I have been on this earth over a half century. I have had the opportunity to see beautiful places not only here in the US but in other countries too. Traveling and living in other countries changes your perspective of America.. Once you stand outside of a church that is hundreds of centuries old, you understand exactly how young this country is and it awes you.
But I have also lived through some of the darker times of this country. I went to segregated schools when I was a child. I remember first hand the ugliness of racism. I remember my parents wanting to avoid the whole issue, not because they believed it was right, but because it was difficult to explain to a young girl who saw a red light flashing in her head. My parents treated my questions about race about as well as a young girl asking about sex. They avoided it.
It was only because of economic circumstances that we ended up living in a place that was one of the last holdouts in this country to desegregated their schools. When I delve into some of my first memories, they are of Boston, Massachusetts. We lived in a two family in the section of Boston known as Hyde Park. My Dad was a printer. He worked hard and always came home covered in black ink because he ran huge presses that printed newspapers. I remember being happy; no arguments between my parents, no abuse, just being happy. My Dad took our family to his workplace one evening to hear a new, young Democrat who was campaigning for a state government seat. His name was Ted Kennedy. My Dad, holding me so I could see, later waited in line to meet Ted Kennedy. I remember shaking hands with Kennedy and my father telling me to always remember that moment. I have never forgotten it.
We moved to what was a small town at the time, Stoughton, Massachusetts. My Mom made friends with a young woman next door, but later on her life, she told me it wasn't easy. She made friends with the family across the street. They were Black. She continued her friendship with them long after we moved away. But she paid a price for that friendship when we lived there. No one wanted anything to do with her.
I have to give my parents a lot of credit. As young as my brother and I were, they had already set our moral compass in a direction that would never waver. We were taught that people are people. The color of their skin did not matter. What mattered was how people treated you. Although my parents did not know we would eventually end up in a place that pushed and pulled at our compass, they made damn sure we understood to keep pointing in the right direction.
Living in a world where racism was no farther away than our front door was confusing and hard. Mrs. Romney, you can say your life is hard, but it is complete bullshit. You have lived a privileged life in a White world where I sincerely doubt you have ever dealt with any one's racist attitudes except your own. I walked to and from school with little bullies who would thrown stones at small Black kids. They were walking home from THEIR school. Other kids called out "nigger", which was absolutely not to be said in my family. My brother and I were promised a belt and a mouth full of soap if we ever uttered that word. As kids, living with our parent's gag order, we didn't have many friends either.
Eventually we moved back north and we left that nightmare behind us. Other lessons popped up about religion and race. We had busing. It didn't always go over very well, but not for lack of trying. Kids bussed in could not immerse themselves in all that our school had to offer. There was no after school activities for them. There was no sense of belonging. They didn't belong here but they didn't belong there either. They gave up their sense of community where they lived only to find there was no way they could have a sense of community in their new school.
Religion was this or that. You were either Catholic or Protestant. If you were anything else, no one wanted to hear it. Now, in 2012, it's really about being being a Christian. And it's pushed by people who do not act very Christian like. I suppose I could read the Bible and come up with all kinds of things because the bible contradicts itself all the time. But I put my Bible away years ago. It it is like a newspaper. It was written by people who were not alive when Jesus was alive and the contents were picked out and revised by a bunch of men 500 years after Jesus died. Whatever scroll they didn't like was put back on the shelf. What I cannot understand is how Christians can say it is the true word of God and not acknowledge that Muslims are mentioned in the Bible about a zillion times. The other contradictory theme is about Jesus himself. He was born to an unwed mother, was a baby, and suddenly grew up. What happened in between? His life is explained in an ancient scroll that was left out of the Bible on purpose. The name of that ancient scroll? The Book of Jesus. It was left out because it describes Jesus as being a typical kid. He was lazy at times, did childish things, and got into trouble. Those ancient men did not want anything that put Jesus in a bad light. And the one thing Bible thumping Christians in this country refuse to believe is that Jesus was not white with blue eyes. He was brown, had brown or black hair and brown eyes. He was just a face in the crowd of millions of Jews that hung around Jerusalem back in the day. Did he say profound things? Yes. Was he the Son of God? I don't believe that, but that's my opinion.
All I know is that Jesus, who I believe did live and die, would not approve of the hatred spewed out of the mouths of racist Americans. Jesus would not approved of hatred towards gay people. They lived when Jesus lived. Since he didn't seem to have anything to say about them, one must assume it didn't bother him. Protestant Bibles have a book which Catholic Bibles do not have: The Songs of Solomon. This book is full of sexual yearnings and songs about love. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know people had sex back then. And they probably enjoyed it.
One last thought is this: if the Second Coming of Jesus came, how would you know? Maybe he would be Jewish, or maybe he would look a little like Jesus - dark skin, brown eyes and a profound love for all people, not just his true believers. I have an idea of who might fit that description. For now, I'll keep it to myself.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Obama Turning the US into a Socialist Country? No, it Doesn't Work That Way.
I find it fascinating when people claim Obama is turning the United States into a Socialist country. I frown a little because, well, I passed Western Civ and US History in both high school and college. They seem to believe Obama has a ridiculous amount of power in the Presidency. Yet, they fail to recognize that our country is one of the few in the world that takes our Constitution seriously and has never decided to throw it away and write a new one. Our country has three checks and balances to insure that no one part of our government has too much power. The Constitution was a direct result of the power of the King of England who had, at that time, complete power over all things British.
The founding fathers might be surprised to see how America, 2012 style, still holds the Constitution as the law of the land. Because of that Constitution, no one person holding public office can change the type of government we have. If Obama wanted to change America from a Democracy to a Socialist government, which he does not, he would have to convince Congress, the Supreme Court, and the country that this is what we should do. It's not happening, it's not going to happen, and all the bell ringers should start educating themselves why it can't happen. The only other way to get rid of our democracy would be a revolution or a military coup. Again, that's not going to happen.
