Michele Bachmann

The “Dark Horse” To Watch For The GOP Presidential Nomination: Jon Huntsman Of Utah

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As the Republican Presidential race is about to begin, former Utah Governor and US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman is the man to watch, the so called “dark horse” in the multi candidate race.

Huntsman accepted the offer of President Barack Obama to be the Ambassador to China in 2009, and has filled that post very well for the past almost two years. Skilled in Mandarin Chinese and considered an expert on Asian affairs generally, Huntsman is a brilliant, talented man, only 50 years old, and very photogenic and charismatic to boot!

His decision to resign his post in China, plus his purchase of a home in Washington, DC, give broad hints that he is going to seek the Presidential nomination, and he so hinted over a month ago in an interview in Newsweek Magazine.

What are his negatives? Well, he is a Mormon like Mitt Romney, which will upset many evangelical Christians who consider the Church of Latter Day Saints a cult religion, and not really Christian.

Also, by agreeing to work for President Obama, it makes him somewhat suspect in GOP circles, and Obama even joked last month that he thought Huntsman would really please Republican leaders, leading to Obama’s cute way of chuckling! 🙂

Also, Huntsman is definitely a moderate centrist, unwilling to take the strong right wing stands of other Republicans, and not willing to cave in to Tea Party activists.

In a poll of Mormons in Utah, it is clear that they favor fellow Mormon Mitt Romney, who seems much more dedicated to his faith than is Huntsman. Also, as Governor of Utah, Huntsman took socially moderate positions on abortion, illegal immigration, and civil unions for gays and lesbians, which would antagonize most orthodox Mormons.

But his socially moderate views, his brilliance and intelligence and service in China, his good looks and charisma, and his mainstream Republicanism generally, could actually set him apart in the race, and if the GOP wishes to have a real shot at defeating President Obama, Huntsman would probably be their best bet, even more than Mitt Romney who has always been seen as trying to cater to the right wing even though his record shows he is actually in the center, or was, as Governor of Massachusetts, including a health care plan strikingly similar to that of President Obama!

So if the GOP wants a real shot at winning, they would be wise to turn to Huntsman, rather than to cater to the right wing Christian conservatives and Tea Party activists!

So stay tuned as we see whether the GOP is ready to commit suicide and go for a KNOW NOTHING such as Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann, or a FLAME THROWER such as Newt Gingrich, or a bland boring candidate such as Tim Pawlenty, or a Baptist preacher big spender as Governor such as Mike Huckabee, or a “phony” conservative such as Mitt Romney!

The Supreme Court Image Being Destroyed By Inappropriate Actions By Three Of Its Membership! :(

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The Supreme Court of the United States is the final arbiter of the Constitution, and its members have a responsibility to pursue appropriate behavior in statements and actions outside of their direct work on the Court.

But now we are witnessing totally unprofessional, unethical behavior and open bias on the Court by its three most conservative members: Antonin Scalia, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986; Clarence Thomas, appointed by George H W Bush in 1991; and Samuel Alito, appointed by George W. Bush in 2006!

All certainly have a right to their views of the Constitution, but all three have by word or deed acted inappropriately, and in so doing, have undermined the image and respect of the Court, which is so crucial for its continued stature.

Never in history have we seen Supreme Court Justices be so openly political! 🙁

Justice Scalia allowed himself to be exploited by the Tea Party Movement and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, in agreeing to speak about the Constitution at an openly political meeting on Capitol Hill. This is not the role for a Supreme Court Justice, as also it is not appropriate for him to speak before conservative groups and attack liberal doctrines, as for instance claiming that women and gays are not protected by the Constitution in an interview published in a legal magazine. How can he be seen as being objective and open minded when cases on such matters come before the Court in the future? Should he come into cases with preconceived notions? 🙁 The answer is NO! 🙁

At the same time, Justice Thomas also openly speaks his mind in public events, even though he never asks questions in oral arguments. Additionally, his wife, Virginia Thomas, has been openly involved in Tea Party and conservative causes, including the group Liberty Central, which benefited from the Citizens United Case last January, allowing corporations unlimited rights, for the first time in a century, to contribute to and fund political causes.

Finally, Justice Alito openly mouthed “not true”, when President Obama criticized the Citizens United Case in his State of the Union address a year ago, and has spoken before conservative fundraisers, as has both Scalia and Thomas.

The dignity and prestige of the Court are at stake, as the Court becomes politicized, not part of the purpose of the Founding Fathers, when they decided we needed a Supreme Court in Article 3 of the Constitution, and in the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789.

