That is the result of the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey…

Some other results…

Voters consistently have opposed all forms of bailout funding. Fifty-four percent (54%) opposed bailouts for the automakers, the finance companies and homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages. There is strong opposition to federal assistance for the financially strapped state of California.

the link to the article is here…

www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/auto_industry/just_21_favor_gm_bailout_plan_67_oppose

Hat tip to Howard Dean for the link.

My question is this : If Americans are so opposed to all of these bailouts, then why is Obama’s approval numbers still high ?

talk about anything…

What is legalism ? Legalism is following the letter of the law but missing the intent of the law. God gave man the law to show man what was good and bad behavior and to show man his inability to be good on his own power. The sum of the law is to love God and to love your neighbor. Most legalists love God ( at least they think so, anyway) but generally, they can’t stand their neighbor. Jesus rebuked the scribes and pharisees, the religious leaders of his day. In Matthew Chapter 23 verses 2-36 he rebukes them for being hypocrites and vain among other things. They added to God’s laws through their own interpretations and they did not practice what they preached. They were also self righteous and judgemental and lacked love and compasssion.

In his letter to the Galations, the apostle Paul rebukes the church for beginning in liberty but then they started listening to those who told them ( they were Gentile converts) that needed to be circumsised and obey the Jewish dietary laws. Galations 2:16 states “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Jesus did what we can not do, he fullfilled the law. When a Christian or a church becomes too legalistic, they focus on rules and rituals and doctrines of men and not God. Legalsim leads back to trying to earn our salvation through works. We should certainly bear fruit but we can never be good enough no matter how hard we try. All we can do is claim His righteousness and accept the free gift of His salvation. All cults and all false religions have two things in common: either salvation is earned by man trying to be good, or the diety of Christ is rejected.

Saul, before he became Paul was the ultimate legalist. He was so zealous for the law that he sought out Christians to be put to death for violating the laws of the Torah as he understood them.
Legalsim leads to a spirit of judgement and condemnation. Sometimes when a believer begins to become more obedient in his walk he starts to look down on others who to him do not seem serious about their faith.
He are some links that discuss legalism…

www.biblical-pentecostals.org/legalism.htm

www.biblebelievers.com/Morton_legalism-liberty.html

www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Torah_Observance/torah_observance.html

www.emmanuelmsu.org/Legalism.html

Why am I surprised.  1st Obama berates bank executives for scheduling a trip, to reward employees and woe customers, to Las Vegas.  How dare they spend public money (they got TARP funds) on a pleasure trip to Sin City.  Then last week Obama got on Air Force One for a trip to Vegas Strip to raise money for Harry Reid.

Now today as GM is on the cusp of filing Chapter 11 and certainly laying off thousands more employees.  Plus thousands may lose their pension and healthcare benefits.  Where is Michael Moore when we need him?  Folks are suffering in Flint, Pontiac, Bay City and GM strongholds.   In this time of union cutbacks what  is the our President doing?

Our President is hopping on Air Force One for a trip to New York City to take in a show.  So the bright lights of Broadway, the “Great  White Way”  in other words, are calling Obama while thousand of anxious workers ponder their future.  

I don’t get it.  I am going to see the movie tomorrow “UP” and tell my kids no $4 drinks or $3.50 boxes of candy while our President is flying to New York City on my dime. 

 PS  “Great White Way” is a historical nick name for Broadway and refers not the bright lights of the street and not to any racial thing.

This article about a local charter school got my attention this morning. 

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/may/30/100-graduating/

This charter school had a 100% graduation rate.  In Memphis we average less then 70% for a high school graduation rate  and among African Americans the average is around 50%.  So here’s an inner city charter school that’s 100% African American and every child graduates.  Plus an above average number of kids are going on to college.

Are the parents motivated?  You bet.  As was discussed in my spelling bee post, by folks here, having motivated parents is the key to academic success.  

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  On a personal note the family budget has taken a beating this month as graduation and year of the school year items have strained the old pocket book.  Its a little hard to encourage frugality when one’s own checkbook is going down.

