Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sellebrity Saturday: Penn Gillette on Seth McFarlane
This is interesting for a number of reasons. Penn Gillette fancies himself the king of iconoclasts. Nothing is sacred to Penn. He has no trouble blaspheming God for instance. But whenever he encounters a Show Biz heavyweight, Penn softens his criticism.
Despite the title of this vid, 'F@#% You Seth MacFarlane!' Penn practically apologizes to Mr. Superstar and concludes with a lovey dovey message for McFarlane. How sweet and cuddly.
PENN EXPOSES TWO HOLLYWOOD PHONIES BUT GETS KISSY KISSY AFTERWARD
Despite the title of this vid, 'F@#% You Seth MacFarlane!' Penn practically apologizes to Mr. Superstar and concludes with a lovey dovey message for McFarlane. How sweet and cuddly.
PENN EXPOSES TWO HOLLYWOOD PHONIES BUT GETS KISSY KISSY AFTERWARD
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
One of the Weirdest Events in the History of Planet Earth.
An event that occurred yesterday has attracted much less attention than I would have expected. The phrase "Like a 'Saturday Night Live' Skit" has worked its way into the lexicon. This was one of those moments.
If you missed it, it went like this. Obama entered the White House press room escorted by Bill Clinton. The current president then said he had a Christmas party to attend and left the room. The ex-president stepped up to the microphone and conducted a long press conference as if he were still president. I was unable to watch the entire press conference but it was as if the press saw nothing wrong with the picture. If anyone stood up and said "wait a second" or "why are we asking you these questions?"
I know of no precedent or parallel or anything comparable to this strange event. There is a lot we can read into this. Hillary says she is through with public service and it seems that the Clintons and Obamas have mended their fences. But this is pundit Disneyland and no one seems that thrilled.
It would have raised eyebrows had Reagan turned it over to Ford or Nixon or if Clinton passed the mic to Carter or Bush handed off to his father. On the world stage I cannot imagine anyone doing like this except perhaps Medveded/Putin in Russia. There, some supect that Medveded is president in name only and Putin is still the man. But both parties have enough political savvy to avoid such a situation. Don't they?
Appearance is sometimes reality and in this case Obama appears absurdly unpresidential. We know he does not like conflict or criticism but...
Was this press conference a harbinger and if so, a harbinger of what exactly? Clinton was trying to be gracious (I think) but his shooing Obama away so as to not make Michelle mad probably revealed more than it was meant to reveal. I am going way out on a limb here and I am saying that something is amiss.
I was hoping some smart pundit would put this in context for me. So far, that has not happened. This is one weird event.
If you missed it, it went like this. Obama entered the White House press room escorted by Bill Clinton. The current president then said he had a Christmas party to attend and left the room. The ex-president stepped up to the microphone and conducted a long press conference as if he were still president. I was unable to watch the entire press conference but it was as if the press saw nothing wrong with the picture. If anyone stood up and said "wait a second" or "why are we asking you these questions?"
I know of no precedent or parallel or anything comparable to this strange event. There is a lot we can read into this. Hillary says she is through with public service and it seems that the Clintons and Obamas have mended their fences. But this is pundit Disneyland and no one seems that thrilled.
It would have raised eyebrows had Reagan turned it over to Ford or Nixon or if Clinton passed the mic to Carter or Bush handed off to his father. On the world stage I cannot imagine anyone doing like this except perhaps Medveded/Putin in Russia. There, some supect that Medveded is president in name only and Putin is still the man. But both parties have enough political savvy to avoid such a situation. Don't they?
Appearance is sometimes reality and in this case Obama appears absurdly unpresidential. We know he does not like conflict or criticism but...
Was this press conference a harbinger and if so, a harbinger of what exactly? Clinton was trying to be gracious (I think) but his shooing Obama away so as to not make Michelle mad probably revealed more than it was meant to reveal. I am going way out on a limb here and I am saying that something is amiss.
I was hoping some smart pundit would put this in context for me. So far, that has not happened. This is one weird event.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Schiff vs. Laffer: First of Many
Peter Schiff could have been a US Senator but the GOP ran McMahon instead. Dohhh.
There are a boatload of Schiff vids out there. And btw, Laffer does have his areas of expertise. He was just way off base about the economic climate of the past decade.
There are a boatload of Schiff vids out there. And btw, Laffer does have his areas of expertise. He was just way off base about the economic climate of the past decade.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Israel Talk Radio Discusses Narcissism
I was going to post this on Tuesday but Blogger posted it on Sunday. Can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, can we now?
In fairness, the narcissism rap is tough for any politician to defend against. One Youtube commenter said "this describes every politiican." To some degree, this commenter is correct. One thinks of Bill Clinton's troubled childhood and his ultimate adult personality. Or Ronald Reagan who became an actor for crying out loud and a man who readily admitted to hamming the spotlight. So perhaps, it's just a matter of degree?
I don't think it's just a matter of degree. From the onset of his campaign, Obama packaged and sold transcendentalism. From the fainting spectators to the "Obama Halo" to the goofball mantra of "Hope and Change," and dozens of points in between, it became evident that this guy had a sense of grandeur and his supporters were largely cult bait.
Obama would confirm his unusual narcissism with each passing day of his presidency. There were a few brave souls in the audience who pointed out that the emperor wore some silly ass threads. Vaknin was one of them.
PART I
PART II
PART III
PART IV
PART V
In fairness, the narcissism rap is tough for any politician to defend against. One Youtube commenter said "this describes every politiican." To some degree, this commenter is correct. One thinks of Bill Clinton's troubled childhood and his ultimate adult personality. Or Ronald Reagan who became an actor for crying out loud and a man who readily admitted to hamming the spotlight. So perhaps, it's just a matter of degree?
I don't think it's just a matter of degree. From the onset of his campaign, Obama packaged and sold transcendentalism. From the fainting spectators to the "Obama Halo" to the goofball mantra of "Hope and Change," and dozens of points in between, it became evident that this guy had a sense of grandeur and his supporters were largely cult bait.
Obama would confirm his unusual narcissism with each passing day of his presidency. There were a few brave souls in the audience who pointed out that the emperor wore some silly ass threads. Vaknin was one of them.
PART I
PART II
PART III
PART IV
PART V
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wikileaks
I am of at least two minds regarding Wikileaks. Firstly, the previous leaks of classified information were absolutely criminal and probably damaging in ways that we have not yet seen.
Secondly, even though I think the recent leaks are not good for the country, if I had more time I would be all over those cables. This might be better than anything Harold Robbins ever gave us. The Saudis wanted us to bomb Iran? Qaddafi digs blonds? The Karzai brothers waddle around with $52 million and they still wear goofy hats? This is tabloid material for the extra-ugly.
Thirdly, I would muster some respect for our vapid commander-in-chief if he said or did anything at all. Anything. Pro. Con. Beer summit with Assange. Anything. Sorry about the fat lip, big guy. Hope you heal real soon. Was there a theme song to "Being There" ???
Fourthly, we need to reconsider our policies on acccess. Many of these cables are not classified and hundreds of thousands of government employees could have access to them. Once more, "is there a president in the house?"
Fifthly and most importantly, we need to compare and contrast the mainstream media's coverage of these purloined cables with the hijacked East Anglia emails. Sometimes the constant, the chronic, the continuous is harder to see than a moment frozen in time. Sometimes a snapshot is more powerful than a truckload of video. The once reputable "New York Times" has devoted substantial resources to report on the Wikileaks cables. One year ago, they boldly announced that they would not publish the East Anglia emails because "they were not meant for publication."
The ongoing video shows the NYT constantly engaging in selective truth, if not overt falsehood. But the snapshot of their East Anglia coverage (an empty backdrop) placed side by side with the snapshot of their Wikileaks coverage (the following link credits 12 reporters on the case) provides what our commander-in-chief might call a teachable moment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/world/29cables.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1
From my perspective, the bigger story now, as always, is Big Media's influence on information. Wikileaks good. East Anglia bad. What more do we need to know?
Secondly, even though I think the recent leaks are not good for the country, if I had more time I would be all over those cables. This might be better than anything Harold Robbins ever gave us. The Saudis wanted us to bomb Iran? Qaddafi digs blonds? The Karzai brothers waddle around with $52 million and they still wear goofy hats? This is tabloid material for the extra-ugly.
Thirdly, I would muster some respect for our vapid commander-in-chief if he said or did anything at all. Anything. Pro. Con. Beer summit with Assange. Anything. Sorry about the fat lip, big guy. Hope you heal real soon. Was there a theme song to "Being There" ???
Fourthly, we need to reconsider our policies on acccess. Many of these cables are not classified and hundreds of thousands of government employees could have access to them. Once more, "is there a president in the house?"
Fifthly and most importantly, we need to compare and contrast the mainstream media's coverage of these purloined cables with the hijacked East Anglia emails. Sometimes the constant, the chronic, the continuous is harder to see than a moment frozen in time. Sometimes a snapshot is more powerful than a truckload of video. The once reputable "New York Times" has devoted substantial resources to report on the Wikileaks cables. One year ago, they boldly announced that they would not publish the East Anglia emails because "they were not meant for publication."
The ongoing video shows the NYT constantly engaging in selective truth, if not overt falsehood. But the snapshot of their East Anglia coverage (an empty backdrop) placed side by side with the snapshot of their Wikileaks coverage (the following link credits 12 reporters on the case) provides what our commander-in-chief might call a teachable moment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/world/29cables.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1
From my perspective, the bigger story now, as always, is Big Media's influence on information. Wikileaks good. East Anglia bad. What more do we need to know?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
CBS Shakes Up Its Morning Show
Someday I might have a web site that tracks changes in the news media. Media Monday is a feature of Post Obotomy Syndome. But we just scratch the surface.
Things are changing and they are changing fast. Put a media-related website on the back burner and bookmark articles. Check back in a few months and the environment changes radically. Change we can believe in most of the time.
The Silent Majority votes LOUD and CLEAR with their pocketbooks and remote controls. NYT ad revenue was down 82% in one quarter. Katie Couric maintains the lowest ratings for a CBS anchor since they started tracking this metric. Now CBS has shaken up their morning news lineup following atrocious ratings. http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/01/the-early-show-exec-producer-why-smith-and-rodriguez-had-to-g/
Despite his pathetic ratings, Harry Smith remains under contract to CBS and you will see his high-priced face from time to time if you click through the dial. Of all the fawning media stars, Harry Smith might be the most Obama-Friendly. It seems that the affection might be mutual.
We previously featured this video on the president's last birthday.
BARRY LOVES HARRY
We could produce dozens of Harry Smith infatuation vids but this one seems to touch most of the bases. The afterglow of a romantic evening.
HARRY LOVES BARRY
It gets even more fawning than this. Harry was able to compose himself following his night to remember. There were reports that he was tearful (for different reasons than most of us were) during the election coverage. Of all of the mainstream media shills, Harry Smith has possibly been the coziest with Barry. That is saying something, I know. To distinguish oneself in that field, that very crowded and competitive band of slobbering adulators, is not an easy task. But Harry runs at the front of the pack.
NYT, Couric, Harry, Oprah, MSNBC... The decline of the mainstream media continues and it continues in a predictable manner. Obama Fatigue was instantaneous. The backlash is underway and the backlash has hit the Obama courtesans the hardest.
Who will be next? Let's let Frank have the final word.
Things are changing and they are changing fast. Put a media-related website on the back burner and bookmark articles. Check back in a few months and the environment changes radically. Change we can believe in most of the time.
The Silent Majority votes LOUD and CLEAR with their pocketbooks and remote controls. NYT ad revenue was down 82% in one quarter. Katie Couric maintains the lowest ratings for a CBS anchor since they started tracking this metric. Now CBS has shaken up their morning news lineup following atrocious ratings. http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/01/the-early-show-exec-producer-why-smith-and-rodriguez-had-to-g/
Despite his pathetic ratings, Harry Smith remains under contract to CBS and you will see his high-priced face from time to time if you click through the dial. Of all the fawning media stars, Harry Smith might be the most Obama-Friendly. It seems that the affection might be mutual.
We previously featured this video on the president's last birthday.
BARRY LOVES HARRY
We could produce dozens of Harry Smith infatuation vids but this one seems to touch most of the bases. The afterglow of a romantic evening.
HARRY LOVES BARRY
It gets even more fawning than this. Harry was able to compose himself following his night to remember. There were reports that he was tearful (for different reasons than most of us were) during the election coverage. Of all of the mainstream media shills, Harry Smith has possibly been the coziest with Barry. That is saying something, I know. To distinguish oneself in that field, that very crowded and competitive band of slobbering adulators, is not an easy task. But Harry runs at the front of the pack.
NYT, Couric, Harry, Oprah, MSNBC... The decline of the mainstream media continues and it continues in a predictable manner. Obama Fatigue was instantaneous. The backlash is underway and the backlash has hit the Obama courtesans the hardest.
Who will be next? Let's let Frank have the final word.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wild Card Wednesday: Frank Luntz
Ok, Penn and Teller were a bit harsh in their assessment of Frank Luntz. And they ambush him. He had no idea what kind of tenor or tack or tone they would be taking. So yes, one might be inclined to suggest that those magnificent magic men might have overstated their case a bit. But still...this is Frank Luntz exposed.
WHEN YOU SEE FRANK LUNTZ, YELL OUT THIS MESSAGE
The Paulists saw Luntz and Hannity as shills. High-priced call girls but call girls just the same. Ron Paul presented a problem for the GOP. He reminded one and all of the gulf between GOP rhetoric and GOP action, especially on matters of fiscal and monetary policy. Later, when the Paulists would play a part (how big a part, I cannot say. The Tea Party might have happened without them. But the Paulists nonetheless helped pour the foundation.) in creating the Tea Party movement, Rush Limbaugh would grow infuriated at the suggestions that this rabble sparked a movement he wanted to claim for his own.
Incidentally, when Ron Paul's son would run for the Senate in Kentucky he would be vehemently opposed by the Republican establishment at both the state and national level. Rand Paul is less robotic than his father. He possesses common sense in areas where his father only possesses constitutional scholarship. Specifically, he is more hawkish than his father and he recognizes the unique challenges to our survival that Al Qaeda and other terrorists present. Nonetheless, Ron Paul was a pebble in the shoe and his son would receive an icy reception.
Have the Republicans kissed and made up? Not exactly. Obama, Reid and Pelosi are so polarizing and so destructive that they served to unify the divided such as we have never before seen. But the 2012 Presidentials will be coming to a town near you (if you live in Iowa or New Hampshire) and old wounds and older grudges will be exposed. Grab the popcorn.
GOP FAMILY FEUD GOES PUBLIC
WHEN YOU SEE FRANK LUNTZ, YELL OUT THIS MESSAGE
The Paulists saw Luntz and Hannity as shills. High-priced call girls but call girls just the same. Ron Paul presented a problem for the GOP. He reminded one and all of the gulf between GOP rhetoric and GOP action, especially on matters of fiscal and monetary policy. Later, when the Paulists would play a part (how big a part, I cannot say. The Tea Party might have happened without them. But the Paulists nonetheless helped pour the foundation.) in creating the Tea Party movement, Rush Limbaugh would grow infuriated at the suggestions that this rabble sparked a movement he wanted to claim for his own.
Incidentally, when Ron Paul's son would run for the Senate in Kentucky he would be vehemently opposed by the Republican establishment at both the state and national level. Rand Paul is less robotic than his father. He possesses common sense in areas where his father only possesses constitutional scholarship. Specifically, he is more hawkish than his father and he recognizes the unique challenges to our survival that Al Qaeda and other terrorists present. Nonetheless, Ron Paul was a pebble in the shoe and his son would receive an icy reception.
Have the Republicans kissed and made up? Not exactly. Obama, Reid and Pelosi are so polarizing and so destructive that they served to unify the divided such as we have never before seen. But the 2012 Presidentials will be coming to a town near you (if you live in Iowa or New Hampshire) and old wounds and older grudges will be exposed. Grab the popcorn.
