Christmas Holidays is a Time for Giving to Charity not to PACs

Yesterday I finally decided that I would answer the phone from the 202 area code knowing it was probably the RNC dialing for dollars.  Wanted to get my two cents in so I answered the phone.  Started off with their normal speech and then I had a chance to talk so I covered a few of my concerns.  As I was finishing up my comments, the person said you are not the only one saying that same thing.  Because I said I would consider donating January 1st, I was given over to a supervisor and went through my whole spiel again.  Received the same reaction that I wasn't the only one except this time he wanted me to guarantee I was going to give and started off on reasons why I should.  Stopped him with I know you are the only organization that can fund some of the Presidential activities but I am not donating to any political cause until after the 1st of January.  My money for donations will go to charities that help kids have a better Christmas. 

They don't get it -- this is the time to donate to charities if you are going to donate not some political PAC. 
Yesterday I had seven requests in my inbox and five more today asking for PAC donations.  It is mind boggling that at this time of year they are asking for political donations when we just finished up the mid-term election.  As for donating to Joe through the DeMint PAC, they are wasting their breath -- Joe Miller was a bad candidate and is looking more like a Democrat sore loser with filing lawsuits and the whine.  The Anchorage Daily blogs are filled with comments from alll sides telling Jim DeMint and the Tea Party Express to stay out of Alaska politics.  My reply yesterday to every PAC asking for a donation was to remove me from their list. 

There are so many people whose children are not going to have a very good Christmas this year due to their parents not being able to find good jobs and are working jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.  Food Banks need donations along with Toys for Tots for the Marine Corps and The Salvation Army for starters.  There are many organizations that are there to help provide some Christmas for children in need.  Walk in any Walmart and see the tags on the Christmas tree -- doesn't take a lot to go buy a gift listed on the tag and make some one's Christmas a lot happier.

We had experience with Toys for Tots in my county when I was Vice Chair of the County GOP.  Our float in the Christmas parade was about Toys for Tots and all the toys on the float were taken up to the Marine Corps reserves after the parade.  Our County gave over $1500 worth of Toys.  That's when I learned that toys that are given for Toys for Tots stay in your own area and are given to children to make their Christmas brighter.  Had a ball shopping for toys from donations I was given.  We even ended up on the broadcast news for our project as the local channel filmed me coming out of Toys R Us.  Felt so good to deliver all those Toys to the Marine Corps Reserve outside of Tinker AFB. 

Several years ago when my youngest daughter was at OU, her sorority hosted children who were not going to get anything for Christmas.  The girls bought the toys from the list the children had provided.  Our Parent Club with the girls decorated the house for Christmas and the Christmas Party for these children.  It was a great teaching moment for the girls when they got to see how happy these children were along with their parents.   Some people make fun of sororities but they are second to none on campus for philanthropy  projects throughout the year.  Every sorority at OU has a charity they raise funds for at different fundraisers during the year.

Everyone can do their part.  Drop $1 in the bucket of The Salvation Army every time you go in Walmart.  Remember growing up and my Dad giving me a quarter to drop in the bucket every time we passed one -- thought it was great. 

Drop off cans of food at your local food bank.  Our Governor-Elect Mary Fallin, as part of her Inauguration, is kicking off a food drive for the OK food banks around the State of Oklahoma for the month of December.  What a great Inaugural event to give back to those less fortunate.

There are many charities that need money right now -- just participated in one for Coats for Kids that provides new coats for children in our area who cannot afford them that is sponsored by a local TV station.

We know money is tight for a lot of people right now, but if you can donate a $1 to any charity it will be appreciated.  The Spirit of Christmas is giving of yourself or donations to help others.  

Finally Mark Kirk Quits House, Joins Senate after Democrat Leadership Stalled

It is about time that Mark Kirk was seated in the Senate late yesterday.  If he had been a Democrat Harry Reid would have seated him right away.  Kept hearing there was a problem with paperwork -- always is when a Republican takes a Democrat seat.  We learned that from Scott Brown in MA when his paperwork was also delayed.

This seat is sweet as it is the seat that Obama held and now will be held by a Republican for the next six years.  Kirk was seated early because the election was to fill out the term of Obama and also for the new term that starts on January 3, 2011!

Congratulations to Mark Kirk, our newest Republican Senator!

