Hope & Change Joe Biden Style

"..exactly what the Recover act is all about."

So said Vice President Biden on Solyndra getting a half billion dollars in tax payer money for "clean energy" jobs. The promise made by President Obama and friends was that this company would create 4,000 new jobs.



Fast forward 15 months and Solyndra has filed for bankruptcy. Not only will no new jobs be created, the tax payers will not get the more than $500 million we put into the company.


A company that had a record of "recurring loses from operations, negative cash flows since inception" PricewaterhouseCoopers goes further after the audit and says "raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern".


But, hey lets give them a half billion in tax payer money, they just might make a go of it, after all it is hope and change right? The fact that the GAO has come to the conclusion that the Obama administration has put forward a proper review process is besides the point. GAO analyst Frankin Rusco said:

It makes the agency more susceptible to outside pressures, potentially.

 I guess the $140K that Solyndra used for lobbyists paid off for them in the short term.........the fact that the taxpayers are left on the hook is neither here nor there.

Quote of the Day - Andre Carson Edition

“I stand on the truth of what I spoke, my intentions weren’t to hurt anyone or any group. I wanted to speak to the issues that concern me and the philosophical issues that concern me as it relates to certain leadership within the tea party organization, not the entire tea party, but certain elements that have concerned me deeply and for quite some time that I think should really re-evaluate what it means to be an American and we shouldn’t go along the path of taking America back to the ‘good old days’ because those days were not good for everyone.”

Carson to CNN on his statement:

“some of them in Congress right now of this tea party movement would love to see you and me ... hanging on a tree.”

Phew, what a relief.  We are all not racists and wannabe murders, just some of us.  Congressman Carson, when you get your list of names together along with the some proof of these allegations, please send it along as I would like to disassociate with these people too. 

Quote of the Day -Dick Cheney Edition

"The key, I think, is to choose serious and vigilant leaders, to listen to the men and women who want us to entrust them with high office and judge whether they are saying what they think we want to hear or whether they have the larger cause of the country in mind. It's not always easy to move beyond pleasing promises, but in the case of America, the greater good is so grand. We're not a perfect country, but our founding ideals, right and true, have allowed human potential to unfold and creativity to thrive in ways never before seen on earth. We are so fortunate to be Americans. And we have a duty as clear as any I know to pass on this great nation, its possibilities undimmed, to the rising generations."

The final paragraph of Dick Cheney's memoir In My Time


I just heart Dick Cheney.

Some Notes from the Peanut Gallery - Andre Carson Edition

First I would like to say how shocked I am that Congressman Carson's comments are getting mainstream media attention.  Normally things like this are just glossed over.  But here are some of the comments on ABC News blog post about his very unpleasant comments that I would like to see him hang from a tree.

I just want to thank this man for tellingit like it is. I have read dozens of articles where the t-party calls Blacks everything under the sun – even says they ae better off during slavery.

May I see these articles? 

Why is it unfair to call a racist a racist?
I’m afraid I have to agree with congressman Carson. I’m a democrat who certainly has had issues with republican presidents but there was no hate involved. I think they all , including Richard Nixon were good men who loved their country.

This thing with the tea party is more visceral, they not only criticize president Obamas policies but attack him personnally. The incident in front of the Congress where tea partiers were spitting on and calling black congressmen names was a indication where some of them were coming from.

Umm, I seem to remember some pretty horrible things being said about President Bush.  Not to say that justifies it, but the truth is that is how politics works in this country. 

I really think they are racist, but beacuse of todays political correctness, they are afraid to show their true feelings.

Yes, that is it I am worried about political correctness. 

The KKK is alive and well. Tea party republican governors are reviving Jim Crow Laws, attacking workers unions, and doing all they can to keep unemployment up and economic growth down. If you support tea party you support racism. Pure and simple

I guess this guy has been listening to Al Sharpton.  

The fanatics start out with I am not tea party but…then they go into these long explanations as to why their racism is not really racism, and as usual top the nonsense off with an attack on the president. They spread a message of hate, and it is catching on. They are the most hated group in America, and have recently hit the international scene, costing the world trillions. Pay us back, or go slither back under the rock you crawled out from. The fury of America will destroy your fanatic racist hate mongering party. You want trouble, you want to attack people, come get a taste of what you’ve been dishing out. It ain’t so funny now that the shoe is on the fanatic foot, now is it.

