Sarah Palin: No Tattoo, But if I WAS Going to Get One….

By Gary P Jackson

Steve Doocy really has a tough job! Fox and Friends does a daily after-show for fans. Today Doocy has a couch full of beauties to deal with:

While talking about our brave military vets, Sarah Palin notes all the “ink” her son, Track, has come home with after tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. She’s asked if she has a tattoo, and says no, but has an interesting one in mind …

Thanks to SarahNET for the video clip.

Fox News: Welcome Back Governor Palin!

By Gary P Jackson

A couple of Tweets from Fox and Friends that started the day off, and a good excuse to publish some new photos of Governor Sarah Palin.

T-minus 4 minutes until @SarahPalinUSA joins us on the curvy couch! She's here for the whole hour! http://t.co/Nzj0n7IvR5—
FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) June 17, 2013

Welcome back, Governor! http://t.co/2GUQ4BomDb—
FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) June 17, 2013

Sarah Palin and Steve Doocy Interview the “Deadliest Catch” Crew

By Gary P Jackson

Sarah Palin and Steve Doocy talk to the crew from Deadliest Catch about the dangers of commercial fishing and the success for their show.

Video courtesy SarahNET.

Sarah Palin: Elizabeth Palmar You Just Put the BS in CBS!

THIS is See-BS

By Gary P Jackson

CBS’ “reporter” Elizabeth Palmar ridiculously compared all of the radical leftists running for president in Iran to our Tea Party. Sarah Palin wasn’t having it. The team also brings up the pathetic, whining, thoroughly fact free interview CBS’ evening news anchor Scott Pelley gave to Dealine Hollywood in which he rips cable news, and tries to glorify his last place “news” division.

Video courtesy SarahNET.

Sarah Palin on Fox and Friends: The Ted Cruz Interview

By Gary P Jackson

Governor Sarah Palin sat in on Fox and Friends on Monday morning. One of the interviews she did was with Texas Senator Ted Cruz:

Video courtesy SarahNET.

The Unintentional Message (and Lesson) of “The Internship”

by Whitney Pitcher

Over the weekend I saw the Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson movie ” The Internship” (trailer shown above) Vaughn (Billy) and Wilson (Nick) played two veteran watch salesmen who had lost their jobs in part because people don’t wear watches anymore, but simply check their cell phones to determine the time. Billy ultimately lands two internships at Google for both himself and Nick where they were placed in a group with other (much younger) interns who were still in college.

During one scene, this group of interns discuss their concerns of finding a job after college. One of the college-aged interns said to Billy and Nick (paraphrasing), ” You could achieve the American Dream. The American Dream isn’t the same for us. It isn’t guaranteed”. I found this line intriguing.  It is clear that this movie takes place in the present day. Thus, Hollywood and Google are essentially admitting that the Obama administration has not created confidence for young millennials seeking jobs after college. Hollywood, of course, is notorious for being quite Left in their political ideology. Also, Google is very tight with the Obama administration. Yet, both Hollywood and Google–whether intentionally or not–indicated that liberal ideology (and hope and change) have not lived up to the expectation of millennials. There are two key issues to consider when looking at the economic hope of those in their late teens to mid twenties–1) their educational choices 2) their means of funding their education.

The group of millennials depicted in the movie would likely enter the technology field, a field where there are more opportunities for jobs than other fields. However, some students are choosing fields that are not particularly employable. This, plus a sustained poor economy, has contributed to 48% of those with a college degree working in a job that does not require such education. This is not to say that people should forgo college, but the liberal ideal of universal college education is wrong. A high school graduate with a strong work ethic should not be frowned upon, nor should a high school graduate who seeks training at a technical school. In fact, likely due in part to our culture’s emphasis on intellectual output over tangible output, skilled trades like carpentry and car mechanics are among the ten hardest jobs to fill in America.. As a researcher in academia, I certainly don’t want to downplay intellectual output, but our society needs a myriad of outputs to continue to be the strongest nation in the world. As Governor Palin wrote in a post earlier this Spring:

It’s crucially important today for young people to think about the big picture when making education decisions. And the big picture is the goal of self-reliant business opportunities based on work ethic and not entitlements. One of the reasons I aggressively encouraged vocational training opportunities as governor of Alaska is because they lead to good paying jobs and happy careers. Young people should not be pressured into assuming that a college degree is the only path to employment today. It’s not. Some college degrees obviously lead to clear professions, like those in the medical and engineering fields, but that’s not the case with many of the liberal arts degrees young people today gravitate toward either because they aren’t sure what they want to do after college or because they’ve been led to believe that college life is a sort of rite of passage for any career. That might have been the case once, but the salary and career opportunities a liberal arts education alone can get you have been dramatically limited these days. It’s so sad to see young people holding expensive college diplomas that come with no practical job opportunities.

[...]

Follow your dreams, by all means. But don’t be blind to the fact that your dreams might be achieved outside of acquiring an outrageously expensive traditional college degree. Do not be lulled into thinking that good jobs grow on trees or that the government will somehow take care of you. The bottom line is – as my dad always told me – find out what you love to do, then find out how to make a living doing it. Learning a trade can do both. No one can take those vo-tech real life skills away from you.

