Category Archives: GOP

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Five thousand three hundred sixty-one miles. That was how many miles Mrs. Crucis and I put on the Great Blue Beast from July 13th through July 27th, 2015. In those fifteen days we visited twelve states, five national parks, three national monuments and one New Mexico state park. Two weeks on the road.

We used 2-lane, non-interstate highways as much as we could, maybe two-thirds of the roads overall were not on an interstate. With all that windshield time, we had a lot of time listening to the radio…when we could pickup a station. AM works in the mountains, FM not so well. I should have subscribed to XM but…I didn’t think of it before we left.

There was a single topic on talk-radio that we heard continuously—Donald Trump. Politicians of both parties railed against him. The ‘Pub establishment plotted against him. Pundits, members of the DC ruling class, chastised him.

Through it all, Trump continued to rise in the polls and the media and the dem and ‘pub establishments were dumbfounded. They, none of them apparently, have a clue to Trump’s success.

The reason for Trump’s success, regardless of some of his political views, is a simple one. He says what he means and is unapologetic for his statements. Not only that, when he is attacked, he counter-attacks with everything he has available—some severely. The other candidates mill around in confusion…all but one or two of the GOP candidates. Huckleberry understood Trump as did Cruz. None of the others, including the so-called great populist Rand Paul, knew, and continue to know, how to respond.

Trump was right in many of his statements. John McCain was a hero—once. He isn’t today. He is a traitor to his heritage. Now, some are investigating McCain’s time as a POW, looking at some contradictions that has been kept hidden under lock and key for nearly fifty years. Lindsay Graham, aka, Lindsay Grahamnesty, reminds me of a small yap dog barking around Trumps ankle and when Trump finally notices him, Graham scurries for cover, quivering like a coward.

Trump is a fighter. I, and many, many others like me, like candidates who fight. That is one reason why I was a Gingrich supporter in 2012. Not only is Trump a fighter, he says what many of us believe. The waves of illegal immigration is nothing more than an invasion of barbarians.

We could end that invasion simply by enforcing existing law. Cut all benefits to illegals, eliminate the rule for anchor-babies and require at least one parent to be an American citizen before granting citizenship on those born within our borders.

Cut all public benefits. No welfare, no in-state tuition. No free healthcare. No free education. Absolutely nothing for anyone here illegally. Enforce the existing law against employing illegals. Make citizenship verification a no-exception policy. Any employer who is found to violate those restriction should have ruinous fines imposed and face jail-time.

End all federal funding to sanctuary cities and to the states that allow those cities to exist. Illegals would soon find life getting harder. When Missouri imposed welfare restrictions against illegals, they fled to Kansas where pickings were easier.

Within months we would see a constant stream of illegals leaving the US for easier climes. Parasites, and that is what so many of them are, will always take the route of least resistance. When life becomes hard, go where it is easier.

Add to all that no more catch-and-release for criminal aliens and the imposition of maximum penalties for crimes committed by illegals. Do that and the invasion of illegals would end. Not immediately, but the trend would be reversed in a short period, less than a year.

Trump says what so many of us believe. He is not the perfect candidate. He isn’t my first choice; I’m still a Ted Cruz fan. I do understand why Trump is on top of the polls. Will he remain there? I haven’t a clue.

Huckleberry, one whom I despise almost as much as I do McCain, Bush and Graham, has copied Trump’s tactic. It worked. Will other GOP candidates adopt Trump’s tactics? Maybe. They could not do worse.

Think my logic is flawed? Rasmussen doesn’t. Here is a column by Thomas Sowell on the Rasmussen website:

The Trump Card

A Commentary By Thomas Sowell, Tuesday, August 04, 2015

With Hillary Clinton’s multiple misdeeds coming to light and causing her political problems, reflected in her declining support in the polls, both she and the Democratic Party have reason to be concerned. But both of them may yet be rescued by “The Donald,” who can turn out to be their Trump card.

Donald Trump has virtually no chance of becoming even the Republican Party’s candidate in 2016, much less being elected President of the United States.

The reason is not hard to understand: Republican voters simply do not trust him, as the polls show. Nor is there any reason why they should trust him, given his chameleon-like changes in the past.

Why then is he the “front-runner” in the polls?

One reason is arithmetic. When there is a small army of Republican candidates, each with a tiny set of supporters, anyone with enough name recognition to get the support of a fifth or a fourth of the Republicans polled stands out, even if twice that many Republicans say they would never vote for him.

