Guest Post: Parker Ward on the Republican Debate

Last night the major presidential candidates for the GOP debated in Iowa. I have to say I am shocked at the outcome.

Newt Gingrich- Came off as strong by not answering the 'gotcha' questions. He stood up on his record and seemed to be a strong candidate last night. His performance was good. I think the average GOP voter was satisfied with his answers.
Jon Huntsman- RINO! He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. His answers were not insightful and I was really turned off by his answer about the Chinese.
Tim Pawlenty- Tpaw came off as weak last night. He had a funny one-liner when he was asked about “I will come to your house and cook you dinner, or I will mow your yard….only one acre for Mitt” and attacking Michele Bachmann. He is weak and a vanilla type of person. I believe last night was the final straw for the Pawlenty campaign.
Michele Bachmann- Bachmann seemed to lose some of her steam after the first tussle with Pawlenty. I was dissatisfied with her performance and seemed to lose interest because she lost her fire. I was shocked; her performance was not as good this time as it was in the CNN debate. I was really sad to see that.
Mitt Romney- Mitt seemed to come off as usual. He really did not take any swings at any of the other candidates. All of his swings were for Obama. It was funny when Pawlenty went after Obamney Care and Mitt said “I liked his first answer better.”
Ron Paul- OMGOSH! He got on my last nerve. He rambled about his disillusion of the Constitution. He is a 2-issue candidate pull the troops and audit the fed. Every time he came on the TV, I cringed and wanted to turn the TV to mute. He rambled about every question. He came off as a liberal last night. He should be on the Democrat stage.
Herman Cain- Insightful as always but he is playing down his anti-Muslim views now. He is losing his Tea Party support because of that. I believe his performance in the first Fox News debate was better. His campaign will lose some steam after last night’s debate.
Rick Santorum- Rick came off strong last night. He has really energized the base of the party, Social Conservatives. He took real social conservative stances. He came off last night as insightful and strong. I believe after last night’s debate that his campaign will go on to be in the top four candidates.

The winners were Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.
After last night, I have changed my support from Bachmann to Santorum. I am a hard-core social conservative and so it Rick Santorum. Last night was a game changer in the GOP 2012 Race for President.
It’s really starting to get interesting.
I predict that:
Pawlenty, Huntsman, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich will be one of the first to drop out of the race.
LET NOT FORGET RICK PERRY! He is jumping in Saturday.

As a high school senior, Parker Ward was a candidate for Shreveport Mayor in 2010.  He is very actively involved in politics and in his church.

Sunshine Week

Next week (March 13 thru 19) is Sunshine Week.
Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.
Sunshine Week as a national effort is spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors. The key funder has been the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with significant support from ASNE Foundation. In 2011, The Gridiron Club and Foundation contributed $10,000.
Thanks to Greg Aymond at Central La Politics for bringing this to our attention.

Roemer in Iowa

If you think Buddy Roemer is not serious about a presidential run, you’d better think again.
At the first event of its kind in the 2012 race with multiple potential candidates sharing the same stage, Roemer appeared at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition spring kick-off event yesterday in Waukee, Iowa, along with Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty and Newt Gingrich.
The Washington Post published an article about the gathering, and had this to say about Roemer’s appearance:
   "And the winner is: hard to say, though Buddy Roemer (who seemed to speak twice as long as anyone else and somehow already looked exasperated by all of this campaigning) managed to not only articulate his views on the corrupting influence of money in politics, but establish his policy for campaign contributions (capping them at one hundred dollars and expecting no money from PACs)."
The Faith and Freedom Coalition is headed nationally by "social conservative" Ralph Reed, who said ""If we get the culture right, the economy will be right eventually."
It’s kind of hard to see Roemer fitting himself with Ralph Reed, but as they say, politics makes for strange bedfellows.

