In Memoriam, Obama’s Omission, Political Arrogance And Investment Advice

*A request worth repeating.  Rest in peace, Donald C. Unsworth of Rome, Ga. While we never met, I know I would have liked you. How can I tell?  By this notice for your funeral: “In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asked that donations be sent to the American Cancer Society or to the campaign of whoever is running against President Barack Obama in 2012.”

*Obama’s incredible omission. In a speech to the Hispanic Congressional Caucus last week, our president misquoted the Declaration of Independence in a way that is so flagrant I can only believe it was deliberate. He said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain unalienable rights.”  Did you catch the omission?  He left out “by their Creator”?  The misquote should come as no surprise; Obama clearly believes that our rights come from government, not from God.

*Political arrogance run amok. When voters in Alaska wouldn’t grant a second Senate term to self-appointed political heiress Lisa Murkowski, she announced that she will run for re-election as a write-in candidate. No one gives the spoilsport a chance to win; but she could deny victory to Joe Miller, the Tea Party candidate I wrote about two weeks ago. Want to bet that the ostensible Republican will get lots of support from some wealthy Democrats?

*Some worthwhile investment advice.  For many years, the Atlanta Investment Conference was one of my favorite events of the year. I was delighted to serve as master of ceremonies almost from day one. The conference is no longer being held, but recently a dozen of the top speakers there collaborated on a new book. The Evergreen Portfolio features contributions by Mark Skousen, Bob Prechter, Adrian Day, Frank Trotter, Van Simmons, Rick Maybury and several others worth reading. You can get a copy from Amazon.com or order it through your favorite bookstore and I hope you will.

— Chip Wood