Glenn Beck CPAC 2010 Keynote Speech—Specific Topics for All Americans

Glenn Beck was the keynote Speaker at the CPAC 2010 convention this year, and if you’d like, you can watch the entire speech at Ablur’s blog, where I watched it. Thanks Ablur!

Beck is very popular among Conservatives but not so with Liberals. You can find Beck’s speech deciphered all over the net by a lot of bloggers, authors and journalists, some positively, some not so favorably. I found a fair amount of what Beck had to say very sensible and think some of it is worth repeating.

Glenn Beck felt that, “...it’s not enough just to not suck as much as the other side”

Who can disagree with that! “Not sucking as much” isn’t BETTER, it’s just mediocre. This is a message that our Representatives NEED pounded into their heads. Who wants to SETTLE for mediocre? Certainly NOT me! Do you? Why would our Representatives? Why wouldn’t they want to be the absolute BEST that they can be? And more importantly, why aren’t MORE Americans demanding that our Officials be the BEST?

Beck went on to say that he was a recovering alcoholic and that he believes in redemption. I do too, by the way. Although I believe you must repent to those you’ve hurt. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks as long as you are truly sorry and make amends to those to whom you’ve caused grief. We’ve all screwed up, but, if we make amends, never do it again, and atone to those we hurt, I feel forgiveness is possible.

But what happens when it’s our Public Officials who are making the mistakes and causing the pain? Do they deserve forgiveness? Well, it’s my belief that if they admit to their mistakes and are truly remorseful, then yes, they should be forgiven. But do we have any Representatives who will actually stand up and tell us that they screwed up? Are any of our Representatives capable of remorse? Repentance? Or are they all too self-absorbed and “above us” to ever admit to anything, especially a major screw up?

Or as Beck said, “You are somebody who has said ‘Okay I’ll represent you’. Did you check your soul at the door? Make sure you hang onto your soul. Now if you are just like me, if you are just like the average every day person, you won’t lose your soul along with way. ”

He’s right. I didn’t lose my soul or check it at the door when I was in a position of power. I was in charge of hundreds of employees and I didn't "lose my way”. I conducted myself in an honorable manner as I was the role model. If my subordinates saw me behaving less than honorably what would stop them? Our Officials are role models but yet they don’t conduct themselves honorably. Why should Americans be honest on their taxes when we have a bunch of tax cheats in Public Office? Or put in an honest day’s work when our Officials aren’t working 40 or 50 hours per week yet getting paid a lot more than the average American and on OUR dime! Why should WE worry about a balanced budget or the deficit when Congress is on a spending spree that would put a drunken sailor on shore leave to shame—yet we’ve cut back on everything from movie tickets to haircuts! These people are out of control but they preach to US about fiscal responsibility. We NEED politicians in DC who will reflect decency, integrity and good moral character, plus NOT take advantage of us, our country or the position they hold.

Glenn said that he wasn’t sure what the definition of Conservatism was in America anymore, however, he knew what it meant to him. It meant “personal responsibility”. He and I couldn’t agree on something more. Also, if you’ve done something wrong then it’s up to YOU to pay the price. It’s up to YOU to make it right. Wouldn’t it have been great to have the CEO’s stand up and be “accountable” rather than have the American people “bail” their reckless butts out? That USED to be the American way. What the heck happened?

He said that people needed to stop jabbering about their childhoods. You know, he has a point. Personally I could “boo-hoo” about the nightmare of a childhood I endured, but I don’t, because everybody has a sob story. A bad childhood doesn’t give you the right to “bail-outs”, “hand-outs” or “opt-outs”. It’s over and done with; today is a new day and if you’re still “moaning” about your childhood then you’re using it as an excuse NOT to take “personal responsibility”.


Which leads me to Glenn’s point, “We have a right to fail. Without failure there is no growth.” Failure isn’t bad. I’ve had failure in my life and I’ll probably fail again. I’ve also had quite a few successes. It was my failures that made me strong. They taught me determination, self-discipline and courage. Without those I wouldn’t be the independent, brave, compassionate woman I am today. So, I’m thankful for my failures. If someone had bailed me out, how would I have learned a valuable lesson? Or take famous novelist John Grisham’s first novel, “A Time to Kill”, it was rejected by a dozen publishers and 16 agents before breaking into print and launching his career. Failure is only bad if we give up.

I’m with Beck 100% on this message, “This is America, there is no cap on success. There seems to be some sort of cap on willingness to search for success. That has to change in America. We have a different system here. We choose our own destiny. We choose. All men are created equal. All men will not end up equal. But all men are created equal. And in our daily choices that determines our outcome.”

