, the party of slavery, secession, segregation, and the KKK, has fought against forever.


Story by Tom Correa

The Pony Express Rider, 1861

The Pony Express was founded by William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors.

Plans for the Pony Express were spurred by the threat of the Civil War and the need for faster communication with the West.

It had been established to provide a speedy method of delivering mail over a two thousand mile route that stretched between St. Joseph Missouri and Sacramento, California.

Pony Express Riders were paid $100 a month. This is equivalent to approximately $2,570.00 today.

Later ads for riders called for: "Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred."

The Pony Express consisted of relays of men riding horses carrying saddlebags of mail across a 2000-mile trail.

The service opened officially on April 3, 1860, when riders left simultaneously from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California.

Eventually, the Pony Express had more than 100 stations, 80 riders, and between 400 and 500 horses.

The express route was extremely hazardous, but only one mail delivery was ever lost.

The first westbound trip was made in 9 days and 23 hours and the eastbound journey in 11 days and 12 hours. And yes, upon its first run and immediately captured the imagination of the nation.

The pony riders covered 250 miles in a 24-hour day.

The distance was divided into a series of relays 75 to 100 miles in length over which a lone rider would race, changing his horse every 10 to 15 miles before handing his cargo off to the next rider.

He would then wait for a rider from the opposite direction to arrive, take his mail, and return to his starting point.

Speed of delivery was paramount. Any weight other than the mail the horse carried was kept to a minimum.

A specialized, light-weight saddle was developed that had built-in pouches to carry the mail. Hazards abounded, including weather, terrain, hostile Indians and bandits.

It typically took a week for mail to reach its destination at a cost of $5.00 per ½ ounce.

Travelers on the trial would keep an expectant eye out for the appearance of the Pony Express rider.

Suddenly, a speck would appear in the distance, rapidly grow larger and a cheer would arise as the rider sped by and gave a wave of acknowledgement.

The service lasted only 19 months until October 24, 1861, when the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence.

Although California relied upon news from the Pony Express during the early days of the Civil War, the horse line was never a financial success, leading its founders to bankruptcy.

Though the Pony Express was a financial failure for the company that operated it, the romantic drama surrounding the Pony Express has made it a part of the legend of the American West. 

The imagery of a lone rider making a perilous journey against all odds made an indelible impression on the nation's collective memory.

"A party of fifteen Indians jumped me. . ."

Buffalo Bill Cody, who later became famous for his Wild West Show, was a rider for the Pony Express and wrote of his experiences. We join Bill's story as he is hired - at the age of 15 - to ride a section of the trail that lies in modern-day Wyoming:

". . .The next day he [Mr Slade,the manger of Cody's Pony Express station] assigned me to duty on the road from Red Buttes on the North Platte, to the Three Crossings of the Sweetwater - a distance of seventy-six miles - and I began riding at once.

One day when I galloped into Three Crossings, my home station, I found that the rider who was expected to take the trip out on my arrival had got into a drunken row the night before and had been killed; and that there was no one to fill his place.

I did not hesitate for a moment to undertake an extra ride of eighty-five miles to Rocky Ridge, and I arrived at the latter place on time.

I then turned back and rode to Red Buttes, my starting place, accomplishing on the round trip a distance of 322 miles.

Slade heard of this feat of mine, and one day as he was passing on a coach he sang out to me, 'My boy, you're a brick, and no mistake.

That was a good run you made when you rode your own and Miller's routes, and I'll see that you get extra pay for it.'

Slade, although rough at times and always a dangerous character - having killed many a man - was always kind to me.

During the two years that I worked for him as pony-express-rider and stage-driver, he never spoke an angry word to me.

As I was leaving Horse Creek one day, a party of fifteen Indians 'jumped me' in a sand ravine about a mile west of the station.

They fired at me repeatedly, but missed their mark. I was mounted on a roan California horse - the fleetest steed I had. Putting spurs and whip to him, and lying flat on his back, I kept straight on for Sweetwater Bridge - eleven miles distant - instead of trying to turn back to Horse Creek.

The Indians came on in hot pursuit, but my horse soon got away from them, and ran into the station two miles ahead of them.

The stock-tender had been killed there that morning, and all the stock had been driven off by the Indians, and as I was therefore unable to change horses, I continued on to Ploutz's Station - twelve miles further - thus making twenty-four miles straight run with one horse.

I told the people at Ploutz's what had happened at Sweetwater Bridge, and with a fresh horse went on and finished the trip without any further adventure.

About the middle of September the Indians became very troublesome on the line of the stage road along the Sweetwater.

Between Split Rock and Three Crossings they robbed a stage, killed the driver and two passengers, and badly wounded Lieut. Flowers, the assistant division agent.

The red-skinned thieves also drove off the stock from the different stations, and were continually lying in wait for the passing stages and pony express-riders, so that we had to take many desperate chances in running the gauntlet.

The Indians had now become so bad and had stolen so much stock that it was decided to stop the pony express for at least six weeks, and to run the stages but occasionally during that period; in fact, it would have been almost impossible to have run the enterprise much longer without restocking the line."

This eyewitness account appears in Cody William F., The Life of Buffalo Bill (1879, republished 1994).

American Indian Graduate Fined for Wearing Eagle Feather at Graduation

Chelsey Ramer is a Poarch Creek Indian. She has now been fined $1,000 for wearing an eagle feather at her high school graduation. Imagine the silliness!