When both kinds of Republicans are counted, Donald Trump is both the “front-runner” and the leading pariah. The danger is not that he will get the nomination, but that his irresponsible talk will become the image of the Republican Party, and that his bombast will drown out more sober voices that need to be heard, thereby making it harder to select the best candidate.

More is involved than arithmetic, however. Many Republican voters are so disgusted with their party, especially over its repeated betrayals of them, and of the country, especially when it comes to immigration, that they are immediately attracted to anyone who voices the outrage they feel.

The column continues. Sowell is not a Trump fan. He does understand, however, why Trump is in his current position.

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When the GOP tries to…

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…out liberal the democrats, can any good come from it?

Many insiders believe SCOTUS is going to declare Obamacare subsidies to be unconstitutional. ‘Pubbies everywhere should celebrate! Let Obamacare implode and when the screams get the loudest push through a total repeal and allow insurance companies to provide healthcare insurance like they did before Obamacare. Those companies who dropped out of the healthcare market will return when there’s money to be made once again. The greatest healthcare system in the world, available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay, will return, albeit over a couple of years.

What is the GOP establishment doing? They are planning to pass legislation to reinstate subsidies!

House Republicans craft Obamacare subsidies alternative ahead of Supreme Court ruling

By Tom Howell Jr. – The Washington Times – Wednesday, June 17, 2015
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“I think it’s a good plan. It’s a good start,” Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr., Louisiana Republican, said after huddling with the GOP caucus behind closed doors. (Associated Press)

House Republicans settled on the outlines of a plan Wednesday to wean the country off of Obamacare’s subsidies in anticipation of a Supreme Court ruling this month that could throw the massive health program into chaos.

Described as a “work in progress,” the plan would continue to pay full subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to all beneficiaries regardless of where they live, but starting next year states could begin to opt out of Obamacare, taking the money as a block grant to help their residents obtain insurance however local officials see fit. (Read the entire column here.)

Conservative groups, like the Heritage Foundation, are agast!

Don’t Fix Obamacare

Mike Needham / /

Many Republicans are watching ongoing developments in the King v. Burwell Obamacare case with trepidation. In the abstract, most recognize the opportunity such a case represents to roll back Obamacare and force a debate about real, pro-market insurance reform.

But as the decision looms, many now have second thoughts, convinced that the country will blame them for disruption in the ruling’s wake and that eventually, the only politically tolerable option will be to cave and restore the Obamacare subsidies eliminated by the Supreme Court.

That assumption is wrong, and Republicans will do more harm than good for their cause if they act on it.

According to a new poll conducted by the American Perceptions Initiative at The Heritage Foundation, the fear that Republicans, not Democrats, will take the blame for any disruption caused by the ruling appears to be unfounded. Only 36 percent of Americans will blame congressional Republicans, with 58 percent of the blame split between President Obama and congressional Democrats.

Also wrong is the presumption that most Americans will look past their general opposition to Obamacare and push for Congress to extend the subsidies to prevent disruption. A staggering supermajority—69 percent—told pollsters they agreed that “Passing new legislation to continue the Obamacare subsidies doesn’t fix the problem – it just prolongs it.”

Moreover, restoring the subsidies appears likely to shift more rather than less blame to Republicans for the situation. According to Heritage’s survey, 67 percent of Americans agree that if Republicans extend the law’s subsidies for the short term, “they will bear the blame when the time comes to take those subsidies away.” (more here.)

By reinstating the subsidies, the GOP will then own every piece of Obamacare. It was the GOP who kept it in force. It was the GOP who provided funding for Obamacare in last year’s Cromnibus bill instead of allowing Obamacare to starve for funds. Now if they provide funding for subsidies, Obamacare will not be a democrat albatross, it will a republican one—exactly what the GOP establishment claims to fear!

Last week the House voted to kill, with a number of democrats, the TPA portion of Obama’s trade bill. Obama’s bill was split into two parts, TPA (Trade Promotion Authority) the fast-track trade authority, and the TPP (TransPacific Pact).

The TPP was filled with kickbacks, union payoffs and a multitude of items unrelated to trade. TPA, on the other hand, gave Obama a rubber stamp to do whatever he wanted to do. Congress would NOT be able to make any amendments to future trade bills, just an Up/Down vote. With the well-demonstrated lack of backbone among the GOP leadership in both Houses of Congress, any trade bill brought before them would likely be approved.

When you see the GOP supporting Obama against the democrats, you know something is very, very wrong in the GOP DC establishment. Now, McConnell and Boehner are about to try again.