GOP FAMILY FEUD GOES PUBLIC
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Items From My Mailbox: Thanks Mooseman
Australia says NO - Second Time he has done this !
AMAZING You must read it !!!!
He's done it again..
He sure isn't backing down on his hard line stance and one has to appreciate his belief in the rights of his native countrymen.
A breath of fresh air to see someone lead.
I wish some leaders would step up in Canada & USA .
Australian Prime Minister does it again!!
This man should be appointed King of the World.. Truer words have never been spoken.
It took a lot of courage for this man to speak what he had to say for the world to hear. The retribution could be phenomenal, but at least he was willing to take a stand on his and Australia 's beliefs.
Whole world needs a leader like this!
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..
Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'..'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves in Canada & USA , WE will find the courage to start speaking and voicing the same truths.
If you agree please SEND THIS ON and ON, to as many people as you know
AMAZING You must read it !!!!
He's done it again..
He sure isn't backing down on his hard line stance and one has to appreciate his belief in the rights of his native countrymen.
A breath of fresh air to see someone lead.
I wish some leaders would step up in Canada & USA .
Australian Prime Minister does it again!!
This man should be appointed King of the World.. Truer words have never been spoken.
It took a lot of courage for this man to speak what he had to say for the world to hear. The retribution could be phenomenal, but at least he was willing to take a stand on his and Australia 's beliefs.
Whole world needs a leader like this!
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..
Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'..'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves in Canada & USA , WE will find the courage to start speaking and voicing the same truths.
If you agree please SEND THIS ON and ON, to as many people as you know
Thursday, November 25, 2010
My Personal Odyssey
No, don't run away yet. It won't be all that personal. I'm going to make it impersonal. I promise. My impersonal odyssey. How's that?
Thought you might like that better. Here goes:
1. Spectator Sports.
2. Music.
3. Recreational Reading.
In the past two years these constants in my life have been largely discarded. For years I have followed sporting events, usually in an extremely dispassionate manner. That is to say, I don't usually care emotionally, who wins or loses but I always cared intellectually.
I am a born prognosticator. I am a compulsive prognosticator. We have seen personality tests that measure perception vs. judgment but I have never seen a personality test that measures one's inclination to prognosticate vs. whatever mysterious mental functions are performed by my fellow humans as they observe the world.
Being the compulsive prognosticator I will sometimes watch TV shows that I do not enjoy as pure entertainment. I want to grok the show's essence and its time slot and predict its ultimate fate. I have done the same thing with movies, new consumer products and of course, automobiles. I have low mechanical aptitude but I can yamber on about the unexpected success of the CRV, the rise of the Taurus and the minivan because of my prognosistic inclination.
To feed my compulsion I used to set my TV to whatever sporting event happened to be on. I would then view the TV passively but jumping into the middle or ending of a sporting event is not the same as jumping into the middle of a TV show or movie. I know people who do that and they will forever be fingernails on the chalkboard of my sensibilities. (Yes, there is that part of me that silently screams "Go back! Go back to the beginning. Rent the movie if you have to! You are not respecting the movie!" Whistles blare and flags fly. Why can't people observe film viewer kosher? Stupid mortals!)
I would do whatever else needed to be done (email, etc.) and check in on the TV from time to time. If the event gotinteresting I might sit on the couch and watch for a while. When they went to commercial, I usually clicked to another sporting event (I do like cable) and clicked back and forth to the more interesting event.
In 2008 I found myself clicking to a news station during commercials or injuries and not returning to the sporting event. I might even jump to C-Span. C-Span for crying out loud. What the hell happened to me?
What happened was the election of 2008. I am still confused as to how a mysterious man with an unimpressive resume and anti-American, anti-freedom, pro-elitist tendencies could swoop in from the backstreets of Chicago and claim the presidency. I am seeking answers.
And yes, it bears repeating and reemphasizing the hows and whys of this unique election. Yes I am snide and disdainful of people who have idolized and ugh, even deified an empty suit. Yes I am. But I also dumbfounded. Part of me strives to understand the mental processes, such as they are, of the Obama follower.
I mentioned that I am a prognosticator but I did not say I was a political prognosticator. That is bacause I have a political tin ear. Politics is still a mystery to me. But over the years, I have made strides in developing a rudimentary understanding of electoral politics. 2008 made me reevaluate those strides.
Why would throngs of Germans turn out to adore a foreigner about whom they know nothing? Why would an empty suit whose only perceptible talent is reading a telepromter be celebrated the world over? Why would otherwise smart Americans put on mental blinders to support a candidate who was at best, clueless and at worst, destructive? I wish I could make sense of it.
Part of me, the bigger part of my judgment, simply dismisses the Obots as Obots. The stupidification of America, the world, and all that. But there is that frustrated focus group leader who wants answers.
My life used to have a soundtrack. I commute for at least ten hours a week. Three years ago, a lot of those hours would have been filled with music. No more. I jump from talk radio station to talk radio station to talk radio station. It can sometimes be as bad as it might sound. It is not usually edifying or entertaining or enchanting. But there are tidbits on talk radio that keep me coming back. The interviews with obscure web masters, not famous bloggers and the scouring of news that was somehow "overlooked" by the mainstream media.
As well as the long commutes, I used to spend hours on Youtube and elsewhere enjoying music videos. There is so much underground talent out there unfiltered by the marketing pros. I listened to literally dozens of versions of "Funiculì, Funiculà ." I listened and watched hours of mish mashes, ukulele covers of pop songs, bootleg video, as well as music that I once loved in its original form.
Even when I did not perform a full frontal lobe assault on Youtube, I usually played music in the background as I read my email or performed other housekeeping activities. No more. As enjoyable as it once was, it now seems frivolous. The tunes cannot compete with the alarms going off in my head. My attention is fully directed to "overlooked" news. Music can indeed calm the savage beast. We don't need lullabys right now. We need to be snapped out of our slumber.
I used to read for recreation. That stopped in Spring of 2008. It has a lot to do with my 50+ hour work week, long commutes, the launching of new ventures and chronic domestic instability. But another factor is the brain washers in the room. I have a hard time concentrating/escaping from the day to day. One could argue that I have grown paranoid. They might be right.
Every day I assess the validity of my paranoia and every day I arrive at the same conclusion: Paranoia is justified on a few grounds. 1.) The United States has never faced a more power-hungry Administration than this one. There is not a single industry they do not want to control (their preferred term is regulate.) They bury the takeover of the student loan industry in the health care bill. While the dupes are watching this hand...
2.) We have never seen deception on a scale that we now see it. Yes, deception is part of politics and part of life. But we have never seen an administration with secret czars and advisors who skirt the vetting process. We have never elected a more msyterious man to the highest office in the land. And yes, it is significant that he has a social security number that would ordinarily be granted to a Connecticut native and he has never resided in that state.
The duplicity is unending with this administration. Congress passes 3,000 page bills that are too large for even our elected officials to read. Worse yet, WE CANNOT EVEN FIND OUT WHO WRITES THESE OVERSIZED BILLS!!! There was deceptive campaign financing on Obama's part and on and on and on. We have never witnessed anything like this band of thugs.
3.) Media docility. Need I elaborate?
4.) Citizen docility. You hate Bush. Gotcha. You hate Palin. Gotcha. You hate Republicans. Gotcha. You hate the Tea Party. Gotcha. But put down the delicious Kool-Aid for five minutes and take a long look at the cult leader to whom you have pledged your unwavering loyalty. Take a look at the man behind the curtain and his merry band of thugs. Take a long look!
My world view has changed. We thought that mind control would arrive with Orwellian brutality or Huxley's soma. What arrived was a mind control that is much more subtle and much more sophisticated. It is hard to grasp and harder to define. Mostly, it is mind control based on style and image and pretense and deception. Madison Avenue's greatest triumph.
Vigilance comes with a price. Someday I suppose I will "get a life." For now, I am proudly paranoid. I have changed. Change I can believe in.
Thought you might like that better. Here goes:
1. Spectator Sports.
2. Music.
3. Recreational Reading.
In the past two years these constants in my life have been largely discarded. For years I have followed sporting events, usually in an extremely dispassionate manner. That is to say, I don't usually care emotionally, who wins or loses but I always cared intellectually.
I am a born prognosticator. I am a compulsive prognosticator. We have seen personality tests that measure perception vs. judgment but I have never seen a personality test that measures one's inclination to prognosticate vs. whatever mysterious mental functions are performed by my fellow humans as they observe the world.
Being the compulsive prognosticator I will sometimes watch TV shows that I do not enjoy as pure entertainment. I want to grok the show's essence and its time slot and predict its ultimate fate. I have done the same thing with movies, new consumer products and of course, automobiles. I have low mechanical aptitude but I can yamber on about the unexpected success of the CRV, the rise of the Taurus and the minivan because of my prognosistic inclination.
To feed my compulsion I used to set my TV to whatever sporting event happened to be on. I would then view the TV passively but jumping into the middle or ending of a sporting event is not the same as jumping into the middle of a TV show or movie. I know people who do that and they will forever be fingernails on the chalkboard of my sensibilities. (Yes, there is that part of me that silently screams "Go back! Go back to the beginning. Rent the movie if you have to! You are not respecting the movie!" Whistles blare and flags fly. Why can't people observe film viewer kosher? Stupid mortals!)
I would do whatever else needed to be done (email, etc.) and check in on the TV from time to time. If the event gotinteresting I might sit on the couch and watch for a while. When they went to commercial, I usually clicked to another sporting event (I do like cable) and clicked back and forth to the more interesting event.
In 2008 I found myself clicking to a news station during commercials or injuries and not returning to the sporting event. I might even jump to C-Span. C-Span for crying out loud. What the hell happened to me?
What happened was the election of 2008. I am still confused as to how a mysterious man with an unimpressive resume and anti-American, anti-freedom, pro-elitist tendencies could swoop in from the backstreets of Chicago and claim the presidency. I am seeking answers.
And yes, it bears repeating and reemphasizing the hows and whys of this unique election. Yes I am snide and disdainful of people who have idolized and ugh, even deified an empty suit. Yes I am. But I also dumbfounded. Part of me strives to understand the mental processes, such as they are, of the Obama follower.
I mentioned that I am a prognosticator but I did not say I was a political prognosticator. That is bacause I have a political tin ear. Politics is still a mystery to me. But over the years, I have made strides in developing a rudimentary understanding of electoral politics. 2008 made me reevaluate those strides.
Why would throngs of Germans turn out to adore a foreigner about whom they know nothing? Why would an empty suit whose only perceptible talent is reading a telepromter be celebrated the world over? Why would otherwise smart Americans put on mental blinders to support a candidate who was at best, clueless and at worst, destructive? I wish I could make sense of it.
Part of me, the bigger part of my judgment, simply dismisses the Obots as Obots. The stupidification of America, the world, and all that. But there is that frustrated focus group leader who wants answers.
My life used to have a soundtrack. I commute for at least ten hours a week. Three years ago, a lot of those hours would have been filled with music. No more. I jump from talk radio station to talk radio station to talk radio station. It can sometimes be as bad as it might sound. It is not usually edifying or entertaining or enchanting. But there are tidbits on talk radio that keep me coming back. The interviews with obscure web masters, not famous bloggers and the scouring of news that was somehow "overlooked" by the mainstream media.
As well as the long commutes, I used to spend hours on Youtube and elsewhere enjoying music videos. There is so much underground talent out there unfiltered by the marketing pros. I listened to literally dozens of versions of "Funiculì, Funiculà ." I listened and watched hours of mish mashes, ukulele covers of pop songs, bootleg video, as well as music that I once loved in its original form.
Even when I did not perform a full frontal lobe assault on Youtube, I usually played music in the background as I read my email or performed other housekeeping activities. No more. As enjoyable as it once was, it now seems frivolous. The tunes cannot compete with the alarms going off in my head. My attention is fully directed to "overlooked" news. Music can indeed calm the savage beast. We don't need lullabys right now. We need to be snapped out of our slumber.
I used to read for recreation. That stopped in Spring of 2008. It has a lot to do with my 50+ hour work week, long commutes, the launching of new ventures and chronic domestic instability. But another factor is the brain washers in the room. I have a hard time concentrating/escaping from the day to day. One could argue that I have grown paranoid. They might be right.
Every day I assess the validity of my paranoia and every day I arrive at the same conclusion: Paranoia is justified on a few grounds. 1.) The United States has never faced a more power-hungry Administration than this one. There is not a single industry they do not want to control (their preferred term is regulate.) They bury the takeover of the student loan industry in the health care bill. While the dupes are watching this hand...
2.) We have never seen deception on a scale that we now see it. Yes, deception is part of politics and part of life. But we have never seen an administration with secret czars and advisors who skirt the vetting process. We have never elected a more msyterious man to the highest office in the land. And yes, it is significant that he has a social security number that would ordinarily be granted to a Connecticut native and he has never resided in that state.
The duplicity is unending with this administration. Congress passes 3,000 page bills that are too large for even our elected officials to read. Worse yet, WE CANNOT EVEN FIND OUT WHO WRITES THESE OVERSIZED BILLS!!! There was deceptive campaign financing on Obama's part and on and on and on. We have never witnessed anything like this band of thugs.
3.) Media docility. Need I elaborate?
4.) Citizen docility. You hate Bush. Gotcha. You hate Palin. Gotcha. You hate Republicans. Gotcha. You hate the Tea Party. Gotcha. But put down the delicious Kool-Aid for five minutes and take a long look at the cult leader to whom you have pledged your unwavering loyalty. Take a look at the man behind the curtain and his merry band of thugs. Take a long look!
My world view has changed. We thought that mind control would arrive with Orwellian brutality or Huxley's soma. What arrived was a mind control that is much more subtle and much more sophisticated. It is hard to grasp and harder to define. Mostly, it is mind control based on style and image and pretense and deception. Madison Avenue's greatest triumph.
Vigilance comes with a price. Someday I suppose I will "get a life." For now, I am proudly paranoid. I have changed. Change I can believe in.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
WildCard Wednesday: Oil From Plastic. Thanks Mooseman.
REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN AMERICANS COULD INVENT STUFF LIKE THIS?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Postscript: Sarah Palin's TV Show
In an age of remote control, we frequently watch programming we did not intend to watch. Such is the case with "Sarah Palin's Alaska." Unforeseen events directed me to the living room and while there I flipped the TV to the football game. It was the 4th quarter of a close game (Giants v. Eagles) but there was a disputed call and I knew how long those things can drag on.
So I flipped over to Sarah Palin. In this episode the Governor and her oldest daughter, Bristol, help some commercial halibut fishermen. I had no idea that halibut were so big. But the coolest thing is that once you land them on deck, you have to whack them in the head with a billy club to kill them, careful not to miss the head and damage the meat.
They tastefully edited the film (sigh) but we get a glimpse of Sarah clubbing a halibut. She then orders her daughter to club the next hooked fish. El kabong! I retract my statement that I could never find this show interesting. It was a slice of heaven.
I don't hide my love and respect for Sarah Palin and yes, I hope she runs in 2012. Viewing her show has galvanized my affection for this tough broad. Run Sarah Run!
So I flipped over to Sarah Palin. In this episode the Governor and her oldest daughter, Bristol, help some commercial halibut fishermen. I had no idea that halibut were so big. But the coolest thing is that once you land them on deck, you have to whack them in the head with a billy club to kill them, careful not to miss the head and damage the meat.
They tastefully edited the film (sigh) but we get a glimpse of Sarah clubbing a halibut. She then orders her daughter to club the next hooked fish. El kabong! I retract my statement that I could never find this show interesting. It was a slice of heaven.
I don't hide my love and respect for Sarah Palin and yes, I hope she runs in 2012. Viewing her show has galvanized my affection for this tough broad. Run Sarah Run!
Media Monday: Fox Pundits Bash Palin
This is priceless. For the record I have not seen and do not care to view Palin's TV show. The format of the show is not interesting to me. As much as I like her, Palin is becoming one more media hack.
