I found this post over at http://www.whiskeyandgunpowder.com/ and I just had to repost it here!

Greg’s Note: The election has come and gone and most of the world is still giddy with the turnout. Your editors in the Whiskey Room are having mixed emotions. Dan Denning relates a recent conversation he had that says it all.

Obama: America’s Feel-Good Brand

November 13, 2008
By Dan Denning
Melbourne, Australia

“How do you feel about the election?” we were asked by a friend at the pub a few nights ago.

“I have a cold. I don’t feel very well.”

Rush Limbaugh Prebutted Obama’s forthcoming speech http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_102908/content/01125112.guest.html.  Here is my rebuttal to his prebuttal:

Prebuttal Rebuttal: Right Message, Wrong Candidate

Mr. Limbaugh,

I was able to catch your Prebuttal to Obama’s forthcoming speech (then find the transcript online), and you were mostly correct. You are correct that folks are losing their jobs and having a harder and harder time paying their mortgages, tuitions, day care, and etc. You mentioned “The question is whether we want another eight years of failed policies”, but fail to recognize that those same failed policies go back much farther, but especially the last twenty years, those which have led to Constitutional degradation.

The country is buzzing about the financial crisis and bank failures. It is being reported that the people have lost confidence in the entire financial system, and that the happenings on Wall Street are affecting the rest of America’s Main Streets. Commentators are warning about a run on the banks, whereby depositors withdrawal all their money and leave the bank vaults empty furthering the financial crisis. While it is true that a stagnant Wall Street can affect the rest of America in many ways, there is a less risky way to secure your assets: support local businesses.

“A question came up during a discussion about the constitution… Was the 16th amendment ever ratified?”  This is a question from a commenter which I hope to answer clearly.  The short answer is YES and NO, depending on what your definition of is, is.

There are several arguments calling for the nullification of the 16th Amendment, otherwise known as the Income Tax Amendment.  Among the arguments are not enough states ratified the Amendment, the several states did not ratify the Amendment as passed by Congress, and the Amendment does not define whether the Income Tax is a “direct” or “indirect tax”.

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Blog Summary (in part): Apportionment among the states was chosen by the Framers as the most equatable way to preserve the Republic, collect taxes, and a few other things. Many people today argue that apportionment was the Framers “foul-up in the core of the Constitution”. A better understanding of The Founding Fathers time and the entire Constitution proves otherwise. Below I will attempt to lay out their case, and at the same time show that the 16^th and 17^th Amendments ought to be repealed (a very, very long read, but a must to understand RIGHTS YOU HAVE LOST).

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For the most part, the people that I talk with on a daily basis are worried about inflation. The prices of everything people are buying is going up. Gas , groceries, and entertainment just to name a few. People are starting to have to make tough choices where their money is concerned. But inflation is not always a bad thing, for example inflation can cause wages to to up in the form of cost of living increases.

 This weeks blog is a response to a question that came up over at Blargen Blog. I made a comment to the effect that silver is truly the only Constitutional form of money. In order to keep this blog somewhat short, I ask that the readers to allow some assumptions: 1) strictly speaking, I believe, if the Constitution doesn’t authorize a power, then our government cannot do it. 2) The Constitution through articles and amendments trump statutes – in other words even if Congress passes a law, if the Constitution does not authorize it, it cannot be done. I’ll go into more detail on these later.

 After finally sitting down to write the blog post below, I get an e-mail stating that this blog has been named as one of The Top 100 Civil Liberties Advocacy Blogs. The list is comprised of several different subjects dealing with civil liberties and Brad’s Weekly Constitutional Blog is the first one under the category Constitutional Issues and Supreme Court.

 The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay should have access to the American civil court system and have guaranteed civil liberties under the U. S. Constitution. While in Rome, President Bush responded to the ruling stating “We’ll abide by the court’s decision, that doesn’t mean I have to agree with it.” Also citing national security needs, President Bush suggested that more legislation may be needed to close this security gap.

In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act requiring every state and U.S. territory to have a standardized drivers license. States will have control over what the licenses look and feel like, however a small magnetic strip, not unlike credit cards only smaller, must be somewhere on the license. In order to receive one of these new Real ID cards, one must prove citizenship and residency with multiple documents. In 2005 the cost was estimated to cost the states and territories around $100 million and so far Congress has allocated $40 million for the implementation of the Act. The original deadline for states to come into compliance was supposed to be this coming Monday May 12, 2008, but most states have been granted an extension. Illinois was granted an extension until December 31, 2009. When the states are in compliance with the Act, individuals will still have time to get their new license. Individuals born on or after Dec. 1, 1964, will have to obtain a Real ID by Dec. 1, 2014, while those born before will have until Dec. 1, 2017.