Rollin' with the Big Dawgs

First Buddy Roemer and now Scott Tubbs. Buddy said he was considering running for president, Tubbs says that he is.
There is a little difference in the two individuals, however. Roemer is a former governor of Louisiana and is pretty well known in Republican circles. That’s not to say that he could be successful, but who knows?
Tubbs, on the other hand, currently owns a used appliance store in Bossier City. He has a checkered background, including that pesky conviction for arson.
He does like to roll like a big dawg though, as witnessed by this video he put up on his YouTube page a couple of months ago. He also has a website.
KTBS also has a story about his announcement.

Listen Up

Elections are not victories, but opportunities

In order to put last night's elections in perspective, let's look at some history.
In 1946 large Republican majorities were sent to both houses of Congress in the off-year elections, ending the long-time Democratic dominance.
In 1948 the Democrats won a 93-seat majority in the House and a 12-seat edge in the Senate.

Against all the predictions, Harry Truman, who had assumed the reigns of the presidency when FDR died, was elected over Thomas Dewey of New York.  That is when the Chicago Tribune came out with its most embarassing headline ever.

In 1952, with the election of Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Republicans again took over both houses of Congress, though by closer margins.

In 1954, topsy-turvy again. The Democrats picked up 19 seats in the House and Sam Rayburn took over as speaker. In the Senate they gained just 2 seats, but enough to give them a majority. Lyndon B. Johnson became Majority Leader.
In 1960, the Democrats still were still in both houses. John F. Kennedy was elected President and Lyndon B. Johnson Vice-President.
By 1964, President Kennedy had been assassinated and LBJ was President. The Democrats still retained both houses of congress.
In 1968 Richard Nixon was elected, but the Democrats still controlled congress.
In 1974 Gerald Ford assumed the presidency on the resignation of Richard Nixon.
In 1976 Jimmy Carter defeated Ford.
In 1980 Ronald Reagan was elected President, and the Republicans gained control of the Senate, while the Democrats retained control of the House.
In 1986, during Reagan’s 2nd term, the Democrats once again gained control of the Senate and retained their control of the House.
In 1988 George H. W. Bush was elected to the presidency, but the Democrats still held control of congress.
In 1992 the Democrats once again won the White House, and once again held both houses of Congress.
In 1994, campaigning on Newt Gingrich’s Contract for America, the Republicans gained 54 seats and took over the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. They also re-took the Senate.
In 2000 George W. Bush was elected and the Republicans held on to both houses of congress.
Bush was re-elected in 2004 and retained and again the Republicans held on to both houses.
In 2006 the House went Democratic and Nancy Pelosi became Speaker. The Senate was technically a tie, but Bernie Sanders and Joe Liebermann decided to caucus with the Democrats, giving Democrats a majority.
In 2008 Barack Obama was elected President and the Democrats gained seats in both houses of congress to give them a solid majority.
And now, it’s 2010. The Republicans have taken back the House of Representatives, and the Democrats retained the Senate.
A Democrat is still president.
It is a victory of sorts, but not the major ‘revolution’ that is being touted by some.
It is an opportunity. True victory does not come from the election, but from what is done in the years after the election.
Both parties now have a 2 year window in which to show their stuff and to convince the people that they are the ones to vote for in 2012.

Thuggish Rand Paul volunteer stomps woman's head

Tim Profitt with Rand Paul

A Rand Paul supporter stomped the head of a woman as she tried to approach the candidate.  Paul is running for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky.
Whatever her politics or whatever their version of ‘crowd control’ is, if this thug had done this to my daughter or grand-daughter he would get his head stomped.
It appears that she was an activist with MoveOn.org and wanted to present Paul with some sort of silly, snarky ‘award’. Had she done so, I’m sure that he could have handled the encounter and turned it to his advantage. That didn’t happen.
The tough guy is identified as Tim Profitt, a volunteer Paul campaign worker. Profitt has been summoned to criminal court to answer a complaint about the incident.
Profitt offered an ‘apology’, saying that the camera angle made it look bad. He also blamed the police for not being there to presumably stomp the woman for him.
In case you hadn’t noticed, this really makes me mad.
Thanks to Gerry May for posting this and a couple of other good videos on his blog. Check them out.

