In the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ringside Politics bestowed its first “Turkey of the Year” award to then New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin for his woeful leadership, bad judgment and embarrassing statements. Since then, we have been recognizing “turkeys” from both of the major political parties. For example, in 2014, we gave the “Turkey of the Year” award to a very worthy recipient, Republican House Speaker John Boehner.
After years of putting the spotlight on “turkeys” we are pleased to announce our first “Champion of the Year.” For 2014, there is no one more qualified for this honor than U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Cruz is unquestionably brilliant and he has the academic credentials to prove it. He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton and graduated from Harvard Law magna cum laude. He was an award winning debater in college and the primary editor of the Law Review at Harvard. Eventually, he clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, becoming the first Hispanic (Cuban father) ever to hold such a position. From 2003-2008, he served as Solicitor General for the State of Texas, successfully arguing five cases before the Supreme Court.
In 2012, he scored a major upset in the Texas Republican primary for U.S. Senate by easily defeating Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, the establishment’s preferred candidate, and coasting to victory in the general election. He has been fighting the establishment in both parties ever since.
The U.S. Senate has never seen the likes of Ted Cruz. He does not play by the rules or the politics as usual game. Instead, Cruz acts independently, displays tremendous courage and a strong commitment to conservative values.
Last year, he led the fourth longest filibuster in Senate history to highlight the outrage of Obamacare. Although he was unsuccessful in achieving his goal of defunding Obamacare, Cruz succeeded in focusing the nation’s attention on the failed program. When his actions led to a brief government shutdown, his critics said Cruz would cost Republican seats in the next election. As usual, the establishment was wrong and Cruz’s emphasis on Obamacare helped the Republican Party win a historic victory in the mid-term elections.
In 2014, Cruz was undeterred by the relentless criticism. He fought the President’s net neutrality initiative and the misguided effort to tax the Internet. Last week, he led a group of conservative Senators in demanding a recorded vote on the President’s illegal executive decision to grant amnesty to five million undocumented aliens. Cruz’s position upset Senators from both parties who wanted to spend the weekend at home, instead of working for the American people.
Cruz is unabashedly pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. In recent days, he has rightly criticized President Obama’s unwise deal with the communist regime in Cuba. No matter how controversial the issue, Cruz can be expected to take a courageous stand, firmly rooted in the U.S. Constitution, traditional values and conservative principles.
Hopefully, he will run for President and give grassroots conservatives an alternative to establishment candidates like former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
It is essential for a conservative like Cruz to win the GOP nomination in 2016. Otherwise, the party cannot win the presidency, as has been demonstrated in the last several elections.
Republicans need a presidential candidate who can articulate a clear, convincing conservative message and who is not afraid to debate. In the last election, Mitt Romney played defense in the last two presidential debates and lost the election. Romney had multiple positions on key issues, but, with Ted Cruz, Republicans have a leader who is steadfast and has the courage of his convictions.
He is the obvious choice for Ringside Politics Champion of the Year.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s announcement today that he will “actively explore” the presidency marks the start of an 18 month battle for control of the Republican Party.
On one side are Bush, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the candidates of the establishment or moderate wing of the party. On the other side are the conservatives who comprise the list of almost two dozen potential presidential candidates.
The nomination battle will be fierce, expensive and “wide open,” according to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who believes the race will be heavily contested and the most “open on our side since 1940.” Gingrich certainly knows his subject matter, since he lost the GOP nomination contest in 2012 to moderate heartthrob Mitt Romney. In fact, moderates have won the GOP presidential nomination every year since 1960, with the exception of Barry Goldwater in 1964 and Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984.
While moderates have been successful in winning the nomination, the record shows that since 1992, Republican presidential nominees have either lost as moderate candidates or in the case of George W. Bush, won the White House masquerading as a conservative.
A conservative presidential nominee would give Republicans the best chance of defeating a liberal Democrat opponent. Unfortunately, the challenge has always been to wrest the nomination away from the party’s establishment moderate establishment wing, which always has superior funding and political endorsements.
Another critical problem for conservatives is that their votes are usually split between several viable presidential candidates, as was the case in 2012. In that nomination contest, Mitt Romney was the only moderate candidate in the race and garnered universal support from that wing of the party.
In contrast, the 2016 presidential race will feature at least two and possibly three moderate candidates splitting the votes. With Bush and Christie likely in the race, the big question becomes whether Mitt Romney will once again throw his hat in the ring.
