How Much Did You Miss Yesterday?

Was yesterday a bust-ass day or what?

Half a dozen bloggable things happening and I, to use my Dad's phrase, felt like death warmed over.

I'm a little better today, but not by much. Now I'm only a near death experience warmed over.

Rand Paul hit Hillary rather hard yesterday, didn't he? Not hard enough, but still, harder than anybody else did.

And he's right. We not only no longer keep score in kid's sports, apparently we no longer keep score in government.

Who was responsible for the four deaths in Libya? What  is/will be their punishment?

What are we doing to make sure this does not happen again?

All questions that should be asked and answered.

But won't be. We don't want to ruin somebody's career over a little thing like this, now do we?

Even Hillary's. She will bail on the job of Secretary of State- a 'post turtle position' for her for sure. And don't even get me started on Kerry's "QUALIFICATIONS"- and retire to her estate in New York or somewhere, and start showing up at shopping malls and diners in Iowa in a couple of years.

And no one will ever mention it was her inadequacies and errors that cost us the lives of 4 Americans, including an Ambassador.

And then we have Biden hinting he will be in the running in 2016. Why? is he looking for another 4 years as Vice-President?

And last, but by no means least, we have Leon Panetta stopping on his way out the door as Secretary of Defense to announce the end of the ban on women in combat roles.

Really? Talk about dumping a hot mess into the lap of whoever is next Secretary. Who is the current sacrificial lamb? Is it still the RINO Hagel? But that description even gives RINO's a bad name. When was the last time we actually had a Democrat as Secretary of Defense? The middle of the Clinton Administration? 20 some years ago?

Why don't any Democrats want the job? Too much responsibility? You can lose a few diplomats an still keep your job. Lose a dozen young men and there is Hell to pay.

And of course they won't change the standards; any woman wanting a combat MOS will need to meet the same standards as the men currently do.

Yeah; that'll last. Only until the first batch of 250 women wing up producing 5 qualified applicants.

Three of which who will withdraw when they break a nail.

And then watch the race to the bottom.

I'll be blunt; I have never served in a combat unit. But I have served in the military, and I have seen what happens to a group of young adult males when a few women have been dumped among them.

It ain't pretty. The men lose all control and the women gain it. And nobody can resist following their instincts to protect the weaker sex.

It wasn't just in the military; I saw it happen in the workforce too. Not as pronounced- because the folks are older, in general- but still the same jealousies and conflicts.

Comparisons will be made to the integration of the services during the Truman Administration. Some of them may be valid, but I really doubt there were breakdowns in unit cohesion because the new arrivals stopped dating one fellow soldier and started dating another, or a breakdown in discipline because of an over protective attitude toward the black unit member.

Hopefully we can start reversing the damage before it's too late.

But I am starting to have my doubts.

Placebo

Everybody knows what a placebo is right? A pill or procedure that does absolutely nothing, but we are supposed to be convinced it is working wonders.

Kind of like the Republican Party.

They keep talking a good game- and have since 1988- but accomplish nothing.

They held the House, the Senate and the White House for 6 years.

6 YEARS!!!!

And government got bigger, along with the debt. Abortion is still legal, along with a host of other things they supposedly are against. But it's not there fault. It's the Democrats.

Don't take my word for it; spend a few minutes with talk radio.

I have become convinced that talk radio is our circus, designed solely to keep possibly expatriating Republicans on the ranch. Keep us convinced that the Republicans are doing their best and are deserving of our complete support.

And they cave again.

Just like on the 'Fiscal Cliff', when it comes time for the debt ceiling they will fold with the best of intentions. The debt ceiling will go up, debt will increase, spending will increase and taxes will rise again.

All things we sent them to Washington to OPPOSE.

I have faith in some of the younger members; ones who are now holding their first elected office- like Rand Paul- but the old timers have learned the ropes. When to speak out and when to act. Or not to.

