Happy Memorial Day

Here is a salute to our brave solidiers both past and present for protecting our country.  Actually "today" May 30 is the real Memorial Day but it was changed years back to accomodate the three-day weekend.

My father proudly served for the US Army and I grew up greatly proud of the sacrifices our military makes every day - and especially now that we have an all volunteer military.  I have also had the pleasure in my business life working with branches of the service and its has always been an honor to provide services from the private sector to help them in their mission.  The reality is that the military has been one of the first "public" entities to embrace private sector involvement in obtaining their (and our) goals.

We are honored to have our service men and women represent us in our daily lives, and in some of the extreme situations they unfortunately endure.  God bless to all - and thanks.

Comics and Correspondents

Not Ready for Prime Time...

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the White House Correspondents dinner tonight (replacing comedian Louis CK who removed himself from the show after criticism from women's groups). The dinner is a popular Washingtion DC event that attracts hundreds of celebrities and mostly liberal press (well, most of the press is liberal anyway).  The President is usually present and several comedians or other celebrities are on hand to provide a bit of "roast style"entertainment.  In recent years, however, most of the roasting has been at conservatives' (and the nation's) expense.

Kimmel made headlines this week commenting that it would be hard to come up with material because its difficult to "make fun" of President Obama.  Later he said, Obama was too "cool" to mock.  Hmm, this is a President who thinks we should fill up our gas tanks with "algae".  This is a President who thinks there are 57 states.  This is a President, who as a "consititutional scholar" is having two cases "mocked" in Supreme Court procedings (if the Supreme Court can mock the President why can't Jimmy Kimmel)?  Kimmel also said Obama had excellent grammar (which was a poke at Bush) - well what about Obama mispronouncing "corpsemen" three times at a speech (in front of a military crowd) - and his well-worn use of the word "uh". 

Frankly the list of issues to impugn the President are numerous:  over-the-top GSA conferences in Las Vegas,  secret service prostitution, his endless campaigning, his feckless attention to small issues to distract from the poor economy, his poor handling of foreign affairs, his committment to the Russians of his "flexibility" after the election, his constant bowing to foreign leaders, Obamacare, the failed Stimulus, the EPA "crucifying" oil companies....need I continue?  Jimmy?  Jimmy?  Are you listening?  Do you get cable?  "Hope and Change" anyone?

This is embarrasing for Kimmel and the current state of the US media.  The one-sidedness of their contempt and the willingness of the mainstream press to support it is appalling.  And Jimmy, your late night show is grass to me.  UPDATE:  Kimmel apparently found something funny.  And Obama continued to spin dog tales.

Ooops!



Please insert foot in mouth.

Despite the fact that Romney has been leading in delegates, and even after this week's news of Rick Santorum finally dropping out of the race (basically sealing the deal for Mitt and fact-challenged news announcers), political pundits have been arguing for weeks the gender gap that Romney purportedly has with women.  For the record it's a crock.  The USA poll that everyone has quoted on this issue was run in mid-March (a long time ago in political terms) and was slanted towards Democrats by a 10-point margin.  Regardless the 24-hour news machine ran with this as endless news for two weeks.

Romney never waged any war on women or contraception.  Obama started it with his health care mandate on religious institutions in February and George Stephanopulous stepped it up prior to that with questions in a January debate.  Romney bristled at the questions declaring "George, no one is talking about this".  But Obama and his lieutenants decided to throw the insurance issue in the fray to deflect from Obama's losing record.  Santorum took the bait but Romney never did.  But because of Santorum's clumsy electioneering Romney is getting painted with it.

As with most hotly contested sporting events, elections should be waged with patience - stay close and wait for the other guy to make a mistake.  And they made a big one yesterday with Democratic advisor (and Obama confidant) Hillary Rosen declaring on CNN that "Ann Romney has never worked a day in her life".  Now who is waging war on women?  Who attacks the wife of a presumptive presidential candidate in April?  Has Ann Romney made any controversial statement?  Advocated any strange policy? No.  But she was attacked by a political operative of the White House (where she has visited 35 times) for no real reason.  This single act of pure political contempt shows the Obama's administration's true hypocritical colors.