On the conservative side, there are multiple Governors, U.S. Senators and potential wild card candidates like Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson who are sizing up the race right now. The clock is ticking for these potential candidates to make up their mind because in the upcoming nomination battle, the primaries and convention will be held earlier, with an official nominee being selected by June of 2016.
Thus, conservatives face the challenge of the calendar and the incredible financial demands of a serious race for the presidency. It remains to be seen how many of the roughly two dozen conservative candidates can raise the necessary funds to be a legitimate contender for the nomination.
While conservatives will struggle for funding, Jeb Bush will have plenty of money as his last name will give him a tremendous advantage. It is also a handicap because millions of conservatives are tired of the Bush family controlling the Republican Party.
The legacy of the Bush presidencies has been quite negative. Bush, Sr. raised taxes after promising “no new taxes,” while Bush, Jr. almost doubled the national debt, created new entitlement programs and foisted upon the country a massive new government department and bureaucracy.
If elected, Jeb Bush will likely follow in the footsteps of his brother and father. He advocates the controversial Common Core educational program; he supports immigration reform, which conservatives believe is glorified amnesty. He is also an advocate of gun purchase background checks, but not a supporter of the National Rifle Association.
Among many reputable conservatives, Bush’s record is quite troubling. Overall, Bush is “a very good moderate Democrat,” according to talk show host Mark Levin. Legendary activist and direct mail expert Richard Viguerie says that conservatives “don’t trust” Jeb Bush. In the view of Regan biographer Craig Shirley, the Bush family has a very disturbing history of battling conservatives as they “got their start in 1980 opposing Reagan and Reaganism, as they continue to do today.”
In making his Facebook announcement, Bush declared that he wanted to restore the “promise of America.” In reality, he wants to restore the ultimate political power for his family’s dynasty. Our country’s promise cannot be restored by electing the third member of the Bush family since 1993 to serve as President.
As noted by Trump, who is not only a famous business tycoon, but also is known for his ability to turn a phrase, our country “does not need another Bush that I can tell you.” In other words, before we can hire Jeb Bush as President, let’s steal a famous Trump phrase and tell him, “You’re fired.”
On the eve of her election defeat, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) appeared as a guest on my radio program, Ringside Politics, on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans.
Over the past 16 years as host of Ringside Politics, I have interviewed Senator Landrieu over a dozen times. In the past, she would call in to promote a particular issue or cause, usually engaging in pleasant conversation or good natured debate.
Our relationship certainly changed in our last radio interview, which occurred over a year ago on the contentious topic of Internet taxes. It was a testy exchange as the Senator and I clashed on whether the government should extend its reach into Internet commerce and tax consumers who purchase goods online.
After our on air tax debate, the Senator refrained from appearing on my program, even though she had an open invitation. She finally relented on election eve and called in for an interview, which was a sign of her last minute desperation facing a major political loss. At the time of the interview, no respectable political analyst gave her any chance of winning re-election.
With her losing badly and battling a cold, it was clear from the beginning of the interview that Senator Landrieu was unhappy.
Initially, we discussed her infamous decision to support Obamacare and later her 97% support for President Obama and finally the shocking allegations made by State Senator Elbert Guillory (R-Opelousas) that there was rampant election fraud in her last election. In fact, Guillory alleged that 10% of Landrieu’s votes were fraudulent in the last election.
The Senator abruptly left the conversation before I could ask the dozens of questions submitted by listeners, who wanted to know why she supported the President on issues such as gun control, amnesty for illegal aliens, higher spending, more taxes, etc.
In our 11 minute exchange, she had to defend her vote on Obamacare and was unable to engage in her favorite topic of recent days: Bill Cassidy’s LSU payments and potential billing discrepancies.
Here is a link to the heated interview, http://bit.ly/1z35sEe, which showed how much pressure Senator Landrieu felt with her 35 year political career ending. However, she had no one to blame but herself for her political downfall.
While she was surely abandoned by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and her fellow Democratic Senators on the Keystone Pipeline issue, she would not have been so vulnerable if she would have listened to the people of Louisiana.
In the end, she was too invested in liberalism to connect with the voters of her state. She supported President Obama 97% of the time, while Louisiana voters only give President Obama a 37% approval rating, so it was clear she did a very poor job of representing her constituents.
She has a lifetime American Conservative Union voting record of only 20%. While that might work in Vermont, it is miserably out of step in the red state of Louisiana.
The majority of Louisiana voters were very motivated to vote against Mary Landrieu and Barack Obama for a variety of reasons, but the most important one is Obamacare. During the deliberations on the legislation, voters throughout the state bombarded Landrieu’s office with postcards, emails and calls demanding that she vote no on the bill.
