Convenient Timing: Hiding the Truth Behind "Bigger" Stories

How convenient, the State Department just released the groups behind the Banghazi attack.  No longer are Conservatives the only ones who know that a stupid video was not to blame for the attack that killed our Ambassador. Yet, all this is buried under other, "bigger" news.  It is convenient for a President, who never knows about anything, that news regarding his Administrative actions always seem to be disclosed at times when most Americans are looking another direction.

Read more: State Department names groups behind Benghazi strike

Of course this will be  buried behind other "big" news: Chris Christie apologizes for staff decision to shut down lanes of traffic as retribution for another mayor's non backing of Christie's re-election bid.  In a sincere apology, Christie allowed himself to be criticized and accepted full responsibility for the occurrence.  Thank goodness he didn't get an Ambassador and 3 others killed!  And, it is convenient that shutting down lanes of traffic now dominates the news headlines instead of more important matters, such as the attack in Benghazi.  But, "why does it matter?"

Read more: Christie seeks to calm political firestorm amid fed probe, new lawsuit

And, who could forget the all important unemployment benefits?  Harry Reid continues his devious ways to block any amendments to a Democrat proposal for extension.  So, as usual, we are faced with a far left bill that Republicans can be blamed for not passing.

Read more: Unemployment benefits extension hits snag in Senate

Base-less...Boehner Shows His True Stripes

Can you believe it is hump day already?  John Boehner was so excited to get screwed, that he came out firing at Conservatives to celebrate!

The sheer idiocy among RINOs is simply amazing.  There are so many winning fronts that could be taken at this very moment, yet the lack of leadership in John Boehner is apparent.  The guy just came out and blasted his base for asking for some reasonable Conservative stances in policy.  Now, I may not be the political genius of Karl Rove, who can get every election wrong, but, I know some common sense when I see it.

As reported by nearly every media outlet, John Boehner blasted Conservatives as if we are the thorn in his side. Really?  Don't you know it is the other way around, Speaker Boehner?

Boehner stated:

"They're using our members and they're using the American people for their own goals. This is ridiculous," he said. "Listen if you're for more deficit reduction, you're for this agreement." 

So, the evil base, aka Tea Party aka Conservatives who supported Republicans, is using whom?  We are the least of the users in this country.  We are the people fighting for everyone else's freedom while they wander around in a daze, complaining about how the economy and jobs stink.  Yet, they don't even know why.  Well, we do!

We know that the government spending is paralyzing the private sector through fear.  Why?  It is based on simple economic principles that say, if you spend money (the government), then the private sector has to be taxed to pay for it.  When spending becomes as outlandish as right now, the private sector is clamoring, wondering when the next big tax hike will come and hit us.

And since the job producers and  productive members of society are now carrying 106% of the tax burden, it would only be "fair" that they carry more.  Isn't that right Speaker Boehner?  After all, us crazy Conservatives in your base are just using the people of this country and your sheeple in Congress.

Us crazy people want, God forbid, government interference out-of-the-way in our health care decisions.  We don't want to see our fellow-man dying because he is no longer covered to see his doctor.  We don't want to see the previously insured lose their health insurance so that the same people who pay -9.1% of the Federal income tax burden to get YET ANOTHER handout!

As for your ridiculous statement regarding deficit reduction contained in this piece of crap legislation; it is based on false pretenses.  The current Congress can not hold the next to its spending policy. And, guess what this bill does?  Yes, the biggest cuts are in 10 years, long after the sheeple have forgotten.  But, here is the thing....Conservatives will NOT forget; we never do.  Unlike the sheeple, we are critical in our thought.  And, you, Speaker Boehner, just threw a liberal argument at us.  We don't take well to that.

Boehner and his new best friend

It also ends the Sequestration, while you may not think it is popular because of defense cuts, at least it cut something... So, in doing this, it increases the base of this budget to over $1 Trillion in discretionary spending next year.  Under Sequestration, we would spend $80 Billion less next year. I doubt any true Conservative will be Concerned with the FIRST EVER budget cut in our Nation's history.

It would be good policy to simply sign a Continuing Resolution and pass it along to the Senate.  It can be simple, after all, we already have a Conservative win by allowing the Sequestration to continue.  But, here we are again, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

A real leader brings his troops together and formulates a game plan using tactical maneuvers to position the group for a win.  Speaker Boehner is not positioning anyone to win, except Democrats who will undo what they hated in the first place; the Sequestration.  True fiscal Conservatives should have nothing to do with this plan.  Yes, I get it, it brings the power of the purse back to the House.  But, for what?  Why are the Democrats being allowed to control the conversation?  As a political "leader", Speaker Boehner should be determining the national conversation in favor of his party.  It would be perfectly acceptable to make an actual Conservative demand once in a while.  There is no leadership in this, only caving to the Democrats per the Republican playbook.