Sarah Palin And Michele Bachmann: The Advancement Of Ignorance, Stupidity And The Destruction Of The Republican Party! :(

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The Republican Party has a major problem that will destroy all chances of its success in the future, and will be a “gift that keeps on giving” to the opposition Democratic Party: former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, both potential candidates for the Presidential nomination in 2012!

Both ladies, admittedly attractive in appearance, are a true nightmare for the party, and both are a major blow to the promotion of women in politics!

They are a true embarrassment to womanhood itself, as they personify total ignorance and stupidity, not only about science but also about history, and really, it seems, about ANY area of human knowledge!

It is not an issue of conservatism being attacked, as indeed the concept of women as conservatives can be legitimate. It is simply the reality that every time either of these women open up their mouth and speak, they make the eyes roll into the back of the head of any intelligent person who observes and listens.

Does either lady have the ability to EVER express anything that makes sense or shows knowledge, or is seen as rational, sane thinking? Apparently, the answer is NO! 🙁

Michele Bachmann had just asserted that the Founding Fathers ended slavery, failing to realize that the Civil War 75 years later ended slavery. She had just come from a lecture about the Constitution from Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who had “lectured” a group of Tea Party members of Congress about that sacred document, which he has totally distorted with his ridiculous “originalist” interpretation, including supposedly, his recent statement that the Constitution did not protect women, because they are not mentioned in the Constitution! That statement by Scalia also makes one roll his eyes to the back of the head! Can Scalia really believe that, and if so, why is he on the Supreme Court?

But, for now, getting away from the loss of status and prestige of the Supreme Court by the behavior of some of its members, a subject that will be addressed again in the near future, before we can recover from Michele Bachmann and her inane, ludicrous statements for the “umpteenth time”, before we can fully calm down, along comes Sarah Palin, again attempting to “hog” the spotlight with her moronic statements and tweets! 🙁

In reaction to President Obama’s State of the Union address, Palin reacted to the “winning the future” line of the President, by employing WTF as an obscene statement that everyone knows what it is, but which I will not explain here! LOL

Is that appropriate for a potential Presidential candidate to use in political discourse out loud with the media? Is this dignified and acceptable for someone who wants to be taken seriously as a legitimate voice? Is there a need to answer this? 🙁

Adding insult to injury, Palin proceeded to state that the “Sputnik” reference of Obama was not appropriately used, as the Soviet Union of old had “won” the space race, but that it had led to their downfall!

Such an assertion makes one want to gag and throw up! Oh really, the Russians won the space race? It was the Soviets who landed on the moon in 1969? And their being involved in competition in space is what caused their downfall, rather than their involvement in Afghanistan, and their reckless military spending, a policy that is the major cause of our national debt and deficit today, and which Palin fails to see and understand?

The responsible leaders of the Republican party have to be dismayed by these two women, both endorsed by the Tea Party Movement, who are separately and together destroying the credibility of the Republican Party for the long haul!

One would wish, somehow, that we could put a muzzle on their mouths, and send them the message, shut up and be gone! 🙁

But, of course, there is freedom of speech, and neither lady will shut up, and so the Democratic Party sits by observing events, having a lot of good laughs, and enjoying “the gift that keeps on giving!”

But we must also mourn the destruction of both science and history that these women, and those who believe in them, represent, and in fact the destruction of KNOWLEDGE!

As Bill Maher, the comedian, expressed a few weeks ago, if the Founding Fathers were to come back today and witness the mediocrity of today’s Republican leadership, and the role of these two women, and a few members of the Supreme Court, they would be stunned, and certainly comment that women should never have been given the right to vote, let alone to run for public office!

And that would be indeed sad, as many women have contributed a great deal to our political discourse, and they stand by and mourn the embarrassment to their gender represented by the two morons, Bachmann and Palin! 🙁

A Time Of True Leadership Versus Demagoguery! Obama Versus Ryan And Bachmann!

Ronald 1 Comment

President Obama last night delivered one of his greatest speeches as he gave us the State of the Union, not easy for a man known for great oratory.

He appealed to our better nature, speaking up for the DREAM Act, for commitment to modernization of technology, commitment to education, research and development, and to bipartisanship as we face the challenges of dealing with the deficit and national debt.

The only disappointments in the author’s view were his failure to face the reality of the Afghanistan War, and his decision not to use the Tucson tragedy to call for new regulations on assault weapons, magazines, and the need to have new controls on who is able to buy weapons legally.

Meanwhile, the GOP response was, predictably, disappointing. Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, chair of the Budget Committee, came across as an appealing person who really introduced himself for the first time to a national audience, and accomplished the goal of making us realize that not all Republicans are loony and lacking in credibility!