Kirk Quits House, Joins Senate
By Jessica Brady
Roll Call Staff
Nov. 29, 2010, 6:12 p.m.

Sen. Mark Kirk was officially sworn in Monday, handing Republicans another vote in time for the crucial days of the lame-duck session.

Kirk won the Senate seat previously held by President Barack Obama in Illinois and is the third of three new Senators to join the chamber during the lame-duck session. The former House Member won both his own six-year Senate term and a special election to replace appointed Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) for the remainder of this year. He resigned his House seat Monday to move across the Capitol.

A fiscal hawk, Kirk takes his seat just as Members prepare to debate how to extend expiring tax cuts enacted President George W. Bush and a continuing resolution or omnibus spending bill to keep the government funded next year. An appropriator in the House, Kirk is an opponent of earmarks and has said he will oppose any Senate omnibus measure laced with funding for special projects. Kirk also penned an editorial Monday in the Chicago Tribune in which he called on the Senate to adopt a moratorium on earmarks. The newly minted Member will get his chance to push that cause later Monday evening when the Senate considers an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to adopt such a moratorium.

Excerpt: Read More at Roll Call

Cables Obtained by WikiLeaks Shine Light Into Secret Diplomatic Channels

WikiLeaks on Twitter said they released the documents to El Pais, Le Monde, Speigel, Guardian & NYT. Some websites are going after the NY Times but in this instance if they didn't release the information, foreign papers would have gone ahead without them. Looks like they worked together to release the information at the same time.  We believe the NY Times made a smart move to get the information out here in the States and not be filtered through foreign newspapers. Most of the documents released cover the last three years although a few are said to go back much earlier.

What a coincidence in that forty years ago Daniel Ellsberg who was a military analyst released the "Pentagon Papers" which sent shock waves through the military community and the White House.  We didn't believe those should have been released as he took an oath to never divulge security.  He broke that oath because he was part of the anti-war crowd who would do anything possible to embarrass the Government including breaking the law.

In late 1969 - with the assistance of his former RAND Corporation colleague, Anthony Russo — Ellsberg secretly made several sets of photocopies of the classified documents to which he had access; these later became known as the Pentagon Papers. As an editor of the New York Times was to write much later, these documents "demonstrated, among other things, that the Johnson Administration had systematically lied, not only to the public but also to Congress, about a subject of transcendent national interest and significance". They revealed that the government had knowledge, early on, that the war would not likely be won, and that continuing the war would lead to many times more casualties than was ever admitted publicly. Further, the papers showed the government had lied to Congress and the public. (Wikipedia)

There is no excuse for someone getting these State Department documents and releasing them or the earlier documents on Afghanistan this summer or the "Pentagon Papers" all of which were released for some one's agenda with no thought to the harm it might cause. It is troubling that security can be broken that easily at the State Department  to allow access to documents that were classified for a reason. If this group, Wiki Leaks, founded by Julian Assange who is also their spokesman, didn't have someone on the inside at the State Department, would be shocked. We find it hard to believe that the person arrested for the original leak of documents from Afghanistan, Bradley Manning, US Army intelligence analyst who is being court martialed, would have access to the State Department documents.

The fact that this correspondence has been leaked doesn't speak well of the Department of State.  Cannot believe over the years what people have put in correspondence, but then most figured the documents were classified and would not be released. We agree with Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) that the greatest harm is the loss of trust by governments dealing with the United States. How many countries trust us anyway after the last few years with the Obama Administration? One thing the documents do show is that Obama was not interesting in furthering relationships with Europe but preferred to work with the Far East which should send chills up your spine.

"I think the greatest harm ... is the loss of trust that other governments will have in dealing with the United States of America," Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told "Good Morning America" today. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange "is putting into danger our foreign policy and perhaps the lives of certain Americans around the world." (ABC News

Agree 100% with Senators Lyndsey Graham (R-SC) and Clare McKaskill (D-MO) that the leakers of these documents should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Releasing classified documents is against the law, but will the Holder Department of Justice step in to help. Frankly the DOJ couldn't even win a case in civilian court against a terrorist so we have little faith they will do anything now.

Having worked around classified, find it so hard to believe that any organization would be so careless about their security. Think it is time to clean out the State Department and start over. For years leaks have been happening from the State Department against our own Department of Defense (DoD) as they did their power plays when they sensed that the DoD and National Security Advisor were getting more power.