GOP leaders vow to resurrect Obama trade deal

By Dave Boyer and Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times – Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Republican leaders will try to resurrect the trade deal Democrats sank less than a week ago, planning a revote Thursday and insisting they will corral enough votes to approve fast-track negotiating powers that President Obama needs to complete a legacy-building Pacific Rim agreement.

Mr. Obama met Wednesday afternoon with Democratic lawmakers who support free trade to make sure they will vote for the plan, and House Republican leaders began the process of forcing a revote on powers known as Trade Promotion Authority, which is favored in their party, and Trade Adjustment Assistance, which is generally a Democratic priority.

Democrats last week voted against Trade Adjustment Assistance as a way of poisoning the package, so Republican leaders have decided to split the bill and pass Trade Promotion Authority first, then leave it to Mr. Obama to rally enough Democrats to pass Trade Adjustment Assistance.

“We are committed to ensuring both TPA and TAA get votes in the House and Senate and are sent to the president for signature,” said a joint statement by House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, rejecting claims that the issue was dead.

The republican party appears to have made an alliance with democrats and the GOP establishment is acting in concert with democrats to fulfill democrat agendas and policies. That begs the question, “Are there two political parties in Washington or only one?” More and more it appears to be just one.

Being a Republican (note the capital R) is more than just winning elections, it is a political philosophy. It does no one any good to win elections if the result is the same as if democrats had won.

I used to think a 3rd party would allow democrats to control Congress for at least two election cycles before being effective and in that time, democrats could gut our liberties and the Constitution blocking any 3rd party from power. Watching the actions of McConnell, Ryan, Boehner, et. al., I’m beginning to believe that has already happened.

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Let’s take a look at…

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…Carly Fiorina. She announced her candidacy for President yesterday. She wasn’t present at the NRA Annual Meeting last month, but she did sent a video which is more than Rand Paul could bother himself with and many present wished Jeb Bush, Lindsay Grahamesty and the Huckleberry had done.

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Carly Fiorina, 2016 GOP Candidate for President

She was applauded at the NRA meeting in Nashville as were all who spoke there. I should note the applause for Jeb and Grahamesty was more perfunctory. All in all, Fiorina’s topics from her video was complementary with those of the other conservative speakers.

Today she is making the rounds of the talk shows. She spent some time with Glenn Beck this morning and, I believe, she’ll be with Hannity this afternoon.

I was in the shower, listening, when she said something that I’ve heard no other candidate, certainly not Jeb, Grahamesty nor Huckleberry say. She said the government should be placed on a zero-based budget like the private sector.

What is a zero-based budget? It is a budget where every penny spent must be justified—every penny. No increase from last year. Every year, every penny spent, regardless of the project, must be justified. And if the expense cannot be justified, it is cut!

A business knows how much it can spend. It has a reasonable expectation of its income, and it knows every penny that will be spent. Spending cannot exceed income. Unlike the government, a business cannot arbitrarily print off a few billion dollars if the treasury is low.

I retired from Sprint a few years ago. One of the exercises we expected every Spring was budget submissions. The process was this. The board allocated funds for the company. The executives broke that down by divisions, then to departments, continuing down the the project and, in some cases, the individual.

Next came the project that the business side wanted done. From that point a winnowing process began between the business side that wanted products and the development and operational side who would build, implement and maintain those products. As each product was analyzed and and expensed, those projects went up the management chain to be justified. If the project couldn’t be justified, it was allowed to be resubmitted with a reduced cost or cut. The project cost also includes the cost of the employees who develop, test, implement and maintain the product.

When this idea has been floated before, one complaint is that the process ‘takes too long.’ Yes, it does take a while. Sprint built next years budget, this year. It took about a quarter to get it done and approved. But, during that quarter, we also performed our regular jobs. No missed delivery dates allowed just because we had to work on a budget. In addition, our product cycle from concept to development to production was often much less than a year.

When one is employed in the private sector, you quickly learn what ‘multi-tasking’ really means. It means you deliver all your projects on time and on budget—or you’ll soon be escorted out the door.

Carly Fiorina proposes to do the same to the Federal government. Just imagine the same rules applied to all departments and agencies of the US government! I wonder how well the IRS, EPA, FCC, the NLRB and many of the other departments, like Education and HHS would fare? I would not be surprised if many withered away or were consolidated, at a reduced level, into a governmental department.

I hope other candidates take up Carly’s idea. The country desperately needs it. I have no doubt our federal debt would not last long if Carly’s budgetary rules were imposed on the national government.