It’s not only the choice of educational training that makes the difference; it is also how you fund it. For all the flack Governor Palin received for taking five years to graduate from college and for changing schools multiple times, she did something few people do–graduated from college with no debt. The governmental subsidization of education has lead to public higher education costs to increase 250% since 1982, which makes it harder for college to be affordable. However, it is still achievable. Some students are fortunate enough to have parents who fund their entire education. Some are able to obtain scholarship to assist them, and some work during college and summer breaks to pay for college and/or help mitigate the need for student loans.

Student loans, like any other construct with government intervention, have become a political football. In 2010, nearly concurrently with the passage of Obamacare, President Obama signed a student loan overall that wiped out fees paid to banks who act as intermediaries in administering student loans (i.e. the federal government took over the student loan industry). President Obama noted at the time (emphasis added):

Mr. Obama portrayed the overhaul of the student loan program as a triumph over an “army of lobbyists,” singling out Sallie Mae, the nation’s largest student lender, which he said spent $3 million on lobbying to stop the changes. “For almost two decades, we’ve been trying to fix a sweetheart deal in federal law that essentially gave billions of dollars to banks,” he said. The money, he said, “was spent padding student lenders’ pockets.”

Things haven’t changed since the three plus years after the bill took effect. The student lenders’ pockets are still being padded, but now those pockets are Uncle Sam’s pockets. In fiscal year 2013 alone, the federal government will reap $51 billion in “profit” from these student loan borrowers. This profit is greater than that of Exxon Mobil or Apple.

As was the case last year, student loan rates are set to double on July 1st, thus perpetuating the political game between Congressional Republicans and the Obama administration. The House has passed a bill that would make loan rates fluctuate based upon market rates, while the Obama administration wants rates fixed (i.e. controlled by the government). Politicians continue to use students as a political football, and the Department of Education is reaping the benefits. Students need to make smart choices in their education, but the government must stop trying to “fix” things only to pad their own pockets.

There is every reason for hope for millennials, and I say this as someone who is on the “old” end of that generation. America is rife with opportunity if people are willing to work hard enough, be rational, and plan ahead. Abraham Lincoln, one of our most famed presidents, did not have a college degree, but he had wisdom–and an ax. Lincoln is quoted as saying, ” if I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax”. He prepared for the goal ahead of him, and he was efficient. Millennials can act in the same manner by making wise decisions with educational, occupational, and financial choices. The American Dream is still achievable, in spite of a government that acts as a barrier.

Sarah Palin: Happy Father’s Day to the Great Dads Across America!

By Sarah Palin

Happy Father’s Day to the great Dads across America! Thank you for supporting your families, setting good examples of working hard, and selflessly sharing your time and energy; and thank you for the strength you provide the country’s foundation. God Bless our fathers.

Video: Sarah Palin Visits with Audience After Faith and Freedom Speech

By Gary P Jackson

After her fantastic speech at the Faith and Family Coalition event on Saturday, Sarah Palin took time to meet with members of the audience, as she often does.

Though it’s hard to see her at times, Cspan got some great audio of Sarah speaking with members of the crowd.

Some folks took to Twitter to thank the Governor. Here’s a few of them:

@SarahPalinUSA meeting you was definitely the most exciting minute of my life! Thank you so much for staying after! http://t.co/yHoKU5y4IW—
Ali Breden (@alikins417) June 15, 2013

@SarahPalinUSA thank you for talking to us and for meeting us!!—
Erin Martin (@erinspring95) June 15, 2013

Even Scottie Hughes got in on the excitement:

.Look who I ran into at the #faithandfreedom convention and she was a delight as expected @sarahpalinusa http://t.co/Q66bePX2qM—
Scottie Nell Hughes (@scottienhughes) June 15, 2013

Video courtesy SarahNET.

Full Video: Sarah Palin’s Powerful Faith and Freedom Coalition Speech

By Gary P Jackson

Of all the powerful speeches Sarah Palin has given over the years, this may indeed be the most powerful. Reminding me of Ronald Reagan in his prime, Sarah hits the problems we face today right between the eyes, and she does it with grace, humor, and with that ever present smile of hers, that is so engaging.

Far too many great lines to try to quote them all, but it’s noteworthy that she hammers Obama and the members of Congress chomping at the bits to get America involved in the war in Syria. She tells the audience that until we get a Commander-in-Chief that knows what he’s doing, we should let Allah sort it out.

She also hits Jeb Bush for his ridiculous comment about Hispanics being so fertile, as a way to justify the disastrous and treasonous amnesty bill working it’s way through Congress. She is against amnesty, and noted that she was saying this as someone who was pretty fertile herself!

Notable is the fact that, as always, she is hammering corrupt Washington politicians in both parties. Noting that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a Republican or a democrat at the top, when the boot of government is on your throat.

