2016?

The Man got his first check of the New Year this morning and --though he is under Obama's magic $250,000/yr-- it certainly was much lighter than normal. He's pulling up old 'stubs' as I type, but he said at first glance his payroll tax and SS tax look to be substantially higher.

*sigh*

I know, I know. Obama will blame the Republicans for not dropping their collective pants and bending over in unison for a fiscal cliff deal.

(OT: I wish Obama and his supporters would watch/read this --Kos tried to debunk it and couldn't....)

So, given all this, naturally I was thinking about Obama's 2016 replacement. Everyone here knows I have lofty requirements for an ideal candidate...and he probably won't ever come to fruition.

But, I did happen across someone interesting that is making an appearance in the 24 hour news cycle.

New York State Senator Gregory R. Ball. Good looking guy, Valley Forge Military Academy grad, Air Force veteran, pro-life...and, you know, he had me at 'Puck:'

SENATOR BALL DROPS PUCK WITH FORMER NY RANGER FOR FREE DAY OF CHILDREN’S HOCKEY

He's currently in the news for standing behind the decision by Putnam County not to disclose the names of registered gun owners.

Senator Ball: ‘The Journal News Can Kiss My White, Irish You-Know-What’

Anyway, our NY friends can let us know what they think of this guy. I just thought he should be on the radar...

The Juxtaposition of Hollywood Celebs

A band of Hollywood celebs were recently featured in a PSA put together by a group called MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS. This group claims they only want to stop ILLEGAL guns:

"Protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, drug abusers, the seriously mentally ill and other dangerous people. Mayors Against Illegal Guns advocates for common-sense measures that will close deadly gaps in our gun laws and make sure law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to detect and deter gun trafficking. We have worked with more than 100 survivors and family members of gun violence victims in public campaigns to push for solutions from Washington."

Though, the PSA doesn't convey that "illegal gun" message. After watching the PSA, I wasn't sure at all what the celebs were advocating for....other than an ambiguous "plan." Most people aren't going to explore 3-5 different links the way I did...

And, therefore, the celeb message rubbed some folks the wrong way.

A rebuttal PSA was made that elucidates the seeming hypocrisy with these celebs that earn a bulk of their $$$ by portraying (glorifying?) violence (NOT work safe or small child appropriate):



I would like a "plan" for everything. But just stating that isn't very helpful. Probably should have donated the money it took to gather the celebs and make the PSA to the families of Sandy Hook...

John A. Boehner's Impending Vote

Should John Boehner Remain Speaker of the House?
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The List of Ayes by (R)'s.

Here is the complete list of AYES on last night's "Fiscal Cliff" (aka New Massive Spending Bill). Paul Ryan was amongst them...

House Votes 'Yes' on The Senate's 'Fiscal Cliff' Bill

Charles Krauthammer calls it a "complete surrender" to the Democrats.

It Seems This Artist Has Never Been To Philly..

Guest from the Right: Rebel Yid

Silence About Economic Growth



In The National Review Online, Victor Davis Hanson writes The Anecdotal President, 12/26/12.

Excerpt:

Obama’s current trajectory is not sustainable, and yet the president has not proposed spending cuts that would reduce the annual deficits in any meaningful way. Like Louis XIV, the Sun King, he knows that his spending is bankrupting his country and, if unchecked, will destroy generations to follow — and yet he knows even more strongly that he cannot quit. Instead, he fixates on upping the top rates on the 2 percent who currently pay over 40 percent of all federal income-tax revenues; his proposed hikes, however, would add only $80 or $90 billion in additional revenue, or about 8 percent of the aggregate borrowing each year. Additional income might derive from suggested changes in the nature of deductions, and from raises in capital-gains and inheritance taxes, but would supply only a fraction of what is needed to balance the budget.

The president, however, knows that his vast increases in federal spending, which have helped create loyal constituents, at some point must come to an end. (No doubt, Barack Obama will be as critical of “unpatriotic” deficit spending after he leaves office as he was before he entered it.) There simply are not enough “millionaires and billionaires,” “fat-cat bankers,, “corporate-jet owners,” and people who did not know when to quit profiting, or at what point they had made enough money, or that they did not build their own businesses. What then is the point about the obsession with earners in the top brackets –given that more taxes on them will do nothing to stop the fantastic rate of spending and very little to raise enough general revenue to service it? Answer: Obama’s attack on the upper brackets is a resonant talking point, but otherwise a mere political anecdote that has nothing to do with good governance. Raising taxes across the board or vastly cutting spending or both would start to solve the problem, and so, as real options, must go unmentioned.