There ISN’T a cap on success and it most definitely ISN’T limited. The only thing that is limited is our thought process. Many people have pulled themselves out of poverty to become extremely wealthy, although success isn’t only determined financially. For me success is determined by one’s level of happiness. [Achieve THAT and you have the world in the palm of your hand-- regardless of your W-2!] The message, however, is very clear—we are all equal, but we don’t all end up equal and that is due to our CHOICES. Again, don’t blame it on your childhood because a pleasant childhood doesn’t guarantee a good life just like an awful childhood doesn’t guarantee a bad life.

“We need an understanding that life is not fair. It is not fair. The bad guys sometimes wins. Sometimes OJ Simpson gets away with it. Sometimes the big banks fail. Sometimes the good banks fail. Not everybody gets a trophy. What is the point in competing for a trophy if everyone gets a trophy? Please stop teaching my children that everyone will get a trophy just for participating.”

Oh don’t get me started on giving trophies to everyone who participates! I find THAT practice not only ridiculous but damaging in more ways than one. We are teaching our youth that all you have to do is “show up” and you “win”. What kind of message is THAT? People need to realize that competition is healthy and not everybody wins. But it’s those who refuse to “give up” who eventually “win”. Again, everyone’s level of “success” is measured individually, but “participation” shouldn’t guarantee anything.


There are times when bad things happen to good people. There are times when we are victims of circumstance and sometimes life just happens and it’s JUST NOT FAIR. But guess what? We can wake up tomorrow and the sun will be out and we need to realize WE have the power to fix our OWN lives! We can make choices to alter our course, to alter our destiny and make a difference. Will this guarantee that bad things will never happen? No, of course not. But it will guarantee that OUR life and OUR destiny is in OUR hands and not the hands of someone else! I will be damned if I will hand my power over to someone else. I WANT the power over my own life. And anyone who doesn’t want that power has been brainwashed to believe that they have no power and THAT is shameful.

Glenn mentioned that, “People are losing a fundamental belief that it’s going to be better tomorrow than it is today.”

Of course they are. Our economy is in the tank. Unemployment is 10% and probably going to get higher. Inflation is sure to hit. Interest rates are low only because they are being held down on purpose. The housing industry is only doing as well as it is because of government intervention. But take those incentives away and what would happen? The economy is NOT getting better and I’ll go out on a limb and say that’s it’s going to take quite some time before it does. The price of everything from paper towels to ground meat has sky-rocketed but most salaries have not followed. People who have worked hard all their lives watched as their life savings was lost. They also watch as the Government spends their taxes frivolously with no regard for their future. We’re angry, frightened and disenfranchised. We have tightened our belts but Congress hasn’t. No, Congress has been doing business as usual and then some—all under the “guise” of “it’s best for our country”. That’s bull. Spending us into oblivion isn’t in our best interest. Congress states it can’t “cut” because everything is necessary. The first stimulus was necessary. This second stimulus is necessary—EVERYTHING Government does is NECESSARY—ever notice that? Yet we are bleeding through every vein, losing private sector jobs daily, BUT Government jobs are SAVED! Yippee! Tell that to the carpenters, hair stylists, waiters, car salesmen, technicians, secretaries and childcare workers, to name a few, who have been out of work for over a year and can’t find work and whose unemployment benefits have run out. Tell them how many jobs have been saved. They’ll tell you the government is full of it—and they are right. You NEED private sector jobs to pay for those “saved government jobs” and THAT is the FACT Jack.

I’m tired of the lies, the distortion of facts and the spin. I want honest people in Congress to tell me the truth—for once. We, as Americans, have the right to the truth. And by golly if they don’t start then we have every right to FIRE them! Forget the voting booths. These people aren’t “public servants” anymore—they are PAID employees! And we are their bosses! We have the RIGHT to fire them if they aren’t doing their job. You give me a list of those who are doing what is RIGHT, TRUE, HONEST and IN THE BEST INTEREST of our country and her people and I’ll get off my soap box…until then I will preach about the dishonesty of DC until the cows come home.

In closing, like or dislike Glenn Beck, he made some valid points in his speech. Personal responsibility shouldn’t be avoided and neither should failure as failure can lead us to our greatest success because success isn’t limited. We also need some optimism, which isn’t easy with what we’re faced with today. But it might help if our politicians were more honorable and decent and if they aren’t then we should be doing something about them—no more “status quo”. This is OUR country and we Americans need to take pride in her and make sure that everything our Representatives are doing is truly in the “best interest” of OUR country.

Evan says good-Bayh to Washington

Evan Bayh, Democrat Senator of Indiana, announced that he wouldn’t seek reelection because he’s tired of the “partisan bickering”. Sound familiar? Maybe he’s channeling my blog, after all I’ve been complaining of how counterproductive infighting is for months now. It appears that Bayh isn’t the only one who feels that animosity isn’t appropriate for The Hill as four other Democrats aren’t seeking reelection either-- Chris Dodd, Connecticut; Byron Dorgan, North Dakota; Ted Kaufman, Delaware; Roland Burris, Illinois-- and the Democrats aren’t alone, there are four Republicans-- Kit Bond, Missouri.; Jim Bunning, Kentucky; Judd Gregg, New Hampshire; and George Voinovich, Ohio.