Video courtesy SarahNET.

Sarah Palin: The American Flag Flies as a Symbol of Liberty and Justice for All

By Sarah Palin

Whether outside our homes, inside our classrooms, or alongside our courthouses, the American flag flies as a symbol of “liberty and justice for all.” On this Flag Day, we pledge our allegiance once again to the ideals that define this most exceptional nation. We vow to defend these ideals out of respect for those who have come before us and out of love for future generations.

Please follow the link to read President Reagan’s 1986 Flag Day Radio Address. It reads in part:

“As the American Republic grew and prospered and new stars were added to the flag, the ideal of freedom grew and prospered. From the rolling hills of Kentucky to the shores of California to the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon, our pioneers carried our flag before them, a symbol of the indomitable spirit of a free people. And let us never forget that in honoring our flag, we honor the American men and women who have courageously fought and died for it over the last 200 years, patriots who set an ideal above any consideration of self. Our flag flies free today because of their sacrifice.”

What powerful words from our fortieth president! Happy Flag Day, and God bless America!

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=37452

Radio Address to the Nation on Flag Day and Father’s Day
June 14, 1986

My fellow Americans:

Today we celebrate Flag Day, the birthday of our Stars and Stripes. As we think back over the history of our nation’s flag, we remember that the story of its early years was often one of hardship and trials, sometimes a fight for simple survival.

Such is the story behind our Star-Spangled Banner. It was 2 years into the War of 1812, and America seemed to be teetering on the edge of defeat. The British had already taken our Capital and burned the White House. Baltimore was the next target in a grand design to divide our forces and crush this newly independent nation of upstart colonies. All that stood between the British and Baltimore were the guns of Fort McHenry, blocking their entry into Baltimore Harbor.

The British bombardment lasted for 25 hours. Through the dark hours of the night, the rockets fired and the bombs exploded. And a young American patriot named Key, held captive aboard a British ship, watched anxiously for some proof, some sign, that liberty would prevail. You can imagine his joy when the next morning, in the dawn’s early light, he looked out and saw the banner still flying—a little tattered and torn, but still flying proudly above the ramparts. Fort McHenry and the brave men manning it had withstood the assault. Baltimore was saved. The United States, this great experiment in human freedom, as George Washington described it, would endure.

Thinking back to those times, one realizes that our democracy is so strong because it was forged in the fires of adversity. In those dark days of the war, it must have been easy to give in to despair. But our forefathers were motivated by a cause beyond themselves. From the harsh winter of Valley Forge to the blazing night above Fort McHenry, those patriot soldiers were sustained by the ideals of human freedom. Through the hardships and the setbacks, they kept their eyes on that ideal and purpose, just as through the smoke of battle they kept a lookout for the flag. For with the birth of our nation, the cause of human freedom had become forever tied to that flag and its survival.

As the American Republic grew and prospered and new stars were added to the flag, the ideal of freedom grew and prospered. From the rolling hills of Kentucky to the shores of California to the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon, our pioneers carried our flag before them, a symbol of the indomitable spirit of a free people. And let us never forget that in honoring our flag, we honor the American men and women who have courageously fought and died for it over the last 200 years, patriots who set an ideal above any consideration of self. Our flag flies free today because of their sacrifice.

And I hope you all will join Nancy and me and millions of other Americans at 7 o’clock this evening, eastern daylight time, when we pause a few minutes to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Though separated by many miles, we will be together in our thoughts. These anniversaries remind us that the great American experiment in freedom and democracy has really just begun. They remind us of the terrible hardships our forefathers willingly endured for their beliefs. And they challenge us to match that greatness of spirit in our own time, and I know we will. We are, after all, the land of the free and the home of the brave.

If we ask ourselves what has held our nation together, what has given it the strength to endure and the spirit to achieve, we find the answer in our families and those basic family values of work, hope, charity, faith, and love. So, it’s appropriate that this year Father’s Day falls on the same weekend as Flag Day, for in commemorating fatherhood, we’re also expressing a basic truth about America. What does fatherhood mean today in America? I guess the same as it always has.

Fatherhood can sometimes be walking the floor at midnight with a baby that can’t sleep. More likely, fatherhood is repairing a bicycle wheel for the umpteenth time, knowing that it won’t last the afternoon. Fatherhood is guiding a youth through the wilderness of adolescence toward adulthood. Fatherhood is holding tight when all seems to be falling apart; and it’s letting go when it is time to part. Fatherhood is long hours at the blast furnace or in the fields, behind the wheel or in front of a computer screen, working a 12-hour shift or doing a 6-month tour of duty. It’s giving one’s all, from the break of day to its end, on the job, in the house, but most of all in the heart.

Now, if you are thinking, “Look who’s talking—he’s a father himself.” Well, that’s right, but on today I think we could all remember—this weekend, at least—that every father is also a son. So, on this day for fathers, we, too, say thanks to America’s dads—for the labor and legacy of our families and our freedoms.

Until next week, thanks for listening, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 12:06 p.m. from Camp David, MD.