Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

From the Gospel according to Luke:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while [a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

An impossible question to answer...

Herman Cain held a press conference today to respond to allegations that he had made "inappropriate sexual advances" toward several women some 10+ years ago.

So the media questions Herman Cain. In essence, their questions amount to: "Have you stopped making sexual advances at women?" "Can you prove that you have come clean and that you are no longer a sexual predator?"

This line of questioning, although not a verbatim recreation of questions posed to Mr. Cain, reminds me of this conundrum:

"Have you stopped beating your wife?"

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Hitler discovers AttackWatch is a Joke!

This particular parody keeps giving and giving and giving!



Hat tip: The Other McCain

Monday, September 12, 2011

Update: The Gibson Guitar Raid

You've undoubtedly heard about the federal raid on Gibson Guitars. Here is an update from Human Events:
Rep. Masha W. Blackburn (R-TN) met with her constituent Gibson Guitar CEO Henry E. Juszkiewicz in her Capitol Hill office Sept. 9, shortly before the two attended the president’s address to Congress on jobs and the economy. Juszkiewicz’s company was the subject of a Aug. 24 by federal agents that Blackburn said raises many unanswered questions.

The Tennessee congresswoman, in whose district many Gibson Guitar workers live, co-signed a Sept. 8 letter to three federal agencies that raided Gibson Aug. 24 demanding status on the government’s investigation.

“Having armed federal agents raid an iconic American company is no way to inspire economic certainty and spur job creation,” said Blackburn, the vice-chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade sub-committee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

[...]

An affidavit filed with the search warrant request, referred to the illegal importation of wood from India, which the letter also addresses: “The source country at issue, however, has no problem with Gibson’s actions. The deputy director general of foreign trade for India has stated that India would allow the export.”

The letter also raises the idea that Gibson, which has added 600 new jobs during the current recession, is the victim the government selective enforcement, in effect picking winners and losers, based on the fact that Gibson has imported the same wood without incident for the last 17 years, as have several of its competitors, who have not been raided by federal agents.

[...]

Juszkiewicz said if he ran into the president in the hall, he would try to reason with him. “We need to be sane about this particular issue and get it resolved.”

The CEO said beyond the legal issues, the raid has threatened his company’s very survival.

“No charges are filed and they grabbed a tremendous amount of inventory,” he said.

“Every guitar has a finger board. They took just about all our finger boards. Without finger boards we can’t build guitars,” he said. The federal agents from the Fish and Wildlife Service seized roughly $500,000 worth of critical wood. “The impact has been severe.”

While the guitar executive said he is scrambling to find replacement wood, he expects he will have to shut down operations in the next few weeks.
You can read the rest here.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Bill Clinton address to the Flight 93 Memorial

Will all due respect owed to former President Bill Clinton, his address in Shanksville, PA, at the site of Flight 93's crash, is quite moving and well done.



Hat tip: Hot Air

Condensed version of Obama's jobs speech



Hat tip: National Journal

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Obama delivers a campaign speech to a joint session of Congress

In a stunning display of "chutzpah", Barack Obama just subjected a joint session of Congress to a campaign speech. I have never, in my entire life, seen such a venue misused for a useless photo-op touting a litany of proposals that "must be passed immediately!"

Instead of offering up proposals for a proper deliberation in Congress, Obama demanded immediate action on his proposals. In a few words, AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

Monday, September 5, 2011

When a bull enters a china shop

I've always had a tendency to forge ahead with my convictions, no matter the consequence. Sometimes, that tendency has served me well, especially in business. Other times, not so much.

I always think that others will see the righteousness of my ideas, even when I force them to. Human nature does not take kindly to being "told" what to do. I know I don't like it, but yet I do it to others. I've learned lessons from step-daughters, wives, colleagues and siblings that suggest that such an approach is wrong.

It is a tendency that we all have to guard against. It is no different than the government suggesting that they too can make better decisions for us. It's an arrogant assumption and it betrays a lack of belief and trust in another one's opinion and beliefs.

I've been fortunate to recognize when I've stepped on toes. Sometimes it's immediate and other times it's taken a while.

Tonight, I must fall on my sword once again and hope that those I've offended will accept my sincere apology. Damn, it's really hard to keep learning the same lesson over and over again, but learn I must.

Video of Sarah Palin's Tea Party speech in Manchester, NH



Hat tip: Texas for Sarah Palin

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Welfare Nirvana!

This is what your tax dollars are paying for in Tacoma, Washington. Unbelievable!

"You'll have to ask her..."

In a surreal turn of events, the White House press corps grilled Jay Carney about the prospects of Hillary Clinton mounting a primary challenge against Barack Obama. Courtesy of RealClearPolitics (they also have video of the exchange):
At yesterday's White House press briefing WorldNetDaily White House correspondent Lester Kinsolving asked Jay Carney if President Obama is "certain" that Hillary Clinton won't primary him. This comes after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said Obama has moved to the right because he has no primary opponent.

Carney said the White House is pretty certain Clinton won't challenge Obama, however he tells Kinsolving "you'll have to ask her." Transcript of the exchange:

Lester Kinsolving: "Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders said, and this is a quote, "one of the reasons the president has moved so far to the right is there is no primary opposition to him." And my question: Why is the president certain Hillary won't run against him?"

Jay Carney: "You win the award for originality today."

Kinsolving: "Thank you very much."

Carney: "The president is focused not on any election, he's focused right now on doing his job to grow the economy, create jobs, ensure Americans who are in the path of this hurricane are taken care of.

Kinsolving: "I understand. Why are you running away from this question? Can you guarantee, I mean, are you sure Hillary is not going to run."

Carney: "You'll have to ask her. We're fairly confident -- that we need to focus on the task at hand."
What I find amazing is that the press asks the White House about whether or not Barack Obama has moved the the right due to no primary opposition. What?

In addition, they've already asked Sarah Palin over and over again about what her intentions are. Why not ask Jay Carney about a Sarah Palin run? Even more, why don't they pester the dickens out of Hillary Clinton as to what her plans are? This is truly becoming theater of the absurd!

Cross-posted from Roderic Deane

Friday, August 26, 2011

In case you've forgotten...

Sarah truly speaks the Tea Party's language, but never crosses the line to suggest that she leads it. This is a lesson to be learned. We do NOT want politicians to lay claim to a movement that might support their agenda. We want politicians that will ENDORSE our beliefs and CHAMPION them as an adjunct to their own. They should NEVER lay claim to speaking FOR us. They should only lay claim to speaking on behalf of our beliefs.



Cross-posted from Roderic Deane

Thursday, August 25, 2011

A Palin for the ages....

I've been totally absorbed in the task of bringing a new website online. I've done nothing over the last several weeks but deal with WordPress, html, site-hosting and DNS settings. It's enough to make your head spin!

Thankfully, I'm almost done. I'll announce the "go-live" nature of my new blogsite on The Roderic Deane Show. Hopefully, that announcement will come this Sunday.

In the meantime, I've been listening to the pulse of the Palin blogosphere. I've been intrigued by what I've heard. As recently as this morning, the FoxNews morning show alluded to a major announcement from Sarah Palin at her September 3rd speech to the Iowa Tea Party. The FoxNews crew dropped that bomb and then ignored it for the remainder of the show. Hmmmm.

No one can or should predict Sarah's mindset. Hell, I love the fact that she has one that doesn't play ball with those in the lamestream media. Karl Rove and company can play whatever games they feel necessary, but for me, I really don't care. I know that Sarah will do the right thing and whatever that "thing" is, I will welcome and applaud it!

You see, I'm not totally invested in the fact that Sarah HAS to run for President. What I am invested in is the future of our country. If Sarah decides that a presidential run is not to her liking, so be it. I'll accept that fact and move on. What I would like, however, is an understanding that she'll still be amongst us to encourage a course of action that we can all rally around.

In my heart, however, I hope she leads from the front as an announced candidate. I could REALLY rally around that!


Cross-posted from Roderic Deane

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Is Stacy McCain losing it?