The United States is huge, compared to countries that are socialist government. We are so diverse that one can hardly imagine our country running any other way. The Creature Theory works well to keep local and state governments in check, and hold them accountable, in the way that they should be, to the next level of government above them. All towns and counties are a creature of their state; ultimately they only have rights that are given by the state. A state is a creature of the US government. Their rights come from the Federal government. That is one reason why voter suppression laws have been tossed around and ultimately shot down in federal courts. Voting is a right granted to Americans by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and by the Voting Rights Act. When voting rights are suppressed by a state government, the Federal Government, in one of the three parts of government spelled out in the Constitution, through the Federal Judicial system, has the power to say to the state, "knock it off."
Every social reform, in the best interest of the American people, has been an uphill battle by the president who introduces such reform. FDR was accused of turning to the US into a socialist government when he pushed through legislation to start Social Security. So was LBJ when he created Medicare. Abraham Lincoln was called a monkey and characterized as one in many political cartoons during his time in the White House. Barack Obama has so much hate thrown at him I sometimes wonder how his wife Michelle and his two daughters manage to get through each day without crying themselves to sleep. If President Obama had never gone down the road to the Affordable Health Care Law, I can guarantee that it would be Mitt Romney's One Big Idea.
So, we are not becoming a Socialist country. There is no way that's going to happen. Obama is not a Socialist nor is a Fascist. As Fascist, such as Hitler was, takes power by force. If you understand history, Hitler was able to take over most of Europe because he sent his armies in to roll over countries who had no defense. He murdered millions of people and then murdered millions more. Obama is not Hitler. Anyone who thinks he is needs a brain transplant.
Our country will survive no matter who becomes President for the next four years. The big question is how will we look in 2016? We have one man hoping to continue what he has started. We have another man who feels he is entitled to be President. One man has a clear vision of what he hopes to accomplish in the next four years. The other has no idea. Yet, the hatred towards the man who truly understands the Constitution is far greater than the millions of people who share his vision. The hatred is not for what he stands for, it is a deep seated hatred that has been dormant in this country for over forty years. It is because he is Black. Our Congress has refused to do anything for the past four years because they hate him THAT much. I ask you, what does that say about our country?
The founding fathers might be surprised to see how America, 2012 style, still holds the Constitution as the law of the land. Because of that Constitution, no one person holding public office can change the type of government we have. If Obama wanted to change America from a Democracy to a Socialist government, which he does not, he would have to convince Congress, the Supreme Court, and the country that this is what we should do. It's not happening, it's not going to happen, and all the bell ringers should start educating themselves why it can't happen. The only other way to get rid of our democracy would be a revolution or a military coup. Again, that's not going to happen.
The United States is huge, compared to countries that are socialist government. We are so diverse that one can hardly imagine our country running any other way. The Creature Theory works well to keep local and state governments in check, and hold them accountable, in the way that they should be, to the next level of government above them. All towns and counties are a creature of their state; ultimately they only have rights that are given by the state. A state is a creature of the US government. Their rights come from the Federal government. That is one reason why voter suppression laws have been tossed around and ultimately shot down in federal courts. Voting is a right granted to Americans by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and by the Voting Rights Act. When voting rights are suppressed by a state government, the Federal Government, in one of the three parts of government spelled out in the Constitution, through the Federal Judicial system, has the power to say to the state, "knock it off."
Every social reform, in the best interest of the American people, has been an uphill battle by the president who introduces such reform. FDR was accused of turning to the US into a socialist government when he pushed through legislation to start Social Security. So was LBJ when he created Medicare. Abraham Lincoln was called a monkey and characterized as one in many political cartoons during his time in the White House. Barack Obama has so much hate thrown at him I sometimes wonder how his wife Michelle and his two daughters manage to get through each day without crying themselves to sleep. If President Obama had never gone down the road to the Affordable Health Care Law, I can guarantee that it would be Mitt Romney's One Big Idea.
So, we are not becoming a Socialist country. There is no way that's going to happen. Obama is not a Socialist nor is a Fascist. As Fascist, such as Hitler was, takes power by force. If you understand history, Hitler was able to take over most of Europe because he sent his armies in to roll over countries who had no defense. He murdered millions of people and then murdered millions more. Obama is not Hitler. Anyone who thinks he is needs a brain transplant.
Our country will survive no matter who becomes President for the next four years. The big question is how will we look in 2016? We have one man hoping to continue what he has started. We have another man who feels he is entitled to be President. One man has a clear vision of what he hopes to accomplish in the next four years. The other has no idea. Yet, the hatred towards the man who truly understands the Constitution is far greater than the millions of people who share his vision. The hatred is not for what he stands for, it is a deep seated hatred that has been dormant in this country for over forty years. It is because he is Black. Our Congress has refused to do anything for the past four years because they hate him THAT much. I ask you, what does that say about our country?
Friday, October 19, 2012
What Did John McCain Know About Mitt Romney? All you need to know is Here.
This is formation is from the Vetting File put together by John McCain's Campaign in 2008.
The full file is available from BuzzFeed
FOREIGN POLICY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Romney has no foreign policy experience.