It’s not a hateful…it’s the truth. As much as the Tea Party won’t admit, they definately wouldn’t lose sleep if we went back to Jim Crow. They know it…we all know it. Please stop mixing the race card with the truth. They are both totally different from each other

It is sad to think where we would be today if republicans had not fought the president at every step. He is the only president we ever had willing to make real changes and listen to people. The only one who really cares about people and has the brains to make this country prosper. It is appalling that the republicans are destroying the country in a lame attempt to discredit him, fox news openly admits it, and laughs about it.

First, has the person ever watched Fox News?  I would say probably not.  Second, for the first two years in office he had a solid majority.  He did not need on single republican vote to pass anything.  Next!!

Yes, Mc Cain is not afraid of the fanatics. How many American soldiers died because of the tea party? The tea party attack on congress and resulting market crash showed the world how weak congress was. Enabling violence against our soldiers. It is no coincidence that the violence escalated to a fever pitch. That is the biggest reason I cannot stand tea party. I would love to have one of you fanatics mouth off to my face. Bring it on traitors. You are going down.

What the hell is this idiot talking about? 

President Obama, here is your chance to stand up and prove that you want to rid the political arena of this crap.  Grow a spine and publicly denounce this type of rhetoric.  It is dangerous and counterproductive. 

What, Israel Doesn't Warrent a Mention as a Community That Experienced Terrorism?

“As we commemorate the citizens of over 90 countries who perished in the 9/11 attacks, we honor all victims of terrorism, in every nation around the world, we honor and celebrate the resilience of individuals, families, and communities on every continent, whether in New York or Nairobi, Bali or Belfast, Mumbai or Manila, or Lahore or London.”

From the White House "guidelines" on how to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I need Obama to tell me how I should mark the day. 

Hmm, do you think leaving out Jerusalem was just a oversight? 

American Girl and Entitlement

Today, I had to take a 10-year-old to a birthday party as mom was home with a sick toddler. The party was at the store American Girl. For those that are not aware of the American Girl, it is quite the store. There are nine stores around the country, six of which are considered boutique stores, while three are the larger flagship stores.


American Girl originally started by Pleasant Company was only mail order. Mattel purchased the company back in 98 and proceeded to grow the line and open the stores. The marketing at this store is brilliant. As a person who has a master's degree in Marketing I find it fascinating and awe-inspiring. Who ever came up with the concept deserves the many millions that they will make off of this venture. Simply stunning job in marketing the store. They sell clothes for your daughters that match the clothes for the dolls. Every imaginable type of accessory is available, diaper changing stations, eye glasses in a variety of colors so your daughter can find ones that match hers, hair brushes, and on and on it goes.

For those who are not aware the dolls are sold with an accompanying book and mostly depict a time in American history. The girl of the year for 11 is Kanani, a native of Hawaii. Molly is the only original doll that is still available through the stores or online. Molly is a young girl living through World War II, and waiting for her daddy to return home from war. There is also Kit (from Kit Kittredge fame) who is growing up during the depression and watched her family lose everything and learns to realize that money isn't everything. Many of the dolls have a very good theme and reading is heavily emphasized. I picked up a few of the books in the store and was happy to see that they had some very constructive advice for tweens who are online.

But there are many problems with these stores as well. The dolls are marketed to girls 8 and over. Now, I have not lived through watching a little girl grow up and so I don't know when little girls really stop playing with dolls. But, I do seem to remember that was about the age that I started losing interest in dolls, and I was a HUGE fan of dolls. I have so many good memories of playing my baby dolls and my Barbie's. I had the whole line of Barbie items; the townhouse, the corvette, the big Barbie head so you could play hairdresser, and so on. I loved my dolls and they were very well-worn out by the time I was done with them.