Best Political Ad Ever

Okay, so it's from Canada, but you gotta love it.

And you thought Louisiana politicians were nuts

A South Carolina County Republican Party Chairman sent an email out to party activists suggesting that Nikki Haley, who is running for governor, is lying about her religious beliefs.
Haley, who was born to Sikh immigrants, ‘can’t seem to make up her mind about her faith’.
Phillip Bowers, GOP chair of Pickens County, links to two news reports, one about her conversion to Christianity in her 20’s and another report from CBN. The CBN story only notes that her Sikh faith was an ‘important part of her story line’.
“It’s not my place to question her faith, but I do question her honesty,” the county party chairman writes. “If anyone finds the truth, please let me know.”
“Again, I’m not questioning her faith,” he repeats, “but I absolutely can’t stand a liar.”
It gets more bizarre.
With a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face outside a Columbia bar, Republican S.C. Sen. Jake Knotts called Lexington Rep. Nikki Haley, an Indian-American Republican woman running for governor, a “raghead” several times while explaining how he believed she was hiding her true religion from voters.
“She’s a fucking raghead,” Knotts said.
He later clarified his statement. He did not mean to use the F-word.
Knotts says he believed Haley has been set up by a network of Sikhs and was programmed to run for governor of South Carolina by outside influences in foreign countries. He claims she is hiding her religion and he wants the voters to know about it.
Knotts says he believes Haley’s father has been sending letters to India saying that Haley is the first Sikh running for high office in America. He says her father walks around Lexington wearing a turban.
“We’re at war over there,” Knotts said.
Asked to clarify, he said he did not mean the United States was at war with India, but was at war with “foreign countries.”
Below the Beltway

Senator Coburn encourages more civility

I don't usually say a lot on My Bossier about national politics, but I thought that this deserved some attention.

TPM Muckraker Talking Points has an article about Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, who is generally considered to be one of the most conservative Republicans in the Senate. Senator Coburn has often been demonized by the left.
It seems that Senator Coburn last week encouraged people at a Town Hall meeting in Oklahoma City to take a more balanced and civil approach to politics.
When he mentioned Nancy Pelosi and received some boos, he told the crowd "Come on now... how many of you all have met her? She's a nice person, just because somebody disagrees with you, doesn't mean they're not a good person."
"Don't catch yourself being biased by Fox News that somebody's no good."
"Don't just watch Fox News or CNN, watch them both," Coburn said. He said he read both The Washington Post and The New York Times -- plus The Wall Street Journal -- and urged his audience to do likewise. "Listen to the other side, because what it does, it makes you a better person."
Personally, I think it is time for more civility in our political discourse in this country. Demonizing opponents may fire up a lot of people, but it is hardly conducive to a good debate.
You can hear audio of the exchanges here.

The Stripper vs The Zipper: Stormy seeks to unseat Vitter

Opinionated Catholic is reporting that Stormy Daniels appears to be ready to throw her hat – or something – into the ring and announce for the U. S. Senate against Republican David Vitter.
At one time Stormy said that if Vitter wouldn’t meet her in a debate, she’d be happy to take him on in a wrestling match.
All in favor of the wrestling option raise your hand!

A Fascist Socialist State?

