Wonder if She Assaulted Any Israeli Police?

July 3rd, 2009

Cynthia McKinney, yes the same former U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia made famous for assaulting a Capitol Police Office a few years ago when he stopped her from entering the Capitol because she did not show him an ID and a presidential candidate for the Green Party, has been detained in Israel for being aboard a ship that attempted to run an Israeli naval blockade and enter the Gaza area.  I wonder how it feels to be an anti-Semite surrounded by Jews. Hopefully they keep her a while longer.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/02/cynthia-mckinney-remains-imprisoned-israel-gaza-bound-boat-seized/

Writing, Hiking, Driving Along the Coast, or Something Else

June 30th, 2009

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford would have been a great candidate for POTUS in the 2012 election.  Social Conservatives would have loved his stances on the two hot button issues of abortion and gay marriage.  Economic Conservatives would have loved his move against the stimulus funds, which he then accepted but only after getting the legislative branch of South Carolina to agree to match those funds to pay down the state deficit.  Neo-Conservatives would have loved his military service, even as he is currently in the Air Force.  Sanford would have garnered Libertarian-Conservative support (granted Ron Paul does not run) due to his stance on education and his soft support from the Liberty Caucus.  He would have indeed been a candidate for all the factions.

The last week or so has been truly bizarre.   I recall first seeing about the governor being MIA.  My first thought was that this was no big deal.  Turns out I was wrong.  Rumors were that he had said he had to go somewhere quiet to do some writing.  Then, it was said that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.  I finally realized that he was doing all of this over the Father’s Day holiday, and the governor had two children.  Then news came out that his vehicle had been found at an airport in or near Atlanta.  When questioned, he stated he did not know why his staff said he was hiking, and that he had been driving the coast in Argentina.  Something just wasn’t right, which was confirmed at his press conference in which he admitted to having an affair. 

The news has definitely derailed any 2012 POTUS hopes, but is it an offense for which he should resign?  Obviously, a person should not just resign from a job for an indescretion.  For example, if a bank teller is having an affair with a construction worker, neither would need to resign if it is not effecting either’s work.  If a pastor were having an affair, he should resign because it would have to effect his job, because others would not see him in the same light as before.  A pastor would never be qualified to be a minister again because (the Bible forbids it in my opinion) that would be detrimental to any work that he would ever do.  If a politician were having an affair, it gets a little trickier.

Rep. Mark Foley was caught having erotic conversations with male pages.  This ruined any future in politics that he might have had.  Resigning was the only option.

Senator Larry Craig was caught trying to solicite homosexual sex in an airport bathroom.  This ruined his ability to be taken seriously and he should have resigned.

Barney Frank should never be taken seriously and should resign, but the left apparently owes him something as he is a power player.

The whole Lewinsky affair destroyed Clinton’s ability to do anything substantial as POTUS.  He should have resigned.

John McCain and Newt Gingrich have been able to weather questionable behavior and have successful political careers that really have not had a major effect on their ability to serve as politicians. 

These examples bring us to Mark Sanford.  Can Mark Sanford continue as Governor of South Carolina?  It is highly doubtful.  Had there not been such media attention (as with John Ensign), Sanford may have been able to weather the storm.  That has not been the case.  I know every time I heard about Mark Sanford a month ago, I thought about an honorable man who stood up to the federal government.  Now when I hear about Sanford, the  text of those steamy e-mails come to mind.  It is doubtful that he can be anything more than a lame duck, and he should resign.  Maybe he would be able to come back years from now, but that is even highly doubtful at this point.

Greeneville - Greene County TEA Party

June 30th, 2009

There will be an Independence Day TEA Party Rally on Thursday, July 2nd at noon.  The event will be held at the Greene County Courthouse. 

http://greenevilletn.net/teaparty/

I hope to see a large turn out.

