Archive for November, 2011

Rick Perry Inserts Foot in Mouth Yet Again

Posted on: November 30th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

Just when you thought that things could not possibly get worse for Texas Governor Rick Perry after a series of painfully bad debate performances – particularly one where he failed to name the three government agencies that he would like to eliminate – the man opens his mouth yet again with another major gaffe. This time it isn’t a lack of words but a clear lack of knowledge.

“Those of you that will be 21 by Nov. 12th, I ask for your support and your vote,” Perry said on the campus of Saint Anselm College to a group of college students. “Those of you who won’t be — just work hard — because you are going to inherit this and you’re counting on us to get this right.”

Better at deepthroating corndogs than 4th grade social studies

The problem?

The voting age is 18 and Election Day is on November 6, 2012. If he was referring to the New Hampshire primary, that is held on January 10, but with Rick Perry it is pretty hard to make sense of what he actually means. Before you chalk it up to being a casual mistake, consider that the voting age has been 18 since 1971 with the passage of the 26th Amendment. Perhaps Rick Perry was too busy partying at the time to take notice of such a significant event, but any serious presidential candidate should have learned such a thing… in POLS-101.

Ron Paul Indie Run Has Support of 1 in 5 Voters

Posted on: November 20th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

Ron Paul is unlikely to win the Republican nomination, but should he run as an independent in next fall’s election he would be the strongest independent candidate since Ross Perot in 1992. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll pegs the Texas Congressman’s support at 18 percent in a three-way race between himself, President Obama and Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee. While President Obama easily routs Mitt Romney in a two-way race (49-43), support for both of them falls with Paul in the race. Obama would only win 44 percent of the vote to Romney’s 32 percent.

Perhaps an even likelier scenario for Paul would be to run as the nominee of the Libertarian Party as he did in 1988. This would give him a guaranteed spot on the ballot in a number of states, including critical swing states such as Indiana. Instead of focusing on collecting signatures for an independent run, Paul could get an automatic position on the ballot and instead focus on campaigning. Given the reality of the electoral college, Paul could conceivably win enough electoral votes to deny either Obama or Romney a majority. That would send the race to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tea Party Leader: Herman Cain Should Drop Out

Posted on: November 18th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

Herman Cain made an ass of himself when he was asked about his position on Libya and could not come up with an answer that was remotely acceptable for a presidential candidate. Now one top Tea Party leader (and a former Cain supporter) is calling on him to leave the race:

After two weeks of negative media attention surrounding sexual harassment allegations and major gaffes, Herman Cain’s support is beginning to erode. Most recently Cain was unable to coherently answer a simple question about whether he supported the intervention in Libya – a topic that has consumed the news for most of the year. At least one top Tea Party leader is now calling on him to drop out of the race.

“I was wrong about Herman Cain… I said originally that Cain could stay on message better than almost any other candidate. His 9-9-9 plan was all he would talk about and I attributed that to good messaging on his part. I was wrong,” said Judson Phillips, a former Cain supporter and the founder of the Tea Party Nation. “Herman Cain needs to leave the race because he is not qualified to be President. The video is painful to watch. It is obvious Cain is in over his head and simply clueless.”

His lack of knowledge on the issues, only to compound it by later saying that a president does not have to know anything about foreign policy, is just as damaging to his campaign as the sexual harassment allegations that have dogged him for two weeks. The man is clearly unqualified and should spare everyone the pain of watching such a pathetic excuse for a presidential candidate.

Arizona Supreme Court Reinstates Redistricting Chair

Posted on: November 18th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

The Arizona Supreme Court has stood up for fair elections today with a ruling that overturns the actions of Governor Jan Brewer and Republicans in the state senate. Arizona Republicans were upset that the map did not give them enough of an advantage. The map would have had four Republican-leaning districts and only two Democratic-leaning districts, while three would be competitive for both parties. The Republicans hoped for a gerrymandered map that would consolidate Democratic voters and give Republicans more seats.

The impeachment of the independent chairwoman was done in a rush without due process and any evidence that she acted in a way that merited removal. The problem of elected officials creating maps that work in their own interest is a serious problem and one of the reasons why the independent commission was created in the first place when voters approved it in 2000. Republican members of Congress were clearly distressed that they would face stiffer competition and lobbied for the state legislature to remove the chairwoman of the independent commission.

Thankfully, the Arizona Supreme Court stopped this purely political power grab. The constitutional requirement for removal is a high one: “substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office or inability to discharge the duties of office.” The Arizona Supreme Court states that the requirement was not met and therefore is reinstating her to the commission. Kudos to the Arizona Supreme Court. More states should follow Arizona’s model and take the redistricting process out of the hands of politicians.

Demanding an Efficient Government

Posted on: November 17th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

Democrats and Republicans often get into arguments about the size and role of government. Liberals believe in a strong role to protect the most vulnerable in society while conservatives favor the private sector, stressing personal responsibility. Both sides should at least agree that fixing America’s broken economy is the country’s top priority and that an efficient government will be needed to accomplish that goal.