First off, let me tell you that I like Stacy McCain. His "The Other McCain" blog is very informative and entertaining. I've contributed to his "shoe-leather" fund on a number of occasions. But I am completely confused by his recent rant about not having access to what he calls "Team Sarah". I presume he means Sarah's inner circle. In a recent post, he wrote this:
I’m feeling like a mushroom here. IYKWIMAITYD.

UPDATE III: Dan Riehl rushes to join the Worldwide Universal Association of People Smarter Than Stacy McCain:
Whatever Palin is doing by way of preparation for a run is not what one is accustomed to seeing. Stacy is looking for the expected, not seeing it and concluding it’s too late for her. I’m looking at what I know and don’t know, while leaving a little room for what I don’t know I don’t know and concluding she’s running. Simple, isn’t it?
When I talked to Dan by phone a few minutes ago, he said, “Stacy don’t take it personally.” But when I am insulted — and to be purposefully excluded is to be insulted — it would compound my humiliation not to take notice of the insult.

Bear in mind that the people on Team Sarah have my phone number and e-mail address, and I know they read this blog. It wasn’t exactly a secret that I was in Iowa last week, and it was possible for them to let me know their itinerary. Instead, as always, they allow other news organizations — including liberal news organizations inimicable to their own interests — break exclusive news about their Iowa trip, while purposefully keeping me out of the loop. And when I dare take notice of these unsubtle backhands, I’m accused of being “too sensitive.”

When I want to make a fool out of myself, I don’t usually ask for help in doing so, and appreciate all this volunteer assistance from Team Sarah.
Okay, this started out as one of Stacy's articles on The American Spectator.

What I took exception to was the headline of his blog piece: Blogging About Pathetic Perverts and Also Andrew Sullivan’s Sarah Palin Toe Fetish. This was a blatant attempt to put Sarah in a headline that was very demeaning and I wrote Stacy to tell him about it.

So, what happened in the meantime? Well, Dan Riehl responded in a post on his blog titled Stacy McCain Declares, Palin Not Running. In the post, Dan says this:
He is correct as to my being as, if not more cynical than anyone. Hmm So, if that's true, how can I be urging her to run when, in his, evidently, unique genius, Stacy knows it's obviously already too late for her to do so? See, in essence, he is calling me a Palinista, that, or simply dumb. I suspect he didn't realize that when he wrote it. Which is it, Stacy, am I dumb, or obsessed, ... inquiring minds want to know? ; )

My friend Dan Riehl seems to think otherwise — his post “Why Sarah Palin Needs To Run For President In 2012”was also re-Tweeted by Iowa for Palin — andit would be hard to conceive that I (or anyone else) could be more cynical about politics than Dan Riehl. Yet if there is any urge I find irresistible, it is my urge to avoid being a chump, a True Believer living on irrational hopes and dreams.

Now, Stacy could have worked the logic the other way and done what reporters usually do, pick up the phone. "Dan, you're as cynical as anyone I know, how can you possibly believe she will run?" Alas, the poor young man didn't do that, now did he?

Oops, there's the phone now. Great, I can tell Stacy a thing, or two first hand. Be right back.

I'm back. Yes, Stacy did call ... in response to a Tweet of mine, I gather. The wrong question referred to below is the one I mentioned just above. If I'm so cynical, why do I think as I do regarding Palin and a possible run?

@jimmiebjr a gd post, y? Looks lk link bait. @rsmccain 's asking the wrong Qstion, gets the wrong answer, as Xpctd. ; ) is.gd/6FrzX5

Of some relatively small number of people in politics I genuinely admire, Donald Rumsfeld is one of them. I think I'll wrap this up with a little Rumsfeldian logic for now.

[T]here are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

I, too, have my unknown unknowns on this topic. So, as with any potential candidate, until Sarah Palin comes out publically and makes it clear one way, or the other, for all anyone can know, she may not run. I'd be surprised, but it is possible. However, based upon what I do know and what I know I don't know, the only conclusion I can reach is, she's running.
Good Grief! I knew that Sarah was driving the lamestream media crazy, but I never thought the right-wing blogosphere (of which I consider myself a member) would go crazy as well!

Cross-posted from Roderic Deane

Tea Party members confront Obama

This is great! It's about time that people start calling out Obama for his rhetoric and those of his administration and party.

Ryan Rhodes has now been interviewed on air by Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin. Here is Sean Hannity's take on FoxNews:



Here is the raw video:



For the record, the lamestream media is referring to Ryan Rhodes as a heckler, although it seems like all he did was pose a question to Obama, however uncomfortable the question may have been for "The One".

Monday, August 15, 2011

What to make of waiting...

I've searched through my brain to determine why it is so important to so many that Sarah Palin announces a Presidential bid this month or next. Okay, my brain didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, so I did some research.

What follows is the date that the last 50 years' worth of Presidential candidates announced their intention to pursue their party's nomination (not a complete list):

John F. Kennedy (D-MA) - January 2, 1960
Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) - January 3, 1964
George Romney (R-MI) - November 18, 1967
Richard M. Nixon (R-CA) - January 31, 1968
Robert F. Kennedy (D-MA) - March 16, 1968
Hubert Humphrey (D-MN) - April 27, 1968
Senator George McGovern (D-SD) - January 18, 1971
Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN) - January 10, 1972
Jimmy Carter (D-GA) - December 12, 1974 (a very early bird)
Gerald R. Ford (D-MI) - July 8, 1975
George Bush (R-TX) - May 1, 1979
Bob Dole (R-KS) - May 14, 1979
Howard Baker (R-TN) - November 1, 1979
Ronald Reagan (R-CA) - November 13, 1979
Gary Hart (D-CO) - February 17, 1983
Walter Mondale (D-MN) February 21, 1983
John Glenn (D-OH) - April 21, 1983
Michael Dukakis (D-MA) -
Joe Biden (D-RI) - June 8, 1987
Bob Dole (R-KS) - November 8, 1987
Bob Kerrey (D-NE) - September 30, 1991
Bill Clinton (D-AR) - October 3, 1991
Pat Buchanan (R-DC) - December 10, 1991
Pat Buchanan (R-DC) - March 20, 1995
Bob Dole (R-KS) - April 10, 1995
Richard Lugar (R-IN) - April 19, 1995
Stephen Forbes (R-NY) - September 22, 1995
Steve Forbes (R-NY) - March 16, 1999
George W. Bush (R-TX) - June 12, 1999
Al Gore (R-TN) - June 16, 1999
Howard Dean (D-VT) - June 23, 2003
John Kerry (D-MA) - September 2, 2003
John Edwards (D-NC) - September 16, 2003
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) - January 20, 2007 (Exploratory committee announcement)
Barack Obama (D-IL) - February 10, 2007
John McCain (R-AZ) - April 25, 2007

There you have it. A sample of announcement dates. As recently as Bill Clinton's historic run to the Presidency, he didn't announce until October.

I think Sarah Palin can afford to wait.

Cross-posted from Roderic Deane.




CNN thanks Sarah Palin for her candor

I normally wouldn't even consider posting a CNN video, but this one is worthwhile and quite telling in comparing Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin's response to media.



Cross-posted from Roderic Deane

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Rollercoaster Ho-Hum

Here is my opening monologue from today's The Roderic Deane Show.
The title for today’s show is “Rollercoaster Ho-Hum”. It comes from two observations I had of last week’s events. The first relates to Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. I was prepared to see a gloomy Monday and predicted that the DOW would not react well to Standard and Poor’s debt downgrade from Friday after the markets closed. Man, I was right on that one as the DOW dropped almost 635 points. I can’t begin to understand what happened over the rest of the week. On Tuesday it was up 430, on Wednesday, down 520, Thursday, up 423 and on Friday it was up again, 126 points. If that ain’t the definition of a rollercoaster ride, I don’t know what is.