Local Klan at Work

June 24th, 2009

I have not looked at my Johnson City Press or Greeneville Sun today, so maybe that is why I have missed the story, but here it is after 4 o’clock, and as I browsed Post Politics, I found a story out of Greeneville, TN.  I only live about 10 minutes or so from Greeneville, so this piqued my interest. 

Apparently, someone or a group of people claiming to be from the Klan spread flyers titled “10 Steps to a Better America.”  These flyers were left in a predominately African-American neighborhood earlier this month.   The local residents a upset, and rightfully so.   

The Greeneville Police Dept. thinks otherwise.  They say that the distributors were only possibly guilty of littering.  Were they not also guilty of trespassing?  I hope to never see anyone distributing flyers in my yard while wearing a hood.  (I am a supporter of the 2nd Amendment and private property rights.  It is a person’s duty to protect their family from anyone who would sneak onto your property in the middle of the night, especially if they are wearing masks.)  I hope that the Greeneville Police are taking this seriously, even if they are right and no other crimes were committed.

I have not seen the flyer myself, but I was able to find one on the internet that appears to be the same one shown on the video in the WJHL broadcast. If so, there are no threats so it would be difficult to charge them with much more.  Ignorance is not a crime in and of itself.  Neither is harboring racist beliefs.  Maybe I am missing something that they can be charged with. 

The Greeneville Police do say that this is freedom of speech.  It is, but crimes were committed.  Littering and trespassing were committed.  If the people were going door to door handing this out, there would have been no crime.  But if someone sneaks under a cover of darkness to distribute this material, they knowingly littered.  They knowingly trespassed.  I suggest that the GPD go after these people and charge them with what they can, consitutitionally.  (Please don’t say it was hate speech.  That goes against the equal protection under the law.)  Make sure to keep an eye on these areas so that you can be sure it was nothing more than handing out literature.

And to all you pro-KKK people that may end up reading this story: Do not tell me that they meant nothing by this.  Why would you give an African-American a piece of literature saying, “We must secure an existence for ourselves and the future for our White Christian Children!”  Would that not be something you would tell to whites?

I remember during the last Presidential election, that I got a flyer placed on my car while I was at school.  The flyer said to vote for Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate.  (I did vote for Baldwin.)  In this flyer, it said that the US government was responsible for 9/11 as they bombed the WTC.  I believe it may have even had some racial things in it.  It would not surprise me a bit to find out that the same people passed out that nonsense.  I know enough about politics to know that this was something with which the Constitution Party had nothing to do, but it reflected bad on the Constitution Party.  Several teachers knew that there was no way I was voting for Obama, and that McCain was not getting my vote because he was nothing more than a RINO.  They knew that I was voting for Baldwin.  After this was left on their windshield, I felt the need to tell them that this was something some wacko had come up with, not the Constitution Party.  I did not want those views to reflect on me.  Alas, there are some people in this area that have more than just a screw loose.

Cancel it Already!

June 22nd, 2009

I don’t like to get into tabloid material very often. I usually stick to politics. I sometimes take up sports and religion. But, c’mon. Can TLC please just cancel Jon & Kate Plus 8? It would make everyone’s lives much easier.

A Contact Form Sent to Sen. Lamar Alexander

June 19th, 2009

[The following is in reference to a quote by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) concerning a bill filed by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX). The bill calls on Congress to audit the Federal Reserve. The empty suit (or plaid shirt), Lamar Alexander thinks that is a bad idea. Enjoy!]

“A sorry day when Congress superimposes itself on the Fed, nosing around in monetary policy?” It is a sorry day when you have Lamar Alexander as your senator, but of course it has been several sorry years for Tennesseans. You are sir, in all due respect, what is exactly wrong with the Republican Party. What part of the Constitution gives the Fed authority to set monetary policy? Take all the time you need to find that answer because I am sure you won’t.

You sure didn’t read the Constitution as Sec. of Education of the US. Sorry to let you in on a little secret, but the Dept. of Education is also unconstitutional. That is coming from a public school teacher, who just happens to be the husband of another public school teacher.