The nation is split over the decision of the congress to pass the Obama healthcare bill. To be honest, the nation was already split, this is just a manifestation of that fact.
I have seen a lot of commentaries today about our country ‘plunging into socialism’. We’re not plunging anywhere, we’ve been there since before I was born (and that’s a long time ago).
Don’t think so? What do you think Social Security is? Medicare? Medicaid? WIC? AFDC?
That doesn’t even touch the corporate welfare that is putting us trillions of dollars in debt. Of course, that corporate welfare is more fascist than socialist, but I guess the two could combine and make a socialist-fascist state. Has that ever been tried before?
As to the people who are crying about the healthcare bill being unconstitutional, of course it is. So were all of the others. The constitution provides that any powers not enumerated to the Federal Government belong to the states.
Just for the record on the constitutionality of the new law: Some of the ‘Conservative Republicans’ who are up in arms because of the constitutional aspects were strangely silent (or not) when they voted for the infamous ‘Patriot Act’, which clearly raped and pillaged that document.
We like to think that the people we elect to represent us vote their conscience, and not a party line. Perhaps they did, but when every Republican in the House voted no, it certainly looks like a political gambit to me. Ditto the Dems.
If the "R"s are so worried about big spending, where were they when they had control of both houses and the executive? I'll tell you where they were, they were sidled up to the trough.
When Social Security was passed in 1935, the vote wasn’t nearly as polarized. When the final vote was counted, 284 Democrats voted yes, 15 no, and 20 did not vote. 81 Republicans voted yes, 15 no, 4 didn’t vote, and 2 voted present.
When the final vote on Medicare was tallied, 237 Democrats had voted yes, 48 no. 70 Republicans voted yes and 68 no.
Where do we go from here? One thing is certain, if you keep voting “R”s and “D”s into office, you’re going to get the same thing you’ve had for all of our lives.
I say a pox on both of their houses.
You want to undo socialism? I'm with you. Repeal Social Security, Medicare, Healthcare and a myriad of other socialist programs (including the Patriot Act).
Want to live by the constitution? Then embrace the whole thing; it's not a buffet that you can choose from.
I'm through. For now.
(Want some interesting reading? Check out the original debate on the Social Security Bill.)

My Annual 'both parties are evil' blog

(I don't know why I do this, I know I will be attacked as a Godless Liberal in the comments section, but so be it.)

We have been brainwashed into believing that we have to make a choice between a ‘D’ or an ‘R’. We are all victims of a dysfunctional system that makes government less responsive, less efficient and less effective.
Independent voters now constitute the largest segment of the American electorate. The Democrat and Republican parties have done everything in their power to ensure their continued monopoly on elections, by enacting election laws and rules that benefit themselves and that make it extremely difficult to get Independent or candidates of other parties on the ballot.
I personally believe that the Democratic and Republican parties are both, at a national level, evil to the core.
What brought on this rant? Since you asked, I’ll tell you. Sarah Palin (and I’m neither a Palin lover or hater, I’m neutral), recently addressed a gathering of Republican and Tea Party activists in Arkansas. Her advice to the Tea Party movement was this:
"Now the smart thing will be for independents who are such a part of this Tea Party movement to, I guess, kind of start picking a party," Palin said. "Which party reflects how that smaller, smarter government steps to be taken? Which party will best fit you? And then because the Tea Party movement is not a party, and we have a two-party system, they’re going to have to pick a party and run one or the other: ‘R’ or ‘D’."
No, no, no Sarah, they don’t have to. I’m sure that the majority of Tea Party members, at least in our area, do belong to the Republican party. If they were happy with that party, they wouldn’t be at Tea Party events.
An alignment of the Tea Party movement with the Republican party would spell the end of the movement, it would become just another fund-raising arm for an already bloated monster. The anti-tax Tea Party movement is a great thing, but lowering taxes while borrowing trillions from other countries to feed our greed just doesn’t work.
I’m preaching to my Northwest Louisiana crowd here, so I will grant you that the Democratic Party is terrible. Nancy Pelosi is everything you say she is and Harry Reid is an idiot. What I am questioning is your choice of an alternative.
If you are a ‘conservative Republican’ answer this for me: what great conservative achievements has the Republican party given us in the last 25 years?
I could name some liberal achievements that both parties have rejoiced in. The Medicare prescription entitlement, which is a convoluted mess being one, and No Child left Behind, which is the bastard progeny of Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush being another.
I will grant you that gridlock worked pretty well when Bill Clinton was president, the Republicans held the line. The problem was that when they got the White House and both houses of congress, we saw an orgy that put the Democrats to shame. With these guys, it is all about being in power.
True, conservatives love to listen to Republicans talk purty, but that’s all it is. If you can prove me wrong, please write a blog and send it to me and I will gladly publish it for you.
I’m really sick of hearing people say that if they vote for an Independent or candidate of another party, they will be ‘wasting their vote’. You only waste your vote if you buy into the mess that these two parties have given us.
You don’t have to choose ‘D’ or ‘R’. Maybe it’s time to choose ‘none of the above’ and start healing our nation and our society.

