The Future Of Fox News

Here's a link to an interesting article by The Hill about the possible future of Fox News now that Roger Ailes is out of the picture:

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/289757-fox-seeks-to-extend-cable-news-domination-in-post-ailes-era

Maine Welfare Reform: It's About Time

"Under the new law that takes effect today, recipients may no longer use your tax dollars on items such as alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets, among other things. Penalties for violators will result in a three-month disqualification of benefits for the first offence, a 12-month disqualification for the second offense and a 24-month disqualification for the third offense.:"

http://www.themainewire.com/2016/07/welfare-reform-maine-continues-law-effect-today/

Last Night OF The DNC: Chelsea & Hillary Take The Stage

Finally .... the last night of the DNC. The crowds were pumped and ready to cheer; popular tunes were playing, Hillary signs were waving and eventually, after a long night of listening to way too many speeches espousing the same campaign slogans & themes over and over again, the delegates were able to watch and listen to what their nominee Hillary Clinton, would have to say.

But not before listening to the Rev. William Barber, NC NAACOP who spoke about the power of love; Kareem Absul Jabar/Michael Jordan, retired professional basketball player; CA Rep, Ted Leu, the first and only Asian American I've seen speaking at either convention; Four Star General John Allen, who reminded me of actor George C. Scott playing Patton in a Hollywood movie; Captain Groberg, US Army war veteran; Actress Chloe Grace Movetz and parents of fallen police officers to name a few.

At last, Chelsea Clinton took the stage and introduced her mother, Hillary Clinton, candidate for POTUS while also giving a brief speech where she talked about her two young children, how wonderful a grandmother Hillary is and her fond memories of her mother as a child herself.

After citing the above, Chelsea went on to extol Hillary's accomplishments as an advocate for children, as a former NY Senator and also as former Secretary of State. We heard what a fighter she has been during her vast public career and how she is someone who never gives up.

Hillary then rose to the podium and began her speech by thanking Biden, the Obama's and Tim Kane and how Kane will make them proud.

Then she went on to speak directly to Bernie Sanders and said how 'how he inspired all of us'. That 'Your cause is our cause'. And last that 'the country needs your ideas'.

Worthy of note was the look on Bernie's face when the camera's focused on him while Hillary spoke ... He did NOT look like a happy camper. And who could blame him after what the leaks discovered about the push to take him down? Though for one brief shining moment Bernie somewhat cracked a smile. However, it looked forced. Guess he thought the camera's might focus on him and he should at least try and look a little grateful that the queen thought to acknowledge and praise him somewhat.

One of the many themes that was laced throughout the last night of the convention was how Donald Trump is not fit to become the next president of the United States. She cited his unfair business practices,  bankruptcies,  poor temperament,  statements made about what a mess our armed forces are in, how he's in the pockets of the gun lobby and last but not least, she mentioned his name calling and insults to those like John McCain via tweets and other means. She also talked about how he's a divider and a fear mongerer. The list went on and on.

Dispersed throughout the Trump bashing, Hillary made positive comparisons about how she knows how to work with people, get things done and is a uniter and will work with all Americans. She cited how she's visited 112 countries to help others. Then she went on and listed what she hopes to achieve once she becomes POTUS ie that she will overturn Citizens United, will hold Wall St. and private corporations responsible and make sure they pay their fair share of taxes, will help to create clean energy jobs, will stand up to unfair trade deals, expand social security and protect a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions.

She also mentioned how her and Bernie plan on working together to make college tuition free for all and will liberate millions of people who already have student debt.

How is she going to pay for all of the above? Her answer to her own question was that she will make Wall St. and the super rich pay their fair share of taxes.

Mrs. Clinton then went on to talk about national security and how the terrorists must be defeated and that the U.S. will keep supporting Israel.

At home, she will fight to deal with racism that still exists and appealed to police officers to help rebuild trust between them and the communities they serve.

She ended with how she'll do better than Trump and that the choice is clear on who America should elect.

My takeaways.

The convention's goals were to humanize and soften the image of Hillary Clinton. To cut The Donald down to size. To extol the virtues of Hillary's long political history. To show what a strong leader and a what a fighter she would be for all.

Did the convention provide any inspiration that could possibly change the independent or republican voter's mind or for that matter,  the Bernie supporter to vote  for her? Who knows. Only time will tell but my guess is that I don't think so.

In closing,  I want to say I am glad I watched every night of the DNC, tortuous as it often was. Even though I already knew where the Democrats stood on just about every issue and also all about Hillary Clinton and her background, watching reminded me even more than ever,  that this woman can not be president.

Yes, she can talk a good game, but her history speaks louder than her words. A history filled with criminal activity, lies, her incredible hypocrisy and sense of entitlement cannot be erased with 4 days of many extoling her so-called positives.

If anything, I am even more determined to do what little I can to help defeat Mrs. Clinton while taking a crap shoot on The Donald in that he may actually be able to follow through on his slogan and promise to 'Make America Great Again'.  Because in this case,  I don't think it's a good idea to 'go with the devil you do know versus the one you don't.' There would be too high a price to pay.

Day #3 Dem Convention: VP Choice Kaine & POTUS Obama Speak

Glad there is only one more night left of tuning into the 2016 Democratic Convention. To say it's been tough watching is a huge understatement.

Once again there were way too many speakers and most of them were non-descript and said nothing new, inspiring, etc.

But a few were worth listening to such as Kristen Kavanaugh, former Marine Corp Captain; Leon Panetta, Former Defense Secretary under the OBama administration; Joe Biden, Obama VP; Michael Bloomberg, former NYC Mayor and business owner; Tim Kaine of course and President Barack Obama.

I included Kavanaugh in the speaker line up worth writing about due to her military background. Why? Because I think it's important to listen to those who have served our country regardless of party affiliation. They've put their lives on the line for us and deserve to be heard.

So here's what Kavanaugh had to say.

First, she spoke a bit about national security. But then went on to suggest how if Trump were elected he would be reckless and deploy more military who would then leave their families, get hurt or killed. Specially noted was how extremely solemn she was when speaking. She was dead serious and there was no sense of showmanship or that she enjoyed holding court on center stage in front of millions.