The party I attended today was for girls aged 9 - 11. Every girl was given a party hat, a doll, choice of one accessory item, and a party hat for the doll. The dolls were also treated to the hair salon (yes, you read that correctly there is a doll hair salon complete with little capes that are put around the dolls while they are getting their hair braided or curled). It was quite the day. The girls seemed to enjoy the store and enjoyed the party luncheon and cake that came with the party. They all had plenty of pictures taken. I was thinking that this party must have been quite expensive, so I looked around the store more closely. Every doll in the place costs at least $100. That does include the story of the doll as well. The accessories were sold separately and range from $8 to $24. The birthday girl got two dolls and a stroller to push her dolls around in. She turned 11 today. Maybe I am wrong, but I am thinking she won't be pushing that stroller around the mall anytime soon. This party was about entitlement.

The little girls felt important being at that store. Especially since it was made clear to them how lucky they were to live locally to one of the stores. That was mentioned while we were outside on the patio putting the dolls in the high chairs that the store provides for them. Like I said, it was quite the party. There were 12 girls at this party (two were the birthday girl's sisters). This party had to have cost three or four thousand dollars. Plus she then received gifts on top of this.

Did this mother ever stop and realize that the parents of the little girls that went to this party would never be able to afford to throw such a party themselves, which could become an issue when their birthday's coming rolling around over the next year? I realize that I live in area where money is not much of a problem for many. But, this was such a blatant display of it that it really shocked me.

Isn't this just one more display of how we are teaching our children to expect things? Now, the little girl that I took to the party is lucky that she was given a doll at the party, because I can guarantee you her mother won't be buying her one. It isn't about the money so much as it is the need for an 11-year-old to have a doll at that price. Maybe I am wrong, but to me going to the store and the prestige of having the doll is what the girls want more than the doll itself. It is purely an image thing. It is sort of like the Air Jordans were to my generation. It wasn't that the sneaker was all that much nicer than the ones that were half the price, you just wanted to "be like Mike".

Like I said there are many things about the store that I really like. It promotes reading, it promotes patriotism, and it gives out some sound advice to tweens about the dangers in the world that they face. But it is directly marketing to girls that are probably a little too old for playing with dolls and a little too young to understand the worth of the keeping the doll in pristine condition for collecting.

Much to my chagrin, my little friend chose Julie as her doll. Julie is from San Francisco in the early 70's. She works to save the environment and to promote women's lib. Looks like I have some work to do with that one!! But, I have never seen her play with a doll ever, so I relatively certain it will be an expensive dust collector that sits on her bed.

See the website for yourself and let me know what you think.

I personally believe that the mother who threw this party better be picking out the kind of car she wants her daughter to have, because she will be expecting it in the driveway five years from today. And she has no one else to blame than herself for her daughter thinking that way.

Some Food (Stamps) for Thought

I have mentioned previously that I have become more actively involved with the community outreach programs that my church involves itself in. This being one of the reasons that I drive almost 20 miles to go to church. I have not been able to find another house of worship that I love as much as this one, so I just take the drive on Sunday's. To me it is worth it. The downside has been that I used that as an excuse for not being more involved in the projects. I have been determined to change that this year. Last week I went to government office that helps people with food stamp applications with one family. It was quite an experience.



Our church can only do so much to help with food to the people in need, because at the moment that need is so high. We have to find ways to stretch the food that we have available and to limit what we give out much more than we have in the past. Now, our church is not in the habit of telling people to apply for government programs; quite the opposite really. We try to help as many as we can with what we have available. For some families it is not enough and in order to get food for their kids they make the decision to apply for government aid. Another thing that we see quite often is that we have much greater need at the end of the month than at the beginning due to the fact that people who are receiving food stamps have simply run out of money before the month ends.


One of the things that makes me crazy is hyberole that isn't rooted in the facts. I see over and over again the accusations coming from the right that people who are on food benefits eat better than they do. This, for the most part, is a fallacy. The average amount that a single person recieves in this country is $98. That is $3.26 per day for food - another words $1.08 per meal. That doesn't even cover a can of soup. The average amount a family of four receives is $668 per month. That works out to $1.85 per meal per day. Most of us have been grocery shopping of late. You see for yourself how expensive food is becoming. A gallon of milk is almost $4 at my local Giant. A loaf of bread is about $3.

We have to deal with the fraud and the abuse that happens in the snap benefits programs across the country. We are spending millions that we should not be spending. But not everyone on this program is abusing it. Some really need it at the moment. Times are very tough for many around the country. They are barely scraping by. Some of these people don't realize that there are church programs out there to help them. Others can't get what they need simply through their churches and local charities that try and help as many as they can. During economic downturns the ability for the groups to collect the food and cash they need to help the needy diminishes.