Behold Judith Miller. She has a "NYT" pedigree and I read and appreciated "Germs." I honestly cannot remember the other panelists's names and it is not all that important. What is important is the innocence (or is naivete the better term?) of the ruling class. Their only reference point to anything and everything is what the other media elitists say about a topic. The media bubble.
I was going to use the title "Hacks Quoting Hacks About Hacks" but Palin is not a political hack (a media hack? that is another question.) Not yet anyway. She is a politically unorthodox player who might get the last laugh.
LET US LAUGH AT THE FOOLISH PEASANT WOMAN
Behold Judith Miller. She has a "NYT" pedigree and I read and appreciated "Germs." I honestly cannot remember the other panelists's names and it is not all that important. What is important is the innocence (or is naivete the better term?) of the ruling class. Their only reference point to anything and everything is what the other media elitists say about a topic. The media bubble.
I was going to use the title "Hacks Quoting Hacks About Hacks" but Palin is not a political hack (a media hack? that is another question.) Not yet anyway. She is a politically unorthodox player who might get the last laugh.
LET US LAUGH AT THE FOOLISH PEASANT WOMAN
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday Worship: You Can't Make This Up
Take your best shot at Palin's supporters. Or McCain's. Or Bush's. Or Hillary's. Or the supporters of any politician in the world. Whatever else can be said about the supporter of EVERY other politician on the planet, they are not so deluded as to deify their heroes.
In this respect, Obama is different from every other politician. He has embraced and fostered and never disavowed the cultists who LITERALLY worship him. While much can be said (and should be said) about the cult followers, we should first focus our attention on the messianic figure who invites and cultivates this worship. Jim Jones is gone but his spirit is still with us.
OBAMA SUPPORTERS EXERCISING THEIR FREEDOM OF RELIGION
In this respect, Obama is different from every other politician. He has embraced and fostered and never disavowed the cultists who LITERALLY worship him. While much can be said (and should be said) about the cult followers, we should first focus our attention on the messianic figure who invites and cultivates this worship. Jim Jones is gone but his spirit is still with us.
OBAMA SUPPORTERS EXERCISING THEIR FREEDOM OF RELIGION
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sellebrity Saturday: How We Got An Empty Suit In The White House
SHILLS SHILLING FOR THE ULTIMATE SHILL
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Removing The Tumor
In 1976, Ronald Reagan challenged Gerald Ford in the GOP primary. He failed in his endeavor and then watched Jimmy Carter win the presidency in November. As an aside, this election has a lot of parallels to the nascent Tea Party nominating idealogues at the risk of hurting the GOP establishment. But let's put that aside for now.
In 1980, Ted Kennedy ran against the incumbent, Jimmy Carter in the Democratic Primary. He lost and Carter lost to Reagan in November. For all the chatter about the Reagan Revolution, I doubt if he could have done it without Teddy (and John Anderson also deserves an assist from the official scorer.) Another aside. Teddy's motives will never make sense to me. He could have had the nomination in 1976 but he refused to run and Carter filled the void. He refused to shake Carter's hand at the inauguration and he succeeded in turning the press against Carter. If the real story of this real rivalry has ever surfaced, I am not aware of it. But that's an aside.
In 1992 a blowhard by the name of Pat Buchanan challenged George H. W. Bush (#41) and lost the election. Bush would then lose in November. Yes, Ross Perot might have won the election for Bill Clinton and there are a lot of "what ifs," but it is safe to say that Buchanan did not help Bush.
In the past thirty years, there have been 3 serious intra-party challenges to a sitting president. Each time, the results were the same: The challenger lost in the spring or summer and the incumbent lost in the fall.
Power brokers are generally smart people. They might now recognize that Obama is a tumor on the brain of the Democratic Party and the special interests who ride in the draft but they also recognize the complications involved in removing the tumor. It is a delicate procedure.
There might be an electoral challenge to Obama in the primaries but who could beat him? The most logical choice would Hillary but she is a member of the Obama Administration. She has been called a carpetbagger before and I don't think she wants to wear that dress again.
Evan Bayh wants to be president but he has voted in lock step with Obama. What would his slogan be? "Just like him but better?" Andrew Cuomo and Jerry Brown would be formidable rivals but their respective states demand too much attention at the moment. Does anyone have Dick Gephardt's number?
And of course, whoever gets the nomination will probably face a hornet's nest electorate that will make the 2010 voters seem friendly. It just is not an attractive offer. But in the corridors of power the scalpels (figurative at this point) are being sharpened. Plans are being made. What plans?
If one wishes to remove the tumor, it would be wise to do so sooner rather than later. If the Dems give up the White House, it could be a long time before they regain it. 8 years? 12 years? Possibly longer! The stakes are high. An entire generation of Democratic leaders are in peril. This is not an exaggeration. If the tumor is removed in the coming weeks, there will still be time for recuperation and perhaps a little reconstructive surgery. The White House might be salvaged.
But just how does one remove a sitting president? Delicately. Very delicately. Obama is the most secretive president in US History. (OK, we'll put aside the mysterious Abe Lincoln and his imprecise birthplace and his non-existent law school records. Obama is the most mysterious president since Abe Lincoln! How's that?) Obama is also a narcissist. Part of him would love to reveal his records for all to see so the world could further marvel at his unending brilliance. If only...Rest assured, he is secretive for good reason.
Powerful people will probably ask Obama to step aside. Even then, a cover story would be needed. Presidents don't just pack up and leave. Unh unh. A president has to be forced out of office either by scandal, election or term limits. An undisclosed health problem that he was justified in keeping private from the goons in the press? Complications from smoking? Dignity is left intact and a crusade (oops. A man-made contingency correction) is launched. The Misocapnist Poster Child! Give that man a Nobel Prize!
But is anyone betting against surgical complications? Obama and Axelrod will probably not go quietly into that good night. If the power brokers are forced to pry Obama out of his seat, they will do so with the crowbar of scandal. Once more, delicacy is required. The scandal has to be newly-discovered. Wink. Wink. Nod. Nod.
The mainstream media are losing credibility by the heartbeat. They cannot afford to be perceived as covering up a scandal for their favorite pet. All the king's horses and all the king's men will have a hard time reconstructing the yolk and shell of the fourth estate if they knowingly spiked a damaging story.
If Obama is on the top of the ticket in 2012, the Democrats might lose another 60 House seats, The Senate and the White House. Obama promised us hope and change. He might soon deliver on those promises.
In 1980, Ted Kennedy ran against the incumbent, Jimmy Carter in the Democratic Primary. He lost and Carter lost to Reagan in November. For all the chatter about the Reagan Revolution, I doubt if he could have done it without Teddy (and John Anderson also deserves an assist from the official scorer.) Another aside. Teddy's motives will never make sense to me. He could have had the nomination in 1976 but he refused to run and Carter filled the void. He refused to shake Carter's hand at the inauguration and he succeeded in turning the press against Carter. If the real story of this real rivalry has ever surfaced, I am not aware of it. But that's an aside.
In 1992 a blowhard by the name of Pat Buchanan challenged George H. W. Bush (#41) and lost the election. Bush would then lose in November. Yes, Ross Perot might have won the election for Bill Clinton and there are a lot of "what ifs," but it is safe to say that Buchanan did not help Bush.
In the past thirty years, there have been 3 serious intra-party challenges to a sitting president. Each time, the results were the same: The challenger lost in the spring or summer and the incumbent lost in the fall.
Power brokers are generally smart people. They might now recognize that Obama is a tumor on the brain of the Democratic Party and the special interests who ride in the draft but they also recognize the complications involved in removing the tumor. It is a delicate procedure.
There might be an electoral challenge to Obama in the primaries but who could beat him? The most logical choice would Hillary but she is a member of the Obama Administration. She has been called a carpetbagger before and I don't think she wants to wear that dress again.
Evan Bayh wants to be president but he has voted in lock step with Obama. What would his slogan be? "Just like him but better?" Andrew Cuomo and Jerry Brown would be formidable rivals but their respective states demand too much attention at the moment. Does anyone have Dick Gephardt's number?
And of course, whoever gets the nomination will probably face a hornet's nest electorate that will make the 2010 voters seem friendly. It just is not an attractive offer. But in the corridors of power the scalpels (figurative at this point) are being sharpened. Plans are being made. What plans?
If one wishes to remove the tumor, it would be wise to do so sooner rather than later. If the Dems give up the White House, it could be a long time before they regain it. 8 years? 12 years? Possibly longer! The stakes are high. An entire generation of Democratic leaders are in peril. This is not an exaggeration. If the tumor is removed in the coming weeks, there will still be time for recuperation and perhaps a little reconstructive surgery. The White House might be salvaged.
But just how does one remove a sitting president? Delicately. Very delicately. Obama is the most secretive president in US History. (OK, we'll put aside the mysterious Abe Lincoln and his imprecise birthplace and his non-existent law school records. Obama is the most mysterious president since Abe Lincoln! How's that?) Obama is also a narcissist. Part of him would love to reveal his records for all to see so the world could further marvel at his unending brilliance. If only...Rest assured, he is secretive for good reason.
Powerful people will probably ask Obama to step aside. Even then, a cover story would be needed. Presidents don't just pack up and leave. Unh unh. A president has to be forced out of office either by scandal, election or term limits. An undisclosed health problem that he was justified in keeping private from the goons in the press? Complications from smoking? Dignity is left intact and a crusade (oops. A man-made contingency correction) is launched. The Misocapnist Poster Child! Give that man a Nobel Prize!
But is anyone betting against surgical complications? Obama and Axelrod will probably not go quietly into that good night. If the power brokers are forced to pry Obama out of his seat, they will do so with the crowbar of scandal. Once more, delicacy is required. The scandal has to be newly-discovered. Wink. Wink. Nod. Nod.
The mainstream media are losing credibility by the heartbeat. They cannot afford to be perceived as covering up a scandal for their favorite pet. All the king's horses and all the king's men will have a hard time reconstructing the yolk and shell of the fourth estate if they knowingly spiked a damaging story.
If Obama is on the top of the ticket in 2012, the Democrats might lose another 60 House seats, The Senate and the White House. Obama promised us hope and change. He might soon deliver on those promises.
Half-Baked Alaska
I have to salute Lisa Murcowski for waging possibly the best comeback in US political history. Yes, I was pulling for Miller but Murcowski now has my respect as a fighter. She had a reputation of a trust fund baby who was given a Senate seat. A pampered princess who never had to work for anything.
Well, Murcowski had to fight to win this battle and fight she did. She will be a political force to be reckoned with. She will receive a lot of favorable media coverage simply because she hates Palin. When MSNBC needs a "even his/her/their party member says..." template, Murcowski will deliver. The Dems answer to Joe Lieberman.
As for Joe Miller, ce la vie. You publicly dissed Palin, you slimy ingrate. Plug in cliches here about dancing with the girl who took you to the dance and biting hands that dispense nourishment. Palin made you a rising star and you betrayed her in a matter of weeks. Go back to Yale, Mr. Big Shot. Good riddance.
Well, Murcowski had to fight to win this battle and fight she did. She will be a political force to be reckoned with. She will receive a lot of favorable media coverage simply because she hates Palin. When MSNBC needs a "even his/her/their party member says..." template, Murcowski will deliver. The Dems answer to Joe Lieberman.
As for Joe Miller, ce la vie. You publicly dissed Palin, you slimy ingrate. Plug in cliches here about dancing with the girl who took you to the dance and biting hands that dispense nourishment. Palin made you a rising star and you betrayed her in a matter of weeks. Go back to Yale, Mr. Big Shot. Good riddance.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Everything We Need To Know About The News Media We Learned From Joe The Plumber And That International Man of Mystery
You know where I'm going with this. Two years after the 2008 Presidential Election we still have large gaps in knowledge about Barack Hussein Obama. But we learned the intimate details of Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher within a day of his arrival on the national scene. That sort of thing does not happen by accident.
To briefly review, Candidate Obama wandered over to Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher's front yard on October 12, 2008. They briefly chatted and Mr. Wurzelbacher politely asked the candidate a general question about his proposed tax plan.
Withing hours, the details of Wurzelbacher's life were shot into the air to be viewed like a summer fireworks show. They might have missed his most recent prostate exam but they put everything else on display.
From Wikipedia:
Regarding his statement to Barack Obama about intending to buy the plumbing firm that employed him, Wurzelbacher later said that the idea of buying the company was discussed during his job interview six years prior.[6] According to MSNBC and Fox News, court records show that Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006.[16] Dun & Bradstreet's report estimated that A. W. Newell Corporation, the full corporate name, had $510,000 in annual sales and eight employees.[42] As part of the background on McCain's use of "Joe the Plumber," several media outlets researched his professional plumbing credentials. One Toledo Blade article stated, "Mr. Wurzelbacher said he works under Al Newell’s license, but according to Ohio building regulations, he must maintain his own license to do plumbing work. He is also not registered to operate as a plumber in Ohio, which means he’s not a plumber." "Mr. Joseph [business manager of the local union] said Mr. Wurzelbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country."[43] Wurzelbacher has since stated that he is no longer employed at Newell.[1]
ABC News reported on October 16, 2008, that there was a judgment lien against Wurzelbacher for non-payment of $1,182 in owed Ohio state income taxes dating to January 2007, but "no action has been taken against him outside of filing the lien." Barb Losie, deputy clerk of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, said that "there is a 99 percent chance [Wurzelbacher] doesn't know about the lien, unless he did a credit report or was ready to pay his taxes."[44] While on Hannity & Colmes, Wurzelbacher stated that he was unaware of the tax lien prior to it being reported in the press, and thought he was being attacked because of his question to Obama.[45]
Clearly, when the mainstream media want us to know something, we are informed. Clearly, when their interests or biases are threatened, the news media will expend considerable effort to protect their interests or biases. Clearly, they will use their massive power to intimidate. This last point cannot be underemphasized. Just how newsworthy was Wurzelbacher's $1,182 tax lien? Like it or not, it would lead the news cycle.
Before we put aside Joe The Plumber, let's look once more at Wikipedia. They following tidbits might not link directly back to the Fourth Estate but they have been known to use civilians to cover their tracks.
Main article: Controversial Ohio database searches of Joe Wurzelbacher
Prior to the 2008 election, Vanessa Niekamp, an employee of Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services, at the behest of its director, Helen Jones-Kelley, used state computers to search for information on Joe Wurzelbacher. On November 20, 2008, Niekamp reported the violation to the State Inspector General. When state and local officials completed an investigation into Jones-Kelley's order, concluding that the searches were improper.[70][71] On December 17, 2008, Jones-Kelley resigned.[72] In response to the event, Republican Ohio state representative Shannon Jones sponsored House Bill 648, which mandates civil and criminal penalties for improper access of personal information on state databases.[73] On January 6, 2009, Governor Ted Strickland signed the legislation,[74] which became effective after 90 days.[75]
On March 5, 2009, on behalf of Joe Wurzelbacher, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Columbus[76] charging that Jones-Kelley and fellow ODJFS employees Fred Williams and Doug Thompson improperly searched "confidential state databases" in an attempt to retaliate against Wurzelbacher's criticism of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.[76] The lawsuit claims that "officials of the State of Ohio violated Mr. Wurzelbacher's constitutional rights,"[77] and that "Wurzelbacher suffered emotional distress, harassment, and embarrassment as a result of the search."[78] Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, stated that "no American should be investigated for simply asking a question of a public official."[79] The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages.[78] On August 4, 2010, the U.S District Court in Columbus dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that the privacy violation didn't amount to a constitutional violation to the right to privacy. Judicial Watch stated it will appeal. [80]
On October 14, 2009, the Columbus Dispatch reported that, "A former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police has been charged with rummaging through state computers to retrieve confidential information about 'Joe the Plumber.'" The State Highway Patrol has stated that, "this individual has also used a law-enforcement computer network on Oct. 16, 2008 to access personal information about Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher."[81]
Yes, the dinosaur media can still intimidate.
