By Byrd Looper

The S&P credit rating downgrade, the first such economic disaster of its kind for our country, says it all about your lack of leadership in dealing with the recent debt crisis, the jobs issue, the stock market sell-off and many other national issues that are having a negative effect on all American citizens.

After the recent Arizona massacre, you made a speech calling for a more civil tone in the rhetoric being used by both political parties. Yet, most recently Congressional liberals have been demonizing the Tea Party conservatives, even calling them terrorists for pushing so hard for more spending cuts, tax reform, smaller government and the basic governing principles set forth in the Declaration and Constitution.

The Tea Party groups are the patriots who are responsible for their being a serious debate about the out-of-control spending and the raising of the debt limit. They are true-blue Americans and should be praised.

It’s interesting, Mr. President, that you refrain from using the word “terrorist” when referring to our Islamic enemies who are killing our soldiers and are the ones who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks.

The recent terrible loss of life in the helicopter crash, which claimed the live of many of our highly trained Navy SEALs is just another example of the futility of our military activity in Afghanistan.

This is a war that you advocated, but the way you are fighting it with silly rules of engagement and a schedule to get, makes it a lose-lose situation. We lose lives, and we spend billions of dollars.

Finally, a quick fix psychologically plus a big jobs stimulus, and with gas at $3.50 per gallon, would be an announcement that we are going to start drilling for oil on American soil. After all, huge energy resources, perhaps the greatest worldwide, are right here in the United States. So, drill, baby, drill.