Mitt Romney

The Anti Gay Republican Party And Its Religious Allies: A Disgrace To American Values!

The Republican Party is making clear that it has an anti gay agenda, with very few Republicans willing to condemn the hate and prejudice that is being espoused by religious Right pastors, and by social conservatives who are doing everything they can to undermine any possibility of fair treatment of gays and lesbians.

Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council have succeeded in forcing Mitt Romney to fire a gay adviser, and it seems clear that Romney will not stand up to these religious bigots.

Instead, elements of the Catholic Church, and evangelical Christians are acting in a way that Jesus Christ would not approve. So we have Joel Osteen, who seemed inclusive when he first became noticed on the national scene from his mega church in Houston, who shows no open mindedness at all toward gays, disillusioning many who thought he had a more tolerant approach; and we have Pastor Sean Harris of The Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, who went on a rant against gays in a sermon last week, and advocated violence against any boy who showed a “limp wrist”, or any girl who acted “butch”. What was even more shocking is how his congregation laughed when he spoke of smacking children, and many seemed to agree with his hateful tirade. Harris apologized, but he lied about what he had said, which was taped. What kind of a religious leader can lie openly and be believed?

Christianity in America is being poisoned and polluted by people who claim to be “good Christians”, but have no problem in advocating violence, hate, prejudice, discrimination, ostracism, and more!

The Republican Party should be ashamed for allowing itself to become captive of these hateful peddlers of a faith that some of them even wish to deny that Jesus was Jewish. Anti semitism, anti black, anti gay, anti immigrant,and anti women views have become common among many elements of Christianity, thankfully not all, but much more prevalent than many want to admit!

Mitt Romney, showing no guts or courage, needs to be walloped on Election Day, or else the dangers of militant, extremist Christianity spreading to national policy are increased, and his party needs to get the message of defeat as well in Congress, that the good people in America are not going to allow their despicable agenda to be advanced, and instead to be clearly repudiated!

Is Mitt Romney “Captive” Of Grover Norquist, Paul Ryan, And Bill Kristol?

Mitt Romney, the presumptive GOP Presidential nominee, is a man with very few interests, other than making money, along with caring about his family and his Mormon Church.

He has really no background or great knowledge in foreign policy, and has very little interest in improving the lives of average Americans.

Many are starting to wonder if he the “captive” of Grover Norquist, Paul Ryan, and Bill Kristol.

Grover Norquist, the head of Americans For Tax Reform, has been able to convince almost all Republicans in Congress to agree NEVER to raise taxes on ANYONE, and in fact, lower them ever more. Mitt Romney has committed himself to this insanity, and of course, he personally benefits from such a policy.

Paul Ryan, the House Budget Chairman from Wisconsin, promotes the idea of destroying Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as we know it, and has been even criticized by leaders of his own Catholic Church for his harsh view and attitude towards the poor. Romney has also expressed the thought that nothing more needs to be done for those less fortunate.

Bill Kristol is the publisher of the conservative weekly, The Weekly Standard, since its inception in 1994, and he is infamous as one of the “neocons”, the so called neo conservatives, who call for use of force overseas, and advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Mitt Romney has pushed for the idea of bombing Iran, rather than diplomacy first being pursued over their nuclear program.

So one has to wonder if Mitt Romney, having no interest in issues other than what will elect him, is allowing himself now, and later as President, were he to be elected, to enact policies favored by these three men and others, which many would call “radical” ideas.

It is truly ironic that Barack Obama is often called a “radical” President, when if one examines Mitt Romney and who has influence or power over him, we should instead be concerned that Mitt Romney is the true “radical” in the race, ready to reverse progress and change under Barack Obama, and go back to the failed policies of George W. Bush!

The Final Exit Of Newt Gingrich From National Politics: Or Is It?

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has finally suspended his campaign for President, having won only South Carolina and his home state of Georgia.

Notice the word “suspended”, as Newt still sees himself as a future President, so we may not have seen the last of him.

Gingrich gave a very unflattering statement of support of Mitt Romney, simply saying that he was better than “the most radical President in American history”, as he describes Barack Obama.

Gingrich is insufferable, a braggart, a boaster, an obnoxious person, with a horrible record on morals and ethics, and a over inflated view of his own brilliance. It is hard to watch him, and wonder how he is not embarrassed by his own behavior, but he certainly is not a person who shows any shame!