The arrogance shown by many of our Secretaries of State has been mind boggling over the years. The people get that appointment and it goes to their head in most instances. Maybe if the Secretary of State would stay home more and concentrate on making the State Department a functional organization, we would be better off. The current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has logged countless miles on AF planes traveling around the world and what is there to show for all the travel? She doesn't even travel with the President on his foreign trips which is strange. Career diplomats who are firmly entrenched in the State Department hierarchy since the Carter years have not helped the perception of arrogance and power plays out of this group.

Leaking the material is deplorable," Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, a Republican, told Fox News. "The people at WikiLeaks could have blood on their hands ... People who do this are low on the food chain as far as I'm concerned. If you can prosecute them, let's try."

His Democratic colleague Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri agreed with him and said she hoped "we can find out where this is coming from and go after them with the force of law". She added that "the people who do these document leaks need to do a gut check about their patriotism".

Representative Peter King of New York, a life-long supporter of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, called on Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, to designate WikiLeaks a "Foreign Terrorist Organisation" outlawed in the US.

"WikiLeaks presents a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States. I strongly urge you to work within the Administration to use every offensive capability of the U.S. government to prevent further damaging releases by WikiLeaks," he said in a statement.

The Pentagon blasted WikiLeaks for its "reckless" dump of classified documents and said it was taking steps to bolster security of classified U.S. military networks. (London Telegraph

When reading the article from the NY Times, we are aghast at some of what was written. Anyone with an ounce of brains should know not to put some of these comments down on paper. These cables/messages speak poorly of the leadership at the State Department and in the Administration. Would fire Hillary Clinton in a heartbeat after this release of documents. Always thought she was over her head at the State Department and this proves that fact. We don't believe that Obama has the nerve to fire her over these leaks because he is afraid she will run against him for President.

Wonder who is going to be asked to fall on their sword for this failure of security?

Cables Obtained by WikiLeaks Shine Light Into Secret Diplomatic Channels
By SCOTT SHANE and ANDREW W. LEHREN
Published: November 28, 2010

WASHINGTON — A cache of a quarter-million confidential American diplomatic cables, most of them from the past three years, provides an unprecedented look at back-room bargaining by embassies around the world, brutally candid views of foreign leaders and frank assessments of nuclear and terrorist threats.

Some of the cables, made available to The New York Times and several other news organizations, were written as recently as late February, revealing the Obama administration’s exchanges over crises and conflicts. The material was originally obtained by WikiLeaks, an organization devoted to revealing secret documents. WikiLeaks posted 220 cables, some redacted to protect diplomatic sources, in the first installment of the archive on its Web site on Sunday.

The disclosure of the cables is sending shudders through the diplomatic establishment, and could strain relations with some countries, influencing international affairs in ways that are impossible to predict.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and American ambassadors around the world have been contacting foreign officials in recent days to alert them to the expected disclosures. A statement from the White House on Sunday said: “We condemn in the strongest terms the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents and sensitive national security information.”

The White House said the release of what it called “stolen cables” to several publications was a “reckless and dangerous action” and warned that some cables, if released in full, could disrupt American operations abroad and put the work and even lives of confidential sources of American diplomats at risk. The statement noted that reports often include “candid and often incomplete information” whose disclosure could “deeply impact not only U.S. foreign policy interests, but those of our allies and friends around the world.”

The cables, a huge sampling of the daily traffic between the State Department and some 270 embassies and consulates, amount to a secret chronicle of the United States’ relations with the world in an age of war and terrorism. Among their revelations, to be detailed in The Times in coming days:

¶ A dangerous standoff with Pakistan over nuclear fuel: Since 2007, the United States has mounted a highly secret effort, so far unsuccessful, to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device. In May 2009, Ambassador Anne W. Patterson reported that Pakistan was refusing to schedule a visit by American technical experts because, as a Pakistani official said, “if the local media got word of the fuel removal, ‘they certainly would portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons,’ he argued.”

¶ Thinking about an eventual collapse of North Korea: American and South Korean officials have discussed the prospects for a unified Korea, should the North’s economic troubles and political transition lead the state to implode. The South Koreans even considered commercial inducements to China, according to the American ambassador to Seoul. She told Washington in February that South Korean officials believe that the right business deals would “help salve” China’s “concerns about living with a reunified Korea” that is in a “benign alliance” with the United States.

