Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a chance for us to take a moment to thank those who have given their all to America. While today is a day we set aside for this purpose, everyday should be its own Memorial Day. While celebrities have their place, the real heroes are the men and women who do their jobs without the spotlight of the press and without the glory that money brings. So go out, enjoy the day, and remember to say “thank you” to those we truly deserve to hear it. God Bless the United States Military.

What a Year!

For Congress 2011 will most likely go down as one of their most partisan years. Some of the highlights(or lowlights) were the budget battle between Paul Ryan and the entire Democratic party, the Debt-Ceiling crisis, and the payroll tax credit fight. All of these were fiercely partisan and caused a great deal of angst between the two sides of the aisle, but the one thing that I am proud to see were that both sides of the elected aisle generally tried to retain a level of civility.

However, if we can safely say that the year was a partisan one in Congress, we can surely say that it was much worse for those outside Congress. Whether it was from the thousands of people who protested in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan over bills relating to unions; to the Occupy movement that has burst forth, this was a year of protests. Unfortunately, unlike the members of Congress, the protest movement was not quite as civil. Whether it was hundreds of protesters chasing Sen Glenn Grothman around the WI State Capitol, the very real death threats that were received, to the Occupy movement calling for shooting of cops; the protest movement had an aura of anger, hatred, and violence. I do not believe that every person that protested would praise violence against others, in fact I would believe that the majority of them would condemn those actions. But that doesn’t leave the fact that a substantial part of that movement is fueled by hatred.

In a year that saw the tragic shooting of Cong. Giffords, I was hoping for a better chance at civility amongst the two sides of the political spectrum only to be sorely disappointed. Instead of unity and working together to help further the American way of life I saw divisiveness.

Maybe next year….

Maybe in a year when the Conservative side of the politcal spectrum(myself included) is going to throw the kitchen sink to ensure that Barack Obama is a one term President, maybe then will we see a level of civility. Maybe in what will most likely be a nasty recall governors race in Wisconsin will we see both sides coming together. Maybe in a year when more money is going to be spent on negative campaign ads than ever before, maybe then will we see that unity that only once in my life have I seen among Americans. Only once did I look around and see that we truly were all united. Only after 9/11. Maybe in this year, 11 years later, will we see that spirit again. Maybe, just maybe….

I understand that the likelihood of this happening is next to none, but so is the likelihood that you will go to the gym more often than last year, or any other New Years Resolutions you might have. I know mine might be a bit abnormal(anyone that knows me will say that I am abnormal to match it), but I want us to be able to put our differences aside not just today but everyday. So I am going to do my part. Tonight and all year I am going to pray that Cong. Giffords continues to recuperate, I will pray for Rep. Grigsby(D-Milwaukee) will recover from cancer, I will pray for Sen Reids family as his wife battles with cancer, I will pray for President Obama and that he will lead with wisdom, and I will continue to pray for the people of America. Will you join me this year in a call for civility? Why not this year!

Tim Tebow and his ‘Oppressive’ Home Arena

There are a lot of reasons why some football fans don’t like Tim Tebow. If you are from the SEC you have a perfect reason to not like him. He spent 4 years of his life tearing apart your defense. If you are in the AFC West he is doing that to you now. If you are a fan of the classic quarterback then his throwing motion is simple enough reason to not like him. If you are a fan of the Brady Quinn or the other quarterbacks on the Broncos roster then the fact that he is starting and your player is not is a reason.

But there is a sect of people that attack him for a completely other reason. They  attack him for his faith. They don’t like the fact that he is quite open about his faith and will take every chance to talk about his love of Christ. They attack him for kneeling down and praying during a football game. And now they are attacking him for not being a man slut. In the opinion of the people that are attacking him, the fact that he is a virgin is evidence enough that he is gay. But the sickening part is that it is not just anyone doing the attacking. It is the Executive Director of the gay-rights advocacy group “Catholics for Equality”. His name is Phil Attey, and he is a raging liberal.