Just start making real noise about a new third party; one to represent the people of this country, not the people and the companies sucking at the government teat, and watch the words fly. The only time most of these idiots can quote Ronald Reagan is when they say one of two things: 'Never criticize a fellow Republican', and 'we don't need a third party; we need a revitalized Republican Party'.

Just about the only two things President Reagan ever said that I don't agree with.

A note to Mitch McConnell

Here is a copy of the note I just emailed to Senator McConnell:

Senator McConnell:

Can you explain the logic behind not granting all forms of communication the same constitutional and Supreme Court reviewed protections? If US Mail and wired phone lines require a warrant, why shouldn't email and wireless phone conversations?

I have a 4th Amendment right to privacy in my papers and in my communications. The government does not, at any level, have a right to review those communications absent a warrant. PERIOD.

I have voted for you that last four times you ran for the Senate, but it has become increasingly clear that you are no longer a resident of Kentucky, but a resident of Washington, D.C.. It is time Kentuckians found a fellow citizen, like Senator Rand Paul, to represent us.

2014 can not come soon enough. 

If he reads the message, will he get it?

I doubt it.

The Missouri Mess

Sometimes you can see exactly what's going on, and sometimes you can't. You look at a situation and just are forced to scratch your head.

I'm talking about the Missouri Senate Race, and the Republican candidate, Todd Akin. I am very curious what everybody in this mess is smoking.

Background is this, basically. Representative Akin in Pro-Life, to the point that he opposes abortion for rape and incest. Apparently he was on a TV interview recently where he 'misspoke':

The uproar began Sunday, when St. Louis television station KTVI aired an interview in which Akin was asked if he would support abortions for women who have been raped.
"It seems to me, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said.

First, in Todd's defense, I seem to recall being told exactly that same information in high school Biology class. I have no idea if the theory is still considered sound, or even if it was considered sound in the late seventies, but I seem to recall that if a woman was raped, her body would endure stresses that would create hormones that would cause a 'spontaneous abortion'. If I remember correctly, this was presented in Biology class as fact. So, he may have had some basis for misspeaking.

But my concern is the reaction from the RIGHT. I was listening to Hannity yesterday when he was brow-beating this guy to quit the Senate race. It raised my eyebrows, especially after all of the Tea Party support that Hannity has proclaimed.

In the Primary, Akin was the Tea Party favorite, handily beating the party's backed nominee. Allegedly some of commercials that supported him in the Primary were paid for by Clare McCaskill, his Democratic opponent in the General Election. Whether it is true, or just sour grapes that McCaskill was picking the candidate easiest to beat in the general election, Akin did win.

Yesterday Hannity was trying to guilt this guy into quitting the race, making it seem that the entire recapturing of the Senate for the Republicans rides on Akin beating McCaskill; a determination that is now in doubt. He was constantly brow beating Akin with how important his win was to the Republican party.

But Akin believes he can still win. and is refusing to quit. So, in response, the National Republican party is threatening to not contribute any funds to his campaign.

It is vitally important to win Missouri, but apparently not important enough to back Akin? What!?!?!?!

I'll tell you what I think. I think the Republican establishment is getting afraid of all of the Tea Party candidates, and has seen a way to get rid of one. That last thing they want is to have a 51 member Senate, with 10 of them being Tea Party. It might mean the end of big government.

The only thing that doesn't fit is Hannity's spiel yesterday. Unless the Tea Party support from him has been a shill, and he is actually an establishment plant?

Otherwise, I don't see how this one misstatement can become that big of an issue.

Something just doesn't pass the smell test with me.

UPDATE: Listening to Limbaugh right now. He started off talking big support for Akin, but them drifted into a call for him to make a "Good" decision, with "what's best for the country in mind". Apparently also, if Akin quits before 5:00pm today, the republican Party gets to pick the replacement.

Something didn't smell right before; now it is reaching the high odor of rotting flesh. I think I'm right; the Republican establishment is scared to death that they will need to take Tea Party concerns in to account while governing in 2013.