ANALYSTS ON ROMNEY’S SHIFTING VALUES
BBC’s Katty Kay: “[T]his issue of authenticity, he’s falling down on that. And if people are looking for something that’s authentic, and he has already flip-flopped on his social conservative values, then that’s going to be a problem for him.” (NBC’s “The Chris Matthews Show,” 2/11/07)
WFXT-TV’s Joe Battenfeld: “[B]efore you see the new Mitt Romney unveil himself here tomorrow, we want to give you a look at the old Mitt Romney.” (WFXT’s “Fox 25 News At 10,” 2/12/07)
Battenfeld: “[W]atch Romney squirm. It’s the most revealing look yet at Romney way before his
transformation into a pro-life Ronald Reagan wanna-be.” (WFXT’s “Fox 25 News At 10,” 2/12/07)
The Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan: “Romney makes John Kerry look immovable.” (Andrew Sullivan, “The Latest Romney Switcheroo II,” TheAtlantic.com’s The Daily Dish, 2/8/07)
Sullivan: “[Romney] makes Bill Clinton look like a rock of principle. (Andrew Sullivan, “Romney’s Draft-Deferment,” The Atlantic’s The Daily Dish Blog, 5/11/07)
Democratic Strategist Susan Estrich: “Mitt Romney makes [John] Kerry look like a model of consistency.”
(Susan Estrich, Op-Ed, “Rudy’s Game,” Creators Syndicate, 2/16/07)
Boston Globe’s Scot Lehigh: “Certainly Massachusetts’ former governor would present a broad target for the
sort of flip-flop attacks that bedeviled John Kerry in 2004.” (Scot Lehigh, “United In Ambivalence,” The Boston Globe, 5/25/07)
Boston Herald’s Howie Carr: “Mitt’s a lot more adept at doing the old soft shoe around his flip-flops than [John] Kerry.” (Howie Carr, Op-Ed, “Mitt’s Game Plan Looking Like Flip Side Of Kerry’s,” Boston Herald, 2/9/07)
Carr: “[Romney] was privately against George W. Bush’s early tax cuts before he was publicly for them. He
was also for gay rights before he was against them, and he supported campaign finance reform before he
denounced it. Not to mention he was pro-choice before he was pro-life. He wouldn't sign the local no-new taxes pledge in 2002 before he signed Grover Norquist’s national one in 2007.” (Howie Carr, Op-Ed, Mitt’s Game Plan Looking Like Flip Side Of Kerry’s,” Boston Herald, 2/9/07)
National Review’s Mark Hemingway: “Romney now claims to be pro-life … but many find his conversion story far from convincing.” (Mark Hemingway, “Mitt Romney’s Endurance Race,” National Review Online, 2/13/07)
American Spectator’s “Washington Prowler”: “[Romney] appears willing to sell out his core convictions to
win.” (“Romney’s Abortion Positions,” American Spectator’s AmSpec Blog, 2/19/07)
WorldNetDaily.com’s Bruce Wilson: “Romney arrived at his pro-life decision in such a backwards manner that it’s difficult to take his explanation seriously.” (Bruce Wilson, “Mitt Romney’s Flip-Flop: Like Father, Like Son?” WorldNetDaily.com, 2/13/07)
Political Consultant Paul Begala: “[H]e’s not ready for prime time. … [O]nce again, Mitt stepped in it.” (MSNBC’s “Imus In The Morning,” 3/21/07)
Amb. Richard Blankenship, Former Romney Supporter: “The changes in [Romney’s] core beliefs gave rise to
some concerns. You have to have an anchor in life.” (Adam Smith, “GOP Fundraiser Jumps From Romney To Giuliani,” St. Petersburg [FL] Times, 3/22/07)
Salt Lake City Mayor and Bush Impeachment Advocate Rocky Anderson (D): “I would fully expect Mitt
Romney to distance himself from me, especially now that he’s changing his position on so many issues.” (Thomas Burr, “Candidate Mitt: Rocky Who?” Salt Lake Tribune, 3/23/07)
National Review Online’s Yuval Levin: “Flip flops on abortion are a fairly common feature of political resumes in the past few decades. But Romney’s flip flops are both more recent and apparently more frequent than most.” (Yuval Levin, “Will The Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up?” National Review’s The Corner, 2/19/07)
The New Republic’s Michelle Cottle: “In modern U.S. politics, it takes work to distinguish oneself as an
exceptional opportunist. Romney has met that challenge.” (Michelle Cottle, “The Press Makes Too Much Of McCain’s Temperament,” The New Republic Website, 5/25/07)
Human Events’ Matt Naugle: “[K]eeping track of Romney’s blunders is an overwhelming task.” (Matt Naugle, “Romney Bungles Castro Quote In Miami,” Human Events Website, 3/19/07)
Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes: “[I] don’t think [Christian conservatives are] going to be a problem. He has
other problems – being from Massachusetts and flip-flopping on issues, those are problems for him.” (Fox News’ “Special Report,” 2/8/07)
The Hill’s Dick Morris: “Should the right seek a real alternative to Giuliani, Romney’s flip-flops will likely
disqualify him.” (Dick Morris, Op-Ed, “Hillary And Rudy Could Wrap It Up This Year,” The Hill, 2/7/07)
Boston Herald’s Shelly Cohen: “[Romney] has a spotty record as a fiscal conservative. He has an even spottier record of flip-flopping on social issues.” (Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” 2/13/07)
Boston Globe’s Joan Vennochi: “How much trust can Republican primary voters reasonably invest in a
politician who changed so many positions? How good is Romney’s word today?” (Joan Vennochi, Op-Ed, “Mitt Romney’s Skeletons In The Closet,” The Boston Globe, 5/27/07)
Roll Call’s Mort Kondracke: “[F]lip-flopping is a big issue. [Romney], at one point, refused to sign the no-tax
pledge, the Grover Norquist no-tax pledge, now he’s signed it. You know, there’s just all kinds of changes from Massachusetts to running for national office as a conservative.” (Fox News’ “Special Report,” 2/8/07)
Des Moines Register’s David Yepsen: “He’s got to shake the implication he’s flip-flopped to make himself more appealing to the religious conservatives.” (David Yepsen, “Romney Faces Meaty Questions On Social Issues,” Des Moines Register, 2/13/07)
National Review’s Rich Lowry: “For all the trouble the flip-flops have given him, let’s face it, we wouldn't even be talking about him if he were a one-term pro-choice former governor of Massachusetts.” (Rich Lowry, “Romney And The State Of The Race,” National Review’s The Corner, 2/15/07)
