The Right Guy Endorses Bob Vander Plaats

This should come as no surprise. My excoriation of Sarah Palin because of her obedient endorsement of Terry Branstad set the stage for this. Palin, who was once described as a maverick and a crusader, has shown herself to be a gangster. Some might say it is to get a seat at the table, but I would say she's been that way for at least 1 years 9 months. She's gotten a taste, and fell in line.

This isn't about Palin though, it's about who is the best choice for Iowa as governor among the available candidates. He's does very well among social conservatives, and while I am not one in the sense that I am using the term, I find that for the most part, Vander Plaats fits the bill. He'd like to make government smaller, he wants to lower taxes, and he wants the branches of government to do their respective duties. By this I mean that the judicial branch does not pass law. Last year, the Iowa Supreme Court struck down a defence of marriage act in Iowa and Chet Culver, our current governor allowed the decision to act as law, not a decision that sends the issue back to the legislature where laws are made. Let me be clear here: I am not making an argument for or against gay marriage, but rather that the process that is happened was severely flawed. These judges are not elected officials and there is no recourse for any decision they make  that is interpreted as law. It's by fiat. This is egregious no matter what side of the issues you are on. The issue needs to be settled by the people, IE the legislature, one way or another.  This didn't happen.

The reason this didn't happen is because Terry Branstad appointed left wing progressive, and I do not use the term liberal, judges to the Iowa Supreme court. He is largely responsible for this. I will also add that Branstad is a narcissist. The guy is making multiples of what he would make as governor, he's already served 4 terms as a tax and spend RINO governor, and somehow he believes he is the only one the can save Iowa from itself. How nice of him to show up, the self-important self-loving narcissist. At this point, he should give someone else a shot, and both Roberts and Vander Plaats can beat Culver in the general election. Chet is that damaged. It's pure ego on Branstad's part and I am here to tell you that if  Terry wins, I will not vot for him. I will write in/vote for Jonathan Narcisse or Bob Vander Plaats, but I will not vote for Terry Branstad in the general election. His Hubris has pissed me off that much and idiots like Charlie Gruschow, who think we should all fall in line like dutiful farm animals, needs to go to hell. I won't, and he, Branstad and the rest of the mushy RINOs in this state can go to hell as well. There, I feel much better now.

So tomorrow, I will cast my vote for Bob, and you should too.

Thank you for reading this blog.

Why Palin is a Sellout

I have been back and forth about Palin in he past year and nine months. She's attractive, funny, sometimes witty, schticky for sure, and by all accounts has gone beyond her 15 minutes.

I had really started to come around to her in the last couple months, and then she went and did it. She endorse Terry Branstad, the Iowa version of FDR in that he's already served four terms as governor.

It's not like I hate Terry, but he's not the best candidate, just the one with the deepest pockets and largest donor list. I also imagine, considering he's of retirement age, he must have been bored to death at Des Moines University to want to run for governor, as it paid a lot more and he also must have a good case of narcissism.  Iowa doesn't need that right now. We also don't need a RINO, who appoints judges that pass law, that has a history of growing government and taxes, and is basically a middle of road mush type of RINO republican.

The sad thing is that Palin endorsed him. Jeez sarah, I hope the blue chip or money you got was worth it, and if it wasn't that, you've lost your mind. With that said, I've also come to the conclusion that Palin is about Palin. It's schtick, it's kitsch, and it's about staying on stage long enough to get to 2012. It's all about Sarah. She's nearly as narcissistic as Obama. Haven't we had enough of that? I'd really like to know what she was thinking with this, but I don't expect the phone call to come explaining it. What I can say is that come Tuesday, this republican will not vote for Branstad, but someone else and come the fall, if Branstad is the "Party's nominee, don't expect me to fall in line like sheeple, which Charlie Gruschow expects me and other republican and tea party members to do. Sorry charlie, sorry sarah, but back room big party politics is not what I am about, and if you might have learned anything about the tea party thing, it's that we don't want the same old, same old. Branstad is moribund and desiccated in that category. Endorsing him leaves us wondering what the fuck were you thinking, which is, you are a political hack like any other. Zie mir gezunt and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. You don't get it.

Thank you for reading this blog.

The Monday Morning Meandering Manure Message on Memorial Day

It's Monday Morning, It's Memorial Day, and I have nothing I feel compelled to write about, except that I have nothing I feel compelled to write about.

Most of us have come to the the conclusion that Obama is incompetent. Never in the history of the presidency have we seen such blatant on the job training for a position that requires someone to hit the ground running. Even George W. Bush wasn't this bad. Ok, what's next? Are we tired of the oil spill, Obama's Marxism,  or how the GOP is going to screw up this November? I am.

Today is Memorial Day, formally know as Decoration Day and while the day commemorates soldiers that have died in military service, it was originally created to honor Union soldiers that died during the Civil War, but was expanded after World War I. Since then we honor US soldiers from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, The Gulf War, The Iraq War, the Afghanistan War and a host of other smaller conflicts and long forgotten and secret missions around the world.

When I was young, we used to have a Memorial Day Parade, with marching bands, the fire and police departments, veterans, and even the cub and boy scouts. It was a big deal. This was during the Vietnam war and in spite of the poor treatment of soldiers coming home then, veterans were looked up to where I lived. I think attitudes changed until September 11, 2001, and we became united against a common enemy, at least for a few years, until the next election cycle when political expediencies trumped decency in some cases.