Instead of listening to our concerns, she voted with President Obama. The result has been much worse than a billion dollar waste of a website; it has been massive job losses, work hours being cut, many Americans losing their doctor and millions of people facing higher insurance premiums. Today, doctors are fleeing an industry in turmoil thanks to Mary Landrieu and President Obama.
Sadly, Senator Landrieu was irritable on the air last Friday. It was not the way she should have ended her political career. Maybe she had regrets about her poor decisions in office or maybe she was just upset that her privileged lifestyle will be coming to an end. Either way, it was a good lesson for Bill Cassidy.
Hopefully, our new Senator will never forget that he works for the people of Louisiana, not a political party and certainly not a politician or a President.
Each year during the Thanksgiving season, Americans enjoy turkey as the main course in cherished family dinner traditions. However, at Ringside Politics, we evaluate political or media “turkeys” who have been nominated for our annual award.
As usual, we had plenty of nominees to consider for the 2014 “Turkey of the Year Award.” Unlike most honors our award is not coveted, for the honoree should hold his or her head in shame. The winner is someone who engaged in especially dumb behavior, befitting of the pea brained fowl we carve up each year at the holiday dinner table.
Past winners have included political “turkeys” like former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and former New Orleans Congressman Bill Jefferson, who both sit in federal prison today; filmmaker Michael Moore, who continually embarrasses himself; and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, whose idiotic statements could be cataloged into several volumes.
At Ringside Politics, our awards are bestowed in a bi-partisan manner, so, this year, it is especially appropriate that we give the “Turkey of the Year Award” to a Republican, Speaker of the House John Boehner.
When Mr. Boehner is not crying during an interview, tanning at the salon, or playing golf with Barack Obama, he is “leading” congressional Republicans. He is the most powerful Republican in the country today, as he is third in line to the presidency, but he does not exude confidence or leadership ability. He is a dyed in the wool member of the establishment, so he holds the Tea Party in low regard.
Sadly, the Speaker is bereft of courage, principles and political instincts. Despite the overwhelming Republican victory on November 4 and the President’s unconstitutional executive amnesty order, Speaker Boehner abdicated his authority and left for Thanksgiving vacation.
While the President is running roughshod over a Congress that has been called “inert” by constitutional professor Jonathan Turley, Boehner refuses to act decisively. For example, it took almost two years for a special house committee to be established to investigate the Benghazi attack. When Attorney General Eric Holder refused to provide Congress the needed documents on the Fast and Furious investigation and former IRS official Lois Lerner refused to cooperate on the charges her agency harassed Tea Party groups, both were held in Contempt of Congress. Unfortunately, nothing else has happened to either transgressor.
In the most recent outrage, President Obama creatively expanded executive power to grant amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants. In response, Boehner did nothing, which is how he responds whenever the President violates the constitution.
He has moved to the left by signing a climate change agreement limiting our carbon emissions, appointing a very liberal Attorney General, and offering a bold plan to increase government oversight of the Internet. All of these initiatives are threats to this country and they should be met with a confident and clear response as Republican leaders should explore all political and legal remedies.
Since losing the mid-term election, the President has become emboldened, acting aggressively on a range of issues. He is not compromising; he is pursuing his agenda, regardless of Congress.
The Republicans just won the mid-term elections, but they are acting like the losers while the President, the big loser, is acting like the winner. Boehner is advising caution, while Obama is swinging for the fences. Republicans won the mid-term because Americans wanted the GOP to stop the Obama agenda, but, to stop it; Boehner needs to show courageous leadership.
Unfortunately, while he is reluctant to tangle with the President or illegal immigration activists, Boehner is more than willing to fight the grassroots conservatives in his own party. Maybe conservatives looking for a champion can find one in the 2016 presidential line-up of candidates, but they do not have one as House Speaker or incoming Senate Majority Leader for that matter.
Conservatives flocked to the polls in the mid-term election to restore Republicans to leadership positions in the U.S. Senate and retain control of the House, but to what avail? If the GOP in Congress will not stand up to Obama, what good is having the leadership positions?
Some in Congress have called for impeachment, lawsuits or defunding all of the activities associated with the executive amnesty. The least attractive option is to do nothing, but that has been the congressional response to date. Boehner says that the House “will act” and that Obama is “damaging the presidency,” but such rhetoric is just empty words if it is backed up by no response.
