What About Romney?

In all of my days actively following politics, never have I seen anything like this past week. Like antibodies attacking a foreign organism, the Republican Party establishment, in a methodical and deliberate manner, acted to destroy the candidacy of Newt Gingrich. From all directions they portrayed him as an unstable nut and a crook. They made the face of conservatism look like Jimmy Carter’s twin brother. The face of 1980’s conservatism was made to look like a liberal shill. They even went out to the cemetery and dug up Bob Dole. I didn’t know he was still living.

I am a Newt Gingrich fan…as the moral voice of the conservative movement. I’m not so sure he would make a good president. Of course in this election, the issue is a good president compared to whom. Many of his contemporaries who are up for re-election and fear a controversial Republican presidential candidate, claim he is off the wall and has some kooky proposals. I truly believe he is just thinking out loud, and articulating possibilities verbally. I do that. We try to reach good ideas be verbalizing all ideas. By the way, verbalizing about the moon in Florida might not play well in Nebraska, but that’s Cape Canaveral on the coast, and there are no more manned flights. Can you say tourism and jobs?

In all of this political pastiche I haven’t learned one thing I didn’t already know about Newt Gingrich. What I have learned is what I didn’t know about Mitt Romney, which is a lot. I know he is a Mormon. I know he was governor of Massachusetts. I thought he was a two term governor, but I found out it one term. I know he passed a universal health care bill, and I actually advised one client to move to Boston so he could get health coverage unavailable to him in Ohio at a reasonable price. I know he saved the Colorado Winter Olympics. I know he is worth a boatload of money. I also know he is personality challenged.

I really hadn’t formed an opinion about Romney other than if you called central casting for a President, they would send Mitt Romney. He looks the part. But to me, he was no different than John McCain or Bob Dole.  All are really nice guys, but as a Presidential candidate…yawn.  As Ann Coulter said, Romney is the generic Republican, the one who can beat Obama.

But what I have learned from the primary is that Romney may have had the best campaign organization in the world, but he was woefully unprepared on the most basic of issues. Fumbling the tax return issue is like having to learn where the line of scrimmage is. Hello…when you run for President you will be asked to release your tax returns…Running For President 101. When you are as rich as Romney in an election where class warfare is going to be THE central issue, you better be able to defend your wealth and how you earned it. His private equity firm saved and created in excess of 100,000 jobs, and yet Romney allowed Gingrich to run roughshod over a few plant closings involving companies on the verge of bankruptcy when Romney’s firm came in. And what difference does it make anyway. As one who wants to be the voice of the Republican Party, he should be ready to defend capitalism and talk about the expanding pie as opposed to Obama’s divvying up a shrinking pie. Never apologize for being successful.

And mostly I was shocked at his mean spiritedness. This is a primary election. They are rough and tumble. But Romney is a Mormon…and I had hoped that he had a moral code that would shine through the primary election falderal and his character would emerge a shining example of what a politician should be. Silly me!!!!! Gingrich had enough legit stuff to be called out on. Romney instead stooped to outright lies and character assasination.  I don’t have the space to list them here. But call me and I will tell you what they were. He should be ashamed.

This primary I have learned nothing new about Gingrich. He will always be my favorite pundit, but I remain ambivalent about him as a presidential candidate. As for Romney…let’s just say I am disappointed. Like I said, in this election the issue is whether the Republican would be a good president compared to what. This year, Obama has set the bar pretty low. That still doesn’t say much for the Republicans, and certainly not much for Mitt Romney.

Obama Flips Us the Keystone Pipeline Bird

So now you know where this president stands; ideology over country. I can’t think of a single domestic priority that is any more important to the security and welfare of this nation that the Keystone XL pipeline.

This pipeline already originates in Alberta, Canada, home of the sand oil fields belonging to our neighbor up north, and currently extends to Oklahoma and Illinois. This branch of the pipeline would bring the oil to gasoline and diesel refineries in Texas for domestic and foreign consumption. The amount of oil is staggering. Through it would flow 700,000 barrels of oil per day. At $100.00/barrel, that is $70 million/day coming into this country for refining.