Now let's view the media's treatment of our International Man of Mystery.
THIS VIDEO GROWS MORE CHILLING WITH EACH PASSING DAY
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
It is because they don't want us to know!
To briefly review, Candidate Obama wandered over to Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher's front yard on October 12, 2008. They briefly chatted and Mr. Wurzelbacher politely asked the candidate a general question about his proposed tax plan.
Withing hours, the details of Wurzelbacher's life were shot into the air to be viewed like a summer fireworks show. They might have missed his most recent prostate exam but they put everything else on display.
From Wikipedia:
Regarding his statement to Barack Obama about intending to buy the plumbing firm that employed him, Wurzelbacher later said that the idea of buying the company was discussed during his job interview six years prior.[6] According to MSNBC and Fox News, court records show that Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006.[16] Dun & Bradstreet's report estimated that A. W. Newell Corporation, the full corporate name, had $510,000 in annual sales and eight employees.[42] As part of the background on McCain's use of "Joe the Plumber," several media outlets researched his professional plumbing credentials. One Toledo Blade article stated, "Mr. Wurzelbacher said he works under Al Newell’s license, but according to Ohio building regulations, he must maintain his own license to do plumbing work. He is also not registered to operate as a plumber in Ohio, which means he’s not a plumber." "Mr. Joseph [business manager of the local union] said Mr. Wurzelbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country."[43] Wurzelbacher has since stated that he is no longer employed at Newell.[1]
ABC News reported on October 16, 2008, that there was a judgment lien against Wurzelbacher for non-payment of $1,182 in owed Ohio state income taxes dating to January 2007, but "no action has been taken against him outside of filing the lien." Barb Losie, deputy clerk of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, said that "there is a 99 percent chance [Wurzelbacher] doesn't know about the lien, unless he did a credit report or was ready to pay his taxes."[44] While on Hannity & Colmes, Wurzelbacher stated that he was unaware of the tax lien prior to it being reported in the press, and thought he was being attacked because of his question to Obama.[45]
Clearly, when the mainstream media want us to know something, we are informed. Clearly, when their interests or biases are threatened, the news media will expend considerable effort to protect their interests or biases. Clearly, they will use their massive power to intimidate. This last point cannot be underemphasized. Just how newsworthy was Wurzelbacher's $1,182 tax lien? Like it or not, it would lead the news cycle.
Before we put aside Joe The Plumber, let's look once more at Wikipedia. They following tidbits might not link directly back to the Fourth Estate but they have been known to use civilians to cover their tracks.
Main article: Controversial Ohio database searches of Joe Wurzelbacher
Prior to the 2008 election, Vanessa Niekamp, an employee of Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services, at the behest of its director, Helen Jones-Kelley, used state computers to search for information on Joe Wurzelbacher. On November 20, 2008, Niekamp reported the violation to the State Inspector General. When state and local officials completed an investigation into Jones-Kelley's order, concluding that the searches were improper.[70][71] On December 17, 2008, Jones-Kelley resigned.[72] In response to the event, Republican Ohio state representative Shannon Jones sponsored House Bill 648, which mandates civil and criminal penalties for improper access of personal information on state databases.[73] On January 6, 2009, Governor Ted Strickland signed the legislation,[74] which became effective after 90 days.[75]
On March 5, 2009, on behalf of Joe Wurzelbacher, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in Columbus[76] charging that Jones-Kelley and fellow ODJFS employees Fred Williams and Doug Thompson improperly searched "confidential state databases" in an attempt to retaliate against Wurzelbacher's criticism of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.[76] The lawsuit claims that "officials of the State of Ohio violated Mr. Wurzelbacher's constitutional rights,"[77] and that "Wurzelbacher suffered emotional distress, harassment, and embarrassment as a result of the search."[78] Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, stated that "no American should be investigated for simply asking a question of a public official."[79] The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive damages.[78] On August 4, 2010, the U.S District Court in Columbus dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that the privacy violation didn't amount to a constitutional violation to the right to privacy. Judicial Watch stated it will appeal. [80]
On October 14, 2009, the Columbus Dispatch reported that, "A former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police has been charged with rummaging through state computers to retrieve confidential information about 'Joe the Plumber.'" The State Highway Patrol has stated that, "this individual has also used a law-enforcement computer network on Oct. 16, 2008 to access personal information about Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher."[81]
Yes, the dinosaur media can still intimidate.
Now let's view the media's treatment of our International Man of Mystery.
THIS VIDEO GROWS MORE CHILLING WITH EACH PASSING DAY
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
TWO YEARS AFTER THE ELECTION WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!
It is because they don't want us to know!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
When You Come To A Fork In The Road, Take It.
Post 11/2 I don't feel the same need to point out the numerous deficienciesof Barack Obama. History will judge BHO harshly but not so harshly as she judges the news media. I am discouraged from blogging further about Obama because I don't think there are any unbiased souls to win over. Sad but true, 30-40% of the voting public will vote for Obama no matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
Obama's base now consists of hard core political fundamentalists who have no time or room for facts. If a person cannot see the buffoonery of Obama by now, they will never see it because they don't want to see it. If they don't see his hostility to America it is because they just don't want to see it. If they cannot see his vapididty, his pettiness, his petulance, his arrogance, his narcissism, his incompetence and his extreme secretivity, it is because they choose to ignore these traits.
I would make a poor politician because I am more concerned with being right than winning. Owing to my idealistic streak, I frequently vote for losers and lost causes. So it does not particularly interest me to march as a foot soldier in the battle to unseat Obama. I feel that I have done my part to expose the pampered one for the empty suit that he is. Besides, I believe a Humpty Dumpty situation is fast developing.
It's not that I don't want to cease blogging but I'm not sure in which direction I will be going. Obama was and is a puppet of big media. The puppet masters are the real enemy. But then again, how much longer will they be around? I saw a blog (I can't find the citation but I will work on it) that said "The New York Times" revenue was down 82% from the previous quarter. Not even eggheads in bow ties will be able to make those numbers work for very long. It's one thng to joust with windmills and another to joust with a pile of rubble.
So I am not sure how regularly I will be blogging. Obama has made the case for me that he is a national disaster. For now, I rest my case.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
No matter what.
Obama's base now consists of hard core political fundamentalists who have no time or room for facts. If a person cannot see the buffoonery of Obama by now, they will never see it because they don't want to see it. If they don't see his hostility to America it is because they just don't want to see it. If they cannot see his vapididty, his pettiness, his petulance, his arrogance, his narcissism, his incompetence and his extreme secretivity, it is because they choose to ignore these traits.
I would make a poor politician because I am more concerned with being right than winning. Owing to my idealistic streak, I frequently vote for losers and lost causes. So it does not particularly interest me to march as a foot soldier in the battle to unseat Obama. I feel that I have done my part to expose the pampered one for the empty suit that he is. Besides, I believe a Humpty Dumpty situation is fast developing.
It's not that I don't want to cease blogging but I'm not sure in which direction I will be going. Obama was and is a puppet of big media. The puppet masters are the real enemy. But then again, how much longer will they be around? I saw a blog (I can't find the citation but I will work on it) that said "The New York Times" revenue was down 82% from the previous quarter. Not even eggheads in bow ties will be able to make those numbers work for very long. It's one thng to joust with windmills and another to joust with a pile of rubble.
So I am not sure how regularly I will be blogging. Obama has made the case for me that he is a national disaster. For now, I rest my case.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
One of The Funniest Videos I Have Ever Seen
Ok, this might not be as humorous as cheerleader mishaps, soccer stadia collapsing or the pure bliss of witnessing a fat chick fall off a trampoline, but this is good stuff. Whereas we might laugh WITH the pom pom girl who gets devoured by the team mascot, we clearly laugh AT the ignorance of the useful idiots who occupy America's Left. Yes, Amreica's Left in all their claims to intellectual superiority. Oh they are so, so brilliant. Sarah Palin? Bah Hah Hah! And BA-ROCK is, umm, how do you say Zgeen-yis? He is so smart. You cannot understand his brill-yance. You are too stoo-peed.
The dude at 1:10 gets the joke and his companion seems to get it too. For the rest of the crowd, all we can do is wish them hope and change.
SALUTING OUR INTELLECTUAL SUPERIORS
The dude at 1:10 gets the joke and his companion seems to get it too. For the rest of the crowd, all we can do is wish them hope and change.
SALUTING OUR INTELLECTUAL SUPERIORS
Thursday, November 11, 2010
On Creating Jobs
Recently Glenn Beck wrote on his chalkboard that government does not create jobs. I have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Beck. I can name four quick government programs that produced more jobs than we can count.
1. TVA. The Tennessee Valley Authority...This program provided electricty to rural homes throughout the Southeast and laid the groundwork for an industrial base that is still thriving.
2. The Interstate Highway System...Need I elaborate?
3. NASA...NASA was not created for the purpose of sparking a dozen or so new industries but it did just that. From cordless power tools to water filtration systems to the smoke detector to cordless power tools, NASA laid the groundwork for a host of new industries.
4. DARPA/Internet...Need I elaborate?
In each of these examples, we are talking about relatively small amounts of money that spun off entire industries. This is especially true of NASA and the Internet. These programs represent our nation at its best.
Also in each of these programs, the government sent its funds to engineers to perform specific tasks. It's brutally simple. The environmentalists, the social workers and the silly ass academics were excluded from funding. We rewarded people who worked vs. people who obstruct work.
I wish we had high speed rails to compete against the airlines. I wish for a lot of things. But I don't necessarily advocate for my wish list because we live in an era of incompetence and rampant corruption. Compare the costs of laying a cross continental highway system vs. Boston's Big Dig. The Big Dig was laden with excessive costs overruns and they were met with a collective shrug. It's sad that we just accept corruption and incompetence as part of the game. See New Orleans for exhibit B.
The Department of Energy never fulfilled its stated mission. Why? Overpoliticalization? A pork barrel mentality? Poor administration? The rise of environmentalists and silly bastards our fathers and grandfathers would have laughed at? I don't know.
We can add HUD and Department of Education to a longer list of programs that drained our resourcs but have little to show for results. I don't know if TVA or our highways could be built today and if they could, I don't know if we could control costs. It is hard to seperate fiscal recklessness from systemic corruption. But it is essential that we start to do so.
We rarely examine why some government programs succeed beyond their stated mission and some of them are forever trust fund babies. It might serve us well to look at these things. This goes beyond administration or political party or coalition. Should we more closely scrutinize these issues?
Nah...Just send us a check.
1. TVA. The Tennessee Valley Authority...This program provided electricty to rural homes throughout the Southeast and laid the groundwork for an industrial base that is still thriving.
2. The Interstate Highway System...Need I elaborate?
3. NASA...NASA was not created for the purpose of sparking a dozen or so new industries but it did just that. From cordless power tools to water filtration systems to the smoke detector to cordless power tools, NASA laid the groundwork for a host of new industries.
4. DARPA/Internet...Need I elaborate?
In each of these examples, we are talking about relatively small amounts of money that spun off entire industries. This is especially true of NASA and the Internet. These programs represent our nation at its best.
Also in each of these programs, the government sent its funds to engineers to perform specific tasks. It's brutally simple. The environmentalists, the social workers and the silly ass academics were excluded from funding. We rewarded people who worked vs. people who obstruct work.
I wish we had high speed rails to compete against the airlines. I wish for a lot of things. But I don't necessarily advocate for my wish list because we live in an era of incompetence and rampant corruption. Compare the costs of laying a cross continental highway system vs. Boston's Big Dig. The Big Dig was laden with excessive costs overruns and they were met with a collective shrug. It's sad that we just accept corruption and incompetence as part of the game. See New Orleans for exhibit B.
The Department of Energy never fulfilled its stated mission. Why? Overpoliticalization? A pork barrel mentality? Poor administration? The rise of environmentalists and silly bastards our fathers and grandfathers would have laughed at? I don't know.
We can add HUD and Department of Education to a longer list of programs that drained our resourcs but have little to show for results. I don't know if TVA or our highways could be built today and if they could, I don't know if we could control costs. It is hard to seperate fiscal recklessness from systemic corruption. But it is essential that we start to do so.
We rarely examine why some government programs succeed beyond their stated mission and some of them are forever trust fund babies. It might serve us well to look at these things. This goes beyond administration or political party or coalition. Should we more closely scrutinize these issues?
Nah...Just send us a check.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Obama In The Room
I did not want to speculate about what the Dems might do in 2012 until after 11/2. Now we can faintly hear the cauldron bubble and it's only a matter of time until Obama is pushed aside. The damage he has done to our country can be dismissed by Democratic operatives. But leading their political party over a cliff? That wil not be forgiven.
There is blood in the water and the sharks are in a frenzy. The sardines will be scarfed up and the big fish will take a little break. They will then turn their attention to one another. Who's bleeding now? (How's that for nautical metaphor, Mr. Ayers?)
Inconvenient truth #2097. Obama cannot get on the Arizona ballot in 2012 without a valid birth certificate. Maybe the courts will overturn this legislation. Given the mood in Arizona, I doubt very much that it will be repealed. Meanwhile, the GOP has taken control of most state houses. Remember the slogan "We are all Arizona?" That might be reprised.
As bad as 11/2 was for the Dems, 2012 could be much worse. With a favorable name at the top of the GOP ticket and Bozo the Clown heading up the Dems, another sixty seats is possible. The Senate will be either a majority or a super majority.
The Dems are going to fish and cut bait. If you suffer from a festering woundyou might not want to hover near Howard Dean. Those knives are as sharp as ever.
There is blood in the water and the sharks are in a frenzy. The sardines will be scarfed up and the big fish will take a little break. They will then turn their attention to one another. Who's bleeding now? (How's that for nautical metaphor, Mr. Ayers?)
Inconvenient truth #2097. Obama cannot get on the Arizona ballot in 2012 without a valid birth certificate. Maybe the courts will overturn this legislation. Given the mood in Arizona, I doubt very much that it will be repealed. Meanwhile, the GOP has taken control of most state houses. Remember the slogan "We are all Arizona?" That might be reprised.
As bad as 11/2 was for the Dems, 2012 could be much worse. With a favorable name at the top of the GOP ticket and Bozo the Clown heading up the Dems, another sixty seats is possible. The Senate will be either a majority or a super majority.
The Dems are going to fish and cut bait. If you suffer from a festering woundyou might not want to hover near Howard Dean. Those knives are as sharp as ever.
My Good Friend, X
My good friend, X, is a rare liberal. That is, he does not seem to take offense if you disagree with him. Rare indeed.
X subscribes to "New York Times." He also reads "The Boston Globe" and he listens to NPR. X is amazingly well-informed. He understands the Mideast better than I ever will, though that does not necessarily say very much. He reads books like "Fast Food Nation" and practices vegetarianism. He is well-versed on matters related to animal abuse and animal cruelty. He could certainly make the case that I am ignorant on a multitude of subjects and I would not have anything to say in my defense.
X and I frequently see the world through different lenses. He seems to view the Tea Party candidates in exactly the way the Far Left portays them: Extreme, incompetent, stupid, crazy, dangerous. On most issues, X's opinions approximate the opinions of the editorial page.
Not too surprisingly, X voted for Obama. Only recently have we discussed the subject of our exalted leader. As of three or four weeks ago, X had never heard of George Soros. That surprised me. I expect the Hope Dopes to be unable to identify Soros (or right hand from left hand, big toe from pinky) but X is not a Hope Dope.
X and I chatted a few days after the election. I made the comment that maybe now Obama will be vetted. He did not know what I was talking about. I explained to him that Obama has never released his records from Occidental, Columbia or Harvard Law School (to say nothing of other records as well.) X had never heard about this. Apparently, NYT/NPR does not find Obama's secrecy newsworthy.
Obama's handlers have done a masterful job of spinning everything we know about the candidate and the president. They have focused on the Kenyan angle and Orly Taitz performance art to divert our attention away from everything, yes everything, in Obama's past. We know him only by what he has told us of himself in his two books. They might dumpster dive in Wasilla but there is no need to delve into their guy's past.