But believe it or not, it's true! A private High School in Alabama has denied a graduating senior her diploma and fined her $1,000 because she wore an eagle feather during her graduation ceremony. 

Escambia Academy High School senior Chelsey Ramer dangled the feather on her mortarboard as a show of pride in her Native American heritage, reports WPMI-TV. And yes, Chelsey Ramer, 17, is a member of the Poarch Creek Band of Creek Indians.

"I was excited," Ms Ramer told WPMI. She also told the local NBC affiliate that she had explicitly sought permission from the Escambia Academy headmaster to wear the eagle feather at the May 23rd graduation.

"She told us we could not wear our feathers," said Chelsey. "They told me that if I wore it that they would pull me off the field."

There is a dress-code contract, which states: Students and staff shall not wear extraneous items during graduation exercises unless approved by the administration. But Ms Ramer told WPMI that she never signed the contract.

While the senior did apparently walk across the graduation stage with her feather intact, it’s not clear how school officials handled the situation right there and then. And yes, school officials have since told Ms Ramer that she must pay a $1,000 fine if she wants her diploma and access to her transcripts.

"I don’t think it’s fair at all. I feel like it’s kind of discrimination against me. Somebody’s gotta do it. Somebody’s gotta make a stand," she said.

The newly-minted high school graduate said she doesn’t regret her actions, despite the resulting kerfuffle. "It was worth it. It means a lot to me," she added.

The Poarch Creek Indians are the only federally-recognized tribe of Native Americans in Alabama. Poarch Creek Indian Gaming operates three Alabama casinos. According to its website, the tribe descends from the original Creek Nation, which once lived in the much of the land that is now Alabama and Georgia. The tribe’s reservation is located eight miles from Atmore.

According to the Escambia Academy 2012-13 handbook, the school is not officially church-sponsored but it does offer a noticeably Christian atmosphere. For example, "every class has a daily devotion during homeroom. In most cases, this routine consists of prayer, Bible reading, and/or a devotional."

My small advice to Escambia Academy High School is behave in a Christian manner and give the young lady her diploma, give her access to her transcripts, and drop the asinine threat of a $1,000 fine.

Education is tough with many hard lessons, and not all lessons come from books -- many come from experience. This experience is teaching her to choose between threats and her heritage. And frankly, I respect her for choosing wisely even in the face of a bully in the form of a High School administration.

Like many of us, I've seen streakers, flower lies, shorts, and a many other different expressions of educational completion walk across a stage or two just to receive their handshake and diploma. This school is setting a poor example and will reap nothing good out of this negative publicity. As an educational institution, Escambia Academy High School might have a hard time grasping the reality that being jerks over a single feather may cost them a lot more in the long run.

Full-price tuition at the Atmore, Alabama, private high school is $3,420 per year. That is a steep price to lose over one feather if just one parent thinks Escambia Academy has presented itself in a way that is not to their liking.

And by the way, you folks at Escambia Academy High School might want to apologize to Chelsey for putting her through such absurdity. It's only right that you do.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.
Tom Correa

Reprisals Feared Against Oklahoma Rep. Bridenstine

The Obama administration style of attacks on political opponents hasn't been seen in America since the Nixon days.

But really, even the Nixon White House never went to the extent of getting even with his political opposition as the Obama White House has shown.

The lengths that the Obama administration is capable of resorting to - just to get revenge - is unconscionable.

The Obama administration has used the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and now we find out that it has even used the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to exact punishment against conservative groups and individuals.

From the DOJ investigating Conservative groups and reporters, to the FCC going after Conservative Talk Radio, to the FEC refusing Conservative groups the ability to run political ads, to the IRS refusing to grant Tax Exempt 501(c) status, to the EPA charging Conservative groups fees while largely exempting Liberal groups, the Obama administration is using the U.S. government as a weapon for political means.

And friends, since there are 456 federal agencies in the federal government - all consisting of hierarchies of agencies within themselves, bureaucracies within bureaucracies - this is a danger that we must stop.

All of the agencies that I've noted are agencies that we know which have been used in political retaliation against Conservative groups, businesses and individual citizens here in the United States.

Sound scary? Well, it should!

Punishment in the form of retribution and reprisals are powerful weapons which are right now being used by the Obama administration against anyone they see as opposing Obama or his policies.

These are scary times in American history.

For the first time in memory, a U.S. President attacks American citizens who don't agree with his policies or positions on issues governing our nation.

Fear is a not a new political tactic. It is just something new to Americans.

Most of us never thought that we'd be targeted for exercising our freedoms and rights under our Constitution.

Many now fear reprisal from the Democrats in control of the White House and the many government agencies that they can use as weapons against us.

My fear for Congressman Jim Bridenstine is that he has endangered himself, his family, friends and associates.

Why? Well, on June 3rd, 2013, yesterday, Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine questioned President Obama’s leadership in his speech on the floor of the House.

This is about the best evaluation of the Obama regime - and what's going on in Washington.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=86UL9ekiXDk

Speaking on the House floor Monday, Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) delivered a brief-yet-scathing review of President Barack Obama and his administration.

In just over a minute, Congressman Bridenstine gave voters a concise list of political scandals and possible criminal activities that have occurred under President Obama.

The Republican lawmaker said the fact that his administration is spinning out of control proves Obama is “not fit to lead” as Commander-in-Chief.

Here are his remarks:

"The president’s Justice Department sold weapons to narco-terrorists south of our border, who killed one of our finest.

The president’s State Department lied about Benghazi with false information provided by the White House.