Ok.  They made their mistake - and Obama has made several in the past weeks with his ridiculous harping  of the Buffet rule, inexplicably criticizing the Supreme Court for potentially overturning ObamaCare, comparing his idiotic tax policy to Reagan's, staged events about energy - and algae.  Those uber-conservatives who can't quite find themselves to support Mitt at the moment should now be mobilized by this nonsense the left throws at us with unceasingy aclarity.  Romney is now leading in the most recent polls - and that should not happen with a "successful" incumbent.  The end is near.  Thanks Hillary!

Romney Wins Illinois; "Its Over" Again; Detractors and Networks Want to Talk About Etch-A-Sketch Nonsense

It's time to get on the Romney bandwagon.

Mitt Romney won a decisive double-digit race over Rick Santorum in Illinois on Tuesday and coupled with his winning delgate haul from the previous week all but cemented himself as the the 2012 Republican nominee.  In fact after the win former Florida Governor Jeb Bush gave his recommendation to Romney and thus removed himself as a potential white knight candidate.  And today prominent Tea Party supporter South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint said he "was excited about Romney being the potential canididate".  These are strong endorsements and signals from the far right that all Republicans are coallescing around the commanding front runner.

Meanwhile Fox News and other networks continue to talk about how Rick Santorum is "still in the race" even though he would now have to win 74% of the remaining delegates.  And many are trying to make full news cycles about a Romney operative comparing the primary and general election strategies to that of an Etch-A-Sketch, which also has prompted to Santorum and Gingrich to start a run on the '50's era toy that is made in China.  I have also noticed a trend that many perennial Fox viewers are now watching CNN on election night because of the perceived anti-Romney bias at Fox.  They even have their own Facebook page.

Guys, the door to the bandwagon is wide open.  Get on board.

Super Tuesday Recap



The Path to Victory

As predicted below Romney won big on Super Tuesday - and despite winning 6 0f 10 states the media basically paints it like he lost. Reasonably minded consevative radio hosts like Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt have called the media out on that point.  Romney has won and that is it - and why media types want to portray the primary as still a horse race is beyond many.

And, in fact, the fix is still in amongst media types against Romney. Fox News, the most virulent anti-Obama organization there is, still diminishes Romney's frontrunner status and disdains his gains - and this from a candidate who has exit polling showing that Mitt is most characterized as the candidate who can best beat Obama in the general election.  All I, and any reasonable person, can gain from this is that those who want to win the general election and beat Obama voted for Romney.  Those that are foolish idiots voting for other ridiculous, meaningless reasons are voting for the other guys.  And why are we having this election?

Meanwhile, the press is overly lazy in analyzing Romney's win.  Early last night Fox News wouldn't call the Vermont and Virginia races early and their anchors trashed Romney before they called it 20 minutes later (but if you listened to local conservative radio you would know that the exit polls already had the races for Romney).  So why did they toy with him?  On MSNBC they suprisingly grudgingly gave him due - but also cricized him the next hour.  Chris Mathews lauded Romney this morning and later tonight castigated him on his nightly show (sheesh - take your meds Chris).  On CNN Donna Brazille said Romney should have won Ohio by a larger margin even though he trailed by 20 point two weeks earlier.  On FOX a liberal analyst said Romney had a problem with "conservatives, tea partiers, women and children".  Didn't know "children" voted exactly, and Romney actually won the women vote in Ohio and actually split the Tea Party vote with Santorum.

They are lazy.  And they are the press.

It's Over - Romney is the Ticket

The Man

I'm posting this even before the primary elections occur today.  It is way early LA time, but Romney will be the delegate for the Republican party - hands down.  I have been saying this for the last two months.  Others have tried to make all sorts of twisted and obtuse reasons why he shouldn't - but he will win most of the primaries today and, more importantly, most of the delegates.  As much as the pundits on cable would like to over analyze the polls and prolong the result for ratings (and they have purposefully), the proof is in the pudding - Romney's the man.

Last week the guy won Arizona and Michigan - and as much as the TV tried to make Michigan Romney's waterloo it didn't happen (and, boy didn't they play that up?).  In fact, if he didn't win Michigan it wouldn't have even mattered - he still would have split the delegates with Santorum.  But he did win, and would have won more if Santorum hadn't tried to recruit Democrats to his side.

I will be on the road tomorrow and probably not able to post about Romney's great victory - but it is a great story.  As much as the press wants to tell  you that the Republican primary was overly drawn out (and its just early March), let us remember that Obama and Hillary went all the way until June bickering all the way about who was the most "black president" - and that wasn't an ugly primary?  I have to laugh.  In all actuallity the primary headache with the Republicans is that they inexplicably hosted almost 20 debates.