What will Obama's hidden records reveal? Maybe that he flunked math or wrote on the virtues of this ideology or that or that his narrative style did not resemble the narrative style employed in his books. They don't hire multiple law firms to cover up his membership on the debate team.
If there are bone chips in Obama's closet, the purveyors of high brow journalism will not find them. Obama's extreme secrecy would not have been tolerated by anyone else now or in the past. Not even the Kennedys were coddled to the degree that the chosen one has been coddled.
But then there was November 2 and high level Dems are running scared. Obama is the albatross around their neck and political winds can change swiftly. Hope is here and change might be right around the corner.
X subscribes to "New York Times." He also reads "The Boston Globe" and he listens to NPR. X is amazingly well-informed. He understands the Mideast better than I ever will, though that does not necessarily say very much. He reads books like "Fast Food Nation" and practices vegetarianism. He is well-versed on matters related to animal abuse and animal cruelty. He could certainly make the case that I am ignorant on a multitude of subjects and I would not have anything to say in my defense.
X and I frequently see the world through different lenses. He seems to view the Tea Party candidates in exactly the way the Far Left portays them: Extreme, incompetent, stupid, crazy, dangerous. On most issues, X's opinions approximate the opinions of the editorial page.
Not too surprisingly, X voted for Obama. Only recently have we discussed the subject of our exalted leader. As of three or four weeks ago, X had never heard of George Soros. That surprised me. I expect the Hope Dopes to be unable to identify Soros (or right hand from left hand, big toe from pinky) but X is not a Hope Dope.
X and I chatted a few days after the election. I made the comment that maybe now Obama will be vetted. He did not know what I was talking about. I explained to him that Obama has never released his records from Occidental, Columbia or Harvard Law School (to say nothing of other records as well.) X had never heard about this. Apparently, NYT/NPR does not find Obama's secrecy newsworthy.
Obama's handlers have done a masterful job of spinning everything we know about the candidate and the president. They have focused on the Kenyan angle and Orly Taitz performance art to divert our attention away from everything, yes everything, in Obama's past. We know him only by what he has told us of himself in his two books. They might dumpster dive in Wasilla but there is no need to delve into their guy's past.
What will Obama's hidden records reveal? Maybe that he flunked math or wrote on the virtues of this ideology or that or that his narrative style did not resemble the narrative style employed in his books. They don't hire multiple law firms to cover up his membership on the debate team.
If there are bone chips in Obama's closet, the purveyors of high brow journalism will not find them. Obama's extreme secrecy would not have been tolerated by anyone else now or in the past. Not even the Kennedys were coddled to the degree that the chosen one has been coddled.
But then there was November 2 and high level Dems are running scared. Obama is the albatross around their neck and political winds can change swiftly. Hope is here and change might be right around the corner.
Monday, November 8, 2010
One More Thing About Last Tuesday's Elections
A lot of California seats were won by the Democrats because Jerry Brown was on the top of the ticket. He is still massively popular, especially in his home state. If I am not mistaken, he has only lost two elections in his entire life and those were presidential primaries. In each case, he lost to the eventual winner. Each time, he made it interesting and made the pundits wonder aloud as to whether or not he could have won had he run a more conventional campaign. Brown is a political phenom.
Now the question arises, can JB rescue California from financial ruin? The odds are certainly against him. But it might take a governor with a solid relationship with public unions to rein in the unions. There are rumblings that the Dems will find someone to run against Obama in 2012. I cannot see JB running in 2012 because he has a full plate in the Golden State. And he will be 78 in 2016. But he can be a force for the Dems nonetheless. Oh yes.
Bill Clinton made a point to mend their fences recently. There is a purpose behind every Clinton move. Keep an eye on California.
Now the question arises, can JB rescue California from financial ruin? The odds are certainly against him. But it might take a governor with a solid relationship with public unions to rein in the unions. There are rumblings that the Dems will find someone to run against Obama in 2012. I cannot see JB running in 2012 because he has a full plate in the Golden State. And he will be 78 in 2016. But he can be a force for the Dems nonetheless. Oh yes.
Bill Clinton made a point to mend their fences recently. There is a purpose behind every Clinton move. Keep an eye on California.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Friedman vs. Donahue
The problem with this setup is that Friedman could answer Donahue's question a dozen different ways and they would all make sense. While I cannot fault Friedman for his thoughtful reply, just once I wish someone would take the limousine liberals to task. Phil Donahue made millions every year by advertising products directed at his female audience. Was that not exploitation? If Phil is so opposed to capitalism, why did he not take a vow of poverty? A lot of people have gone down that road. If that is too extreme, why not work for PBS at PBS wages? Or refuse to work for more than the US median income? Or the world median income?
This vid is only 2 plus minutes and yet there is no much contained herein. One, is Donahue's body language. I am not an expert in this subject but here Phil reminds me of one of my high school teachers who was a leftist and a condescending know it all. They share some of the same mannerisms including the feigned listening pose. I like Friedman but Donahue weirds me out to the point that I have a hard time watching this.
Uggghh.
PHIL ESTABLISHES HIS SMUG CRED
This vid is only 2 plus minutes and yet there is no much contained herein. One, is Donahue's body language. I am not an expert in this subject but here Phil reminds me of one of my high school teachers who was a leftist and a condescending know it all. They share some of the same mannerisms including the feigned listening pose. I like Friedman but Donahue weirds me out to the point that I have a hard time watching this.
Uggghh.
PHIL ESTABLISHES HIS SMUG CRED
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Where Do We Begin?
I picked a bad week to fall behind in my bloggging. So much going on. See if I can summarize.
1. If I could have spared one Democrat from a fate of forced retirement, I would have spared Ike Skelton. Thank you for your service, Congressman,
2. My favorite newcomer is Bobby Schilling. He is a pizza man who closes up shop on the Sabbath. He is the father of ten kids. The real life Mr. Deeds. It will break my heart if he sells us out.
3. The more I see of Marco Rubio, the more I understand why the Dems would want to kneecap this guy.
4. Keith Olbermann did NOT get suspended for making campaign contributions to political candidates. At $7.5 million he would be the most overpaid entity in entertainment if he was entertaining and he would be the most overpaid entity in the news world if he dispensed information. I don't know if he is the most overpaid person on the planet but he is certainly in the running for that distinction.
The idiots at MSNBC/NBC/GE are guilty of managerial malpractice and that is understating the situation. Olbermann was paid a megasalary to knock Bill O'Reilly off of his pedestal. O'Reilly is not even on top of his game and he routinely crushes Olbermann. Management is coming to grips with one of their numerous mistakes and they are doing whatever is needed to tank Olbermann and his massive salary. Shades of Don Imus here.
5. If the House does not investigate systemic voter fraud we need to elect a new Congress. Unfortunately, a new Congress of our choosing might not ever again be an option if we don't investigate systemic voter fraud.
6. I have no proof at all that the Dems dealt off the bottom of the deck in Nevada but it smells bad. Remind me to never again set foot in Harrah's.
7. Least Likely To Be Described As Beautiful Loser: Alan Grayson. And yet...even Grayson was in favor of auditing the Fed.
8. Audit The Fed.
9. An essay I have put ofF writing for two years is "My Economic Values." I need to cut to the chase and write the synopsis: I believe the strength of a currency is the most important economic indicator of all.
10. I am not thrilled with QE2. I don't trust Bernanke either.
11. Both major political parties are undergoing a civil war. The GOP skirmish might attract more interest but ultimately, The Dems will get uglier. Obama's most fervent enemies are not Conservatives or Republicans or Tea Party members but rather the disaffected Hillary voters. They did not "move on" and they did not "deal with it" or "get over it." These are largely decent people who take a dim view of voter fraud or the highjacking of their beloved party by ruthless thugs. This might have been the wrong hornet's nest to kick.
12. This comment from Hoosierman bears repeating. "We won big! It just doesn't feel like it. Now I read the Gop picked up 680 state legislators. (http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/11/devastation-gop.php)This may be the best outcome of the whole election."
13. A quick pep talk to Massachusetts voters: Don't get discouraged. You are taking on the political equivalent of the New York Yankees with what are now, rank amateurs. But those rank amateurs will be a little sharper in 2012, and your organization, the counter-machine, is coming along nicely. With the right name on the top of the ticket in 2012, the locals might just beat the Yankees next time around.
14. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching MSNBC this past week. Sure, they make us laugh but I sense that the clowns might be crying on the inside. To find joy in an ocean of sadness is commendable. But how much longer are they going to milk their victories in Delaware and Nevada? Could be a long time, because I don't see many more celebrations on their flat line horizon.
WE CONCLUDE WITH AN APPROPRIATE THEME SONG AND (SOME IRRELEVANT STUFF THAT WE ARE TOO LAZY TO DELETE)
1. If I could have spared one Democrat from a fate of forced retirement, I would have spared Ike Skelton. Thank you for your service, Congressman,
2. My favorite newcomer is Bobby Schilling. He is a pizza man who closes up shop on the Sabbath. He is the father of ten kids. The real life Mr. Deeds. It will break my heart if he sells us out.
3. The more I see of Marco Rubio, the more I understand why the Dems would want to kneecap this guy.
4. Keith Olbermann did NOT get suspended for making campaign contributions to political candidates. At $7.5 million he would be the most overpaid entity in entertainment if he was entertaining and he would be the most overpaid entity in the news world if he dispensed information. I don't know if he is the most overpaid person on the planet but he is certainly in the running for that distinction.
The idiots at MSNBC/NBC/GE are guilty of managerial malpractice and that is understating the situation. Olbermann was paid a megasalary to knock Bill O'Reilly off of his pedestal. O'Reilly is not even on top of his game and he routinely crushes Olbermann. Management is coming to grips with one of their numerous mistakes and they are doing whatever is needed to tank Olbermann and his massive salary. Shades of Don Imus here.
5. If the House does not investigate systemic voter fraud we need to elect a new Congress. Unfortunately, a new Congress of our choosing might not ever again be an option if we don't investigate systemic voter fraud.
6. I have no proof at all that the Dems dealt off the bottom of the deck in Nevada but it smells bad. Remind me to never again set foot in Harrah's.
7. Least Likely To Be Described As Beautiful Loser: Alan Grayson. And yet...even Grayson was in favor of auditing the Fed.
8. Audit The Fed.
9. An essay I have put ofF writing for two years is "My Economic Values." I need to cut to the chase and write the synopsis: I believe the strength of a currency is the most important economic indicator of all.
10. I am not thrilled with QE2. I don't trust Bernanke either.
11. Both major political parties are undergoing a civil war. The GOP skirmish might attract more interest but ultimately, The Dems will get uglier. Obama's most fervent enemies are not Conservatives or Republicans or Tea Party members but rather the disaffected Hillary voters. They did not "move on" and they did not "deal with it" or "get over it." These are largely decent people who take a dim view of voter fraud or the highjacking of their beloved party by ruthless thugs. This might have been the wrong hornet's nest to kick.
12. This comment from Hoosierman bears repeating. "We won big! It just doesn't feel like it. Now I read the Gop picked up 680 state legislators. (http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/11/devastation-gop.php)This may be the best outcome of the whole election."
13. A quick pep talk to Massachusetts voters: Don't get discouraged. You are taking on the political equivalent of the New York Yankees with what are now, rank amateurs. But those rank amateurs will be a little sharper in 2012, and your organization, the counter-machine, is coming along nicely. With the right name on the top of the ticket in 2012, the locals might just beat the Yankees next time around.
14. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching MSNBC this past week. Sure, they make us laugh but I sense that the clowns might be crying on the inside. To find joy in an ocean of sadness is commendable. But how much longer are they going to milk their victories in Delaware and Nevada? Could be a long time, because I don't see many more celebrations on their flat line horizon.
WE CONCLUDE WITH AN APPROPRIATE THEME SONG AND (SOME IRRELEVANT STUFF THAT WE ARE TOO LAZY TO DELETE)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Body Count
This really is like an earthquake where the authorities discover bodies a few days later and the body count is adjusted upward. The GOP's victories at the local level were possibly more pronounced than at the national level. For the first time since 1964, the GOP controls the Legislative and Executive branches of the state of Maine.http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/14084/Default.aspx
Damn phone. I will post this as is.
Damn phone. I will post this as is.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Day After
Yes, there were some heart breakers. I love Sharron Angle. I love Ruth McClung. I like Paladino and I like Fiorina and Raese. Noble people, one and all.
And yes, the Machine is alive and well in Massachusetts. But then again, Rhode Island and Maine will have non-Democratic governors. There are cracks in the Connecticut machine and Blue Hampshire is now flaming purple and changing colors faster than the leaves.
Let us now rejoice. Tuesday was big! And we are just getting started. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I don't have all of the state house results but the GOP seemed to make strides almost everywhere. In New Hampshire the Senate went from 10-14 GOP to either 18-6 or 19-5. Hope and Change.
The question remains, why did the Dems do much better than in the Senate than everywhere else? First, of the three Senate "classes" the 2010 group was probably the least favorable going into the race. Two New York races, California, Hawaii, Vermont, Delaware, Connecticut, Illinois and West Virginia are tough places for a Republican in any year. And Murray and Reid and Feingold had deep, deep pockets and a lot of special interests behind them. It's amazing the GOP won six seats without giving up a seat (Alaska has not been decided but it will not be won by a Democrat.) 2012 will be a more favorable year for GOP Senate hopefuls.
A second factor and perhaps the bigger factor to the Senate firewall is a subject that should be revisited over and over and over. Every election is now a referendum on the national media. The dinosaurs are still powerful but they are not ubiquitous. They can assist Coons and Reid and indeed they did. They tried oh so hard to elevate the compulsive liar named Conway but their magic fell short in the Bluegrass State. But they did try.
The national media spun the Senate races but they were not able to spin the gubernatorial (California and New York notwithstanding,) congressional and local elections. There just are not enough of them and even George Soros has to watch his pocketbook. But once more, media orthodoxy is the dinosaur in the room. We would be fools to not acknowledge its presence.
And yes, the Machine is alive and well in Massachusetts. But then again, Rhode Island and Maine will have non-Democratic governors. There are cracks in the Connecticut machine and Blue Hampshire is now flaming purple and changing colors faster than the leaves.
Let us now rejoice. Tuesday was big! And we are just getting started. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I don't have all of the state house results but the GOP seemed to make strides almost everywhere. In New Hampshire the Senate went from 10-14 GOP to either 18-6 or 19-5. Hope and Change.
The question remains, why did the Dems do much better than in the Senate than everywhere else? First, of the three Senate "classes" the 2010 group was probably the least favorable going into the race. Two New York races, California, Hawaii, Vermont, Delaware, Connecticut, Illinois and West Virginia are tough places for a Republican in any year. And Murray and Reid and Feingold had deep, deep pockets and a lot of special interests behind them. It's amazing the GOP won six seats without giving up a seat (Alaska has not been decided but it will not be won by a Democrat.) 2012 will be a more favorable year for GOP Senate hopefuls.
A second factor and perhaps the bigger factor to the Senate firewall is a subject that should be revisited over and over and over. Every election is now a referendum on the national media. The dinosaurs are still powerful but they are not ubiquitous. They can assist Coons and Reid and indeed they did. They tried oh so hard to elevate the compulsive liar named Conway but their magic fell short in the Bluegrass State. But they did try.
The national media spun the Senate races but they were not able to spin the gubernatorial (California and New York notwithstanding,) congressional and local elections. There just are not enough of them and even George Soros has to watch his pocketbook. But once more, media orthodoxy is the dinosaur in the room. We would be fools to not acknowledge its presence.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
How I Voted
I am a registered unaffiliated voter in New Hampshire. These days I usually vote Republican but I am not a Republican. With that intro, here is how I voted.
