Ahtanum Valley Museum

Considering his background as a self-described constitutional law professor (he was technically a "senior lecturer," not a tenured professor), President Obama is surprisingly free from hang-ups about due process when it comes to the country's founding document. If he doesn't think you have a moral title to the rights you assert, he tends to just brush your claims aside. Hence his administration's firing of former General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner before it actually gained the legal power to do so during the 2009 bailout of GM. And the president famously denouncing Chrysler's creditors - "I don't stand with them" - the same year. And his strong-arming $20 billion from BP during the 2010 Gulf oil spill, before either the extent of the company's liability or the extent of the actual damage was knowable.

The idea of an organism undertaking radical changes for the purpose of survival was considered a biological phenomenon. Certain species of fish develop better swimming capabilities to elude predators. Predators, like the Great White Shark, in need of food sources, often developed efficient means of hunting and killing prey. At the onset, the idea of evolution as well as the aspiration of every organism to become better was thought to exist in mere primal and base dimensions of existence. Simply put this held as the conduct, behavior and experience of animals with little or no psycho-social sophistication that human beings possess.

However, the dynamics of Darwinian thought still hold true in the realm of politics. This may be a human experience and within the context of human civilization. However, the mechanics that are involved in it is no different from those found in nature. The players and considerations might be different but the goal and purpose remain the same. Survival and dominance pursued by non-sentient organisms are the same as those that humans pursue.

Sound Money Dr. Paul feels that the Federal Reserve is the reason for our economic woes, and he believes that the government should not be allowed to devalue our currency as it wishes. He believes that a strong commodity backed currency is the main ingredient for a vibrant and robust economy. With a strong currency the citizens real wages rise as prices fall, and this brings prosperity to everyone in the nation.

Low Taxes Congressman Paul believes that we should have low taxes, and he believes that these taxes should be collected in a manner other than an income tax. He is opposed to an income tax because when a government imposes a tax on all incomes earned it has essentially claimed a right to every dollar that a person takes in. Dr. Paul feels that what a person earns is their property, and the government should not have a claim to it.

Any actions the newly appointed officials take will be clouded by uncertainty until the inevitable court challenge determines whether Obama's recess appointments are valid. Until such a ruling comes, nobody will know whether forthcoming actions by the CFPB or the NLRB have any legal force. Uncertainty is a powerful deterrent to decision-making, especially the kinds of decisions Obama wants the business community to make: decisions to invest large sums of money in hiring and expansion. So in the long term, the appointments are counterproductive. But the long term is not Obama's priority; his short-term election prospects always come first. So the president concluded that the recess appointments were a no-lose proposition for him. If they are upheld, he will get the personnel he wants, at least until the current Congress adjourns at the end of the year. If not, he will have at least underscored his argument that congressional inaction, not his own track record over the past three years, is to blame for anything that might be making voters unhappy.

Drug Prohibition Congressman Paul does not condone drug use. However, as a realist, he understands that the government can never win the "War on Drugs," and he feels that the government has no business telling someone what they can and cannot do in the privacy of their own home. He does believe that if drugs and alcohol are used irresponsibly, and a person puts someone else's life in danger, that person should be punished. In addition, Congressman Paul is opposed to the current drug prohibition because it violates the Constitution of the United States.