Unfortunately, too often the government has proven to be slow to respond to the needs of its citizens. The unemployment crisis is a good example of this. The Recovery Act (also known as the stimulus) was passed with mostly Democratic support in 2009. The result was over 3 million jobs created. Many Republicans will have you believe that it created no jobs, including elected officials that know better, especially since many of these same people (Michele Bachmann for instance) were lobbying for money to go to their districts.

Now that the stimulus has run out the economy has slowed. A new round of economic measures were proposed by President Obama and rejected by Republicans who control the House. Democrats should rightly condemn their obstructionism as purely political. Their top goal, as stated by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is to defeat President Obama. The American people deserve better than that. But to ignore the Recovery Act’s mistakes would itself be a mistake.

Looking back at the Recovery Act there are a few things that we can say that today is obvious. For one, it was too small in size. The United States economy was nearly $15 trillion in 2010. The Recovery Act – extended over the course of roughly two years – pumped the economy with spending that equated to only 2.6 percent of GDP. Compounding this problem was the fact that the Recovery Act was a smorgasbord of spending that Democrats had sought for a long time after over 12 years of Republican rule in Congress, but was not necessarily the most effective way at reducing unemployment. Republican plans that focused solely on tax cuts were even less likely to cause a boost to the economy.

East Fork Bitterroot Road Recovery Act Project

We need more signs like this on the road.

As they say hindsight is always 20/20 yet it should have been clear at the time that what was being done would not nearly be enough. The federal government was essentially paying to fill the budget holes of states like Texas, which cut funding to schools only to replace that money with stimulus money. The stimulative result was minimal since they were essentially swapping state money for federal money. This could have easily been predicted and rectified, perhaps by adding provisions requiring the states to maintain current funding levels if they were to accept federal dollars.

Other problems included a high-speed rail network that gave out grants to states rather than directing the funding through the Department of Transportation. After Republican governors took control of states like Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin, they quickly rejected the money, putting major gaps in the future rail network. If President Obama really believed in the future of high-speed rail and the economic opportunities that come with it, why were the details left to the states? Like much of the Recovery Act this reliance on state government, often run by inefficient and politically hostile officials, hurt the prospect of job growth.

Ultimately, fixing America’s broken economy will take cooperation. Republicans will have to assume responsibility instead of sitting on the sidelines and attacking the president. Democrats will have to demand more efficient programs. A bipartisan coalition of left-leaning unions and the right-wing Chamber of Commerce came out in support of infrastructure spending. This would be a good start. Providing tax credits for small businesses that hire workers would also be a good idea that should win broad support. I would even advocate reducing America’s corporate tax rate, making American business more competitive, if it were met with an increase in the tax rate for the top 1% to offset the lost revenue. It’s time to get smart and efficient with government.

The Cain Train Wreck

Posted on: November 14th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

Herman Cain’s free fall is likely to continue after an embarrassing interview where he fumbled on a question about Libya. Even though four women have come out claiming that Cain had sexually harassed them (including an $80,000 settlement with two of the women), he appears to be in the race for the long haul, albeit with narrowing support. Democrats and independents are much less forgiving of the candidate than Republicans. The already unlikely possibility of a Herman Cain presidency pretty much has gone out the window with his support plummeting among general election voters, trailing Obama by double digits. Republicans nominating Cain would be a huge gift to Democrats as he is a not just damaged goods, but completely shattered.

Things are about to get worse for the candidate. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel editorial board, Cain bombs on a question about Libya. One of the journalists off camera asks him, “So you agree with President Obama on Libya or not?” Cain looks confused shifting in his chair with a long, awkward pause. “Okay, Libya,” Cain starts off. “President Obama supported the uprising, correct? President Obama called for the removal of Gaddafi. Just wanted to make sure we’re talking about the same thing before I say, ‘Yes, I agreed.’ ‘No, I didn’t agree,’” Cain responded, clearly struggling for a response. “I got all this stuff twirling around in my head.”

Watch the video for yourself:

Police Assault Student Protesters at UC Berkeley

Posted on: November 10th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

It doesn’t get a lot of attention in that so-called “liberal” media, but the Occupy Wall Street protesters have been under assault by police officers since day one. At an Occupy Oakland rally two Iraq veterans were injured, including one critically from a projectile to the head. Now it’s the campus police at UC Berkeley’s turn to do some old-school 1960s-style beat-downs of unarmed peaceful protesters:

Voters Reject GOP Bills in OH, ME and MS Personhood Amendment

Posted on: November 8th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

American voters soundly defeated a series of extremist measures that looked to take away collective bargaining rights for public employees (including police officers, firemen and teachers) in Ohio, same-day voter registration in Maine, and legally defining personhood as beginning at conception in Mississippi. The Ohio and Maine laws were passed after Republicans took control of all levels of state government in the 2010 elections. The Mississippi referendum was pushed by Christian groups, but opposed by even more moderate Republicans like Jon Huntsman. Voters in Arizona also recalled the sponsor of last year’s anti-immigration law.