For governor, I voted for Democrat Governor Lynch (his first name escapes me and I am too lazy to look it up.) I am phiosphically opposed to votingstraight ticket because I am opposed to political fundamentalism. I don't mind fiscally conservative Democrats and if we don't vote for the moderate types than what's to keep the whole party from becoming Pelosi puppets? Admittedly, if the Tea Party type had won the GOP primary I might have thought differently about this. As it is, I voted for Lynch, a gentleman and a man seemingly possessing common sense.
For senator, I voted for the Libertarian. I do not like Ayotte, despite her endorsement from Sarah Palin. The GOP had some viable Tea Party candidates in the primary, as well as the constituional conservative and great guy, Ovide Lamontaigne (Spelling? He would have gotten last place if it was a write-in campaign.) As mentioned previously, we chatted at the only Tea Party I ever attended and he impressed me. I voted for him and Ayotte won.
Admittedly, if the race was closer, I would bite the bullet and vote for Ayotte over the Pelosi monster the Dems put forth. He's a scary dude. But I voted for the Libby whose name I forget.
Now we come to the main course. I voted for Guinta for Congress. I know verylittle about him. He is/was mayor of Manchester and more importantly he is running against Carol Shea-Porter. The latter qualification sealed the deal. I would have voted for Alfred E. Newman over Porter. I would have crawled over broken glass to vote for OJ Simpson if he were the only candidate opposing Porter. I have never voted against anyone as vigorously as I voted against that monster who happens to be Pelosi's most loyal subordinate.
I am not usually visceral with my distaste for candidates but in Porter's case I have made an exception. You won't see any town hall meetings with this monster because she did phone conferences instead. But our relationship hit a nadir when I emailed her a point by point objection to Obamacare and she replied with a form letter email. I don't know if she broke a sweat when she delegated the form letter reply, but I can tell you I was not impressed.
Porter is EVERYTHING that is wrong with America. She was a social worker before going to Congress but she is as arrogant and entitled as any Kennedy or Daley or Cuomo. Arguably, she is more arrogant. Most of the priveleged Dems represent districts where they more or less reflect the will of the people. Porter is at best indifferent and more likely contemptuous of the will of the people.
No matter how the races turn out nationwide, if Porter wins, I will be miserable. On the other hand, if she loses, the silver lining will accomodate any sized cloud.
Go go Guinta. Or whatever the hell your name is.
On the rest of the ballot except one, I voted Republican. I don't like the direction the Dems have taken Blue Hampshire. Their misocapnic policies almost ran my friend out of business. He happens to own a tavern. Places like the VFW and the Polish Club are exempt from the smoking ban. So guess what happened to my friend's Happy Hour business? You guessed it. It tanked. That is just one grievance I have with the state Dems.
The lone exception to the non-GOP down-ticket choices was for sheriff. I voter for the woman who was running as an Independent. I know nothing about her but my experience is that anyone who runs for sheriff as an independent is eccentric in an amusing sort of way. Maybe she will register carnivores instead of sex offenders. I don't know. That's just speculation. I knew zero about the two major candidates, so I threw the dice.
As this is posted I am slightly nervous. I took the day off from work and I wanted to do a few errands. They won't get done. I just cannot concentrate on anything other than the results. Come on, seven-thirty.
For governor, I voted for Democrat Governor Lynch (his first name escapes me and I am too lazy to look it up.) I am phiosphically opposed to votingstraight ticket because I am opposed to political fundamentalism. I don't mind fiscally conservative Democrats and if we don't vote for the moderate types than what's to keep the whole party from becoming Pelosi puppets? Admittedly, if the Tea Party type had won the GOP primary I might have thought differently about this. As it is, I voted for Lynch, a gentleman and a man seemingly possessing common sense.
For senator, I voted for the Libertarian. I do not like Ayotte, despite her endorsement from Sarah Palin. The GOP had some viable Tea Party candidates in the primary, as well as the constituional conservative and great guy, Ovide Lamontaigne (Spelling? He would have gotten last place if it was a write-in campaign.) As mentioned previously, we chatted at the only Tea Party I ever attended and he impressed me. I voted for him and Ayotte won.
Admittedly, if the race was closer, I would bite the bullet and vote for Ayotte over the Pelosi monster the Dems put forth. He's a scary dude. But I voted for the Libby whose name I forget.
Now we come to the main course. I voted for Guinta for Congress. I know verylittle about him. He is/was mayor of Manchester and more importantly he is running against Carol Shea-Porter. The latter qualification sealed the deal. I would have voted for Alfred E. Newman over Porter. I would have crawled over broken glass to vote for OJ Simpson if he were the only candidate opposing Porter. I have never voted against anyone as vigorously as I voted against that monster who happens to be Pelosi's most loyal subordinate.
I am not usually visceral with my distaste for candidates but in Porter's case I have made an exception. You won't see any town hall meetings with this monster because she did phone conferences instead. But our relationship hit a nadir when I emailed her a point by point objection to Obamacare and she replied with a form letter email. I don't know if she broke a sweat when she delegated the form letter reply, but I can tell you I was not impressed.
Porter is EVERYTHING that is wrong with America. She was a social worker before going to Congress but she is as arrogant and entitled as any Kennedy or Daley or Cuomo. Arguably, she is more arrogant. Most of the priveleged Dems represent districts where they more or less reflect the will of the people. Porter is at best indifferent and more likely contemptuous of the will of the people.
No matter how the races turn out nationwide, if Porter wins, I will be miserable. On the other hand, if she loses, the silver lining will accomodate any sized cloud.
Go go Guinta. Or whatever the hell your name is.
On the rest of the ballot except one, I voted Republican. I don't like the direction the Dems have taken Blue Hampshire. Their misocapnic policies almost ran my friend out of business. He happens to own a tavern. Places like the VFW and the Polish Club are exempt from the smoking ban. So guess what happened to my friend's Happy Hour business? You guessed it. It tanked. That is just one grievance I have with the state Dems.
The lone exception to the non-GOP down-ticket choices was for sheriff. I voter for the woman who was running as an Independent. I know nothing about her but my experience is that anyone who runs for sheriff as an independent is eccentric in an amusing sort of way. Maybe she will register carnivores instead of sex offenders. I don't know. That's just speculation. I knew zero about the two major candidates, so I threw the dice.
As this is posted I am slightly nervous. I took the day off from work and I wanted to do a few errands. They won't get done. I just cannot concentrate on anything other than the results. Come on, seven-thirty.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Media Monday: CBS Affiliate Smear Attempt Of Joe Miller
WHEN YOU VOTE ON TUESDAY, PLEASE VOTE AGAINST BIG MEDIA
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Quick Observations About the Stewart/Colbert Rally
1. The Cat Stevens/Ozzy/O'Jays thing was clever.
2. The press (AP filtered through AOL/Yahoo) was friendlier than it had been towards Beck or any Tea Party. Lots of "Funny Signs at Rally" sorts of links. As I recall, there were funny signs at Tea Parties too but they were labled racist.
3. Although it was officially non-partisan the Dems were there in force to register voters.
4. The crowd was younger than the Tea Party crowds but it was just as white. There may have been more African-Americans on stage than in the crowd. De facto racism? You decide.
5. Stewart and Colbert have been ruthless, vicious, brutal and mean to their political opponents for years. Now that their favorite butt buddy is on the ropes, they flash us the peace sign and call for civility. Insert laugh track here. Ha Ha Ha. Hee Hee Hee. Haw Haw Haw.
YOU GUYS ARE FUNNY!
2. The press (AP filtered through AOL/Yahoo) was friendlier than it had been towards Beck or any Tea Party. Lots of "Funny Signs at Rally" sorts of links. As I recall, there were funny signs at Tea Parties too but they were labled racist.
3. Although it was officially non-partisan the Dems were there in force to register voters.
4. The crowd was younger than the Tea Party crowds but it was just as white. There may have been more African-Americans on stage than in the crowd. De facto racism? You decide.
5. Stewart and Colbert have been ruthless, vicious, brutal and mean to their political opponents for years. Now that their favorite butt buddy is on the ropes, they flash us the peace sign and call for civility. Insert laugh track here. Ha Ha Ha. Hee Hee Hee. Haw Haw Haw.
YOU GUYS ARE FUNNY!
The Devil and Daniel Webster
I have nothing clever to add to this headline but I have been waiting for weeks for someone else to make mention that Alan Grayson is running against none other than...drum roll please...Daniel Webster.
Ooops...NationalReviewonline used this headline 4 days ago. Sorry.
It is poetic, no matter who turns the phrase first.
Ooops...NationalReviewonline used this headline 4 days ago. Sorry.
It is poetic, no matter who turns the phrase first.
The Biggest Goliath on Tuesday?
Things could still tip the other way. The Mighty, Mighty Acorns could still work some last second magic and save the House for their benefactors. But it's unlikely. Heading into Tuesday, it looks like a tsunami will indeed sweep across this great land, as scheduled.
I wanted to guard against overconfidence and October surprises, so I did not sponsor a Biggest Goliath contest. But here goes. Who will be the biggest Goliath to fall on Tuesday?
No particular criteria to define the biggest Goliath. Sometimes parlor games are funnest before the Jello hardens. We should probably divide the game into House and Senate. And Harry Reid, by virtue (for lack of a better term) of reining as the Senate Majority Leader, will probably win the Biggest Goliath Award in the Senate. Then again, Boxer or Murray could bite the dust. But Fiorina is no David with a sling. So Harry might have a lock on this one.
In the House, the competition is intense. What if Barney, Dennis and James Oberstar all bit the dust on the same evening? Who is James Oberstar and how has he earned his Big Guy credentials? He has held his seat since 1974 and has been in politics for 48 years. He does not possess the arrogance of Frank or Kucinich, that seems a safe assertion. He is a pro-life Democrat, a man of the people who brings a lot of extrinsic knowledge to his job. A decent guy.
A decent guy but a tax and spend and control guy too. A good-hearted Goliath perhaps, but a Goliath nonetheless. And he is facing a formidable David in the person of Chip Cravaack.
http://chipcravaack.com/
Maybe the Three Giants will emerge unscathed. Then again, one or two or three of them might get a rock upside the head. If all three of them bite the dust, then the Biggest Goliath has to go to Barney. The other two seem like they are on borrowed time in blue collar districts. Make no doubt about it. The Biggest Goliath could be a Battle Royale.
I wanted to guard against overconfidence and October surprises, so I did not sponsor a Biggest Goliath contest. But here goes. Who will be the biggest Goliath to fall on Tuesday?
No particular criteria to define the biggest Goliath. Sometimes parlor games are funnest before the Jello hardens. We should probably divide the game into House and Senate. And Harry Reid, by virtue (for lack of a better term) of reining as the Senate Majority Leader, will probably win the Biggest Goliath Award in the Senate. Then again, Boxer or Murray could bite the dust. But Fiorina is no David with a sling. So Harry might have a lock on this one.
In the House, the competition is intense. What if Barney, Dennis and James Oberstar all bit the dust on the same evening? Who is James Oberstar and how has he earned his Big Guy credentials? He has held his seat since 1974 and has been in politics for 48 years. He does not possess the arrogance of Frank or Kucinich, that seems a safe assertion. He is a pro-life Democrat, a man of the people who brings a lot of extrinsic knowledge to his job. A decent guy.
A decent guy but a tax and spend and control guy too. A good-hearted Goliath perhaps, but a Goliath nonetheless. And he is facing a formidable David in the person of Chip Cravaack.
http://chipcravaack.com/
Maybe the Three Giants will emerge unscathed. Then again, one or two or three of them might get a rock upside the head. If all three of them bite the dust, then the Biggest Goliath has to go to Barney. The other two seem like they are on borrowed time in blue collar districts. Make no doubt about it. The Biggest Goliath could be a Battle Royale.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Sellebrity Saturday: Spike Lee on MSNBC. Before Barack and After Barack.
This is a time capsule that contains so many facets worth preserving and reviewing from time to time. It concludes with Spike Lee's holding up a "Down Goes McCain" sweatshirt. So much for Obama's theme of Unity.
There is more. So much more. Anything with Mike Barnicle deserves a stop-the-vid-and-explain moment. Mike Barnicle is an icon of privelege. At "The Boston Globe" he was a serial recycler, a serial fabricator and a serial plagiarist. The trifecta of modern journalism. But he has always landed on his feet because he has always sucked up to the right people. Everything I need to know about the ruling class I learned from Mike Barnicle. It is so appropriate that he was cast in a supporting role in this masterpiece.
But the epicenter of this magnum opus is at 4:18 when Spike Lee divides history into "Before Barack and After Barack." The obvious and sadly sincere comparison is with Christ. Some of us could see the folly of this parallel but even we, the skeptics, did not see immediately see ironic truth of Mr. Lee's statements.
Obama, for all of his obvious shortcomings, might well be a pivotal character in US and world history. Obama might represent the excess of corruption and greed and powerlust and privelege that pivots America in a new direction. Maybe he represents the end of an era where elitism and cronyism and insiderism rule the day. Maybe he represents the end of media-sanctioned secretivity. Maybe he represents the end of desructive economics. Of sanctioned anti-Americanism. Maybe Obama embodies the overkill that prompts a long-term "enough is enough" response.
Maybe.
SPIKE SAYS A MOUTHFUL
There is more. So much more. Anything with Mike Barnicle deserves a stop-the-vid-and-explain moment. Mike Barnicle is an icon of privelege. At "The Boston Globe" he was a serial recycler, a serial fabricator and a serial plagiarist. The trifecta of modern journalism. But he has always landed on his feet because he has always sucked up to the right people. Everything I need to know about the ruling class I learned from Mike Barnicle. It is so appropriate that he was cast in a supporting role in this masterpiece.
But the epicenter of this magnum opus is at 4:18 when Spike Lee divides history into "Before Barack and After Barack." The obvious and sadly sincere comparison is with Christ. Some of us could see the folly of this parallel but even we, the skeptics, did not see immediately see ironic truth of Mr. Lee's statements.
Obama, for all of his obvious shortcomings, might well be a pivotal character in US and world history. Obama might represent the excess of corruption and greed and powerlust and privelege that pivots America in a new direction. Maybe he represents the end of an era where elitism and cronyism and insiderism rule the day. Maybe he represents the end of media-sanctioned secretivity. Maybe he represents the end of desructive economics. Of sanctioned anti-Americanism. Maybe Obama embodies the overkill that prompts a long-term "enough is enough" response.
Maybe.
SPIKE SAYS A MOUTHFUL
Friday, October 29, 2010
Required Reading
I have long believed that intramural rivalries are more interesting than the more publicized rivalries the where story tellers focus their attention. This holds true in realms other than politics, as well. Intramural rivalries tend to be more visceral and more vicious. JFK vs. Humphrey and Johnsons is more interesting than JFK vs. Nixon. Carter vs. Reagan was not half as interesting as Carter vs. Kennedy. William Bulger vs. any and every Massachusetts Democrat is more interesting than Bulger or any other Massachusetts Democrat vs Weld, Romney, et al. Delay vs Armey...The list goes on and on.
There is currently a heated civil war within the Republican Party between the Tea Party activists and the establishment. It has gotten some media attention. What has escaped media attention is the Democratic Civil War. Let us not forget that Hillary was the first victim of Obama's thug tactics up to and including, voter fraud. She was called racist over and over and over. I have to confess that I have come to respect the Secretary for her grace and poise as she did battle with these gangsters and hooligans.
Our first required reading is from Hillbuzz. http://hillbuzz.org/2010/10/27/an-open-letter-to-rush-limbaugh-and-his-listeners/ Hillary might have moved on but not all of her supporters are so sanguine about having their vote disenfranchised. Their wounds have not healed. They have festered over time.
After you read the Hillary supporter's open letter to Rush Limbaugh, read this interview from an unnamed source who is listed as a former White House insider. I am not a big believer in anonymous sources but this is just so damn plausible. If it is bogus, I will apologize to the President here at this blog. http://newsflavor.com/politics/world-politics/white-house-insider-they-were-in-shock-at-the-presidents-behavior/
This is a two part interview. Once you read part I, I guarantee you will read part II. http://newsflavor.com/politics/us-politics/white-house-insider-president-obama-is-lost-absolutely-lost/
I was afraid that the midterms might be a bit anticlimatic. Then again they might be quite colorful and a prelude to a fireworks extravaganza such as we have never before seen. Please, please read these pieces.
