BryanGruhlke.com

Don’t forget to leave your comments, opinions, or hate mail. All entries will be published (unless you use bad language, so keep it civil).

The bill currently in front of the House of Representatives must be stopped. It is a massive tax increase – the burden of which will be placed on every American.

The goal of this bill isn’t to improve our country’s ecology, but rather to dramatically increase the income of the Federal Government in a sly, back-door way. Even Greenpeace says this bill is no good – what more proof do you need?!

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS NOW!

Call the House’s phone switchboard at (202) 224-3121. If the line is busy, keep trying, but also give your Congressional Representative’s local office a call (find the right number here). Tell them you want them to vote NO against this horrendous piece of legislation. Tell them you will actively campaign against them if they vote yes or present.

Reasons to Deny Cap and Trade

• Increases the cost of products manufactured here, in the United States. Are corporations going to accept less profit? No! They’ll move the jobs outside the country (thanks Democrats for pushing more jobs to India!).
• Any additional expenses brought on by this new tax will be passed directly onto you – the American consumer. We’ll all be paying more to our Government (and what do we get back?).
• This bill gives the already powerful EPA even further reaching authority – who will stop these eager government bureaucrats from sticking their noses into everything?
• This bill disproportionately affects lower class Americans – who really stands for this group (hint: not Liberals)?

Don’t forget to leave your comments, opinions, or hate mail. All entries will be published (unless you use bad language, so keep it civil).

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed suit against the U.S. Patent Office, Myriad Genetics, and the University of Utah Research Foundation claiming unconstitutional behavior and a violation of the First Amendment’s right to free speech. Story »

Myriad was granted two patents on human genes related to breast and ovarian cancer. These genes are natural forming and were not produced by Myriad. The patents prevent other researchers from testing on these genes and has arguably slowed the rate of progress toward preventing these types of cancer.

The claim that this is a violation of the right to free speech is a bit far-fetched, though. They are not keeping someone from stating their opinion. Is studying a gene “speech”?

While I agree that the patents are wrong, I do not agree with the ACLU’s goals. The suit should have focused on reversing the patents based on existing guidelines and rules. The ACLU will likely not get very far with their approach.

The two patents in question are for publicly available items – which cannot be patented. “It’s like trying to patent the moon,” expressed Arthur Caplan of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. “You didn’t do anything to create it, just discovered something that already existed.”

Patents are privileges, not rights. They can be taken away if it is found that the patent was issued improperly.

And as much as it pains me to say it, the ACLU is right to try to change this. They are just doing it the wrong way.

Source: CNN.com – ACLU sues over patents on breast cancer genes

Earlier today I heard a radio host here in Des Moines complaining that those against same sex marriage did not have a valid claim that activist judges were to blame for recent developments (particularly here in Iowa). “So we had activist judges…and now activist legislatures?” was his sarcastic question.

Ugh. Activist judges are a problem. Dismissing a group’s opinion based solely on their stance on a different issue (same sex marriage in this case) doesn’t dimish this fact.

As a supporter of same-sex marriage I freely admit I am not a supporter of how the change was brought about here in Iowa. It is completely true that an activist judge set social policy. Public and social policy should be in the realm of our elected officials, not determined by someone none of us originally selected.

This judge should have forwarded the case to the Iowa Legislature. In this way Iowans would have been able to express their desires. Instead, a judicial appointee made the decision for everyone.

The recent steps taken by New Hampshire and Maine are entirely appropriate, and I praise them for it. The people’s representatives made the choice and change was brought about how our founders imagined it should.

We need to reign in these judges, regardless of their political stance. Their only job is to weigh arguments and determine their validity based on our laws (including the Constitution). Never should their personal beliefs or desires weigh in the decision. It would be a hard job, but that is why we need the best people for it.

Visit the radio host’s site: Bradshaw @ 98.3 WOW-FM

Had a good conversation the other day with a good buddy of mine regarding the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision overruling a law denying marriage to homosexual couples. Take a gander, and leave your thoughts and views below.

Bryan: ugh, some of the people i talk to online are pissed about iowa allowing gays to marry
Bryan: who cares? not like regular marriages work out so well all the time
Jason: i would agree to a certain point
Jason: the thing is it doesn’t matter if they’re republican or democrat – it’s their religious point of view.
Bryan: ah, but we allow for many religions
Jason: there’s a verse in the bible about gays i cant remember it off the top of my head but it pretty much says DONT DO THAT
Bryan: who says your religion decides marriage?
Bryan: as i see it, you can do what you want as long as you don’t try to push your beliefs on me
Jason: u have to go back in time where u got married to have kids not like today where everyone does everyone
Jason: i would agree but marriage is a religious thing and gay in any kind of religion is forbidden
Bryan: marriage is a religious thing to you
Bryan: and being gay is not forbidden by all religions
Bryan: there are christian religions/churches that allow it
Jason: it very much is. gay’s should not be allowed to get married. what pastor or father in there right mind would even go do that?
Jason: well not mine
Bryan: father, no, that would be catholic, and they frown upon it a bit
Jason: if they go by what the bible says it’s a messed up church
Jason: i’m catholic, so my mind’s not changing
Bryan: exactly – if they follow the bible verbatim they are screwed up
Bryan: that is fine
Bryan: i personally don’t understand gays, or how it happens, but if two people want to be together that is fine with me
Jason: that’s the thing they CAN be together no one’s watching over them saying no dont put it in. Marriage in my mind is a religious thing not a piece of paper saying u can save money on taxes
Bryan: that is a good opinion