So don’t be surprised that Newt will come back and try for the Presidency in 2016, when he would be 73, because his ego requires it, his need for attention is obsessive, and he will always think that he is the smartest person in the country.

His erratic behavior will always make him interesting, but he has a very high percentage of Americans who dislike him, and just wish he would go away!

Newt will be remembered as one of the most significant figures to come from the House of Representatives, but all of us who are sane would wish to say to Newt: “Please go away and don’t come back!”

The Barack Obama Economic Record: Worth Defending!

Republicans love to attack Barack Obama as a dissater on economic matters, claiming he is a total failure, and conveniently forgetting the horrible record of George W. Bush, and what Barack Obama inherited, the worse economic conditions for a new President entering office since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933!

But just as the FDR economic record is seen as positive by most historians and other scholars, someday the Obama record in his first term will be praised.

Of course, there are still naysayers for FDR’s economic record, and they seem to be multiplying, as part of the conservative and Republican assault on Barack Obama, but the truth is otherwise from what the propagandists state!

Is there room for improvement? Of course, but considering where we started in January 2009, the economy has come a long way.

What has been accomplished?

The creation of 4.1 million jobs.
25 straight months of economic growth.
The lowering of the unemployment rate from a high of 9.7% to 8.2%.
An increase of 63 percent in the stock market.
The revival and success of the auto industry.

This is a record Obama can be proud of, and we must remind ourselves that, as Obama has stated, the mess we were left in by the Bush Administration cannot be reversed completely in four years, and maybe not even eight years.

It will be a long haul, but the point is progress is being made, and Mitt Romney refuses to recognize that, and thinks his business experience will be the way to get us out of our economic mess more quickly.

A final thought: The last businessman President was Herbert Hoover! That is correct, Herbert Hoover! Enough said!

Six Months To Presidential Election Of 2012: No Signs Of Strong Third Party Movement!

With six months to go to the Presidential Election of 2012, there are no signs of a strong third party movement occurring, which would have any dramatic effect on the election results.

Third parties in the past have had significance in election results, although never able to win the election.

This certainly proved true with the Free Soil Party of 1848, the Progressive Party of 1912, the American Independent Party in 1968, and the Reform Party of 1992.

And even in small ways, as in 2000, the candidacy of Ralph Nader, and even that of Pat Buchanan, had an effect on the race, particularly in Florida.

There is no such danger at this point, and with Mayor Michael Bloomberg making clear he is not running as an Independent, and instead allowing himself to be courted by both the Romney and Obama campaigns, there should be a major sigh of relief in both camps.

Yes, there will be third party candidates, but no one seriously is seen as a major figure, although it sometimes has seemed that Jon Huntsman, the former Utah Governor, might run, and Ron Paul, still technically in the race for the GOP Presidential nomination, has been rumored as a Libertarian Party candidate, as he was in 1988.

But realistically, the most “threatening” possible candidates are two former Governors who were ignored in the Republican race for President: former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer, and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. Roemer might run as the Reform Party candidate, and Johnson as the Libertarian Party candidate

Virgil Goode, former Republican Congressman from Virginia, might be the Constitution Party candidate; Roseanne Barr, the comedian, might run as the Green Party candidate; and either Buddy Roemer or former Salt Lake City, Utah, Mayor Rocky Anderson might run on the Americans Elect (online nomination) Party, with Anderson also the candidate of the Justice Party.

Of course, there is always the possibility of Ralph Nader or Donald Trump or Jesse Ventura running, as they have often talked about, but with only Nader actually running just about every four years, making him, sadly, a joke at this point, when once he had real credibility.

The point is the likelihood of a third party or independent candidate having any impact on the election is close to zero at this point!

In Defense Of Jimmy Carter In The Controversy Over Osama Bin Laden

With the debate over the question of whether President Barack Obama should be able to take credit for the death of Osama Bin Laden and use it in the upcoming campaign, we have heard the name “Jimmy Carter” constantly brought up in a derisive manner by Mitt Romney, John McCain and other Republicans, and it makes one want to scream!

Jimmy Carter is very proud of the fact that we did not go to war in his administration; that he helped to negotiate a long lasting agreement, the Camp David Accords, between Egypt and Israel; that he successfully negotiated an agreement to give back the Panama Canal to that nation’s control; promoted human rights, setting a standard principle which has been utilized as a principle of American foreign policy since; and had the courage to take strong action to try and rescue American hostages in Iran, the failed mission occurring in April 1980.

