Pelosi Shuns Those Who Worked with Republicans
Nov 9, 2006 Political
Nancy Pelosi has the carpet picked out and the carpets being laid and now all she has to do is wait until January to take control of the House. Interestingly, there is all this talk about bipartisanship and working together, though no one in his right mind believes this. Pelosi has given the first clue as to how Republicans will be treated and what bipartisan really means to her in a few glimpses of how she will treat members of her own party. Remember, in a story during the campaign we were told that people know better than to cross her. Pfft, I would lay the smackdown on her so fast that she would be crying in the corner, but I digress.
Pelosi has indicated that people who cooperated with the Republicans will not be in line for any leadership positions in her House, a House she is more fit to clean than to run. This is her idea of cooperation. Anyone who worked with the Republicans will be in trouble with the new task master on the “plantation” (Hillary said it was OK to say).
Democratic Party sources said as House Speaker, Ms. Pelosi plans to block moves that would place hawks into important chairmanships. The sources said a key casualty would be Rep. Jane Harman, a six-term member of Congress who has cooperated with Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee.
“Nancy Pelosi wants total party discipline,” a source in the Democratic Party leadership said. “If you played ball with the Republicans during this session, then you’re not going to be given an important chair in the next session.” Insight
Nancy wants total party discipline which means what? Will they stand and give the Nazi salute or goose step into the House Chamber (it is kind of fun being able to use the Nazi references on them, turn about is fair play)? It is a poor example to set if the whole tone was a different direction and bipartisanship. Of course, when the Democrats said different direction they just meant the crap would now flow the other way. That is to be expected in American politics, as sad as it is, both sides do it. To take out anger on her own party is a new low and just shows that the donks are not as tolerant as they claim to be.
This should come as no surprise after the way the party treated Lieberman for being too close to Bush. He won and is now in the driver’s seat because he can do pretty much what he wants. Of course, Pelsoi can not screw with him because he is in the Senate and I don’t imagine the Dems in the Senate can screw with him too much either. Matter of fact, if I were Joe I would tell them I wanted to be the Senate President. If they said no I would tell the Republicans I will switch parties if I can be Senate President. Then they would be really screwed. With a one seat lead, Lieberman is in a great position.
Pelosi will enter like a lion and leave like a lamb. The Republicans are not in much of a position to do anything except have their president veto stupid bills. He probably won’t but that is another story. If she ticks off enough people in the House it is possible that when they vote on leadership she might just come up short. Now that, would be a new direction.
Tags: Commentary, Political
The Death of Maryland
Nov 8, 2006 Political
When Robert Ehrlich took over as Governor in Maryland four years ago things looked brighter for the Republican Party. In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 it was nice to see the minority party have representation. Unfortunately, Maryland has had one party rule for decades and the Democrats have ruined this state with poor legislative leadership. They have made rule changes along the way to ensure they are always in power and that Republicans have no say. Mind you, they never mind taking the Republican’s hard earned money (and lots of it) they just never want the Republicans to have any say in the process. The BOHICA (Bend Over Here It Comes Again) mantra can be chanted anytime they are in session and especially with regard to the Republican Party.
Ehrlich brought fresh ideas to a state stagnant with tax and spend philosophies that allowed Democrats to appeal to those who live off government hand outs. He took a state that was billions of dollars in debt and put us heavily in the black, something Democratic Governors were unable to do. The problem is that Ehrlich is a Republican and the Baltimore Sun did not like him. The legislature in Annapolis did not like him and they worked very hard to make sure his agenda was never considered and died a slow miserable death. Ehrlich wanted to bring slot machines to Maryland to raise revenue and to keep money that routinely goes to West Virginia or Delaware right here in the state. Michael Busch opposes gambling, or so he says and he blocked every attempt at slots. Of course, this opposition to gambling only presented itself in opposition to the Governor and his slots because those opposed to gambling have no problem with the multitude of lottery games that the state runs on a daily basis. As long as the Democratic politicians get all the money from gambling then they are happy but if they have to share it with the folks who would manage the system then they are opposed. Typical for Democrats, they have variable morals.
I believe it was also Busch who stated that he was going to bury the Republicans face down. six feet under, so it would take 20 years for them to resurface. He might have accomplished that with this election as Republicans lost some of the precious few seats they hold in Annapolis. This makes the Democrats happy because their anointed boy, cry baby Martin O’Malley won the race for Governor yesterday. Ehrlich ran a good race and had a record to run on that is admirable. O’Malley had a record he ran from, that is when he was not embellishing his accomplishments in the worst city in the country. But in the end there were too many Democrats in this state who decided that they would rather have a state run by a whining incompetent than a proven leader.