Her speech was not an optimistic one in any way, shape or form as she talked mostly about the dark side of war.

Makes me wonder what happened to her while serving our country.

Next up was Leon Panetta. He talked about how he worked along 9 presidents of both parties. That only Hillary Clinton is qualified to be the next Commander in Chief.  He then dumped on the Trumpster, mentioned his tongue and cheek comments about how he hopes Russia will help find the 30K missing Hillary emails. Panetta clearly took The Donald seriously and did not like what he said.

Panetta's then went to say how this is 'no time to roll the dice and gamble with national security".Of course intimating that The Donald is too risky to take a chance on. 

Biden then took the stage. Gotta like him. I know, I know ... he's a goofball and such a lapdog to Obama. But he comes off as a really nice and sincere kind of guy who doesn't really seem to have a mean bone in his body. Have to respect that to a certain extent.

Of course, he too,  along with just about everyone else,  bashed The Donald a bit,  but not in a mean spirited way. The most negative thing I remember him saying was that Trump's 'caring about the middle class is just a bunch of malarkey'.

Michael Bloomberg was a pretty effective speaker and had absolutely no problems getting down and dirty about The Donald. He offered several one liner's that challenged his business acumen. They were the following:

"Donald Trump is a dangerous demi-God"; "I know a fraud when I see one"; "The richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy" and last but not least he claimed that the Trumpster "Is a risky and radical choice and we can't afford to elect him".

He then went on to say how Hillary Clinton is not perfect but would basically be better than The Donald.

Bloomberg claimed to be an independent during his speech. But I find that hard to believe. Would love to see his voting record and see if he ever voted for a republican. Somehow I doubt it. But for now that's neither here nor there as he's not a candidate. But who knows. He might have future aspirations.

Moving along.

Representative Bobby Scott of VA came on stage and introduced Tim Kaine.

Kane talked about his blue collar parents and upbringing. Then he switched to what sounded like very fluent Spanish where I assumed he was repeating what he just said in English. No doubt trying to draw favor with Latino's.

Of course, he had to do a bit of taking down The Donald, thus talked about how Trump has moved too far away from the party of Lincoln and how the Democratic party has a home for everyone.

Overall, like Biden, Tim Kaine seems to be a genuinely nice guy and also a bit goofy. Time will tell if that's just the image he likes to project or if it's for real.

Next up... the Big Kahuna Barack Obama. The POTUS first started out praising his wife and kids. Then went on to talk about how tough the first year as president was. How he had so much faith. But then joked about how his kids insinuated often,  how much he has aged since then.

Of course Obama can't go long without talking about himself and all he thinks he's accomplished during his almost 8 years in office.

So he went on and talked about how he brought the country through the worst recession in over 80 years; how unemployment is down; that he's created many new jobs and how after a century of many trying, his administration has provided the American people with healthcare for everybody. How we're now not so dependent on foreign oil anymore.

In addition he spoke about how under his administration Bin Laden was captured; how he's opened a new chapter with Cuba; has worked on climate control that will help save the future of our children.  The list went on and on.

Finally (I knew it was coming!) he went on to bash the GOP and The Donald. How the republican message is one of pessimism; how they have only fanned resentment, anger and hate,  and how their views are not the America he knows. Sounded to me like he was talking about himself and his administration... A bit of projection maybe?

Toward the end Obama began to talk about Hillary.

How we have a big choice in November and cannot vote for The Donald. That she is the only candidate for the future and would blast through another glass ceiling.

How she is truly a leader with real plans and one that would widen the circle of opportunity for every single American.

He then credited her with taking out Bin Laden, how she kept her cool under pressure, never ever quits and handles crisis' well. That "no one is more qualified to serve as POTUS; not me, Bill, nobody."

Following the praise of Hillary he talked about how Tim Kaine will make Hillary a better president just like Joe Biden did for him.

I have to admit I did not watch the last 10 to 15 minutes of his speech. Couldn't. With almost every word out of his mouth, I grew more and more angry about how he's either purposely gaslighting the American public with how well his administration has done or is in complete denial and is totally delusional about his so called accomplishments. Not that he hasn't done a lot of what he says he's done, but that his claims about how his programs, executive orders, etc have been nothing but true successes and has made our country a much better and healthier one.

So I shut the tv off.

Thankfully there's only one more night left of the DNC.  I can't wait to see how Hillary performs, how long her speech will be and if she gets the crowd going like Obama and Biden did, along with a few others.

With Hillary's lack of charisma and Nurse Rached persona, along with all the scandals, dumping of classified email, Benghazi, etc. it'll be very interesting to see if the convention, as well as her speech gives her a bump in the polls like it has for The Donald (latest polls show him beating her by 7 pts.).

Once again, stayed tuned for the next edition of the DNC.

Day #2 Dem Convention: Humanizing Hillary

The second night of the DNC began in earnest with the Hillary Clinton roll call for nomination. Was very interesting to watch the different state delegates get up and make their brief speeches before declaring the number of votes for either Hillary or Bernie. Most clearly enjoyed their few minutes of fame and so did I. Nothing like watching democracy in action by giving average, every day citizens a chance to stand up and feel like a part of the bigger picture and of history as well.

After awhile, Bernie Sanders showed up and moved to suspend the rules and  nominated Hillary for POTUS by acclimation. The crowd agreed, the vote was taken and the rest is history.

Keep in mind that Hillary gathered 2,842 votes, Bernie 1,865.  Also note that Hillary's count included Super Delegates who represent the party vs actual votes by We The People.  Makes me wonder if it weren't for them and the current DNC scandal where they basically derailed Bernie, would Hillary had even stood a chance? Guess we'll never know. Sanders fans have got to be incredibly frustrated and understandably so, thinking their candidate might have won if not for foul play and the favoritism shown Hillary.

Consequently,  when Terry McAuliffe, governor of VA,  former DNC Chairman and former Campaign Manager for both Bill and Hillary arrived on stage,  there was initially alot of booing and also chants of  'Bernie, Bernie' from his supporters.  Couldn't blame them one bit after all that's happened recently. Regardless, Terry's speech was short with no lasting takeaway or great one liner's to pass on.

Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader from CA was next up. She too was only on the stage briefly. Her message was that by electing Hillary Clinton, the glass ceiling for women would at last be broken.

Then it was a string of women who spoke from various non-profits, walks of life, etc. In a nut shell they told their stories of discrimination and carried out the mantra of 'When Women Succeed, America Succeeds' and 'I'm with her'.

Jimmy Carter, former POTUS spoke via a video. Then Chuck Schumer, NY Senator took the stage next.

Schumer went on to say how Obama fought to defend the US, accused the GOP of dividing Americans, mentioned how Hillary understands middle America better than anyone and that her word is good. Last,  he went on to bash the Trumpster as well as corporate America. He also talked about how the Dems need to take over the Senate.

Elizabeth Banks, Actress; Thaddeus Demond, Anton Moore and many others then spoke as witnesses to Hillary's upstanding and caring character and integrity.

Eric Holder, former AG to the Obama Administration then made an appearance. No doubt he was put on stage to try and repair damages made in relation to all the recent shootings within the black community and violence against police officers.

But first he started out with how 'America is already a great nation' -  a not so subtle dig at Trump.

Then he went on to talk about how black lives matter, that his brother was a police officer and that the attacks on police are an attack on all. He also mentioned that police need to treat people with respect and dignity.

Bottom line is that Mr. Holder tried to play both sides of the coin with hopes of maintaining the black vote as well as possibly garnering support from those who feel police in general have been painted in an unjust light.

Next up were black mothers of children killed by police officers. Talk about a paradox of stances within just a few minutes of each other.

The mothers talked about how black lives matter and how Hillary will lead the fight for gun control. On and off during their speeches, black lives matter chants rang out from the audience.

Before Bill Clinton got up to speak, Steve Benjamen, Mayor of Columbia, SC got up to speak. He seemed to be the one and only speaker who was somewhat patriotic, inspirational and not into negative rhetoric. It was refreshing to listen to him after all the negativity.

Barbara Boxer, Senator from CA also spoke and of course gave her testimonial about how awesome Hillary Clinton is and how everyone should support her.

Finally, Bill Clinton appeared on the stage.

He started out with how he first met Hillary in 1971. The story was told in quite the charming way. Then he went on to espouse how she's been fighting for children and minorities during most of her career  from when she was an attorney, to Senator, presidential wife, etc.

Mr. Clinton also talked about how some say Hillary has been around too long a time, but that counts for something. That she has accomplished much, has never been satisfied with the status quo and always wants to keep moving forward. He cited program after program where she created and improved the lives of the poor, minorities and children.

Overall, Bill gave a nice speech. He appeared relaxed, was witty and told many anecdotal stories that put Hillary in a more humane and kind light.

In other words, I think he did a wonderful job of trying to white wash Hillary's character and career history. At least that appeared to be the case with the Convention Center's audience as they cheered on and on. Whether his speech will have an impact on Bernie supporters or others not under the spell of the Clintons and possibly gain votes from non-believers, remains to be seen. But Mr. Clinton did give it his best shot.

With the above being said, I must comment about how each and every time Bill waved his index finger to make a point, all I could think of was the same waving of the finger when denying his affair with Monica Lewinsky while stating,  'I did not have sex with that woman. Not once.....' . That image will never be erased from my memory.

Here are some remaining thoughts on day #2 of the DNC.

First, there were way too many speakers. Few of which really made an impact or hit a home run.

There were also too many short video's which again, I don't think had much impact one way or the other. Think they were just time fillers to give people a break from speech making.

In fact the whole event played out like amateur night compared to the GOP convention. Not sure if I feel this way because I don't like Hillary, the Dems, the whining and complaining from most of the speakers or because truth be told, it was just poorly put together. I literally had to fight to stay focused, pay attention and/or not nod off into dreamland.

Up next? Day #3.

DAy # 1 Democrat Convention - Party Unity. Really ???

The Democratic Convention was tough to watch last night. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to change the channel and watch something innocuous . Or how often I yelled at the tv or throw something directly at a particular speaker. But I behaved and stuck with it.

So here's my takeaway.

First and foremost as I mentioned in the headline, the theme was supposed to be Party Unity and 'We're Stronger Together'. A most altruistic title, don't you think?

No doubt they needed to focus on the party unity thing due to the latest Wikileak scandals in regard to the  DNC emails involving Debbie Wassermen Shultz and how the DNC was plotting to minimize Sanders, etc.  Consequently the powers that be had to make sure that everyone speaking and also those who attended would fall into line,  behave and not create even more problems.

Some of the notables on stage were Kevin de Leon, CA State Senator, who made many references to The Donald by calling him a bully and someone who is  xenophobic. He also said how the Democrat party 'doesn't build walls, they tear them down'.

Next was Stacey Abrahms a GA State Rep; Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia who spoke about how we need to 'to take the country back from the know nothings.'

Governor Dan Malloy of Ct. dumped on The Donald big time by calling him a racist, bigot, sexist, etc.

John Podesta, Cinton Campaign Manager; Rep. Linda Sanchez and Marty Walsh, from Boston also took the stage.

Richard Trumka, Leader of the AFL-CIO  called Trump a phony right from the get-go and really let it rip.  Lily Garcia of the NEA bashed The Donald quite a bit also.

There were many  other speakers and really too numerous to name. But they all basically said the same kind of stuff I reported above. So I'll fast forward to the headliners Michelle Obama, Corey Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

Corey Booker, Senator from NJ got the crowd going with talk about love and unity. However, before too long he changed the tenor and spoke about the current divide and went on to bash Trump.

Elizabeth Warren, MA Senator's attitude was no holds barred and almost immediately ripped into big business, Wall St. , corruption and of course did her best to try and slay Donald Trump. She talked about his 6 bankruptcies, how they hurt workers but benefitted him, that he rips his employees off big time, that he divides rich and poor, incites hate, etc. It was quite the spectacle to watch.