Romney's the man - and he will beat Obama handily.  You heard it here first.   Meanwhile, be prepared because the idiots at MNSBC's Morning Joe have already started tearing him down today (including deluded psuedo-Republicans like Joe Scarborough!).  In fact, by the looks of those guys faces on that show they are scared shitless.  And because of that, they are dredging up every halfway issue about Romney - it's pathetic, and a sign that we are doing well.  Shut up Joe.  You look stupid.  And you're sitting next to Mika!

Fox News Fails to Recognize Romney's Win in Arizona Debate

What's not to like?

I'm not sure what debate they saw but Romney had to slow Santorum's surge and he did by putting Santorum on the defense for the entire debate.  Romney has had to battle back all comers in this primary including Bachman, Perry, Cain, Gingrich and now Santorum - and he has done it effectively each time.  Republicans should be encouraged that he does not shrink from a challenge and can be very direct in his arguments while also offering improved policy platforms - a formula which will work very favorably against Obama. And isn't that what this whole primary is about?  I frankly don't understand what's not to like about Romney - he seems like the perfect candidate to me (as Ann Coulter has very well recently penned).

Santorum has been postioning himself as the "real conservative" in the race, but he got pinned down on voting for big goverment education programs (among other things) and saying he voted against his principles.  Sorry. that's not "real conservative".  Last night many right wing blogs, some that have openly supported Santorum, said Romney won.  But today at Fox News they are pooh-poohing the debate as "unimportant" and defending Santorum's performance. Brett Baiar's show hardly discussed the debate.  Liz Cheney, filling in for Hannity, actually asked her panelists if Romney should "drop out of the race" if he didn't win Michigan! Bill O'Reilly blew a gasket saying that none of the candidates spoke about economics, energy or Iran - but they did.  Not exactly sure what you were watching Bill - they all casitigated Obama for not paying attention to Iran and Romney even laid out a plan to deal with Syria, along with his new tax plan.  They all have dumped on Obama's ridiculous allegiance to unproven green energy and have supported increased domestic oil exploration.  Fox News simply ignored reporting on the factual events of the debate. 

I simply do not understand what the "conservative" media have against Romney - he is really the only adult in the room (Newt has too much baggage, Paul is whacky and Santorum is simply not ready for prime time  - and frankly, not presidential). Rumor has it that Mitt has been chilly with the press and has not granted them as much access as they would like.  But is this anyway for the "fair and balanced" Fox News channel to act?  CNN provided a much more measured analysis of the outcome - and that's not debateable.

The Rick Santorum Canard

This is your boy-child "conservative" option?

I actually like sweater vests - but are we supposed to believe that all  "conservatives" are now for Rick Santorum - and not Newt Gingrich?  I thought Newt was the real conservative?  I thought Newt "spoke to the people" and would "take the fight" to Obama.  Well apparently not.  Talk about being principled about your candidate.   So now those committed, fiery, disciplined Newt "Tea Party folks" have flip-flopped to Santorum?  Captain Earmark?  What a joke.  Rick wasn't even a compelling guest on Fox News the past few years. Sarah Palin must be wishing she got in this mess.

The Far Right (which I have a problem with as much as the Far Left) are committed to derailing this election cycle with this silly "who is the most conservative" argument.  Instead of coalescing behind a successful businessman, a prominent conservative governor of a liberal state (Massachusetts) and a turnaround specialist for the Olympics, many "Republicans" think a guy who lost his last real election by 18 points can take on Obama?  It's crazy.  Why do Republicans keep killing themselves on ideology (the same thing we blame the leftists on) in order to undermine the country?  These are the same folks who bailed on McCain (because of immigration) and now say they will bail on Romney - who, by the way, has been strong on the topic and even aggresively campaigned on it in hispanic Florida with the primaries on the line.

Look, Romney just didn't campaign in these states that don't actually commit delegates (something that Hillary also did without great results) - and the turnout was correspondingly low because most people think he had it won - and they weren't real primaries.  It's that simple.  But Santorum did campaign in those states.   That's what a guy who polls 10% (i.e. loses) in Florida and Nevada does - he moves onto the lesser caucus states.  Frankly, this was more of an indictment on Gingrich - and the fluttering commitment of ill-minded conservatives who can't see the forest from the trees.