A Friday article by Kate Gibson from The Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch had this to say:
U.S. stocks dialed back on [early] Friday gains after a [report was published that showed a] gauge of consumer confidence illustrated a sharp fall in sentiment early this month, curbing enthusiasm that came with an encouraging report on the nation’s retail sales.

The University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters index of consumer sentiment dropped to 54.9 in August — the lowest in 31 years.

The preliminary figure “mostly captures the craziness of the week and certainly the week before as the survey likely ended this Wednesday,” [blah, blah, blah].
In other words, just when the markets begin to gain a little traction, some other bad news comes out and rattles the market again. But let’s take another look at that index of consumer sentiment. “The lowest in 31 years”! Let’s see, that would take us back to who’s presidency? You guessed it: Jimmy Carter. Coincidence? I think not.

I’ve long believed that the present economic environment could only be compared to the economy during the Carter years from the perspective of my lifetime, but keep one thing in mind. Carter hit that low point 51.7 in his 4th year. Barack Obama has managed to pull it off in his 3rd. And the news just isn’t getting better.

Of course, we are constantly told by Obama himself that he inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression. Although he may have inherited a lousy economy, he sure hasn’t helped it in any way. Consider this: at this same point in Reagan’s first term, the consumer confidence index had risen to 90.9. It remained above 90 for the remainder of Reagan’s time in office, with the exception of just a handful of months.

Now, let’s look at something different. Carter inherited a consumer confidence index of 87.1, Reagan inherited 66.9 and Barack Obama 56.3. So, three years into their presidencies, Carter saw a 26% decline in consumer confidence, Reagan saw a 36% increase and Obama has remained fairly steady with a 2% decline.

I’ll provide a link to the historical data on my blog.

Now for the Ho-Hum part. The announced Republican candidates squared off in a debate in Ames, Iowa last Thursday night. I didn’t watch it, because I was totally absorbed in configuring a new website. I’ll tell you more about the new website when I’m ready. As for the Ames debate, I was underwhelmed by the reports I read after it ended. I posted my impressions on my blog and forwarded that blog post to Conservatives4Palin. The next morning, I saw that Nicole Coulter had written C4P’s immediate reaction to the debate in a post titled “My Ridiculous Summary of the Fox News GOP Debate From Iowa”. As I read her post, to my surprise, she had included my entire post in hers! Good Grief, I was just hoping that C4P would consider my post as a reader submission.

You can read what I posted here.

Friends, the campaign season is just beginning. Enjoy the ride. It should be a good one!

...and that my two-cents worth for the week.
Featured items:

Historical trends of the Consumer Confidence Index

Iowa Straw Poll results, from Hot Air

Rick Perry's announcement in South Carolina, from PalinTV

Cross-posted on Roderic Deane.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Straw Poll, Short Stroll

So, the results of the Iowa Straw Poll are in! What did they tell us? In one word: NOTHING!

How Ron Paul can continue to stack these polls is amazing to me. Here's a guy (albeit from my home state of Texas) that doesn't have a chance to win the nomination. His past history has suggested that he puts all his eggs into one basket, the Iowa Straw Poll. Yeah!

Moving down amongst the so-called "other rans", we see Michelle Bachmann shoring up her position in second place. Again, good press for a few days, but hardly meaningful. She has an awful long way to go to achieve front-runner status. The Ames Straw Poll is hardly the stuff of legend. I don't think ANY eventual Republican nominee has won it. It's merely a traditional fund-raiser for the town of Ames and, well, more power to them for that!

Nope, we have to look beyond the Ames Straw Poll and examine the other things going on.

Join me on "The Roderic Deane Show" tomorrow at noon Eastern time. I'll fill you in on everything that transpired today and last week. I'll boil in down into an easily understood discussion that cuts to the chase!

Lord knows that Ivan (my call-screener) needs bullet points. I aim to please!

It's a short stroll to irrelevancy and we'll soon find out who took that walk.

Crossposted on Roderic Deane

Friday, August 12, 2011

My impressions of the Iowa debate

What I found interesting about the Republican debate is what the "lamestream" media focused on. They didn't report on substantive policy disagreements, they focused on personality. Perhaps that's the only thing they know. After all, Barack Obama was elected on the basis of personality. Moreover, he was elected on his ability to plead for "hope and change".

What I saw of the debate in Iowa was a slate of candidates that were intent on saying "I'm the one that should lead you". What I didn't see was true, inspirational leadership as contrasted to Barack Obama. I saw more politicians fumbling their way to a rhetorical advantage over a rival.

What I didn't see was a clear articulation of the principles of our founding principles. I saw platitudes and posturing, none of which impressed me. It was almost as if our founding principles were "politically incorrect".

This field of Republican candidates is sorely lacking in the ability to convey a sense of resolve for the American public. I don't really care about who voted for what in Congress. I want to hear ideas that uplift our spirits.

I want to know that tomorrow is not the end of the world as we know it and I want to hear politicians say that, distinctly!

I want someone to say that we will transcend this present economic nightmare and do bigger and better things, because that is our history.

I want someone to tell me that all "hope" is not lost and that we can resurrect our economy and governing principles to guide us for many years to come. We have been and need to again be the leader of the world in our resolve to advance liberty.

I want to hear from Sarah Palin! She speaks about liberty and freedom in a way that appeals to me. She makes me feel good about our prospects for the future. She has a more uplifting message than anyone else in the Republican field. She make me look forward in anticipation of achievement.

My impressions from the Iowa Republican debate are cloaked in disappointment. I didn't see what I was hoping to. I pray that Sarah didn't as well.

Cross-posted on Roderic Deane

Thursday, August 11, 2011

New contributor to the blog

I'd like to welcome Roderic Deane as a new contributor to Generational Dysfunction. I happened upon his blog way back when he just got started. He posted a Tweet that caught my attention. He has since started his own BlogTalkRadio show and has featured some of my favorite bloggers as guests on his show.

I look forward to his contributions on this blog and collaborating with him in our efforts to restore the blessings of liberty that our Founders envisioned for us!

Again, welcome RD!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Doorbell



Hat tip: Texans for Sarah Palin

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Awaiting a Black Monday?

I'm not looking forward to Monday. With the news yesterday that Standard and Poor's lowered the long-term bond rating of U.S. debt for the first time since 1917, the markets may retreat further on the heels of their dismal performances last week.

We are beginning to hear calls for U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to resign. Expect those calls to increase exponentially over the next several days, culminating in his "removal/retirement" from public service. Let me state for the record that Timothy Geithner should be fired immediately. In a private or public company, this guy would have been canned many, many months ago for what was a totally predictable outcome of his pursued Keynesian policies. We expected him to offer sound advice to the administration, but, instead, he has been an absolute disgrace in the performance of his fiduciary duties and should be held accountable for this disastrous outcome. It didn't have to happen! Ultimately, however, we must hold Barack Obama accountable as well. It's called an election.

I also expect to see Barack Obama's approval ratings take a big hit next week. He can no longer hide behind the weak narrative of blaming Republicans and the Tea Party for his failed policies. I have no doubt that the administration will try to spin this in an attempt to insulate Obama, but I think that the charade is over.

We'll know soon enough. Check out Scott Rasmussen's Daily Presidential Tracking Poll and RealClearPolitics' President Obama Job Approval poll over the next few days. It should be quite telling.

I don't take solace in the failure of the Obama administration's policies for our economic woes. I pray that he wakes up and does what's right for the American people, reigning in his socialist agenda. Sadly, I just don't see that happening. To date, there has been little or no evidence to suggest it.

2012 can't come soon enough! In my lifetime, I have never witnessed a period of time that has brought us so close to a complete economic collapse as in I have in the last 3 years. The potential anarchy that could result in such a collapse would make the riots of the 1960's look like a picnic. We just have to hang on for dear life and adhere to the principles of our Constitution, electing politicians that will begin to end this nightmare.

Update: It's already starting to happen.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Operation Fast and Furious: Who ordered this fiasco?