¶ Bargaining to empty the Guantánamo Bay prison: When American diplomats pressed other countries to resettle detainees, they became reluctant players in a State Department version of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Slovenia was told to take a prisoner if it wanted to meet with President Obama, while the island nation of Kiribati was offered incentives worth millions of dollars to take in Chinese Muslim detainees, cables from diplomats recounted. The Americans, meanwhile, suggested that accepting more prisoners would be “a low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe.”

¶ Suspicions of corruption in the Afghan government: When Afghanistan’s vice president visited the United Arab Emirates last year, local authorities working with the Drug Enforcement Administration discovered that he was carrying $52 million in cash. With wry understatement, a cable from the American Embassy in Kabul called the money “a significant amount” that the official, Ahmed Zia Massoud, “was ultimately allowed to keep without revealing the money’s origin or destination.” (Mr. Massoud denies taking any money out of Afghanistan.)

¶ A global computer hacking effort: China’s Politburo directed the intrusion into Google’s computer systems in that country, a Chinese contact told the American Embassy in Beijing in January, one cable reported. The Google hacking was part of a coordinated campaign of computer sabotage carried out by government operatives, private security experts and Internet outlaws recruited by the Chinese government. They have broken into American government computers and those of Western allies, the Dalai Lama and American businesses since 2002, cables said.

¶ Mixed records against terrorism: Saudi donors remain the chief financiers of Sunni militant groups like Al Qaeda, and the tiny Persian Gulf state of Qatar, a generous host to the American military for years, was the “worst in the region” in counterterrorism efforts, according to a State Department cable last December. Qatar’s security service was “hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals,” the cable said.

Excerpt: Read More at NY Times

Obama Reaching Out!

Thanksgiving is a Time to Give Thanks to God for Our Many Blessing not for Political Attacks

After watching a touching video concerning the life and death of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, Chris Henry, that was shown yesterday before the Bengals game, I was in no mood to see an article that had Sarah Palin attacking the President's gaffe's and the media as part of her Thanksgiving Message.

First the video that touched so many people yesterday and left James Brown on CBS Sports in tears along with a host of people who watched the video live or have seen the replay. Chris Brown lost his daughter who was in college in a traffic accident so this really hit home to him.

Yesterday did not see this video but after hearing about it this morning, decided to view the video from Chris Henry's Mom, Carolyn Henry Glasby, on the organ donation decision she made following her son's death from a pick-up accident on December 16th, 2009. For those of you who don't know, Chris Henry was a professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals who was killed in an accident after he fell off the back of a pick-up truck. There are two lessons to be learned:

1. NEVER ride or jump in the back of a moving pick-up truck. My youngest daughter in college had a sorority sister killed after she was thrown from the back of a pick-up truck. In one split second, everything can change.

2. SIGN UP to be an organ donor. It is the greatest gift everyone can give. When you see the lives this young man touched through organ donations, you realize how important it is when you get your driver's license to check organ donor.

This is one of the most touching videos I have seen and brings tears to your eyes. Chris Henry's mother made a tough decision, but it was the right decision and one that has touched the lives of four people, their families and friends. We hope her message will touch potential donors everywhere who will decide to become an organ donor.




After viewing the video, decided to take a look at websites to see if anything had happened that was worthy of note. Imagine the shock to see this headline:

Sarah Palin uses Thanksgiving Message to Attack US President Obama's Gaffes 

For the last several days have been receiving emails from candidates we supported in the general election. There was a common theme running through all the emails and that was to thank God for their many blessings and to asked that God Bless all of us, the men and women in our military, and our Nation. They all left a good feeling that these were the right people to lead our Nation in Congress and in our States. It was also a message of this is One Nation, Under God, and we have to work together to bring our Nation back to its heritage of Freedoms for every American.

On Thanksgiving for part of Sarah Palin's message she chooses to attack the President on his gaffes and the media for not reporting them enough which leaves us cold. We believe that is a total lack of class for a day that is set aside every year for our Nation to give Thanks.   


Makes us wonder about the people who are touting her as Presidential material and even praise her for her attacks in her Thanksgiving message.  As we posted on a website, we must be from a different planet because we view Thanksgiving as a time to give Thanks to God for our many blessings not a time for a political attack.