Opinionated Catholic has posted an answer to this post. Don't miss it.

Did the Bossier Delegation to Washington put the 'gras' in Mardi Gras?

The Times had an interesting article Thursday about local politicians and their taxpayer-paid visits to Mardi Gras festivities in the nation’s capital. Times reporters Alison Bath and Adam Causey uncovered some things that, while not surprising, are disturbing.
Mayor Cedric Glover of Shreveport took a modest, conservative approach to the event. Glover was already in Washington for the Mayor’s Conference with the Assistant CAO. Total Mardi Gras expenses for the City of Shreveport: $4,606.40.
The Caddo Parish Commission sent the Parish Administrator and 3 Commissioners, for a cost of $14,373.
The Council of Governments sent 1 person for a cost of $4,173.78.
The Bossier Parish Police Jury paid for 9 people to attend the events. They were:
Bill Altimus, administrator
Rick Avery, district 6
Wanda Bennett, district 3 and jury president
Glenn Benton, district 2
Barry Butler, district 5
Paul Plummer, district 12
Joe E. Ford, Jr., parish engineer
Patrick R. Jackson, parish attorney
Craig Spohn, Cyber Innovation Center executive director
The cost to taxpayers: $22,809.56 and counting. According to the article “That total doesn't include the tab for a private dinner party for 75 guests (shared by Bossier & Caddo), mostly from Louisiana, at an Italian chain restaurant. Also missing are meals, cab fare and other expenses incurred by the nine officials the Bossier Parish Police Jury sent to the annual gala in the nation's capital.”
It took repreated Public Records request from The Times to get what information they were able to get from Bossier Parish Administrator Bill Altimus.
Why?
Wanda Bennett, Police Jury President said "I understand that some people want to believe that all government and the elected officials are crooks, but this simply is not true.”
As far as I’m aware, no one has accused Mrs. Bennett or other police jurors of being crooks. That is simply a disingenuous answer to unasked questions. The Police Jury is not above public scrutiny, and questioning their expenditures is not to accuse them of being crooks.
Mrs. Bennett went on to say that “"The celebration of Mardi Gras is a special celebration in Washington that was established many years ago to share the culture and food of our state with everyone and to give them an opportunity they may otherwise never have. A lot of hard work is done during this time along with the celebration."
Assuming that some good contacts were made, was it really necessary to send a delegation of 9 people?
Of course, the amount spent is a drop in the bucket when you look at the total amount that the people of Bossier Parish furnish the Police Jury. The point is that, during bad economic times, does it send the right message to the people of Bossier?
Bossier Parish already has a handsomely paid lobbyist in Washington. In 2009 the Police Jury paid the New Orleans firm of Phelps Dunbar LLP $120,000 to represent the Parish in Washington.
The Caddo Commission paid the same firm $40,000 to represent them last year. The City of Shreveport no longer has a paid lobbyist.
What this means in essence is that the Police Jury is reaching into the pockets of Bossier Parish taxpayers to the tune of $10,000 per month to pay someone to encourage the national government to reach into the pockets of taxpayers from the entire country and send that money to Bossier Parish. I know this is how the system currently works, but it is wrong on so many levels that I won’t begin to get into it here.
Schmoozing with Louisiana congressmen John Fleming and Rodney Alexander as well as with U.S. senators David Vitter and Mary Landrieu proved invaluable, said Caddo Commissioner Matthew Linn.
"The contact time in their office and at the dinner table is priceless," Linn said. "Out of sight out of mind comes into play, and these yearly meetings along with administrative follow ups keep Caddo and Bossier on the Louisiana state map."
There is a simple answer to this. Congressman Fleming and Senator Vitter are both running for re-election this year, and if the representatives of our local governments are unable to keep a dialogue going with them locally, then they should outline their grievances so that the people can vote in new representation in Washington.
I will note in Dr. Fleming’s defense that I don’t for a minute believe that he is ignoring Bossier and Caddo Parishes and that our local pols have to go to Washington to ‘schmooze’ with him in order to get his attention, nor do they have to go to Washington to converse with Senators Vitter and Landrieu.
As for Rodney Alexander, I’m sure that he directs any pork he can control to his own district in Northeast Louisiana.
What was the purpose of that dinner for 75 people, mostly Louisianans, held at an Italian Restaurant by the Bossier & Caddo delegations? Was it really necessary? What local government objectives were accomplished by feeding people from Louisiana who were all in Washington for a party?
What was the purpose of having the Parish Engineer and the Parish Attorney in Washington? What were they lobbying for on the trip? I’m not saying that they did not have a purpose, I just believe that it should be revealed to the people who paid for the trip.
Perhaps each of the individuals who attended can present an outline of who they met with and how their meetings benefited the people of Bossier.
They owe the people that accounting.