Unfortunately for us, the Keystone pipeline is Barack Obama’s worse nightmare. Start with the premise that he is ideologically opposed to carbon fuels. Add to the mix this is an election year, and rather than try to appeal to the common sense independents, Obama has decided he would rather appeal to his radical left wing base. This is the most boneheaded and selfish decision I have ever seen a President make ever!!!  He is an idiot.

In a showdown with Congress several months ago over an extension of the payroll (social security) tax holiday, Obama agreed to make an up or down decision on the pipeline within 60 days of his signing of the extension bill. He decided. Thumbs down!!! He lamely tried to blame Republicans for forcing the issue without proper review. The facts are this is the most reviewed pipeline in American history with three years of thorough examination, and preliminary approval by the State Department. He tried to blame Nebraska, pointing out Nebraska has yet to approve the route through Nebraska where environmentalists are making their stand, never mind that Nebraska is the center of pipelines criss-crossing the United States (pipelines totaling 25,000 miles in length go through Nebraska). And Nebraska had alternate route ready to go.

Obama was hoping to defer judgment on the pipeline until after the election so as not to piss too many people off. Surprise!!! And just in case you are interested, there are already oil pipelines EVERYWHERE in the United States…and I mean everywhere.

Canada is angry. They have their trade teams all over the United States pushing this pipeline. They have also made it clear that if the United States does not approve it, they will ship the oil to China. This belies the biggest environmental argument. What is safer? Shipping oil to Houston through a pipeline, or shipping oil to China in a parade of tankers? No, this is an ideological decision from a President who has squandered a $1 billion in bogus “green” energy companies which are going bankrupt one after another sticking the American taxpayer with the tab. He just flipped the American public the bird.

Nobody believes that this pipeline will secure American energy independence. But coupled with the infinite amount of natural gas and coal in the United States, and the oil reserves in Mexico and off shore, it forms a North American block of energy stability should things go south in the middle east. Think Iran closing the Straits of Hormuz.

Nothing is more important to the military and economic security of the United States; except of course, if you’re Barack Obama. To him, the priorities are reducing America’s military might, income redistribution not only within America but within the nations of the worlds, the destruction of greedy corporations, and of course global warming.

Would you really vote for this guy again?

America the Monitored: Elementary Students Wearing Monitoring Wrist Bands.

America has become a nation of sheep being led around by Big Brother. How much do we have to take? Do we have be to be monitored 24/7 by do-gooders who should mind their own freakin’ business? We are in danger of losing our liberties, and now is the time to stop an intrusiveness that borders on dictatorship of the politically correct of the worst type.

From Drudge and Fox News and the New York Post comes a story about several school systems which now have students wearing wrist bands to monitor the amount of their activity, inactivity, caloric burn rate and heart rate in the school systems’ efforts to fight the epidemic of childhood obesity. The information is then downloaded and sent to an ostensibly secure cloud storage system. One school system uses the information to help provide a grade in Phys. Ed. It appears other school systems are doing it because it is a “good idea.” It is clear that in at least one school system parents were uninformed about what was going on, and there is an issue as to whether this is voluntary.

What is even more disturbing, on Fox News this morning the anchors didn’t even seem disturbed by the story.  "Email us what you think" they said. Forcing students to wear monitoring devices like animals? Am I the only one that sees something wrong with this?

From strip searches at airports to auto insurance monitors in our cars to unknown monitors on cars at car rental companies to surveillance cameras everywhere to television cameras watching what students place on their cafeteria trays in the lunch line to companies tracking our every move on the internet to the smoking police watching to see if we are smoking in our own cars and apartments….what are we doing folks? This is the stuff of Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany and North Korea. We have become so desensitized to it that it seems normal. Like a bunch of dummies we accept each new intrusion on our life. Well the government says it’s good for us, so we just have to go along. No you don’t!!! No, a cavity search of an 85 year old woman by the TSA in an airport is unacceptable.