But his ten minute response to the State of the Union Address was broad and vague, and he hid from us the horrific details of his plan to cut taxes for the wealthy and, despite what he claimed, destroy the safety net of the New Deal and the Great Society. What he believes in is seen as radical by most observers, and an attempt to negate 75 years of social and economic reform, and therefore, totally unacceptable, and really dead on arrival in practical terms!

Meanwhile, Michele Bachmann, Congresswoman from Minnesota, could only write her own version of history, a warped view, to say the least, although in her five minute Tea Party Movement sponsored address, she avoided the outrageous historical fantasies that she had enunciated earlier in the day. This was probably a reaction to the bitter attacks and condemnations of observers to her ridiculous and ignorant assertions about slavery in American history a few hours earlier. But she did her cause and that of the Tea Party no favors, because she is a horrible representative for her party and the movement, and the thought of her likely being on the campaign trail for the Presidency is enough to engender a massive headache! 🙁

Total Ignorance About American History: Michele Bachmann, Pat Buchanan And Other Republicans! :(

Ronald 2 Comments

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is demonstrating her total ignorance of American history and the history of her Republican party, based on the text of her speech to be delivered tonight after President Obama’s State of the Union Address!

She says slavery was ended by the Founding Fathers, showing she is unaware of the role of her Republican Party, Abraham Lincoln, and the Civil War in ending slavery. She is, as always, demonstrating her total lack of knowledge of the American past and the American Constitution, joining many other Republicans, including Sarah Palin, in this regard! 🙁

But now, Pat Buchanan, former challenger for the Presidency against George HW Bush in 1992, and running for President as a third party party candidate in 2000, has also demonstrated his lack of knowledge, by asserting there were more slaves in the Union states that had slaves (Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri) than in any of the Confederate States that broke away from the Union! He also said incorrectly that George Washington freed his slaves after his wife died, but the reality is that his wife outlived him by over two years! 🙁

The ignorance and lack of knowledge of these and other Republican leaders is shocking and reprehensible! 🙁

The Founding Fathers (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Franklin) and the statesmen of the pre Civil War era (Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Stephen Douglas, William Seward, Charles Sumner, Abraham Lincoln) would be shocked and mortified if they came back today and witnessed the TOTAL STUPIDITY AND IGNORANCE of many GOP leaders, and Republicans of the Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Dwight D. Eisenhower era would also be ashamed of what their party has become: a party without legitimacy, ethics, character, and morality! 🙁

New Hampshire Straw Poll And Mitt Romney: Sign Of Trouble In Midst Of Winning?

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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the Republican so called “establishment” candidate for President, who would, in theory, based on party history, be seen as the likely front runner to be the next GOP nominee, seemingly had good news this past weekend, as he “won” a New Hampshire straw poll conducted by that state’s Republican party, a full year before the New Hampshire presidential primary that, in theory, he should win handily.

But upon second thought, is his win a good sign? No, in actual fact, as the New Hampshire Republican Party has chosen a Tea Party favorite as its state party leader, and the Tea Party activists are no fans of Mitt Romney.

It is however, interesting, to notice who received votes in that straw poll in New Hampshire. Romney was way ahead with 35 percent of the vote, with Texas Congressman and libertarian and Tea Party favorite Ron Paul second with 11 percent, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty 8 percent, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin 7 percent, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann at 5 percent, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint also 5 percent, and others even lower.

When only Tim Pawlenty is the other mainstream Republican who scores in the straw poll, and all the others are Tea Party favorites, that makes one realize that New Hampshire might very well become the center of a right wing radicalization of the GOP for the Presidency, with the Tea Party leader in New Hampshire making clear that mainstream Republicans are persona non grata! 🙁

If that is the case, then Mitt Romney has a lot to worry about, because if he cannot count on New Hampshire, then his candidacy is a losing cause in 2012!

The Ultimate Fatal Flaw In Sarah Palin’s Potential Candidacy For President!

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Sarah Palin is being blamed by many for having incited violence that led to the tragic events in Tucson, Arizona, last weekend, particularly by posting a graphic last year with cross hairs on 20 Congressional districts, including Gabrielle Giffords’s, of Democrats who supported the Health Care Reform legislation.

Of course, no one is literally saying that Sarah Palin directly advocated violence, so her protests that she is against violence ring true without any question.

But Sarah Palin fails to realize that she has, along with others, including Michele Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck, created a toxic environment which can incite loonies to take action because of political conflict that they engender by their rhetoric.

Enough has been said about Sarah Palin’s inferior qualifications to be President of the United States. She has proven to be lazy, lacking in curiosity, ignorant of basic information, and unwilling to answer tough questions with news media that might challenge her.