One of the things that the conservative movement must do in this country is educate people on how conservative governments will actually benefit them in the long run. By making statements that these people eat like kings is not helping in that effort. At $1.85 per meal I hardly think they are eating filet mignon on a nightly basis. Chances are they are forgoing fresh vegetables altogether and eating lower amounts of protein then they should be.


The snap program should not be a way of life for people. It should only be a safety net for those needing a helping hand. Most people have needed a helping hand from time to time. We must cut the abuse out of the program so that money actually goes to the people who do need it while they are out of work or underemployed. We shouldn't be giving to college students so they have more money to party with.


I have said many times before language matters. When we talk about how people who are eating better than we do because of food stamps then we eat ourselves, we only make ourselves look silly. The numbers simply don't bear that out.


Household Size Maximum Food Stamp Allotment



1 $200


2 367


3 526


4 668


5 793


6 952


7 1,052


8 1,202


9 1,352


10 1,502


Each Additional Member +150

Household Size Maximum Net Monthly Income Limit



1 $903


2 1,215


3 1,526


4 1,838


5 2,150


6 2,461


7 2,773


8 3,085


9 3,397


10 3,709


Each Additional Member +312






These numbers are for people with no income at all. Since most people have some sort of income, these amounts will fall based on that income. If you receive social security, your benefits will fall. If you are collecting disability, your benefits will fall. If you are receiving aid from other organizations such as WIC your benefits will fall (and may disqualify you). You try feeding your family on $5 per day and see how it easy it is.


We need to find a way to help the people who need it without demonizing them because of the ones that abuse the system. So, if you have any food in pantry that has been sitting there for a month or so, bring it down to your local church or food bank. There is a family out there that will be able to use right away.


And no, I am not turning into a bleeding heart liberal, I just realize that the issue isn't as black and white as some make it sound.

Ron Paul on Fox News Sunday

Fox News Sunday is continuing its spotlight on the candidates for the GOP nomination.  Yesterday was Ron Paul's turn. 

Paul has caused some waves earlier this week when his comments on the 9/11 attacks. 

Coming Together to Remember - Oh, Really?

Then why can't first responders go the memorial at Ground Zero?  The men and women who showed up at Ground Zero the days following the attacks of 9/11 are heroes.  Some are now ill due the work they did trying to recover  bodies so their loved ones would be able to have a proper funeral and a little bit of closure.  Yet, they are being treated like they don't even matter on the tenth anniversary. 

If you believe the words you are saying President Obama, you would put your foot down and tell that politically correct lunatic Mayor Bloomberg that the first responders belong at the memorial service.  As usual, words is what we get from you, not actions. 

From the What Was She Thinking Files

Oh my.  Katy Perry's new look.  A little humor for you while the east coast is homebound due to the storm. 

Saying Goodbye

World War II vets are leaving us. We soon will have none left to thank for the world that is free of the Nazi's. They were called the "Greatest Generation" for a reason:

He was one of our community’s few remaining World War II veterans. He was 92 years old, and would have turned 93 in September. He was a Bronze Star recipient, and had been awarded the Purple Heart. He was also one of the few remaining former WWII POW’s in the country. He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and spent from December 1944 until April 1945 in the captivity of the German army during one of the coldest European winters on record. He barely survived the cold and starvation, spent a month in a London hospital, and then came home, back to the small town of his youth, where he became a home builder, a sign painter, a master cabinet builder, and a gifted watercolor artist.

He also was the blogger The Conservative Pup's father. Stop on over and say some words of solace as she mourns the loss of a great man and a war hero, her treasured daddy.

Quote of the Day - Paul Krugman Edition

People on twitter might be joking, but in all seriousness, we would see a bigger boost in spending and hence economic growth if the earthquake had done more damage.

Well, he may get his wish with a hurricane coming and all. 

Jackass.

To Tito - While You Came Up Short You Are Still a Winner to Me

To my friend Tito:



When the polls closed and the votes were counted they said you did not win. But, that is not what happened tonight. While you will not be moving onto the general election in November for a chance to serve in the Virginia State Senate, you were a winner tonight.