In the mid-term races, many Republican candidates campaigned on the illegal immigration issue, claiming they would stop amnesty. Now, efforts to eliminate funding for executive amnesty are being opposed by House GOP leaders who claim they do not have the power to deny funding. Baloney, according to U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who asserts that Congress “has the power” to remove such funding and that “it can be done.”
Maybe Boehner and the GOP establishment are worried about a government shutdown or too afraid of their big business donors who demand cheap labor. Maybe they are scared of Hispanic leaders who will cry racism if Republicans advocate following the existing law, building the border fence and prosecuting businesses that knowingly hire illegal labor. Who knows the exact fears, but while the GOP is frozen with inaction, the President will move forward with the next radical item on his agenda, oppressive environmental regulations for example.
This inaction could split the tenuous Republican coalition that assembled for the mid-term elections. Without action on key issues such as executive amnesty, Tea Party conservatives may start to bolt from the GOP.
At the current time, bold action is required from the Republican Party, but Americans should expect little to nothing since the GOP is saddled with John Boehner at the helm.
Thus far he has proven to be a perfect “Turkey of the Year” but not much of a Speaker of the House.
Even in their darkest hour, Democrats can still count on one group to support them, Hollywood. The land of make believe is filled with hopelessly liberal fools who continue to give major donations to Democrat Party leaders. In recent days, Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama have benefitted from lavish Hollywood fundraisers.
Recently, Barack Obama was celebrated at an extravagant fundraiser hosted by far left fool Gwyneth Paltrow. The event featured some of the biggest names in Hollywood, such as actress Julia Roberts. Tickets cost as much as $15,000 each with the funds benefitting the Democratic National Committee.
When introducing Obama, Paltrow gushed, “I am one of your biggest fans, if not the biggest.” At that point, the Obama super fan made an insanely idiotic statement, “It would be wonderful if we were able to give this man all of the power he needs to pass the things he needs to pass.”
Obviously, Paltrow does not have any kind of understanding about American history or our constitutional republic. She must want to eliminate our three branches of government and institute some sort of Obama dictatorship. It is bad enough that the President will be granting executive amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, circumventing Congress and violating the law. Incredibly, the expanded executive powers of President Obama are not enough. Paltrow seemingly wants to disband Congress, especially since the House is led by Republicans, and let Obama have ultimate power to rule over his loyal subjects, like her friends, the fools in Hollywood.
The problem for Gwyneth’s rosy scenario is that there are millions of other Americans who have different ideas on how this country should be operated. Such freedom loving Americans are not enamored with socialism, open borders, and political correctness. It sounds like Paltrow and company want to do away with elections altogether and place conservatives and other pesky folks standing in the President’s way into political internment camps.
Heaven help this country if the wishes of Paltrow and Hollywood are ever achieved. It would mean the end of our country as we know it and the total elimination of our cherished constitutional freedoms guaranteed in our Bill of Rights.
Hopefully, Paltrow was just mesmerized by Obama’s star power and not thinking clearly. In fact, she admitted her mental troubles by gushing to President Obama, “You’re so handsome that I can’t speak properly.”
While the President’s good looks may be in the eye of the beholder, there is no disputing that Paltrow can’t speak or think properly. At the event, she called herself a “working mother,” who was pleased that the President pushed for equal pay for woman. Any pampered and over paid Hollywood star who equates her status to working mothers insults the millions of women in this country who are struggling to survive in the Obama economy.
The best way to help working women and all workers in America is not to institute more government rules and regulations, burdening business with equal pay requirements. Our objective needs to switch from growing the welfare state and government bureaucracy to unleashing the free market. If we would reduce needlessly high personal and corporate taxes, it would give our economy the fuel to grow, thereby creating more of the coveted higher paying jobs. Such a plan would help all Americans, even those who can’t speak properly.
Today our country is in the midst of a battle for our survival. We face a well-armed and well-funded terror army, Islamic State, which has grown to 31,500 fighters, including 2,000 from Western nations. President Obama outlined a more aggressive approach in his speech last night to attack the terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Unfortunately, battling the terrorists in the Middle East is not nearly enough. Due to an open border, there is no doubt that the terrorists have already infiltrated this nation.
While the President talks tough about bombing Islamic State terrorists, he will not address the crisis at the border. Because of this inaction, Texas Governor Rick Perry has been forced to send his National Guard troops to border locations.
Sadly, this is too little, too late. There is no fence across most of the border region, in violation of the law. Employers are hiring illegal immigrants with no repercussions. Our safety is being compromised as we have no idea what drugs, weapons or bombs are entering the United States.