If America doesn’t wake up and wake up soon, we will be George Orwell’s 1984. He may have had the date wrong, but his forecast is 100% correct and it is creeping up on us slowly and by stealth. There are always those who know what is best for you, and will force it down your throat for your own good or throw you in jail if you don’t comply.

As for those school systems, those parents should tell the school boards to shove those wrist monitors up their ass. Teach math, and leave what my kid eats to me. We don’t teach our children that it’s okay for the government to monitor our every move with a wrist band. If that is acceptable today, an implanted microchip will be okay for the future.

This is serious business. Wake up America. 1984 is just around the corner.

Obama Election Strategy: Class Warfare and Racism

In a speech on Monday night, President Obama said the following: “The basic premise that no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, there’s a place where you can make it if you try … the notion that we’re all in this together, that we look out for one another, that’s at stake in this election.”

That’s kind of hard to disagree with. Republicans have always been for a level playing field. America is a nation of equal opportunity. Obama, however, believes that it is a nation of equal results. That is socialism. That is communism. The Karl Marx’ axiom “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is what Obama really wants. He calls it “fairness.” (I think we should call the gender police on Karl Marx for using sexist nouns.)

The Monday night statement, however, is more of an indication as to how he is going to run his election. We already know about the class warfare. Now we are finding out about the race warfare. Veiled in Obama’s platitudes is Obama’s war message for 2012. It’s not our future that it is at stake, it is the future of minorities. Translate: if we elect those nasty racist Republicans, we are screwed.

Is this the uniter that was elected in 2008? He is a divider of the worst type. He has fanned class warfare against the successful and rich. Now he is fanning hostility between the races. His strategy is almost scary, but it foretells of the progressive hope for the future.  This is especially disturbing taken in conjunciton with the pundit Pat Buchanan flap about the chapter in his new book entitled The Death of White America.  The message is the same.  Minority America taking over White America.  How awful is that sentiment!!  We are better nation than this. 

Obama’s campaign strategists have already overtly said they are going to write off the white, blue collar vote. For those of us in the Buckeye state, his people believe Obama can win the election without Ohio. In fact, their electoral vote tally excludes most of the rust belt states with high unemployment. His strategists are probably right about the rust belt states. Talk to union voters privately, and Obama’s support is sketchy at best. In the Youngstown area, the Democratic stronghold in the United States, elected officials are railing against the fracking industry which right now is supplying northeast Ohio with new jobs by the gas well full. The liberal econonsense is not ringing true with the pipefitters union. If Obama if not for the Reagan Democrats, then for whom?

Where does he go for support? The new poor, the permanent underclass, the 50% of Americans who are currently living at poverty level or just above!! These are the folks who have suffered the most under Obama’s regulation nation. And he is going to the minorities. Don’t let those Republican wasps (white, anglo-saxon protestants), and I actually heard that term among the talking heads tonight, wreck your “chances”. They are racist. They hate you.  They are keeping you down.

What a gimmick this racist President is pawning off on the public. Make them poor. Keep them poor, and blame the other guy for being racist. Students of history have seen it before.  This week, Obama’s popularity is at an all time low. 36% of Americans say their biggest fear for 2012 is that Obama will be re-elected. Americans know a con when they see one.

Republicans know that at the end of the day, money is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you are black, or white, or pink with purple spots. All Americans, white Americans, African Americans, Italian American, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans and Muslim Americans…know that the color of green…the color of money….knows no race. We may have our disagreements, but we all want prosperity. Obama’s America only promises despair and fighting over a shrinking pie. Our America is one where we help each other prosper, one in which hatred of race and success isn’t preached, one in which we celebrate success and we all keep the fruits of our labor, one in which we are truly Americans.