HKO

Underlying his obsession with fairness is blindness to both the sources of wealth and the benefits to the non wealthy. Media noise about the fiscal cliff obsesses on taxing the wealthy more and somewhat cutting expenses , but almost never mentions the need for more economic growth. The cumulative impact of the legislation, regulation AND the threats of higher taxes is to bring economic growth to a halt. The focus should not be how much of the wealthy’s income or assets the ruling class is justified expropriating to pay for the reckless spending. The focus should be where will the wealth do our country the most good; in the hands of those who create it and multiply it or in the hands of bureaucrats and officials with power but without the knowledge to manage it. Should this wealth be used to create jobs for the productive middle class or be distributed to political cronies and the least productive citizens?

(You can read Rebel Yid daily at Rebel Yid: Beyond Left & Right)

Guest from the Left: J. Marquis

Tunnel Vision


"I only know what I hear on Fox News"...one of the scariest quotes ever.

Mosque arsonist tells court: ‘I only know what I hear on Fox News’

(You can read J. marquis daily at Major Conflict)

Letter to Obama from a WWII Veteran

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

"We're no longer a Christian nation"


"America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world, "America is mean-spirited." Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)


I'd say shame on the both of you but I don't think you like America nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said, "America hasn't lived up to her ideals." Which ones did you mean?

1. Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British ?

2. Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War?

3. I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellahs I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around because we stand for freedom.

4. I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer,young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their
people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now. And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes

This letter and the author have been verified by Snopes.com.

The author of the letter was Hawaii resident Harold B. Estes, a long-serving veteran of the U.S. Navy who was pictured in the May 2005 issue of Fore 'n Aft magazine and for whom the BMC Harold Estes Leadership Award is named.

Westboro Baptist Church Members...Interviewed by Russell Brand

Who would have thought the most comprehensive interview to date with WBC members would be done by Russell Brand... (NOT work or small child safe!)

Information Overload

Let's start by acknowledging that no matter what we feel should be the outcome of the Sandy Hook horror, our opinions originate in what we each believe is the best interest of our citizens. Regardless of what the talking heads are saying...*I* have certainly not been desensitized. I have had an ache in my chest since the news began to unfold. I am mourning for each of those families and am just as confused and outraged as the rest of the country that nightmares like this ever happen.

I just don't know if my brain can take another second of the guns vs. no guns debate. I have come to believe the outcome depends on whether you are thinking with your head or your heart. After the horrific events in Connecticut, it's a normal reaction to say, "No more guns!" I get it. I've been there. You just want a quick band-aid. A stiff drink. Something to make you think it will never happen again. I hear you. Seeing the faces of the children and hearing the stories of the heartbroken parents is more than most of us can bear.

I have a saying that my kids are sick of hearing...my own personal "mom mantra" --"Unfortunately the easy way is not usually the right way." It applies to most things. Most times the "right thing" is the tougher road, the more effort, the uncomfortable choice. Speaking up if someone is gossiping about a mutual friend, resisting peer pressure, giving back the extra $20 the cashier gave you by mistake, etc.

I am not among the stalwart gun defenders here. I don't own a gun and, if the truth be told, I am a bit scared of guns. I won't lie...my heart often says, "No more guns!" But, my head knows this is not the right answer. It won't fix anything. It's the easy answer and the right road is a long, uncomfortable one where we have to examine mental illness, divorce, government intervention, labeling, mainstreaming, valuing life and personal responsibility.

Americans don't like to talk about anything that might cause them guilt. They'd rather point the finger at an inanimate object and carry on exactly what they were doing before this happened. So, we'll probably pass some assault weapon laws and this will happen again and we'll be right back where we started...

But at the end of the day, all other arguments aside, the list of leaders that have banned gun control should give even the most fanatical anti-gun advocate pause. Shouldn't it?

Guest Post by Tater

Greetings all! Decided to take a break from fishing (getting to cold to fish down here in Fla!! Only 71F today) and drop a note. Specifically, wanted to reply to Nate’s left-wing blather from yesterday, where he espouses gun control as the answer to the Connecticut shootings. Later in the comment section Nate poses the following: “Let me pose the question. What should be done to make sure this doesn't happen again?”

The answer of course is simple; arm the teachers.