She also talked about how if we elect Hillary Clinton, she will get big money and corruption out of government, business, Wall St. and fix everything so that all will benefit. Really?

Of course I'm somewhat paraphrasing here but this is the gist of what she talked about. No doubt Warren is to play the role of hatchet man against all who threaten Hillary's chance of becoming the next POTUS. Oops, did I say hatchet man?  Surely I meant hatchet woman.

Michelle Obama then came up to the podium and talked about how wonderful Hillary is. That she's a champion to children and went on to list all the things she's done to help them. She then went on to praise Mrs. Clinton about 'how when she didn't win the presidency in 2008, she didn't get angry or become disillusioned. She didn't pack up and go home. Instead she served as Secretary of State and traveled around the globe to make children safe.' This was one of the times I wanted to throw something at the tv...

Of course she threw in some Donald bashing when she mentioned 'how politicians 'can't have a thin skin and lash out' and at numerous other times.

Then Mrs. Obama played the woman card and how by electing Hillary Clinton, the glass ceiling will be broken. Somehow she tied that in with a talk about segregation. How slaves built the White House, etc.

Bernie Sanders,  was well ... Bernie Sanders. He talked about unity, about nasty Wall st. and big business, corporate corruption and on and on. In fact, the speech went on too long and I confess I dozed on/off while watching so didn't catch the entire thing.

Of note. It was very interesting that not ONCE did I hear about the threat of terrorism in any way, shape or form. If there was such a mention, please respond and tell me who spoke about it, for how long and when and I will find a clip of it. Funny how no one wanted to open up that can of worms.

Bottom line?

The Dems certainly took note of what was working on the campaign trail for The Donald and  also from the GOP convention. As a result they co-opted alot from both.  I especially noticed their use of the word rigged and ripped off which are favorites of The Donald's.

But what was most startling was how the Dems are literally trying to gaslight the public and their constituents with mis-information,  whether it was about the poor state of our economy, the racial divide, corruption, etc. None of it, according to them had anything to do with them, the Obama administration, Hillary, etc. Every single problem our country is facing today is the Republican's fault and the Dems, along with Obama are completely blameless.

Do their supporters realize any of the above? Do the Dems see any of their hypocrisy? I think the answer is no. They just want to either maintain their power or be close to it and thus will say or do anything to either keep the status quo or be a part of the next administration should Hillary win the office.

Stayed tuned ...

Gotta Love It !

2016 Democratic Convention

For those interested in watching the 2016 Democrat Convention to be held in Philadelpha, PA starting tonight,  here is the line up of speakers and what days they'll be on. However, if the thought of watching is not your idea of a fun evening, then be on the lookout for updates by yours truly.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/25/politics/democratic-convention-viewers-guide/

WikiLeaks & The DNC

Well, well, well. Seems the Dems are not as inclusive, accepting and loving as they claim to be. Surprise, surprise ....

Here's a link to Gateway Pundit which provides links to the details of what WikiLeaks discovered. Pretty interesting stuff!

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/07/detailed-list-findings-wikileaks-dnc-document-dump/

Day #4 Of The GOP Convention: The Donald Speaks

Not much time to go into detail, but I wanted to write while last night's final episode of the GOP Convention was still fresh in my mind.

During the early evening hours, the atmosphere at the Cleveland arena was calm inside.  Music played on and off and various speakers got up and talked, Reince Preibus, Chair of the RNC;  Jerry Falwell, Jr.; Sheriff Joe Arpaio;  Peter Theiel, PayPal company co-founder; Tom Barrack founder of Colony Capital, former Reagan supporter and now head of the pro-Trump super pac titled Rebuild America; were some who took center stage.

All put their two cents in about The Donald and what a wonderful guy he is and how he would be a great president. In between,  a couple of video's  played with one touting the RNC and all it does.

Then Ivanka hit the stage to introduce the Trumpster.

She gave a nice speech and like the rest of his kids, was professional, poised and dressed perfectly for the evening. She introduced The Donald and that's when the night went from blah, blah, blah to electric.

As many of you know I am a Ted Cruz fan. All the way. I voted for him in the primary and was quite disappointed when he lost. I still admire and respect him tremendously regardless of the bashing he's  taking by ALL of the media, including Fox News for NOT endorsing Mr. Trump. As I said in yesterday's entry ... there's more to the situation than meets the eye, but that's a blog for another day. And one I hope to write soon.

So when I say that The Donald hit it out of the ballpark last night, it's not said lightly.

His speech was powerful, seemed to come from the heart, was forceful and I would say, hit every single concern we as Americans have about our country. He talked about terrorism, the borders, the economy, political correctness gone crazy, globalism, immigration, the lack of support for our police and vets. And of course he bashed Hillary. But here's an interesting note in regard to him doing so. He rarely mentioned her by name. He continued to call her 'my opponent' throughout the speech. I wonder why he chose to go that route.

In any case,  though the Trumpster talked about all of the issues mentioned above many times before, never was it as articulate and cohesive as it was last night. No doubt having a speech writer along with most likely,  a lot of practice and a teleprompter helped tremendously.

Of course after defining all our problems, he offered grand statements about how he's going to fix this, that or the other thing. And since he said it with so much force and conviction I found even myself believing he could do it all, turn the country around and make America great again.

Bottom line?

It was one of the best presidential candidate speeches I've ever heard. No doubt the audience at the convention loved it and felt heard for the first time in almost 8 years as the roar, applause, standing ovations, sign waving was non-stop.

As for me? I'm going to try and cast aside all the doubts I've had about Mr. Trump and support him in any way I can. I mean, what other choice do we have? It's either The Donald or Hillary and there's no way I'd ever vote for her. Hell would have to freeze over first.

Day # 3 GOP Convention : Cruz Steals The Spotlight

Last night's convention theme was supposed to be Make America First Again. Not quite sure that label and/or goal was met.

Rather it was another evening where supporters of Donald Trump once again, waxed poetic about his accomplishments,  character,  work ethic,  wanting to give back and turn things around for America.

However, there was a bit of drama when Newt Gingrich and Ted Cruz got up to speak.