Newt is Toast (Conservatively Speaking)

And this was your conservative candidate?



Romney won Florida in a virtual landslide - after coming off the deck in South Carolina.  However, according to pundits, from both the left and right, he did it because of negative ads.  I saw one of these ads highlighted on Hannity (on Fox) and it was by no means a negative ad (but boy, didn't they talk about it - who are you for Sean?).  The ad was basically saying Newt was not a Reagan disciple (which is true).  What's negative about that?  I have seen much more grist in the Meg Whitman/Jerry Brown campaign out here in California - that was brutal.  And critcising Newt because he's not like Reagan? (I mean isn't it self evident anyway?)

It galls me that a week ago Mitt was apparently weak, and showed "no gumption", and people were worried if he had the where-with-all to go toe-to-toe with Obama. Well, he just showed he can by wiping the floor with Gingrich - and all of sudden he's running a "mean campaign?".  And of course Newt is whining about the negativity and how he was outspent.  Give me a fucking break.

Newt received millions in backing from a Las Vegas casino owner to run a "documentary" against Bain Capital, and frankly, free enterprise, in South Carolina. Liar scum. He, and Rick Perry, called venture capital companies "vulture capital" firms and railed against Mitt because he actually paid taxes on his capital gains?  The man argued against capitalism .  How can any conservative vote for that?  Well, South Carolinians did.

But, to quote Paul Simon, that's a one trick pony. Meanwhile at Fox, CNN and MSNBC they are all criticising Mitt for being negative - and in my opinion he wasn't.  Telling the truth is not negative. America wake up.  And Paul Begala - shut up.

Update 2-4-12:  Romney has won Nevada with a majority - and Newt's campaign is in disarray.

Fox News Cheerleads Newt to Improbable South Carolina Win

This man is a disgrace to conservative values.

First of all, I am a conservative Republican - but the over-the-top cheerleading for Newt Gingrich this week on Fox News definitely was a disturbing, and I believe, a major contribution to Gingrich's win in the South Carolina primary.  And what pains me the most is that Newt is somehow characterized as the more conservative response to national poll leader Mitt Romney.  Hmm - let's see here - Newt attacked the free enterprise system and Bain Capital in an amazing display of liberal democratic hubris - and in the same week was pointed out that he is a career adulterer.  But somehow, he is the MORE conservative candidate?  I don't get that.  Screaming at reporters does not make you conservative - it makes you a time bomb - and an unstable President. 

Meanwhile, at Fox News they basically can't contain their elation that Newt has won - I don't know if this is because they really like him, or that he was their colleague the past couple of years or that they now have an actual election to cover.  But the favoratism toward Newt is palaple and astonishing for a network that claims to be fair and balanced.  It has been not.  The smiles on the faces of Megyn Kelly and Andrea whathername are just pasted on their face that their colleague has won.  And, Sarah Palin,  I have lost all respect for you from here on out.

Juan Williams at Fox and John King at CNN gave softballs to Newt at the debates that he could hit out of the park and deliver red meat (although not meaningful) stuff to South Carolinians.  Mitt Romney was fine in both debates but didn't have pat answers about releasing his tax returns.  And by the way NO ONE ELSE WAS ASKED ABOUT THAT.  But Mitt's rich and apparently he, and only he, has to answer these direct questions (why is that?) - and meanwhile Newt campaigns excessively against captialism.  And so, who is actually more conservative?

And another thing, Rick Perry and Huntsman dropped out, thus releasing already dedicated votes - and Perry actually went against Romney in the debates asking him specifically for his tax returns.  Did he have a deal with Newt already and acted to be his hatchet man?  Probably.  So who is more conservative?  You gave the primary to a guy who attacked captialism and Romney's tax records without releasing his own (until the last minute).  But it was a false attack (no major presidential candidate has ever released his tax returns in recent history until the general election).

And the silly election night analysis by Bill Hemmer and others (like Britt Hume saying Mitt can't shake hands) is just appalling and somewhat incompetant (and I'm a fan guys. but really!)  I think Fox News and South Carolina have done a diservice to the country and the Republican Party in trashing Mitt Romney for 1) creating jobs and 2) paying his taxes.  It's a real shame.  Roger Ailles are you listening?\

UPDATE:  Thanks Britt Hume for reminding us late that Newt has the most unfavorable ratings nationwide of any candidate - way to bring it back to earth - I almost thought Megyn was going to cry.