You were a winner because you were willing to go through the rigors of a campaign in order to serve. You were a winner because you and your wife Debbie used your own resources in part to fund that campaign. You were a winner because when other people told you that you couldn't, you did it anyway. You stood up to say "I am willing to serve" to make Virginia a better place to live. You stood up and said you were willing to be a citizen legislator, not to enrich yourself, but to serve others. You stood up. That is so much more than many others are willing to do; myself included.


I know that some things in this campaign has left you and Debbie a little frustrated. I also know that you learned some lessons on who can and cannot be trusted. But, you made some new friends. You also introduced all of us who worked on your campaign to some great people, who are just as dedicated as you are.


And to Kristen, you worked so hard on this campaign. You will go far in helping good solid conservatives getting elected to office. That I know for sure.


The numbers didn't go your way, but you a winner to me.


I was proud to make phone calls and go door knocking in Senate district 36 for you. To introduce Northern Virginians to "Tito the Builder", a good and principled man. I will be there if you decide to run again. You just tell me when and where and I will show up.


Like you said tonight, the campaign is over, and we put it behind us - it is now time to turn our attention to turning the Virginia Senate Red.


Debbie, Tito and Kristen - Friday night dinner is on me.   Now go and get some sleep!!!!

Virginia Primary Day Almost Upon Us - Those Last Minute Donations Sure Are Interesting

The primaries in The Commonwealth of Virginia will be held tomorrow. One race that I am keeping a close eye on is Tito Munoz against Jeffrey Frederick. They are squaring off to see who will face long time State Senator Toddy Puller.



Tito received a donation from an unusual place, Mr. Christian Josi. Mr. Josi is Jeff Frederick's former financial chairman. It wasn't all that long ago that Josi was calling Mr. Frederick "a conservative rock star". Could this be part of the reason that Mr. Josi has decided to back Tito for the senate seat? I am not sure we will ever quite know for sure. But it sure is interesting that a former staff member no longer is supporting him.

Music Break - An Ode to Obama Poll Numbers

Get A Grip Beck

Glenn Beck is all up in arms that the House Ethics Committee has barred some members of congress from going to his rally in Israel later this month.



On the air, Beck said he‘d heard it was Boehner’s office that was not approving members of Congress to attend the event, with 35 representatives at one point planning to attend before being told they’d been rejected by the House and would have to self-fund the trip if they wanted to go.


Beck wondered whether the congressmen were barred because “it is me as someone who holds the Republicans’ feet to the fire” or as retribution for voting against the debt ceiling deal.


I am unable to find a list of the 35 that wanted to attend so I don’t know if any of them voted for the debt ceiling or not. But, what I do know is that if it was indeed Speaker Boehner who stopped this trip, I want to shake his hand.


It is about frickin’ time that someone stand up to these congressman (and ladies too) and say hell no, if you want to jet all over the world you have to pay for it yourself. You see they are not being barred from attending, they are being barred by taking an all expensive paid trip to Israel. The charity that was planning on footing the bill is indeed a 501 (c)3. But what Beck doesn’t fully explain is that they don’t get called lobbyists when they are legally allowed to “educate” people on their particular issue. Whatever that issue may happen to be. For instance, they can hold seminars on the say global warming (a topic that Beck has spoken out against time and again), and give out all kinds of literature on that topic. That literature legally will be allowed to contain which legislation affects their topic. As long as they don’t tell someone directly to contact an elected official or try to contact that official themselves directly on that topic, they are in compliance with the law will be allowed to keep their non-profit tax exempt status. But they can take them on little junkets to the other side of the world and that is perfectly fine. That doesn’t sound a tad like lobbying to you?


I have seen quite a few conservatives all up in arms and calling Boehner a traitor. Seriously? They are legally allowed to indirectly lobby and by paying for this trip to Israel that is exactly what they were trying to do. The trip would have been so short that they wouldn’t have had time to have any meetings with Israeli officials. Basically they would have gotten off the plane, gone to Beck’s rally spent the night in I would presume a pretty expensive hotel room and got back on a plane the next day and flown home. Conservatives have a problem that Boehner put his foot down and said no?


Speaker Boehner let me be the first to shake your hand. They make $174K per year. They can afford a ticket to Israel. We need to take away as many people trying to influence the government as possible. This is why government officials don’t want to leave their jobs. These are exactly the type of perks that average Joe’s don’t get and make being a professional politician so lucrative. Enough already.