A few other opinions:

• Bob Vander Plaats (Iowa Governor candidate)
• Mike Huckabee
• Matt Coles (The Huffington Post)

According to a report released by the Department of Homeland Security the threat posed by “rightwing extremists” is increasing due to the bad economy, the election of a black president, and the return of disgruntled veterans from Iraq.

What is a rightwing extremist? you might ask. According to the very same report rightwing extremists are defined as not just racist or hate groups, but also people that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.

I strongly believe our founding fathers had it right – a limited Federal government with individually powerful states. The more local a government is the more it actually represents its citizens. My state representatives now what Iowa needs much better than people in Washington, DC. I also trust them more (only a bit more, but it’s something).

From that statement, I must now be labeled a RIGHTWING EXTREMIST. So is Governor Rick Perry of Texas (he supports the 10th Amendment to the Constitution restating the limits of the national government).

The report was released on April 7, just days before the huge Tea Party events begin on April 15, or Tax Day here in the United States. Coincidence? DHS itself notes they have no evidence or “specific information that rightwing terrorists are currently planning” anything.

Does Gloria Borger of CNN do any research at all? Or even attempt to back up her opinions? Her latest post on CNN.com declares “Republicans Twittering away credibility.” A bold statement. With no facts behind it. Oops, guess the “Analyst” part of her title doesn’t mean she actually has to analyze anything.

Borger’s only evidence that Republicans are destroying their credibility is in that former House Speaker Newt Gingrinch was not nice enough to President Obama after the successful conclusion of the pirate hostage situation.

Gingrich was micro-blogging on Twitter about the Somali pirate situation this past weekend. Gingrich stated that not dealing with the pirates makes the US “look weak.” After the successful rescue he then gave a congratulations to the SEAL team, the Navy, and directly to President Obama.

This wasn’t enough for Obama-crazed sheep, though. Gingrich didn’t kneel down and beg for forgiveness from their ruler. How dare he?!

Back to Borger – Gloria stated that Republicans are losing credibility. So, who are the other Republicans she found who acted so wrongfully? Anyone? Not a single other Republican is quoted, named, or even referred to in this horrible piece of journalism.

Oh, and for the record. I do want to give a sincere “Job well done” to Obama. This was the right move, and I am proud he made it. Oops, I just blogged away my credibility.

Original article: Visit CNN.com

The past week has seen a huge surge of anger directed toward the AIG leadership over the retention bonuses they paid out to some of their employees (in a few cases, ex-employees). Yes, it is horrid that AIG, a public company that has taken billions in Federal assistance (meaning I, as an American tax payer, now own part of AIG myself) paid huge and gross bonuses to the very employees that lead the company to the brink, it is worse the deception being played out in Washington.

This very issue was questioned months ago by Congress, but at the behest of President Obama and the Democratic leadership an exemption was placed on these very bonuses that everyone is now so worked up over. If the Democrats were truthful and forthcoming we would have all had the opportunity to enter our opinions – instead the debate was behind closed doors where there is no accountability. Senator Chris Dodd lied directly to the public regarding his responsibility for the exemptions saying he had nothing to do with the ammendment that opened the way for the AIG bonuses. On Wednesday he completely reversed that statement and announced he was the man you enter the ammendment and made the changes. Dodd, as we all know, is a leader of Democrats in the Senate and campaigned for president just last year.

More importantly than Dodd’s bold-faced lies, however, are Obama’s weakness over the whole “scandal.” Dodd stated the Obama administration “asked for modifications.” And now Obama is spouting his own innocence saying he knew nothing about the bonuses until last week despite the fact the Treasury Department has known about them for months. Isn’t Obama the President, and the Treasury works for him? Either he is lying or he has chosen poor leaders for his department.

It is time to stop giving the Democrats so much slack. They have been making blunder after blunder and passing the blame on to others. They must be held accountable for their actions and deeds. Unfortuantely, their actions prove them to be inept, power-mongering individuals who are not in Washington to serve their country.

More about Chris Dodd’s duplicity: CNN.com