Robert Ehrlich had a tough fight from the start because everything in Maryland is Democratic. The Baltimore Sun endorsed O’Malley knowing full well that if he won it would return the state to one party rule and allow the careless spending to take place. Ironically, the same Sun that endorsed one party rule in Maryland recommended that voters select Democrats in national elections in order to get rid of one party rule. Evidently it is OK in our state but not in the country. Of course, if the one party ruling the nation had been Democratic, the Sun would not have made such a recommendation. O’Malley was endorsed by some of the labor unions and of course the teacher’s union endorsed him despite his poor record in the city school system. Obviously, they care more about union benefits than children’s education.
O’Malley has made a number of promises for which there is no money. He promised health care for everyone, cheaper. College tuition for everyone, cheaper, and a myriad of other items for which he has no money. Anyone want to guess where he will get it? The state has mandated items that it must pay for and they have the money for 25% of the 41% that will be required in the future. O’Malley will raise taxes on gasoline and, imagine this, he is going to try and get slots. He was originally opposed to them but now he needs money so it is OK. I am betting he will get them with no resistance, at least not on the scale Ehrlich did. And, it will pass for him. Though I like to occasionally play the slots, I will never use any in Maryland. I live close to Delaware and would rather patronize them than the Democrats in Maryland (if I could I would move there). O’Malley will also raise income taxes. It is not bad enough that Marylanders pay a fortune in taxes now, O’Malley wants to put the squeeze on even more. This is how the Maryland Democrats pay for their ineptitude. They tax the hell out of the people who live here or as I like to say, “they never met a tax they didn’t hike.” Of course the majority of the city folks that voted for him don’t have to worry too much about tax problems.
It is a shame that Ehrlich lost and it is even worse that the state of Maryland has to endure O’Malley. When his childish whining and lack of leadership is added to the mindless prattle and lack of leadership that is the Democratic Party in Annapolis the people of Maryland will take it on the chin, or more likely, much lower and posteriorly, and as Menken would say, “good and hard.”
It is going to be a miserable four years (eight if he does not shoot for something higher) with O’Malley in office but I am glad that I will be able to bust his chops every time he screws up. Maybe if I tick him off enough he’ll give me a call so I can tell him how worthless I think he really is.
Tags: Political
Open Letter To Elected Republicans
Nov 8, 2006 Political
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope that the carnage experienced last night leaves a very bitter taste in your mouths and that you awaken this morning wiser than when you went to bed. The American people have spoken and they have chosen a new direction not because the Democrats offer anything better but because you failed to offer leadership. People crave leadership and if they do not get it they will latch on to the first person or group they think offers it. Germans craved leadership so badly they elected Hitler to lead them because there was no one who stood up to provide an alternative. I hope you also realize that the power of incumbency is diminished and that people will vote to replace you if you do not demonstrate that you can lead. Americans saw that Democrats offered no leadership in 1994 and turned to you for guidance and leadership. You started strong and then fell into the trap of complacency and greed. Yesterday, Americans doubted your ability to lead and turned to others. It should be humbling to know your leadership was so ineffective that you were beaten by people who had no platform. When a party that terrorists endorse wins, you have lost your grip on leadership.
It is not the mark of a leader to listen to lobbyists and ignore the people who vote for you and who you are supposed to represent. A lobbyist only gets one vote and it might not even be in your state but the people that you are supposed to lead have tens of thousands of votes and they will use them in their best interests. If you are not in their best interests you will not get that vote. It is a crime to be lured by the money of lobbyists who have you on speed dial while those who expect better are ignored. I have had the same Congressman for nearly 20 years and the first time I received anything from him was a week ago when he checked, “as he likes to do from time to time” to see how things were. It was nice of him to send me that form letter. I received a survey from the Republicans asking me what they could do to make things better but I only received it when the tide was beginning to rise against them. All the years that things were good I was taken for granted.
The American people rejected you for Democrats who were selected because they are moderate. Their leadership fully realizes that Liberalism fails when it is placed before the public and that in order to win they must either select moderates or pretend to be moderates. Why do you think Hillary is playing the part of a moderate? She knows that Liberalism is a hard sell. Conservatism works every time it is tried and yet, you somehow lost sight of that. Americans want leaders who vote based on principles, not on how much money a lobbyist paid them. There are new Democrats in Congress who are there because they are moderates and they know they must remain so or they will lose to a more Conservative candidate. You lost because people saw them as the lesser of two evils and figured that a Democrat who is moderate is better than a Republican who does not know how to be a conservative.
In 2008 you have a chance to win again but it will take hard work on your part because you have betrayed the trust of the Conservatives who put you in office. We are beginning to ramp up for the 2008 elections and we are looking for real Conservatives and we will not support any Republican that is not a true Conservative. Those of you who will be up for reelection in 2008 and who are not Conservative do not have a chance of getting our support because we are only supporting people who actually espouse Conservative principles, not just act the part for the cameras.