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Some interesting statistics are coming out after the Baltimore riots. One statistic that I saw said that over 20% of the employed in Baltimore, worked as government employees. Just image what that percentage would be if you included everyone on the welfare rolls. Are not welfare recipients paid by the government? They should be included, too. When you examine the demographics of Baltimore, you will find that half of the Baltimore police are black and most of the elected and appointed officials of Baltimore are black.

With those facts on the table, where is the white oppression? The whites aren’t in control of the city and hasn’t for over thirty years.

The feds have given Baltimore billions, yes, billions with a ‘B’! Where has those billions for education, jobs and infrastructure improvements gone? I wonder how much slithered into private political pockets.

Add to that mess, is this item I came across this morning. The Baltimore PD went to the DoJ for funding of a training program for their street officers. Holder turned them down—but Obama claims it’s all the ‘Pubs fault. One more lie by Obama and the democrats.

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Wailing and gnashing of teeth

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https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1484685_10155407013505425_3373572342549140451_n.jpg?oh=120df3ca6f237b75f9947e6f2aa92833&oe=55771586If you read my post yesterday, you may have followed the link to the video of Ted Cruz’s announcement that he’s running for president. Immediately after, he made the usual rounds and started his speaking tour. He received the endorsement of the most important precincts.

Uhhh, what? What precincts? Those precincts that affect the largest portion of conservative voters—Rush, Hannity, Levin, Beck, a long list of conservative talk-show hosts and The Drudge Report. They are the ones who influence and inform more voters than any politician or pundit.

Cruz Makes Inroads in the Most Important Primary of All

By C. Edmund Wright, March 24, 2015
You can talk about the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire and South Carolina all you want – and those all are important – yet none of them is the most important primary on the Republican side.
No, the most critical Republican primary, at least for non-establishment candidates, is the Rush Limbaugh-Drudge Report-Breitbart-Mark Levin-Sean Hannity-Glenn Beck internet message board primary.  For a conservative base candidate to win the nomination, he or she must carry most of the above precincts.
Now, this is not to say that all or any of the above  will endorse a candidate by name during the primary season.  They probably will not.  But they will all talk about, report on, interview, and discuss what and whom they like.  And the some 30-40 million people who make up those combined audiences and readerships will be impacted and educated by these venues.  They go to these shows and these websites specifically for opinion and news, after all.
Thus, it is critical to win this primary, because those are the voters who turn out for non-establishment candidates in primaries.  They just are.
Consider: for the past six weeks, Scott Walker has dominated this primary.  The Drudge Report has posted many very friendly headlines about Walker during this time, and talk radio – led by Limbaugh – has been recounting over and over how Walker defeated the liberals and the unions in Wisconsin.
As a result, he has skyrocketed up the polls, gotten unexpected fundraising traction, and has been drawing fire from panicked liberals from everywhere.  And why not?  He has beaten them at every turn.  It appears he will be formidable for the long run, and as such, he has been aggressively vetted by some on the right as well.  The takeaway is, his dominance of the Rush-Drudge-et al. universe was a tremendous launching pad for him.  It was almost overnight.
…
And there was a shift in this realm on Monday as Ted Cruz announced his candidacy at Liberty University.  Nobody said anything negative about Walker, but the talk of the internet and talk radio was about how impressive Cruz was, and how the liberal media was going bananas over him, and how finally there was someone articulating what we believe and doing so fearlessly and very well.  Rush said it was dazzling and “scared the heck out of the left.”
Cruz definitely started to make big inroads in this unofficial primary on this day. (Read the full column here.)

It wasn’t just the left who was attacking Cruz. The GOP establishment was in the forefront of the attackers, NY Representative Peter King was practically frothing at the mouth in vituperative media interview about Cruz.

Mild in comparison, Judge Napolitano took some shots at Cruz as well. Napolitano likes all of Cruz’s domestic positions. Unfortunately, Napolitano has drunk the libertarian kool-aid that ignores national security. Napolitano believes Cruz would lead us into foreign wars. He neglects to consider that such wars may become a necessity due to Obama’s drive to alienate our friends, cozy up to our enemies and emasculate our military. Napolitano is a Ron Paul fan, tine-foil hat and all. That shortsightedness is what is most dangerous of the libertarian platform.

Probably Rush said it best yesterday, “… it’s gonna scare the hell out of the left.  They already are.  It’s gonna scare the heck out of the Drive-By Media.” Rush is right. Ted Cruz will scare the ‘heck’ out of the left—and the GOP RINOs as well.