The president’s attorney general authorized spying on a Fox News reporter and his family for reporting on a North Korean nuclear test.

The president’s Justice Department confiscated phone records of the Associated Press because they reported on a thwarted terrorist attack.

The president’s Treasury Department uses the IRS to target political opposition.

The president’s Health and Human Services secretary pressures insurance companies she is supposed to regulate to promote ‘Obamacare,’ which is the same law she uses to force citizens to pay for abortion inducing drugs against their religious liberties.

The president’s dishonesty, incompetence, vengefulness and lack of moral compass lead many to suggest that he is not fit to lead.

The only problem is that his vice president is equally unfit and even more embarrassing."

We can only thank Congressman Jim Bridenstine for his courage to stand up to those in power.

He did so while knowing full well that President Obama and those in his administration will most likely use all of the power of the presidency to have multiple U.S. government agencies investigate and harass him, his family, and probably his supporters.

Yes, these are scary times in American history.

Today, more Americans believe that the President would try to punish them if they oppose him in any way. 

Today, more Americans see Washington as more of a threat than a protector of their right to Free Speech and Privacy.

Horribly, must Americans see Washington as more of a threat than a protector of their rights as a whole.

But if the Obama administration is using their ability to exact retribution or reprisals as a strategy intended to dissuade an adversary from undertaking opposition to his policies, its not working.

Though fear of punishment is a powerful weapon, we can thank God that America has men like Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine who stand up for what is right - even in the face of danger knowing full well that the Obama administration will seek revenge.  After all, that's what they do!


Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS - Obama Admin Will Sign UN Small Arms Treaty, Bill Killian Re-Writes The Constitution, and More!

FIRST SHOT!
Obama Administration Will Sign The UN Small Arms Treaty In Violation Of U.S. Laws

Will the UN small arms treaty infringe on the Constitution of the United States? Yes, but why should that matter to Barack Obama?

He doesn't give a damn if it does violate U.S laws.

Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the Obama administration would indeed sign the extremely controversial U.N. small arms.

Despite being in direct violation of U.S. laws as well as there being bipartisan resistance in Congress from members concerned that the U.N. agreement will lead to unlawful gun control measures in the U.S., President Obama is authorizing the signing of the U.N. treaty on small arms regulation.

Speaking for the Obama administration and certainly not the American people, John Kerry released a written statement saying that the U.S. "welcomes" the next phase for the treaty - which the U.N. General Assembly approved on April 2nd against the wishes of the American People.

Kerry called the treaty "an important contribution to efforts to stem the illicit trade in conventional weapons, which fuels conflict, empowers violent extremists, and contributes to violations of human rights."

Don't you just hate it when you read something like that and your Bullshit Detector goes off!

You see, Kerry saying that this is "an important contribution to efforts to stem the illicit trade in conventional weapons, which fuels conflict, empowers violent extremists, and contributes to violations of human rights" is not what Americans think it means.

Fact is, yes it fuels conflict and empowers violent extremist. But those conflicts and violent extremist are fighting human rights violations by nations like Cuba, Iran, Syria, Kenya, Vietnam, and China.

Fact is, yes it is easier to enslave people when they are disarmed.

The treaty supposedly covers tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, also covers small arms.

The treaty would require countries that ratify it to establish national regulations to control the transfer of conventional arms and components and to regulate arms brokers. "Conventional arms" includes pistols, rifles, and shotguns. "Components" include magazines, gun parts, and ammunition.

In other words, this treaty means disarming the people of the world so that they cannot fight for freedom against oppression.

Dictatorships and Despots Rejoice!

While hard line dictatorships and tin-horn despots rejoice over the idea that the U.N. is now going to ensure that their political enemies will be disarmed, the Obama administration sees this as a good thing for the world.

Am I in favor of revolution, you ask? In the 1776 spirit of the word revolution? You damn right! Especially when it comes to people fighting to be free. 

What is wrong with people in countries like Cuba, Iran, Syria, Egypt, or even England having arms to take back their government if the government acts against the freedoms and liberties of their people.

Communist China's chairman Mao once said, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."

This may be why only the Chinese government is allowed to keep and bear arms against it's citizen slaves.

Fact is, throughout history, only free people are able to keep and bear arms while slaves are not. Defenseless citizens are called slaves, and must obey any command of their owners. Disarming them is a means of control.

Why should only governments be armed and their people not? Why would a government worry about an armed insurrection by the people if they are not doing anything wrong?

Supposedly, the U.N treaty explicitly says that it is not against controlling the domestic use of weapons in any country - but how could that be?

Fact is that the U.N. treaty could be used as the basis for additional gun regulations inside the U.S. if it is ratified.

Last week, 130 members of Congress signed a letter to Obama and Kerry urging them to reject the measure for this and other reasons.

"As your review of the treaty continues, we strongly encourage your administration to recognize its textual, inherent and procedural flaws, to uphold our country's constitutional protections of civilian firearms ownership, and to defend the sovereignty of the United States, and thus to decide not to sign this treaty," the lawmakers wrote.

The chance of adoption by the U.S. is slim, even if Obama goes ahead and signs it - as early as Monday, or possibly months down the road.

A majority of Senate members have come out against the treaty. A two-thirds majority would be needed in the Senate to ratify.

What impact the treaty will have in curbing the estimated $60 billion global arms trade remains to be seen. And honestly, why does it need curbing?

The question needs to be asked, which governments are in favor of stopping the flow of guns to their citizens? Do they want them curbed because they fear their citizenry?