Get a grip Beck. This is exactly the type of thing you would be all over if the democrats did it. Is this hypocrisy on your part Glenn or just plain arrogance?

Happy Birthday to my BFF

I didn't have the time to write a new one this year, so you are getting a hand-me-down from last year. But, the sentiment remains the same. I also want to say how much the strength you have shown during my illness means to me. Thank you. You are inching closer to the "Big One". Oh, my.

Another birthday has rolled around, and on this auspicious occasion I want to take the opportunity to not just say Happy Birthday, but also say thanks. I know that I didn't make the best of impressions that first morning that we met, but you didn't hold that against me.






You and I have shared a great deal over the years, and not all of it has been good. We have matured and watched either change and grow. You have taught me a great deal about patience; not one of my virtues, but it is one of yours.






You stood by me when I still trying to figure out how to rid myself of the demons and come to the realization that I deserved to be happy. You also helped me see that I could accept love into my life. Not an easy task!!!






You told me once that I have more passion in my pinkie than you did in your entire body. We never really talked about it after that, but it simply isn't true. I am just more in your face about it than you. Yours is just more quiet than mine. The proof of that is the relationship that you have with your children. They adore you. There are far too many people in the world that think the parentage has just to do with biology, and you are proof that is not true. I always doubted that, and because of you, I see that isn't true.






You know me so well. All of those oddities that I have that just make you laugh most of the time, like when I become fixated on one piece of dirt regardless of what else is around. You just make jokes about it and move on. You have put up with the tears too, even when they have been over the top, totally unneccessary and more than a tad messy.






You just shake your head when I have one too many comsopolitians and suddenly remember that I like to dance, even when sometimes the only music is in my head. I was thinking about the night I was twirling around in my favorite polka dotted skirt to the song American Pie. How you don't lose your patience is amazing to me.






You put with my passion for midnight swims, my nicotine addiction that drives you crazy, and all this political stuff that I have become almost obessed with since Obama won the nomination, you just take all in stride. Why do you put up with all this? Because you love me!!!






I just want to say how much I admire and respect you, and how grateful I am to have you in my life.






So, before the summer comes to end we need to go out for some veranda dining, we will crack open a good bottle of Malbec and just enjoy each other's company. We can go to Joe's and you can get your usual amusement while I eat one of my favorite desserts, peanut butter pie. I promise, it will be a political free (well, ok, almost) evening.






Happy Birthday to you, my best friend!!






I love you -






This is for you:

Quote of the Day - Supermom Janis Keaveney Edition

"Our three-bedroom place was already overcrowded with her sisters Coco and Ritzy, her brother Tarot, Soya's boyfriend Jake and one of her sister's babies.


"Once the new baby comes the council will have to find us a place with four or five bedrooms.

"We've already started packing. Soya's very much against abortion and there was never any doubt she would keep her baby.

"I'm sure she'll make a wonderful mum and will teach her children discipline like I have."

UK Mom Janis on her 15 year old aspiring model daughter getting pregnant. 

But, oh it gets better:

Ex-school secretary Janis, who is now on benefits, claims she is a strict but understanding mum.

Soya was going to discos in Thornaby, Cleveland, from the age of seven, wearing make-up, mini dresses and revealing tops.

Janis said: "Soya is still only a girl and very immature in some ways, but I've always 100 per cent trusted her when she goes out with her friends.

"When she was 12 or 13 she went with some pals to an under-18s disco and told me about a contest they had to see who could kiss the most boys. I didn't see any harm in it. After all, it was only kissing."

After admitting that 17 year old boyfriend spends the night she says this:

"I know people might think I'm laying down the law after the horse has bolted, but Soya won't be sharing a bed with Jake under my roof until she's turned 16 in January.


"I'm very strict about that. I know they're very much in love but the law is the law.

Hand that lady the Mother of the Year Award!!!

But no, the riots in the London have nothing to do with a sense of entitlement by the people of the Britain, nothing at all.  She wants a bigger house because she lets her 15 year old daughter sleep with her boyfriend and lucky for her the pill failed!!

If you are not sufficiently horrified, The Other McCain has some other goodies for you. 

