One should expect nothing less from a son of the south smoothing over the ignominious past of another. Anything for a vote? An impeached President defending the racist past of Senator Robert Byrd. That just about says it all. This is your Democratic Party, the party of racial harmony. Worse than Byrd’s repugnant history is what Clinton’s remarks say about the people of West Virginia.
“I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side. Rather, I should die a thousand times, see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.”
~Robert Byrd in a letter to Senator Theodore Bilbo (Democrat-Mississippi) 1944
It seems that lately the only way to oust an old liberal Democratic curmudgeon is to have them die off with Senator Robert Byrd being the latest.
Byrd was a master at funnelling hard-working American’s money into his state of West Virginia. He spent 51 years of his life in the Senate ensuring numerous buildings, roads and projects were stamped with Robert C. Byrd in his home state. Probably most notable is the statue of himself in the state’s Capitol erected with, that’s right, taxpayers money.
Now more than ever there needs to be a call for term limits for the good of America. Let’s hope that there is no one left that will break Byrd’s longevity record, Americans cannot afford it.
What a way to take the focus off of a pesky oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.
While General McChrystal has spent most of his life defending freedom of speech he does not, as a member of the armed forces, have the right to exercise it without paying a heavy price. McChrystal’s callous interview is indefensible.
Like any military man preparing for war, McChrystal has been trained to tolerate stress, pain, heat and cold among other states of duress. The training that was omitted was tolerating incompetent, civilian leadership. It would appear that this should be required training for all Generals and Admirals.
Had the U.S. fought World War II like we fight modern day wars we would still be fighting the Japanese and Germans or possibly speaking a combination of both. The Rules of Engagement (ROE) in Iraq and now Afghanistan are reprehensible. In WWII there was one rule – WIN! Overwhelming force and power was used extensively, there were no apologies or hand wringing in the use of both. A politically correct war that takes into account Rules of Engagement that aids and abets our enemy takes a greater toll on a warrior than a regular all-out war where success is measured by defeating and eliminating your foes resulting in a victory. If Ghengis Khan were alive today he would rule the world over these present day panty waist politicians.
Every military member knows they are expendable, it’s a harsh reality and indicative of the theory that no one is irreplaceable. If one member is taken out for whatever reason there is another to take their place. That theory includes Generals. It is imperative in order to complete the mission. There was only one inevitable and acceptable outcome from the breach of discipline that McChrystal displayed and that was to resign.
The military persevered through the Clinton years under the perception of a President that spent his life having little use for the armed forces and the same Obama mentality of placing greater emphasis on “spreading the wealth.” The military survived Clinton and it will survive Obama. The United States cannot maintain and survive a perpetually protracted involvement in Afghanistan. The Soviet Empire tried and failed. There is little doubt that whenever all foreign forces eventually leave this pathetic country it will maintain its status as a barren, poverty-stricken wasteland vulnerable to the whims of the Taliban and there is nothing that any other country is going to do to change that.
No longer will McChrystal be remembered for having to wage a politically correct war in Afghanistan but will leave a legacy of having the poor judgement of agreeing to an interview with “Rolling Stone” magazine and unceremoniously being relieved of command. Was this infamous interview by General Stanley McChrystal a brilliant, calculated, strategic manuever? The military has been given an impossible assignment. It would appear that General McChrystal fabricated his own exit strategy out of an impossible task.
That’s for the Republicans to decide. What I think is more important, you can say it’s a political gift for us, and it is. But it’s dangerous for the American people, because while the ranking Republican would have oversight into the energy industry, and if the Republicans were the majority, would have actually the gavel and the chairmanship.
That’s not a political gaffe, those were prepared remarks. That is a philosophy. That is an approach to what they see. They see the aggrieved party here is BP, not the fishermen. And remember, this is not just one person. Rand Paul, running for Senate in Kentucky, what did he say? He said the way BP was being treated was un-American.
Other members of the Republican leadership have come to the defense of BP and attacked the administration for forcing them to set up an escrow account and fund it to the level of $20 billion. These aren’t political gaffes. You know, I’ve been in hearings. Joe Barton was speaking from prepared remarks. Rand Paul, who is running Kentucky, a leading Senate candidate for the Republicans said BP, the way they were being treated was un-American.
