Mitt Romney

The “Two Ricks”: Dangerous To The Less Fortunate People Of Texas And Florida!

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It is really a sad state of affairs when the Republican Governors of the two largest GOP governed states (Texas and Florida) refuse to consider expansion of Medicaid, and also reject willingness to start planning health exchanges to promote development of ObamaCare, now that the Supreme Court has declared it constitutional.

Texas is the second largest state in population, and Florida is fourth, and that means millions of unfortunate Texans and Floridians will be victims of the refusal of the “two Ricks”, Rick Perry and Rick Scott, to accept federal money, and face the facts that citizens will die because of the refusal to provide health care to the needy and disabled of their states.

It is reprehensible and shows no conscience, as both governors play politics, and make ObamaCare seem radical, when the basis of it is RomneyCare, and the Heritage Foundation and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich endorsed the idea in 1993 as an alternative to so called HillaryCare, the proposal of President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton for a more advanced health care system than ObamaCare is.

ObamaCare is far more limited and, really, conservative in nature, but it is all part of the plan to oppose EVERYTHING promoted by President Barack Obama.

But with the Supreme Court having backed ObamaCare, for these two large state governors, and others, such as Scott Walker of WIsconsin, Paul LePage of Maine, and other GOP governors, to work to undermine it, knowing that it affects the lives of millions of the less fortunate among us, is beyond rational thought!

Tension Between Chief Justice John Roberts And Conservative Justices On Supreme Court Reported: What It Might Mean!

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In an extremely rare inside look at the Supreme Court, which tends to keep secret the interactions of its members, there are strong indications that the decision of Chief Justice John Roberts to side with the liberals on the Court and uphold “ObamaCare” may have caused what might be a permanent rift on the Court between Roberts and Associate Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito.

No one is likely to ever confirm such a rift explicitly, but it will be very interesting to observe the body language of the Court in oral arguments, decision announcement days, and other public meetings where the members of the Court will be together in public places.

One could wish that he or she was a “fly on the wall” figuratively, to see what has really gone on, and will occur, in the future.

The situation could transform the Court IF Roberts continues to side with the liberals, but few expect that to happen. But the old warmth and respect for each other that the Court is famous for in most of its past may be done, nevertheless.

It also makes one wonder, particularly IF Roberts continues the course he is on at the moment, whether it will convince Antonin Scalia to quit the Court, at age 76 and counting, and may be determined by who is elected President in November.

It is hard to imagine Scalia leaving, or even Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, if Barack Obama is elected to a second term, but if Romney is elected, it is conceivable that both might leave sooner rather than later, if either or both feel uncomfortable working with Roberts in the future.

One can forget about Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito leaving, however, as neither would plan to leave anytime soon!

No Love Affair Between Mitt Romney And Conservative Leaders! Major Obstacle To Reaching The White House!

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Mitt Romney has a major problem we have long been aware of!

Conservative leadership is NOT in love with the former Massachusetts Governor!

The Wall Street Journal, Fox News Channel, and other conservative media owned by Rupert Murdoch, has major problems with Romney.

So does Bill Kristol of the WEEKLY STANDARD, the major conservative weekly journal of opinion, and the center of neoconservatives, who brought us into the Iraq War under George W. Bush, and still believe in an aggressive, muscular, foreign policy.

Additionally, evangelical Christians have a major problem with Romney being a Mormon, and the Tea Party Movement is not happy about Romney’s promotion of RomneyCare in Massachusetts, and Romney’s fidgeting about the Supreme Court backing of ObamaCare, which is seen as too similar to RomneyCare, although Romney has now repudiated it for the nation!

So Romney already is behind in electoral votes on the Electoral College map of states, and even with loads of money raised by billionaires and political action committees, and the attempt to disfranchise millions of voters in many states, a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it will be extremely difficult for him to win the White House!

The Vice Presidency Competition: Only Tim Pawlenty Or Rob Portman Makes Sense!

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More speculation about the race to be Vice Presidential nominee with Mitt Romney has been churning lately, with one clear conclusion: Only former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty or Ohio Senator Rob Portman make any sense!

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan is simply too toxic with his plan to privatize Medicare and Social Security, although Mitt Romney has endorsed the plan. It would harm Romney in a major way in the upcoming campaign.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is simply too controversial and outspoken, not a good match for the reserved Mitt Romney. His image as a “Bully” Governor would be harmful.

New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte, the only woman mentioned, has too little experience to be a heartbeat away, and might bring about comparisons to Sarah Palin, although obviously Ayotte is much smarter and more intelligent than Sarah.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal would bring little to Romney’s candidacy, and there are doubts about either being qualified to be a heartbeat away from the White House.

Marco Rubio would be too controversial, too much of a lightning rod, and would not draw Hispanic or Latino support of Mexican Americans or Puerto Rican Americans, or others, other than Cuban Americans.

The only possible alternative to Pawlenty or Portman might be Senator John Thune of South Dakota, but it is clear that Pawlenty and Portman are both qualified, non controversial, and most important, from the heartland Midwest, which Romney must win to become President. Only Thune is from the same area, unless you include Ryan, who again is extremely toxic, and would be unwise for Romney to select!