But her ultimate fatal flaw has now been revealed: that she is unwilling to admit responsibility, that she has made errors, and allows herself to be defended by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. She is now shown to be outside the mainstream of American politics, a person who creates conflict, rather than bring us together.

We do not need another President like George W. Bush who was unwilling to admit shortcomings, and who is less informed than the former President!

We need a President who is willing to admit errors and shortcomings, and is in the moderate center of our political system. The fact that Obama is called every possible name, including Marxist, Communist, Socialist, Nazi, etc., as Franklin D. Roosevelt was, shows us that despite the loonies and their assertions, he is in the center, while Sarah Palin is not!

If the Republicans hope to compete in 2012, they must make it clear that Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck are NOT representative of what they offer, or they will end up in the dustbin of history! 🙁

Can The Ideological Divide In America Be Overcome To Avoid Incitement Of More Violence? Highly Doubtful! :(

Ronald 3 Comments

The attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the murder and wounding of twenty other victims in Tucson, Arizona, should be a wake up call for the country at large, and the political leaders and media personalities in particular, but don’t bet on it! 🙁

The right wing is trying to deflect blame for the use of incendiary language, and trying to compare it to left wing criticisms that may ridicule and mock the opposition.

But it is the specific use of language of the right that is at issue, not the concept of criticism itself!

There can be a healthy, vigorous debate over ideas without promoting rhetoric that calls for revolution, asking citizens to be armed and dangerous, calling for direct action against a tyrannical government, and putting online a map with cross hairs targeting particular congressional district representatives.

There is absolutely no excuse for the rhetoric employed by Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and others on the right.

To compare it to the rhetoric of Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC requires a mentality that makes one wonder about the moral virtues of the listeners. These talk show hosts have never called for any of the above concepts that the right wing is infamous for.

The sad truth is that any possibility of change is remote, and tragically, we are on the road to greater bloodshed and violence on others, including the horrible thought of danger to our national leaders in the executive branch! 🙁

How can we tolerate this, and how can we even think of anyone backing any of these characters in public office, or supporting the continuation of talk show hosts who are only concerned about enriching themselves, and don’t give any concern about public safety or what is good for the national interest? 🙁

The answer is if violence escalates, lawsuits will have to be instituted against right wing talk radio hosts as having contributed to and incited the bloodshed, forcing them off the air and impoverishing them, to shut them up!

Again, speech matters, and if one shouts “fire in a crowded theater”, they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, whether they are ordinary citizens, political leaders, or media personalities!

The Silly Season: Rudy Guiliani Running For President Again?

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This has been a really crazy week, with suggestions that four new names should be added to the list of potential Republican nominees–Jon Huntsman, Jeb Bush, Michele Bachmann, and Donald Trump.

But now the ultimate crazy suggestion has cropped up–former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani! 🙁

What a preposterous idea, that the former Mayor, who has been out of office for a decade, flopped dramatically in the 2008 Presidential campaign by failing to win Florida, and has contributed absolutely nothing to politics except his big ego and ambition and more and more stupid statements, seems to think that magically he can utilize September 11 as his campaign issue after it has already failed once!

Trying to claim that his so called “moderate” views on gay rights and abortion give him a counterweight against other much more conservative candidates, is clear evidence that Guiliani lives on some other planet!

To believe that the Republican Party will nominate a person with his views shows he does not know or understand the impact of the Tea Party Movement, which already is a threat to moderates in the Senate and to Mitt Romney, arguably the front runner at the moment in the Republican race.

Romney is way ahead of everyone by far in the polling of the New Hampshire primary, and yet he has a lot to overcome to be the GOP nominee.

So Guiliani is living in “LA LA LAND” if he hallucinates enough to believe he will be the GOP nominee in 2012!

The suggestion of the author to Rudy is “Get a life”! 🙁

Just What Is Needed? Donald Trump For President? NO! :(

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Every day now it seems another public figure comes out and talks about possibly pursuing the Presidency in 2012.

Speculation developed in the past week about Jon Huntsman, Jeb Bush and Michele Bachmann. Now Donald Trump has started to talk as if the nation needs him to run!

Is that what we need? Do we need a real estate mogul, who is extremely cocky, arrogant, self serving, loves publicity, has his own show where he can fire people, narcissistic and has gone bankrupt with no apologies?

Donald Trump is a brilliant, intelligent person, certainly admirable in many ways, but what we do not need is another businessman running for President, as despite what people often say, a government is NOT a business, and businessmen do not have the proper training nor empathy to understand human needs, as all that matters to them is making profit and avoiding taxation.

Such a combination will NOT solve the problems of this country, and Donald Trump would be even more insufferable as President than he is right now! 🙁