That is an approach to — they think the government is the problem. And in this balance, and the difference here is that BP made a mess. And the government, and also in the president’s view, in certain areas like MMS, hasn’t done its job.
~Rahm Emanuel to Jake Tapper, ABC News “This Week”
We already have a dangerous situation in Washington, Barack Obama and his Chicago thugs holding the country hostage to their liberal policy whims.
There is no evidence to support Rahm Emanuel’s theory that Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) spoke from prepared remarks representing a Republican philosophy other than Rahm said so therefore it must be a fact.
The Democratic fear mongering machine is alive and well.
It has now been almost two months and the oil still gushes from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Other than a desire to step on necks and looking for some ass to kick the Obama administration seems stymied as to which course of action to take with this current crisis.
Where is the outcry? Why is there no Hollywood outrage? The silence of the celebrity elite is deafening. What you have here is a clash of dilemmas. On the one hand you have an environmentalist’s nightmare while on the other you have this enormous love for Obama. What is a superstar to do? Where are the celebrities shampooing the oil off of pelicans?
While there has been some mediocre help it remains paltry compared to the Hurricane Katrina and Haiti earthquake relief effort. No international star-studded telethons to mention for this catastrophe.
There is, of course, the occassional blame George Bush for this oil spill mantra as if he donned scuba gear, swam down and pulled out the oil pipe himself. Had he still been in office there is no doubt there would be an endless outpouring of venomous rage from the liberal left calling for an immediate impeachment.
The Barack Obama administration brought the following philosophy to the White House, “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid.” Must be that the current Hollywood mindset is if you don’t talk about the oil leak and its escalating disaster it will eventually just go away without leaving a stain on their beloved leader.
Helen Thomas, White House reporter, issued an apology on Friday after the comment she made regarding Israel when asked by Rabbi David Nesenoff on May 27 during Jewish Heritage Day. “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine”, was her well thought-out response. It seems the inside of Helen Thomas is just as hideous as the outside of her.
“I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians, they do not reflect my heartfelt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.”
~written statement from Helen Thomas
An apology does not unring the bell. It was more obligatory than a heart-felt atonement. With age must come the fluent truth of true feelings. Her deep regret is that her comments were made public.
The time for this senior citizen to retire has long since come and gone. Her rants have become the ravings of senility. Other than possibly a twisted form of nostalgia for some she no longer has anything of substance to offer.
Maybe her next declaration will be that all Americans should “go home”.
Richard Blumenthal, the Attorney General of Connecticut and Democratic candidate for the Senate, apparently lied about his Marine Corps service, specifically, on more than one occassion he spoke about serving in Vietnam. A bald-faced lie. How could anyone mistake having served or not served in Vietnam? But wait, now he is apologizing. Does that mean it is alright? It’s not like he spilled a drink on someone by accident and then apologizes for that incident. Lying is a deliberate act, made by choice. In this case to prop up a phony facade of himself as the conquering war hero. It is disgusting and repugnant.
Is there not one honorable person in the state of Connecticut that the people can nominate that is not a liar? What does that say about the people of Connecticut? Must they elect a liar come hell or high water? At least Blumenthal is proving himself to be a liar before he reaches Washington.
I served with Marines that never saw one day of combat. I also served with Marines that during their careers came under brutal enemy fire during combat operations as well as those that were seriously wounded on the battlefield. The one common entity that connects these Marines is that those who never saw combat were no less honorable than those that did. Blumenthal would do well to learn the lessons of Marines regarding core values and integrity. It’s apparent that he does not recognize these terms.
Those of you that support or vote for him, shame on you. If you feel so strongly about electing a liar at least keep him contained in Connecticut and elect him to an office within the state so that he does not go to Washington and affect the rest of us in this country. There are enough phonies and liars in our nation’s capitol. In case you haven’t heard, no one likes a liar.