I've been following the unfolding Congressional investigation into the ATF operation known as "Fast and Furious". There is a post by Bob Owens at Pajamas Media that provides some great insight into who may be responsible.
Now that the debt ceiling debate is over and done, let’s turn our attention back to Operation Fast and Furious and its alleged sister operations. The multi-agency operation (or operations) of the U.S. government allowed thousands of guns to be supplied to Mexican drug cartels, while American federal law enforcement effectively provided the straw purchasers and smugglers with the cover to operate with impunity.

Despite the tens of thousands of words of outrage written about the Obama administration’s botched Operation Fast and Furious, most of the focus has been on the horrific impact of the program as measured by the number of firearms smuggled over the border and the number of lives lost. Some attention has been consequently paid to the potential political and criminal impact of the operation and cover-up within the Department of Justice.

Sadly, the media has focused very little attention on the probable origins of the plot, or why Gunwalker was created as an adjunct of the longer-running and more successful Gunrunner campaign.

Of course, that may not be entirely true. The crack investigative reporters of print, network, and cable news organizations may very well have done the research and followed the various clues about the origins of Gunwalker to their logical conclusion, and then simply decided that the most probable story was one they not dare tell.

The story is this: no competent federal law enforcement officer would ever have concocted an operation as obviously doomed to catastrophic failure as Operation Fast and Furious.

[More]
If this does end up being a misguided political attempt to force gun restrictions, it's a far bigger scandal than Watergate, where no lives were lost. The blatant stone-walling by Justice Department officials toward Darrell Issa's Congressional inquiries is telling. EVERYTHING this administration does is politically motivated and, in this case, cost the life of one or our border patrol agents.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Sarah Palin: Congressional Freshman - For Such A Time As This

Sarah Palin posted the following note on her Facebook page yesterday:
Out here in proverbial politico flyover country, we little folk are watching the debt ceiling debate with great interest and concern. Today I re-read the open letter I wrote to Republican Freshman Members of Congress in November 2010, just days after they were ushered into office in an historic landslide victory due in large part to the activism of commonsense patriots who are considered part of the Tea Party movement. I respectfully ask these GOP Freshman to re-read this letter and remember us “little people” who believed in them, donated to their campaigns, spent hours tirelessly volunteering for them, and trusted them with our votes. This new wave of public servants may recall that they were sent to D.C. for such a time as this.

The original letter is pasted below, with added emphasis to certain passages that I feel are especially relevant to the current discussion.

All my best to you, GOP Freshmen, from up here in the Last Frontier.

Sincerely,

Sarah Palin

P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries.

******

November 13, 2010

Welcome to all Republican Freshmen and congratulations!

Congratulations to all of you for your contribution to this historic election, and for the contributions I am certain you will make to our country in the next two years. Your victory was hard fought, and the success belongs entirely to you and the staff and volunteers who spent countless hours working for this chance to put government back on the side of the people. Now you will come to Washington to serve your nation and leave your mark on history by reining in government spending, preserving our freedoms at home, and restoring America’s leadership abroad. Some of you have asked for my thoughts on how best to proceed in the weeks and months ahead and how best to advance an agenda that can move our country forward. I have a simple answer: stick to the principles that propelled your campaigns. When you take your oath to support and defend our Constitution and to faithfully discharge the duties of your office, remember that present and future generations of “We the People” are counting on you to stand by that oath. Never forget the people who sent you to Washington. Never forget the trust they placed in you to do the right thing.

The task before you is daunting because so much damage has been done in the last two years, but I believe you have the chance to achieve great things.

Republicans campaigned on a promise to rein in out-of-control government spending and to repeal and replace the massive, burdensome, and unwanted health care law President Obama and the Democrat Congress passed earlier this year in defiance of the will of the majority of the American people. These are promises that you must keep. Obamacare is a job-killer, a regulatory nightmare, and an enormous unfunded mandate. The American people don’t want it and we can’t afford it. We ask, with all due respect, that you remember your job will be to work to replace this legislation with real reform that relies on free market principles and patient-centered policies. The first step is, of course, to defund Obamacare.

You’ve also got to be deadly serious about cutting the deficit. Despite what some would like us to believe, tax cuts didn’t get us into the mess we’re in. Government spending did. Tough decisions need to be made about reducing government spending. The longer we put them off, the worse it will get. We need to start by cutting non-essential spending. That includes stopping earmarks (because abuse of the earmark process created the “gateway-drug” that allowed backroom deals and bloated budgets), canceling all further spending on the failed Stimulus program, and rolling back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels. You can do more, but this would be a good start.

In order to avert a fiscal disaster, we will also need to check the growth of spending on our entitlement programs. That will be a huge challenge, but it must be confronted head on. We must do it in a humane way that honors the government’s current commitments to our fellow Americans while also keeping faith with future generations. We cannot rob from our children and grandchildren’s tomorrow to pay for our unchecked spending today. Beyond that, we need to reform the way Congress conducts business in order to make it procedurally easier to cut spending than to increase it. We need to encourage zero-based budgeting practices in D.C. like the kind fiscally conservative mayors and governors utilize to balance their budgets and reduce unnecessary spending.

There in the insulated and isolated Beltway you will be far removed from the economic pain felt by so many Americans who are out of work. Please remember that if we want real job growth, we must create a stable investment climate by ending the tidal wave of overly burdensome regulations coming out of Washington. Businesses need certainty – and freedom that incentivizes competition – to grow and expand our workforce.

The last thing our small businesses need is tax hikes. It falls to the current Democrat-controlled Congress to decide on the future of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. If it does not permanently renew all of them, you should move quickly to do so in the new Congress. It would remove from households and businesses the threat of a possible $3.8 trillion tax hike hitting all Americans at the worst possible moment, with our economy struggling to recover from a deep recession! You must continue to remind Democrats that the people they are dismissing as “rich” are the small business owners who create up to 70% of all jobs in this country!

Another issue of vital importance is border security. Americans expect our leadership in Washington to act now to secure our borders. Don’t fall for the claims of those who suggest that we can’t secure our borders until we simultaneously deal with the illegal immigrants already here. Let’s deal with securing the border first. That alone is a huge challenge that has been ignored for far too long.

On foreign policy and national security, I urge you to stick to our principles: strong defense, free trade, nurturing allies, and steadfast opposition to America’s enemies. We are the most powerful country on earth and the world is better off because of it. Our president does not seem to understand this. If we withdraw from the world, the world will become a much more dangerous place. You must push President Obama to finish the job right in Iraq and get the job done in Afghanistan, otherwise we who are war-weary will forever question why America’s finest are sent overseas to make the ultimate sacrifice with no clear commitment to victory from those who send them. You should be prepared to stand with the President against Iran’s nuclear aspirations using whatever means necessary to ensure the mullahs in Tehran do not get their hands on nuclear weapons. And you can stand with the Iranian people who oppose the tyrannical rule of the clerics and concretely support their efforts to win their freedom – even if the President does not.

You need to say no to cutting the necessities in our defense budget when we are engaged in two wars and face so many threats – from Islamic extremists to a nuclear Iran to a rising China. As Ronald Reagan said, “We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.” You will also have the opportunity to push job-creating free trade agreements with allies like Colombia and South Korea. You can stand with allies like Israel, not criticize them. You can let the President know what you believe – Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, not a settlement. And for those of you joining the United States Senate, don’t listen to desperate politically-motivated arguments about the need for hasty consideration of the “New START” treaty. Insist on your right to patient and careful deliberation of New START to address very real concerns about verification, missile defense, and modernization of our nuclear infrastructure. No New START in the lame duck!

You can stand against misguided proposals to try dangerous, evil terrorists in the US; precipitously close the Guantanamo prison; and a return to the failed policies of the past in treating the war on terror as a law enforcement problem. Finally, you have a platform to express the support of the American people for all those around the world seeking their freedom that God has bestowed within all mankind’s being – from Burma and Egypt to Russia and Venezuela – because the spread of liberty increases our own security. You, freshmen lawmakers, can and will be powerful voices in support of foreign policies that protect our interests and promote our values! Thank you for being willing to fight for our values and our freedom!