Lowry: “[R]omney doesn't yet have what a top-tier candidates needs, which is a compelling narrative for his
candidacy (I didn't hear it in his announcement speech yesterday). Instead, his critics are writing that narrative
for him as an opportunist and every time Romney continues to do what he did to get here – move right on
everything – it only plays into the negative narrative.” (Rich Lowry, “Romney And The State Of The Race,” National Review’s The Corner, 2/15/07)
Washington Post: “This posturing [on hunting] became a particular problem for Mr. Romney in large part
because it reinforced the existing narrative of the governor as a politician willing to change his ideological stripes to fit the political environment of the moment.” (Editorial, “Killer Rabbits,” The Washington Post, 4/10/07)
Politico’s Elizabeth Wilner: “[Romney] might just be smooth enough to survive this clumsy mess of inconvenient residency and conveniently timed changes of heart.” (Elizabeth Wilner, “Romney Ducks And Dodges Over Mass.,” The Politico, (5/29/07)
Wilner: “Abortion. Stem cell research. Immigration. The drip-drip of Romney’s timely conversions to
conservative positions goes on.” (Elizabeth Wilner, “Romney Ducks And Dodges Over Mass.,” The Politico, 5/29/07)
Syndicated Columnist Deroy Murdock: “With his angular jaw and slicked-back, dark hair, Romney is the GOP’s George Clooney. Who needs the White House? Romney should become a movie star. He already is a skilled actor.” (Deroy Murdock, “Mitt May Only Act Part Of Reagan,” Boston Herald, 2/16/07)
Murdock: “Romney is either a rock-ribbed conservative who played a Rockefeller Republican to get elected
in Massachusetts, or a limousine liberal portraying a conservative to win the 2008 GOP nomination. This fine
thespian has so lost himself in both these roles that no one really knows where the performer ends and the
characters begin.” (Deroy Murdock, “Mitt May Only Act Part Of Reagan,” Boston Herald, 2/16/07)
Murdock: “Romney should warm up to Reagan. After all, Reagan made it big by moving from acting into
politics. Romney’s best bet may be to make that same journey – in reverse.” (Deroy Murdock, “Mitt May Only Act Part Of Reagan,” Boston Herald, 2/16/07)
New York Daily News: “Tough to beat GOP presidential aspirant Mitt Romney on sheer opportunism. After
flipping his positions on abortion (he had a conversion after looking into stem-cell research), gun control (he’s
been a life-long National Rifle Association member since August) and gay marriage (he liked gay Republicans
fine when he was running for Massachusetts governor), now he’s flipped on immigration.” (Editorial, “The Many Faces Of Mitt,” [New York] Daily News, 5/22/07)
Newsweek’s Evan Thomas and Jonathan Darman: “…Romney’s turnaround on the burning social issues of
gay rights, stem-cell research and abortion has raised questions about the candidate’s sincerity – a dangerous
doubt at a time when voters seem to crave authenticity.” (Jonathan Darman and Evan Thomas, “Mitt Romney: Too Good To Be True?” Newsweek, 2/26/07)
Washington Post’s Richard Cohen: “I have been following the zigs and zags of Mitt Romney, the former
Massachusetts governor and now Republican presidential candidate, watching him grow progressively less
progressive, sort of making himself up as he goes along.” (Richard Cohen, Op-Ed, “The Talented Mr. Romney,” The Washington Post, 2/20/07)
Cohen: “[A] total flip from always legal to always illegal (the clear message he’s sending abortion foes) can
have only one explanation: Potomac fever.” (Richard Cohen, Op-Ed, “The Talented Mr. Romney,” The Washington Post, (2/20/07)
Cohen: “In fact, to watch Romney … was to see a thoroughly counterfeit man. If he were a coin, a vending
machine would spit him out.” (Richard Cohen, Op-Ed, “The Talented Mr. Romney,” The Washington Post, 2/20/07)
National Review’s John Podhoretz: “Romney comes out of nowhere to rise into the first tier of candidates,
raises $6 million in a night, gives a bad speech in his maiden appearance in the right-wing big leagues, chickens
out on spelling out a firm position on Iraq, gets tagged as a flip-flopper, loses steam, goes up on the air with an ad to shore up his declining support, and starts frontally attacking other candidates to bring up their negatives.” (John Podhoretz, “Mitt Snit,” National Review’s The Corner, 2/21/07)
Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus: “[I]t was also hard to see how a man with deeply held convictions on abortion rights – either for or against – could take a position so calibrated and inconclusive.” (Ruth Marcus, “Mitt Romney’s Extreme Makeover, The Washington Post, 2/21/07)
Marcus: “Listening to Romney that day was like watching a chameleon in the fleeting moment that its color
changes to suit its environment.” (Ruth Marcus, “Mitt Romney’s Extreme Makeover, The Washington Post, 2/21/07)
Newsweek: “[Romney] seems to lack good fingertips for the subtleties of politics.” (Evan Thomas et al, “Is Mitt Romney Ready For Prime-Time Politics?” Newsweek, 4/16/07)
Associated Press’s Liz Sidoti: “Republican Mitt Romney titled his book on how he saved the scandal-ridden
2002 Olympics ‘Turnaround.’ Now, as he runs for president, he’s trying to fight the perception that he’s committed a few too many turnarounds.” (Liz Sidoti, “Romney Tries To Overcome Inconsistencies,” The Associated Press, 2/27/07)
Sidoti: “The former Massachusetts governor’s equivocations on major issues – and outright position changes
on others – threaten to derail his nascent 2008 campaign.” (Liz Sidoti, “Romney Tries To Overcome Inconsistencies,” The Associated Press, 2/27/07)
Sidoti: “As previous White House hopefuls have learned, once a candidate is perceived to have a pattern of
inconsistency, labels like flip-flopper and waffler are extremely difficult to shake.” (Liz Sidoti, “Romney Tries To Overcome Inconsistencies,” The Associated Press, 2/27/07)
Slate’s Daniel Gross: “For Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the transition from moderate, gay friendly, abortion-tolerating Massachusetts governor to a certified social conservative isn’t going smoothly.