Yes, the rescue mission failed, but Carter could take the credit for the fact that all of the hostages came home, upon the inauguration of Ronald Reagan. The problem was that all of the good that Carter did in foreign policy, as well as domestic policy, was overshadowed by the Iran crisis, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the economic recession that occurred, including an oil embargo that raised gasoline prices.

Carter was the victim of circumstance, but deserves much better treatment and respect, as the only other President so attacked on a regular basis after his Presidency as incompetent, who was Herbert Hoover.

It is ironic that these two Presidents, educated as engineers, both brilliant in intellect, both one term Presidents soundly defeated for re-election, ended up having longer retirements than any other President, with Hoover’s thirty one and a half years in retirement to be passed by Carter on September 8, 2012, just four months from now.

Hopefully, when he reaches that milestone in September, we will see the country celebrate Carter’s longevity, and celebrate his contributions to the country, instead of constant ridicule and disrespect.

But, if anything, Carter’s failure to rescue the hostages probably led to his defeat in 1980 by Ronald Reagan, and that makes Barack Obama’s gamble on Osama Bin Laden, and his courage and decisiveness in the matter, even more impressive, and means everyone should be willing to applaud Obama, and give him the right to use it as an issue in the Presidential Election of 2012!

One can be sure a Republican President would use it as a campaign issue, and we all know that George W. Bush politicized the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to his political advantage!

Mitt Romney: The “Gutless Wonder” With No Principles!

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been described as colorless, dull, boring, plastic, stiff, and as a chameleon who changes his views to fit the audience or the pressure group. With a reputation as a “flip flopper”, Romney has managed to change his views on every subject imaginable, making one wonder who is the REAL Romney, as one book is entitled!

But now that he is the presumptive nominee, he is rewriting history, claiming he had been supportive of the idea of going into a foreign nation to hunt down Osama Bin Laden, as Barack Obama, and interestingly, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani, had endorsed as far back as 2007.

Now his aide tells us that Romney was the one to support saving General Motors and the auto industry, and that Obama picked up his idea, another total falsehood!

Mitt Romney also had the nerve to say yesterday that he wishes to help the poor and the middle class, when he said just the exact opposite a few months ago. But now he claims that Barack Obama wants to take from the poor to give to the wealthy! What in the world does he mean by that assertion, which makes absolutely no sense in reality? This is a man who exudes wealth and privilege, and total lack of concern about the poor and the middle class, and seems to think just by making a statement, that it wipes out his past statements and actions, what his own aide called an “etch a sketch”!

Mitt Romney has no scruples, ethics, or morals apparently, as for a man who claims to be a “good Mormon”, one would think he would not lie as regularly as Mitt Romney does!

And he has now also shown cowardice, that he is a “gutless wonder”, in forcing the resignation of a gay conservative foreign policy spokesman to please the religious right bigots. Does that mean he will have a test for all administration employees that no one who is gay will be part of his government? It is well known that many Republicans speak anti gay rhetoric but have gay employees or aides. Why cannot Romney promote diversity and tolerance, a crucial test of his character and principles, which obviously he lacks in massive amounts!

Mitt Romney proves more than ever by his actions and words that he is unfit to be our President, as his record now shows that he is all of the following, in no special order:

Anti Women
Anti Hispanic-Latinos
Anti Labor
Anti Gay
Anti Science
Anti Environment
Anti Poor
Anti Health Care Reform
Anti Social Safety Net
Anti Education Opportunity

Mitt Romney should be ashamed for demonstrating he is a man with no principles, a “gutless wonder”!

The Flap Over “Politicizing” Of The Death Of Osama Bin Laden

A major flap has developed over the “politicizing” of the death of Osama Bin Laden by the Barack Obama campaign team, but it is false in its pretenses.

George W. Bush bragged about his intervention in Iraq and the capture of Saddam Hussein. and that was seen as acceptable by Republican operatives.

There is nothing wrong with taking credit for the death of Osama Bin Laden, and claiming it as an accomplishment, as one can be certain that IF the mission to kill Bin Laden had failed, the Republicans would be constantly beating Obama over the head on the failure, much like they did when Jimmy Carter failed to rescue the hostages in Iran in April 1980.

And it is a fact that Mitt Romney had said in 2007, that he was unwilling to spend inordinate amounts of time or money to find and eliminate Osama Bin Laden, something people in his campaign want us to forget!