Had one of the six teachers that died that day possessed a hand gun, the outcome of Friday’s rampage would have likely been different. Had all six of the deceased teachers had a pistol in their possession, the outcome would have been UNQUESTIONABLY different. Instead the teachers were armed only with a strict gun control ban on campus. Unfortunately bad guys never seem to obey said gun control bans, and good guys (teachers and students) generally die from them. You’d think we’d eventually figure this out given the frequencies of school shootings (a quick Google search noted 56 school shootings in the USA during my life time alone! I’m 53 btw), but the answer is always the same; scream “more gun control”, promise to magically disarm the next assailant, and then await the next massacre that will surely come. Something about Einstein’s definition of insanity comes to mind here… How ‘bout we try something different, like hang a hand gun on the belt of every teacher?? Sure, give ‘em some training, make it voluntary etc. just like we did the airline pilots after 9/11 (a program that our dear leader has abolished btw).

I’m certain the left among us will scream “NOOOOOO we have too many guns in schools now!!!” But the truth is, we don’t have enough guns in schools. Ever wonder why bad guys attack schools? Two reasons: 1) They’re guaranteed the notoriety they crave, and 2) Its easy pickings, they’ll be the only one there packing. I doubt there’s a reader of this blog who can’t rattle off a half dozen school shootings from memory, however how many of you can ever recall a crazed gunman shooting up a police station? Ever wonder why?

I’ll close my rant with an acknowledgement that gun control does work. The three great liberal leaders of the 20th century (Hitler, Stalin and Mao Zedong) all enforced extremely strict gun bans on their civilian populations that were very effective. It allowed Hitler to successfully murder 21 million people, Stalin 43 million, and the most evil of all, Chairman Mao at 65 million. All told that’s 129 million folks who died wishing they had the second amendment.

Me thinks we should keep it.

Later

Tater

Guest Post by Nate

While I've not ever cared much about gun control, the latest tragedy has me thinking about the issue in a different light. Much like Islam being the choice of most religious terrorists, guns seem to be the weapons of choice for lunatic mass murderers. Automatic weapons enable any reasonably motivated to murder dozens of innocents. It is just too simple, too easy, and too convenient. The argument that guns are just a tool used to resonate, but you never see mass casualties with the other weapons of violence. My conclusion is that guns are particularly suited to these lunatics, and enables truly effective murders on their rampages. No other commonly available weapon fits the bill. Much like we all agree that that WMDs should be kept out of the hands of religious extremism, I think we all can agree that semi-automatic weapons should be kept out of the hands of monsters.

Newtown gunman had hundreds of bullets, police said

This could have been much worse. This guy was better armed than the police, and may have been better trained. Had he shot it out, we'd likely be mourning one or more police officers and a larger death toll. My motivation to defend the right to own these weapons has disappeared.

Heartbreak

Guest from the Right: Free0352

Email sent to Business Agent of Grand Rapids IBEW Local 876 whose thugs went after my mom.



My name as you can see from my email address is [Free], and I am a recently retired member of the United States Army who served as an Infantryman. Recently some of your members, to include a gentleman named Tony Cummings participated in a political protest near the State Capital in Lansing Michigan. While there, many of your local members participated in numerous acts of malicious destruction of property to include tearing down a tent operated by the political group Americans For Prosperity. Inside that tent was my 66 year old mother. Previous to this incident, several of your local members were involved in a highly publicized assault of a media individual who it appears was attempting to stop this criminal act. That incident aside, members of your local put my elderly mother in danger by causing a crowd serge within the tent, as well as the danger that heavy beams falling on her obviously could have posed an old woman. Luckily she was dragged to safety and only sustained minor injuries.

Upon her escape from the tent, one of your members spit in my mother's face and called her quote "A scab, cunt, whore." I know this man's name because his actions were captured by cell phone camera, and it was displayed clearly on the black jacket he was wearing which also clearly displayed your union name and local. A quick internet search allowed me to find your email address given this information.

I am largely politically neutral and not a fan of either major party, but I must admit any hope you had of winning my piece of public opinion died the minute your man spit in my mother's face, and some of your membership dropped a tent on her. I am likely not alone in this new, strongly held opinion as this incident is receiving wide media attention. If you have any sense as to the disastrous optics of this event, you will conduct an investigation into who from your union was involved in this senseless attack which has made your membership - and union members in general - look like thugs, and expel them from your union. To do otherwise causes people to suspect that you condone or even ordered the attack. In the new labor environment in Michigan you will now have to win over potential members to pay dues, so you might want to consider how you are publicly perceived. The image of attacking old women will affect people's willingness to join the IBEW. My mother would happily testify as to what she saw and I am encouraging her to press criminal charges. Having members of your local stand trial for assaulting an old woman would further damage your local and Labor's tarnished reputation and I imagine it would be best for the rest of your membership to distance yourself from these people.