In all this, you should extend a hand to President Obama and Democrats in Congress. After this election, they may finally be prepared to work with Republicans on some of these issues for the good of the country. And if not, we will all be looking forward to 2012.

Remember that some in the media will love you when you stray from the time-tested truths that built America into the most exceptional nation on earth. When the Left in the media pat you on the back, quickly reassess where you are and readjust, for the liberals’ praise is a warning bell you must heed. Trust me on that.

I and most Americans are so excited for you. Working together, we have every right to be optimistic about our future. We can be hopeful because real hope lies in the ingenuity, generosity, and boundless courage of the everyday Americans who make our country exceptional. These are the men and women who sent you to Washington. May your work and leadership honor their faith in you.

With sincere congratulations and a big Alaskan heart,

Sarah Palin

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Cut, Cap and Balance!

I really don't know what else to say. I'm not interested in wimpy efforts to appease the Washington elite, I'm interested in REFORM! The August 2nd deadline to increase the debt ceiling is totally bogus. This is a manufactured crisis of Obama's own doing.

After watching his horrific speech last night, I was left with the feeling that we are witnessing the most quintessential demagogue of our time. Barack Obama is right up there with the most radical leaders that have ever had the good fortune of being elected President of the United States. He's right up there with Woodrow Wilson. In fact, he has surpassed Wilson's idiotic socialist agenda and set a new standard for trying to further a Marxist agenda.

Barack Obama can be compared to Jimmy Carter in his incompetence. But Jimmy Carter was not the socialist demagogue that Barack Obama is. Not even close! I believe that Barack Obama is doing this ON PURPOSE! Jimmy Carter was a buffoon, but Barack Obama is the worst embodiment of socialist thought to ever hit the White House.

So, what do we do?

We don't capitulate! We don't take Cut, Cap and Balance off the table and put forth some namby-pamby alternative that merely acquiesces to the leftists' demands.

We hold the line!

Everyone talks about Boehner calling Barack Obama's bluff. But what is the bluff?

The bluff is that the Republicans will not allow the debt-ceiling debate to end up at the point where it shuts down government and creates a "disaster". They don't want to blamed for a government shutdown, as they were in 1995, during Clinton's administration.

I have news for you. There is no disaster on the horizon in regards to the debt limit. This is a manufactured crisis with no basis in reality. It is formed from the rhetorical perfidy of Barack Obama.

Here's the deal. The Washington Post, CNN and the major networks can poll adults all they want. Those polls are absurd because a sample of adults does not indicate what the electorate will do. Those "adults" do not all vote. They sit on the sidelines and answer their phones in the evening while they watch TV. They respond to some pollster in a way to get back to their couch as soon as possible!

Hold the line!

Congressional Republicans, are you listening to us?

If the Republican Congress does not hold the line in this debate, they and we are doomed!

Update: Sarah Palin weighed in on the Greta van Susteren show last night.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Horrific speech by Obama

This is so amazing. Obama just came out and unloaded on: Bush, the Tea Party, House Republicans, corporate jet-owners, small-business owners and again, Republicans in Congress.

It was a horrific display of a Presidential speech to the citizens of the United States. I will post the video when it's available and juxtapose it with John Boehner's response.

Unbelievable!

Update: Here's a good synopsis from Fox News.

Update2: Here is Obama's speech:



and here is John Boehner's response:

Demons and Demagogues

True to form, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has decided to demagogue the House Republicans as "extremists". He specifically referred to the Tea Party and suggested that it's right-wing extremism was the major influence of Republicans.

So, what do you think Tea Party? What's that old saying? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me". This is just more of the same BS from Washington liberals and our socialist President.

As Sarah Palin likes to say, 2012 can't come soon enough!

Update:
Here is a great piece by Randall Hoven at American Thinker to bolster the arguments put forth by the Tea Party.

Wait for it......

Rasmussen's Daily Presidential Tracking Poll portends a very bad week for Obama. This poll is a three-day rolling average, taken each night via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters. Today's poll showed a 6 pt drop in the average since Friday's results were published. I can't wait to see what it does tomorrow, especially with headlines like this.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Breaking News: National Rollout for 'The Undefeated'

ARC Entertainment Announces Massive National Rollout for Sarah Palin Film, 'The Undefeated'
Beginning September 1st Video-on-Demand and Pay-Per-View to Make the Film Accessible to Approximately 75 Million Homes Through Major Cable and Satellite Companies Such as DIRECTV, DISH Network and Time Warner Cable The Video on Demand / Pay-Per-View Launch to be Backed by Multi-Million-Dollar Marketing Campaign DVD to Launch October 4th in Stores Nationwide with an Initial Shipment Estimated at 250,000 Units Walmart to Receive a “Special Edition” Version of the Film Limited Engagement Theatrical Release to Continue Nationwide Throughout August and September.

Sarah Palin: Lame Duck President

Sarah Palin posted a virtual evisceration of Obama on Facebook last night. This is just so good!
After listening to the President’s press conference today, let’s keep in mind the following:

This is the same president who proposed an absurdly irresponsible budget that would increase our debt by trillions of dollars, and whose party failed to even put forward a budget in over 800 days! This is the same president who is pushing our country to the brink because of his reckless spending on things like the nearly trillion dollar “stimulus” boondoggle. This is the same president who ignored his own debt commission’s recommendations and demonized the voices of fiscal sanity who proposed responsible plans to reform our entitlement programs and rein in our dangerous debt trajectory. This is the same president who wanted to push through an increase in the debt ceiling that didn’t include any cuts in government spending! This is the same president who wants to slam Americans with tax hikes to cover his reckless spending, but has threatened to veto a bill proposing a balanced budget amendment. This is the same president who hasn’t put forward a responsible plan himself, but has rejected reasonable proposals that would tackle our debt. This is the same president who still refuses to understand that the American electorate rejected his big government agenda last November. As I said in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Tax Day Tea Party rally, “We don’t want it. We can’t afford it. And we are unwilling to pay for it.”

Now the President is outraged because the GOP House leadership called his bluff and ended discussions with him because they deemed him an obstruction to any real solution to the debt crisis.

He has been deemed a lame duck president. And he is angry now because he is being treated as such.

His foreign policy strategy has been described as “leading from behind.” Well, that’s his domestic policy strategy as well. Why should he be surprised that he’s been left behind in the negotiations when he’s been leading from behind on this debt crisis?

Thank you, GOP House leaders. Please don’t get wobbly on us now.

2012 can’t come soon enough.

- Sarah Palin

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Cornwallis: It ends today...

Update: I'm bumping this up to a current post. It's something our Congressional leadership needs to see! Hold the freeking line!

As far as Cornwallis goes and needless to say, it didn't end that day. Nor should it end now.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Stirring Sarah Palin video

Enjoy!



I'm left with one thought. Who else has the balls cojones?

Update: Please go see "The Undefeated". You will understand what this woman is really all about.

Addendum: This video is too good to ignore:

Walking into Mordor

Bill Whittle is one of my favorite essayists. He does a regular video called "The Firewall". Here is his latest entry and it's a good one:

Friday, July 15, 2011

So, how's 'The Undefeated' doing today? Pretty darn good!

Josh Painter at Texans for Sarah Palin has a rundown on tonight's theater results for "The Undefeated":
Theater manager in Phoenix reports "Only Harry Potter beating 'The Undefeated'...

Atlanta, GA 'The Undefeated' is Number 1 in theater out performering 'Transformers'...

4pm showing of 'The Undefeated' ends with five minute standing ovation in Atlanta!

Atlanta - 7pm showing of 'The Undefeated' sold out 3 hours in advance!

"The #Undefeated" 4pm showing in #OrangeCounty is packed full except for the "stiff neck seats" that nobody wants ever.

The Undefeated is Number 1 in #Atlanta #GA out performing Transformers

AMC Ahwatukee theatre mgr told me they sold so many tickets for #Undefeated that they had to move it to a bigger screen!