The Bane of Bain

It was a job - get over it.

The recent overreaction, hysteria and general misunderstanding regarding Bain Capital, Mitt Romney's former company, and what they actually "do", appears to be a one-week tempest in a teapot.  But the manner in which so-called Republicans and conservatives bashed the all-but-confirmed Republican nominee for 10 straight days is unconscionable.  First of all, the guy has been running for President for about 12 years - you don't think this hasn't been grist for the mill before?  Did Mike Wallace and the 60 minutes crew all of a sudden discover a smoking gun somewhere?  Guess what - they didn't.  But  a few confused candidates who apparenlty don't understand how the free enterprise system works (and/or arithmetic) found that there was something else to throw at Mitt instead of Romneycare - that, and they're desperate.

Between Gingrich and Perry's utterly pathetic attacks against Romney (which make them both a bit to the left of Obama) and the overeaction of a few faux-right pundits who think this will be used as an iron cudgel during the general election, the discourse has been seriously dissappointing.  Even FOX News seems to have difficulty describing what venture capital/private equity companies actually do.  Bill O'Reilly exclaims it's "real complicated".  It's not!  Struggling companies look for private equity investors to invest in their businesses and essentially "bail them out".  In committing funds they retain ownership rights in the company, and in turn make tough business decisions as how to save the business.  This can entail layoffs, cancelling product lines, shutting down factories or finding another buyer, partner or investors.  Over time the equity investor works to rebuild the company and sell it to a going concern to reap return on what is frankly a risky investment.

Please note how this is incredibly different from the government (or Obama) using your taxpayer dollars to do the same thing.  The government doesn't innately look for a return on its investment (ROI), but private entities do - thus they usually take more expedient and direct action.  Nevertheless, we still have purported conservative websites crying that this raft of bad news will hurt Romney and the Republican chances of overtaking Obama.  If giving up on the free enterprise system is the way some "conservatives" think we should retake the White House, then the terrorists really have won.  Fortunately, it looks like Gingrich's sucker punch is having the opposite effect as Romney's lead is now widening in South Carolina.

Whoa Nellie! It Was a Great Game!

Roll Tide  - the clear National Champion

I am fairly tired of all of the media saying that Monday night's BCS college national championship tilt between Alabama and LSU was a bad game - like they were reviewing a movie.  It was a GREAT game!  After a bowl season full of arena league scores and zero defense, and frankly zero drama, we had it all in the BCS game with Alabama throttling previous unbeaten and No.1 LSU 21-0.  Not only did they totally manhandle LSU, the Tigers didn't even cross the 50-yard line until the game was almost over - and they also did this in New Orleans with 70% of the crowd cheering for LSU.

Of course there was nothing much to cheer about as LSU couldn't do anything right - and this was supposed to be the "greatest team ever?"  Ha.  That's what made the game exciting to me - seeing such an overhyped football power (who admittedly deserved to be No. 1 at the end of the regular season) get absolutely crushed on its virtual home turf - a good ol' college football smackdown.  Whoa Nellie!  After a year of exaggerated hyperbole (i.e. a Baylor QB gets the Heisman just because he beats a bad Texas team on the last week of the year) it was great to see real football settled the old way.

Meanwhile we have critics lambasting the game and wishing for other final game alternatives (now, all of a sudden, they wish they had Ok St in the BCS game - then why didn't you vote for it?).  Sorry, pathetic losers.  Enjoy the college game while you can - because in a couple of years the playoff advocates will get their wish and all of this will be over soon.  You'll be bitchin' about something else then.  Roll Tide.

Barry Not Talking - To Anybody

Obama - Home Alone

Last month Chris Mathews surprisingly criticized the President saying that he doesn't really act like a President "should" - and implied that he specifically knows that over three years in office Obama has not cooperatively reached out to Congress to work on legislative deals and/or lead in anyway imaginable.  Now more press is emerging telling the same tale - that Obama and the White House don't talk to anybody.  Even his fellow Democrats are saying it as well.  And just recently Obama took a short plane ride to New Hampshire an obvious political hotspot, but didn't include any state officials on his flight, a gesture usually made to create a relationship with local pols.