A friend told me that Cruz in only in 3rd place in the polls for the GOP 2016 race. I reminded him those were last week’s polls. Let’s see what the polls say when they are updated and released for this week.

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Political Fallout and Taxes

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Newly elected Missouri GOP Chairman John Hancock

The controversy surrounding newly elected Missouri GOP Chairman John Hancock is not subsiding. Calls for Hancock’s resignation continue but the state’s GOP establishment, such as Roy Blunt, Ann Wagner and others are keeping quiet. Catherine Hanaway is not escaping unscathed. It was her political adviser, Jeff Roe, a Kansas City-based Republican political consultant, who created a vile radio ad that was broadcasted across the state. In that ad Schweich was called, “a little bug,” and was referred to as, “Barney Fife.”

Hancock must go!

***

Across the state line, Sam Brownback, who handily won re-election amid challengers from a plethora of RINOs and democrats masquerading as ‘Pubs, is working on the state budget. One of the election issues was tax cuts and it was one of the planks of Brownback’s campaign. Now it’s time to him to fulfill that pledge.

According to the Kansas CIty ‘Red’ Star, Kansas is facing a shortfall in revenues. They, and Kansas Libs and RINO (are there any difference between the two?) blame income tax cuts for the shortfall. Instead the real culprit is that Kansas has been, and is, outspending their revenue. Perhaps it is time for a requirement of all state legislators and administrators to take a debt reduction course by Dave Ramsey.

Until then, Kansas continues to spend, spend, spend. Uncontrolled spending with no oversight where, how, nor why spending occurs. Every dollar in Kansas’ budget should have a target, a goal, a plan that is to be accomplished for that dollar.

That has not happened. It is now time for it to happen

The real problem with all levels of government is the lack of real, well-thought out and well-studied plans. Regardless if taxes go down or up, government must have goals to direct their spending or reduced spending.  All too often government throws money at issues with no goals nor plans for the funds and then are surprised then no goals are set, nor when nebulous expectations of the spending fail to appear.

No goals.

Brownback appears to realize this. The libs and RINOs continue to scream for more money on education. The truth is that education wastes the funds they receive today. With careful planning and reducing the discretionary spending by the state’s educators, real results can be achieved. In past years, educators and their sycophants have deliberately sabotaged any efforts to rein-in their wastage. Perhaps term-limits for the Board of Regents and the other state educational boards—and elimination of tenure, would be a start in the reconstruction of education within the state.

It’d be a good start.

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Monday’s Review

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https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSczwSA0_rO4tNqCsfF0bhYNTWsKfo5QUvhJPa-LhNzsXjcI8ABJust after Thanksgiving I read an article that predicted gas under $2/gallon by Christmas. I didn’t believe it. My wife told me that price of unleaded regular at our neighborhood gas ‘n grub was $2.149 this morning. That’s down 11¢ since Saturday, the last time I remember seeing a gas price. OPEC’s oil war against our fracking and oil-shale technology continues. The US will cave as soon as OPEC complains to Obama. In the meantime, enjoy the low gas prices while you can.

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Quote of the Day from Bloomberg News…

Bloomberg: “Of the 23 Republican senators up for re-election in 2016, 16 voted for Cruz’s parliamentary objection, known as a point of order, against what he called Obama’s “amnesty.” Two of them, Rand Paul [R-Ky.] and Marco Rubio [R-Fla.], are — like Cruz — considering presidential bids…”

Bloomberg News appears to think this action is negative, limiting spending, pandering to the voters of 2016. On the contrary, I think these Senators heeded the voices of their constituents and their votes should be lauded, not ridiculed.

***

There was a terrorist hostage incident in Sydney, Australia. Five people were shot, two killed including the RIF who started it all. From initial reports, their other person fatally shot was killed by the RIF. The Sydney Police, in another report, admit using live ammunition.

 

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GOP funds Obamacare and Amnesty

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Despite claims to the contrary, the GOP establishment pushed through the House a massive funding bill that funded Obamacare and Amnesty. As best that I can find, EVERY Missouri Representative voted for this. They all issued a press release this morning that was almost identical. Every press release was formulated from a common talking point Just compare Vicky Hartzler’s press release with that of Sam Graves, Jason Smith and and the other members of the GOP delegation. They’re almost identical.

And every one of them lied! I’m so mad I could bite nails.

Let’s term limit the entire Missouri GOP House—replace every one of them. Our Senator, Roy Blunt issued the same platitude. He needs to go, too.

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