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend - A Portrait of Hypocrisy

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lt. Governor of Maryland and daughter of the late Robert Kennedy, is asking the question is Rick Perry as Christian as he says he is. Since Perry puts his faith out there in the fashion he does it will be a question that comes up. But I have to question the messenger here.


Mrs. Townsend is pro-choice, oh sorry pro-conscience:

As I've said before, I consider myself "pro-conscience." Women do not make the decision to have an abortion lightly, but it is absolutely critical that they have the means to make this decision and access to the care they need, no matter what their choice. Anything less would be turning the clock back on the progress we have made on advancing women's health.

She is a Catholic. There is nothing more fundamental to the Catholic church than life. It is the first brick in the foundation of the faith. She once wrote an OP-ED on how abortion should not derail healthcare for all. After all, the Catholic Church considers healthcare for all a human right according to her. I am not Catholic, so I can't speak for the veracity of this statement. I do know that there is a very strong progressive social justice movement within the Catholic Church, that perverts the Gospels. She also goes on to say that opposing tax payer funded abortions is joining the likes of The Tea Party (The horror)

As Catholics, she said, “are we so laser focused on the issue of abortion that we are willing to join tea partiers and the like to bring down the health care reform bill? And at the enormous expense of millions of Americans who suffer every day because they can’t afford to get checkups, because they must choose bankruptcy in order to save the life of their loved one? “Not this Catholic."

She obviously joins in with the social progressives that are trying to take over the Catholic faith.

I see a fundamental inconsistency between Perry's concerted opposition to government social programs and his promotion of himself as a Christian politician. When asked about the impact of Texas's low-tax, low-service policies on the poor, he suggested that people who wanted more government services could find them in New York or California.

Christ teaches us to feed the hungry and care for the sick, not to abandon them. Perhaps Gov. Perry hasn't read that part of the Bible where Christ admonishes us to care for "the least among us."

Mrs. Townsend please quote the passage that says the government must perform these duties? The bible is not about government and it's role in our lives. It is about the role we are to serve in world. It is about personal responsibility. Does Mrs. Townsend feel that Gov. Perry is not performing his role as Christian in his personal life? If so, that could be an opportunity for a charge of hypocrisy. I don't know that much about Perry's personal life, so I can't answer the question of what he does or does not do. As a Christian he should be personally trying to help the least among us. As a Christian you are asked to do this, on that there is no dispute. The dispute lies on what the governmental role is in it.


What I find the most hypocritical in her piece is this:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who just announced he's running for president, has taken a different tack. A week before announcing his candidacy, he led a prayer meeting for evangelical Christians in Houston. The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit trying to stop him from participating in this rally, arguing that he was violating the First Amendment by using his position, stationery, and website to promote the event. The court dismissed the complaint, saying that the plaintiff didn't show sufficient harm to merit the injunction.

I disagree with the court's ruling. I think the governor misused his office to promote a particular religion. That might have been clearer to the judge if Perry had organized a rally in support of Islam rather than Christianity. There's no difference as far as the First Amendment is concerned.

Doesn't she see that is saying on side of her mouth that government officials shouldn't be involved with prayer meetings in a public forum (A constitutional right as an American citizen, by the way) but that same government official should be collecting taxes to fund all kinds of welfare because it is a Christian duty? How the heck does that make sense? I also love how she thinks that Perry gives up his constitutional right to freely and openly express his religious views after taking an oath that says specifically he is to stand up and defend the constitution. The logic is mind-blowing. No one was forced to attend, no one was forced to convert. That is what the framers were trying to protect the people from. The framers did not want people to be mandated on how or who they worship, but to worship freely and openly. Just as Governor Perry did.

Is Senate Candidate Jaime Radtke Just Status Quo?

As some may know this is an election year in Virginia, our entire legislature is up for grabs. The House of Delegates is expected to stay in the hands of the republicans, so many republicans are working very hard to turn our senate red. You may also know that I am doing work for the Tito Munoz, senate candidate in the VA 36. This is a contested seat for the republican nomination. Tito is facing off against former delegate and state GOP chair Jeff Frederick. I don't think that it is any secret that I am hoping that Tito wins the nomination and goes on to beat Toddy Puller in November.