Undefeated sold out 7:10 and 10:04 showings in Kennesaw. #1 movie in this theater tonight!

People in the theater CHEERED when they saw Palin at the tea party rally.

Kennesaw GA 3 showings sold out!!

PalinUndefeated attitude is spreading like wild fire. Watch the Dems start eating themselves

How come nobody in the MSM is RTing that @PalinUndefeated is selling out and getting standing Os?! Aren't they "objective" RTers?!?

Full House at Universal Cineplex Orlando, FL for 'The Undefeated'!

MSM - Where are the "empty theaters" now?

Just got back from the movie. My 3 skeptics will now be a part of Sarah's Army.

People around me are saying, "WOW" about the frivolous ethics complaints. They didn't know.

Houston showing is almost full except for the lower 2 rows. ;-)

Audience applauding Sarah's inaugural address in #Undefeated in Kennesaw!

Drove 8 Hours To See The #Undefeated! Very Well Made, Exhilarating & Inspirational

Amazing! People in this theater had NO idea about ethics complaints & why she resigned! They do now!
This is just the beginning folks. There will be much more to come tomorrow. To quote Josh Painter: "Wonder how the Democrat Party state chairman in Arizona will explain his prediction that there would be low turnout for the film in Phoenix?"

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Three great videos about 'The Undefeated'

Time is short! Get out and support all conservatives by attending this movie.

The Undefeated - Listening in the Lobby

__________

The Undefeated - Spirit

__________

We Are The Undefeated

__________

Featured blog by Josh Painter is a must-read because we will not be defeated!!

Gov. Palin's enemies further motivate her troops to fight for her
__________

It's not too late! We can turn the tide of Obama's statism and preserve the principles of our Constitution.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

America Held Hostage!

To me, any suggestion that Social Security checks might not go out is reprehensible!



This President is all about class warfare and scare-mongering.

Obama must go!

Update: Investor's Business Daily has a great analysis here.

A Call to Action



Personally, I have already bought 10 tickets and they are all spoken for.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

James Pethokoukis: 'The issue isn’t default...'

This from James Pethokoukis, at Reuters:
Here’s a great chart from Goldman Sachs that shows how government revenues and obligations will likely match up in August:

As is clearly shown, there is enough cumulative money coming to pay interest, SS, Medicare and defense. Not that there wouldn’t be cash managements issues. That and several other issues are addressed in a Q&A from a GS report last week. Some excerpts (bold is mine):

Q: What happens on August 3 if the debt limit is not increased?

A: … Using August 2010 spending and receipts as a proxy, the Treasury will probably take in $5-$10 bn in revenue on August 3, leaving insufficient revenues to make Social Security payments partly unfunded even if all other spending is deferred. Since the Treasury has carried a minimum cash balance of about $20 bn since 2009, and currently carries a balance of $74 bn, Social Security payments might still be made by drawing down the Treasury’s cash balance.

Q: Are Treasury interest payments at risk?

A: We do not think so. … There are two basic reasons that interest payments should not be called into question: First, if the August 2 deadline is missed, it is very difficult to see the debate dragging to August 15, when interest payments are made, since we doubt there will much congressional appetite for a protracted lapse in borrowing authority. … Second, the Treasury is likely to prioritize payments. While the sharp fiscal contraction that would result from prioritization would have negative short-term economic consequences and would be difficult to implement, it nevertheless seems likely if necessary.

Q: If other non-interest payments are missed, would that constitute a default?

A: Probably not, at least from the rating agency perspective. The rating agencies have not been entirely clear on this point, but S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch all appear to view a failure to pay other obligations to be different from a default. S&P has already put the US on negative outlook due to longer-term fiscal issues, and the other two rating agencies have indicated they will move to a negative outlook if no agreement is reached by August 2.
Update:
The President of the United States has rejected the notion of prioritizing obligations of the U.S. Government. He is holding the economy hostage!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

A Rogue Warrior's Strategy for Conservatives

In an American Thinker opinion piece, Rob Cunningham echos something I said in a recent email sent to everyone I know in the immediate area I live. I have the fortunate circumstance of living close to the Grapevine Mills AMC Theaters, which is only one of 10 locations across the country that will premiere Stephen Bannon's new documentary on Sarah Palin, Joseph Goebbels (Hitler's propaganda chief) said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." Unfortunately, that is still true today. "The Undefeated".

Per Rob Cunningham:
I implore every freedom loving American to see Stephen K. Bannon's documentary on the life and career of Sarah Palin. And furthermore, every conservative, Tea Party activist, free-market capitalist, persons of faith or no-faith, and all influential leaders, regardless of whom their preferred 2012 presidential candidate might actually be, should leverage all their talents, skills, resources and creativity to ensure the maximum number of people experience this movie in public theaters.

Stay with me on this, please.

Why do I make this claim? The simple clarity and raw truth offered in "The Undefeated" stands at the ready to educate tens of millions of citizens, perhaps influencing an entire generation of voters. This documentary deeply connects, on both an intellectual and emotional level, and stirs one's very soul. This film brilliantly serves as a modern-day case study, and clearly illustrates how our agenda-driven news media, entertainment industry and political power brokers brazenly operate, in plain view and with cold-blooded intentionality, in a tireless attempt to destroy a very decent fellow citizen. When presented with basic facts, Americans will recoil in disgust.

If principled republicans, tea-partiers and libertarians choose to no longer remain silent, misinformed or "neutral" while one of our strongest and most influential "movement conservatives" is repeatedly and falsely attacked, we will empower every single person and candidate within our movement.

[...]

This movie delivers a massive body blow to the media, it dilutes the effectiveness of liberal scare tactics and will vaccinate millions against infection from traditional "news" reporting. By powerfully highlighting the media's methods of distortion, one of the most powerful weapons used against all conservatives, is damaged.

"The Undefeated" will be released the week of July 15th through July 21st at AMC theaters in 10 major US cities. A positive reception at each of these theaters is critical to ensuring a much larger national audience benefits from this film. Those interested can purchase tickets online at http://theundefeated.cinedigm.com/tickets.html.

In one July week, our entire conservative movement can become enormously stronger if we work together and "get out the viewers." Invite a few friends, visit with your neighbors or organize a youth group. By making a concerted effort to better educate ourselves and our fellow citizens, the best and brightest conservative leaders across our nation will benefit.

It's easy to make a point. It is so much harder to make a difference. If conservatives in ten cities become engaged and encourage all they can to attend "The Undefeated," we'll each be making a positive difference in America. We'll be helping to bring educational value to a generation of citizens and possibly impacting their lives, forever.
This movie is not just about Governor Palin, but about the appalling attack on all conservative leaders by our mainstream media. It is imperative that anyone that considers themselves to be slightly conservative, conservative or very conservative sees this movie. It puts media bias front and center, but more importantly, it chronicles the truth about a conservative record that needs to be illuminated for everyone to see.

In my email, I noted that Joseph Goebbels (Hitler's propaganda chief) said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." Unfortunately, that is still true today. Were you aware that at one point during her tenure as Governor and before John McCain picked her as his running mate, she had an approval rating in Alaska of almost 90%? I'll be you didn't, because the mainstream media refuses to report it.

Please see this movie. I can attest to its impact, having seen it a little over a week ago. It truly is a game-changer for ALL conservative-minded people.

Update: I fixed a bad link for "The Undefeated".

Friday, July 8, 2011

Just released: The Undefeated Official Movie Trailer



Update: Andrew Breitbart gives his opinion of the movie
The much anticipated Sarah Palin documentary by filmmaker Steve Bannon comes out in theaters next Friday, July 15th. People can now see the trailer for the first time. I’ve now seen the film three times and one thing that stands out is how Sarah Palin has always been on the offensive and refuses to apologize for who she is. Subsequently, there are tens of millions of Americans who not only relate to her, but her ballsyness contrasts more with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party. If Sarah Palin doesn’t run for the Presidency, someone in the Republican Party should take note on what real leadership looks like.

