Day 4 Baltimore Protests

Watching the Five at Five on FoxNews and I have to say I am really impressed with the coverage.  Geraldo Rivera, who btw,  is not one of my favorite reporters, is chatting with the peaceful protesters and asking why and what they are protesting. Direct questions, put directly to those actually marching and not filtered by politics, the Mayor, the police or anyone else.

These PEACEFUL protesters are doing things the right way and everyone should pay attention and listen to what they have to say. They have a meaningful message that all of us should listen to, whether we agree or not.

Kudos to Fox and their great coverage.

Riots in Baltimore

When the Mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued the following statement and then rebutted the statement with another, I was astounded by the absurdity of it all. Here's what she first said:

“I made it very clear that I work with the police and instructed them to do everything that they could to make sure that the protesters were able to exercise their right to free speech,” she said to the press.

“It’s a very delicate balancing act, because while we try to make sure that they were protected from the cars and other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well,” the mayor said.

Here's the rebuttal:

"I did not instruct police to give space to protesters who were seeking to create violence or destruction of property," she wrote. "Taken in context, I explained that, in giving peaceful demonstrators room to share their message, unfortunately, those who were seeking to incite violence also had space to operate."

She did too 'instruct police to give space to protesters who were seeking to create violence or destruction of property'. If she hadn't, then WHO else had the authority to do so?

Never in my life would I think a Police Commissioner would tell his officers to stand down during riots and let the violence play out,  the looters loot and make no move to stop or prevent such actions. The Mayor can try and back pedal all she wants to not take blame for the violence allowed in her city, but her words and actions are all on video and in print. Inescapable evidence.

Why she decided to not let the police take action against the violence is open for discussion. She is either extremely naïve, not the brightest bulb in the pack or is completely mired in political correctness to have let what happen, happen. Since she took so long to make any kind of public statement about what was happening in her city and what, if anything, she planned on doing about it, she might have been awaiting instruction from the Obama people before doing so. I would not be one bit surprised if this was the case.

Speaking of Obama. He is now blaming the republicans for the mess in Baltimore.  Baltimore's been run by democrats since the late 1960s! It never ceases to amaze me how easily the POTUS lies and what's even more amazing, is how much of the American public believe those lies and how easily the republicans comply with those lies and rarely speak out against them.

Meanwhile, the crisis continues in Iran, the Supreme Court is voting on gay marriage, the Clinton Cash saga continues, the border is a mess, the economy is in trouble and Obama continues to fiddle while America burns. Or maybe all that is happening is exactly what he wants to happen...

Maine Update ... No more income tax and more!

Here's a link to an informative website titled News and Notes put together by Maine GOP Political Director, Joe Turcotte. It posts updates about what's happening in the Maine legislature, along with links to news articles, etc. Easy and quick to navigate and a fast way to find out what's happening politically within the state. 

http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/1731115/259ed248a0/ARCHIVE#like

Note that the lead news item is about eliminating Maine's state income tax. Gotta love it!

House of Cards and the Clinton's

As the story unfolds and more and more details reveal themselves in regard to the book written by Peter Schweizer titled 'Clinton Cash',  I am convinced that the House of Cards series can't compare to the drama created by the Clinton's. Or maybe it's a thinly disguised series about them. Food for thought.

For those not familiar with the Netflix series, the basic story line was taken from Michael Dobbs' book 'House of Cards' which in turn,  evolved into a series by the BBC and then into the series we have now in the U.S. 'House of Cards' tells the story of the rise of Frances Underwood and his wife, Claire in the world of politics and how they'll stop at nothing to gain power and eventually take over the White House.  Corruption, murder and tactics as Machiavellian as they could get rule the day.

Having read Michael Dobb's book years ago and viewing all 3 seasons of House of Cards and contrasting the drama created by Frank and Claire as compared to the Clintons' behavior,  I feel the Netflix series is not that far fetched. While watching various episodes I'd think 'Wow, could or does this really happen in current day politics?' Then I'd think 'Nah, couldn't be this crazy!'. Now I think, 'Yep, House of Cards has NOTHING on the Clintons'.

And how sad it's come to this?  Or has the upper echelons of power always been this cunning, relentless and corrupt but now we have 24/7 media to expose and report it?

Whatever the case, no matter how hard the Clinton's try to squash the book and/or it's allegations, it'll be the end of Hilary. She's toast, though no doubt she won't go down easily. And the Clintons can't blame it on the Republicans either since the liberal media ie NYT's, WAPO are jumping all over the story. They will be the ones to take her down, along with the public. Republicans don't have to do a thing.

This leads me to believe that the Dems and Main Stream Media really never wanted Hilary to be the nominee in the first place. They know she'd lose and would prefer someone else. Possibly Martin O'Malley, former governor of MD and Elizabeth Warren of MA (the fake indian) as his running mate. Sound crazy? I don't think so.

Whatever the case, the plot keeps thickening and it just keeps getting more and more intriguing. Who needs House of Cards when we have Washington D.C. and it's power brokers spinning real life yarns rivaling those of the Netflix series? Stay tuned!