Here are some winning strategies or conversations that could have been used to leverage the power of the purse: Obamacare - People still hate it and it could be used as a wedge in negotiations with Democrats; Spending - There is strong support for reduced budget to bring the deficit down and bring more stability to the private sector.  In fact, 61% of Americans would support spending cuts right now; Fair Tax - With a 77% support level, why are we not tying tax reform to the budget?

I am just an above average political pundit, but I know that there is wide support for Conservative values out here in the real world.  It is time for Speaker Boehner and all Republicans to stop bending over and start manning up! Stand up for what you believe in, otherwise, you will just have a Base-less argument over who lost the election.  I can tell you, unless you start acting remotely Conservative, there will be no Base left for 2014 or 2016.  The Establishment is ignorant if they think they can win without 22% of their ardent supporters.  Right now, you represent nothing better than a Blue Dog Democrat.

Warning Signs Regarding the Economy

The administration continues to try and keep us distracted from their utter incompetency. Meanwhile, facts and well grounded opinions abound, which undermine the very arguments made by the administration.  We must keep our eye on the ball, keep the pressure on our officials, and report what need be reported today. Do not be deceived by the rhetoric, lies, and misinformation of the current administration.

Just this morning, Tony Lee of Breitbart reports:

One of the fathers of modern finance and a winner of this year's Nobel prize for economics said the bloated deficits of the United States and European nations may lead to a worldwide recession.

Is Racism Only a White Phenomenon?

For some reason, our drive by media and "leaders" such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson cannot be honest about some of our country's problems.  God forbid, we should have an honest discussion about racial violence, especially if it is black on white.  Martin Luther King Jr. would not have stood for these activities or the lack of honest discussion. Don't get me wrong, there is racism from whites, Hispanics, Asians, etc.  Now, this may surprise some of you, but racial tensions are rising; not because the KKK is coming back into power, but because people have become ignorant.  People like our drive by media, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and other deniers want to point at one side of the equation.  And, they do nothing to work out the tension, they are fanning the flames. Racism is not a one way street.

Foreign Policy Takes on a Whole New Meaning

I am no foreign policy expert, but I don't need to be in this case.  What, on earth, were President Obama and John Kerry doing?  We now lack the leverage to do ANYTHING with the US prisoners in Iran.  We also just sacrificed two of the few allies we had in the Middle East. After all, allowing Iran all but free reign in the nuclear sphere makes war between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran nearly guaranteed.

We reap what we sow.  Electing a foreign policy rookie, as it is, just guaranteed that the Middle East will collapse back into war.  And, unless we step in, it is highly likely that Israel will be wiped off the map.  A majority of Americans will not stand for this.  And, rightly so, we will need to step in and defend them against Iran.

When Winning Just Isn't Enough...

Often, I wonder if Conservatives lack something that Liberals have; the "killer instinct" in politics. Now, I know what you are thinking; when I am arguing with a Liberal, you are damn right I have a killer instinct!  But, I am not talking about those of us out here, arguing with Liberals every day.  I am talking about our supposedly Conservative representation at the Federal level.

As I discussed in Silver Linings of an Obamacare Bomb, the opportunity was forthcoming and I could see it.  So, why can't our representation see this?

In recent weeks, we are witnessing the Obama death spiral in politics.  Obama's numbers are plunging into frigid waters where he has never ventured before.  His RCP approval/disapproval ratings have dropped to 40.5% and 55.4%, respectively, as of this week.  That has to be painful, considering Bush had higher approval ratings at this point in his Presidency. And, Liberals claim that Bush was the worst President ever.  No, I am not much of a Bush man myself.

Nuclear Bomb in the Senate

I am not shocked by the extremism of the Senate, after all, a majority of them follow an extremist President.  Removing the filibuster from Senate rules on Court nominations is a dangerous move.  This move empowers the majority, no matter how slim, to pass nominations on the slimmest of margins.  Over a Presidential term or two, there can be large amounts of nominations. This change is short sighted, as it moves us from a Republic towards a Democracy. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison warned of this downfall in the Federalist Papers. This check and balance to slow bad nominations (both parties have them) has now been eliminated. So, if you want an activist Judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals to undermine appeals to EPA regulations, such as Obama does, then you appoint extremists whom your own party will support.  It becomes majority rule, and there is nothing the minority party at the time can do.  This undermines 200+ years of precedent and speeds the process for the majority party of the time.