YouTube and Google have exposed Romney’s shifting policy positions and relatively recent history of liberal
behavior.” (Daniel Gross, Op-Ed, “The CEO Candidate,” Slate.com, 2/27/07)
Gross: “Romney’s flip-flops have been aggravated by his clumsy responses.” (Daniel Gross, Op-Ed, “The CEO Candidate,” Slate.com, 2/27/07)
Gross: “Disavowing his remarks in the 1994 Kennedy debate, [Romney] said: ‘Of course, I was wrong on
some issues back then. I think most of us learn with experience.’ Yes, as an unformed man of 47, this CEO,
father, and multimillionaire was in the thrall of foolish, immature ideas.” (Daniel Gross, Op-Ed, “The CEO Candidate,” Slate.com, 2/27/07)
Gross: “It’s not surprising that Romney has fled from his public record and is running to the right. What’s
surprising is that the man who has usually been so competent is proving to be rather poor at execution, and
timing.” (Daniel Gross, Op-Ed, “The CEO Candidate,” Slate.com, 2/27/07)
New York Sun’s Ryan Sager: “Mr. Romney, however, somehow got pegged by the national press as ‘the
smooth one.’ They dubbed him Matinee Mitt. Clearly, it’s the hair that fooled them. In fact, a study of the
campaign so far shows that Mr. Romney is the most gaffe-prone of all the Republican candidates.” (Ryan Sager, “Romney’s Energy Gaffe,” The New York Sun, 4/20/07)
The Hill’s A.B. Stoddard: “Romney thinks he has found a winner in campaign finance reform. … Unfortunately, one can readily access enough contradictory statements from Romney’s pre-conversion period of his career to find that campaign finance reform is indeed another one of Mitt’s Murky Issues.” (A.B. Stoddard, “No Momentum For Mitt,” The Hill’s Pundits Blog, 4/26/07)
Democrat Consultant Bruce Reed: “Mitt Romney is the Jay Gatsby of American politics – a fiction within a
fiction who was born in the Midwest, made his fortune in the East, and never stops reinventing himself to impress those he meets along the way.” (Bruce Reed, “Announcing The Mitt Romney Look-Alike Contest,” Slate’s “The Has Been” Blog, www.slate.com, 5/29/07)
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Gentlemen, Choose Your Weapons
Tonight is another Presidential debate. As the whole world knows by now, the last one did go that well for President Obama. I have a few suggestions for President Obama.
- Don't be a gentleman. WE already know that you are one classy guy. Mitt Romney has already shown that he not only lacks class, but he does not act like a gentlemen during a debate.
- Take a club with you. Those of us that love you will not object if you hit him over the head a few times.
- When he brings up China, ask him why Sensata, in Freeport, Illinois is being sold to China by Bain Capital. He'll say he has nothing to do with. Remind him that his money in the Cayman Islands does.
- Tell the world you are proud of Obamacare as opposed to RomneyDon't care. Those are your words, use them.
- Ask him why he did not take his full deduction for charitable donations, especially because he has stated if he paid more in taxes than was legally due, he should be disqualified for running for President.
- Be obnoxious. I know this is not your nature, but I'm sure Joe could give you a few pointers. Romney certainly is.
- Interrupt him. Who cares what Fox news says.The people that will vote for you don't watch Fox news anyways.
- The very first time he says a lie, reply, "There you go again." Quoting Ronald Reagan is not a cardinal sin. After all, before Ronald Reagan became Romney's hero, Romney did everything he could to distance himself from Reagan.
- Call him on out every single lie.As stated before, interrupt him. Be funny. Mitt Romney has no sense of humor, or what sense of humor he thinks he has is odd, to say the least.
- If Romney uses words like "trickle down government", "middle income taxpayers", and other muddy words, correct him.
- Remind him that it is not the words stated in public that matter the most, it is the words stated behind closed doors, when one thinks no one matters will hear you. No matter how Romney tries to spin it, he loathes 47% of this country.
- Remind Mitt Romney that Emergency rooms are not heath care. And yes, people die because they don't go to the emergency room. Better to die penniless that live in debt for the rest of your life.
- Ask him about Turkey. I know that you know what is going on in Turkey, but Romney does not have foreign policy experience.
- You deserve a second term; you deserve a Congress that will work for the people who elected them. They showed their true colors when they voted down the Veterans Job Act. Ask Mitt Romney about that. Ask him what he would do if the Senate and Congress change to a Democrat majority and then refuse to do anything for the next four years. "Say, it's not about the color of your skin Mitt, it's about the size of your heart. I hear people say they don't think you have a heart, and They certainly don't think you have any soul." WINK WINK.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Mitt the Hypocrite
I don't know how I ended up with it, but I have a copy of the vetting file that the McCain campaign put together on Mitt Romney. Now many people scratched their heads when John McCain stated that Sarah Palin was a better candidate, but after going through this extensive file, I have to admit that John McCain was right. Maybe Sarah Palin wasn't the brightest bulb in the room, but she was consistent, consistently dumb, but consistent. Her
admiration of John McCain was sincere and as much as I am not nor ever was a fan of her hers, I think at the time her political ambitions were simply to serve as John McCain's Vice President.
Mitt Romney was never in the same league as Sarah Palin. Not by a long shot. His ambitions would have overshadowed John McCain much in the same way Paul Ryan's admiring fans have overshadowed Mitt Romney. As we saw last week, Mitt Romney is not happy when people prefer to see his running mate and not him. In sharp contrast, President Obama loves to see people who love Joe Biden. It validates President Obama's choice for the Vice President.