Today on his Facebook he posted a link to a radio show host talking about why he believes Tim Tebow is hated. Phil posted this with the following comment: “WE DON’T HATE TIM TEBOW … WE PRAY FOR HIM! Too many good kids, who are gay, grow up in devoutly religious families, and “saving yourself for marriage” or “wanting to become a priest or nun” is an easy way to avoid coming out. But it’s a sad, frustrating and unnatural life, that often leads to your sexuality manifesting itself in harmful and dangerous ways. Tim, and all gay kids who grow up in oppressive arenas, need not only our prayers, but our support. I’M PROUD TO LOVE TIM TEBOW!”

I immediately took a great deal of offense to this statement, and posted this statement on my own Facebook: “I find it reprehensible that there are many people that think that just because Tim Tebow has chosen to save himself till marriage that he is a homosexual.” And from there it was on. But let me just pose these questions: since when is not having sex a sign that you are gay? I know thousands of people that have waited till marriage to have sex. I have also met hundreds that have chosen to wait till marriage to even kiss. So is this a sign that they are all gay? Phil went on to say that it is a clear sign that since Tim Tebow was afforded the opportunity to have sex with nearly any girl at the University of Florida but he refused to do so. So since Tim Tebow has the will power and self control he is gay?
Another area I took great offense to was when he claimed that “Tim, and all gay kids who grow up in oppressive arenas, need not only our prayers, but our support.” OPPRESSIVE??? It is called a church! It is called a Christian home, with loving parents and a Godly example. I am proud to have grown up in a home where my entire family went to church multiple times a week, in fact most of my teen years where spent at my church doing odd jobs and hanging out with my church friends. Does this mean that I grew up in an oppressive home? Who gives these people the gall to claim that anyone that lives in a manner that they disagree with was raised in an oppressive home? The utter lack of civility and the utter lack of respect is absolutely disgusting.

But lets just say that Tim Tebow is gay and is in the closet. Who Cares! Who gave Catholics for Equality the job to get him out of the closet? Who made them the ruler supreme of the Homosexual closet? Who gave them the duty to classify whether someone was raised in an oppressive home? The liberals love to lecture my side of the aisle on individual freedom and choice. How about they take heed of their own rants.

Why Newt?

Over the last couple of weeks, Newt Gingrich has surged to the top of the polls in nearly every state. So even for the most adamant of the Anti-Newt sector of the Republican Party we must ask ourselves ‘Why Newt?’. I have three reasons as to why all of us should listen to Newt Gingrich.

Newt will eventually say something we like.

• Newt has for many years claimed to be a member of the Rockefeller sect of the GOP. This is how he broke into the GOP and came to power. This was during the Nixon/Ford years of the GOP. Then Gingrich became a member of the Reagan sect of the GOP during the popular years of the 80′s-90′s. Then he became apart of the Teddy Roosevelt part of the GOP during the GWB Presidency. NOW he claims to be a Reagan Republican AND a Teddy Roosevelt sects of the GOP. This simply depends on where the he is talking. So whether you are with the Reagan part or the Teddy part he is part of you.
• Newt believes in the Al Gore philosophy of climate change. That is unless you want him to believe in NO climate change. Then he will say he never believed in Cap and Trade unless you wanted him to back in 2009.
• Newt LOVES a Federally Sanctioned Individual Mandate(1993, 2003, 2007,2008,2011). Unless he is trying to get your vote and you don’t like it, so he is against it(2011).

Newt will use  demagoguery just like the liberals do. NO really I mean EXACTLY like the liberals.

• On Paul Ryan- “I don’t think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering…I’m against Obamacare, which is imposing radical change, and I would be against a conservative imposing radical change.”
• Or how about on Mitt Romney’s career- ”I would just say that if Gov. Romney would like to give back all of the money he’s earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain, that I would be glad to listen to him.  I’ll bet you $10, not $10,000, that he won’t take the offer”(These are THE SAME arguments that Debbie Downer and the other idiots at the DNC use to attack Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney.)