We can speculate all we want about why these Senators are resigning but the fact remains that partisanship, bickering and obstruction have all been major themes in Congress, not just in the past year, but for YEARS. It’s just that over the past year or so we Americans have finally taken our heads out of the sand and opened our eyes and have educated ourselves on our country and the repercussions of what our ignorance has bred. We created these Big-Spending-Selfish-Egomaniacs. Yep, we, the people, have given Washington free reign to do whatever they wanted for the last few decades and we haven’t held them accountable for anything. Now we are sitting around pointing fingers and passing blame when we should be looking in the mirror. We elected these people; we gave them the power, yet we are blaming them when we are the ones who put them there!


Bayh said, “What we need to do is to come together as a people and solve the problems facing our country. And unfortunately Washington is just not doing enough of that these days.”


He’s right. We DO need to come together as a PEOPLE because we are AMERICANS first and foremost and it is our responsibility to not only elect the right people to represent us but it’s our obligation to ensure that we hold them accountable. We have NOT done that and yet we wonder WHY we’re in this current mess. There should be no questions since WE dropped the ball seeing as we, the people, were negligent in our duties as American Citizens! Yet we sit here and smugly condemn the Liberals and Conservative as if we’re above reproach. The audacity!

Bayh said he wished that Washington “would work better.” Well, people, it’s NOT going to work better until WE make it work better! Blaming everyone and everything else for the plight of our country isn’t going to fix a darn thing. Concentrating on a problem NEVER corrected it but a resolution sure has. Part of that solution is working TOGETHER because we are in this TOGETHER. We seem to forget that we are the UNITED States of America and we SHOULD want to work together to make her successful.


We can sit back and speculate all we want on how Bayh is resigning because he’s not reelectable or how Chris Dodd knows he’ll “lose” or even that Judd Gregg is only resigning because he’s going to run for President in 2012. None of these assumptions are going to repair our current situation, which is fragile, at best.

However, educating ourselves, getting involved and making sure that we have the very BEST representation in Congress WILL make a difference. I propose that each and every one of us find out about our State Representatives and their voting records. This link will provide you with all the information you need to arm yourself with KNOWLEDGE and with that knowledge you can then set yourself upon a course that is right for your state which will ultimately be right for our country.


Truthfulness and righteousness can be contagious so let’s spread them as they are what we and our country need.

Frankly My Dear…

On my last post “Blogging Etiquette-Open Thread” I believe someone said, “Pam, thank you for this wonderful blogging experience. It worked out really well. The usual suspects have said exactly what was expected of them.”

It was not a “wonderful” experience for me and I most definitely don’t think it worked out “really well”. Although, for me, it did confirm the “usual suspects” and I must say I’m very displeased that yet again they disrespected me and my blog.

I could go on a tirade and tell all of you that I know exactly who started what, when and with what comments, because I have taken the time to read through all the comments, something I’m sure no one else will take the time to do to find the truth. I also have the ratio of unfavorable comments between Liberals and Conservatives. But people who hide from the truth don’t want to hear facts so I’ll keep that information to myself as I wouldn’t want facts to interfere with anyone’s fantasy. Suffice to say that I know the truth and I will keep it in mind for future comment sections.

I just want to say one last time that I have been nothing but respectful to everyone I’ve ever encountered in the blogosphere, and one would think since I’ve never done anything nasty or discourteous, that maybe, just maybe, out of courtesy for me, people would refrain from immature, irrational rantings and discourteous, insulting comments. But I guess that’s too much to ask from people who aren’t mature or reasonable and who lack even the most basic sense of decorum.

I will continue my venture for blogging civility because I’m not one to be broken easily and I can guarantee most of you will quit long before I ever will. With that being said, I will also maintain MY claim to fame of being a “classy” blogger and continue being civil and polite, but I will NOT tolerate the condescending, insulting or even remotely rude comments. I will delete them faster than a New York minute. And if I’m questioned or told I’m “unfair” or that I’m “censoring”, the person will get my new award! It’s my “Frankly My Dear” award! And it stands for “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn”, after my favorite movie of all time, Gone With the Wind. Scarlett was a force to be reckoned with and I believe she and I would’ve gotten along quite well…

Blogging Etiquette-Open Thread

The purpose of my blog is to express myself and my views and to allow others to express themselves and I truly, with all my heart, believe it can be done in a civil manner. This, however, is the conundrum. Too many people don’t believe that the Left and the Right can politely disagree therefore we have bickering and insults. The trolls pop in with one-liners and off-topic rants which veer people off course and egg people to say things that otherwise wouldn’t be said. This is understandable, to a degree, because the tone in our Country has escalated in such a way that everyone is running on their last nerve so the slightest provocation sets them off on a tirade that would make Rahm Emanuel blush, but it’s absolutely counterproductive to the blogging topic.