And their not liking it.

Let's Get It Done and Move On

I found this today while reading Instapundit.

Freshmen Senators are expected to keep their heads down and not make waves; after all, you need to have 30 years in the Senate before you become respectable.

But Senator Paul intends to kick some big government butt and go back to practicing medicine.

This is going to be an intersting couple of years.

A Very Regional Issue

I've always heard, and believed, that we could never have another Civil War in this country because we don't have any divisive regional issues any more.

I'd say this map kind of disproves that theory.

Obviously not all of these Red Districts, or Blue Districts for that matter, are as monolithic as they appear on this map, but still, it draws a very clear distinction between the coasts, the central cities and 'fly-over country', doesn't it?

Apparently, Nationalization of Health Care is a regional issue.

And, apparently we are fighting over it.

Here is a graphic of the states that have filed or joined lawsuits to overturn Obamacare:



I couldn't find a map with all 27 states on it; I had to modify the 21 state map; I guess you can tell which states I added?

The point is, again, its the south and the center of the country fighting against the coasts. If the courts rule in favor of Obamacare, how far will the anti-states go to avoid implementation of the take over scheme?

That is the big question, isn't it?

I guess the bigger question is whether or not the Federal Government gets the message before secession starts. Things are more civil than they were in the 1860's, so I doubt Civil War will immediately follow Civil Lawsuit, but I also doubt that a failure to over turn this legislative abomination will result in acquiescence.

Repeal of Obamacare has already passed the House; will popular pressure force a vote in the Senate; something Reid has said he won't allow? If it does pass the Senate. will popular pressure force Obama to sign it? Yeah I doubt it too.

That means we need to find a President and a Senate that agrees with the majority of the country. That should be easy to do in 2012, provided the Republicans keep their act together and actually pass some legislation that is in the country's interest, not Washington's.

On that point I am wishful, not hopeful.

Starting The New Year With a Bungle

Well, Hell.

Today is January 8th, and my New Years Resolution to put up a post everyday is shot to Hell and back already.

But the bright side is I am only 7 posts behind!

Its not that I haven't had a lot to say; I have. These are historic times we are living in, and very pivotal for the future of the country. This is, I think, literally our last chance to return to our original Constitutional form of limited government. If the leftists win now the change will be forever.

Its just that since early December I have been busier than a one-armed paperhanger, as my Dad used to say. When I do have a few minutes to sit and write, I am usually both pyhsically and mentally spent. Not a condition conductive to turning out readable prose.

Today I have the morning free. I got up early enough that that the rest of the house- including the Young Un'- are still fast asleep. I have free time AND mental capacity! Hallelujah!

Where to start?

The seating of the 112th Congress. This is hopefully the turning point. My fervent hope is that the next two years don't turn out to be political theater. Yes, the House will vote to repeal Obamacare, and the Senate probably will as well. And Obama will veto it. And the Senate will not have the votes to override the veto. Obama wins.

All of the leftist programs Obama could not get through the Congress he has implemented by Presidential fiat. The House and maybe the Senate vote to defund those new programs. Obama refuses to sign the new budget; showdown ensues. When a government shut down looms, who blinks first?

I seriously think that will become the nexus of the 3rd American Revolution. It depends on who blinks first. We need to make sure Congress knows we have their back; let the government shut down, We need to also let Obama know who's side we're on in that battle. I doubt he will care; we're just ignorant rubes after all, and we have no idea how much better off we'll be after the Beneficent Obama runs our entire lives for us.

That will also be the point when we see if Congress is just paying lip service to a smaller government, or is really behind the concept of reducing Federal power.

There are a lot of new, non-political faces in the House, so maybe we have a chance.

The hard part will be the wait, while we see.

I forgot to mention that I really like this image of the historic hand-over. You can see teh gavel pass, but not Pelosi's face; its a win-win!