Corker-Cardin Bill and Negotiations with Iran

Here's a link to an excellent editorial written by Bill Krystal of the Weekly Standard in regards to the Corker-Cardin Bill and some changes/amendments that could be very effective IF added. This was brought to my attention as a tweet by Steve Hayes. Excellent message!

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/dark-gulf_928492.html?page=1

2015 NH GOP Summit



We arrived just in time Friday at the Crown Plaza in Nashua, NH to see and hear Jeb Bush speak. He was folksy, down to earth and relaxed. Afterward was a cocktail party and then it was dinner with Marco Rubio, Senator from Florida.

After dinner everyone shuffled over to a local Grill to schmooze with whomever showed up. Rubio worked the room shaking hands and chatting.  Scott Brown, former Senator of MA, John Bolton former UN Embassador, Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard and others were also there.

Saturday's schedule was chock full of big names such as Senator Rand Paul of KY, Senator Kelly Ayotte of NH, Former CEO of Hewlitt-Packard Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump - no title needed!, Governor Bobby Jindal of LA, Senator Lindsay Graham of SC, Governor John Kashich of Ohio, former Governor Mike Huckabee of AK and Senator Ted Cruz of TX.

In addition to the above, were Joe Scarborough of MSNBC leading a panel of political pundits which included Steve Hayes of Fox News, Alex Skatell,  political advisor to governors, senators and congressmen and  Drew Cline, Editorial page Editor of NH's Union Leader.

Saturday night's cocktail party and dinner included Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Sununu, former Governor and Senator of NH.

Now that I've done some major name dropping, I'd like to put my two cents in with impressions of the entire event.

It was mind blowing to put it honestly. So many intelligent, accomplished and passionate political and media figures all in one place over a two day period with easy accessibility. What more could a political junkie, former small town GOP Committee Member and former Maine State Delegate could want? I was in the midst of some of the best and the brightest. It just didn't get any better.

Consequently, my expectations were sky high and I was not disappointed. Each and every possible  presidential candidate had something of value to say. Yet they all pretty much said the same things. And what words of inspiration or wisdom did they provide for the captive audience of over 400?

We have to take back our country from the ruins of the Obama Administration. We need to beat Hilary. Have a tougher stance with Iran and the whole Middle East mess. Be more of a friend to Israel.  Work on turning the country around economically, deal with the troubled immigration situation and abolish ObamaCare. The list goes on and on.  And though there were some differences of opinion in a few areas, all candidates spoke passionately about their love of America and how fearful they are of what's happened over the last 6 years or so. No one could disagree that we're heading down a bad path. Least of all the pumped up attendees.

So which candidate stood out? Hard to say. Each had their pros and cons. But my favorites, as of now are Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and John Kasich and also a dark horse candidate that I don't know much about, Carly Fiorina.

Carly Fiorina was an extremely effective and articulate speaker and it would be a great opportunity to have a woman run on the GOP side to challenge a possible Hilary nomination. Not to mention her real world experience running Hewlitt-Packard, a global high tech company. She doesn't have much of a  political background some might argue, but no doubt she's got potential. If she can navigate the shark invested waters of the corporate world to move up from secretary to CEO, I'm sure she'll have no problem swimming similar waters in the political world.

Marco Rubio has charisma, sincerity and a great family story. He's articulate and knows how to givean inspirational speech. He was the former Speaker of the Florida House and is currently on the Foreign Relations, Commerce and Intelligence committees. All pretty impressive. And he's got the youth/JFK vitality thing happening. Very appealing regardless of how some may say he's too young and inexperienced. The Dems certainly wouldn't be able to complain without looking like hypocrits  considering who is currently in the Oval Office. Bottom line is that I think he's got a strong chance of leading the pack.

Ted Cruz seems to have the courage of his convictions and has proven he doesn't back down when the going gets tough. He's a fighter. I like that. That he graduated from Princeton, Cum Laude and Harvard Law, Magna Cum Laude is no small accomplishment. The man is smart. No doubt about it. I think he would do extremely well during debates. Could easily outsmart and out talk any Democratic candidate without breaking a sweat.

John Kasich has great, long term records while in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Governor . He also worked in the private sector in the investment field as well as television. Great combination. How many candidates have that kind of combined experience? I particularly liked how he acknowledged that there's a severe problem with drug use and mental illness in our country that isn't being addressed of which he's doing so in Ohio.  He's also turned the state around fiscally. He may not have the charisma and youth of Rubio or the fire of Cruz, but he makes up for that with an incredible record of getting things done regardless of obstacles.

This is not to say the other candidates didn't have much to offer. They do. But these are the ones who really impressed me.

The only candidate that somewhat disappointed was Scott Walker. Many a conservative pundit and talk show host has raved about him, but I'm not getting it. Yes, he has a tremendous record of accomplishment in Wisconsin but he lacks that certain something of which I cannot put my finger on. Who knows, I may completely change my mind down the road. Only time will tell.