We need a nation based on hope.  We need a nation based on an expanding economy.  Americans will instinctively work together to make our nation great again.  We are the ship of freedom, and we are all on board together.  No class warfare.  No race warfare.  To paraphrase your statements from the last election, Mr. Obama, there is only the "United" States. 

Breast Feed Your Babies at Home!

Let’s be blunt. America is a nation of easily offended pompous asses whose personal affronts are rooted in their belief that life is all about them. America is now the “me” generation on steroids. These folks, who are offended if the wind blows the wrong way, have raised narcissism to an art form. There is no regard for anyone but them. There is no regard for anyone else’s sensibilities but theirs. They are selfish. They are egocentric. They are emblematic of what is wrong with America today.

Case in point is NASCAR Kasey Khan who tweeted he was offended when he saw a woman breast feeding a baby in the aisle of a supermarket. The media went nuts. How could he tweet such stuff? Shame on him!! Breast feeding is perfectly natural. It is a woman’s right. Blah! Blah! Blah! Instead of standing his ground, Mr. Kahn backpedaled and groveled at the feet of political correctness. What a fool! He should have stood firm.

Here’s a news flash. Of course breast feeding is perfectly natural act. But so is a whole list of other bodily functions and acts; and I don’t want to see, hear or smell any of them in the aisle of a supermarket. Being “perfectly” natural is not an excuse for behavior that would be appropriate elsewhere. You want to breast feed your baby, here’s another news flash…do it at home; or at least do the rest of us the courtesy of doing it in private. I don’t want to see a boob hanging out of a blouse, or any of those other garments that pass for women's tops, in a grocery store anymore than I want to see a man’s hoo-ha or a hairy butt crack.

Has all decency gone from this country? Breast feeding supermarket lady…the only thing that is offensive is your behavior. Please have some courtesy to those around you. You think it’s cool? It’s not. And I am not going to be shamed into saying anything other than what it is. The world is not all about you. There are others who live here.  Standards of behavior have to exist otherwise we would all simply live in a "clothes are optional world."  Life does have its No Shirt/No Shoes/No service equivalent.

Common decency and respect for others is kaput in this country. Life has gotten tough in the United States because several generations of people have decided that world revolves around them, and everyone else should conform to their entitlement arrogance. Enough!!! Until we learn how to respect each other, and realize that some restraint is good, things will continue to get rapidly worse than they are now.

Kasey Kahn should not have retracted his honest statement. Even if he was wrong in his opinion, and he wasn't, he has as much right to express his opinion about breast feeding in the aisle of a supermarket as those who are actually doing the act. To those who say he should just look away, I say if you don't like what he says, turn a deaf ear. Quit your whining.

So…folks…..cover up. Put on some clothes. Your body isn’t that attractive. Yes, you have a baby and I am thrilled that you were able to procreate, but you don’t have to bring all your bosoms with attached offspring into the supermarket. Breast feed at home, and if it is inconvenient…then stay home and be inconvenienced. It comes with being a parent. And if this commentary offends you, or any other feminist or politically correct whacko….that is too damn bad!!!!!!!

There, I feel better now!

The Coming 3rd Iraqi War

Barack Obama has declared the war in Iraq over, and has withdrawn American troops. There was a ceremony in Iraq that was not attended by Iraqi officials. American troops were ingloriously moved to one of our bases in Kuwait. Here in the United States, there was nothing. Obama gave a speech, the press gave it a day’s worth of headlines, and life went on as normal…oblivious to all things Obama.

What am I missing? I am not a military planner. I have no experience with anything military. I have degree in international relations, but for the most part that was the Vietnam era. I am not privy to any classified information, and my general knowledge about both Iraq wars is limited. But it seems odd to me, and should to you, that America has now fought for Iraqi territory twice, and we have absolutely nothing to show for it but huge loss of American blood and treasure.