Newt will be faithful

• Well maybe to himself
• Definitely not to his wife(as seen by his multiple marriages)
• Definitely not to his God(as seen by his multiple conversions)
• Definitely not to his beliefs(as seen by his constant flip-flops)
• BUT never fear. As a ‘historian’ he will be faithful to the other ‘K Streeters’ to get them access as the utmost DC ‘Insider’ out there.

If you want the epitome of the Washington Insider and MORE of the same that we have been getting then go with Newt. Newt will be brought to you by ‘whatever winds are blowing’ and will make you feel good about your vote. That is…until tomorrow.

What If Newt Won

25 days till Caucus Day and the leader to bethe GOP Nominee for President of the United States is…Newt?! While I still don’t think that it will happen, let me share to you what I think is the biggest ramification if we nominate an idiot like Newt.

Must Win States For Presidency 2012(Gingrich Differential than Romney verse Obama)

• Arizona(-7)
• Colorado(-6)
• Florida(-5)
• Iowa(-3)
• Michigan(-10)
• Nevada(NA)
• New Hampshire(-15)
• North Carolina(-4)
• Ohio(+/- 0)
• Pennsylvania(-5)
• Virginia(NA)
• Wisconsin(NA)

So what am I saying here? It is quite simple. If we nominate Newt Gingrich our chances of winning back the White House decrease drastically. In fact using the state by state polls in the electoral college system Newt loses by 216 electoral college votes. Whereas Mitt Romney is leading Obama by 14 electoral college votes.

So as you consider who to vote for in 2012, remember this: “Are my friends that are more moderate than me willing to vote for him over Obama?” If it is Newt, the answer is probably not. But if it is Mitt, they just might.

Newt Who?

The GOP Presidential Primary has spent the last year attempting to find the ‘perfect candidate’ and the ‘Conservative alternative’ to Mitt Romney. So far the GOP ferris wheel has rested on Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and now Newt Gingrich. Now most people don’t know who Newt Gingrich is. Newt is a Washington outsider, he is the conservatives conservative, the antithesis of all things Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. He is one of a kind. Right? That’s what he would have us believe, he wants to make it look like he the champion of Conservative causes but is he really? Lets see:

Newt on Global Warming:

• “I think is that the evidence is sufficient that we should move towards the most effective possible steps to reduce carbon-loading of the atmosphere.” — Newt Gingrich - April 10, 2007
• And who can forget his lovely ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi6n_-wB154

Or

• “I actually don’t think global warming is occurring.” — Newt Gingrich - November 8, 2011

Newt on healthcare:

• “Personal responsibility extends to the purchase of health insurance. Citizens should not be able to cheat their neighbors by not buying insurance, particularly when they can afford it, and expect others to pay for their care when they need it.” — Newt Gingrich - June 2007

Or

• “I am against any effort to impose  federally mandated ( health insurance ) on anyone because it is fundamentally wrong and I believe unconstitutional.” — Newt Gingrich - May 16, 2011

Newt on cap and trade:

• “I think if you have mandatory carbon caps combined with a trading system, much like we did with sulfur, and if you have a tax-incentive program for investing in the solutions, that there’s a package there that’s very, very good. And frankly, it’s something I would strongly support.” — Newt Gingrich - February 2, 2007

Or

• “A carbon cap and trade system … would lead to corruption, political favoritism, and would have a huge impact on the economy.” — Newt Gingrich - April 21, 2008

Newt on Libya:

• “Exercise a no-fly zone this evening … Provide help to the rebels to replace [Qaddafi] … All we have to say is that we think that slaughtering your own citizens is unacceptable and that we’re intervening. And we don’t have to send troops. All we have to do is suppress his air force, which we could do in minutes.” — Newt Gingrich -March 7, 2011