There is currently a heated civil war within the Republican Party between the Tea Party activists and the establishment. It has gotten some media attention. What has escaped media attention is the Democratic Civil War. Let us not forget that Hillary was the first victim of Obama's thug tactics up to and including, voter fraud. She was called racist over and over and over. I have to confess that I have come to respect the Secretary for her grace and poise as she did battle with these gangsters and hooligans.
Our first required reading is from Hillbuzz. http://hillbuzz.org/2010/10/27/an-open-letter-to-rush-limbaugh-and-his-listeners/ Hillary might have moved on but not all of her supporters are so sanguine about having their vote disenfranchised. Their wounds have not healed. They have festered over time.
After you read the Hillary supporter's open letter to Rush Limbaugh, read this interview from an unnamed source who is listed as a former White House insider. I am not a big believer in anonymous sources but this is just so damn plausible. If it is bogus, I will apologize to the President here at this blog. http://newsflavor.com/politics/world-politics/white-house-insider-they-were-in-shock-at-the-presidents-behavior/
This is a two part interview. Once you read part I, I guarantee you will read part II. http://newsflavor.com/politics/us-politics/white-house-insider-president-obama-is-lost-absolutely-lost/
I was afraid that the midterms might be a bit anticlimatic. Then again they might be quite colorful and a prelude to a fireworks extravaganza such as we have never before seen. Please, please read these pieces.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Voter Fraud: Part I
The GOP hit the trifecta in 2000 with the White House, the Congress and the Senate. Contrary to the false narrative advanced over and over and over by the Whiner-In-Chief, the Democrtas regained control of the country in 2006, capturing all but the White House, which they would take in 2008. I have two grievances with the GOP in their six year mega-grip of the country. One grievance is what they did. The other is what they did not do.
There is no excuse for failing to address systemic voter fraud. None. We are now at the point where people are just resigned to voter fraud. A group shrug. Illegal immigrants will vote, mostly illegally. But in some places the Dems are trying to allow illegals to vote legally. I can't believe I typed that line. Illegals will vote legally. Sad, but that is true.
Meanwhile, there is an excelllent chance that the Armed Forces will not be given absentee ballots. This is not accidental, folks. Nor is it accidental that dead people vote in Philadelphia and Chicago and probably other major cities as well.
It is not accidental that SEIU has gotten itself involved in servicing voter machines. Is it accidental that early voters in Boulder City "accidentally" voted for Reid instead of Angle? I think not.
Voter fraud is real. 99% of the time it is the Democratic Party performing the cheating. It will affect senate and gubernatorial races more than congressional races because most of the fraud takes place in major cities. Congress is our last hope of restoring the republic.
Congress needs to investigate systemic voter fraud. The Dems will not do this. They don't won't to send their cronies to jail and concede power. Only a GOP-controlled house can perform this task. Rephrase. Only a GOP-controlled house with brains and gonads and guts can perform this task.
We can dream, can't we?
There is no excuse for failing to address systemic voter fraud. None. We are now at the point where people are just resigned to voter fraud. A group shrug. Illegal immigrants will vote, mostly illegally. But in some places the Dems are trying to allow illegals to vote legally. I can't believe I typed that line. Illegals will vote legally. Sad, but that is true.
Meanwhile, there is an excelllent chance that the Armed Forces will not be given absentee ballots. This is not accidental, folks. Nor is it accidental that dead people vote in Philadelphia and Chicago and probably other major cities as well.
It is not accidental that SEIU has gotten itself involved in servicing voter machines. Is it accidental that early voters in Boulder City "accidentally" voted for Reid instead of Angle? I think not.
Voter fraud is real. 99% of the time it is the Democratic Party performing the cheating. It will affect senate and gubernatorial races more than congressional races because most of the fraud takes place in major cities. Congress is our last hope of restoring the republic.
Congress needs to investigate systemic voter fraud. The Dems will not do this. They don't won't to send their cronies to jail and concede power. Only a GOP-controlled house can perform this task. Rephrase. Only a GOP-controlled house with brains and gonads and guts can perform this task.
We can dream, can't we?
All We Need To Know About Obamanomics
Certain economists have devoted their lives to the addressing one question: How do governments maximize revenue? Art Laffer is the best known but there are others. Laffer pointed out what would later be obvious. That optimum taxation is not always higher taxation.
Zero taxation will produce zero government revenue. But 100% taxation will produce only slightly more revenue because people will stop working. What then, is the optimum level of taxation (for yielding government revenue. The optimum revenue for the individual is zero.)
Art Laffer invented the Laffer Curve. He discovered that when we tax beyond a certain level (roughly 28%,) government revenue declines. Technically 28% is not a magic number but optimum taxation is certainly in that neighborhood. In some years and some places 27% might yield higher revenue. In other places and times, 30% might yield more revenue. Laffer's enemies have tried to discredit his work by disputing minutiae.
But rest assured that a 28% tax rate will yield more government revenue than a 39.6% rate of taxation. Obama knows this but he does not care. What he calls "fairness" is a seething hostility towards all who have and will prosper. When we raise tax rates beyond the optimum rate of return, almost everyone loses. The taxpayer certainly loses but so does our national defense, our welfare state, our schools, etc., etc., etc. Who wins?
The winners are the envious. Not the fleeting envious. That group would include all of humanity at one time or another. No, I am referring to the bitter slobs who have adopted envy as a preferred lifestyle. These are the people who stay awake at night tormented by the fact that someone, somewhere, has prospered. Sad but true, Obama is one of those people.
Obama is willing to burn down the house to kill the mice. Then at last, we will attain "fairness." Or so it seems. The problem with hypertrophied envy is that it can never be satisfied. Never. The residents and occupants and butlers and chamber maids and the family dog flee the burning house in an unfair manner. They will be asked to make sacrifices.
Sacrifices are necessary for envy to triumph. Envy in the guise of fairness will continue to rule our day. Hope and change.
THE POLITICS OF ENVY
Zero taxation will produce zero government revenue. But 100% taxation will produce only slightly more revenue because people will stop working. What then, is the optimum level of taxation (for yielding government revenue. The optimum revenue for the individual is zero.)
Art Laffer invented the Laffer Curve. He discovered that when we tax beyond a certain level (roughly 28%,) government revenue declines. Technically 28% is not a magic number but optimum taxation is certainly in that neighborhood. In some years and some places 27% might yield higher revenue. In other places and times, 30% might yield more revenue. Laffer's enemies have tried to discredit his work by disputing minutiae.
But rest assured that a 28% tax rate will yield more government revenue than a 39.6% rate of taxation. Obama knows this but he does not care. What he calls "fairness" is a seething hostility towards all who have and will prosper. When we raise tax rates beyond the optimum rate of return, almost everyone loses. The taxpayer certainly loses but so does our national defense, our welfare state, our schools, etc., etc., etc. Who wins?
The winners are the envious. Not the fleeting envious. That group would include all of humanity at one time or another. No, I am referring to the bitter slobs who have adopted envy as a preferred lifestyle. These are the people who stay awake at night tormented by the fact that someone, somewhere, has prospered. Sad but true, Obama is one of those people.
Obama is willing to burn down the house to kill the mice. Then at last, we will attain "fairness." Or so it seems. The problem with hypertrophied envy is that it can never be satisfied. Never. The residents and occupants and butlers and chamber maids and the family dog flee the burning house in an unfair manner. They will be asked to make sacrifices.
Sacrifices are necessary for envy to triumph. Envy in the guise of fairness will continue to rule our day. Hope and change.
THE POLITICS OF ENVY
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
WildCard Wednesday: Has The US Started To Control The Weather?
Since Katrina, the US has been almost hurricane-free. For five years the hurricanes skirt the coast and drift off to the north Atlantic. There has been some rain and wind but no real damage to life or property.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD THE LAST OF THIS
WE HAVE NOT HEARD THE LAST OF THIS
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Why We Vote: "Do As I Say..."
It gives me no comfort that some of my best friends and closest relatives are political fundamentalists. No comfort at all. It does sadden me that their minds are made up on all things political. They are waving the pennants for their favorite team. Facts be damned.
In this election, we are not battling foes who see things differently. We are battling foes who see absolutely nothing. The legal term for this "willful blindness." Their minds are made up on everything so don't ask them to read a book or even view a short video. They would rather chant "Hope and Change" and launch ad hominem charges of racism against all who do not follow their leaders.
On November 2, I will vote. I don't hold unreasonable ideals or expectations but I will be voting against American Elitism. I use the term American Elitism to describe our own peculiar expression of this ism. Yes, I uncategorically object to elitism, the idea that experts are better at running our lives than we are. But whatever alse one can say about the merits of defaulting to the judgments of an enlightened hierarchy, the waters get muddied when we acknowledge that American Elitism is based on many things except merit.
I will vote against an elitism premised on deception. Philosopher kings and European aristocrats will not be on the menu. We get to either reject elitism in its ugliest, most dysfunctional, most destructive manifestation or we sign on as followers of the biggest hypocrites Planet Earth has ever produced. We are not just rejecting cult leaders, we are rejecting the worst cult leaders in history.
A CELEBRATION OF HYPOCRISY
In this election, we are not battling foes who see things differently. We are battling foes who see absolutely nothing. The legal term for this "willful blindness." Their minds are made up on everything so don't ask them to read a book or even view a short video. They would rather chant "Hope and Change" and launch ad hominem charges of racism against all who do not follow their leaders.
On November 2, I will vote. I don't hold unreasonable ideals or expectations but I will be voting against American Elitism. I use the term American Elitism to describe our own peculiar expression of this ism. Yes, I uncategorically object to elitism, the idea that experts are better at running our lives than we are. But whatever alse one can say about the merits of defaulting to the judgments of an enlightened hierarchy, the waters get muddied when we acknowledge that American Elitism is based on many things except merit.
I will vote against an elitism premised on deception. Philosopher kings and European aristocrats will not be on the menu. We get to either reject elitism in its ugliest, most dysfunctional, most destructive manifestation or we sign on as followers of the biggest hypocrites Planet Earth has ever produced. We are not just rejecting cult leaders, we are rejecting the worst cult leaders in history.
A CELEBRATION OF HYPOCRISY
Monday, October 25, 2010
Media Monday: I Like This Pundit.
I KNOW. SPOTTING LIES AT MSNBC IS LIKE SPOTTING LITTERBUGS AT A LANDFILL
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Items From My Mailbox: Morris Via Newsmax. The SuperPAC
An Urgent Message From Our Sponsor
From the Desk of Dick Morris
Dear Newsmax Reader:
Earlier today I announced a goal of matching — within 72 hours — the $1.5 million we had already raised and allocated to send 100 Democratic members of Congress to the unemployment line.
Here’s the update. So far, we’ve gotten an incredible response, with our total now over $1.7 million — that's more than $200,000 in just two hours!
But we still have a gap to fill to meet the goal. The clock is ticking. Time is short.
I have set a goal of raising $3 million by Saturday night — this Saturday — and I need your help to do it!
We believe a Republican Congress is at hand — IF we can saturate the airwaves during the crucial last week of the campaign. Obama and Pelosi could see a meltdown on Election Day.
It would be a huge mistake to coast to Election Day in overconfidence.
Although 100 Democratic members of Congress are on the ropes, don’t count them out until they’re knocked out!
It’s urgent to send 100 Democrats packing so that a Republican Congress can stop Obama’s agenda and REPEAL Obamacare before it becomes a living nightmare!
Imagine what it would be like to get “healthcare” from Obama — courtesy of the federal government:
Your healthcare would be rationed.
A government death panel could decide your fate, as Sarah Palin pointed out.
Seniors who paid into the system their whole lives will have their benefits slashed, as procedures will be sharply curtailed.
You’d have no freedom to see the doctor YOU want.
A government committee would tell your doctor how to practice medicine.
Your taxes would have to be raised even higher to pay for this “free” program.
Pelosi and Obama rammed Obamacare through their Democratic Congress against the will of the American people. Now it’s time for patriotic Americans like you and me to throw 100 rascals out of Congress, take back America, and repeal Obamacare!
Chief among them is Barney Frank, one of the most notorious liberals in Congress.
He has been a key soldier in Nancy Pelosi's radical agenda — and now even Massachusetts voters are saying enough is enough. His Republican challenger has been gaining in the polls and could defeat Frank!
It bears repeating that the upcoming election could produce a sea change in Congress, making it possible to repeal Obamacare.
Your gift will help expose and defeat 100 Democrats, Democrats such as Barney Frank.
It will stop Obama’s agenda COLD! Remember: This is the most crucial week of the campaign.
If you’ve given already, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Could you consider sending another gift to help us meet the goal?
Please donate here now
Thanks for your help.
Dick Morris
superpacusa.com
An Urgent Message
From the Desk of Dick Morris
We Are Approaching a Defining Moment in Our Nation's History . . .
The Decisions Made in the Days Ahead May Determine Whether Our Country Triumphantly Returns to Greatness or Staggers Closer to Collapse. . .
Your Help and Your Voice are Needed to . . .
Reclaim, Rebuild,
and Restore
Our America!
Join Your Fellow Americans to Usher in a
Brighter Future for Our Nation!
Dear Fellow American:
Over the last couple of years, America has been bruised and battered.
Our $13.5 trillion federal deficit has pushed our nation to the verge of bankruptcy.
Obamacare has threatened our right to live a long and healthy life.
And the end of the Bush tax cuts, combined with drastic federal and state tax hikes, have put your wealth and retirement savings at risk.
Barack Obama's liberal agenda and "Big Government" initiatives are directly attacking the freedom, safety, and prosperity of every American.
But now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to stand up.
In these moments I'd like to remind you of the immortal words of President Ronald Reagan from his now famous 1980 Republican Convention acceptance speech:
For those who have abandoned hope, we'll restore hope and we'll welcome them into a great national crusade to make America great again!
You see, the bell hasn't rung. A knockout punch was not delivered.
We are the nation of Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. We stand for freedom, prosperity, and independence.
And it's time we take America back.
With your help we can stand up with pride . . . dust ourselves off . . . and rebuild our nation into one that our Founding Fathers would be proud of.
America is at a Historic Crossroads.
The decisions made by not only you, but your friends, family, and neighbors on November 2 will determine the path of our nation and its future 10, 20 — even 100 years from today.
We cannot be silent. We cannot rest on our laurels.
And we certainly cannot assume that we will reclaim our nation at the voting booths — without taking necessary measures to make it a reality.
The Democrats have been launching unprecedented smear attacks against Republican and Tea Party candidates. They are drumming up their base.
And many races are becoming too close for inaction.
This is why I have joined with other national leaders in supporting the "Super PAC for America."
This is a powerful and formidable grassroots organization that will unite the citizens of this great nation.
The goal is simple — on November 2 we will stand up and change America's path for the better.
And powering this movement is a very ambitious goal.
I am calling it "Project 100."
Our plan is for the Republicans to win 100 seats in this year's congressional elections.
This is admittedly a bold goal. But with enough support very attainable.
I have studied the numbers very carefully, and we believe this can be done.
And when it happens a shockwave will resonate not only through Washington, but also around the world.
Right now the Democrats control the House of Representatives by 39 votes.
Republicans need to simply win 39 seats to gain control.
Now while the GOP gaining control of the House is positive change, it's far from an overwhelming mandate.
To fix America we need to win a very large majority to send a powerful message to the establishment.
A message that will be impossible to ignore in the White House and on Capitol Hill.
With Project 100 we will win with a very large majority.
And the positive effects will be immediate:
With this mandate we can repeal Obamacare.
We can enact successful economic reform initiatives that will put our country back on a proper financial footing and deal with the staggering debt our nation faces.
We can fix the immigration epidemic and secure our borders.