Over and over it is being strongly suggested that this is a man who does not lead by developing a governing consensus amongst allies, and enemies alike, - as most leaders do - and as most everybody does in ordinary life.  He hasn't reached out to Congress to encourage conversations on issues and has basically eliminated communication at the White House.  He appears distant and isolated.  No, he is distant and isolated. This is not a man to lead the country or devise solutions to aid the union.  This is a man afraid of his own shadow.  How can one say he "can reach accross the aisle" to gain consensus when he doesn't even know who is on that aisle?

"There once came into Egypt a Pharoah who did not know."

When Shovel Ready Doesn't Mean Squat

Seriously, what's one more pipeline?

Obama has refused to lead again.  Now that a shovel-ready infrastructure project is ready to go, can actually provide badly needed construction jobs (which he constantly crows about) and could increase the nation's independence of foreign oil - well, he's punting.  And I'm talking about the Keystone XL pipeline which would bring friendly oil from Canada down to US refineries in the Gulf Coast.  Jobs for the pipeline construction, jobs for the pipeline transmission, and increased jobs at the refinery. He has repeatedly stalled on a decision, but just today the House voted to extend the payroll tax cut - as long as Obama approved the Keystone project.

I find the opposition to this project somewhat startling.  Celebrities such as Julia Louis Dreyfus of Seinfeld fame (thanks for screwing that up for me Julia) have actually published ads exhorting Obama to oppose the pipeline.  Recent articles in the press (this one from CNN) actually try to claim that the project could decrease jobs in the US!  And, of course we have the requisite environmentalist groups that claim construction of a pipeline will create all sorts of environmental hazards (not as if construction a high speed rail project wouldn't?)  And, just for the record, we already have plenty of pipelines in the ground (see map above).

It is such a joke of an argument.  Obama says they need more time, but only because he doesn't want to offend any part of his small-mided base before election time.  Of course, all of this fine high-level analysis of the infrastructure industry comes from the same man who rushed through a failed stimulus that squandered taxpayer money.

Update:  Jan 15, 2012 -  Canada to start talks with China to sell energy.  See?  It didn't take that long.

Andrew Luck Got Screwed

Better Luck next year

Look, I don't want to get into individual statistics because they really don't matter.  Andrew Luck was the Heisman runner-up last year and many expected him to go pro - especially after Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach the San Francisco 49'ers.  Instead he returned for his junior season and promptly led Stanford back to an 11-1 regular season mark and a BCS bowl berth under a brand new coach.  He led a team that lost many starters over his brief stay, called his own plays, mind you, and was commonly named as the number one draft pick by the NFL next year.  It really wasn't a question if he was going to win the Heisman or not.

Then something happened - and I mean media-wise.  All of sudden as the season came to close alot of talk about Robert Griffth, the QB from Baylor emerged.  Baylor had three losses, they didn't really have a marquis win and heck they even lost to Texas A&M who promptly fired their head coach after losing to lowly Texas in their final game.  But the very next week, when many teams were not playing, Baylor beat Texas in their final game (and after the emotional rivalry game with A&M) and every media center started beating the drum about Robert Griffith.  And, yes, he had a good game, a good season and is a good talent - and from his appearance on the Heisman show, seems like a great guy.  But the media blather about RG3 after beating "Texas's great defense" (Texas - a five loss team) seemed to push this guy over the top in very close voting.  Over a guy who actually calls his own plays.

Why is it that ESPN must dictate everything that happens in this world?  Is it not enough that they have demolished the Big 12 conference with their ill-advised media deal to set up the "Longhorn Network" with Texas?  Is it not enough that their meddling has for the time being ended a 100+ year rivalry between Texas and A&M?  Now they have to say that if some QB thrashed their beloved Longhorns, well, he must be the Heisman winner?  What krap ESPN.

Even tonight we had to hear about how Baylor was a nothing program and this single player made them "relevant".  Uh, where was Stanford before Harbaugh and Luck showed up?  What a crock.  Andrew - better luck next year.

Occupy Wall Street - Losers Without a Cause

The young and the restless

Let's call it for what it is - a disgrace. Occupy Wall Street is nothing but a bunch of do-nothing ne'erdowells hunkering down on someone else's property to protest about er, uh, that guy's property. It's a joke, and as commented by many - this "movement" is more of an effort to replicate 60's-throwback-style revolution, without a real cause. Yes, I said it - a rebel without a cause.