Win Some, Lose Some

Well, last night was a typical Election Night for me. Some of my candidates won, and some lost.

More particularly this year, there were some I just wanted to lose, and I didn't care who the winner was.

Rand Paul won BIG.

But, he gathered fewer votes than the second place Democrat; what will that mean in November? In 2008 Dems were 57% of voters registered; only 6.9% were other than Dem or Repub. And with Kentucky's closed primary system you can only vote in the party you are registered for. If there is a lot of Dem support for the Tea Party, as is claimed, Rand may win big in November as well.

One Republican loss last night was Pennsylvania's 12th District, formerly held by John Murtha, and now held by one of his aides, who probably has only been in Pennsylvania to run for elections.

Dems are making a big deal about the win, saying it shows the Democrats are done yet.

Maybe. But the seat is up for reelection again in November along with the rest of the House, and with this vote being held on Primary Day I don't think it means squat.

I think too many Dems got into the Primary mindset and pulled the Dem lever.

Besides; the guy will be there 6 months before the election, and basically will be running for re-election the whole time. Every vote he makes will get super scrutinized, and in November he will be running on that voting pattern. He may as well resign himself to either voting with the Republicans for 6 months or not plan on being re-elected.

Locally, one of my guys may have lost- expect a recount (it was THAT close)- and the one I wanted to lose did; REAL BIG.

The hard part is now I may need to vote for the Democrat in November, if Pendrey wins the recount.

New Kid On The Block

I found this through Instapundit.

I have to question why they think a Democrat will take the seat if Paul wins the Republican nomination. Is it because they think Paul is too Conservative for the state?

Or is it a scare tactic?

To be honest I like Dr. Paul's politics, but I know he's not a native Kentuckian, and the last thing I want is a Hillary Clinton representing me in Washington.

I guess I shouldn't be concerned; he has apparently lived here since 1993, when he married a native Kentuckian. 17 years still makes him a newcomer, but I guess I can trust him not to be a carpetbagger.

I just found out I am a rare breed in Kentucky- some body not registered to one of the two traditional parties. Apparently Kentucky has 2.9 million registered voters, only 190,000 of which aren't a Donkey or an Elephant. I actually wanted to change my party affiliation this election cycle solely to vote for Dr. Paul in the primary, and missed the cutoff for changing by two weeks.

I also like that Dr. Paul is not a career politician. He has positions based on principles, not triangulation. He is the kind of man we need in government; somebody who knows he can make more money by the honest job he has than by selling his vote in Congress.

I don't care what the pundits think. The polls already show him beating both Trey Greyson and any Democrat, and we still have 4 more months to the primary.

Will putting Rand Paul in the Senate instantly make the government smaller?

Nope.

But its just like walking the Appalachian Trail.

One step at a time friends; one step at a time.

YouTube Has Let Me Down

I wanted to post the clip from Christmas Vacation where Clark goes off on his rant about his boss, and preface it with "What I would say to Harry Reid this morning".

I can find the video, but copyright laws require them to strip the audio. So it loses a lot of its character.

Interestingly enough, my son's new Droid smart phone allows him to download the audio from that scene and use it as a ringtone.

Which he has. He attached it to his bosses cell phone number.

Well, anyway, if you remember the scene- even if not all of the words- you know what I think of Harry Reid.

Where's the Tylenol?

It's official, were screwed.

But, maybe not. The Senate Bill and the House Bill are different in several major ways. There are items (like the public option) in the House bill that make it unpassable in the Senate, and there are things in the Senate Bill (like the anti Abortion language- slim as it is) that make the bill unpassable in the House.

And Representative Parker Griffith is now a Republican, which makes the House's narrow margin even narrower.

We still can have HOPE that things can CHANGE and this pile of excrement never hits the Presidents desk.

But I'm still thinking about flying my flag upside down, just so people know how I feel about it.

Yeah; It's All About The Healthcare

I found this through Instapundit this morning.

And yet Washington wonders why we are urinated off at all of them.