We do not believe she has the experience or the toughness to guide our Country -- continual twitter and facebook attacks against Obama and the media are not going to work. She has her own gaffe's in interviews going back to her nomination to be Vice President. Her interviews this week contains one of those gaffe's.

We will have more to say in the days ahead but you can mark us down in the column of Karl Rove and Barbara Bush. After seeing the video, the comments of Palin were just too much to ignore for today.

We leave you with one message and that is to sign up to be an organ donor -- greatest gift a person can ever give!  Four families were blessed and had so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving as detailed in this video as well as countless others who have received organ donations.  Thanks to Carolyn Henry Glasby from a town outside New Orleans for sharing her story.

Press Conference from Speaker Elect John Boehner and the new Republican Leadership Team

Happy Thanksgiving!

This picture of President George W. Bush was from his trip to Iraq for Thanksgiving in 2003.  Despite the media spin, the picture of him carrying the turkey was the real deal not plastic as even the NY Times admitted in 2004.  This is what we have been missing in the last two years.  President Bush has always put the military first.  We are so thankful he was our President when 9/11 happened less than eight months into his administration.  President Bush and his wife Laura brought class to the White House during their eight years in residence.  No one could ever doubt his his love for America.   Thank you President Bush for giving America eight years of your life during some of the most trying times.  We will never forget what you and Laura did for the Country following 9/11.   

One item of good news from South Texas.  The unthinkable happened yesterday with Solomon Ortiz finally conceding his Congressional race in South Texas to newcomer Blake Farenthold.  If someone bet on that race, they won a bundle of money if they bet against Ortiz because frankly we thought he was unbeatable and are still in shock he lost.  He lost by around 800 votes on election day and lost by the same number on a hand recount.  Congratulations to Blake Farenthold the newest Congressman from South Texas.

We want to wish all you a very Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends.  If you are traveling, have a safe trip -- hope you are not flying because it most likely will leave you in a not so good mood after clearing security. 

This is our last post for the Thanksgiving holidays and we leave you with this beautiful video with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir providing the music for 'America the Beautiful!'



We will be back on Monday!

God Bless You and Yours and God Bless America!

Governor-Elect, 2011 Inaugural Committee Partner with Wounded Warrior Project

This is such a great idea out of Governor-Elect Rick Scott. Looking forward to seeing him as the next Florida Governor. If you want to feel good about a candidate, read this article and look at the pictures.

Governor-Elect, 2011 Inaugural Committee Partner with Wounded Warrior Project
November 22, 2010

FT LAUDERDALE — Governor-Elect Rick Scott and Executive Director Steve Nardizzi, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) today announced a partnership between the 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee and Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that provides programs and services for injured service members and their families.

“The heroes protecting and defending our nation at home and around the world are the heart of Florida and a shining example for us all. I am honored to highlight their tremendous sacrifices and continued contributions to our state through this partnership with Wounded Warrior Project,” said Governor-Elect Rick Scott.

The 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee is organizing more than a dozen events across the state, many of them free and open to the public, and is funded through the generosity of private donations. Proceeds from these contributions to the Inaugural Committee will be distributed to Wounded Warrior Project.

“Wounded Warrior Project harnesses the strength and determination of the young men and women who serve our nation and I am proud to announce the Inaugural Committee’s commitment to contributing to their valuable work through this unconditional gift,” said Ambassador Francis Rooney, Co-Chair of the 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee.

Last week, Governor–Elect Rick Scott visited the headquarters of the Wounded Warrior Project in Jacksonville, Florida where he ate lunch and visited with several wounded warriors transitioning into civilian life after their military service in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Photos courtesy of Debra Cox, Florida National Guard)

“Wounded Warrior Project was born out of, and continues to be sustained by, the spirit of compassion—one wounded warrior helping another. We are thankful for that same compassionate spirit shared by Governor-Elect Scott, the 2011 Florida Inaugural Committee, and the people of Florida for their generosity in making this gift possible,” said Steve Nardizzi, executive director of Wounded Warrior Project.

Over 40,000 of our nation’s armed forces have been physically wounded during the current military conflicts. Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recovering from invisible wounds of war, including post traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury. WWP assists wounded warriors and their families through a holistic approach to their recovery, providing programs and services to aid their physical rehabilitation and improve their mental health and well-being.