The U.N. treaty will take effect after 50 countries ratify it, and a lot will depend on which ones ratify and which ones don't, and how stringently it is implemented.

The United Nations has organized a high-level signing ceremony at U.N. headquarters on Monday - a sign that they want to give the treaty a global importance - and several dozen countries are expected to sign, the first step to ratification.

The Control Arms Coalition, which includes hundreds of non-governmental socialist organizations in more than 100 questionable countries that promoted an Arms Trade Treaty, said it expects many of the world's top arms exporters - including Britain, Germany and France - to sign alongside emerging exporters such as Brazil and Mexico.

It said the United States is expected to sign later this year.

SECOND SHOT!

Federal U.S. Attorney Bill Killian Says Anti-Muslim Speech Can Be Punished As A Criminal Offense

Bill Killian, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, recently suggested that offensive speech about Islam may be punishable under U.S. law.

Killian and Kenneth Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Knoxville Division, are scheduled to speak next week at a special meeting in Manchester, Tennessee, to increase awareness among citizens that American Muslims are not terrorists.

"This is an educational effort with civil rights laws as they play into freedom of religion and exercising freedom of religion. This is also to inform the public what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are," said Killian.

He also mentioned that Coffee County Commissioner Barry West had posted a photo of a man aiming a shotgun with the caption "How to wink at a Muslim."

"If a Muslim had posted ‘How to Wink at a Christian,’ could you imagine what would have happened?" Killian told The Tullahoma News on Tuesday. "We need to educate people about Muslims and their civil rights, and as long as we’re here, they’re going to be protected."

Killian said Internet postings that violate civil rights are subject to federal law.

"That’s what everybody needs to understand," Killian added.

"He’s just wrong," said Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment attorney, told Politico.com.

"The government may, indeed, play a useful and entirely constitutional role in urging people not to engage in speech that amounts to religious discrimination. But it may not, under the First Amendment, prevent or punish speech even if it may be viewed as hostile to a religion."

"And what it most clearly may not do is to stifle political or social debate, however rambunctious or offensive some may think it is."

So no, as hard as Bill Killian tries to get away with saying something is against the law when it in fact isn't - there are people out there like Floyd Abrams who will put Obama political appointees like Killian in their place.



THIRD SHOT!

Recall looms for Colorado Lawmaker who supported Gun Restriction Laws

A group of gun-rights activists seeking to oust a top Democratic state lawmaker in Colorado over the passage of strict gun control legislation on Monday turned in double the signatures needed to force a recall election.

KDVR reports the group turned in over 16,000 signatures, more than double the 7,178 valid signatures needed, to the Colorado Secretary of State's office in the effort to recall Colorado Senate President John Morse.

"This sends a strong message," Rob Harris, who delivered three boxes full of petitions to the office, told KDVR. "We’ve obtained enough signatures to recall a state legislator for the first time in the history of Colorado."

The Secretary of State’s office now has 15 days to determine whether enough of the signatures are valid, and then Morse's office has another 15 days to contest the validity of the signatures.

Morse tells KDVR he is going to fight the recall effort.

“We’ll go through these signatures with a fine-toothed comb,” Morse told the station. “And we’ll file some protests with the Secretary of State’s office because we know a lot of these signatures were gathered based on misinformation and lies.”

He also insisted he will not resign his seat to avoid a recall election.

"This is a hill worth dying on," Morse said. "This is a fight worth having; it’s a fight we’ve already had on the floor of the Senate; it’s a fight worth winning."

Last week, the non-profit America Votes, which lists New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg among its backers, released a video in support of Morse.

The recall effort is also receiving financial help from national non-profits. However, Harris claims it was a grassroots effort.

"I ran this recall," he told KDVR. "Not the N.R.A. It sends a message to Denver and Washington, DC that we, the people, are watching and that we will do something about it."

The effort against Morse has become a national focus of efforts to push back against lawmakers from moderate districts who support ratcheting back gun rights.

Gun-rights activists are seeking to recall another Democrat, a senator from Pueblo. Signatures in that effort aren't due until next week.

But they are coming!



FOURTH SHOT!

The Flashbang Bra Holster

"So you pull up your shirt, and flash ‘em, and then you pull out the gun, and bang."

That’s how Lisa Looper, 33, an Oklahoma City mom to three young boys, describes her Flashbang bra holster, a hit at the NRA convention in Houston, Texas, earlier this month.

A one-time manicurist, Looper got the idea after marrying into a family that produces leather goods for law enforcement officers and picked up a gun herself.

"After I started shooting, and I had my first kiddo, I realized I wanted to carry a gun to protect him," she explains. "I couldn’t just run away anymore if something bad happened."

The holsters she found didn’t fit her frame. "I started looking around, and I found this little spot under the bust line. Anything will hide right there."


Lisa Looper demonstrates the Flashbang. (Image credit: Kimberly Arington)

The Flashbang debuted at the 2011 NRA convention, where she sold 42 holsters.

Today, she has a full “Pin-up” line of women’s holsters, including the Marilyn, the Betty, and the Ava, and, she says, she sells 42 women’s holsters, ranging in price from $49.99 to $59.99, every hour of the average 40-hour work week.

According to Looper, the market for women’s self-defense products is "growing like crazy."

At this year’s NRA convention, men were interested, too.

"There’ll be a big crowd of men standing around watching us demo," she recounts. "I think at one point they think there’s going to be a flash, and it never comes. If you take boobs and guns and combine ‘em, there’s some sex appeal, whether you mean there to be or not."