It seems oaths and pledges mean absolutely nothing to you. You take an oath to uphold the Constitution, but you don’t follow through. That is kind of like when you said you would never again run for public office only to decide to run for Sen. Thompson’s seat. You definitely did not deserve to follow him.

Before you dismiss me as some liberal lunatic, I will let you know that I am a lifelong Republican. I have always stood for Conservative values, even in running for political office as a Republican. That is more than I can say for you. You are half-way there though. You can run as a Republican as often as you like, but a Conservative you are not. You are nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing (or goofy plaid shirt). But that did seems to work out for you until you ran for President. Thank God that didn’t work out for you. There is no telling what kind of mess you would have made there. Though it may have actually paled in comparison with Obama.

You are definitely lucky that you had to run for re-election in 2008. You would not win against a real Conservative in 2010. Lucky for you, you can do damage until 2014. I will assume that you will retire at that time, because you won’t want to run against a Conservative challenger with your record.

Alas, you will probably never get this. A staffer will either press the delete button or come up with some form e-mail about how you feel my concerns. It has happened before and will probably happen again this time. If by chance you do decide to read it, listen to your constiuents for once. The American Republic is based on constitutional law. The Fed has been allowed to run all over the Constitution as it is. At least allow Congress to look at the monetary policy the Fed is following. I only worry about how much more the big government Republicans (like yourself) and the leftists can mess things up. But, I have decided that there is no way that the Fed nor Congress can do much worse than is happening now.

I don’t agree with Ron Paul on everything. I do find that he is one of the few principled people left on Capitol Hill. He is also one of the last Constitutionalists left. I even voted for him to be the Republican nominee because he seemed to really understand monetary policy. Things were not terrible, but he told us what would happen. Those things did begin to happen. He really gets it. His bill to audit the Fed is a good thing. Transparency is a good thing. I will put it this way… Transparency in government (including the Fed) is better than getting a new plaid shirt.

Wow… 2 Months?

June 19th, 2009

Sadly, it has been two months since I last posted. A lot has been going on with building a house and moving. My office is mostly set up and I am back. Things may still be a little sporadic, but I am definitely back…

Reagan - Obama Debate

April 21st, 2009

Josh’s 2009 MLB Predictions

April 4th, 2009

American League

East - Boston, Tampa, New York, Baltimore, Toronto

Central - Chicago, Cleveland, Minnesota, Kansas City, Detroit

West - Los Angeles, Oakland, Texas, Seattle

Wild Card - Tampa

ALCS - Boston, Chicago

National League

East - Atlanta, Philly, New York, Florida, Washington

Central - Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Houston, Cincy, Pitt

West - Arizona, Los Angeles, Colorado, San Francisco, San Diego

Wild Card - Philly

NLCS - Philly and Cubs

World Series - Philly loses to Boston

Obama Bin Lyin’

March 25th, 2009

Obama is no friend of the Constitution. It is merely a nuisance to him. As President of the United States, he was sworn to uphold and protect the Constitution. He lied in his oath. Everyone knew he would because he had earlier stated that “Constitution is a charter of negative liberties.” Funny that I have never considered liberty to be a negative. This should be no suprise given his given his closeness with William Ayers (who stated that his terrorist group had not done enough even though they had bombed several American targets) and Jeremiah Wright (his pastor who said it should not be God Bless America, but God D— America).

The First Amendment states that Americans have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, right of assembly, and the right to petition the government.

Obama’s First Amendment Assault began while his campaign for the presidency was being waged. Obama pulled out all of the stops as he made sure that neither his birth certificate nor his college records were released. This has created a firestorm of allegations that Obama is hiding that he is ineligible to be POTUS. The public must be able to firmly scrutinize those running for office. The press tried to go after a legitimate story, but Obama worked hard to make sure this did not happen.