Liberal Policies Enslave America

Dr. Benjamin Carson was slammed in October for his statement comparing Obamacare to slavery. And, Dr. Carson is correct, not only regarding Obamacare but most Liberal policies and legislation. Americans are not happy right now, and there is good reason.  Not only has the political atmosphere soured, but people are feeling enslaved by their own government.  For a country that was founded upon freedom and individual liberty, this does not go over well with the people.  The shift of policies and legislation to the far left has left the people feeling helpless and under the control of the government.  

Obamacare enslaves Americans on their health care choices and decisions, as well as the cost.  First, Obamacare forces Americans to choose from a limited number of plans which are "approved" under the new law.  This means, as we have seen, cancellations en masse.  Cancellations have far exceeded enrollments, at last count, now topping 5,000,000 cancellations.  Enrollments, which real numbers are hard to come by, are estimated at 100,000.  This number is misleading because the "enrollees" have not yet paid for their plans, therefore, should they really be counted yet?  People have lost their choice of plans, which undermines their freedom.

Splash...There is Some Lemonade in Your Face!

Sometimes, life throws lemons at us and other times, it throws lemonade at us.... Yes, life can get a bit sticky!  My mom always taught me never to discuss politics, religion, or race.  But, I have found that not discussing these topics with friends and strangers leads to a pretty dull life. Sometimes, it is more fun to live outside the cultural "norms".  Yes, one has to be careful on what they state, to a certain extent.

Today, I was, once again, pleasantly surprised in a conversation with a friend of mine.  I have known him and his wife for about 2 years now, but we have never really gotten into politics before.  Our sons are inseparable, playing together every moment that they can.  Yet, in all that time, we have never really discussed politics.  I am not really sure why?  They know I write, wear my opinions on my sleeves and am not afraid to speak my opinion to anyone.  Since they had never made a comment on Facebook, Twitter, Google, or any other social media, I just assumed they had no interest in politics.

Why Democrats Don't Make Good Leaders

Today, recounting the recent events in our political pin ball machine, I have come to realize that Democrats don't lead.  We, the people, have become the shiny ball, bouncing off bumpers and at the command of leaders who are just trying to rack up points.  President Obama has made this abundantly clear in his lack of ability or knowledge regarding true leadership.  His Democrat allies in the Senate and, to a lesser extent, House, have repeatedly faltered in leading this country.  How bad has it gotten?  It is up to debate, as to the extent of sub par proposals and actions that are being taken by Democrats today, and in recent memory.

President Obama proposed a "fix" that really does nothing for the Affordable Care Act nor the people 

Already off the rails

who are most affected by this atrocious legislation.  Is it his sheer ignorance or the lack of ability to lead? Obama's supposed fix is to allow insurers to continue offering plans that had to be cancelled under Obamacare laws.  This fix does nothing but confuse the health insurance market further.  

Silver Linings of an ObamaCare Bomb

Today, there is a glimmer of hope for Conservatives.  After all, we are being proven right left and right with Obamacare and its' disastrous rollout, implementation and "unintended" consequences.   But, most of us already knew this and have expected it since March 23, 2010.  For over three and a half years, we have fought, screamed, protested, written, called, and been insulted.  But, I digress... The true hope begins with Democrats.  Lead by the government shutdown and attention brought to Obamacare, Democrats are beginning to waiver on their support of Obamacare.

First, I read the following on Fox News.com this morning:

"House Democrats delivered a fix-it-or-else ultimatum Wednesday to President Obama, giving his administration until Friday to find an affordable solution for the millions of Americans losing their health plans under ObamaCare -- or risk some Democrats backing a Republican solution."

Politics and Racism

I am often disturbed by the common used argument by Liberals these days; they don't like Obama because they are racist.  This all too common statement undermines the very fabric of political debate.  It demeans the person making the argument to a point where no validity is reached in discourse.  Those on the opposing side automatically tune out anything that the accused has to say, because, who would listen to a racist, after all?  This argument is not only used here on the internet in personal and group debates, but also in the public sphere where talking heads constantly point to racism as the motivation for opposition to Obama.

Let's step back for a moment, and recap some history regarding racism in general terms. First of all, racism exists, and few deny this.  Racism exists on both sides of the political spectrum as well as across all nationalities, sex, creed, religion, etc.  In other words, picking out racism is not a one-sided conversation; to suggest otherwise would be ignorant in and of itself.  Second, the election of Obama was a great moment in American history from the standpoint that we had our first black President.  It took more than 50% of the voting public to elect him (this is important to keep in mind later in this post).  Third, we have an ugly history when it comes to racism; from slavery to voting rights and even after that point.  Few Americans are proud of this deplorable history we share, and many work to overcome this and to heal the nation.