Watching a video of the bra holster, I wonder if it’s possible to shoot yourself in the boob.

Looper reassures me that’s not the case. "You can’t. Because of the way the holster sits. It covers up the trigger and the slide."

Business is so brisk, she’s launched a line of Prohibition Holsters for men, featuring the Capone, the Lucky Luciano, and the Baby Face.

As for what’s next, she says her top request is for garter holsters.



LAST SHOT!

Thought For The Day



That's how I see it!

Riding The Overland Stage, 1861

In 1861, Samuel Clemens' brother Orion was named Secretary of Nevada Territory. Samuel Clemens joined his brother for the trip west.

Eleven years later Samuel Clemens, under his pen name Mark Twain, described his journey in the book Roughing It.

Although its approach is humorous, the book's descriptions are accurate.

As Mark Twain, he notes in his preface, "...there is information in the volume; information concerning an interesting episode in the history of the Far West, about which no books have been written by persons who were on the ground in person, and saw the happenings of the time with their own eyes."

The movies create an idyllic impression of riding the overland stage. It's most aways, smooth travel in roomy comfort.

Twain paints a much different picture with passengers crammed together with mailbags, jostled by every bump, breathing dust, all at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Though it was tough way to get from one point to another, we should keep in mind that for its time, the stagecoach offered the latest technology in travel. We have to remember that the stage carried its passengers across the Western Plains at speeds greater than any other transport available.

Starting Out

Twain's ticket from St. Jo. to Carson City cost $150, equivalent to approximately $2660 in today's dollars. That, my friends, is by any measure a lot of money - yesterday or today.

The trip from St. Jo to Sacramento, California could take from 15 to 17 days.

Twain begins his journey in St. Joseph, Missouri, the starting point for the overland route to Sacramento, California. Twain and his brother discover that passengers are limited to only 25 pounds of baggage.

After shedding much of their luggage, the intrepid travelers are on their way across the plains of Kansas.

Twain writes:
"Our coach was a swinging and swaying cage of the most sumptuous description - an imposing cradle on wheels. It was drawn by six handsome horses, and by the side of the driver sat the 'conductor,' the legitimate captain of the craft; for it was his business to take charge and care of the mails, baggage, express matter, and passengers. We three were the only passengers this trip. We sat on the back seat, inside. About all the rest of the coach was full of mail bags - for we had three days' delayed mail with us. Almost touching our knees, a perpendicular wall of mail matter rose up to the roof. There was a great pile of it strapped on top of the stage, and both the fore and hind boots were full. We had twenty-seven hundred pounds of it aboard, the driver said - 'a little for Brigham, and Carson, and 'Frisco, but the heft of it for the Injuns, which is powerful troublesome 'thout they get plenty truck to read.' But as he just then got up a fearful convulsion of his countenance which was suggestive of a wink being swallowed by an earthquake, we guessed that his remark was intended to be facetious , and to mean that we would unload the most of our mail matter somewhere on the Plains and leave it to the Indians, or whosoever wanted it.

We changed horses every ten miles, all day long, and fairly flew over the hard, level road. We jumped out and stretched our legs every time the coach stopped, and so the night found us still vivacious and unfatigued."

Traveling

The average stagecoach could squeeze 18-20 passengers into it. They averaged 8 mph over good terrain and horses were changed every 12 to 15 miles. Each cost over $1,500 to build.

The next day, the stage suffers a breakdown forcing its passengers to evacuate while repairs are made. The conductor lays the blame for the mishap on the extra weight of too many mailbags. After throwing half the mail onto the prairie, the stage resumes its journey. Orion's large Unabridged Dictionary causes trouble along the way.

Twain writes:
"Whenever the stage stopped to change horses, we would wake up, and try to recollect where we were - and succeed - and in a minute or two the stage would be off again, and we likewise. We began to get into country, now, threaded here and there with little streams. These had high, steep banks on each side, and every time we flew down one bank and scrambled up the other, our party inside got mixed sowewhat. First we would all lie down in a pile at the forward end of the stage, nearly in a sitting posture, and in a second we would shoot to the other end and stand on our heads. And we would sprawl and kick, too, and ward off ends and corners of mail-bags that came lumbering over us and about us; and as the dust rose from the tumult, we would all sneeze in chorus, and the majority of us would grumble, and probably say some hasty thing, like: 'Take your elbow out of my ribs! Can't you quit crowding?'

Every time we avalanched from one end of the stage to the other, the Unabridged Dictionary would come too; and every time it came it damaged somebody. One trip it 'barked' the Secretary's elbow; the next trip it hurt me in the stomach, and the third it tilted Bemis's nose up till he could look down his nostrils - he said. The pistols and coin soon settled to the bottom, but the pipes, pipe-stems, tobacco, and canteens clattered and floundered after the Dictionary every time it made an assault on us, and aided and abetted the book by spilling tobacco in our eyes, and water down our backs."

The Way Station

Each evening, the stage announces its approach to a way station by the driver blowing a bugle. The way station offers sparse comfort.

The stage makes a stop at a way station circa 1869.

The soldiers riding on top provide protection.

Twain writes:

"The station buildings were long, low huts, made of sun-dried, mud-colored bricks, laid up without mortar (adobes the Spaniards call these bricks, and Americans shorten it to 'dobies.)The roofs, which had no slant to them worth speaking of, were thatched and then sodded or covered with a thick layer of earth, and from this sprang a pretty rank growth of weeds and grass. It was the first time we had ever seen a man's front yard on top of his house. The buildings consisted of barns, stable-room for twelve or fifteen horses, and a hut for an eating room for passengers. This latter had bunks in it for the station-keeper and a hostler or two.