We also will have an open federal senate seat next year as Senator Webb has announced he will not be seeking re-election. The GOP candidates are Senator George Allen who lost his seat to Webb five years ago and Jaime Radtke. Jaime is a former employee of Mr. Allen, so it is going to be an interesting race. But Jaime isn't just a former employee of George Allen, she was also the head of the Virginia Tea Party Association. Virginia was the first state to hold a state Tea Party Convention, it is said to be one of the most organized in the country. Jamie is a big reason that is true. She was very committed and worked for basically nothing to get our commonwealth organized. The Tea Party Convention was a great success and had some very big names that came and spoke, Herman Cain, John Fund, and Dick Morris to name just a few. I attended and enjoyed myself throughly. I have a great deal of respect for what Jaime was able to accomplish.


But, back to the state senate race...........As in most races the candidates receive endorsements. Tito was endorsed by George Allen. Jaime then endorsed Jeff Frederick. There are some things about Jeff Frederick that are quite troubling.


Frederick is a former delegate that has no real record of getting any major piece of legislation through. Frederick is also the former GOP Chair of Virginia. A position he was forced to resign from. Now, the stories vary depending on who you talk to of why he was forced to resign. One side of the story is that the "GOP establishment" in Virginia wanted to get rid of him and forced him out. This establishment includes now Governor Bob McDonnell. McDonnell was the Attorney General at the time and it was already well-known he would be running for Governor the following year. The other side of the story is that Jeff used a company that he had a financial stake in to do work. Another words, he profited from using this company. No formal charges were ever brought, the affair was dropped after he resigned. I can't get into Gov. McDonnell's head so I have no way of knowing if he truly wanted Jeff to leave or not. It wouldn't be unheard of, it could very well be true. The problem is that Jeff not only gave him the guns and the bullets, he put a target on himself and walked 20 paces. Jeff was GOP Chair when John McCain was running for president. Jeff made no secret of the fact that he didn't like McCain all that much. In the September before the campaign while I was out knocking on doors and making phones on a nightly basis, Jeff took a family vacation. His job was to get the base excited. If he felt he couldn't do his job to the best of his ability because he didn't like the candidate he should have resigned then. Not do a half-hearted attempt.


We can also move onto the small business that Mr. Frederick owns. He has been classifying himself under the 8(a) disadvantaged minority status. With this status he has been able to get set aside contracts from the federal government that many small business owners were never allowed to bid on. Frederick has denied using his status to get these contracts, but his website lists the following agencies that he has worked with:


Patent & Trademark Office IPA Blanket Purchase Agreement #45PTO254900


NECO (Navy Electronic Commerce Online) Registered


Department of Commerce COMMITS Contract No. 50-CMAA-9-00042.


GSA: IT Professional Services GSA Contract No. GS-35F-0558P


GSA: PES (Professional Engineering Services) GSA Contract No. GS-23F-0234L


GSA: MOBIS GSA Contract No. GS-10F-0262K


Frederick is the former GOP Chair in Virginia, he is a former state delegate, and he owns a nice home (I was there once for a fundraiser). I don't want to sound insensitive here, but his last name is Frederick, he speaks with no accent, and he looks like a middle-aged white guy. Many people wouldn't know that he was Hispanic by that. How exactly is this man disadvantaged?


All of this information is readily and easily available and it is all true. This isn't a smear campaign towards Mr. Frederick. This is about the principles that Ms. Radtke says she stands for. Mr. Frederick is running as the "anti-establishiment candidate" all the while taking the very establishment like advantages to further enrich himself.


Ms. Radtke says she wants to change the way Washington works. Isn't it a Tea Party principle is get rid of the federal government choosing winners and losers based on minority status? Or am I mistaken? If that is the case, why would she back a candidate such as Mr. Frederick? I contacted the Radtke campaign several times to get a simple answer of why she choose to endorse Mr. Frederick. I never heard back. I guess I am just some lowly blogger, so who cares. But I am also a voter. Not only am I voter, I am a primary voter too.


Again, this post isn't about Jeff Frederick, this post is about Jaime Radtke. Radtke waited until after George Allen came out and endorsed Tito to make any statement about the race. Once he did, she jumped on the Jeff Frederick bandwagon. The question I am left to ask is this just business as usual?