We can enhance national security and win the war on terror.
We can restore family values.
We can demand our elected officials be held accountable for their actions . . . or inactions.
That's why I am teaming up with the Super PAC for America's "Project 100."
But we need your help to realize these goals.
Here's our strategy.
As you know, there are 50 likely seats that Republicans will win this year.
Right now, the national committees and other donors are contributing heavily to these 50 Republicans in key races across the country.
These 50 races are, for the moment, the most likely winners.
Super PAC for America's approach will be even more aggressive.
We are going to select the 50 races we believe are "second-tier" races. Ones that are not on the priority list for the national committees.
Ones the Democrats thought were "safe seats."
With a relatively small amount of money spent by Super PAC for America in these districts we could win an additional 50 seats.
And this will give Republicans 100 new seats for this Congress!
Imagine how Americans will vote in these additional 50 swing districts if we clearly spell out to them how Obamacare is going to reduce their Medicare benefits.
Left in place, Obamacare will target seniors with massive cuts of over $500 billion in benefits.
And Obama will add 30 million new people to the national healthcare system. This will undoubtedly cause long waits and endanger access to doctors and hospitals.
As you know, private insurance rates are ballooning. Children and seniors are being dropped from their coverage despite what President Obama sold the public about the end of "pre-existing conditions."
And our brave men and women in the military have been left out in the cold for much of the benefit of this so-called "reform."
But besides excluding Americans, this controversial legislation is also not economically viable.
The cost of federal outlays are set to skyrocket over a trillion dollars thanks to Obamacare.
But repealing Obamacare is just one issue that will be focused on to push Congress in the Republicans' favor.
How will independent voters in swing districts feel when it is clearly explained to them that the Bush tax cuts are expiring, and they are set to get hit with the largest tax hike in history?
President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to vote on the Bush tax cuts before they recessed.
But there has been no vote because it's been delayed until after the elections.
Typical of them, they lied.
This is because they are trying to avoid the public outcry of their true intentions until it's too late for you to do anything about it.
They hope Americans have short memories. That they will forget about the coming assault on their wealth.
But the "Project 100" will not let the citizens of this great nation forget.
I believe when independent voters hear the message we are going to send them, we are going to win 100 new Republican seats, giving Republicans a majority of over 60 votes in the new Congress!
This will not only send a powerful message to the establishment in Washington, it will also create a powerful force for change and the restoration of the Reagan agenda in Washington . . .
Less Government, Less Taxes, and
Strong National Security.
These are the ideals of the Tea Party movement as well as all Reagan conservatives like you and me.
And they can become real.
The more we spend on these "safe Democratic seats" the more we put these incumbents in danger.
The Democrats will have to tie up incredible amounts of resources to defend these second-tier 50 seats that they once thought were safe.
They will not be able to help other Democrats in trouble in the first 50 seats now at risk.
In football we would call this strategy "prevent offense."
The Super PAC for America is in a
Unique Position.
Because we are fighting for the issues and candidates who support the Founding Fathers' view of America there is no limit to the amount you can donate.
We are not driven by individual candidates, but a vision of how America should and can be.
The America you believe in.
The Super PAC for America is powered by average Americans who can only spare $5, $25, or $100, as well as those who can afford much more.
As I said, there is no limit to how much you can donate. And you are legally allowed to donate as an individual or as a corporation.
Click Here to Donate
Our Goal Is Very Simple.
In The Next Three Weeks We Are Seeking
To Raise $20 Million For "Project 100."
If we divide $20 million over 50 districts it would be an expenditure of approximately $400,000 per district.
But we believe many of these districts are in small media markets where that money can go very, very far.
You can have a powerful impact in a short time. You can change the direction of our country by donating to us.
A $400,000 donation from a donor will give us one more Republican in Congress.
$100,000 will make a huge difference in our media efforts, even $50,000.
Most Americans can't afford such large donations.
Even $1,000 or $500 will help.
A donation of $250 can buy a TV ad in many districts reaching hundreds of thousands. Anything you can give will help.
Click Here to Donate
With your help we can act as the guardian angel for this second-tier of 50 congressional seats that are up for grabs.
You can provide the much-needed support to these candidates by helping us flood the TV and radio airwaves.
Your donation can fortify our direct-mail and online efforts.
And by lending your financial support we can set up phone banks across America.
We can get the message out. Your message.
We can reclaim the America we know and love.
The one that has been taken from us by those who do not share our views.
President Reagan Used To Say
At The End Of His Speeches:,
"If Not Us, Who?
If Not Now, When?"
I can't add anything more to his statement.
This was his call to arms. And today it's mine to you as well.
Now is the time for us to act — Go Here Now.
Sincerely,
Dick Morris
Paid for by Super PAC for America. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.superPACforAmerica.com.
Super PAC for America does not make contributions to candidates. Funds raised by Super PAC for America will only be used for independent expenditures in support of or opposition to candidates. Super PAC for America is permitted to accept contributions from individuals and corporations in any amount, provided that contributions from foreign nationals lacking permanent resident status and contributions from federal contractors may not be accepted.
Contributions to Super PAC for America are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO ADVERTISE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For information on advertising at Newsmax.com, please contact Newsmax Advertising Sales via e-mail.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO SUBSCRIBE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this News Alert has been forwarded to you and would like a subscription, please sign up for Newsmax e-mail alerts.
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Riviera Beach, FL, 33404 USA
To remove your email from future mailings please click here: Unsubscribe
From the Desk of Dick Morris
Dear Newsmax Reader:
Earlier today I announced a goal of matching — within 72 hours — the $1.5 million we had already raised and allocated to send 100 Democratic members of Congress to the unemployment line.
Here’s the update. So far, we’ve gotten an incredible response, with our total now over $1.7 million — that's more than $200,000 in just two hours!
But we still have a gap to fill to meet the goal. The clock is ticking. Time is short.
I have set a goal of raising $3 million by Saturday night — this Saturday — and I need your help to do it!
We believe a Republican Congress is at hand — IF we can saturate the airwaves during the crucial last week of the campaign. Obama and Pelosi could see a meltdown on Election Day.
It would be a huge mistake to coast to Election Day in overconfidence.
Although 100 Democratic members of Congress are on the ropes, don’t count them out until they’re knocked out!
It’s urgent to send 100 Democrats packing so that a Republican Congress can stop Obama’s agenda and REPEAL Obamacare before it becomes a living nightmare!
Imagine what it would be like to get “healthcare” from Obama — courtesy of the federal government:
Your healthcare would be rationed.
A government death panel could decide your fate, as Sarah Palin pointed out.
Seniors who paid into the system their whole lives will have their benefits slashed, as procedures will be sharply curtailed.
You’d have no freedom to see the doctor YOU want.
A government committee would tell your doctor how to practice medicine.
Your taxes would have to be raised even higher to pay for this “free” program.
Pelosi and Obama rammed Obamacare through their Democratic Congress against the will of the American people. Now it’s time for patriotic Americans like you and me to throw 100 rascals out of Congress, take back America, and repeal Obamacare!
Chief among them is Barney Frank, one of the most notorious liberals in Congress.
He has been a key soldier in Nancy Pelosi's radical agenda — and now even Massachusetts voters are saying enough is enough. His Republican challenger has been gaining in the polls and could defeat Frank!
It bears repeating that the upcoming election could produce a sea change in Congress, making it possible to repeal Obamacare.
Your gift will help expose and defeat 100 Democrats, Democrats such as Barney Frank.
It will stop Obama’s agenda COLD! Remember: This is the most crucial week of the campaign.
If you’ve given already, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Could you consider sending another gift to help us meet the goal?
Please donate here now
Thanks for your help.
Dick Morris
superpacusa.com
An Urgent Message
From the Desk of Dick Morris
We Are Approaching a Defining Moment in Our Nation's History . . .
The Decisions Made in the Days Ahead May Determine Whether Our Country Triumphantly Returns to Greatness or Staggers Closer to Collapse. . .
Your Help and Your Voice are Needed to . . .
Reclaim, Rebuild,
and Restore
Our America!
Join Your Fellow Americans to Usher in a
Brighter Future for Our Nation!
Dear Fellow American:
Over the last couple of years, America has been bruised and battered.
Our $13.5 trillion federal deficit has pushed our nation to the verge of bankruptcy.
Obamacare has threatened our right to live a long and healthy life.
And the end of the Bush tax cuts, combined with drastic federal and state tax hikes, have put your wealth and retirement savings at risk.
Barack Obama's liberal agenda and "Big Government" initiatives are directly attacking the freedom, safety, and prosperity of every American.
But now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to stand up.
In these moments I'd like to remind you of the immortal words of President Ronald Reagan from his now famous 1980 Republican Convention acceptance speech:
For those who have abandoned hope, we'll restore hope and we'll welcome them into a great national crusade to make America great again!
You see, the bell hasn't rung. A knockout punch was not delivered.
We are the nation of Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. We stand for freedom, prosperity, and independence.
And it's time we take America back.
With your help we can stand up with pride . . . dust ourselves off . . . and rebuild our nation into one that our Founding Fathers would be proud of.
America is at a Historic Crossroads.
The decisions made by not only you, but your friends, family, and neighbors on November 2 will determine the path of our nation and its future 10, 20 — even 100 years from today.
We cannot be silent. We cannot rest on our laurels.
And we certainly cannot assume that we will reclaim our nation at the voting booths — without taking necessary measures to make it a reality.
The Democrats have been launching unprecedented smear attacks against Republican and Tea Party candidates. They are drumming up their base.
And many races are becoming too close for inaction.
This is why I have joined with other national leaders in supporting the "Super PAC for America."
This is a powerful and formidable grassroots organization that will unite the citizens of this great nation.
The goal is simple — on November 2 we will stand up and change America's path for the better.
And powering this movement is a very ambitious goal.
I am calling it "Project 100."
Our plan is for the Republicans to win 100 seats in this year's congressional elections.
This is admittedly a bold goal. But with enough support very attainable.
I have studied the numbers very carefully, and we believe this can be done.
And when it happens a shockwave will resonate not only through Washington, but also around the world.
Right now the Democrats control the House of Representatives by 39 votes.
Republicans need to simply win 39 seats to gain control.
Now while the GOP gaining control of the House is positive change, it's far from an overwhelming mandate.
To fix America we need to win a very large majority to send a powerful message to the establishment.
A message that will be impossible to ignore in the White House and on Capitol Hill.
With Project 100 we will win with a very large majority.
And the positive effects will be immediate:
With this mandate we can repeal Obamacare.
We can enact successful economic reform initiatives that will put our country back on a proper financial footing and deal with the staggering debt our nation faces.
We can fix the immigration epidemic and secure our borders.
We can enhance national security and win the war on terror.
We can restore family values.
We can demand our elected officials be held accountable for their actions . . . or inactions.
That's why I am teaming up with the Super PAC for America's "Project 100."
But we need your help to realize these goals.
Here's our strategy.
As you know, there are 50 likely seats that Republicans will win this year.
Right now, the national committees and other donors are contributing heavily to these 50 Republicans in key races across the country.
These 50 races are, for the moment, the most likely winners.
Super PAC for America's approach will be even more aggressive.
We are going to select the 50 races we believe are "second-tier" races. Ones that are not on the priority list for the national committees.
Ones the Democrats thought were "safe seats."
With a relatively small amount of money spent by Super PAC for America in these districts we could win an additional 50 seats.
And this will give Republicans 100 new seats for this Congress!
Imagine how Americans will vote in these additional 50 swing districts if we clearly spell out to them how Obamacare is going to reduce their Medicare benefits.
Left in place, Obamacare will target seniors with massive cuts of over $500 billion in benefits.
And Obama will add 30 million new people to the national healthcare system. This will undoubtedly cause long waits and endanger access to doctors and hospitals.
As you know, private insurance rates are ballooning. Children and seniors are being dropped from their coverage despite what President Obama sold the public about the end of "pre-existing conditions."
And our brave men and women in the military have been left out in the cold for much of the benefit of this so-called "reform."
But besides excluding Americans, this controversial legislation is also not economically viable.
The cost of federal outlays are set to skyrocket over a trillion dollars thanks to Obamacare.
But repealing Obamacare is just one issue that will be focused on to push Congress in the Republicans' favor.
How will independent voters in swing districts feel when it is clearly explained to them that the Bush tax cuts are expiring, and they are set to get hit with the largest tax hike in history?
President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to vote on the Bush tax cuts before they recessed.
But there has been no vote because it's been delayed until after the elections.
Typical of them, they lied.
This is because they are trying to avoid the public outcry of their true intentions until it's too late for you to do anything about it.
They hope Americans have short memories. That they will forget about the coming assault on their wealth.
But the "Project 100" will not let the citizens of this great nation forget.
I believe when independent voters hear the message we are going to send them, we are going to win 100 new Republican seats, giving Republicans a majority of over 60 votes in the new Congress!
This will not only send a powerful message to the establishment in Washington, it will also create a powerful force for change and the restoration of the Reagan agenda in Washington . . .
Less Government, Less Taxes, and
Strong National Security.
These are the ideals of the Tea Party movement as well as all Reagan conservatives like you and me.
And they can become real.
The more we spend on these "safe Democratic seats" the more we put these incumbents in danger.
The Democrats will have to tie up incredible amounts of resources to defend these second-tier 50 seats that they once thought were safe.
They will not be able to help other Democrats in trouble in the first 50 seats now at risk.
In football we would call this strategy "prevent offense."
The Super PAC for America is in a
Unique Position.
Because we are fighting for the issues and candidates who support the Founding Fathers' view of America there is no limit to the amount you can donate.
We are not driven by individual candidates, but a vision of how America should and can be.
The America you believe in.
The Super PAC for America is powered by average Americans who can only spare $5, $25, or $100, as well as those who can afford much more.
As I said, there is no limit to how much you can donate. And you are legally allowed to donate as an individual or as a corporation.
Click Here to Donate
Our Goal Is Very Simple.
In The Next Three Weeks We Are Seeking
To Raise $20 Million For "Project 100."
If we divide $20 million over 50 districts it would be an expenditure of approximately $400,000 per district.
But we believe many of these districts are in small media markets where that money can go very, very far.
You can have a powerful impact in a short time. You can change the direction of our country by donating to us.
A $400,000 donation from a donor will give us one more Republican in Congress.
$100,000 will make a huge difference in our media efforts, even $50,000.
Most Americans can't afford such large donations.
Even $1,000 or $500 will help.
A donation of $250 can buy a TV ad in many districts reaching hundreds of thousands. Anything you can give will help.
Click Here to Donate
With your help we can act as the guardian angel for this second-tier of 50 congressional seats that are up for grabs.
You can provide the much-needed support to these candidates by helping us flood the TV and radio airwaves.
Your donation can fortify our direct-mail and online efforts.
And by lending your financial support we can set up phone banks across America.
We can get the message out. Your message.
We can reclaim the America we know and love.
The one that has been taken from us by those who do not share our views.
President Reagan Used To Say
At The End Of His Speeches:,
"If Not Us, Who?
If Not Now, When?"
I can't add anything more to his statement.
This was his call to arms. And today it's mine to you as well.
Now is the time for us to act — Go Here Now.
Sincerely,
Dick Morris
Paid for by Super PAC for America. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.superPACforAmerica.com.
Super PAC for America does not make contributions to candidates. Funds raised by Super PAC for America will only be used for independent expenditures in support of or opposition to candidates. Super PAC for America is permitted to accept contributions from individuals and corporations in any amount, provided that contributions from foreign nationals lacking permanent resident status and contributions from federal contractors may not be accepted.
Contributions to Super PAC for America are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO ADVERTISE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For information on advertising at Newsmax.com, please contact Newsmax Advertising Sales via e-mail.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO SUBSCRIBE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this News Alert has been forwarded to you and would like a subscription, please sign up for Newsmax e-mail alerts.
This e-mail was sent by:
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4152 West Blue Heron Blvd, Ste 1114
Riviera Beach, FL, 33404 USA
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