You could rest your elbow on its eaves, and you had to bend in order to get in at the door. In place of a window there was a square hole about large enough for a man to crawl through, but this had no glass in it. There was no flooring, but the ground was packed hard. There was no stove, but fire-place served all needful purposes. There were no shelves, no cupboards, no closets. In a corner stood an open sack of flour, and nestling against its base were a couple of black and venerable tin coffee-pots, a tin teapot, a little bag of salt, and a side of bacon.

By the door of the station keeper's den, outside, was a tin wash-basin, on the ground. Near it was a pail of water and a piece of yellow soap, and from the eves hung a hoary blue woolen shirt, significantly - but this latter was the station-keeper's private towel, and only two persons in all the party might venture to use it - the stage-driver and the conductor."

The Pony Express Rider

The Pony Express began in 1860 and ended in 1861. Mail was carried in 40-mile relays from St. Jo. to Sacramento in 10 days. The passengers eagerly await the spectacle of an encounter with a Pony Express rider racing his load of mail to its next transfer point.

Twain writes:

Presently the driver exclaims, 'HERE HE COMES!'

Every neck is stretched further, and every eye strained wider. Away across the endless dead level of the prairie a black speck appears against the sky, and it is plain that it moves. Well, I should think so! In a second or two it becomes a horse and rider rising and falling, rising and falling - sweeping toward us nearer and nearer and still nearer - growing more and more distinct, more and more sharply defined - nearer and still nearer, and the flutter of the hoofs comes faintly to the ear - another instant a whoop and a hurrah from our upper deck, a wave of the rider'' hand, but no reply, and a man and horse burst past our excited faces, and go winging away like a belated fragment of a storm!

The Mormon Emigrant Train

The Mormon Trek from the East to Utah began in 1845. Near Salt Lake City, the stage passes a wagon train filled with Mormons making the trek westward.

Twain writes:

"Just beyond the breakfast-station we overtook a Mormon emigrant train of thirty-three wagons; and tramping wearily along and driving their herd of lose cows, were dozens of coarse-clad and sad-looking men, women, and children, who had walked as they were walking now, day after day for eight lingering weeks, and in that time had compassed the distance our stage had come in eight days and three hours - seven hundred and ninety-eight miles! They were dusty and uncombed, hatless, bonnetless and ragged, and they did look so tired!"

Twain's personal account of overland stage travel in the early 1860s is true to fact.

However, it is said that the 1939 Hollywood Western Stagecoach, directed by John Ford and featured a very young John Wayne, probably did more than anything else to promote the modern perceptions of stagecoach travel as being both romantic and adventurous.

Louis McLane, once head of Wells Fargo and Company, the most famous name in overland stagecoach travel, wrote to his wife in 1865 about artistic depictions of travel by coach, "I thought staging looked very well to the lithographer, but was the devil in reality."

Many intrepid travelers who crossed the West by stagecoach would have surely agreed with him.

Western Saddle Diagrams

Horse Checks - The Basic Physical Exam

Horse checks? No. its not a breakfast cereal!

Basic horse checks are what we should be doing each day as part of our care for our horses.

Whether riding a lot or not, knowing how to do a basic physical exam on our horses can help us detect the early signs of an illness or injury.

Doing this will ultimately help us catch a potential problem before it becomes a big problem.

Here a list of what to look for.

The Routine Basic Check

Some things that we should look for during a routine check are:

General Temperment

Always observe your horse for normal behavior. Their demeanor and behavior can tell us a lot about how they're feeling. Our horses should be alert, interested and curious about their surroundings, responsive to other horses, other animals and people.

They should move easily without pain. They should eat almost continously if given the opportunity. No appetite or desire to eat is not a good sign.

Hoof Condition

I normally check my horses hooves everyday. Sure I miss a day here and there, but on the overall I go by the old saying, "No hoof, no horse."
Because of that philosophy, my horse check includes checking my horses hooves for:

1) Thrush by being alert to a foul smell and dark ooze from the cleft of the frog.
2) Punctures to see if a nail or other object pierces my horse's sole.
3) Cracks that are either superficial or worse. If I notice a crack in my horse's hoof, I usually call my farrier and describe its location and size so he can decide whether it needs attention now or can wait until the next regular shoeing.
4) Abscesses are something that could be inside the hoof from a badly placed shoeing nail, a stone bruise, or an overlooked sole puncture. A routine check can alert us to the problem and get your veterinarian or farrier involved before your horse - probably at least slightly lame already on the abscessed foot, which throbs from the pressure of increased blood flow to the infected area - is in even greater pain.

If you find increased heat and a stronger-than-usual pulse in both front feet, and if he's shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, call your veterinarian immediately. These are signs of laminitis, an inflammatory condition that can cause severe hoof damage. This needs to be treated promptly.

Wounds and Injuries

I always check my horses for open wounds such as lacerations, punture wounds, bites and abrasions. I also check for lumps and swelling. If I'm not real sure if there is swelling going on, I simply complare the area to its counterpart on the other side.

Checking the legs and other areas for heat could indicate the presence of an injury.

I do this because my horses are usually paired up with my other horses. And yes, that means that injuries can take place even if I don't expect it.

