Free Your Congressman from House Monarchy

Our republic dodged a bullet last week when, at the 11th hour, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced that he was removing himself from consideration for Speaker of the House. His surprise announcement came after John Boehner had assembled all GOP House members to elect his replacement.

Speaker Boehner, who is supposed to retire at the end of the month, had rushed this election to ensure that McCarthy, his chief lieutenant, would succeed him. However, when McCarthy bailed, Boehner asked for unanimous consent to postpone the vote. Before anyone could object, he dismissed the caucus, leaving the two remaining candidates in the race, Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Daniel Webster of FL, twisting in the wind. Continue reading “Free Your Congressman from House Monarchy” →

Lessons from Denny Hastert (The real Scandal)

Former Speaker of the House Denny Hastert has been indicted for allegedly structuring bank withdrawals of $952,000 to evade bank reporting requirements and then making false statements to federal investigators.

According to various media outlets, quoting unnamed law enforcement sources, this was part of a $3.5 million “hush money” agreement he made in 2010 with a former student over some form of sexual misconduct more than three decades ago.

However, it’s the method Hastert used for the withdrawals and the coverup that landed him in hot water with the Feds, not his actions with the former student.

If these allegations are true, they would be despicable. Any sexual contact between an adult and a minor is against the law (although it may not be prosecutable due to the statute of limitations). The wrong would be compounded, whether or not the act was consensual, because, at the time of the alleged incident, Hastert was in a position of power and influence over the student. People in positions of power are held to a higher standard — or they should be —such as a doctor and a patient or a president of the United States and an INTERN. Anyone remember Monica? Continue reading “Lessons from Denny Hastert (The real Scandal)” →

10 Predictions for the New Congress

Despite, thousands of letters, emails and phone calls, John Boehner was re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives but it wasn’t an overwhelming show of support. Twenty-five brave Republican congressmen (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/01/06/here-are-the-republicans-who-voted-against-john-boehner-for-speaker/ ) withstood pressure from within the conference and were willing to suffer retaliation in order to cast a vote for someone else or simply vote “present.” It was the largest number of congressmen to vote against a sitting speaker from their own party in 100 years.

Boehner ran up the white flag of surrender shortly after the election. It’s going to be a long, disappointing two years. That said, here are my predictions for the new Congress, predictions that I hope and pray will not come true. Continue reading “10 Predictions for the New Congress” →

The bad news? GOP’s same Spineless Leaders

So you think the fact that Republicans now control both houses of Congress there will be a rollback of Obama’s unpopular policies? Guess again.

If you hit the snooze button for another two years, there will be a lot of whining and gnashing of teeth, but nothing important will get done. Obamacare will still be the law of the land. We will still be spending more than we take in and our immigration laws will still be a joke.

But wait a minute. Isn’t this why the electorate gave the Republicans control of Congress? What about the millions that were spent on the ads Repubican candidates were running touting these very things? Aren’t these the very issues this election was supposed to be all about? Continue reading “The bad news? GOP’s same Spineless Leaders” →

Ten Best Conservative New Year’s Resolutions

Feeling a little guilty because you were caught up in the holiday rush and failed to make New Year’s resolutions? It’s not too late. January is a time to reassess, revitalize and invest in some worthwhile habits that will improve your life and the lives of those around you.

Many of my conservative friends tell me they have stopped watching the news. It’s just too depressing. With Obama as president, liberals in control of the Senate and Republican leaders in the House quaking in their boots, it looks as if the country will continue to decline as we complete the long, slow march toward socialism. Can anything stop it? Many conservatives have just given up. Continue reading “Ten Best Conservative New Year’s Resolutions” →

What the Polls are REALLY telling us about the Shutdown

Woe to the GOP! Beware of a government shutdown! You will be blamed and if you persist in challenging the president. You will lose control of the House of Representatives and kill any chance of regaining control of the Senate!

These “world will come to an end” warnings were issued by the Republican establishment and often repeated by timid GOP elected representatives who fear — above all else — being thrown out of office and having to get real jobs like the rest of us poor saps who pay their salaries.

Who can blame them?

In the USA they helped to create, jobs are hard to come by and even harder to maintain.

Now, the party establishment and their echo chorus in Congress are gleefully pointing to the latest Washington Post/ ABC News poll that shows that 74 percent of the American people are unhappy with the way they are handling these negotiations and saying, “I told you so!”

Not so fast. Continue reading “What the Polls are REALLY telling us about the Shutdown” →

Killing Santa Claus

One of the saddest moments in a child’s life is when one learns there is no Santa Claus.

That jolly old elf who has a large belly and an even larger bag of toys has brought smiles to children for hundreds of years. It’s his ability to grant every wish, large or small, that causes us to hang our stockings with care and makes us giddy with anticipation every Christmas Eve.

Of course when one is quite small, wishes are of a similar scale and the cost quite nominal. Somewhere between the doll house and the Ford convertible, we got a needed dose of reality. Someone has to pay for all those goodies. Nothing in life is free.

Unfortunately, some people never grow up. For these folks, the federal government replaced the man in the red velvet suit. Continue reading “Killing Santa Claus” →

The “Injustice” Department

There was a time, when the United States of America was respected for its justice system. No more! In fact, things have deteriorated so much under the current administration, the Justice Department headed by Attorney General Eric Holder is a national disgrace. Terrorists and those out to undermine our borders and trample our laws are laughing at us!

Monday’s ruling, blocking a Texas law requiring voters to show a photo ID, should be the last in a very large pile of “last straws.” A few months ago, the same Holder Injustice Department blocked a similar requirement in the state of South Carolina.

Why? Injustice says this requirement places an undue burden on minorities. How so? Continue reading “The “Injustice” Department” →

Is Gingrich a “Consistent” Conservative?

Newt Gingrich has billed himself as the more “consistent conservative” in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. According to Gingrich, he engineered the 1995 Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, balanced the budget and reformed welfare. If that is the case, why wouldn’t all conservatives want this man in the White House?

In 1994, Gingrich did lead the revolution that enabled Republicans to take control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. However, his record on balancing the budget and welfare reform needs an asterisk. And, sadly, under his leadership, the GOP quickly lost its footing and became part of the problem in Washington.

Under the Contract with America Continue reading “Is Gingrich a “Consistent” Conservative?” →

Lance Armstrong: Brilliance on a Bike?

It takes one to know one. Therefore, one must assume that professional cyclist Lance Armstrong is among the world’s “brightest” people.

Last week, Armstrong was the lead pony at the National Press Club for the pony and dog show put on by the American Cancer Society for the purpose of denouncing the Republican plan to cut the budget of the National Institutes of Health by a tiny 5.2 percent.

Continue reading “Lance Armstrong: Brilliance on a Bike?” →