Also during the campaign, Obama worked with officials throughout the US to limit free speech by bullying tactics. For example, in St. Louis officials threatened libel charges against people who spoke out against Obama. This went further than local officials even as Obama was able to persuade the Justice Department to go after the American Issues Project over ads that showed Obama’s associations.

A new bill has been introduced by Sen. Cardin (D-MD) named the Newspaper Revitilization Act. This act, among other things would give government control of newspapers by limiting one aspect of the free press that goes back to the foundations of our nation. Under the Newspaper Revitilization Act, the press would not be allowed to endorse candidates. Now I am one that thinks newspaper endorsements are stupid anyways, but that does not mean that the government should be able to limit this. An easy fix is for people to cancel subscriptions if they do not like the practice.

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution gives Americans the right to bear arms. This is simply another nuisance for Mr. Obama.

During his campaign, Obama stated that he supported the Second Amendment. Obama did put an asterisk there, however, as he stated that it is subject to “common-sense” regulation. This just means that Obama believes that he can relegate this to pea shooters if he pleases. Don’t believe me? In the Illinois Senate, Obama voted to ban and confiscate semi-automatic shotguns used by hunters. He also voted to ban almost all rifle ammo. He also supports a 500% increase on taxes on guns and ammo. Furthermore, he supports a ban on handgun ownership. He believes that cities can ban gun ownership. His Attorney General of the US, Eric Holder, is even worse. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees against unreasonable searches and seizures. This goes back to Obama’s support to confiscate semi-automatics shotguns. Obama has a horrible record on this just as he does on most other constitional issues. Obama supported FISA which allows for secret courts to convene and issue search warrants. Think this is legit? Out of 22,990 warrants requested since the beginning in 1979 and going to 2006, 22,985 have been granted. Only 5 have been denied.

The Fifth Amendment allows for grand jury trials, no double jeopardy, the right to not incriminate yourself, due process, and the right to keep one’s property. On this one, I will focus on private property rights. This is where Obama has been hit the hardest. Obama has stated that he wants to redistribute wealth so that the wealthiest Americans and poorest Americans do not have such a gap between the two. That sounds all well and good if you do not understand freedom. John Locke stated a right to “life, liberty, and property.” Obama believes that this property should be more evenly distributed through government intervention. This is a socialist tenant. A lot of people are turned off by the mention of Obama and socialism, but those people do not really look into it. Search for the basic tenants of socialism and then look at Obama quotes. Do independent research and then you decide.

The last of the Bill of Rights that I want to deal with is the Tenth Amendment. This states that the “powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” This is not just one of Obama’s failures, but it is one of Washington’s failures. All of the bailouts and stimuli and all of whatever junk they are cramming down our throats has strings attached to it. This is being given to the states and forcing the states to do what Washington says. Obama is going to tell states what to do just as he does to companies. Obama wants the power to take over companies that have not even failed (not that taking over companies that have failed is much better), and don’t doubt that he will seek further executive control to systematically gain controls over what is going on in the states. While Bush was a menace to the Constitution, Obama will undoubtedly do much more harm unless he is placed in check or even removed from office.

If Obama succeeds, America fails.

*** Some of the rights in the Constitution were skipped because those are not current issues. For example, quartering of troops is not an issue at this time. However, given Obama’s record, do you think he would obey this if he felt the need to disobey it? Don’t doubt that the Constitution will be subverted to comply more with international law than to be based on our liberties and laws.***

Ron Paul at CPAC

February 28th, 2009

Ramsey Says He is In

February 28th, 2009

http://greenevillesun.com/story/301709

He’s Gone

February 9th, 2009

Who is Michael Steele?

January 31st, 2009

Yesterday the RNC chose a new chairman to lead the Republican Party. Being head of a political party is not something that I could ever see myself doing as I like to be an independent minded critic that points out the negatives of all candidates. Blame it on my cynicism, but being a cheerleader for a bunch of politicians is not a job that I could respect myself in. If I ever rose to any level within a political party, I would still remain a vocal critic even of those in my party.

