Our US Congress is out of control when it comes to fiscal responsibility.  They are spending billions and billions of dollars that are not in the US Treasury.  The Congress is extending unemployment, bailouts to firms, and the debt ceiling.  Our nation is being owned by foreign governments and individuals who buy our bonds and financial paper.  The US dollar is sinking to all-time lows and will destroy our trading ability and our economy.

America is a great nation. It enjoys unprecedented wealth. Its people are among the freest in the world. And, with the world's most powerful armed forces, the United States is largely the master of its own destiny.  Yet there is an insidious threat to America's continued greatness. It gets scarce attention because its effects are not immediate, but that threat is real. It is the threat of crushing government debt.

Few things can march a great power down the road of decline faster than irresponsible economic policies - and huge debt is most often the drum leader of the pack. To learn which nations are most at the mercies of their enemies, just look at the World Bank's list of most "highly indebted poor countries."  Today, the federal government is piling up debt as never before. Publicly-held debt now exceeds $7 trillion -about $22,000 per person. And it's expected to increase by $9 trillion over the next 10 years.

Yes, we had extremely high debt after World War II, but unlike today's debt, it was temporary. Today's massive and growing entitlement costs mean that, absent reform, the picture will only get worse over the long-term.  What difference does this make for U.S. security? The more we have to pay to service the rising debt and pay out for entitlements, the less there is for defense.

Unless we reverse course, this means that - in our children's lifetime - the U.S. military might be unable to protect a sea lane vital to trade and military supply lines. We might be unable to suppress an enemy regime that launches a terrorist attack against us. And absent the great American economic engine, we might lack the resources to stay on the cutting edge of technology, leaving our soldiers vulnerable to being matched or even trumped on the battlefield by better-equipped foes.

Other ruinous scenarios are possible as well. Suppose foreigners refuse to buy U.S. debt, leading to debt-induced inflation that eats away at productivity and the currency. In this situation, Americans could completely lose confidence in protecting our interests abroad. Beset by inflation and other towering economic problems, Americans could understandably turn toward isolationism, as they had by the 1930s. This would create power vacuums around the world and unleash enemies bent on challenging the great "sick man of America."

The elected leaders of our country are not true to their oath of office and are causing our nation to become a true-debtor nation.  We cannot keep spending billions of dollars at the federal level when we do not have the funds.  Government programs have to be reduced.  Where is the fiscal responsibility of the US Congress?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai questioned the reliability of the United States as a partner Sunday, as he fought off criticism of his government's legitimacy following fraud-marred elections.  Is this because the US is demanding another election or his leadership over the last 8 years? 

Mr. Karzai's main challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, warned in an interview with CNN that the U.S. strategy would not succeed without a credible partner in Kabul, blaming Mr. Karzai for deteriorating conditions.

But underscoring the political headache that Washington faces if Mr. Karzai wins a runoff against Mr. Abdullah next month, Mr. Karzai pointed the finger at the United States in a separate, pre-recorded CNN interview.  "Is the United States a reliable partner with Afghanistan? Is the West a reliable partner with Afghanistan?" Mr. Karzai asked. "Have we received the commitments that we were given? Have we been treated like a partner?"

Mr. Karzai said a partnership to him was "where the Afghan lives are respected, where Afghan property is respected, where the Afghan traditions are respected, where we know the direction we are moving to."

I would like to know what the leadership and people of Afghanistan have accomplished over the last 8 years in getting their county in line with a democracy?  Are the people still growing poppies, using graft to accomplish government work, and still have in-fighting?  Afghanistan has nothing to offer the US, except keeping the terrorist out of training bases.  Is it worth our billions of dollars, the lives of our soldiers, and our efforts?  It is time to either go after the terrorists without restrictions and kill them or get out? 

The below is an article from the Washington Times on an ICE program to enforce illegal immigration trhough the 287 (g) program. Every local and state police agency should be "forced" to adopt all federal programs that enforce US immigration laws or not receive any federal funds.  To protect American citizens and taxpayers, Congress must design legislation that will enforce our laws or deny federal funding if local or state police agencies decide that they will not enforce our immigration laws.  This will put pressure on local politicians who want open borders.

Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) John Morton today announced standardized Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) with 67 state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in 287(g) partnerships-improving public safety by prioritizing criminal aliens who are a threat to local communities, ensuring consistent and uniform policies and providing a force multiplier for ICE's immigration enforcement efforts across the country.