But first let me preface things with the fact that I watched the entire speeches of both of the above. I listened carefully, noticed how the audience reacted and took notes. I mention this because what I've seen and heard on the news and on the internet will contradict what I'm about to write. This is one of the reasons I've been watching the convention on CSPAN rather than Fox, CNN or any other network. This way I am able to watch all the speeches, audience reactions, body language, etc. without interruption or commentary to cloud or influence my thoughts.

My take away from Cruz's and Gingrich speeches are these.

When it was announced that Cruz would be the next speaker, the crowd stood, clapped and roared their approval. The atmosphere was electrified. CSPAN spanned the audience and there were few seated or whom looked upset about Ted taking the stage.

Once he began speaking, the crowd was completely silent at times. You could hear a pin drop. Then it would break out into standing ovations and roars of agreement and approval of what was said. I even found myself standing up and clapping.

There's no doubt the crowd loved Cruz and related to much of what he said.

Then 3/4 of the way through his speech, a video was shown of The Donald arriving, shaking hands, smiling, etc. He was there to watch his son Eric and also Mike Pence, VP choice speak.

From that moment on, the focus was OFF of Cruz and on Trump. Camera's went back and forth between the two and the spell that Cruz had cast over the audience was over.

To wrap up his speech, Cruz announced that people should vote their conscious. He did not directly endorse Trump. The audience did NOT boo him off the stage as reported by so many. Yes, he was not applauded and yes, there was discontent and some boos but not the sort talked about by just about every news outlet.

Before I go on to Newt's speech, I want to say Cruz opened his speech by congratulating The Donald on winning the nomination. So though he did NOT endorse Trump as everyone wanted him to, he did not bash or insult him either. Basically he didn't talk much about him period. His speech was more about how America's in trouble and that we as citizens have to take charge and do what's right come November.

One last note. Ted spoke again this morning. Just caught a bit of it on Fox. He said distinctly that he will NOT vote for Hillary. But that he'll be watching and following the race closely and will then cast his vote come November.

More about Cruz and the role he continues to play and why in another entry...

Moving on.

Newt was the next speaker on my list to write about. As always he was articulate, savvy and somewhat reprimanded Cruz,  but in a nice way for not saying directly that he would endorse The Donald. Then he went on to talk a lot about terrorism and of course bashed Hillary.

However, he did outline in a brief bullet type way how Trump is going to rebuild the military, build a wall, enforce immigration laws, help our vets, rebuild the education system and that The Donald would have zero tolerance  for people who would hurt our police officers. Kudos to Newt for listing the Donald's objectives in a quick and easily understandable way.

Others who spoke were Rick Scott, Fla. Gov; Laura Ingrahm, talk show  host; Phil Ruffin, Casino RE investor who has known Trump for years; Ilene Collins, first woman to command a space shuttle; Darell Scott, Sr. Pastor; Harold Hamm, CEO of Cont'l Resources Shale Oil Co.; Scott Walker, Wis. Gov; Lynn Patton, VP of the Eric Trump Fdtn.; Marco Rubio who spoke via a video (he also did NOT endorse The Donald but no one's talking about that);  Eric Trump; Paul Ryan and Mike Pence.

I watched them all and was most impressed with Laura Ingraham who gave an incredibly spirited speech and had the audience with her all the way; Sr. Pastor, Darell Scott who was patriotic and inspirational; and last but not least, Mike Pence, who pleasantly surprised me. What a likeable guy and I can now see why The Donald chose him.

What about Eric Trump? His speech was fine but nothing compared to his brother, Donald Jr's oration.  However,  it was clearly heartfelt and no doubt he gave it his all.

So another convention night has come and gone and we have one more to go. Of course the theme will be Make America Great Again. The Donald himself will speak, along with his daughter Ivanka and others. Looking forward to it and will write all about it the following morning. Stay tuned.

Drug Testing For Welfare Applicants

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) – "Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration has the green light to begin drug testing some welfare applicants.

A spokesman for Attorney General Janet Mills said Tuesday that her office has given final approval to the governor’s proposed rule and submitted it to the secretary of state’s office.

Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew told The Associated Press that the department will begin implementing the drug testing program but couldn’t immediately say when the first tests will be administered.

The rule requires that applicants for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program who have been convicted of drug-related felonies be tested for drugs. Applicants who fail the test can choose to enroll in a substance abuse program to avoid losing benefits."

GOP Convention Night #2: The Prosecution of Hillary

Last night's convention turned into somewhat of a courtroom where the opposition ie Hillary Clinton was tried and hung in the court of public opinion.

It all started with remarks by Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee, Sharon Day and was completed by Chris Christie who played an amazing role that garnered major audience participation.

Here are some of the points Christie made about why HC should not become the next president of the United States.

Number One:  HC was Chief Diplomat during her time as SOS and she did not do her job. That she was the Chief Engineer in regards to the overthrowing of Gaddafi, PM of Libya and how it left a vacuum for terrorists to take over. How she fought to keep an Al Qaeda affiliate off the terrorist list and as a result , hundreds of women were abducted and tortured. How she opposed 'buy American' policy. That she defended al-Assad of Syria back when we could have done something about him. How she helped to launch the worst nuclear deal with Iran. The list went on and on.

I believe Christie did a masterful job of obliterating HC. No question he'll be the next Attorney General should The Donald win the presidency.

Shortly after Christie's appearance, Tiffany Trump spoke. Though she's quite young and just graduated college, I thought she did a great job with her presentation. She praised The Donald as a great dad and one who taught her to always to aspire to being the best. Tiffany was poised, energetic and well spoken for one so young.

The star of the night however,  was Donald Trump, Jr.

He talked about free markets, capitalism, hard work and accountability. He mentioned how his dad had him driving tractors and learning the construction business from the bottom up. And how that helped to round him out as a person and helped him in running businesses. Very inspirational.

He then went on to critique Hillary Clinton with the usual accusations. However he came up with the best one liner of the night where he said something to the effect that 'if Hillary Clinton became president she would be the first one who couldn't pass a basic background check'. Awesome.