Democrats who watch this will see somebody they wish they had on their side—and they did once, in Alaska. Governor Palin stood up to the deservedly vilified ExxonMobil whose criminal misconduct with the Exxon Valdez was exacerbated with years and years of legal wrangling and deep-seated corruption that Governor Palin took on directly. Bannon’s movie is not a woe-is-her exercise in victimology; it’s a jarring look at how entrenched politicians and entrenched media can distort reality to maintain the status quo.

I have built a brand and a mission based upon pointing out media distortion and lies. I have never seen a greater disparity between the media Sarah Palin and the real one. Mainstream media types who have seen this movie are admitting as much but claim that it’s Sarah Palin who drastically changed into a completely different person. No, this was a manufactured Palin, manufactured to destroy her in the pursuit of protecting Barack Obama.

Rebels of all stripes who come to this film with open eyes will be inspired by a daughter, a wife, a mother, and a warrior who took on the system and won.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Undefeated

I'm not one to argue about trivial things. It's too easy to jump into a conversation about who said what and why. On the other hand, I do worry about big things. I worry about the status of my country when my kids become adults and are trying to fend for themselves. I worry about how the growth of the federal government might consume the private sector. I don't want my kids to have to work for the government.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm amazed at the number of people who aren't paying attention. Don't get me wrong. I'm truly grateful for the Tea Party. Those that have attended Tea Party events should be applauded, but what do they do afterwards?

I've attended Tea Party events and they remind me of revival meetings. The event fires you up and you go home with all kinds of motivation to do this or that, and then it fizzles....until the next election.

There are so many things to do in advance of an election. Waiting passively for the next slate of candidates to vote for is wrong! An impassioned electorate is tantamount to providing a good slate of candidates. You cannot sit there and watch as the mainstream media defines the proper candidate. The PEOPLE should decide who wins or loses.

I have never participated in a grass-roots effort before, but I feel the need to do so now, or forever hold my peace.

I'm supporting a Sarah Palin presidency, because I truly believe that her heart is in the right place to make the necessary adjustments and put our country back on the right path. I abhor everything that Barack Obama stands for. I don't know where he came from, but he didn't come from any place that I recognize.

Please go see the movie "The Undefeated". If nothing else, it will enlighten you to recognize the bias in the media and maybe, just maybe, it will inspire you to get involved now, before November of 2012.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Impeachment Now?

Barack Obama has flaunted the Constitution since the moment he began his term in office. Now, it appears that he has taken it to a new level. Word has it that team Obama is now looking at a unilateral increase in the debt limit, avoiding the gridlock in Congress over the need to or not to raise the debt limit.

Per Talking Points Memo (TPM):
While the federal government has been playing chicken with U.S. credit, liberal academics -- and even some Democratic members of Congress -- have begun questioning whether the legislative branch actually has the power under the Constitution to force the federal government to default on its debts.

Their argument rests on a unique reading of the fourth section of the 14th Amendment, which seemingly forbids Congress from preventing the country from paying what it owes: "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law...shall not be questioned."

It's an interpretation that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) called "crazy talk," and that President Obama refused to comment on at a recent press conference.

But even if it's correct, and even though Republicans are holding the debt ceiling hostage to unpopular conservative legislative priorities, it's not a step the administration wants to take, or would be able to take lightly.

Conversations with experts indicate that the president would likely need one of the most powerful offices in the government to agree with this view before they could blow past the debt limit. And even if Obama got the go-ahead, the White House would have to be prepared for epic political and legal battles with the GOP, which would no doubt follow if Obama took such drastic action.

[...]

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) acknowledged that President Obama might be able to issue debt beyond the limit without Congressional approval in order to avoid defaulting, but warned against doing so without extensive study.

"It's probably not right to pursue at this point and you wouldn't want to go ahead and issue the debt and then have the courts reverse it," he said.

By Bradbury's reading, Obama would have a hard time justifying issuing new debt to pay old debt. Based on the text of the amendment, and an analysis of the legislative debate at the time the 14th Amendment was ratified, Bradbury concludes, "I believe that this provision of the Fourteenth Amendment means that the federal government may not cancel or fail to honor debt previously issued with the authorization of Congress (including valid, previously issued Treasury bonds).
You can read the rest here. Go ahead Barry, make my day!

Update: Here's some more background from Hot Air.

Team Sarah's 'Get Out The Viewer' campaign

Team Sarah, an independent Pro-Palin activist organization, is helping to get the word out about the new Sarah Palin documentary, "The Undefeated", premiering on July 15th in 10 selected markets throughout the U.S.

Josh Painter at Texans for Sarah Palin has the scoop:
Team,

You can be the spark that becomes a grassroots revolution helping to ignite, solidify, inform, and unify Americans around the values that Sarah Palin represents, and, frankly, it isn't that terribly hard!.


Team Sarah wants to see "The Undefeated" become a BIG success and we are treating this like OPENING DAY in a long battle to promote the VALUES we see that Sarah Palin represents!

But, we need to ACT!

Please don't waste time.

Click on the link below and start purchasing your tickets for Opening Weekend July 15, 16, and 17:


We need to SELL OUT the evening shows on July 15th and 16th if you BELIEVE IN THE MESSAGING and VALUES OF THIS FILM.

If you believe in Sarah Palin and the values she represents in country today, now is YOUR CHANCE to stand up and make a HUGE IMPACT with what amounts to only a little effort.

The Undefeated needs strong attendance to roll out across the country in subsequent weeks. Your fellow Americans DESERVE to see this movie. Strong attendance, we believe, will also send a strong message to the liberal media elites and their political cronies- that Americans are hungry for REAL leaders who can navigate tough storms instead of sound-biting their way along to pander for votes or media support.
You can get the rest of the scoop here, and I strongly recommend that you do!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Presence of Sarah Palin

One of the things that impresses me about Sarah Palin is the presence of being that she brings to a room. It's hard to describe and I haven't experienced it personally, but it seems palpable.

It reminds me a little bit of the time that Robert Kennedy ran for President. I was in 8th grade and he happened to make a trip to my home town. As luck would have it, his motorcade drove right past my grade school. Being that it was a Catholic school, the nuns and teachers were more than willing to let us line the street as RFK drove by. I remember it well as he waved to us from the convertible limousine he was in. Several weeks later, after I "graduated" from 8th grade, I was crushed when my mother woke me up the morning after that fateful California primary and told me that Robert Kennedy had been shot and wasn't expected to survive.

The Kennedys carried a charisma with them during their political life, although I would venture to say that Teddy did not. It's not something that is yours as a birthright, it is something transient, but real.

Sarah Palin has that charisma and following that we haven't seen since John or Bobby Kennedy. Reagan had it, but his was born out of experience and the wisdom of age. Sarah, on the other hand, possesses both the conviction to principle, as did Reagan, and an overwhelming presence of being, the likes of which I have not seen since RFK's drive-by so many years ago.

It's so very hard to explain the "it" that Sarah Palin possesses. All I can say is that "it" is there and if she so chooses, "it" could realistically propel her into the White House.

I feel like a kid again, watching an icon drive by and hoping that "it" is real. Please watch "The Undefeated". The movie will change your opinion of what “it” is.

The Republic of Brokistan

Mark Stein is a great writer. He often fills in for Rush Limbaugh when Rush is off, but his writing style is exquisite. He posted a piece today at National Review Online which deserves mention.
July 2, 2011 7:00 A.M.
Obama’s Declaration of Dependence
The self-reliant citizenry is history.

Dozens of countries have “Independence Days.” November 25th, for example: Independence Day in Suriname. In that instance as in most others, the designation signifies nothing more than transfer of de jure sovereignty and de facto operational control from a distant European capital to a more local regime. 1975 in Suriname’s case. They had the first military coup seven years later.