Filmmaker James O’Keefe exposed how ridiculously easy it is to cross the Southern border even dressed as Osama Bin Laden. He crossed the Northern border carrying a bag marked “Ricin.” No one stopped him as his traveled into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and even entered the building with a duffel bag that could have been filled with biological weapons.
Terrorists are not stupid, they know we are vulnerable; however, due to politics the President and the Democrats will not enforce the laws on the books to protect this nation.
In November, the President is poised to give amnesty to 6 million illegal aliens. This mostly Hispanic population of individuals will receive benefits, work permits, Social Security cards and photo Id’s. Obviously, once the pathway to citizenship is complete, the vast majority will become Democratic voters. This action will be immensely popular with the majority of Hispanic voters in this country who will reward Democrats with even stronger support.
The plan is to remake America into a one party country with Democrats practically unbeatable in national elections. If Texas is turned “blue” and becomes a reliably Democratic state, it becomes almost impossible for Republicans to win the presidency.
The Republican Congress has passed a bill to stop this planned amnesty, but, not surprisingly, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has not allowed a vote on the bill. He wants to shield Democrats like Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu from an uncomfortable decision of whether to side with Democrats and Barack Obama or her constituents. In fact, Harry Reid hopes the President goes “Real Big” when he issues his executive order of amnesty.
Reid wants the President to act because it will help the Democratic Party. He obviously does not care that Obama will be breaking the law when he awards amnesty to lawbreakers.
The last time millions of illegal aliens were granted amnesty was in 1986. In that year, Congress passed legislation and it was signed by the President. This time, Obama cannot get such legislation through the House, so he will act on his own, in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
When this is done, our country will be forever changed. The balance of power between the branches of government will be destroyed as the President will be acting with dictatorial power.
When this happens, Congress should respond either with impeachment or removal of funding so an amnesty cannot be implemented by the government. The problem is that the House is led by the feckless John Boehner who will not stand up to Obama. The Senate will not act because it has a majority of Democrats, unless that changes in November.
It is dangerous time for America. The threats from abroad and at home are very serious and we are being led by individuals who are allowing politics to trump national security to the peril of every American.
Definition of Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
Unbelievably, the drumbeat is beginning for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to run for President a third time. The man who lost twice for President is now being encouraged by many party leaders to give it another try.
Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) recently told MSNBC, “I think he’s proven right on a lot of stuff. I happen to be in the camp that thinks he’s actually going to run and I think he will be the next President of the United States.”
Chaffetz is not alone; commentator Ann Coulter, Internet titan Matt Drudge and many others are on board the Romney 2016 bandwagon. In addition, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Governor’s running mate in 2012, told reporters yesterday that he would “love to see Mitt Romney run for president again.”
Mitt Romney is the darling of the establishment wing of the party. He is a moderate from the Northeast who is not known for strong positions on social issues. For example, he has changed his stance on gay marriage and abortion multiple times.
While he is for a secure border and opposed to amnesty, he is the worst possible candidate to address the dangers of socialized medicine. As Governor, Romney championed a Massachusetts version of government operated healthcare. President Obama used Romney’s plan as a model for the disastrous Affordable Care Act that was foisted on the American people.
Even with all of his baggage, Romney was positioned to defeat Barack Obama in the last election. He won the first debate and needed strong performances in the final two outings to seal the deal with the American people.
Instead, he listened to his advisers and played it safe. The result is that Romney missed many opportunities to blast the President on the Benghazi terrorist attack and wound up agreeing with Obama on a number of issues.
In the last election, his comments on the “47%” of Americans on government assistance and his remarks about “binders full of women” were manipulated by the media and misinterpreted by voters.
His successful background as a Bain Capital executive was easy fodder for Democrats to attack him as a rich, heartless businessman. Sadly, his leadership position in the Mormon Church was an issue for some evangelical Christian voters who were not comfortable supporting a candidate who did not share their religious faith.
For reasons both fair and unfair, Mitt Romney was not a particularly good presidential candidate in two nationwide elections. Despite this track record, insiders in the Republican Party are obviously in love with the idea of another Romney campaign. According to Ryan, he should run because “the third time’s the charm.”
Fortunately, Romney has not taken the bait so far. He has been adamant that he is not running again. Hopefully, he will continue to hold off these misguided requests and spend his time supporting good GOP candidates across the country.
Mitt Romney can certainly play a role as a fundraiser. He should be a respected elder statesman, but not subject the Republican Party or the country to another presidential campaign.