America In 2012: African American President, Irish Catholic Vice President, Mormon Presidential Candidate, Supreme Court Of Catholics, Jews, Women, African American And Hispanic, And The Third Woman Secretary Of State!

Ronald 2 Comments

In the midst of all the turmoil we are going through politically, America should sit back and marvel at how far this nation has come by 2012.

We have an African American President, Barack Obama!

We have an Irish Catholic Vice President, Joe Biden, the only Catholic since John F. Kennedy in 1960.

We have a Mormon Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.

We have a Supreme Court consisting of six Catholics (Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor) and three Jews (Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Stephen Breyer, and Elena Kagan), and also an African American (Clarence Thomas), an Hispanic, (Sonia Sotomayor) and three women (Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan) on the Court.

And we have the third woman Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, after two earlier ones (Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice (one with Jewish heritage and one African American).

So we have a lot to be proud of in 2012, with the tremendous amount of diversity!

Mitt Romney: Least Government Experience Since 1912 Of Any Presidential Nominee, Except Wendell Willkie In 1940!

Ronald 7 Comments

When one examines ALL of the Presidential nominees of the two major parties in the past century since 1912, one discovers that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has the LEAST total government experience of any nominee, with the exception of the Republican nominee in 1940, businessman Wendell Willkie!

If we go back to 1896, we would need to add two nominees and one winner of the White House who had an equal amount of experience or less than Romney has–a total of four years and two years each. These are three time Democratic nominee (1896, 1900, 1908) William Jennings Bryan, who served as a Nebraska Congressman from 1890-1894; and Democratic President Woodrow Wilson, who served only two years as New Jersey Governor from 1910-1912, although serving as President of Princeton University for eight years previous to running for Governor.

When we talk about government experience, it includes time in the US House of Representatives, US Senate, the Governorship, state legislature, local office, service in administrative positions in government, and military experiences.

So only Wendell Willkie (no government experience) and Woodrow Wilson (two years of government experience) have less experience than Romney, with William Jennings Bryan matching Romney with four years in government.

Everyone else who ran as nominees for President had extensive experience in government, which is what one should expect for someone who wants the responsibility to be the leader of the most powerful nation on earth!

This is a very different nation than it was in 1896, 1912, or even 1940!

Public Servants: An Insurance Policy For The Present And The Future, Underappreciated!

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The attacks on public servants being encouraged by Fox News Channel, Congressional Republicans, Republican Governors, and Presidential nominee Mitt Romney are reprehensible!

The idea seems to be to “trash” the value and essential nature of having police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, and other public servants, who serve willingly, but are mistreated, underpaid, and now are told many of them are not “necessary”, because the wealthy cannot pay more taxes!

It is the same attitude toward military personnel, who are sent into harm’s way, told they are appreciated, but discover otherwise when they need health care and other services, and are told they must wait months for service, or just be asked to go away, as they are used in public rhetoric and then abused in reality by lack of concern and care!

It is the public servants of this country, both civilian and military, that make this country what it is–a safe, secure country in the present and the future, as well!

Police officers are there to protect us against crime; firefighters are there to protect us from urban blazes and massive fires such as the horrifying forest fires in Colorado right now; teachers at all levels are there to educate our young and our adults and even our senior citizens, so that they have a future that is enriched by knowledge and skills; nurses are there to do much of what doctors fail to do, including saving lives in emergency rooms and assisting in surgical procedures; and military personnel are dying and being wounded for us overseas to protect the homeland!

That is MUCH more important than whether a corporation had record profits in the last quarter; or whether banks made more by bilking consumers out of greed; or whether Mitt Romney and other “vulture” capitalists managed to make even more money to add to their obscene amounts of wealth which they protect from taxation by having secret accounts in the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, the Bahamas, and elsewhere!

None of the above are at all patriotic, or caring about what is good for America!

All they are concerned about is the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR, as they worship the acquisition of wealth, and celebrate greed and selfishness, at the expense of their fellow citizens and their nation! They are defended by the Republican Party and conservatives, who like them, should be ashamed of themselves, but don’t have the capacity to have a conscience or concern for their fellow human beings!

Libertarian Gary Johnson For President: What Effect Might His Candidacy Have In 2012?

Ronald 6 Comments

Former New Mexico Republican Governor Gary Johnson is the candidate of the Libertarian Party for President in 2012.

Johnson has been pretty much ignored, and was only allowed in two GOP Presidential debates during the primary season.

Johnson, however, will be on the ballot in all 50 states, and the question is whether he could be an effective third party candidate, and be a threat to either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, and even reach the threshold of 15 percent required to be part of the three Presidential debates in September and October, as Ross Perot was able to accomplish in the 1992 Presidential campaign.

Right now, that possibility seems highly unlikely, but who knows what might transpire over the next three months, as disillusioned Americans might start to look at Gary Johnson’s candidacy!

Johnson’s views are a mix which COULD draw support from voters who are unhappy with Obama and Romney.