Other speakers included Dana White, President of Ultimate Fighting Championship; Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas; Chris Cox of the NRA; Natalie Gulbis, professional golfer; Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader; Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House and Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader. The least inspirational speakers? Our top leaders in Congress.

Overall the evening was a second night of praising The Donald's character, accomplishments and how he would Make America Work, which was the evening's theme. But it was also about taking Hillary Clinton down, reducing her to size and brandishing her character big time.

One last note. I am a lover of inspirational quotes that pack a lot of meaning into a short and memorable sentence or two.

Here are two that were mentioned by professional golfer Natalie Gulbis and credited to the Trumpster:

"Never fear challenging the status quo"

"In everything you do, be fearless"

Good advice to follow ...

The Plot Thickens At Fox News

Soon I'll be writing about the 2nd night of the GOP convention, but first I wanted to post a link to a Breitbart story about the possible ousting of Roger Ailes of Fox News. Very interesting turn of events where a majority of the top rated show hosts are threatening to walk out if Ailes is terminated. All said they would join him in starting a new network. Lots of vitriol against Megyn Kelly. This drama is now beginning to rival House of Cards!

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/19/exclusive-fox-news-stands-roger-ailes-megyn-kelly-50-fox-contributors-primetime-willing-walk-aile

Opening Night @ The GOP Convention : Make America Safe

Last night's first edition of the GOP convention was filled with lots of drama, anecdotal stories, big personalities, anti-Hillary/Obama rhetoric and tons of non-politically correct speech. In other words it was not your typical convention and was quite refreshing.

The guest speakers included Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty; Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell whose story was told in the movie Lone Survivor;  Pat Smith, mother of Sean Smith who was one of the 4 left to die in Benghazi;  13 Hours co-authors Mark Geist and John Tiegen,  CIA contractors and former marine corp vets;  Antonia Sabato, actor from Happy Days;  Jamiel Shaw whose son was killed by an illegal immigrant; David Clarke, Wisconsin Sheriff and black conservative;  Darrel Glenn, Colorado Senatorial Candidate; Tom Cotton, Senator of Ark;  Rudy Guliani former mayor of NYC;  Flynn, retired Lt. General and of course Melania Trump. Quite the line up!

Every speaker fit in with last night's theme of Make America Safe by illustrating with personal stories of how our country seems to be under attack by terrorists, criminal illegal immigrants and the undermining of our police officers.

All mentioned how Hillary and Obama were the culprits who created this world. In fact I'd say the whole evening was a big 'screw you' to the current administration. And people loved it.

Even though every speaker was eloquent in their own way,  Marcus Luttrell, Daryl Green, Rudy Guliani and Melania Trump were at the top of their game.

Marcus Luttrell's passion, sincerity and patriotism were evident right from the get go. Here was someone who fought the good fight and lived to talk about it and he did. To the point that tears welled up in my eyes. He was that moving. If only we had heroes like him in politics where they put country first, careers second we'd be in much better shape.

Daryl Green, the Senatorial Candidate from Colorado was one of the most articulate, humorous and charismatic political speakers I've heard in awhile. No doubt he has the 'it' factor and a way of speaking that is so relatable, human and patriotic. I hope he is elected come November.We could sure use more like him.

Everyone knows Rudy, so no need to define who he is. However, he went above and beyond his usual articulate, direct way of speaking and knocked it out of the ballpark. I've never seem him so animated, passionate and willing to put himself on the line like he did last night with his sincere and genuine endorsement of Mr. Trump.

Last but not least, Melania. I was pleasantly surprised by her presentation. To be honest I didn't know what to expect and thought she was just a trophy wife for The Donald more than anything else. But when she got up to speak,  I was extremely impressed. She was articulate, passionate in a quiet sort of way, poised and just all over very professional. Gone was my image of a lightweight.

Bottom line is that I think The Donald, along with shaking up the way campaigns are run and fought, has now changed how future conventions will be orchestrated.  Things will never be the same and I think that's a good thing.

Looking forward to tonight's line up which will include more Trump family members and employees, Ben Carson, Scott Walker and more. The theme will be Make America Work. I suspect once again there won't be a dull moment.

Maine @ The GOP Convention

Oops: Correction

Here's the correct link for tv coverage.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/07/rnc2016_when_will_chris_christie_speak.html

2016 GOP Presidential Convention Starts Today

For those interested in watching the GOP convention here are two links.

The first will give you a list of  tv stations and when they will cover the convention. The second will give you an idea of whom is speaking and when. The convention opens at 1pm. today.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/07/where_to_watch_republican_nati.htm

http://www.vox.com/2016/7/17/12199364/republican-convention-2016-rnc-speakers-schedule-platform

Black Lives Matters Is Reformatted ACORN

Sorry folks for the plethora of entries this morning but there's so much going on, that I feel compelled to post.

Just learned from an article written by Rick Wells of Constitution Rising that BLM is funded by George Soros and is the reformatted version of ACORN. This is the group that President Obama was heavily involved with before rising to the highest position in the land.

Read on if you have THE time. Worth the time.

http://rickwells.us/blm-secret-identity-revealed/

White Man Beaten At Hip Hop Concert By Blacks

The headline says it all with the exception that when police went to save the man, they were accosted by the all black concert goers. Something is SO not right these days.

Read on:

http://buzzpo.com/white-concert-goer-beaten-to-a-pulp-by-40-blacks-no-media-outrage?utm_content=buffered9bc&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=positivelyrepublican

FBI Agents Signed NDA In RE: Hillary's Email

So much news, so little time...

Just read a very brief article by the NY Post which stated that FBI agents had to sign an NDA to make sure they didn't blab about the meeting between AG Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton. Sources within the FBI said this was HIGHLY unusual to be asked to do this for a specific case.

The Plot thickens.

Newly Formed Bi-Partisan House Group To Monitor Bills Allowing Increased Gov't Surveillance

"An unusual coalition of 13 Republicans and 12 Democrats on Wednesday announced the creation of the House Fourth Amendment Caucus to protect Americans' privacy rights against calls for increased government surveillance in the wake of terrorist attacks."