The bottom line is that Romney cannot win. He does not unite the wings of the Republican Party and is not an effective candidate to reach Independent voters.
Like moderate presidential candidates Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole and John McCain, Mitt Romney was unable to win, even after two attempts.
Now, it is time for the Republican Party to start a new chapter and nominate a reliable conservative who can articulate a positive message to the American people. This type of candidate can win in 2016. Clearly, Mitt Romney cannot.
Americans know a few things about Secretary of State John Kerry. Of course, he served in Vietnam and he loves to windsurf. Images of Kerry windsurfing surely did not help him win votes in the 2004 presidential campaign, but, at least, it established his ocean loving credentials.
Fast forward to his tenure as Secretary of State and we see a world in turmoil as terrorists are on the move in Iraq and we face the prospect of needing help from our sworn enemy, Iran to protect American lives. While our embassy is threatened and some personnel are being evacuated, Kerry is spending precious time with environmentalists. Yesterday, the Secretary of State addressed the State Department’s “Our Oceans” conference, which attracted delegates from 80 nations.
The U.S. is hosting this conference which is focused on how to protect oceans from the ravages of climate change. The problem with such an objective is that the subject of climate change is hotly disputed among scientists, with some attesting that it either does not exist or has not been caused by the activities of human beings.
Regardless of the controversy, liberals like John Kerry deal with climate change as a settled issue. They view climate change as a “shared responsibility” for the United States and other countries throughout the world. As part of this commitment, Kerry believes that the protection of our oceans is “a vital international security issue,” which is an immediate threat to our country. This justifies his involvement in the conference while a terrorist organization is marching through Iraq.
According to John Kerry, climate change is the world’s foremost problem, not poverty, famine, religious persecution, dictatorship, warfare, terrorism or human rights violations. Kerry and many other environmental activists believe that unless we act to combat climate change, we are doomed.
His belief is shared by President Obama, who delivered a speech on climate change last weekend to the University of California, before flying to Palm Springs for some relaxation and golf. Americans have a right to wonder why their leaders are vacationing and focusing on the environment with so many more pressing problems on the horizon.
Politicians are not the only ones obsessed with the issue of climate change. Networks, such as CNN, frequently air specials on the dangers of “man made” global warming, despite disastrous ratings.
In poll after poll, Americans rate climate change as the least of their problems. In the real world, most rational citizens worry about the poor economy here at home and the radical Islamic threat abroad; however, no one ever accused John Kerry of being rational. His liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate was second to none, according to the National Journal.
Americans should have realized the liberal agenda that John Kerry would bring to his position of Secretary of State. By sounding the alarm on climate change, he is being true to his beliefs, but, more significantly, he is also fulfilling the wishes of his boss, the ultimate liberal, President Barack Obama.
Starting on Thursday, New Orleans will be hosting the Republican Leadership Conference once again. This is the third RLC to be held in the Big Easy. Once again, the conference will feature some of the biggest names in the GOP.
Slated to speak will be a host of congressional leaders including Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as Congresswomen Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
The main attraction, however, will be the potential 2016 presidential candidates. RLC attendees will surely be interested to hear from several speakers who may be vying for the White House. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will kick off the event on Thursday night. On Friday, businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump and former Congressman Allen West will headline the schedule. Saturday’s line-up includes Tea Party superstar Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and 2012 presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Texas Governor Rick Perry.
The conference also will feature Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Dozens of other speakers will participate in the event, which will attract approximately 1,500 delegates from around the country.
The RLC will be an early test of the popularity of the potential presidential candidates. They will have a chance to test their messages on a crowd of GOP activists, who are politically savvy and very knowledgeable about the major issues of the day.
The RLC will also be a chance for the Republican Party to unite in anticipation of the mid-term elections. Throughout the country, there have been bitter battles between the Tea Party and mainstream wings of the party. These differences should not distract the GOP from their major objective, taking control of the Senate and holding on to their majority in the House.
President Obama and the Democratic Party will be pouring massive amounts of money into these races. With their media allies and the various special interests and leftist organizations providing significant support, the Democrats will be laying it all on the line this fall. If the Democrats can gain control of the House this fall, the President’s agenda will sail through Congress in his final two years. In contrast, if the Republicans can capture the Senate, the Obama agenda will be completely stalled. Needless to say, the stakes are high this fall, so the GOP leadership knows the importance of unity and motivating the type of activists who will be attending the RLC.
To see what is really happening with the Republican Party, be sure to catch the activities this week at the RLC at the Hilton Hotel in New Orleans.