"Coordinating with our state and local partners is important to smart and effective enforcement of our immigration laws," said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. "These new agreements promote public safety by prioritizing the identification and removal of dangerous criminal aliens and ensure consistency and stronger federal oversight of state and local immigration law enforcement efforts across the nation. The rules set forth in these agreements will enhance our efforts to work together effectively with our local partners."

"These new partnerships are an essential tool for law enforcement to identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens from local communities," said Assistant Secretary Morton. "Standardizing these agreements allows us to better use the resources and capabilities of our law enforcement partners, facilitates accountability and ensures that all participating jurisdictions are following uniform standards throughout the country."

The state and local law enforcement partnerships announced today conform to the standardized 287(g) MOA announced by Secretary Janet Napolitano and Assistant Secretary Morton in July-strengthening ICE's overall immigration enforcement strategy by aligning local operations with ICE's major priorities, specifically the identification and removal of criminal aliens.

The 287(g) program acts as a force multiplier, training officers from local jurisdictions to carry out smart, effective immigration enforcement efforts aligned with ICE priorities. Throughout the country, 1,075 local officers have been trained through 287(g)-bolstering national immigration enforcement efforts and saving hundreds of millions of dollars.

From January 2009 to date, 287(g)-trained local officers are credited with the removal of approximately 24,000 aliens nationwide and have identified 48 percent more criminal aliens than during the same period in 2008.

The new partnerships include the Jail Model, in which local law enforcement agencies designate Jail Enforcement Officers to identify aliens already incarcerated within their detention facilities who are eligible for removal, as well as the Federal Task Force Model, in which agencies designate officers to work with Federal agents in locating, processing and removing criminal aliens from the United States.

55 agreements have been signed by ICE and the partnering agency; 12 agreements have been reached and await approval by the local jurisdiction's supervisory authority; and Six agreements have negotiations underway.

Six jurisdictions did not re-sign the new 287(g) agreement or withdrew during negotiations for a variety of reasons, including implementation of the Secure Communities program, budgetary constraints and limited program utilization.

The new MOA clearly defines the objectives of the 287(g) program, outlines the immigration enforcement authorities granted by the agreement and provides guidelines for ICE's supervision of local agency officer operations-including information reporting and tracking, complaint procedures, and implementation measures.

To address concerns that individuals may be arrested for minor offenses as a guise to initiate removal proceedings, the new agreement requires participating local law enforcement agencies to pursue all criminal charges that originally caused the offender to be taken into custody.

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the DHS Secretary to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to perform immigration officer functions. Pursuant to these agreements, designated officers who receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn ICE officers are permitted to perform immigration law enforcement duties.

Freedom of speech is under assault, not only here in the United States, but in England.  Liberals across the world are worried about the truth and try to restrict anyone who challenges them.  Currently Michael Savage, America's third-most popular radio talk show host, is being assaulted from the liberals in England.

Earlier this year, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government placed Mr. Savage on a "least wanted" list, banning the fiery conservative from entering the United Kingdom. His name appeared beside those of Islamist extremists (including a Hamas terrorist), Russian skinheads who murdered more than 10 immigrants and neo-Nazi white supremacists.  According to British officials, Mr. Savage poses a potential "threat" to public safety by inciting "hatred" and "inter-community violence."  This is outrageous!!

This week the Cambridge Union, one of Britain's most prestigious debating societies, revoked its invitation to have Mr. Savage participate via video link in a panel on political correctness. The Cambridge Union succumbed to political pressure from Mr. Brown's liberal-left wing government. In fact, e-mails have publicly emerged revealing that senior British officials - many of them with ties to the prime minister's office - placed Mr. Savage on the blacklist in order to provide "balance" alongside numerous radical Muslims. In short, Mr. Savage was sacrificed on the altar of multicultural diversity. 

Britain's ban on Mr. Savage is an assault on freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It is not only a political witch hunt that seeks to smear and slander his reputation.  It poses a direct threat to his very safety. Mr. Savage has been living with a giant target on his back; the British government's claim that he is an Islamophobe only encourages deranged Muslim militants to possibly commit acts of violence against him and his family - including murder.  It is a license for jihad.

This is the same thing that left wing liberal in the US are trying to do to conservative radio through what they call the "fairness doctrine".  Radicals and leftists do not like the truth and try to silence individuals who challenge them.  This is a worldwide media effort targeting conservatives.