Initially compared to the Tea Party (really?), this lawless movement has been coddled by the mainstream media for the past month (and unfortunately by conservative pols and pundits, as well) but finally, people are coming out of the woodwork to call a spade a spade. With no concrete message, and anarchy fueled violence spreading, these people need to go and municipal governments need to do what they are paid to do, which is protect the citizenry. From the clueless New York Mayor Bloomberg to the anarchist sympathizer Mayor of Oakland, our  municipal leaders have fallen down in protecting their stakeholders. Not to mention those other elected officals in the Democratic Party, and the White House. And for that, we should really protest.

Obama Says America is Lazy

Is that my ball?

For the umpteenth time the President of the United States has insulted his own country.  Just last week, while in Hawaii, he accused the US for being "lazy" in "attracting business to the nation".  This comes from the same man who said in the past month that we are "soft", has gone out of his way to apologize for American investment abroad, has overly deferred to muslim nations, and who said during is campaign that "some Americans desperately cling to their religion and guns".  This outrage comes from a man who does not lead and only seeks to divide our country by blaming everyone but himself for recent economic failings.  Mr. Obama, all you have to do is to lower corporate taxes and that will attract business.  All you have to do is create a domestic energy policy that encourages oil exploration within our own borders.  All you have to do is to repeal your socialistic health care policy.  Lazy?  What golf course did you e-mail that retort from?

JoPa Gets Piled On

Unnecessary roughness

I'm sorry - but I don't quite get this.  The same administrators and school trustees who weren't exactly clued into what was going on nine years ago now are throwing the book at legendary Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno and firing him.   Yes, he should have retired long ago, but the school apparently wanted him and more importantly, so did the student body.  But because school administrators did not act on information he gave them nine years ago about a FORMER employee Joe is being shown the door.  Don't get it. 

I understand that the grand jury investigation transcript of the charges against the actual perpetrator and two senior administrators (of which JoePa is not named) looks bad, but I don't understand the over-the-top vitriol shown towards Joe - and especially from conservatives.  Some of the same people who bristled at the recent media treatment of Herman Cain are leaping on this bandwagon and casting the first stones at JoePa (mostly because they hate and misunderstand football, I presume).  And, do you also realize that there is more coverage tonight of "students marching in the street" then there ever was for violence at the Occupy Wall Street stuff? 

Over at ESPN, sports pundits are howling outrage at how college football has undermined our society (even though ESPN has caused much of the recent conference shuffling with their own meddling - see Longhorn Network).  Also, several former ESPN on-air personalties have been shown the door for sexual harrassment themselves during this same time period - did those pundits go straight to the police with what they knew?  I don't think so.  I understand the Penn State charges are serious - but the moral hypocrissy of the press is also.

Obama Loses Face - and Iraq War

Obama lost a war that the US won twice.

With all the audacity of "hope" President Obama announced today that the US will be removing ALL troops from Iraq at the end of the year.  Even though that will sound like a nice campaign promise to his leftist and demented base, this is a diplomatic failure of gargantuan circumstances.  President Bush had agreed to troop drawdown in his last year of his presidency - all Obama had to do was manage the situation.  And that would have entailed having some troop presence and airbases to maintain some control over the region, Iran, Syria and others - that's why we went in there.

Instead Obama bungled it all away - all this year the administration was trying to negotiate some additional  presence 'after' we left - but it got confused with mixed messages he was sending while trying to balance his political base at home.  Now the growing Iran influence will probably take over Iraq and our years of sacrifice will be for naught - because of this incompetant, ill-equipped and ignorant President.  The "i's" have it.

Amanda Knox is Innocent

She's innocent and always has been.

Thank god this woman was acqutted.  She was railroaded, period.  And the press still talks about her like she is guilty.  It is terrible.  It is a classic case of the press not doing their job.  Even now I am watching some clueless woman on CNN who can't even get her facts straight about the case.  This has happened across all media, even Fox.  No one seems to know the facts or cares. It is pitiful that people are jumping on reporting this case and don't have any clue what it is about.

She was railroaded.   Period.  No DNA, no motive, no nothing.  The Italian prosecutor was corrupt. He even spent 16 months in jail.  Everyone knows it.  The Italian people even eventually came around.  Get over it .