About Wounded Warrior Project

The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Politico: Angle's campaign sank candidate

Some people might ask why anyone would cover a campaign that is over and the candidate lost but this is one of those Lessons Learned moments that everyone running for office needs to read.

You don't hire friends to be Campaign Managers. You hire experienced people when you are running for a Senate seat especially against someone like Harry Reid. Tea Party people may be well intentioned but most don't have a clue about how to run campaigns unless they have been working in campaigns for some time. Most are neophytes to campaigns that someone like her Campaign Manager took full advantage of to get his way which cost her the seat. Not sure she would have won anyway with her stance on some issues but she would have had a better chance.

This is another case where the Tea Party Express and Sen DeMint went in full force for Sharron Angle which was a mistake. Don't think much vetting was done on some candidates as they looked for the most conservative to win the primary but in a lot of instances that person was not a good candidate for the general election. This 'purity' crap has to stop if we ever want to take the Senate. William F. Buckley was right when he said "The wisest choice would be the one who would win. No sense running Mona Lisa in a beauty contest. I’d be for the most right, viable candidate who could win.” It was true when he said it in 1967 and is true today.

Takes a lot to win a statewide election and from what was coming out of the campaign all along, there was no ground game by the Angle campaign. Her campaign manager is one of the more inept around although Christine O'Donnell and her campaign manager may be worse if that is possible. Then you can throw in Joe Miller and his campaign in Alaska. These candidates were not vetted properly before the primary when DeMint, Palin, and the Tea Party went all in.

Lessons learned from the Angle campaign is very simple -- wrong candidate was elected in the primary thanks to some people spreading false information about better candidates in order to get her the win. One thing I have learned in recent years is that sometimes the far right and the far left have some things in common like doing anything they can to get their candidate elected including lying if they need to or cheating to win.

We are seeing that in Alaska right now with Joe Miller who refuses to admit that he lost to Lisa Murkowski, the write-in candidate, and according to Anchorage Daily Senator Demint is still funding Miller who has lost except for the final certification which is being held up because of his lawsuit(s). Miller has been on Fox News lying several times and doesn't get called on it which is strange because anyone who has followed the race knows he is lying. Alaska GOP has told him to concede but Miller who was a bad candidate is still looking for more dollars and unfortunately, if the media is right Sen DeMint is sending him more.

Hope some people are realizing because someone was in the military does not make them the best candidate to run. Having been around the Air Force for most of my adult life, there are some really fine people I would vote for in a minute, and there are some I wouldn't vote for if they ran for dog catcher. It is like that in all walks of life and the military is no different.

This is one of the best critiques we have seen about the Nevada Senate race. For someone who supposedly got $14M in donations would like to know how the money was spent by the Angle campaign because most of the ads that went statewide were paid for by the NRSC. What a waste for the NRSC to spend $750,000 on this incompetent campaign. Will give than an "A" for effort as they were working with a candidate campaign that wouldn't listen and had a campaign manager who spent more time in his Missouri home than in Nevada. That was a seat that was winnable, but you don't win with bad candidates and their campaign staff. A good candidate would have taken advice they were being given by NRSC and others to heart instead of relying on friends.

Angle's campaign sank candidate

By SHIRA TOEPLITZ | 11/21/10 5:18 PM EST Updated: 11/21/10 6:13 PM EST

It’s widely recognized that in the marquee 2010 Senate race, Majority Leader Harry Reid ran a nearly flawless, textbook campaign, an operation so extraordinary that it enabled him to defy an almost certain political death.

It turns out he got some inadvertent inside help. Interviews with Nevada and Washington Republicans familiar with the campaign of Reid’s GOP opponent, Sharron Angle, describe a not-ready-for-prime-time effort that was equally astonishing — a model of dysfunction that was as bad as Reid’s campaign was good.

At the center of it was Terry Campbell, Angle’s closest adviser, who held the title of campaign manager.

A longtime political ally to Angle, Campbell ran her campaigns for the state Legislature almost a decade ago before taking the reins of her long-shot Senate primary bid along with another veteran supporter, Jerry Stacy, and several tea party volunteers.

Running a primary campaign out of the candidate’s living room, Stacy and Campbell were the only two staffers on Angle’s payroll — and the only two aides she thanked publicly in her June victory speech.

That proved to be the high point of the campaign.