Pain

Watch for signs such as lameness. restlessness, inappropriate sweating, anxiousness, tooth grinding, startling or shying when touched in certain areas, looking at their side such as when colic is present, or squinting when eye pain is present.

Discharges

In a healthy horse, tears and mucus from the eyes and nose is supposed to be fairly inconspicuous. Excessive amount of these discharges or any amount of pus or blood from the eyes or nose is not considered normal.

Excretions

Urine, which is normally cloudy, should pass easily in a steady stream with no evidence of pain. Manure should be solid and be formed and passed without straining.

So OK, that it. That's the basic check. But if you want to do more, there are other things to look for a more detailed in-depth exam. Such as:
The Detailed Exam

Temperature

To take a horse's temperature, use a rectal thermometer either glass or electonic. A normal temperature in adult horses is 98 to 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit, and 100 to 102 for foals.

To avoid losing the themometer during use, attach an alligator clip to it with an 8 to 10 inch piece of string and chip it to your horse's tail. I saw a friend do that once and thought it a pretty good idea.  Especially if you're going to be taking their temperature often during an illness.

Apply a lubricant, such as petroleum jelly or K-Y Jelly to the thermometer, and insert it nearly all the way into the rectum so that the protruding end will not poke the tail and will not break off.

Attach the clip to the tail hairs to prevent loss.

The normal rectal temperature of a horse is 98 to 101.3 F. It is typically higher in the evening than in the morning. The temperature also is influenced by the horse’s activity at the time the temperature is measured. Measure your horse’s rectal temperature at various times of the day and determine its normal range.

If your horse’s temperature is over 101.5 F, shake down the thermometer and take another reading. A common cause of an apparently elevated temperature is a “hot”, unshaken thermometer.


To estimate your horse’s body temperature without use of a thermometer, use your finger to assess the temperature of the mucous membrane inside the lips, at the corner of the mouth.

Compare your estimated reading with a thermometer reading twice on 10 different horses. This will "educate" your finger to help you estimate the temperature by feel.

If your horse resists temperature measurement using a rectal thermometer, gradually train your horse to tolerate having its tail lifted and moved side to side and then to accept the touch of your hand near the anus and finally to have the thermometer inserted.

Taking the temperature may eventually be important in monitoring a life-threatening medical condition or may be necessary as a part of competition.

Mucous membranes

For us to check mucous membrane color, we do this by locking at our horse's gums. They should be pale pink.

Check capillary refill time - a way of evaluating the cardiovascular function - by pressing on the gum with your finger. The pink color will lighten but should return to normal in 1 to 2 seconds.

Heart Beat You can use a stethoscope to hear the heart beating. If that is, you have a stethoscope on you.

You can use a stethoscope to determine your horse’s heart rate. You can purchase an inexpensive one at a drug store.

A stethoscope is the easiest, safest and most accurate way to count the heart rate. Stand on the left side of the horse at the shoulder and find the point of the elbow.


To make sure the stethoscope is working, tap very gently on the diaphragm while the earpieces are fixed in your ears. Press the bell of the stethoscope into the chest wall and listen carefully. To determine the point of loudest heart sound intensity, move the bell around the chest wall while continuing to press firmly.

The main cause of an increased heart or respiratory rate is excitement. Therefore, it is best to make repeat counts after the horse has become less excited.

A normal resting heart rate is 32 to 44 beats per minute (bpm) in adult horses and 60 to 110 bpm in foals.

To arrive at the correct beats, count the heart rate for 15 seconds and multiply the result by four to get the bpm.

Something to keep in mind, a pulse represents a wave of blood propelled through an artery by a heart beat. Counting your horse’s pulse takes practice; try it twice on 10 different horses.
You will need a watch with seconds displayed. As said before, you can count the pulse rate for 15 seconds and multiply that number by 4.

If the horse has a rapid pulse rate, you can count the rate for 6 seconds and add a 0 (multiply by 10).

Remember that the normal pulse rate ranges from 32 to 44 beats per minute. The pulse rate of horses is much slower than that of people by approximately 50%.

It is advised that you take your horse's pulse at the facial artery where it crosses the jawbone directly in front of the cheek. It's actually visible on many horses.

Bottom line is that to check your horse’s pulse rate, find an artery, partially compress it with a fingertip and wait for the pulsating sensation. If you compress the artery too much, you obstruct the blood flow and will not be able to feel a pulse.

The mandibular artery is located just to the inside of the lowest (largest) part of the jaw bone. The artery runs perpendicular to the bone and can easily be compressed against the jaw bone.

The palmar digital artery is located at the posterior (back) groove behind the suspensory ligament, just in front of the sesamoid bones in the middle of the fetlock. This pulse is more intense when there is increased blood flow to the foot - normally from exercise or abnormally from pain or inflammation.

This artery is not commonly used to determine the pulse rate but it is very important in assessing foot problems, such as abscesses, laminitis, or other causes of foot inflammation.


These 2 arteries feel like firm, cooked noodles about 1/8 inch in diameter. Move your finger back and forth over the area and the artery will bounce back as your finger passes over it.

Consider your own safety when evaluating a horse’s temperature, pulse and respiration, especially when the horse is abnormal.

Be prepared to avoid kicking, being hit in the head with the horse’s knee when you are bending to check the digital pulse, and throwing of the head during assessment of the mandibular pulse.

Respiratory Rate

Count the respiratory rate first, before the horse is stirred up and excited. The respiratory rate is best counted when the horse is unaware of your presence. Don’t walk up to the horse and put your hands over both nostrils and start to count!