Well, It Looks Like We Used To Have Free Country

News reports say the Dems have 60 votes needed to end the filibuster and put their "Health Care" bill to a vote.

Welcome to the end.

I'm only referencing this crap to prove it is real. As always I was listening to the BBC this morning and heard about this report. I got so riled up I had to get up early to blog about it.

I freely admit I have never been to the Tora Bora Mountains. But, based on the news reports I read at the time, This 'report' sounds like revisionist history, And to be leaked a day or two before Obama announces his new and improved Afghanistan policy is just too much for me.

This is typical politics, and one of the prime reasons we need to get rid of both the 'D's and 'R's in Washington. Notice how the blame stops in 2001, when Bush allegedly wouldn't support the troops?

Why did we have just a hundred commandos (does the US even have commandos? Do they mean SEALS?)? Was it because Clinton had so gutted the military we were lucky to be able to after al-Qaeda at all?

Back to the Tora Bora Mountains; this report makes it sound like we had him narrowed down to an area the size and appearance of Central Park (which is probably the wildest area most of these idiots have ever been in. To them a 'Yard' is the potted palm on the terrace), but Tora Bora is actually a little different. A series of caves in a remote and mountainous region, just getting the thousands of troops in there, much less supporting them, would have been a logistical nightmare.

And, this 'report' is based on published and unclassified sources, and has John Kerry's seal of approval.

Well, isn't THAT special?

More on Teddy Kennedy

One of the blogs I follow has a Teddy Kennedy post up.

I don't have but a minute, but this is great stuff. RCOcean does a lot of historical posting, and this post starts with a memo from the KGB files about Teddy.

The money quote is further down, in another post:

I’m starting to think that Dean Wormer was wrong. Apparently fat, drunk, and stupid IS the way to go through life.

RIP Edward Kennedy

Ted Kennedy died today, and I am not sure how to feel about it.

He was one of probably millions to lay down his mortal burdens in the last 24 hours, but the only one to really get any press, and to be eulogized by the President of the USA.

My religious training tells me that the loss of every individual is a tragedy in God’s eyes. I also want to express my sympathies to his family. He was, after all, a father, uncle, grandfather and husband. All else aside, the private mourners have my sincerest, deepest sympathy.

But, we also have to deal with the public Teddy Kennedy, and there I am rejoicing. It took death to relieve the Senate of Teddy Kennedy, but finally we have relief. Do you realize there are children in Massachusetts who have never known a day without Kennedy in the Senate? Children? Hell, there are parents who have never know the day. Probably even grandparents, who can’t remember his first election, and great-grandparents who probably cannot remember a Massachusetts ballot without his name on it.

How much more does it take to explain what is wrong with this country than to say Ted Kennedy spent 47 years in the Senate?

And not just him; Byrd and McConnell are problems too, and every other SOB who has been elected more than twice.

47 Years. He was 30 when first elected. Never held a job. Never lived under any of the laws he passed; never paid a dime into Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or any other government program he so proudly foisted on the rest of us.

And the overlords wonder why the natives are restless. They fail to take the Tea Parties and Townhall gatherings seriously, at least on the surface, but underneath, are they getting the message?

I am real interested in the outcome of the race to replace Teddy. What are the odds that a Republican can take that seat? I think I’d be forced to dance a public jig if that happened!

What Today Means to Me

I am trying to do a proper Fourth of July post.

I don’t know exactly where to start, or where it will end.

I guess the beginning is always a good place to start.

In the early summer of 1776 a band of men gathered in Philadelphia. They had determined that the cost of the government in England far outweighed the benefit of it. Some wanted to separate from England, others want to reconcile. None wanted to continue the way things were. A committee was formed to draft a declaration. Thomas Jefferson was a part of that committee, and wrote the essentials of the Declaration. Ben Franklin, another member of the committee, had a go at editing first, and then the entire Congress argued for days over ever line; every word; every comma.