Or

• “I would not have intervened. I think there were a lot of other ways to effect Qaddafi … I would not have used American and European forces.” — Newt Gingrich -March 23, 2011

Newt on prosecuting terrorists in criminal courts:

• “Well, I think if [members of the Bush administration] believe they have enough evidence to convict [Jose Padilla], going through the process of convicting him and holding him, I suspect, may be for the rest of his life without parole would not be — would hardly be seen as a loss. I think this administration is still wrestling with what are the real ground rules for dealing with people who are clearly outside of normal warfare? They’re not wearing a uniform. They’re not part of an army. They are openly threatening to kill thousands or even millions of people.” — Newt Gingrich – November 22, 2005

Or

• “Why would you take a Nigerian national who just tried to blow up a plane over Detroit … Why would you take that person, put them in the American criminal justice system, give them an attorney, read them their Miranda rights?” — Newt Gingrich - January 4, 2010

Newt on Immigration: I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter of a century, And I’m prepared to take the heat for saying let’s be humane in forcing the law without giving them citizenship, but by finding a way to create legality so they are not separated by their families.–Newt Gingrich- November 22, 2011

So you think that Newt can go up against Barack Obama? Here is what Barney Frank said during his press conference to announce that he was retiring from Congress about Newt, “I did not think I lived a good enough life to see Newt Gingrich as the Republican nominee. He would be the best thing to happen to Democrats since Barry Goldwater … It’s still unlikely, but I have hopes.”– Barney Frank- November 28,2011

AEI/Heritage CNN Debate

Last night was the 11th debate of the 2012 GOP primary. Like many of the other debates, this one showed that all of the candidates are better than Obama. Unlike, the other debates, this one had glaring story lines and left me with a very clear opinion of the field.

1. Herman Cain is done: the man has made an utter fool of himself when it comes to foreign policy and last night was no exception. He has no answer and no plan, but he does have a best selling book now(it’s why he ran isn’t it?). Grade last night: F
2. Ron Paul is just what I have always said he is: CRAZY! He wants Iran to get nuclear weapons, blames the US for 9/11, and now he says he wouldn’t help Israel in a war with Iran. NUTS please don’t elect him. He is not a Republican, he is a Libertarian. Grade last night: D-
3. Rick Santorum is proud to be a Washington DC insider. He is constantly talking about what he did during his time in DC. He was ok to strong last night, but he lost every moderate vote when it comes to his response on Racial Profiling. Grade last night: D+
4. Newt Gingrich likes amnesty, for those people that have been here a while at least. It is obvious that Newt thinks he is the smartest person in the room, he acts like a professor every time that he is talking at a debate but last night some of the other candidates stole his thunder and redirected it at him. His response saying he is taking a ‘humane’ stance on illegal immigration immediately had me telling the person next to me that it sounded like Perry’s ‘heartless’ comment. Grade last night: C+
5. Jon Huntsman breaks into my top 4, not only in last nights debate, but overall. I personally disagree with his Obama-lite stance on Afghanistan, but he has reasons for it and is still calling for about 10,000 troops to remain. If he can find a way to connect to the people of New Hampshire he might have a shot at being the Mitt alternative. Grade last night: B
6.  Rick Perry had a good night. He didn’t have any gaffes, and he looked pretty forceful. Some of his responses, however, seemed forced and simple, but he definitely is a foreign policy hawk. Grade last night: B+ 
7. Michele Bachmann wants to be Mitt Romney’s VP pick. She knows her stuff on foreign policy. That much was shown, as she was willing to school the other candidates on what US AID actually does. She definitely had the best night of her campaign, but it will take much more to save her campaign. Grade last night: A
8. Mitt Romney is in general election mode. While receiving the least amount of time from the CNN debate crew, Mitt Romney took every opportunity to bring the responses back to Obama’s failed leadership. Mitt Romney clearly understands foreign policy, and he is definitely a conservative hawk on the subject. On top of that, Mitt took no hits from the other candidates, and left like he went in, the leader. Grade last night: A

Stand With Walker!