Also, you should know that since my mother has been assaulted and since I'm a very good son with a lot of free time on my hands, I will now be escorting my mother to any event I even remotely suspect members of organized labor will be protesting. I am a very capable combatant having served multiple tours of duty as part of both Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, and you should let your members know I will use ALL LAWFUL FORCE NECESSARY to protect my mother from intimidation and assault. This includes lawful deadly force to prevent her or my injury. Please note this is not a threat and I have no desire to seek out you or any of your membership, or anyone else, for any kind of retribution. I have seen enough violence for ten life times and would be happy to never see any more as long as I live. Tracking down the people who hurt my mom is the job of law enforcement. I have however spent my adult life protecting this country and its interests and I will now be providing that service for my mother and her associates at political events. In the interest of peace and safety, I would encourage you to advise your membership to quit bothering people or worse assaulting little old ladies, because big combat vets with nonlethal chemical agents (pepper spray) and lawfully concealed hand guns might not be far behind them.

Best regards and Merry Christmas.
Sincerely,
[Free0352] USA, Retired.

Americans for Prosperity: Michigan announced they filed a police report through the Michigan State Police Capitol Post on Thursday afternoon.

Guest from the Left: J. Marquis

Travesty

I liked what one Michigan legislator said yesterday..."good legislation gets debated, bad legislation gets rammed through in the middle of the night."

The Lansing-Beijing connection


The Numbers Don't Lie

Makes you wonder if maybe we should be talking about LOWERING the age people can get on Medicare...

(You can read J. Marquis daily at Major Conflict)

Caption It...

Union Thug Life

"President Barack Obama says right-to-work legislation in Michigan is more about politics than economics. He is criticizing a measure that would prevent requiring non-union employees to financially support unions at their workplace.

Obama received loud applause at a Michigan engine plant when he said we shouldn’t be “taking away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions.”

The president says that the right-to-work bills are more about “giving you the right to work for less money.” (source)

I have to say that I really take exception to the President having the gall to comment so forcefully on something he knows nothing about. The President has never even had an actual, competitive, for-profit job until he became the President...let alone have any idea of what the difference between a union or non-union labor/mechanical shop is.

He has never been a young, entrepreneurial business owner trying to establish and put food on the table for his burgeoning family only to have union thugs key his truck and slash his tires or block job entrances. He's never had to drive through lines of goateed and beer bellied men spitting on him. Never had to be escorted onto a job site by Blackwater security guards. Never had to fear for his safety for doing an honest day's labor. Never had plumbers and electricians passing around pictures of Sasha and Malia while making disgusting and repulsive remarks.

We've lived it. Until he's experienced that, I don't want him to utter a word about someone's right to work. EVERY ONE has the right to work and the right to refuse to join a group that would engage in this thuggery and give your hard earned dollars to political candidates you abhor. It's everyone's right to choose their employer and the groups and organizations they align themselves with and give their money too.

Come to Philly, Mr. President, and go under cover with The Man to a few jobs in Center City and get a REAL look at the organizations you're defending...

Anti-US Military Style

"Kill those —— Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives
Kill those —— Yankees who ordered them to torture
Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers
Kill them all slowly and painfully"

~Psy, 2004

That song and painting yourself gold and smashing a model of a US military tank to the stage is a far cry from "Hey, sexy lady" and riding an imaginary horse.



But now tons of Americans that thought Psy was just a funny distraction are coming to learn that he has been a part of some pretty hardcore anti-US military protests and sentiments.

And, though the White House is well aware that Psy rapped about killing the mothers and daughters of US troops "slowly and painfully," they invited him to perform at the "Christmas in Washington" concert last night.

News or who cares?

Does this explanation ease your mind any?

Or the fact the he apologized on Friday as the story began to break:

'"While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted," the rapper said in a statement.

"I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words," he added.' (source)

A part of me thinks that nothing cures anti-Americanism like American dollars (though not true in the case of George Soros), but the other part has to wonder what our troops think of someone that has so publicly expressed these radical views against them performing for their Commander in Chief..........?!