During my research for this post I found a website dedicated solely to the Declaration of Independence (http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/); a very fascinating site. It not only covers the document itself, but the men who signed it, and what it cost them personally for the Declaration and the ensuing war for Independence.

We all know the Declaration exists, and probably have a vague idea what it says. The first part is the explanation of why the colonists have standing to press for redress for their grievances, and the last part is the list of charges against King George III. Some of their grievances against the government were positively addressed when our constitution was written in 1789. Where the Declaration has its most relevant power is, I think, here:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The question today is this: do we think that our current government has become “destructive of (our) ends” of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness? I think a fair number of us would holler “Hell YES!” as a response. But, I digress.

The Revolution was a long, hard fought, difficult war. Again we know the basics. Washington crossing the Delaware; Battle of Cowpens; Valley Forge; Yorktown. But our learning of the War is condensed to a couple of days every year in school, for the most part. The Battle of Concord was April 19th, 1775, the start of open hostilities. The Boston Tea Party was a year and a half earlier, in December of 1773. Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, the recognized end of hostilities. But the Treaty of Paris wasn’t ratified until September 3, 1783, and the last British troops finally left New York in November of that same year.

For perspective, assume today is July 4, 1776. The Boston Tea Party was in 2006, and the Battle of Lexington was in 2007. Cornwallis won’t surrender until 2014.

And yet, those men were willing to take on the battle. We will have 3 elections for the complete House of Representatives; elections for all three classes of Senators and a Presidential election between now and then. And these men had no idea how what they had started would turn out. As the Declaration says:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Will we need to go that far? I hope not. What will our next revolution cost? Hopefully just time. And a little Money.

Time to educate ourselves, and then others. We need to proselytize liberty from tyranny. We need a door to door and person to person type of preaching about our loss of liberty with the fervor of the recently converted or newly ordained. Know the facts, and spread them. Find out what was in the ‘Stimulus Bill’; find out what is in the ‘Cap and Trade’.

Money to support the candidates who agree with us. I have always said we don’t need to throw all of the bums out. My guy is pretty good, just throw the OTHER bums out. But I bet even Henry Waxman’s and Barney Frank’s constituents say the same thing, God help ‘em. And my guy is not perfect, just better than the rest. Let’s throw ALL the bums out, including mine (sorry Geoff; but you’ve had 3 terms, now go find honest work). It will be easier to dump McConnell; he’s had 24 years to reform Washington; I am starting to believe Washington reformed him.

As I said before I think Sarah Palin may have fired the first shot of the new Revolution yesterday; who of us will rally to her call?

It may not seem that way, but I mean this post to honor the patriots who pledged their Lives Fortunes and sacred Honor to the cause of Liberty 233 years ago. What would be the better honor? Fly a few flags, drink some beer and shoot a few fireworks, or start to retake our country from a modern George III ethos? An over-reaching, over-controlling, over-taxing Federal government. Or are you being governed just as you wish?

A safe, happy and fun filled Fourth to you all!

What happened to Mitch McConnell?

Okay, here’s the point; will we survive the next 2 years?

My one saving grace was the Republicans in the Senate (well, except for Snow, Specter and the other RINO form Maine), including my own Senator, Mitch McConnell.

Then I hear today that good ole Mitch has 75 million in earmarks in the latest Unstimulus Bill. What am I supposed to think?

Yeah Kentucky might have some short term benefit, but at what cost? Apparently not at the cost of good ole Mitch’s principles. Damn the bad luck.

What have we go to do to get that cesspool on the Potomac under control? We gave the Republicans total control for 6 years, and they screwed us wore than the democrats did, present Congress excepted of course.

Now the Dems are back in the driver’s seat, and out to prove (last 6 years of Repub control not to the contrary) that they are the party of big government and bigger spending.

Why haven’t we heard a word out of the Libertarians? Where in the Hell are they now that we need them?

Aw Hell, I need a beer. Or bourbon. Or both.