But in America “Independence” seemed as much a statement about the character of a people as a designation of jurisdictional status. The first Americans were British subjects who had outgrown a British king as benign and enlightened as any ruler on the planet. They demanded “independence” not from foreign rulers of another ethnicity but from their own compatriots with whom they had a disagreement about the nature of government. Long before the Revolutionary War, small New England townships governed themselves to a degree no old England towns did. “Independence” is not about the replacement of a king in London with a president in Washington but about the republican virtues of a self-reliant citizenry free to exploit its own potential.

Please, no snickering. The self-reliant citizen? In the damning formulation of contemporary American vernacular, he’s history — as in over and done with, fuhgeddabouttim. What’s left of that founding vision on this less than Glorious Fourth of July 2011 in the Brokest Nation in History? “You go talk to your constituents,” President Obama taunted Republicans on Wednesday, “and ask them, are they willing to compromise their kids’ safety so that some corporate-jet owner continues to get a tax break?”

In the Republic of Brokistan, that’s the choice, is it? Give me safe kids or give me corporate jets! No corporate aviation without safe kiddification! In his bizarre press conference on Wednesday, Obama made no fewer than six references to corporate-jet owners. Just for the record, the tax break for corporate jets was part of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” — i.e., the stimulus. The Obama stimulus. The Obama-Pelosi-Reid stimulus. The Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Democratic-party stimulus that every single Republican House member and all but three Republican senators voted against. The Obama–Corporate Jet stimulus that some guy called Obama ostentatiously signed into law in Denver after jetting in to host an “economic forum.”
You can read the rest here. It's really quite good!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Marco Rubio nails Obama for his class warfare rhetoric

Marco Rubio took to the Senate floor yesterday to respond to Barack Obama's absurd rhetoric during his press conference on Thursday.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Quit sending me emails!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick and tired of people sending me emails about this or that outrage that's taking place in our country. The bottom line is this: the country is going to hell in a hand-basket if we don't do SOMETHING to change it! Forwarding incendiary emails might make you feel good, but it doesn't do a dad-gum thing in the entire scheme of things.

We are at a major crossroads. Either step up to the plate and lead or relegate yourself to a supporting role for those who do. Forwarding emails is a completely bullshit way to say you're doing something! Fill the cannons or replenish the powder, but don't sit there and tell me who pisses you off!

Couldn't have said it better!

From Roderic Deane comes this:
Standing front and center, exposed and fearless

I saw the documentary of Sarah Palin last night. "The Undefeated" will premiere in 10 markets around the U.S. on July 15th and the timing couldn't have been better unless, of course, it premiered on July 4th, but I digress. This movie will destroy your preconceived opinions of Sarah Palin. It puts her record as Governor of Alaska front and center and gives a very moving account of her rise in politics. More importantly, it gives the viewer a very studied explanation as to why she resigned as Governor. That segment alone will make you realize that your perceptions of Sarah Palin have been misled by the mainstream media and left-wing blogosphere.

She has done what many of us might want to, but are fearful of for sake of being criticized. That fear has paralyzed the elitist Republicans in Washington as well as the members of the Republican "machine" throughout the United States. I was ashamed of myself when I saw the movie and thought back to all the times I acquiesced in the face of criticism toward my conservative views. No longer.

This movie will inspire everyone to stand up for your beliefs and to stand true for the things that matter to you. Don't shy away from criticism, it is the elitist's way of governance. Changes are only made by going against the grain of those elitist's opinions. Our current crop of politicians would have been laughed out of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. I can guarantee you that Sarah Palin would have been a welcome voice and active participant, so true are her ideals to those of our Founding Fathers.

Our Founding Fathers risked EVERYTHING in their pursuit of freedom from tyranny. The very ending of the Declaration of Independence states the following:
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
I ask you, who amongst the current crop of announced Presidential candidates would do the same? Who amongst YOU will carry such a devoted commitment into next year's elections?

Sarah Palin is an example for all of us to follow. She has endured ridicule, scorn and death threats toward both she and her family. Would you be as committed as she in the face of such disdain?

It's time to be front and center, totally exposed and totally fearless to prove that we can stand with Sarah Palin! We must not let her fall!

Fantastic video from the premiere of "The Undefeated"!

This video was produced by the same people that made the movie. It's very good!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Why not Sarah Palin?

When all has been written about the outcome of the 2012 Presidential election and all the pundits and prognosticators have "spun" their reasons for being wrong, we will still be left with the gargantuan task of reining in the Federal government. After all, that is the primary task ahead of us.

I will only predict one thing and that is the likelihood of a Republican winner. Barack Obama has done more to destroy our Constitutional Republic than any President in our history. When Obama is defeated, it will allow him to pursue his real goal of leading the United Nations. After his installation as Secretary-General, we can promptly curtail our funding of the United Nations. What a fitting tribute THAT would be!

Amongst the present slate of Republican candidates, who has shown the ability to take on special interests, like oil companies? Who has a proven ability to take on their own party to effect reform? Who has worked in an executive role to break long-existing roadblocks and effect positive change for their constituency? Who has enlisted the support of countless fiscal and social conservatives without once asking for that support? Who has the ability to stand up and state their convictions without fear? Who has a proven ability to "reach across the aisle" to craft bipartisan legislation?

If you can answer those questions honestly, you know who should be the next President of The United States.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Blagojevich goes down!

The court verdict was not pretty today. Guilty on 17 counts, not guilty on one and the jury hung on two others.

You can read the Chicago Tribune's account here.

For the fun of it, here's a great video in tribute to Rod:

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Thunder and lightning

As I sit here waiting for a storm to come in, I'm reminded of a metaphor. The same metaphor was applied to my son's football team and the duo that toiled at running back. They complimented one another and became a rallying cry for the rest of the team.

Thunder and lightning!

I'm reminded of this as we approach the 2012 elections. Who will be thunder and who will be lightning? Who will blast forward into the line and who will be the one to run around end, leaving the defense gasping in pursuit?

We have a field of Republican candidates who are wanting to take the ball and run with it. Do they have the ability to succeed? I'm waiting for a flash of lightning. I still haven't seen the thunder that rocks the offensive line.

The season is just starting and I'm waiting to see who the players will be in this first game of a lifetime. I'm holding my breath, because thunder and lightning are still standing on the sidelines.

This political year has just played a preseason game with the NH debate. Will thunder and lightning be called on for the remaining preseason, or will they be held back until the "real" season starts?

If I was the coach, I'd wait until September when the real season starts. Why tip your hand when the season is only just beginning and the pre-season players are just trying to make the team?

Monday, June 20, 2011

Rick Perry's speech to RLC in New Orleans

This speech should be a template for all the Republican candidates for President!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Choices...

Our lives are the result of our choices. Like them or not, they are what they are. We live or die by them, but, most importantly, they define who we are.

When we decide to enter into marriage, we are emboldened by that commitment. When we are forced to end a marriage, we are dismayed by our original choice. Why?

We choose to do what we believe in. In a marriage contract, we assume that the other party believes as we do. Our society delivers the hopeless verdict when we are wrong. It is a societal paradigm that we are unable to escape. Who is wrong, and who is right? Society deems it as unanswerable. The default judgment is both, so neither is guilty.

For a lot of us, we continue to look for the ability to make choices that demonstrate our resolve. It may be multiple choices that present themselves to us, but we recognize that our choices have consequences as we pursue those that we deem to have merit.

When we choose to pursue a certain path, our resolve is the only thing that hinders our achievement. There will always be an end-game that we must accept or reject. It defines our goals.

Do we choose to go half-way to our goal? That is not empowering. It may give us some benefits along the way, but it diminishes us.

Who has the strength to pursue their goals to fruition? Did Thomas Edison give up after countless attempts to create the light bulb? Did Steven Jobs give up when he was turned away from the very company he founded? Did Rush Limbaugh throw in the towel when he was told that his hearing was gone? The vanguard of success is perseverance. Pure and simple.

We all have roadblocks that stand in the way of our goals. What makes us unique is our resolve in transcending those roadblocks.

I have a challenge for Sarah Palin. Continue your quest. I know that you harbored a conviction that you could make a difference. Prove it! Everyone likes a winner and I have a feeling that your goals have not yet been met.