Still, I have say I have become retrospective and introspective about some of these wars, their costs in human and hard capital and wonder if it was worth it. Thomas Jefferson, one of my heroes, if that is possible said that "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure." What is a patriot? A "patriot is a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors." Ok, sometimes I guess I feel like a patriot in my actions, but I never really liked the word. When I think of the word patriot, I imagine the revolutionary war soldiers with the tricorner hats playing the snare, flute and carrying the flag. It's seems anachronistic in that it was a long time ago, a time I am not in. Anyway, I digress. I think the Civil war was worth it, the same for WWII, although if not for our mishandling at the end of WWI, we wouldn't have had a WWII. Korea was never resolved, and we ran out of Vietnam, the last two committed in the name of preventing communism, which BTW, is anathema to everything i stand for. We've had the first gulf war to save the Kuwaitis from Saddam, and now we have two wars, one in Iraq over weapons of mass destruction, and Afghanistan, for a purpose whose meaning has been list. I don't think anyone remembers why we went there anymore. Remember Osama Bin Laden?

Instead, we are fighting the Taliban in efforts to nation build there. Where have I heard that before? Hearts and Minds? I don't think we will be any more successful in Afghanistan and to be honest, why are we doing it? No one asks that question, at least from the right. It seems many of my compadres are of the mind of Charlie Gruschow, and think we need to fall in line. I think we need to take 10 steps back and ask what the heck are we doing?

After 9/11, we had every right to retaliate against those that not only perpetrated and promulgated the vile acts against us, but those that actively enabled them. Instead, we trumped up a war with a crazy despot to engage in reshaping the middle east. Such is the mentality of those that have or ever have had any skin in a game. We went to Afghanistan to find Osama, and we're still there, nation building now, while the rat still eats and sleeps under the cats nose. Let's face it: we screwed up and now the Yo Gabba Gabba president is making it worse. It's easy to spend human and hard capital when one isn't respected and the other isn't earned.

Anyway, on this Memorial or Decoration Day, I do want to thank all those that gave it all, and those that gave some. We such people, but we need to take better care of them, and use their services more wisely and effectively. I think we also need to ask the hard questions of our leaders and demand responsibility and accounting for failures. We are almost 9 years into it without an end in sight, and no one, at least on my side is asking why? It's time to bring them home as we are going to have bigger fights to win in the future. As Thomas Sullivan Magnum once asked, "did you gird your sword just to gather water cress?" I hope not.

Thank you for reading this blog.

Iowa GOP Doesn't Get It

It what is expected to be a big year for the GOP, the outlook is so bright for back room political machine machers.

For Charlie Gruschow, a founder of the Des Moines Tea Party, whose members overwhelmingly support Vander Plaats, a Branstad nomination would be a bitter pill.

"I think I'd throw up," Gruschow said. "We talked about this (at a recent tea party meeting). One active member said if Branstad wins, she cannot and will not support him in the general election. I don't think that's the right attitude. ...

And this guy calls himself a Tea Party person? Sorry Charlie, but I am here to educate you. Look at Bennett in Utah and Paul in Kentucky. Even Brown in Massachusetts and Hoffman in NY. These races are a repudiation of GOP machine politics.  Even though Hoffman lost, he trounced a liberal candidate promulgated by the GOP machine, Mr. Potato Head Steele. How did it work for the GOP there Mr. Gruschow?

The point is, people are fed up with the GOP as much as the democrats. We are tired of RINOs who take the banner of the GOP and then screw us like any other democrat. It's become almost a one party system. Dems and Dems light. If someone doesn't support Branstad, and that is my contention, then that is their right, and may be it's a good idea. The GOP doesn't deserve my or anyone else's vote as they haven't earned it. And I have to laugh at the Des Moines Register endorsing Branstad. Always leave it to a left wing (I say left wing and not liberal, they are anathema to true liberalism) newspaper to endorse a mushy in the middle GOP candidate. Branstad will be a lot easier to take apart in the head to head campaigning that will be after the primaries, just as McCain was.

Branstad is the wrong candidate for a number of reasons: He's had four shots at it and now he wants a fifth? He's appointed the judges in this state that make law instead of sending it back to the legislature. He doesn't have a record of cutting a damn thing, not taxes or spending. He's middle of road mush, but may be that is what Iowa contains: Philosophically and ideologically challenged people. I'd like to be proven wrong, but the results speak for themselves. or Res Ipsa Loquitur. Even in rural areas where conservatism is more predominant, we have people who are pro-life yet have their hand out for government subsidies. Pragmatic at best, opportunistic at worst.

I am not a social conservative, nor am I a moderate, whatever that means, but a classical liberal, which is small government, low taxes, low spending, and keeping out of individuals lives in terms of rules, regulations and laws. An old school libertarian, Thomas Jefferson type. To be honest, none of the candidates relate to me as that in a complete sense, so even there, I have to pick and choose. Which is why, if Branstad gets the nomination, I will vote for independent Jonathan Narcisse or a write in. At least I've talked to Jon at length on my radio show and I agree with him on more things than Branstad, who will be more of the middle of the road same bullshit.

So, come June 8th, I would advise all Iowans of republican registration to vote for Roberts or Vander Platts, but not Branstad. Give someone else a shot at it, some one with different ideology and someone that isn't there to please everyone. It's too bad there is no Chris Christie in Iowa (Steve King is the closest thing we have and he won't run for governor). May be Jon, but he doesn't have the money make it happen, and Iowans aren't given to the direct refreshing honesty that Christie brings to the table where here passive aggressive has been mistake for politeness. Sometimes I really miss New York, as there is no mistake where people stand on any issue.

Thank you for reading this blog.