For friends of Ringside Politics, there is a special deal for discount RLC tickets. Click on this link, to take advantage of this offer:
www.rlc2014.com/ringsidepolitics
See you in the Big Easy for the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference.
“I’d thank my lucky stars to be livin’ here today. ‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away” Lee Greenwood, “God Bless the USA
Yes, Lee Greenwood the flag still stands for freedom, but our politically correct educators are taking it away. Just when it seems, the disease of political correctness cannot get any worse, it does. On Thursday, a federal court sided with a northern California high school that prevented students from wearing American flag t-shirts on Cinco de Mayo.
The incident occurred back in 2010 when administrators at Live Oak High School in Morgan City California forced students to remove their American flag t-shirts or go home. The school officials were concerned that the shirts would incite Latino students celebrating the Mexican holiday.
Because of a fear of violence, the court ruled that the constitutionally protected freedom of expression of the students could be abridged. The court cited previous incidents of racial violence at the school and said administrators had the right to curtail certain freedoms to keep the peace. It is truly a sad day when liberal judges ratify the insane decisions of politically correct school systems.
Of course this decision shreds the First Amendment and is an affront to all patriotic Americans. As noted Kendal Jones, a mother of one of the students involved in the case, “The idea that it’s offensive to wear patriotic clothing … regardless of what day it is, is unconscionable to me.”
It is no wonder that the parents were upset and legally challenged the school. They are prepared to appeal on the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
It is a crying shame that in the United States of America 2014, the symbol of our country, our flag, has become controversial and incites Latino students to commit violence. Incredibly, this is happening in the United States of America, not Mexico.
In our country today, we are so worried about offending minorities, that we are willing to abandon our national symbol and link it to violence in the process.
Our flag is not a violent symbol, it represents freedom and liberty. It is a beacon of hope to millions of oppressed people all over the world. Too many brave Americans have died protecting that flag and what it represents for it to be tarnished by politically correct educators and judges.
This ruling is symbolic of what is wrong with our country. In a different era of our country’s history, such a ruling would never stand. However, today, with our liberal court system, it is quite possible that it will never be overturned.
Instead of targeting peaceful students wearing American flag t-shirts, a better answer in a country that reveres freedom would have been to tell the offended Mexican American students that if they harmed anyone wearing a flag t-shirt, they would be disciplined and possibly arrested.
Instead, we now have mob rule running many of our schools, especially those with high percentages of Hispanic students. Of course millions of immigrants are attracted to American values such as free speech and freedom of religion and cherish our symbols such as the American flag. Sadly, those patriotic immigrants are being ignored while radicals in the Latino community are being recognized. These activists are now dictating to school systems what students can wear and telling them what days they are allowed to show their patriotism.
In reality, any day, including Cinco de Mayo, is a great time to show pride in the American flag. The fact that our school officials and judges do not realize this fact is sobering and disturbing.
As our values and traditions are being attacked, life is America is changing and not for the better. In fact, it will get worse, much worse before it gets any better, if it ever does.
It was a shocking spectacle at the recent Grammy awards. Clearly, the organizers of the event were more interested in sending a social message than recognizing musical talent.
The broadcast included a mass wedding of 34 couples, both gay and straight. This was an “in your face” promotion of a type of marriage that is forbidden in most of the country. While gay marriage is legal in 17 states, it has been approved by the voters in only three of them.
It is obvious that there is a massive campaign underway to accelerate the expansion of gay marriage to the other 33 states. Sunday’s ceremony, officiated by Queen Latifah, was just the latest attempt to force this agenda on the rest of America. No doubt witnessing gay couples being married on a live broadcast was an affront to the millions of viewers who believe that marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman.
Gay marriage was not the only controversial feature of the Grammys. Beyonce performed a hyper sexualized routine with a chair that many parents complained was highly inappropriate. However, the most egregious aspect of the Grammys was the stunning performance by Katy Perry, who wore a Knights Templar cross, danced around a broomstick in a ring of fire, dressed like a witch and appeared to summon the occult during a very strange rendition of her song, “Dark Horse.”
Sadly, Perry, a daughter of a Christian minister, has rejected her roots in pursuit of her rather scandalous career. By attempting to mimic a satanic ceremony on national TV, Perry reached a new low point at the Grammys.
Christian gospel singer Natalie Grant was so offended that she walked out of the ceremony. She tweeted “I’ve never been more honored to sing about Jesus and for Jesus.” Undoubtedly Grant’s view was shared by millions of Americans offended by the spectacle they witnessed Sunday night.