The Ohio collective bargaining law went down to defeat with 61% of voters electing to repeal the law. It signals a clear opportunity for President Obama and Democrats to fight for the state in 2012 on a pro-worker, pro-middle class message. Republican candidate Mitt Romney, who at this point is a favorite for the nomination, signaled his support for the law last week. After initially hedging on the issue, Romney flip-flopped within a day to “110 percent” support. Clearly his enthusiasm is a stark contrast with the reality on the ground in Ohio.

The Mississippi amendment would have defined personhood as beginning at conception into the state constitution. The results would have been devastating for women in the state. It would have effectively banned the morning after pill and other forms of birth control and prohibited abortions in all cases. No exceptions were given for cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother was at risk. Simply put the law would have allowed women to die and forced rape victims to have their rapist’s baby. Even in ultra-conservative Mississippi this was seen as going too far. The measure was rejected by a surprisingly large margin with 55% voting against the amendment. The group that sponsored the bill is hoping to put it on ballots in other states next year, but if they can’t get it passed in Mississippi, I doubt it can pass anywhere.

In one final positive note for the night, voters in Arizona recalled the state senate’s president Russell Pearce – a first in the nation’s history. The far-right Pearce has called himself the “Tea Party President” of the Arizona Senate. He was the sponsor of last year’s SB 1070, which gave the state broad powers on immigration enforcement, including requiring police officers to ask the immigration status of people that they suspect are undocumented immigrants. It also imposed harsh fines on undocumented immigrants and up to six months of jail time. His challenger, Jerry Lewis, won by 8 points in the Republican district on a platform opposing SB 1070.

Announcing Operation Bald Eagle

Posted on: November 7th, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

I am pleased to announce that my next book will be called Operation Bald Eagle. After a long line of non-fiction books, Ozzy started the move towards fiction when it was released in May. Now I find myself in the unique opportunity to participate in National Novel Writing Month where writers are encouraged to write a 50,000+ page novel over the course of a month. While I didn’t officially start until four days into the competition, I’m still on pace to make it if I write 1,925 words each day. Today I wrote over 2,000 words.

Smashwords is doing a fantastic promotional tie-in that allows readers to follow work from participating authors. As a result I am offering Operation Bald Eagle free of charge in its early stages. Yes, completely 100% free. This will give you the chance to read as I’m writing it! My goal will be to upload new versions of the book in about 2,000 word updates every night around 3 a.m. Eastern.

Simply go to http://smashwords.com/books/view/102184 and read what I have written so far. You will need a Smashwords account (it’s quick and easy to register). Then feel free to e-mail me your thoughts to kyle.bell [at] gamefreaks365.com or on Facebook. We can call it beta-testing a book. =)

Wall Street Bankrolls Mitt Romney Campaign

Posted on: November 3rd, 2011 by Kyle. | No Comments

Eight of the top ten contributors to Mitt Romney’s campaign for president are Wall Street banks or large financial institutions. The list includes influential names like Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. Coincidentally each of these firms want Wall Street reform to be repealed, passed in 2010 under President Obama and a Democratic Congress, a position staked by Mitt Romney and other Republican presidential candidates.

The contributions from Romney’s top ten largest contributors amount to $1.65 million, over 5 percent of the $32.21 million that he has hauled in to date. Goldman Sachs topped the list at $354,700, followed by Credit Suisse Group ($195,250); Morgan Stanley ($185,800); HIG Capital ($176,500); Barclays ($155,250); Kirkland & Ellis ($129,100); Bank of America ($121,500); PricewaterhouseCoopers ($118,250); EMC Corp ($117,300) and JPMorgan Chase ($109,750).

While Romney relies almost solely on Wall Street money among his largest contributors, President Obama has seen a wide variety of support in his bid for re-election. The top contributors to the incumbent president are noticeably smaller with the largest single source being Microsoft employees at $170,323. Rounding out the top ten are Comcast ($116,155); Harvard University ($94,225); Google ($90,166); University of California ($83,679); DLA Piper ($79,375); Chopper Trading ($64,815); Skadden, Arps et al ($64,162); Stanford University ($62,928) and Ballard, Spahr et al ($61,300).

Mitt Romney has proven to be one of Wall Street’s biggest defenders. He has used talking points sympathetic to the financial industry on the campaign trail, saying that the “extent of regulation in the banking industry has become extraordinarily burdensome following Dodd-Frank” and that “I’d like to repeal Dodd-Frank, recognizing that some revisions make sense.” As one would expect, Romney was critical of Occupy Wall Street: “I think it’s dangerous, this class warfare.”

Romney was the target of Occupy Wall Street protesters on Wednesday in New York City as he held a $2,500-a-plate dinner in midtown Manhattan. Protesters compared the candidate to the fictional Wall Street financier Gordon Gekko, a defender of greed and corruption. As the founder of Bain Capital, Romney oversaw the purchase of low-cost companies and turned them profitable by laying off workers.

All of the data in this article comes from OpenSecrets.org, a non-partisan group that tracks campaign contributions. Campaign contributions are publicly available information released by the Federal Election Commission. Readers are encouraged to browse the website to hold all candidates and elected officials accountable.