Day: August 21, 2011

The Middle Class Alarm Bell: Declining Rapidly In America and Multiplying In Brazil, India, China, Russia!

In the midst of the greatest economic crisis for America since the 1930s, the alarming reality is that the middle class, the backbone of America, is rapidly declining, as stratification of wealth has grown to be the greatest it has ever been in American history.

At the same time, we are witnessing the multiplication of the middle class in Brazil, India, China and Russia, and that is an alarm bell that this nation is in danger of a declining role economically on the world scene, in competition with these rapidly growing nations’ prosperity!

Who would have thought after World War II, that within two thirds of a century later, the concept of an American Empire that would be the world’s leader would come to a crashing halt, as the statistics now indicate is happening before our eyes?

This is not a time for accusations and for political points to be gained! Rather it is a time for all Americans to unite behind an economic program that promotes economic growth, rather than stagnation. Sadly, the likelihood of Congress working with the President when they come back after Labor Day is considered quite remote, and the losers will be all of us in this nation that deserves better!

Early Speculation On The Vice Presidency: Marco Rubio And Bob McDonnell

As the battle for the Republican Presidential nomination heats up, speculation is beginning as to who the nominee’s running mate might be, and most of the attention is focusing on two Southerners, one in the US Senate, and one who is Governor.

Many are saying that newly elected Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is the front runner, with his good looks, his youth (40), Tea Party support, Hispanic heritage (Cuban), his speaking ability, and his representing the fourth largest state in population and electoral votes. Rubio, although only in the Senate for seven and a half months, had a distinguished career in the Florida House of Representatives, including being its Speaker, and knows how to raise money, and to appeal to Hispanic voters, a key voting bloc in Florida and elsewhere.

At the same time, Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia appeals to many as a conservative who avoids controversy and direct connection to the Tea Party Movement, but saying and doing the right things to avoid antagonizing them or conservatives in general, and no one doubts his conservative credentials. He is handsome, well spoken, and represents a swing state, much like Florida, which is crucial to the Republican Party’s chances to win in 2012. McDonnell is also the present Chair of the Republican Governors Association, and is term limited to one term by Virginia state law, to the end of 2013, so would certainly be looking for a role beyond then, and the Vice Presidency would be very enticing!

Both Florida and Virginia went to Barack Obama in 2008, making both of them battlegrounds in 2012. So the odds seem good that either Rubio or McDonnell are the most likely VP nominees for whoever is the GOP nominee for President in 2012.

Rick Perry And Michele Bachmann Both Claim They Hate The Federal Government They Want To Lead, But Both Have Benefited From Federal Money While In Office!

Governor Rick Perry of Texas and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann both are favorites of the Tea Party crowd, and like that radical, anarchistic group, they both rail against the “evil” federal government that they wish to lead!

At the same time they are condemning, both have benefited from the federal government they despise!

Rick Perry has been very willing to take economic stimulus money, while claiming earlier that he would refuse to take it, and that money has helped Texas to be able to create more jobs than any other state! Of course, population growth, and the fact that Texas has the second largest population, fueled a lot of the economic expansion, with much of it being from military expenditures, the space program, and the stimulus money. But even with all that, the unemployment rate is not low, being 26th in the nation, at 8.4 percent and rising, and many of the new non government jobs are minimum wage! But without these advantages, Texas would not be able to brag falsely that it is a great success story of private enterprise!

Meanwhile, Michele Bachmann, who worked for the Internal Revenue Service for years, and works now in a federal job in the House of Representatives, has been able to get federal funding for her family farm, federal Medicare money for her husband’s psychological counseling center for gays, and a federally guaranteed loan for a home purchase, even though she condemns federal housing loans!

So both are totally hypocrites and liars, just sowing distrust of a federal government which has benefited them, as it does millions upon millions of Americans every day, and which is essential in the modern 21st century world!