The P-factor

The “P-factor” is a force that cannot be ignored by the pilot of an airplane.  Depending on the directional rotation of the propeller, it causes the airplane to yaw to the left or right during take off.

The Republican party has a “P-factor” of its own which cannot be ignored.

Say what you will about Ron Paul.  He is and will be a factor in the 2012 presidential election.  He will not win the GOP nomination.  He is running to advance his core beliefs and he must be heard within the party or he will be heard as an independent outside the party.  This would virtually assure Obama’s reelection.

Continue reading “The P-factor” →

The Mormon Divide

In this election, one of the most disturbing lines to come from some of my Christian brethren is “I will never cast a vote for a Mormon for president.”

This column is not an endorsement of Mitt Romney, but it is a call to serious reflection.  That attitude is un-American.  It is also dangerous, particularly so in this election.  Four more years under an unrestrained Barack Obama and we will not be able to recognize this country.  In the name of “social justice,” he is committed to leading us down the road to his verison of a socialist utopia.

What if Mitt Romney is the GOP nominee?  A Gallop Poll released last summer found that 18 percent of Americans would not consider voting for a Mormon for president.   In 2008, Barack Obama won by a margin of only 7.2 percent. Continue reading “The Mormon Divide” →

Work is a four-letter Word

There are certain words that most people consider unacceptable in polite conversation.  Most of them have four letters.  Thus they are commonly referred to as four-letter words.

Monday night, in the GOP presidential debate in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich used one of those four-letter words.  He did not get bleeped.  In fact, he got a standing ovation after using it again and again and again.  The word was W-O-R-K.

Over the years, the left has demonized those of us who would dare use this word in a polite discussion of poverty and welfare, so much so that most people simply have eliminated it from their vocabulary.   Continue reading “Work is a four-letter Word” →

Mitt has the Skill, not the Will

“U.S. files for Chapter 11!”

That should be the headline the day after the new president takes over next January.  Chapter 11 is not bankruptcy, per se,  it is a chance to reorganize.

When a business is unable to service its debt or pay its creditors, the business or its creditors can file with a federal bankruptcy court for protection while this reorganization takes place.   During this process, all existing contracts may be cancelled and assets are sold in an attempt to put the company on the road to recovery.   This week, we learned that the U.S. debt is now equal to the size of the entire U.S. economy.   Continue reading “Mitt has the Skill, not the Will” →

Gingrich reignites Climate Change Controversy

“Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.” Mark Twain

Does a leopard change its spots?  Does a tiger change its strips?

Newt Gingrich is what you might call a striped leopard or a spotted tiger.  When it comes to what some see as the impending doom of climate change, the former speaker of the House is trying to have it both ways.

On December 20, at a campaign stop in Iowa, he looked more like a deer than a leopard or tiger –  a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.   When confronted by a woman who expressed concern about a chapter on climate change being written for his post election book on the environment by climate change apologist Katherine Hayhoe, Newt began backpedaling. “That’s not going to be in the book,” he said.  “We didn’t know that they were doing that, and we told them to kill it.”

Ah, the proverbial “we.”  Who are/is the we?  The book’s editor, some unknown puppeteer who is out of sight pulling all the strings or Gingrich himself?  Continue reading “Gingrich reignites Climate Change Controversy” →

Need a little Christmas?

Christmas is, without a doubt, the happiest holiday of the year. The hustle and bustle, the decorations, the lights, the parties, the holiday cheer usually bring a smile to the most dedicated sourpuss. The magic and warmth of this holiday brings out the best in people who give generously at this time of year. The music and laughter brightens our spirits and everything looks better, at least in the short term.

After three years of an economic downturn there seems to be no light at the end of this tunnel. The economy is now on life support and many are struggling to hang on. Who knows how long this will last?

For we need a little Christmas

Right this very minute,

Candles in the window,

Carols at the spinet.

This song from the musical Mame was sung by the madcap protagonist who had just lost her fortune in the stock market crash of 1929. It easily could have been written today for it sums up our feelings in 2011. Continue reading “Need a little Christmas?” →

The Unwanted Christmas Gift

Ronald Reagan correctly stated that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

The very last thing we need is a new government agency micromanaging the financial decisions of banks, businesses and individuals. We already have seven powerful entities tasked with the oversight of the banking, lending and investment industries.

We have the Federal Reserve. We have the Comptroller of the Currency. We have the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. We have the Securities and Exchange Commission. We have the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. We have the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. They have done such a wonderful job. Just look at the mess we’re in!

Now, the Obama Administration and the Democrats have given us a new, onerous, unaccountable regulatory agency with virtually unlimited power to control all of our money that isn’t hidden under a rock somewhere. It’s called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If you are the least bit familiar with Washington, the name alone is enough to leave you shaking in your boots. Continue reading “The Unwanted Christmas Gift” →

Bribery!

What is your price, the price you would take to sell out your country? What price would you take to sell out your children? What price would you take to sell out your grandmother?

Would you sell out your country for a million dollars, a billion perhaps? What is the freedom that you now enjoy really worth? If you had a cool billion in your pocket, would you be willing to take your chances in another part of the world, under a dictator perhaps?

What about the future of your children? Okay, I will admit to considering this question on one of their really bad days, but let’s be serious. Most of us wouldn’t take a billion to trash the future of our own flesh and blood. And Granny? You’ve got to be kidding!

Nevertheless, President Barack Obama, most Democrats and, sadly, many Republican leaders think you are willing to sell out your country, your kids and Granny for a mere thousand bucks.

Continue reading “Bribery!” →

Cain is Toast!

As a presidential candidate, Herman Cain is done. He is toast!

In the past, I and many others gave him the benefit of doubt. The sexual harassment claims against him that were settled by the National Restaurant Association appeared frivolous at best. Sharon Bialek’s assertion was a “he said, she said” and appeared to be financially and politically motivated. However, Ginger White’s allegation that she carried on a13-year affair with Cain, backed up with records of telephone and text messages, is troubling. At best, it is a case of poor judgment on his part and there is no wiggle room in that.

Mr. Cain, in addition to his many business accomplishments, is an associate minister. I have been present when he delivered the devotion. This man knows the Word of God and the Word says that you are to avoid even the appearance of evil. Also, you are to flee situations that might lead you into temptation. Continue reading “Cain is Toast!” →

Thanksgiving and the Welfare State

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings and thank God for them. For the early pilgrims, these blessings were simple and few. The first thanksgiving celebrated at Plymouth was for a bountiful harvest following a year the colonists suffered great loss from hunger and disease.

In the years that followed, days of thanksgiving were solemn yet joyful occasions. Hard work was a fact of life but no guarantee that a family would have the necessities needed to survive. Our ancestors understood that they could plant and plow but only God could make things grow. Continue reading “Thanksgiving and the Welfare State” →