Among his views are:

Creating a balanced budget by cutting 43 percent of the Medicare and Medicaid budget in one year.
Abolishing the federal income and corporate taxes, and instituting a national sales tax based on consumption, instead.
Opposition to the ObamaCare legislation and the Prescription Drug Plan under George W. Bush.
Desire to withdraw from overseas engagements in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and was opposed to our involvement in Iraq and Libya from the beginning.
Opposition to the Patriot Act, and belief in civil liberties without interference by the American government.
Belief in states rights to deal with issues in their borders.
Opposition to abortion and the death penalty.
Belief in legalizing marijuana use, and the lowering of the drinking age, and believes the war on drugs has failed, and should be abandoned.
Opposition to measures for gun control legislation.
Belief that the Arizona law on illegal immigration was wrong, and would have vetoed it had it passed the legislature in New Mexico.
Support of same sex marriage and gay rights, including in the military.
Opposition to public funding of stem cell research.

This is a mix of issues that has the capacity to draw support , particularly among young people, and disillusioned voters with the major political parties.

So the question remains: Will Gary Johnson have an impact on the election, and if so, in what way?

The guess of the author is that Johnson could actually harm Mitt Romney in certain states, and possibly throw the election in those states to Barack Obama, including the states of Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Alaska, all states believed to be RED or Republican!

So Gary Johnson COULD effectively become the Ross Perot of 2012, even without gaining 19 percent of the total national vote, a feat only a wealthy person such as Ross Perot could manage. However, Gary Johnson is said to be worth about $40 million, not a measly amount, to say the least!

Income Tax Returns Revealed: George W. Bush–17, George Romney–12, Mitt Romney–1!

Ronald 3 Comments

Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney is coming across as extremely secretive, refusing to release any tax returns other than the one for 2010, which revealed he was worth at least $250 million, twice the wealth of the eight Presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama!

Now evidence is emerging that he is, likely, MUCH wealthier than $250 million, since he has offshore accounts in many nations, more than even what was thought (Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Switzerland)!

Romney delayed his 2012 tax return to avoid controversy during the primaries, but now those records will be revealed probably in October, shortly before the election, but it seems possible he will try to delay the revelations until after the election.

But the fact that he refuses to give details about his taxes looks terrible as compared to President George W. Bush, a rich man, who revealed SEVENTEEN years of tax returns in 2000.

Also, Mitt’s dad, Governor George Romney of Michigan, while running for the Presidency in 1968, revealed TWELVE years of tax returns.

So why cannot Mitt reveal NOW more than ONE year? How about it, Mitt?

Why Barack Obama In 2012 Is NOT George H. W. Bush In 1992, NOR Jimmy Carter In 1980!

Ronald 2 Comments

With exactly four months to go until the Presidential Election of 2012, the job figures this month, showing a slowing of the economy, very little job growth, and a steady 8.2 percent unemployment rate, makes it clear that Barack Obama will not be able to bring the numbers under 8 percent before the election, and will have the highest unemployment rate of a President seeking re-election since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.

So there are the hysterical political followers who fear that Obama is about to lose the election to Mitt Romney, but that is not going to happen!

Obama is compared to George H. W. Bush in 1992 and Jimmy Carter in 1980, with both of them losing, but the situations are VERY different!

Bush lacked any charisma, was running against a charismatic opponent, Bill Clinton, and had a serious, strong third party candidate in Ross Perot, which helped to cause his loss in the election. He also had accomplished very little beyond the Gulf War victory, and the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Jimmy Carter in 1980 was also lacking in charisma, was running against a very charismatic candidate, Ronald Reagan, who was able to unify people with his speaking skills, and faced the Iranian hostage crisis, and super high inflation due to the second Arab Oil Embargo, and also faced a third candidate in the Presidential race, Independent John Anderson.

Obama has tons of charisma; while Mitt Romney has absolutely NONE, not even being well liked as a personality as Clinton and Reagan were; and Obama faces no third party or independent challenger.

Obama is personally popular, which Bush and Carter were not, based on public opinion polls.

But having said that, it is clear that what Obama must do is take parts of three former Democratic Presidents, and make it part of his campaign.

Obama must give the GOP “hell” as Harry Truman did in 1948, and must push job plans and education and infrastructure spending by calling Congress into special session in September after the ocnventions, as Truman did, even though Truman knew and we know no such legislation will pass, but still put the Republicans on the defensive!

Obama must act like Franklin D. Roosevelt by saying he welcomes the hate of the GOP, since they refuse to work with him, and drop the “nice guy” image!

And Obama must take on a Lyndon B. Johnson image, that he will push and prod Congress by constant news conferences and speeches on the essential need for massive changes in America!

In taking on ideas of Truman, FDR, and LBJ, Obama would stir the enthusiasm of progressives and liberals, and the groups that might be lazy about voting, and would also draw many of the independents who would realize we have a President who really CARES about average Americans, as Truman, FDR and LBj demonstrated, and contrast it with Mitt Romney, who has made it clear he has no care or concern for more than the one percent at the top of our society!