It is best to watch flank excursions, as the flank moves in and out with each breath. One in and out excursion counts as one breath. Watching the flank area also provides the best evaluation of the quality of breathing, such as pushing with the abdomen, an overly rapid rate, etc.
Look at the flank excursions through the stall window before opening the door. The normal respiratory rate is 8 to 16 breaths per minute in adults, and 25 to 60 in foals.

You can also count the respiration rate for 15 seconds and multiply that number by 4.

Gut Sounds:

Using that stethoscope that you purchased from a local drug store, place it over your horses abdomen to listen for gut sounds.

These sounds should always be present. Sometimes, gut sounds can be herd without stethoscope - unless of course your hearing is as bad as mine.

So now, here we go!

Does your horse breathe hard, sweat excessively, lie down at unusual times? How about weight loss related to worms, nutrition, or conditioning?

Has your horse experienced weight gain from overeating or decreased exercise? How is your horse’s coat for this time of year?

Are there changes in the manure, urine spots, bedding, feed bucket, or quantity of hay eaten? And how about its water supply, is the container full or empty?

There's so much to learn that it may seem impossible to learn it all. From the daily care of hooves to maintaining our horse's teeth, we are responsible for a lot of animal.

Keeping our horses healthy involves choosing the right feed, watching out for colic and other digestive problems, paying attention to foot and leg issues, riding with the proper tack, regular vaccinations and deworming, and much more.

These things are all just part of our responsibility as horseowners. But all in all, as you probably already know, the work is worth the benefits.

The IRS Wants To Know What's In Your Prayers

Beings that I have been brought up Catholic, I was thought to pray using the Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Rosary.

Since those days of my youth, God and I have become a bit more personal. These days, I don't always hold to an Our Father, or a Hail Mary. I'm more comfortable talking to Christ my savior one on one.

Today when I pray, I talk to God about all sorts of things. I ask for God to help me with my problems, find answers when trying to help others, and even make sense of the world that we now live in.

I've asked God for forgiveness because I'm unable to forgive those who are attacking American traditions and cultural ways. I've asked for help in understanding Liberal Leftists and Communists in America.

I don't understand how they've become so powerful and in control of so much in our society. From setting up our schools as indoctrination camps to steering government today, their socialist doctrine is spreading like a plague.

I don't like people who need to control others. I don't understand how they can be so dependant on others and have others do for them instead of doing for themselves. Yes, I don't understand the Democrat Slave Owner mentality.

I've prayed when friends and family have been ill or have needed guidance.  I've even been known to say a small prayer or two asking the angels and saints to look out for relatives and loved ones.

My niece's daughter had surgery and I prayed hard then, just as I did when my brother underwent heart surgery.

I remember praying when my first marriage was in trouble and my ex-wife was cold and indifferent. I remember praying when my horse Murphy took ill with colic and I wanted him to get well - which he didn't.

I've talk to God about my grandfather and my dad who have both passed on, my mom who is getting up there in age, and my brothers and sisters.

I've asked God to give me strength during tough times, and I've prayed for God to help those in Oklahoma who need all sorts of help right now.

I've prayed for our troops overseas, for those wounded, and for those who have fallen. I remember praying for those who lost their lives in 9/11, and for President George W. Bush because his burden was great.

Looking back on my life, I'd say that I've done my share of praying over the many years. Maybe not as much as I should have, and maybe only when I needed help, but all in all I can say without hesitation that I have prayed with all my heart and soul at times.

That's the point, prayers come from our hearts. To my way of thinking, I believe that there is nothing more personal to anyone alive than the content of their prayers.

What's in our prayers goes to who we are. It is purely ours, and definitely not something to be governed by an out of control intrusive government.

What am I talking about?

Well friends, I never thought that I'd see the day when an part of the U.S. Government, our government, would want to know the content of our prayers. But yes, that day is here.

And yes, though that sounds so absolutely ludicrous, its true. As scary as that is, it has actually taken place in America today.

On May 17th, 2013, the IRS reportedly grilled a pro-Life group about the "content of their prayers."

Believe it or not, questioning during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing revealed that the Internal Revenue Service actually asked a Pro-Life group applying for a 501(c)(3) "to detail the content of their prayers."

As absolutely insane and completely intrusive as that sounds, that is what was reported by the Washington Examiner.

During his questioning of outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., made reference to a report by the Thomas More Society - a national public interest law firm for religious liberty - which details the possible targeting of the Coalition for Life of Iowa.

Rep. Schock asked the question, "Please detail the content of the members of your organization's prayers, had been asked by the IRS to the Pro-Life group. Would that be an inappropriate question to a 501(c)(3) applicant?"

Rep. Schock asked, would it be appropriate to question "the content of one’s prayers?"

Outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller's answer was inconclusive, "It pains me to say I can't speak to that one either."

Imagine that! He can't "speak to that". And this. this from a head of the government agency who will be responsible for administering the largest social program in history - ObamaCare.

Besides the concern that the IRS is out of control politically, we should be asking how much lower can pro-Obama Liberals go when prosecuting Conservatives? They have no shame. No shame at all!

It seems that there is no limit to the extent in which Liberals will stoop to attack Conservatives - including wanting to know what's in your prayers.

And just for the record, if the IRS needs to know what's the content of my prayers? Well, they can take what I wrote in the first half of this post - then they can shove it!

After all, though this administration thinks they own us, they do not own what is in my prayers.


Story by Tom Correa