American has a new spelling champ and yes she is another Indian American.    Here is the story

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1Xf46AnIc2f8e0SFn0d63QZJ5EwD98FSB6G0

 I believe that many of the other top contenders were also Indian Americans.  Do we need a quota system?  For those of you up on horse racing, they put extra weight on some horses in some races to even things out.  Maybe non-Indians need to be given easier words?

More seriously is it “Nature” or “Nurture”?  Why do these Indian kids soar in spelling bees?  For that matter have you ever met an Indian who was not smart or successful or hard working?  Let’s throw in Pakistinis as well.  Here in America they are also noted for hard work and getting ahead in their careers. 

I  have discussed these issues with a few Indians and Pakistanis.   Why do the individual Indians and Pakistanis that I meet seem so bright and hard working yet their countries are  mired in poverty?  Two  Nations of hard working and super smart people should equal two very successful countries.  They shine and prosper here in the USA and yet the streets of Bombay and Karachi are littered with dismal poverty.

I have been told that the USA provides Freedom, limited corruption and capitalism.  In the USA success is rewarded and admired while in India it is not.   Does the system of government and economics hold India back?

Any thoughts?    Oh North Korea just tested another bomb.  Why is tree bark soup a specialty in North Korea while South Korea has a high quality of life?  Answers I need answers.

I am a little late getting to these since the Howard County Republican Club held its monthly meeting last night. Chris Christie has expanded his lead in the latest primary poll from Scott Rasmussen.

GOVERNOR – NEW JERSEY – GOP PRIMARY (Rasmussen)
Chris Christie 46%
Steve Lonegan 35%

Barring some last minute surge, it appears Christie is going to win next Tuesday. This poll was done May 27th among 400 likely voters. Meanwhile, Research 2000 and Daily Kos teamed up to give us a poll of the General Election contest and it shows Democratic Governor Jon Corzine in some trouble.

GOVERNOR – NEW JERSEY (Research 2000/DK)
Chris Christie (R) 46%
Jon Corzine (D-inc) 39%

Steve Lonegan (R) 43%
Jon Corzine (D-inc) 40%

This poll was done May 25-27 among 600 likely voters. Hopefully we will get final primary polls from Monmouth University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Strategic Vision, and anyone else who has done a poll for the New Jersey gubernatorial race so far this year.

I have commented several times in the last month of so about the economy.  I do see the recession ending in the next few months-then a bottom-then a gradual recovery.  Here’s an interesting article that matches some of my views.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=ajxeU5W_HFB4&refer=news

I for one think the market is still over sold and that a worse case fever has it in its grip.  I could have a case of self interest induced optimism.  An investor placing his chips on the table always looks for hope. 

What I find interesting about this article is the expectation that long term growth will be lower then in the past.  I attribute it to a prolonged savings cycle where economic growth will match income growth.  American will be deleveraging which would have the effect of slowing growth down.  I might add that job growth in the private sector is the engine of economic growth while the growth of government hinders real GDP growth. 

 I also agree that the Obama formula for economic growth might lead to some sort of European like 8% permanent unemployment rate.  That’s a happy thought.

I hope the polls posts of Dave as that what grew me to this site.   Yet who wants to wade through 160 posts?

This story is breaking across the blogosphere. I’m sure we will hear more details in the coming days. The basics of the story is this- Chysler dealerships that were heavy GOP contributors are much more likely to be shut down than those that contributed to the Democrats. If this story is true, then it raises serious legal and ethical questions.

Below are some links…

directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/05/red-alert-did-campaign-contributions.html

www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=99325

hotair.com/archives/2009/05/26/hmmm-chrysler-dealers-shut-down-in-obama-bankruptcy-are-mostly-republican/

Here is an excerpt from the Hot Air link: Lawyer Leonard Bellavia, of Bellavia Gentile & Associates, who represents some of the terminated dealers, said he deposed Chrysler President Jim Press on Tuesday and came away with the impression that Press did not support the plan.

“It became clear to us that Chrysler does not see the wisdom of terminating 25 percent of its dealers,” Bellavia said. “It really wasn’t Chrysler’s decision. They are under enormous pressure from the President’s automotive task force.”
He added the government task force, which he criticized for having no members with retail experience was, in effect, attacking U.S. entrepreneurs…
“I think it’s unconstitutional,” said Jim Anderer, owner of Island Jeep in Lindenhurst, New York

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