The latest sound bite from Mitt Romney is he's going to crack down on China. Because they have stolen our jobs. Oh.
Those missing tax returns are getting clearer and clearer every day. It's almost at the point where we don't need to see them because we already know what's in there. Mitt Romney has investments in China. He has investments in Iran. I'm willing to bet my last cent he has investments in Russia.
Right now, there is a company called Sensata in Freeport, Illinois and their employees are fighting to save their company. It is owned by Bain Capital and Bain Capital is closing it and sending their jobs to China. They have camped out across the street in a tent city called Bainport. These are good, middle class jobs. The same middle class jobs Romney claims China has stolen. Well, China didn't actually steal Sensata's jobs. Bain Capital sold them to China. I guess Mitt would say he's off the hook on that one.
Romney may argue that he is longer involved in Bain Capital, but that's not the point. He profits from situations like this. He profits greatly. Not to mention that as a man running for President, one would assume that he still wields a great deal of influence at Bain Capital. What has he done? Nothing. What has he said about Sensata? Nothing. Will the people in Freeport, Illinois vote for him? Not likely.
He does not sense his own disconnect. Is something wrong with him? I am beginning to think so. I have never known anyone who is uber wealthy. I have met people who are wealthy and I have to say that the few I have known are very, very aware of the world they live in. They are people who quietly contribute money to causes they believe in, help out individuals in dire straights and never ask for anything in return. They see a wrong and fix it. They have a heart and they have a soul. There are millions of these individuals in this world, but Mitt Romney is not one of them. We all know of people who are uber wealthy. Generally they are celebrities. They make a mark in the world two ways - they entertain us but often they do incredible work which we only know about because they are always surrounded by the press. Think about Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Sean Penn, and the late Princess Diana. Mitt Romney? Nah.
In another few weeks the election will be over. I sincerely hope President Barack Obama gets reelected. The world will not blow up if he is not, but then again, I'm not sure quite sure I trust Mitt Romney with the key to the end of the world. That's one scary thought.
admiration of John McCain was sincere and as much as I am not nor ever was a fan of her hers, I think at the time her political ambitions were simply to serve as John McCain's Vice President.
Mitt Romney was never in the same league as Sarah Palin. Not by a long shot. His ambitions would have overshadowed John McCain much in the same way Paul Ryan's admiring fans have overshadowed Mitt Romney. As we saw last week, Mitt Romney is not happy when people prefer to see his running mate and not him. In sharp contrast, President Obama loves to see people who love Joe Biden. It validates President Obama's choice for the Vice President.
The latest sound bite from Mitt Romney is he's going to crack down on China. Because they have stolen our jobs. Oh.
Those missing tax returns are getting clearer and clearer every day. It's almost at the point where we don't need to see them because we already know what's in there. Mitt Romney has investments in China. He has investments in Iran. I'm willing to bet my last cent he has investments in Russia.
Right now, there is a company called Sensata in Freeport, Illinois and their employees are fighting to save their company. It is owned by Bain Capital and Bain Capital is closing it and sending their jobs to China. They have camped out across the street in a tent city called Bainport. These are good, middle class jobs. The same middle class jobs Romney claims China has stolen. Well, China didn't actually steal Sensata's jobs. Bain Capital sold them to China. I guess Mitt would say he's off the hook on that one.
Romney may argue that he is longer involved in Bain Capital, but that's not the point. He profits from situations like this. He profits greatly. Not to mention that as a man running for President, one would assume that he still wields a great deal of influence at Bain Capital. What has he done? Nothing. What has he said about Sensata? Nothing. Will the people in Freeport, Illinois vote for him? Not likely.
He does not sense his own disconnect. Is something wrong with him? I am beginning to think so. I have never known anyone who is uber wealthy. I have met people who are wealthy and I have to say that the few I have known are very, very aware of the world they live in. They are people who quietly contribute money to causes they believe in, help out individuals in dire straights and never ask for anything in return. They see a wrong and fix it. They have a heart and they have a soul. There are millions of these individuals in this world, but Mitt Romney is not one of them. We all know of people who are uber wealthy. Generally they are celebrities. They make a mark in the world two ways - they entertain us but often they do incredible work which we only know about because they are always surrounded by the press. Think about Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Sean Penn, and the late Princess Diana. Mitt Romney? Nah.
In another few weeks the election will be over. I sincerely hope President Barack Obama gets reelected. The world will not blow up if he is not, but then again, I'm not sure quite sure I trust Mitt Romney with the key to the end of the world. That's one scary thought.
Shame on Paul Ryan, That Good Catholic Boy
We have a moral obligation, for the sake of families struggling today, and for the sake of future generations to balance the budget and prevent a debt crisis. - Paul Ryan's Facebook Page
Dear Paul Ryan,
What happened to your moral obligation to tell the truth? Do you have a moral obligation to teach your children to tell the truth?
The whole country knows your family is not struggling financially. You have a trust fund - that one you forget to mention to the IRS until you were tapped to run as Vice President. You got through college on social security payments. Why don't you pay Social Security back, now that you are wealthy? Because Social Security is redistribution. If you don't understand that concept, maybe president Obama can explain it to you. The truth is Paul, you would not be where you are today without the help of social security.
There's just one thing nagging at my heart tonight. You USED a Catholic soup kitchen who didn't want you there for a staged photo opt. And you USED your children in stated photo opt. Have you no shame?
One more thing, that story you told about looking at your daughter's ultrasound, it is very much like the story Kurt Cobain told about seeing his daughter's ultrasound. It's a nice story, Paul. Too bad it isn't yours. When you finally get your moral compass pointing in the right direction, then you can talk about moral obligations. Until then, shut the fuck up.