We look forward to The Times follow up on this.

Scott Brown: A Reality Check

I am pleased, as a lot of people are, with Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts. My reason, however, probably differs greatly from some of them
I am happy because he rained on the parade up there. He peed in the punch. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
I am always happy to see entrenched power (from either party) turned topsy-turvy.
The pendulum always swings. People do not like to see any party in Washington with a lock on the government. They didn’t like it with George Bush and the Republicans, and a lot of people don’t like it with Barack Obama and the Democrats.
That being said, I suppose if you are a die-hard Republican and just want the see the number of R’s increase, you have reason to celebrate.
If, on the other hand, you are a conservative this selection shouldn’t thrill you that much. Of course, he is better than his opponent. Martha Coakley thought that she was entitled to the seat simply because she is a Democrat, and it has been a Democratic seat since John F. Kennedy unseated Henry Cabot Lodge back in the 50’s.
Scott Brown is not a conservative, not by a long shot. His opposition (in his own words) to national healthcare reform is based on the fact that it will supersede Massachusetts’ own brand of government healthcare, which he voted for.
Christian conservatives probably won’t be too pleased with his pro-abortion stance, but they will probably forgive his nude photos in Cosmopolitan when he was a college student. I know I do, I believe in transparency.
His favorable views on gun control aren’t likely to play well in some quarters either. Also the fact that he believes that government should find solutions for peoples’ problems.
Nope, not a conservative.

Alexandria City Council a hungry bunch!

Meanwhile, Central La. Politics and Alex Cenla's Rants & Ravings are reporting that the Alexandria City Council has some problems of its own.