Attacking other readers isn’t productive either. NOT agreeing with the statement DOESN'T give you the right to attack the messenger. I don’t always agree with a contributor/commenter but I NEVER attack him/her. I word my statements in a polite manner and I believe that is why I am always welcome on other blogs.

The atmosphere here, as many are acutely aware, has become, to put it mildly, INTENSE and that has become quite frustrating for me. I wish for MY blogging experience to be pleasant and currently it’s anything but. I also don’t want my readers to experience an obnoxious environment when visiting my site. Therefore I want to accept a suggestion from one of my readers, The Professor of Life who said:

“As for Pam's responses the last few days have been very eventful for her I know. But I think and I agree with some of the folks that she had their posts deleted, she has been going overboard in by trying to show how "fair and balanced" she is and thus bending over backwards to the left like Truth101 and TAO.

As for my own experience here whenever I try to have to have a reasonable conversation here with other posters, .... (and will continue to do so) -- some people gang up on me so badly that it jus isn’t worth my while.
And since the Scott Brown victory, and Obama’s speech at the SOTU, the Troll attacks are at their highest and meanest.

Maybe Pam should put up an “Open Thread” for ta day, and we can fend for ourselves for the day. We’ll miss her, but I guarantee that with the perceptiveness, compassion, and enthusiasm of your followers we will all survive.”

With that in mind I would like to say that I believe in blogging etiquette consequently I have a set of rules that I TRY to maintain—they are at the top of my blog for anyone who hasn’t read them. I also practice what I preach by acting respectful and civil on EVERYONE’S blog and NO ONE can EVER dispute that FACT.

I would like to say that not only have I deleted vile and disgusting comments but I have deleted comments that were totally OFF-TOPIC. Under my “Cindy McCain Supports Gay-Marriage” post there were Conservatives who bashed Satyavati because of her name and religion. I ask ALL OF YOU: would you have kept those kind of comments in YOUR section? I also deleted comments that were about abortion, Gitmo and Terrorism. Again, I ask ALL OF YOU, should I have left those comments intact? They had absolutely NOTHING to do with GAY-MARRIAGE! I have been FALSELY accused of being UNFAIR because NO ONE has ALL the comments EXCEPT me and I feel that I am owed an apology because I have been nothing but civil and respectful to EVERYONE.

So, here is your open thread people BUT NO NAME CALLING BECAUSE I WILL DELETE THOSE COMMENTS I SWEAR TO EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY!

Obama Girl lost that Loving Feelin’

New Jersey resident, Amber Lee Ettinger, better known as Obama Girl, lip-synced a YouTube video about her “crush” on Candidate Barack Obama back in 2007. Her “tune” regarding Obama has since changed and she now gives him a B- because she wishes he would’ve spent his first year in office more focused on the economy.

Ettinger, 28, who doesn’t have health care, “I can’t afford it”, thinks Obama should have waited to tackle the enormous health care legislation that has been blamed for everything from Democratic in-fighting to the lost Kennedy Seat. “It’s definitely a distraction because of the economy being as bad as it is,” said Ettinger, “I know he’s getting a lot of flak for things that he’s not doing. In my opinion, I feel like he should be focusing a lot more on jobs and the economy. He did create some jobs, but most of them were government jobs and that doesn’t really help the middle class. But it helps a bit.”

On Hannity, the host, Sean Hannity, asked Amber if she had fallen out of love with Obama and she said, “I just don't have that big crush like I used to.”

When Sean said, “It’s gone.” Amber replied, “Yeah, I mean it was two years ago. If I had this crush on him the same way as I did in the beginning, I'd be the fool. You know, it's like a relationship. When you get into a relationship with somebody, they are great and perfect. They say all the right things. And then once you're in the relationship, it's like, okay, they're not that perfect.”

Hannity asked Ettinger if it was similar to your boyfriend lying to you and Amber replied, “Sort of.”

But Amber’s “line of the year” was, “Well, at least I wasn't the Edwards Girl, right? That's one thing I know.”

I am in 100% agreement with the former Obama Girl! I can’t imagine anyone aspiring to be an Edwards Girl! Although his illegitimate daughter is stuck with the title whether she likes it or not as John Edwards has finally acknowledged the fact that he sired her with mistress Frances Quinn Hunter while his wife, Elizabeth, battled with cancer. In my opinion, Edwards’ infidelity tops all Republican Cheaters combined.