We want candidates who will secure this country. We will only support candidates who are dedicated to winning the war in Iraq. We will only support candidates who are dedicated to broadening and winning the war on terror. We will only support candidates who will give us Constitutionalist judges. We will only support candidates who will secure our borders without amnesty and without exception. We will only support candidates who represent strong moral values. And we will only support candidates who will reduce spending and balance the budget. Your failure to do these things resulted in a resounding defeat. Here is your fair warning, if you do not espouse these qualities through word and deed you need not apply.
There are a number of you that have hibernated in the Congress for far too long and who have not given the Conservatives any value. You are on your way out so start working on your memoirs and your career after politics. We are going in a new direction and we are not taking you with us. Those who are prospective candidates, take notice because you will not be considered if you are not a Conservative.
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Tags: Political
So Now We Move On
Nov 8, 2006 Political
Perhaps the Republican Party will actually learn something from this loss, that while not a landslide, was still painful. When you lose to people who have absolutely nothing to say then you have a problem. That problem is that Republicans forgot why Americans sent them to Washington in the first place. We sent you there to be Conservative. If we wanted more spending, if we wanted ILLEGALS coming in unabated, if we wanted corruption, we would have kept Democrats in charge back in 1994. You failed to deliver conservatism and you failed to deliver a message that people could hold on to. And quite honestly, some of you deserved to lose.
The idea of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House is vile, disgusting and repulsive. But the fact is, she will fill that slot unless the donks decide that someone else should do it. Republicans have no say in that matter and they need to be figuring out what latrine their offices will be in. This country will be weaker and more vulnerable not only because Democrats are in charge of it but because Republicans were negligent in their duties. As much as the Democrats will have responsibility for the disasters ahead, Republicans will share in that blame because they failed in their duties.
I don’t like the idea of Democrats in charge because I know what they will do. I know what kind of liberal twaddle Pelosi will bring and I know that right now the big winners are the Terrorists who endorsed the Democratic Party. I only hope that should they attack here again, the only people affected are the ones sitting in the Capitol. Innocent people should not pay for the stupidity that takes place in DC.
I don’t much like the idea that we lost but I have found a few bright spots in the loss. First of all, I am a Second Amendment believer so I will always be safe. It will be more important now than ever to be armed to prevent government tyranny and to protect our homeland from the people who will come here to do us harm. Second, now it is my turn to play the blame game. For a long time, no matter what happened Republicans were blamed because they were in charge. Now, I get to blame everything on the Democrats. They are in charge, their fault. I can now sit around like the idiots at Kos and write about every time Pelosi farts. I can point out every time they lie, cheat, or steal, and everything will be their fault. I think that is the best bright spot. One other thing that is good about this is that it might actually make Republicans aware of what they should really be standing for and what Conservatism is all about. They might just get their acts together to take back control, but if history is any indicator, it will be a long time.
One other thing that this might actually do is make George Bush govern. It is easy to be the leader when you party is in control but when there is opposition it gets tougher. Bush might actually have to dust off his veto pen and show he knows how to use it. There will be gridlock for at least the next two years but that might not be all bad. The Dems are in charge but not in a position to throw weight around. They have just enough power to really screw things up.
The real draw back is that his will make that idiot Howard Dean look like a genius.
Those of us on the right do not cry when we lose. We suck it up and move on. Unlike the left who crawl under their beds when they lose, Republicans know that we still have work to do and we will roll up our sleeves and get it done. It is a dark day for America but we have been through dark times before.
Congratulations to the Democratic Party and their supporters. You ran on absolutely no platform and won. Now you actually have to show you know what you are doing. I hope you are up for the challenge.
Tags: Political
What Are The Problems With Voting Machines?
Nov 7, 2006 Political
Ever since we went to the touch screen voting machines there have been complaints of problems real or perceived. I have my reservations about machines that have no paper trail though I realize that if a person can hack the machine he can hack it so that it affects the printer. If we are going to use electronic machines I would prefer that the voter fill out a ballot (with the bubbles and number 2 pencil) and then the voter would activate the machine with the plastic card and insert the ballot to be tallied. This would provide a paper receipt that was generated by the voter and not the machine.
Having said that, I wonder why so many people have problems. I keep hearing reports of “I voted for one guy and when I voted for the next guy my first vote got changed.” Before people jump on the bandwagon and say there is fraud it might be helpful to see if voter error is involved. Did the person touch the wrong area of the screen? Did the voter select the wrong person in the first place? Perhaps the screen needs to be re-calibrated (a function that needs to be performed throughout the day). I know that the machines can be hacked but if someone were hacking a machine then it would be hacked in a transparent manner, not one that can be seen on the screen.
I also believe that many people say that there were problems even when there were not. We only need to look back two years and see that the Democratic play book indicated that people should allege problems even if there were none. This sounds like a perfect way to cast doubt on the process and allow lawyers to get involved in supposed problems. I am not saying that the Democrats have people who were told to do this but I would not put it past them. I also think there are people who are resistant to change and they will allege difficulties because they do not like the system.
Tags: Commentary, Political