The 2014 edition of the Grammys is only the latest effort by celebrities in the music industry and Hollywood to attack traditional American values. This left wing cultural onslaught is supported by President Obama and the liberals who populate the Democratic Party.
The assault against Christians and those who reside in the “red states” is non-stop on television, music radio, movies and the Internet. The agenda includes not just gay marriage, but support for the legalization of marijuana and amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Confronting this agenda is a very weak group of Republicans in Congress, who have been too afraid to offer an alternative. Thus, the left wing cultural agenda is being implemented piece by piece.
The next big push from the President will come this year when “immigration reform” is foisted on the American people. This will include a “pathway to citizenship” for 12 million illegal immigrants who are in this country. Even Republican leaders in Congress are supporting this initiative believing that they need to pass amnesty to attract votes from Hispanic Americans.
From our culture to the type of fare presented on TV and the movies, it is moving downhill very fast in our country. Americans who object to this type of material are criticized as homophobic or old fashioned and are the subject of scorn from the media elite.
Undoubtedly, continuing down this path will eventually lead to the dissolution of the family unit and the social fabric that binds this nation. Along with the disintegration of the family, we can expect higher crime, increased drug use, and more promiscuity among our youth.
America has come a long way from the 1950’s of “Ozzie and Harriet” and as we can see from the Grammys on Sunday night, it has been a rather unpleasant trip.
The biggest endorsement in the New Orleans Mayor’s race did not come from a local leader or organization; it came from the nation’s most powerful politician, President Barack Obama. The endorsement is unusual for it is rare for a U.S. President to intervene in a New Orleans Mayor’s race.
While the Mayor touted the powerful endorsement, it likely was given due to national political implications. The President is helping Democrats try to maintain majority control of the U.S. Senate. The Mayor’s sister, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, faces the voters this fall. She is very vulnerable and is the only Democrat statewide elected official. If her brother loses the Mayor’s race, it will not bode will for Senator Landrieu to retain her seat in November.
The President’s endorsement was met with anger by some local citizens, who organized a White House phone calling campaign to register their disapproval with the decision to intervene in the race.
It may have motivated a much different decision from the Orleans Parish Democratic Party Executive Committee. The local party leaders endorsed Judge Michael Bagneris, delivering a stinging rebuke to the Mayor, a staunch and loyal Democrat.
As a well connected African American politician with 20 years of judicial experience, Bagneris could do very well in the upcoming election. He is very close to the Morial family, one of the most powerful political dynasties in New Orleans. In fact, he served as executive counsel in the Dutch Morial administration, the city’s first African American Mayor.
Currently, the New Orleans electorate is about 61 percent African American, but many of the top elected positions in New Orleans are held by whites. There is a strong desire among many African Americans to elect fellow African Americans to the top positions in the city, such as Mayor of New Orleans. This sentiment may very well help Bagneris garner a majority of African American votes in the upcoming election.
While Mitch Landrieu has the endorsement of prominent African American pastors and the most powerful African American politician in the country, Barack Obama, there is a feeling among some voters that he has not done enough for the black community in New Orleans. Currently, only 53% of African Americans are employed in New Orleans. While the economy has improved somewhat, it is still very bleak for thousands of black citizens in New Orleans.
During the campaign, Bagneris has been pounding certain key issues. If elected, Bagneris pledges to eliminate Landrieu’s expensive deputy mayor system and says he will bring in new leadership for the Police Department. While the murder rate has dropped, the city’s overall crime rate is still high, there are scores of broken street lights, potholes littering the roadways, and certain areas of the city, such as the Lower Ninth Ward, which are still largely uninhabited.
Bagneris is also campaigning on a pledge of bringing the city together. He claims that the Mayor is divisive and has alienated many groups of people. During his term, Landrieu has upset city workers such as firefighters and groups such as taxicab drivers and board members of the Wisner Fund.
It is possible that these disaffected groups, along with a majority of African American voters will cast their ballot for Bagneris. In addition, one other dynamic needs to be considered, namely, the effect of Obama’s endorsement on the white vote.
The President is especially unpopular among white Republicans, who comprise about 27% of the white vote in New Orleans. Obama’s endorsement of Landrieu may lead many New Orleans Republicans to vote for Bagneris, rebuking the President and damaging the re-election chances of Senator Mary Landrieu in the process.
On Election Day, if Bagneris can attract 60 percent of the African American vote and one quarter of the white vote, he wins.
The Mayor’s endorsement from Barack Obama may have just given the challenger the roadmap to victory that he needed.