Michael Steele was one of five seeking the head of the RNC. He won on the sixth ballot. I watched most of the action as it happened on CSPAN. I must say that this is really the first time I have watched such an election. I actually have found this to be a superior form of electing a leader as you cannot have several good candidates with split support and a terrible candidate with solid support. If you had 5 good candidates each pulling in 15% each, but the 6th candidate may be a horrible choice but he may have 25%. It kind of makes me think of the Corker, Bryant, Van Hilleary Senate race from a few years back. You had Bryant and Van Hilleary running as conservatives and Corker as a moderate. Had Van Hilleary or Bryant dropped out, I am sure the other would have won. Instead, we got stuck with the moderate.

Steele, himself, is somewhat of a moderate on issues. He is pro-life but believes that Roe v. Wade is settled law that should remain. With civil rights type issues, he is pro-traditional marriage, but he is also pro-affirmitive action. He is also against the death penalty. He is conservative on a host of other issues, however. He is against No Child Left Behind (believe it or not, this is actually a conservative ideal), for guns, against socialized medicine, and against illegal immigration.

Steele also received the endorsement of Newt Gingrich and he led GOPAC, a political action committee that develops candidates for state and local offices.

Steele has some minority appeal as an African-American, but his leadership with GOPAC makes him a prime candidate to lead Republicanism back into the mainstream on a grassroots level. While I would like Steele to be a stronger conservative on some issues, he may have been the best candidate to bring the Republican Party back from the ashes.

Tennessee News Platoon Fresh out of Beta…

January 21st, 2009

Nashville, TN - Strategic Activism, LLC, partnering with the #Don’t Go Movement is proud to launch a news and opinion website focused on state and local news and written by Tennesseans for Tennesseans.

Tennessee News Platoon goes live today along with sister sites in Arizona and Virginia with the other 47 states to follow shortly.

The News Platoon model is different from other multi-author news websites in a number of critical areas setting it apart and holding great promise.

News Platoon is committed to State and Local news. As MSM outlets cut staff and coverage, State and Local stories fall out of the news cycle. This creates a population segment that lacks news coverage and news consumption. News Platoon is written by citizen journalists. Dissatisfied with Liberal bias from “professionals” in the MSM, News Platoon contributors are engaged and informed citizens with a flair for communication.

Further, they are openly and unashamedly Right of Center. They are unafraid to be known as committed to values like Free Markets, Smaller Government and Individual Liberty. News Platoon contributors are fair, factual and Right. News Platoon is founded on a “for profit” model. It will solicit and accept local and national advertising and pay contributors for their work. This ensures fresh content and permits setting high standards for the quality and integrity of the content.

Finally, and most uniquely, News Platoon is not the product of any think tank, political party, organization, PAC or non-profit. There’s no inside-the-beltway spin and no protecting the-good-ole’-boy network. The folks behind News Platoon are ordinary citizens interested in politics and gifted to engage the culture in print. There’s no Party line, issue or agenda to drive. Contributors say what they think and believe. They are passionate about their politics and we believe ou’ll be eager to hear what they have to say.

Come by Tennessee News Platoon. Tell friends in Arizona and Virginia about their News Platoons and your friends across the country to watch for launches in their states.

Strategic Activism, LLC is a new media/web strategy consulting firm based out of Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information about the News Platoon Network, or to request information about advertising rates, please contact Eric Odom via eric@newsplatoon.com

# # #

Which Naifeh Webpage Should the State Use?

January 20th, 2009

Here is the link to the Naifeh webpage the House has now. Notice the title he has that has not even been voted on.

http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/h81.html

Here is a link to a webpage Jim Boyd created for Naifeh.

http://www.cooljim.com/naifeh/

Vote in my comments for the one you like best!

Compean and Ramos Commuted!