The rumblings of voter dissatisfaction started in New Jersey and Virginia, then moved to Massachusetts. But it was Tuesday night’s election results that ushered in further confirmation of a referendum by the people that indicated no longer is it going to be acceptable for elected officials to run roughshod over the constituents that elected them to office. We are watching, we are paying attention and we are putting politicians on notice. The message on election night was loud and clear – snub the people that put you in office and your political career will be short-lived. No longer can career politicians sit back fat, dumb, happy and comfortable making back-room deals and squandering the people’s money.
Notable election results included the ouster of Arlen Specter. There’s no doubt that at 80 years old it was time for this politically confused man to leave Washington and retire gracefully. Rand Paul won the Republican primary for senator in Kentucky, a so-called “Teaparty victory”. On the other end of the spectrum in Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln will face Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in a runoff on June 8th. It was thought that Lincoln is too conservative with Halter being a union favorite.
The great unknown is whether Barack Obama will be a help or hinderance to those candidates campaigning for this November’s elections. It’s probably a safe assumption that most Washington politicians still don’t get it. Between now and November incumbents should be uncomfortable, be very uncomfortable.
In a travesty of honor the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has announced that the 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship will be named after John Murtha, Congressman and former Marine who died February 2010. This is a ship that will be used to transport Marines for amphibious assault operations. The Secretary of the Navy has made an egregious error in judgement.
Murtha accused U.S. Marines of killing Iraqi civilians “in cold blood” in Haditha, Iraq. He claimed that the Marines had “overreacted because of the pressure on them and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” “There’s no question in my mind about what happened here,” declared Murtha. “There was no gunfire [from the Iraqis]. They [the American Marines] killed four people in a taxi and then in addition to that, they went into the rooms and killed them.” He further alleged that the U.S. military was trying to “cover up” what had occurred in Haditha.
“One woman, as I understand it, in talking to officials in the Marine Corps, was kneeling over a child pleading for mercy and they shot her in cold blood. That’s the thing that’s so disturbing. And even more disturbing is the fact that we know that the Iraqis knew about it because they made payments to the Iraqis for accidental deaths or salacious deaths whatever you want to call it. And in addition to that, they had … there has to have been a cover-up of this thing.”
~John Murtha’s unsubstantiated remarks to ABC
Murtha’s caustic and disdainful statements regarding the Haditha Marines is shameful. For this former Marine to make disparaging remarks toward Marines in combat is to discredit himself from any good he may have done in his life. It bears reminding that all of the accused Marines were exonerated except one. Murtha never apologized and appeared shameless to the day he died.
There are so many others that are actually deserving of having a United States Naval Ship bear their name. Here are the names of just a few that are shining examples of courage, valor and honor. Captain John McKenna, who received the Silver Star for coming to the aid of a fallen Marine in Fallujah only to be mortally wounded himself. Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, 19, and Cpl. Jonathan Yale, 21 were standing guard at an outpost in Ramadi when they fired on a truck with 2,000 pounds of exposives racing toward the compund, both were killed after the vehicle exploded. They were both awarded the Navy Cross. Sgt. Jeffrey Lynn Kirk was awarded the Silver Star for valor while clearing a house of insurgents in Fallujah and later succumbed to his wounds from that fight. These Marines were cut down in the prime of their lives. There are many more. They never castigated their brothers in arms. The naming of this ship after John Murtha is a direct insult to those that paid the ultimate price for upholding our freedom and liberty.
The airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that bears the Murtha name built with millions of dollars of taxpayer money should be more than enough of a monument to the amount of pork barrel spending he represented. No Navy ship should ever bear the name of this man. No sailor or Marine should have to serve aboard a ship that has the stern stained with Murtha’s name.
I’m not one to make a habit of speaking ill of the dead. I make an exception in the case of John Murtha. The only lasting object that should bear his name is the headstone where he lies buried.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a new immigration bill into law amidst protests and clashes at the state Capitol this past Friday. If nothing else Arizona has brought immediate and profound attention to the problem of illegal immigrants.
“We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act. But decades of inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation.”