No, the founders weren't conservatives

Rambling Thoughts:
I was doing my early morning blog reading and in my daily visit to Below the Beltway, a libertarian blog, found this older video of neocon Mark Levin trashing Ron Paul. I’m sure you’re aware of Levin, he’s the guy that Sean Hannity calls “The Great One”.
Levin, in an angry response to a caller who dared to challenge him, pointed out that “the framers were not libertarians, they were conservative.”
What?
I hate to burst that bubble, but the founders of our country and the framers of the Constitution were not conservatives. They were revolutionaries. They were, in fact, radical revolutionaries who took up arms against the ruling class and the conservatives who supported that ruling class. The founders of our nation were products of the age of enlightenment, true liberal thinkers with a vision.
Unfortunately, in our day we have people who label themselves conservative and have no idea what it is that they are trying to conserve, and people who label themselves liberal who have no idea of the true meaning of the word.
Thomas Jefferson said that “Every generation needs a new revolution.”
In our day, the new ‘Tea Party’ movement seeks to fit that mold. I’m afraid that by its nature it is doomed to failure.
Perhaps the Tabaggers should remember that the tea that was thrown overboard into Boston Harbor didn’t belong to the people who dumped it. They stole it. They stole the cargo of three ships belonging to private companies and threw it into the harbor. To throw the politically incorrect meter into a tilt, they also dressed as American Indians when they did it.
Sometimes boldness is called for. As Barry Goldwater said in his acceptance speech in 1963, “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
Why didn’t Barack Obama suffer from shock and awe from the 1.5 million Tea Party marchers in Washington earlier this month? Probably because of the 1.5 million, you would have been hard-pressed to find 100 who voted for him. The march was impressive, but ineffective in achieving its goals.
One recurring theme was the call to stem the tide of socialism, something that they have become keenly aware of since the election of Barack Obama. That's fine, but socialism isn't a new thing. I hope you are all aware that Social Security, Medicare and the Bush Medicare prescription plan are all socialist inventions. If you are ready to lobby for the termination of these, and other, socialist programs I will gladly give you a forum.
I have received criticism in some quarters for having a supportive attitude toward the Tea Party movement. That criticism was directed at me because the Tea Partiers are seen to be largely a republican cheering squad. There is some truth to this, despite their protestations to the contrary. Look at some of the speakers at the larger events and it is quite obvious.
Even with that being the case, I support it. I believe that all protest is good; perhaps that is a remnant of my 60’s upbringing. The true test of the movement will be continued action when we again have a Republican government, and not just protest when we have a Democratic one.
I’ve twisted off onto a different subject, so let’s get back to the original one. The founding fathers were a group of revolutionaries who would, today, be eavesdropped upon and arrested under the provisions of the unpatriotic ‘Patriot Act’. They were not people who would be welcomed in any respectable Washington gathering today.
Keep this in mind when you label yourself – and when you attempt to label others.

New Jersey or North Korea?

What have we come to when little schoolchildren are taught to sing the praises of a politician? How is this different from North Korea? Nazi Germany? The USSR?
No, this isn't the American way. Whatever apparatchik in the New Jersey school system came up with this should be fired and banned from ever working around children again.


Mm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said that all must lend a hand
To make this country strong again
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said we must be fair today
Equal work means equal pay
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said that we must take a stand
To make sure everyone gets a chance
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black or white
All are equal in his sight
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein ObamaYes!
Mmm, mmm, mm
Barack Hussein Obama

Song 2:
Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!
For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say "hooray!"
Hooray, Mr. President! You're number one!
The first black American to lead this great nation!
Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans
To make this country's economy number one again!
Hooray Mr. President, we're really proud of you!
And we stand for all Americans under the great Red, White, and Blue!
So continue ---- Mr. President we know you'll do the trick
So here's a hearty hip-hooray ----
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!

H/T to Mostly Cajun, All American and Opiniated

Quiz says I am a 'right social libertarian'

Edward Burchett sent me the link to this quiz with this message.
Here’s a quiz you might find interesting. You might even post the results to your blog for all those who believe you and Obama are like peas and carrots. Of course there’s always a chance you might prove them correct. . .
I took that as a dare, of course, so I took the test and found it interesting. I don't think it is too far off the mark. When I compared myself to my demographic - age 60-69, Louisiana, male, I compared as more libertarian and a little more 'right'.
Take the test, it's worth your time - and you might surprise yourself.

My Political Views
I am a right social libertarian
Right: 3.06, Libertarian: 4.01

Political Spectrum Quiz


My Foreign Policy Views
Score: -6.47

Political Spectrum Quiz


My Culture War Stance
Score: -1.28

Political Spectrum Quiz

The Republican Party - Is it becoming irrelevant?

As I have stated before, I am not a Democrat nor am I a Republican. Although I have libertarian leanings, I believe that once a libertarian joins a political party, he becomes his own enemy. I am an independent in the true sense – I depend on no party to dictate my philosophy.