And what is worse, the existing government in Iraq is not particularly friendly to the United States even though its very existence is owed to the United States. Immediately upon withdrawal of American troops the sectarian violence in Iraq resumed with a vengeance. The government in Iraq is weak, and its former deadly enemy Iran is salivating at the border, ready and willing to fill the vacuum that the United States has left.

What is Obama doing? It seems to me that no country should have to fight for the same territory twice, and give it up a second time. In February of 1991 American troops were within 150 miles of Baghdad, and Bush the Elder unilaterally stopped the advance and withdrew American troops back to Kuwait. We had the sneaky bastards and the Iraqi Republican Army on the verge of collapse…and Bush withdrew.

Now Obama has done it again. It is Obama, not our troops, who is unilaterally leaving Iraq with his tail between his legs making whining noises about nobody better not ever try anything or else. He is leaving without one drop of oil, or not one petro dollar to repay the United States for disposing of the despot Saddam Hussein. What is he thinking?

What is really upsetting is Iran is still rushing headlong to make a nuclear bomb and wipe Israel off of the face of the earth. Obama has decided to sell some twenty odd fighter jets to Iraq. I hope Obama is smart enough to get paid in advance, because you can be sure that within a year or two those fighters will in the possession of Iran.

This is the single dumbest foreign policy move in a series of dumb foreign policy moves by the Obama administration which is acting on ideology rather that practicality and reality. The showdown with Iran is coming. It is just a matter of when. And our troops will have to fight for Iraq a third time. Only this time they will be fighting Iranians on Iraqi soil. Thank Mr. Obama for such a bright future. No American soldier should ever have to risk his/her life fighting for the same piece of land twice, let alone three times. And oh yes....

For those of you who will complain that we shouldn't have gone into Iraq the second time in the first place...you may or may not be right...but that doesn't make the withdrawal policy of the Obama administration any less lame!!!!!!

Punch Payroll Tax Here / Push Mortgage Tax There

Once again the old adage robbing Peter to pay Paul is rearing its ugly head in American fiscal policy. In the quintessential example of government "planning" gone amuck, the government extension of the payroll tax holiday for another month or for a year, depending on which politico is pontificating, is being paid by a $15.00/month tax on new mortgages backed by everybody's favorite Fannie Mae and/or Freddie Mac. And that's 90% of all mortgages currently being issued in the United States. Barack Obama has done a good job of making sure the private mortgage market is dead. 

Here's the skinny. As you have heard, 48% of all wage earners pay no income tax. It's tough to give a tax reduction to those who pay no taxes. However everybody pays a "payroll" tax which funds social security. As part of Obama's stimulus package, the payroll tax, although Social Security is going broke, was reduced from 6.2% to 4.2%. Unless Congress acts, the payroll tax will go back up to 6.2% January 1. The Senate bill extends the cut until February 28, 2012.

This effort is opposed by the House which wants to extend the payroll tax deduction for a full year, and the Republicans in both the House and the Senate have mixed in the construction of the Keystone Pipeline from Canada to Houston for good measure. This was done in an attempt to back Barack to the wall to approve the pipeline, a shovel ready project that would create a minimum of 20,000 jobs and help assure North American energy independence, that so far he has refused to approve placating the global warming environmental whacko bunch.

Notwithstanding, the payroll tax reduction needs to be paid for. Although the payroll tax reduction is temporary, Congress has decided to pay for it with a $15.00/month permanent tax on new home mortgages. Isn't that special? And you thought Super President promised not to raise taxes on the middle class. Of course, he can say he really isn't raising taxes since no new mortgages are being issued anyway. Who knew?

This is pitiful. If you want to know why this country is going down the toilet, look at the policy these jack asses are implementing. You can poke it, shake it, reshape it, bend it, and squeeze it....but at the end of the day.... when dealing with these kinds of temporary fixes to the economy, you are always robbing Peter to pay Paul.

And don't forget to go and borrow money to buy a house to make sure you pay your fair share with that new $15.00/month tax!!!