I know some say that we really need to give the government permission to snoop into our email, browsing history and demand that tech companies allow backdoor access to encryption data in relation to terrorism, but no doubt it can go too far and soon we could be living in the land of Big Brother. Not a good thing. Read on for more of the article by USA:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/13/new-house-coalition-fights-rise-government-surveillance/87038428/

Obama's State Dept. Used Tax Payer Money To Try to Oust Israel's Netanyahu

While reading the article below about how Obama's State Dept. spent over $350K to try and oust Benjamin Netanyahu, I was reminded of the time the Prime Minister of Israel came to speak to congress in regards to troubles in the Middle East. Obama was NOT happy and let people know it. Now we know just how much Obama thought Netanyahu was a threat to his agenda of kissing up to terrorist countries. Here's the link to the article by the Washington Times:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/12/obama-admin-sent-taxpayer-money-oust-netanyahu/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT1RWbFpUTmtPRFkyTlRNeCIsInQiOiJqQ1AySk13WE1hU091WGZkRzhVZXV5dVQ5dHB2eU1nMlZ0RkgrOWxTZzdwVk4wWlgxTnNSSUcrdDZvVVhaeGNMM3I2XC8xcW1wdEtqa2ZsbXU1WmNMeE5TaEY2NXdETm4wQmpGamo3dEliZE09In0%3D

Obama To Use Executive Power To Reduce Nuclear Weapons

Seems Obama's going to fight till the end to disarm America as much as possible, while other more dangerous countries continue to build nuclear weapons regardless of  the so-called treaties.

http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/07/11/dallas-photographer-captured-amazing-image-officer-who-saved-him

Officer Who Saved A Dallas Photographer

For the full story click here:

http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/07/11/dallas-photographer-captured-amazing-image-officer-who-saved-him

Recent Shootings

Here are my thoughts on the recent shootings in Dallas, Louisiana, Minnesota, etc. which of course tie in with the violence in Baltimore, Charleston, Ferguson, etc. awhile back. And they all relate to the Obama agenda that's been in play since he was first elected and has now escalated.

How so?

As the first black candidate to run for the most powerful office in the land, I'm sure many thought if elected, he might finally put to rest once and for all, any thoughts that America was a racist country.

So though I did not vote for him being a conservative republican,  I thought ... okay. Since the guy's been elected and there's nothing I can do to change that, I might as well look for a silver lining. And that silver lining was the thought that maybe he'll help to close whatever racial divide that still might exist. And maybe, he'll also grab the opportunity to become an inspiration of what one can rise to regardless of family, background, race, ethnicity or economic status. Since he came from a broken home and one that was not economically prosperous, he could prove to all that that doesn't necessarily matter.

But I was wrong.

The American people as well as I were to have our hopes dashed.

How so?

Mr. Obama and his administration, in my opinion has done nothing but divide blacks and whites.  He has also incited racial fears that somehow blacks are not being treated fairly or justly by the police. In addition, he has sided almost every time with those African Americans who brought violence, discord and shootings to our cities and claimed it was all about racism by white police officers and others in power.

Yes, there are racist police and others that still exist, But I honestly believe they are the minority rather than the majority. So it's all well and fine to bring attention to those cases that exist. But to only focus on that rarity caused our president to miss the massive influence he could have by also focusing on the many success stories that exist within the minority community.

Mr. Obama has more opportunity than any other public figure to talk about those minorities who have made it as Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court or as CEO's of large companies. Or the ones who run successful small businesses, are professors at ivy league colleges or have prospered in a zillion other fields. Why not bring attention to some of these inspirational stories,  rather than constantly on whatever discord is happening at the time?

The answer? Because that doesn't fit his agenda of divide and conquer.

In addition, no one seems to talk about how most of the cities where these protests, riots, shootings, lootings and acts of violence have taken place are located in areas where liberals rule for the most part.

And what about the breakdown of the black family where 70% of the children are brought up by single mothers. Where are the fathers?

Why isn't any of the above being discussed in the MSM or by government officials and our representatives?

Cause it is too difficult to talk about, too hard to fix.  It's also considered a bit UN-PC. Plus you can't legislate that families stay together. That fathers stick around to provide stability and positive role models for their sons and daughters.

Btw, most violence in our cities are black on black. But rarely do our politicians talk about that. Again, too UN-PC.

Obama could have been a true inspiration for the black community or any group of people who felt powerless as a minority or because of their background. But that wasn't and isn't his M.O. Rather it's about divide and conquer.

How so?

If you divide people into groups and pit them against each other, that creates chaos, animosity, jealousy, hatred,  etc. Once that happens, the powers that be or those who incited the divide to begin with, can conquer. They can take over. Act as though they have the answer if only you'll vote for them or for the laws they want to enact.

And Obama, regardless of his only having a few months left in office plans on continuing to do just this.

He wants to enact stricter gun control laws and federalize the police. I've written about this very topic last year I think.

Anyway, no doubt in my mind this is what he has in mind. Most likely this dream of his won't happen while he's still in office. However,  I'm sure he plans on sticking around as a shadow president if Hillary wins to make sure it does own the road. Sound a bit crazy? Maybe. In fact I hope I'm wrong.

So the protests, riots, shootings and violence will continue to happen. Those who are in the wrong will not be punished as they should be due to political correctness (another way the masses are controlled). Instead their behavior will be justified, condoned or ignored while the powers that be focus on the racism they believe whites still hold against blacks. And nothing will change and only get worse. And the agenda of gun control and federalized police will continue to fight on.

What I thought was just going to be a few words this morning about the recent shootings and violence has turned into quite the long entry. But these thoughts have been roiling around in my mind for quite awhile. I guess now was the time to express them. In fact I couldn't stop even if I tried.

So there you have it. My long-winded reason for why the above is happening right now. Am I right? Who knows. As I've said many times before, only time will tell.

Thoughts On The Hillary Clinton Email Scandal

As I write, it's pouring rain. A good day to sort out all the recent news that's been grabbing America's attention.

I'll start with Hillary Clinton's email issue.  After reading extensively about it,  there's not one iota of doubt in my mind that Hillary Clinton's guilty of subverting the use of a government email server/email address for purposes of convenience and also in order to avoid government and public scrutiny regardless of her claims.