Tuesday, November 15th is almost upon us! For people in many states that means rifle season for deer. For the people of Wisconsin, this means another round of recalls. That’s right, it was just 3 months ago that the Unions spent $30 million and took home a 33% success rate. Now they want to spend much more and go after the big fish: Gov Scott Walker. Not very many people are unaware what has been happening in Wisconsin, but for a brief recap here it goes:

• Feb 11- Scott Walker presents AB act 10
• Feb 14- Students are told by their TA’s to go protest the bill
• Feb 15- Thousands of crying teachers skip work and come protest
• Feb 16- The first of thousands of out of state unions come protest
• Feb 17- Wisconsin Senate Dems go on vacation to Rockford IL
• Feb 18- Mar 9- The Union thugs occupy the Capitol and Capitol square causing hundreds of thousands in damage along with hundreds of death threats
• Late June- AB 10 goes into effect
• Early July- New Budget goes into affect
• Today-REFORMS ARE WORKING!

So what do the union thugs(Democratic Party of Wisconsin) think that they will accomplish with the recall effort? Well they think they can win, but no one else does. Even PPP which is a Democratic polling firm has stated that it will be VERY hard to defeat Walker. BUT that doesn’t mean they won’t try. The unions have near unlimited funds, they are looking at spending upwards of $50-$70 million on this recall effort. We need to fight back. Wisconsin today is Open for Business, and the reforms that have been put in place are working remarkably well. But if the thugs get their way then those reforms will be all for naught. I am proud to call Gov Scott Walker my friend and one of my heroes, and I am proud to support him in this recall effort.

I Stand With Walker! Do You?

Show you’re support by telling all of your Facebook friends and twitter followers to ‘Stand with Walker’. He is gonna need all of our help, he is gonna need our time contacting Wisconsin voters, he is gonna need our prayers, and yes he is gonna need our financial help. Give what you can. This would not just be a Wisconsin tragedy if he were to be defeated, this would be a National tragedy.

Happy Birthday Marines!

Dema, Montezuma, Tripoli, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Chosin Reservoir, Dai Do, Panama, and Fallujah. Charles Brown, John Coleman, James Dougherty, Michael McNamara, Michael Owens, John A Lejeune, Chesty Puller, Carlos Hathcock, John Basilone, Jason Dunham, and Dakota Meyer. To most people the 2 lists that I just typed mean nothing. To me they mean everything. The first list is a list of the most important battles in American history. The second are American heroes. No they aren’t movie stars, they aren’t athletes, and no they aren’t politicians. They are Marines. Many of them gave their last full measure of devotion in defense of this Country. All of them deserve remembrance. Jason Dunham died in 2004, yet the vast majority of American’s have never heard of him. John Basilone has a life story that should be inspiring millions. Chesty Puller is revered to this day among Marines. They deserve our gratitude, they deserve our praise. They deserve our prayers. These men put their lives on the line. Not for glory, but for honor. They didn’t back down from a fight, not for the lack of fear, but for courage. They didn’t keep fighting till there was only victory not for pride, but for commitment. So tonight as you get ready to go to sleep, send a quick thanks to these heroes, tell others their story, and live a life that can be called ‘Always Faithful’.

 

Honor- Honor requires each Marine to exemplify the ultimate standard in ethical and moral conduct.  Honor is many things; honor requires many things.  A U.S. Marine must never lie, never cheat, never steal, but that is not enough.  Much more is required.  Each Marine must cling to an uncompromising code of personal integrity, accountable for his actions and holding others accountable for theirs.  And, above all, honor mandates that a Marine never sully the reputation of his Corps.

Courage- Simply stated, courage is honor in action — and more.  Courage is moral strength, the will to heed the inner voice of conscience, the will to do what is right regardless of the conduct of others.  It is mental discipline, an adherence to a higher standard.  Courage means willingness to take a stand for what is right in spite of adverse consequences.  This courage, throughout the history of the Corps, has sustained Marines during the chaos, perils, and hardships of combat.  And each day, it enables each Marine to look in the mirror — and smile.