~Governor Jan Brewer after signing the law
Some of those that vehemently oppose this legislation are Attorney General Terry Goddard, a Democrat who is running for governor, Rabbi Maynard Bell the Arizona office of the American Jewish Committee’s area director, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, American Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund a civil-rights group, and the police chiefs association. By the way, it is important to note that those opposed have offered up no valid solution to this overwhelming problem.
Let’s add Barack Obama to the list of those opposing this legislation. While quick to criticize he has done little to address the problem and done even less to stem the wave of illegal immigrants into the state of Arizona again offering up virtually no solutions. What part of illegal does the President not understand? Which law infraction do we turn a blind eye to next?
Is the point in Governor Brewer signing this bill into law to force the hand of the federal government to do something, anything in order to curb the influx of illegal immigrants pouring into this southwest corner of the United States and creating problems that are now out of control? Obama may not wake up in the state of Arizona every morning but he did receive a wake up call with the passing of this legislation. Maybe the President will choose to continue doing nothing about this problem in hopes that it will rally the hispanic vote in favor of the Democratic party while they demonize a Republican Governor’s decision. Is this the strategy and hope of the White House administration?
The push is on for Congressional leaders to take up immigration reform this year. After ramming through a contentious health care bill it’s going to be another hard sell to convince the American people a rushed immigration bill is in their best interest especially before the November elections.
Seems Florida Governor Charlie Crist is waiting in the wings to change course and become an Independent party candidate for U.S. Senator. Marco Rubio, Crist’s Republican opponent, has gained considerable momentum in the polls. Latest Rasmussen poll numbers indicate Florida voters would vote 37% for Rubio, 30% for Crist and 22% for current Democratic nominee Kendrick meek. There is some speculation that billionaire real estate developer and financier Jeff Greene will jump into the political fray and enter the Democratic Senate primary.
With falling poll numbers Crist is operating in desperation mode and contemplating pulling a Joe Lieberman changing his political party affiliation to Independent. It’s a page right out of the Lieberman playbook. He must be thinking it worked for Joe, why not me? Someone that resorts to this kind of political ploy is not going to Washington in the best interest of the people but in the best interest of their own personal agenda. When down in the polls change parties.
At least the Governor is showing his true colors now and not after he is possibly elected to the U.S. Senate. There is always the possibility he would have changed horses in mid-stream and pulled a Jim Jeffords, former Senator from Vermont that left the Republican party in 2001 and became an Independent. Worse yet, he could mimic Arlen Specter and change alliance to become a Democrat while in office.
“Washington is broken and Congress is already overflowing with politicians who need pollsters to tell them what to think. It certainly doesn’t need another one. Now more than ever America needs leaders with the strength of conviction. That is why I am proud to endorse Marco Rubio.”
“Marco is exactly the kind of a strong conservative leader we need in Washington right now. We can trust Marco to stand up to the Obama agenda that threatens our freedom, and promote clear conservative alternatives. Marco has proven we can trust him to stand strong in his principles regardless of poll numbers and protests.”
“Charlie Crist has shown time and again that he cannot be trusted in Washington to take on the Obama agenda because on issue after issue he actually supports that agenda. Lately it seems Charlie Crist cannot be trusted even to remain a Republican. I strongly urge him to either stay in the Republican Primary or drop out of the race. The only winners from an independent bid by Crist would be Barack Obama and Harry Reid.”
“I am proud to stand with Marco Rubio and I urge all Florida Republicans, regardless of who you have been supporting, to unite behind him.”
~Former Vice President Dick Cheney
Other prominent Republicans endorsing Marco Rubio:
Governors and Mayors
Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)
Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)
United States Senators
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
United States Representatives
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX)
Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL)
Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
Congressman & House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Congressman & House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN)
Congressman & Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA)
State Senators and State Representatives
House Speaker Larry Cretul
Former Florida Senate President Tom Lee (R-Brandon)
Former Florida Speaker of the House Pro Tem Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala)
State Senator Carey Baker (R-Eustis)
House Deputy Majority Leader Seth McKeel (R-Lakeland)
With this growing number of prominent Republicans endorsing Marco Rubio while at the same time distancing themselves from Charlie Crist it is time for the Governor to bow out gracefully for the good of the people.