Dear Paul Ryan,
What happened to your moral obligation to tell the truth? Do you have a moral obligation to teach your children to tell the truth?
The whole country knows your family is not struggling financially. You have a trust fund - that one you forget to mention to the IRS until you were tapped to run as Vice President. You got through college on social security payments. Why don't you pay Social Security back, now that you are wealthy? Because Social Security is redistribution. If you don't understand that concept, maybe president Obama can explain it to you. The truth is Paul, you would not be where you are today without the help of social security.
There's just one thing nagging at my heart tonight. You USED a Catholic soup kitchen who didn't want you there for a staged photo opt. And you USED your children in stated photo opt. Have you no shame?
One more thing, that story you told about looking at your daughter's ultrasound, it is very much like the story Kurt Cobain told about seeing his daughter's ultrasound. It's a nice story, Paul. Too bad it isn't yours. When you finally get your moral compass pointing in the right direction, then you can talk about moral obligations. Until then, shut the fuck up.
Educasion.....No, EDUCATION
I always amazed at the lack of civility from some Tea Party members. I know I shouldn't be, but I guess it was the way I was brought up. Yes, I use profanity all the time. I learned it from my mother....well, sort of. She very seldom swore at all. Occasionally I would here a "damn it" and as I got a little older I would hear the word "shit" muttered under her breath. It was not until one of her last years, as she was losing her mind to Alzheimer's Disease, did I hear all the words my mother never taught me. She even managed to sound classy when she yelled "Get this fucking thing off me!" In spite of the fact that I learned how to swear like a lady from her, I think she would always want me to be civil about it. If someone beside me called President Obama a Muslim, in my head I would hear my mother say, Suzanne, watch your language.....because chances are I would blurt out "you are a fucking asshole". My mother would say "Sir, you are an asshole, and a fucking one, too."
So, now that that's out of the way, being civil has a lot to do with education. The more educated you are, the more manners you have. I don't have a quote any study to prove this is true. It just is. And another fact that is simply true, is the more education you have, the better you can spell. Tea Party members who like to make signs, please reread the last sentence, if you are able. I'm going to make an assumption here, and I think I might be right.....the smart members of the Tea Party don't make signs. They don't have to. They are bright, articulate, and can state their position without having to write it down. The one exception to this rule is Michelle Bachmann. She is scariest elected official in this country. Batshit crazy scary.
If I was in a march, any march, and I had a sign I made with me, I would triple check it for spelling and vocabulary. When I read a book, if I don't know what a word means, and I can't figure it out by the end of the paragraph, I look it up. It's much easier now than it has ever been since Daniel Webster wrote his first dictionary. Just look it up on your smart phone. If you are going to march around with hand made sign at Tea Party rally, understand this: not everyone there is as illiterate as you are. If you cannot spell, have someone help you, because by showing up with misspelled signs, you are making everyone else around you look stupid.
Another fact, which I don't have to back up, is public education is the best most of us will get. If you are smart and on the ball, you might have the opportunity to go to a private school or university. And if you really have connections, maybe your books, which cost about the amount to heat your home for a year, will be paid for too. But most of us have no choice about where we go to school, but we have a choice to take advantage of what ours schools teach us. From a very young age we are taught to take turns, listen when spoken to, and not to lie. In first and second grade it's time to learn reading and spelling. Understandably, some kids learn faster than others. Some kids find out they have learning disabilities. But most kids learn to read and spell, and are taught what a dictionary is. They also learn you do not make fun of kids that can't read as fast or don't know what a word is. The lesson in front of the lessons in reading and spelling is how to be civil. Kids don't know they are learning that, and we all understand that often civility gets absorbed by hate, but the last I knew, good manners are expected and hate is not a subject taught in school.
Whenever I see these Tea Party signs, misspelled, misinformed, and hateful, I want to bang my head on the table. I want to take a permanent marker to the TV screen and fix the mistakes. And then I want to cry. I am already past the halfway point of my life, but I fear for the future, not because of who is or might be the leader of our nation, but because education and good manners don't seem to matter much anymore. Everyone does not grow up to be a rocket scientist, but you can't fill out a job application and expect to be taken seriously if you can't spell. You can't show up on national TV with a misspelled sign and wonder why people are laughing at you. And, if show up with a sign stating that the President of the United States is a "Niggar" , well, you deserve whatever you get, but I can guarantee this, it won't be for the best speller - best citizen of the century award.
So, now that that's out of the way, being civil has a lot to do with education. The more educated you are, the more manners you have. I don't have a quote any study to prove this is true. It just is. And another fact that is simply true, is the more education you have, the better you can spell. Tea Party members who like to make signs, please reread the last sentence, if you are able. I'm going to make an assumption here, and I think I might be right.....the smart members of the Tea Party don't make signs. They don't have to. They are bright, articulate, and can state their position without having to write it down. The one exception to this rule is Michelle Bachmann. She is scariest elected official in this country. Batshit crazy scary.
If I was in a march, any march, and I had a sign I made with me, I would triple check it for spelling and vocabulary. When I read a book, if I don't know what a word means, and I can't figure it out by the end of the paragraph, I look it up. It's much easier now than it has ever been since Daniel Webster wrote his first dictionary. Just look it up on your smart phone. If you are going to march around with hand made sign at Tea Party rally, understand this: not everyone there is as illiterate as you are. If you cannot spell, have someone help you, because by showing up with misspelled signs, you are making everyone else around you look stupid.