There's also no doubt that others knew Hillary's address of  hdr22@clintonemail.com  was not a government one and thus had also violated law by sending classified email to her.

A key person who had helped Hillary maintain and monitor the private server was Bryan Paglinano who had previously worked as an IT person for a former Hillary for president PAC.  Later, he obtained a position in the State Department in the IT division.

When requested to discuss his involvement with the private server by the Judiciary and Homeland Security &Governmental Affairs committees, he would not answer any questions. He also said he would plead the 5th amendment if pushed to do so.

Paglinano was then given immunity by the Justice Department for cooperation. Who runs the Justice Department, AG Loretta Lynch. Who appointed her? President Obama. Who would like nothing more than for Hillary to be the next POTUS? Obama. Why? So he could play puppet master and have a 3rd term. Hillary will then owe him big time if she comes out scot-free and wins the presidency, thus he'll retain control and it'll be a win-win situation for both.

So no surprise that we haven't heard a peep out of Paglinano since he was given immunity in order to cooperate. He's cooperated alright, but not in the name of truth and justice...

Are there others like him who will refuse to tell the truth?  My bet is that there are. But we won't hear from them.

In regard to the recent FBI Director James Comey hearing about the email matter.

Again, after massive amount of reading up on the story, I can see why and how he came up with the 'lack of intent' playbook to defend his position of recommending that the current POTUS candidate not be charged of various violations. Just as he stated, all previous cases brought under the law have required 'proof of intent to mishandle classified information' in order for a government official to be charged. And yes, maybe it was tough to prove in the past,  but not in the case of Mrs. Clinton with so many contradictory statements made in public that can easily be verified.

But Comey is one smart cookie. He wanted to save his job. He knew he couldn't come out and directly recommend that Hillary be charged with a crime. So he didn't. However, he did lay out precise arguments for reasons she should be. And ones that can't be refuted by anyone because of her out and out contradiction of statements made in the public arena.

So the FBI Director gets to hang onto his job (at least for now) for not lowering the boom on Mrs. Clinton. Yet he's offered up enough info to possibly ruin her chances of winning the presidency. Was that intentional? Does he secretly NOT want Hillary to be the next POTUS &consequently devised a strategy to save himself, yet ruin her chances at the same time?

Regardless of Comey's recommendation,  it isn't over for her. Not by a long stretch.

What I'm hoping for is that the drip, drip, drip of accusations &legal violations get enough press coverage from ALL sources that anyone, unless they are in a coma, will come to the conclusion that in no way would they vote her.

I'm even hoping the diehard Democrats that have been excusing both Bill and Hillary's behavior and missteps since the 90s,  might face the truth, put country before their own ideological beliefs  and vote for another candidate.

Fight To Keep Internet Control In The U.S.

"The Obama administration’s decision to give up U.S. control of regulating the internet is likely illegal, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said."

“The Obama administration does not have the authorization from Congress,” Cruz said Thursday, speaking at a Heritage Foundation event on internet freedom. “And yet they are endeavoring to give away this valuable, critical property. To give it away with no authorization at all. That ought to trouble all of us.”

The Texas Republican added:

"We built the internet and America maintains it as free for all. We don’t use it in an imperialist manner to impose our views on others. We maintain it as an oasis of freedom."

The above is an excerpt from an article by the Daily Signal, a branch of the Heritage Foundation. This is really important stuff and no one seems to be covering it in the news...

Read on for more details.

http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/07/ted-cruzs-fight-to-protect-the-internet-from-authoritarian-regimes/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWlRBMk5HTXdPVEl5WlRobCIsInQiOiJ2SlNlR1Y1V3JPTjlycTRPQ0ZNVGF3WFwvSGxWaWRqSjVxVXBsRTVIOHUrVVRXS2ZyUm1QMktDN2xDUzZDRFAreDY4VmRVRjkzbW5CT29rMldrQ0xDSThxOFpVSmdQTm54RkRHVEVSdlVBdFU9In0%3D

Comey Hearing In Regards to Hillary Clinton Email issue

Currently watching the hearing with FBI Director Comey in regard to the Hillary Clinton email issue.  No doubt in my mind that Comey's integrity has been compromised with his decision not to recommend charges against the POTUS Democratic candidate. His decision is in complete contradiction to the testimony he is now giving.  No doubt in my mind Comey has been threatened, bribed or something in order to clear Hillary Clinton's name and keep her from being indicted and convicted.

 Anyone interested in watching can tune into FoxNews ...

Obama's Got Trump On The Brain

Have noticed that Obama seems pretty nervous and worried about a possible Trump presidency. Good! Like that. Here's a very brief article by the Gateway Pundit about a speech he made recently. Will give you a chuckle or two!

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/07/uh-uh-uh-obama-turns-stuttering-mess-talking-trump-north-carolina-video/

Wait Till You Read This ...

Here's an excerpt and then a link from an article by Conservative Review that will blow your mind. But then again, maybe not in this day and age of republicans going along, to get along.

"Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas (A, 97%) conducted a hearing which revealed that the Department of Homeland Security, at the behest of Muslim Brotherhood organizations, is deleting critical counter-terrorism research that would have connected many Muslim Brotherhood leaders to global Islamic terror networks and could have prevented some of the recent attacks. When Cruz asked Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, about this at a subsequent hearing, the lead homeland security officer vehemently denied having any knowledge of the cover-up and adamantly declined to investigate it." 

https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2016/07/house-gop-to-promote-muslim-brotherhood-gun-control-agenda-this-week?utm_source=DS&utm_medium=FB&utm_campaign=House+Agenda

Hillary Walks

The decision by FBI Director James Comey announced today at 11am,  NOT to recommend charges against the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton just proves the power of the Clinton/Obama machine. It also says a lot about how our political system has two standards. One for the elites and the Democrats and one for the rest of us.  No doubt corruption has taken over and if you're in the right group, know the right people, then you're golden and can get away with just about anything. I'm disgusted...

For more info click here:

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/fbi-recommends-no-charges-against-clinton-in-email-probe-225102