And Mitt Romney only makes things worse by his nasty comment that EVEN Jimmy Carter would have tried to get Osama bin Laden, and in so doing, besmirching the record of Carter, which is a lot better than Republicans give him credit for.

So if it is alright to attack if something fails, then it is alright for praise and take credit if something succeeds.

So the Republicans are hypocrites, annoyed that Obama can look strong in foreign and defense policy, more than George W. Bush, who was unable to accomplish the goal of getting bin Laden in eight years in office!

And in a surprise, Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post is wrong to criticize Barack Obama on this.

And congratulations to Bill Clinton, for agreeing to do a commercial for Obama, endorsing and praising Obama’s actions against Osama bin Laden one year ago, making this country safer than it has been since September 11!

The Democratic Party Edge In The Electoral College Is Reality!

In the midst of all of the public opinion polls about popularity of the Presidential candidates, one is tempted to forget that the Electoral College will decide who the next President will be, and the Democrats have a vast advantage since they have a clear edge in most of the larger states with many more electoral votes.

If one candidate wins the top ELEVEN electoral vote states, he wins the election, even if he were to face a massive defeat in popular votes in the other 39 states!

Of course, no one is likely to win all of the top eleven states, but the point is that the Electoral College gives great power to the larger populated states, and all that is required is to win one more popular vote in a state than your opponent to win all of the electoral votes of that state.

So if one looks at the top eleven states, we discover that the Democrats and President Barack Obama have a guaranteed win in California (55), New York (29), Illinois (20), and New Jersey (14) for a total of 118 electoral votes.

Obama also has an edge to win in Pennsylvania (20), Ohio (18), Michigan (16), and North Carolina (15) for a total of 69 electoral votes.

If Obama wins these eight states, he has 187 electoral votes already, not counting other Northeastern, New England, and Pacific Coast states that he is widely expected to win.

The three states that might go Republican are Texas (38), Florida (29), and Georgia (16), but Florida could go Democratic, and even Georgia is considered a long shot for the Democrats.. These three states together have 83 electoral votes. If Obama won Florida, as he did in 2008, and the eight states he is expected to win, which he also won in 2008, he would have 216 electoral votes from just those nine states!

So together, the top eleven states have 270 electoral votes, EXACTLY what is needed to win the White House!

So forget popular vote public opinion polls, as the odds of Mitt Romney winning the election in the Electoral College, let alone the popular vote totals, is not worth betting on, once one realizes the reality of the Electoral College.

Further proof of the difficulty for Republicans to win a vast majority of the Electoral College is the fact of the massive Electoral College wins by Bill Clinton twice (370 and 379) and Barack Obama once (365), while George W. Bush could not hit over 271 and 286 in electoral votes in 2000 and 2004!

The odds are much greater that Barack Obama will surpass his 365 electoral votes of 2008 in 2012, just as Bill Clinton improved his second time around!

Further Proof That Mitt Romney Is Out Of Touch With Reality

Mitt Romney, the presumptive GOP nominee for President, spoke to college students at Otterbein College in Ohio yesterday, and suggested they take a risk and start a small business.

Sounds like not a bad idea, right?

But he suggested that if that student does not have the money to start a business, then ask one’s parents to help him out with a loan.

Does Romney not realize that many families cannot afford to pay for their children’s college education, and yet they are supposed to be able to help their children start a business?

Does he not realize that many middle class, as well as poor families, are living hand to mouth, having lost jobs, homes, pensions, due to Republican policies under George W. Bush and the Republican Party in the first eight years of this century?

Mitt Romney had the advantage of wealthy parents, but most Americans do not have that advantage, and now, millions of them also have unbelievable levels of debt from their education, and would have, therefore, no means to be able to start a small business!

And of course, Romney would not support the idea of having taxpayers help pay off those student debts by, god forbid, expecting wealthy people to pay a fair share of taxes after eight years of getting away with that responsibility due to the Bush tax cuts. After all, that would mean that HE would have to pay more taxes, and that would be an absolute outrage, wouldn’t it?

So expect students to pay their debts in full, now nearing $1 trillion, even though we spend $2 trillion a month in Afghanistan, but still suggest that their impoverished parents give them a loan to start a small business!

It is clear that Mitt Romney is an ostrich with his head in the sand, totally out of touch with reality!