January 19th, 2009

President Bush finally commuted the sentences of Ramos and Compean.  Read more http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95QC3480&show_article=1

The Barack Obama - Alan Keyes Ping Pong Match

January 10th, 2009

Alan Keyes and Barack Obama apparently have an ongoing feud.  The first time that I believe their paths crossed was in the 2004 Illinois Senate race.  In that race Obama was elected as the Junior Senator for the state of Illinois, but not before Keyes really frustrated Obama with several charges that he brought against him. 

Their paths crossed again in the 2008 Presidential Campaign.  While neither candidate debated each other this time, Obama was the Democratic candidate and winner of the Presidential Election.  Alan Keyes lost the Republican and Constitution Party nominations, but he did win the third largest amount of votes in the Presidential Election.

The real kicker from the 2008 Presidential Campaign is a lawsuit that was filed after the election.  Several lawsuits were brought against Obama due to a lack of proof of “natural-born” citizenship status.  This stems from his “citizenship” in Indonesia as a child (Indonesia did not allow dual-citizenship, so his parents would have had to have given up American citizenship), his travel to Pakistan in the 1980’s (which was closed to American citizens), and his lack of proof of a birth certificate in Hawaii (not a certificate of live birth, and the fact that his grandmother claims to have seen him born in Kenya).  Most of the lawsuits were deemed to not have standing because the courts ruled that those people were not harmed from the lack of documentation concerning Obama.  Alan Keyes also brought a lawsuit, and since he was a Presidential candidate, there is little doubt that he would have standing. 

*** A separate lawsuit is going to have a conference after Justice John Roberts called one for January 23rd. ***

Now the next set of barbs are being traded as Obama has launched a new service plan.  Alan Keyes has a website called RenewAmerica.us.  What is the name of Obama’s new service plan?  Renew America Together.

TNGOP Should Look for a New Comptroller Candidate?

January 7th, 2009

The Bear Creek Ledger says so… 

http://bearcreekledger.com/2009/01/07/looks-like-tn-gop-legislators-better-look-for-another-comptroller/

Tim McGraw v. Bill Frist Seemingly Thwarted

January 6th, 2009

The potential heavyweight fight between Country Music Superstar Tim McGraw and former Majority Leader Bill Frist for the Nashville Governor’s mansion seems to be quickly fading.  Tim McGraw, a Democrat who has called former President Clinton one of his greatest political influences, has expressed interest in the governorship… just not in 2010.  He has repeatedly denied that he will be a candidate for the post in 2010.  Bill Frist, a heart surgeon and former U.S. Senator, has also stated that he will not seek the spot in 2010.  Frist seems to be enjoying private life again though you have to wonder if he is not itching to get back in the spotlight for a future Presidential run. 

With the lack of interest from the heavyweights, that begs for an answer to, “Who will run?”  There are several names being thrown about on the Republican side, but the Democrats seemingly have few big names with wide popularity that the average Tennessean might know already.  The Republicans have some heavy hitters in certain circles, but any one of the candidates may have big trouble in setting themself apart in the Republican Primary. 

The Bill Frist announcement has led to a flood of names entering the fray.  On the Democratic side State Sen. Andy Berke, Congressman Lincoln Davis, former Congressman Harold Ford Jr.,  and former State Rep. Kim McMillan are the headliners that may seek the spot.  The potential Republican headliners are Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Shelby County DA Bill Gibbons, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, and Congressman Zach Wamp.  I could also very easily see Van Hilleary getting into the mix.  I also have to wonder if former Congressman David Davis may get involved.  This past election cycle was good for the last name Davis in the US Senate Race in Tennessee as a huge upset nearly happened simply on Davis name recognition.  Another interesting figure would be State Rep. Stacey Campfield, though I really have no idea if he would even run. 

I must admit that there are several of these figures that I really have no clue about, but I will research each potential candidate a little more, and I will provide some updates about them over the next several months.

***Edit at 9:40 PM January 6, 2008***  Add State Representative Beth Harwell to the possibles.  ***Edit at 9:40 PM January 6, 2008***