In conclusion,  it's still early and with all the mud slinging to come, the debates and unforeseen circumstances that can topple a candidate in a heartbeat, it's impossible to forecast which 2 or 3 the race will come down to. But I'm looking forward to it all.



Marco Rubio announces

As I sat down in front of the tv to watch Marco Rubio announce his run for the presidency, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've watched him speak before and found I liked him very much. But this time was different. I was completely blown away.

Why?  What was so over the top and different about this one? And why was his speech much more moving than either Rand's or Cruz's, both of which were well done?

I really don't know. I can't point a finger to one particular aspect. I just know I was spellbound. And I think once the general public hears him speak, they'll feel the same and his numbers will rise.

However, it's still early in the game and there are many more candidates yet to announce on the republican side. Then there's the debates and of course all the dirt digging that'll take place that could take out a candidate in a day, ruin their reputation and bingo, they're toast.

Whether Rubio will be able to sustain and hold up under the constant scrutiny and pressure of running for president, only time will tell. But he gives a darn good speech.

Presidential Candidate Announcements

Well, it's official. Hilary's running for president. I just watched the video of her announcement. Very slick. Very short. And not a whole lot of Hilary. I've heard somewhere that the less she appears in public, the more people like her. I guess she's heard that too or so have her marketing agents.

Here's the link. Lasts about 2 minutes.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uY7gLZDmn4

Rand Paul announced last week and since I've only heard bits and pieces, I don't feel I can comment one way or the other.

Ted Cruise's announcement, the first one,  was inspirational though a bit heavy on the religious aspect.

Marco Rubio's up next. Stay tuned!

Obama's Speech at Summit of the America's

Just finished watching and listening to Obama's speech at the Summit of the America's. The focus was supposed to be on Cuba and our new relationship with the country.

However, a huge chunk of time was spent on the nuclear talks with Iran as several journalists asked about it.  And wow, to put it mildly, he was incredibly defensive. He went on and on defending his stance. You could see the anger in his eyes while speaking on the topic. No doubt Mr. Obama feels attacked, cornered and angry by Netanyahu and congress for questioning his authority and ability to come up with a deal that is beneficial to us as well as our allies. Add to this, Iran slinging mud and questioning Obama and what a mess.

The POTUS was also asked about Hilary Clinton's intentions to announce a run for the presidency tomorrow.  Mr. Obama praised her from here to high heaven and went on to say what a great SOS she's been and on and on. Really ???

Makes me wonder if it was really supposed to be about Cuba since so much time was spent on other topics such as Iran and Hilary. Very, very interesting.

Obama and important decisions

I'm back! It's been awhile,  but with so much happening I feel the need to start putting my two cents in about the Middle East, the presidential races, what's happening culturally in the U.S. and of course a rant or two about our current Commander in Chief.

I'll start with a rant about our dearly beloved president. On a regular basis,  he crosses lines, violates our constitution and tells untruths as the media likes to put it versus saying he out and out lies. He makes unilateral decisions via Executive Orders without consulting congress.

And Obama spins. His minions spin. And a majority of the media also helps him spin to his advantage. Or they simply omit reporting what they think might shine a negative light on him. Every politician to a certain extent spins, tells untruths, misspeaks and/or obfuscates for marketing purposes. I know, marketing purposes doesn't sound right, but that's what it's all about. Marketing their ideas, bills or decisions to a public in order to sell their product.  So they spin, polish and put a good face on things.  It's politics. I understand that.

But what has happened to the Media acting as the Fourth Estate? Where are the tough questions? Where's the fact checking?  But I digress. That's definitely a topic for another post.

Back to the rant about Mr. Obama. Our president is the leader of the free world. He's supposed to protect us, do what's right and in America's best interest. Truth be told,  I do not see him doing that. 

In regards to the Middle East and elsewhere, he seems to be aligning himself with the bullies of the world and/or not standing up to them at all. He's making, what appears to be,  weak deals with the Iranians, letting Russia's Putin quietly grasp more and more power and territory and doing almost nothing to really help Israel, our strongest and best ally in the ME during this time of crisis. Nor does he seem to be helping to fight the good fight,  in general against the terrorist groups.  Is he really that naïve to think appeasement is the way to go? We all know that you either stand up to bullies or you'll be dominated by them.  So why is he not standing up to them and giving away the store so to speak?Surely he is surrounded by experienced political and military advisors who offer sage advice. Or does he possibly have another agenda that we aren't aware of? Wish I had some answers.

I'm glad John Boehner and his gang are questioning Obama and insisting on a say with the current situation. I'm also extremely impressed with Netanyahu for coming to this country, talking to the House and the American public to give us a head's up as to what's really happening. We, the American people need to hear his voice and listen to what he says. He's in the thick of it. Surrounded by countries and leaders who would like nothing more than to wipe Israel off the face of the earth as well as the U.S. But Israel stands strong and doesn't back down like our POTUS . . . It's hard to say this, but I believe more what Netanyahu has to say in regards to the ME and negotiations, than our own president. Very sad.