I watched for the last 30 years as the Democratic Party made itself irrelevant in the south. It began when Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights bill in 1964. Richard Nixon seized on it and the Republicans and Democrats basically made a trade. The Republicans got the Democratic South and the Democrats got the solidly Republican black vote.

Ironically, the Democrats made themselves irrelevant in the south (so far as national elections go), and now the Republicans are making themselves irrelevant in the rest of the country.

Look at the numbers: 30% of voters will vote Republican no matter what. Ditto for the Democrats. That leaves a broad 40% section of the country who will decide elections based on the people running and their confidence in those people.

Republicans ‘got it’ for a while. During the Reagan years they picked up a lot of popularity. In 1994 Newt Gingrich and his Contract with America swept the congress. This led to the election of George W. Bush in 2000, along with majorities in congress.

That’s when they stopped getting it. In 8 years The Republican President and Congress doubled the national debt, something they admirably kept under control when Bill Clinton was President.

Republicans, who are self-styled guardians of our constitutional rights, gave the Bush administration carte-blanche on legislation that invaded those rights. Of course, the shoe is on the other foot now and some are re-thinking their beliefs. Too late, the cow is out of the barn. If you ever concede protections (habeas corpus, search and seizure, etc.) to the government in the name of security, you have paid with your liberty.

Don’t look for a Democratic administration to ‘undo’ any of this – they love it. Just as the Republicans did, they will cite ‘national security’. As Benjamin Franklin said, if you give up your liberty for security, you deserve neither.

The unholy alliance between the Republican Party and the religious fundamentalists is becoming unraveled. That is a good thing, as this was a deal with the devil on both sides. It resulted in a political mantra of ‘family values’ from the party. The problem is, the people (those who are not blinded by party), understand that the definition of true family values is that you value your family. You don’t have to endorse one political ideology over another to do this.

The Republicans loved ‘family values’ as long as it got them votes; when push came to shove, however, they failed to live up to the brand they had adopted.

Only in the case of Congressman Mark Foley did the party demand, and get, a resignation. This was because in addition to liking boys, he liked underage boys.

Senator Larry ‘Toe Tapping’ Craig served out his sentence term. In the cases of Senators Vitter and Ensign and Governor Sanford, the party has suddenly developed some libertarian feelings, claiming that it’s none of our business what they do. Very few have called for these sleazebags (that’s what they are) to step down.

David Vitter is raising huge amounts of money and will probably be re-elected with the help of the Louisiana Republican machine. The fates of Ensign and Sanford remain up in the air.

Yes, I get it, Democrats aren’t pure either. I am aware of Bill Clinton, Gary Condit and Barney Frank. The difference is, they have not assumed the mantle of moral superiority that the Republicans have. Yes, Democrats are big spenders and believe in government solutions. That is their brand, and they live up to it. At least they are honest.

As to the Republicans, they have one goal – to gain power at all costs. What they just don’t seem to get is that the broad range of people around the country just aren’t buying it. (Louisiana is somewhat an exception, as we tend to love our crooks, adulterers and whoremongers.)

The people have heard the cries of ‘small government, lower taxes’ and ‘family values’ from the GOP while they spend like drunken sailors and some of their leaders display the morals of jackals – with impunity. The people aren’t as stupid as Washington thinks they are; they understand that taxation is not the problem, spending is. The people also believe that if you claim to be the party of prudence, constitutional protections and pure values, you should live up to it. Otherwise, they will continue to elect the other guys – the ones who don’t claim those things. Why? Because they are not saying one thing in order to get elected and then doing another when they gain power.

The Young Republicans have just elected Audra Shay as national chair. Audra was the center of controversy last week when her facebook remarks came to light. When a commenter said something about getting rid of these 'mad coons and illegals', Audra replied 'You go Eric. lol.'. Sure sounds like she was endorsing a racial slur to me. She doesn't get it, neither do the Young Republicans who elected her.

The old adage ‘fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’ seems to apply here. The people were fooled by the Republicans in the last decade. If Republicans are able to make gains in the next few years, they had better live up to what they profess, because this is probably their last chance.