In one occasion that was emblematic of the chaos that marked the fall effort, Campbell nearly scuttled an appearance by Sen. John McCain while the 2008 GOP presidential nominee was midair on the way to an Angle rally at The Orleans Hotel and Casino.

While McCain was en route to the event, held five days before Election Day, Angle was bombarded with calls from teary tea party activists who begged her not to campaign with the Arizona senator because they contended he was not conservative enough to appear on the same stage with her.

The source of the emotional appeals from some of Angle’s most loyal followers? Campbell himself did the urging, according to multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of the incident. Much to the relief of national Republicans, Angle ignored their pleas, and the McCain event went on without a hitch.

“In the 20 years that I’ve been involved politically, I’ve never had the misfortune of working with such sheer, utter incompetence. Too much is at stake in these political campaigns — people like Campbell don’t need to be anywhere near them,” said Chris LaCivita, who served as political director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee this fall and worked directly with the Angle campaign. “If they were filming a sequel to the movie 'Dumb and Dumber,' Terry Campbell would have a feature role.”

After capturing the nomination, Campbell was consistently unaware of the daily metrics in the campaign, including the cash-on-hand situation and which advertisements were on the air, according to several Republican operatives who were frequently on conference calls with him.

Read more: Politico

The Journal Editorial Review: Deficit Commission -- Paul Ryan: What Conservatives are Missing!

The first part of the The Journal Editorial Review with Paul Gigot video from The Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2010, covers the Deficit Commission where Paul Ryan sits as a member. Cong Paul Ryan (R-WI) gives the real facts on Tax Reform by the Deficit Commission. It turns out it is not about raising taxes that we are hearing from some conservative sites and pundits unless you are talking about no mortgage deduction on a 2nd home or a mortgage over $500,000 for starters.  Seems they completely missed the recommendation to lower tax rates on business and individuals with the top rate of individuals going to 28%.

Ryan as a member of the Commission and doesn't like everything and doesn't expect lower tax rates to get approval from Obama because he is a class warfare person who believes in redistributing the wealth of Americans. Ryan said Republicans need to be a pro-growth, low tax party and what the Republicans plans are for the 112th Congress beginning on January 3, 2011. Obama didn't want Medicare or Medicaid looked at by this Commission so they ignored these programs. IMO best guess is because he didn't want Obamacare looked at with a fine toothed comb especially with Paul Ryan sitting on the Commission.

Congressman Paul Ryan takes over the Chairman of the Budget Committee in January and gives his plans on the second part of this video. Gigot reveals that Dave Camp (R-MI) will be taking over as Chairman of Ways and Means which writes the Tax Laws and is made of the same cloth as Paul Ryan. Things should get very interesting House starting on January 3rd.

The video also gives an update on TSA Reviews. Long but well worth watching. Paul Gigot does a very good job of interviewing.




It is time that we start questioning some of the Conservative websites along with the liberal ones and ask what is in it for them when they come out with less than truthful information. One thing is to get contributions to continue their fight from both sides. Be very wary of any site charging to send a fax as this is a great way to raise money for the people who run the site.  It pains me to see the same tactics being used by some members of the right that the left has used.

Anyone can log onto the sites of the Houseor Senate to find the websites of their member of Congress or Senators, click on their link, and leave their comment or call their office if you don't like something. Personal contact with the member from their constituent is much better than a petition signed by many people not in their district or state. Don't forget if you are going to criticize a member be prepared to thank them when they do the right thing. Even if you don't like something they have done, being rude is not going to get you very far. Be reasoned with your complaint because the person answering the phone is not the Member of Congress.

Don't know about anyone else but this 'sky is falling' mentality from some conservative websites is getting really annoying. So many emails I am getting have no basis in fact. On Friday received numerous emails saying a bill was about to be passed in the Senate and send faxes at their website, but the bill has never left Committee.

Then we have the threats now from National Tea Party people along with some Conservatives to do as they say or else. That's beyond annoying and starting a blow back from a lot of individual Tea Party people along with Republican grassroots. What we saw out of the Tea Party Patriots sending out private cell phone numbers and email accounts of incoming Freshman was so wrong and so arrogant. These people talk about elitist, then they should look in the mirror.

The holidays are coming up and time for some people to chill out and not expect to see the bogeyman around every corner. Enjoy the holidays, spend time with your family, and remember on January 3rd, 2011, a new day dawns as the 112th Congress is sworn into office.