Commitment- Total dedication to Corps and Country.  Gung-ho Marine teamwork.  All for one, one for all.  By whatever name or cliche, commitment is a combination of (1) selfless determination and (2) a relentless dedication to excellence.  Marines never give up, never give in, never willingly accept second best.  Excellence is always the goal.  And, when their active duty days are over, Marines remain reserve Marines, retired Marines, or Marine veterans.  There is no such thing as an ex-Marine or former-Marine.  Once a Marine, always a Marine.  Commitment never dies.

 

CNBC Debate: Winners and Losers

Tonight’s GOP debate on CNBC was the first debate in a long time when the candidates didn’t really attack each other. Normally that would lead this to be a tough debate to grade, but, as Politico said this morning, this is the start of the elimination round. So with that being said this one was relatively easy to grade. So without further ado here are the winners and losers, and what that means for each candidate.

Winners

Mitt Romney- Mitt Romney showed tonight that he was sticking to his guns on his plan. He reiterated his stance on the auto-bailouts, he took China to task, and on every chance he took aim at Obama. He showed true class in his response to the ‘gotchya’ question about the Cain allegations. Throughout the debate he showed that he is not running against the other GOPers, he is running against Obama. He showed leadership, and in doing so he once again showed why he is the frontrunner. I think that this will help some people who were on the fence about him to get off of it.

Newt Gingrich- Every debate shows just how smart Newt is! He excels in the debates, and he is an encyclopedia of information. This is why he wants to challenge Obama to a lot of debates. Newt should get a boost in the polls, but he needs to get that boost in Iowa. He is clearly going to take supporters from the Perry, Bachmann, and Cain campaigns. But is it enough to win? Can he get over his bashing of the Paul Ryan budget? Can he get out of Campaign debt?

Ron Paul- Ron Paul was in his element, he lives to debate fiscal policy. He might see a small bump in the polls, but I think that he is going to stay about where he is in the race and monetarily.

Status Quo

Herman Cain- (Pro’s)He did a good job in the debate, and looked good at answering the question about the allegations. He was enthusiastic with his responses, and he had one of the lines of the night in “Princess Nancy”. (Con’s) He walked back from the “Princess Nancy” line after the debate! Don’t do that! Stick to your guns and use that line to fundraise! I seriously think that Herman Cain believes that 999 will solve every problem in the US. It would not surprise me if he uses 999 during the foreign policy debates. Dear Mr. Cain, 999 is not the savior of the country!

Jon Huntsman- WHO?! Once again he looked like a Democrat onstage, he talked for way over the time limit, and the country still doesn’t know his name. Time to save your personal money and drop out of the race.

Losers

Michele Bachmann- She needed the debate of a lifetime, but she was irrelevant throughout the debate. Her 15 minutes of Presidential fame are over, now it is time for her to go run for her Congressional seat.

Rich Santorum- Like Bachmann he needed the best debate ever. Instead he reminded us that he was part of the Washington culture that got us into this mess, and that he lost in 2006 by 16 points! Mr. Santorum would make a great leader of a Socially-Conservative minded thinktank. But he will never be the President, and should save his family the money and head ache.

BIGGEST LOSER OF ALL TIME!

Rick Perry- Yesterday I tweeted that Rick Perry seemed very Presidential in his interview with ABC NEWS/Yahoo NEWS. Today he effectively ended his campaign. It was so bad that one of his top fundraises said “Rick Perry’s campaign is over, time to go back and lead Texas”. He will go down as one of the worst debaters in Presidential politics history. Rick Perry is a great man, but he ruined his only shot at being the GOP nominee this cycle.

With all this said I will say this: Tonight showed that in regards to the economy there is NO debate. Any of these candidates are MUCH better than Barack Obama!