Another fact, which I don't have to back up, is public education is the best most of us will get. If you are smart and on the ball, you might have the opportunity to go to a private school or university. And if you really have connections, maybe your books, which cost about the amount to heat your home for a year, will be paid for too. But most of us have no choice about where we go to school, but we have a choice to take advantage of what ours schools teach us. From a very young age we are taught to take turns, listen when spoken to, and not to lie. In first and second grade it's time to learn reading and spelling. Understandably, some kids learn faster than others. Some kids find out they have learning disabilities. But most kids learn to read and spell, and are taught what a dictionary is. They also learn you do not make fun of kids that can't read as fast or don't know what a word is. The lesson in front of the lessons in reading and spelling is how to be civil. Kids don't know they are learning that, and we all understand that often civility gets absorbed by hate, but the last I knew, good manners are expected and hate is not a subject taught in school.
Whenever I see these Tea Party signs, misspelled, misinformed, and hateful, I want to bang my head on the table. I want to take a permanent marker to the TV screen and fix the mistakes. And then I want to cry. I am already past the halfway point of my life, but I fear for the future, not because of who is or might be the leader of our nation, but because education and good manners don't seem to matter much anymore. Everyone does not grow up to be a rocket scientist, but you can't fill out a job application and expect to be taken seriously if you can't spell. You can't show up on national TV with a misspelled sign and wonder why people are laughing at you. And, if show up with a sign stating that the President of the United States is a "Niggar" , well, you deserve whatever you get, but I can guarantee this, it won't be for the best speller - best citizen of the century award.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Foreign Policy - Mitt Romney, Really?
Mitt Romney has tried one more time to get a grip on foreign policy. And once again, he has failed. Besides basically stating he would follow most of the policies President Barack Obama has followed, he wishes to create peace between Israel and Palestine. That would be the same Palestine that he said "lacks culture" and "does not want peace." He would also intervene in the civil war in Syria.
He missed a very important event happening in Syria, and it's a game changer, not for Romney, but for the region surrounding Syria. And that is Turkey.
Perhaps Romney just didn't know, but should have known, that Syria is throwing bombs over the border into Turkey. Turkey, a member of the UN, may need some help if they cannot contain Syria's increasing desire to drag someone, anyone, into their internal bloodbath. They can only slaughter so many of their citizens until it becomes clear that they need someone else to blame for their internal unrest. Turkey, to it's credit, has become a home for refugees seeking a safe haven from the indiscriminate killing streets of Syria. Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon have also allowed refugees across their borders. If any country can sympathize with the collateral casualties of war, it is Iraq and Lebanon.
Turkey has stated again and again they do not want war. No one wants war, and honestly, the one nation that definitely does not war is the people of the United States. We are tired, we are sad, and we want out of Afghanistan. Romney has alluded that we should stay longer in Afghanistan which in Romney-speak is indefinitely. Since Mitt knows so much about Russia, you would think he might look for a few clues at their failed ten year war in Afghanistan.
Mitt Romney has stated that Russia is our greatest threat. Is that the same Russia Sarah Palin used as her foreign policy experience? It seems like Romney got stuck in a time warp and didn't realize the USSR no longer exists. I don't think Russia is by any means a sweet kitten minding its own business, but I think Russia is more of a thug, not a superpower threat. Maybe I'm wrong, but I swear all those black and white films of the USSR's past military might were in part, made of cardboard. Russia's best weapon now is it's veto power in the UN.
What is going to happen if Syria drags Turkey into their war? Turkey certainly will respond as they are attempting to now. A country can only take so many bombs lobbed over their border before they respond with swift action. As a member of the UN, how would President Mitt Romney handle this? I am afraid that Mitt will get his very own war. If he doesn't start WWIII with Iran, he can always try a smaller version with Syria. The problem with that is perspective. We don't belong in Syria, it's much more complicated that Libya. But if Turkey needs help, as a fellow UN Nation, we can come to their aid, if and when they ask for help. We won't be at war with Syria, we will help defend Turkey. My problem with a President Romney is that I doubt he'll know the difference.
He missed a very important event happening in Syria, and it's a game changer, not for Romney, but for the region surrounding Syria. And that is Turkey.
Perhaps Romney just didn't know, but should have known, that Syria is throwing bombs over the border into Turkey. Turkey, a member of the UN, may need some help if they cannot contain Syria's increasing desire to drag someone, anyone, into their internal bloodbath. They can only slaughter so many of their citizens until it becomes clear that they need someone else to blame for their internal unrest. Turkey, to it's credit, has become a home for refugees seeking a safe haven from the indiscriminate killing streets of Syria. Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon have also allowed refugees across their borders. If any country can sympathize with the collateral casualties of war, it is Iraq and Lebanon.
Turkey has stated again and again they do not want war. No one wants war, and honestly, the one nation that definitely does not war is the people of the United States. We are tired, we are sad, and we want out of Afghanistan. Romney has alluded that we should stay longer in Afghanistan which in Romney-speak is indefinitely. Since Mitt knows so much about Russia, you would think he might look for a few clues at their failed ten year war in Afghanistan.
Mitt Romney has stated that Russia is our greatest threat. Is that the same Russia Sarah Palin used as her foreign policy experience? It seems like Romney got stuck in a time warp and didn't realize the USSR no longer exists. I don't think Russia is by any means a sweet kitten minding its own business, but I think Russia is more of a thug, not a superpower threat. Maybe I'm wrong, but I swear all those black and white films of the USSR's past military might were in part, made of cardboard. Russia's best weapon now is it's veto power in the UN.
What is going to happen if Syria drags Turkey into their war? Turkey certainly will respond as they are attempting to now. A country can only take so many bombs lobbed over their border before they respond with swift action. As a member of the UN, how would President Mitt Romney handle this? I am afraid that Mitt will get his very own war. If he doesn't start WWIII with Iran, he can always try a smaller version with Syria. The problem with that is perspective. We don't belong in Syria, it's much more complicated that Libya. But if Turkey needs help, as a fellow UN Nation, we can come to their aid, if and when they ask for help. We won't be at war with Syria, we will help defend Turkey. My problem with a President Romney is that I doubt he'll know the difference.
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