IBD: Left And Right Going Nuclear On Rick Perry (Understatement)

Governor Perry will have been in the race two weeks tomorrow and the attacks are petty, over the top, and in many cases the truth stretched to the point of turning into a lie.  Don't know what else to call it when you take what someone says and leave off the ending of sentences to make it fit your agenda like we first saw out of Tancredo followed by Malkin.  Both were rebuked on various websites for their comments.

This isn't like 1980 when President Reagan faced these same attacks from the right and the left.  Today we have the internet to do our own search.  There is one constant though between 1980 and 2012 -- Karl Rove who worked against Reagan for Bush 41 with dirty tricks and articles dropped that were not quite factual.  We are seeing the same thing today except it is out in the open as so many people have figured out what Bush 41 and Rove are up to in supporting Romney by trying to get a host of candidates into the race they think can take out Perry.  So far all of them like Paul Ryan and Chris Christie have told them NO!  Rove and some of the other consultants along with inside the beltway types want Perry defeated at all cost even if it destroys the Republican Party.  They have put their own interest and egos ahead of what is best for the Country.

This morning the Washington Examiner has the headline:  Perry trails Romney versus Obama.  When you read the article the author compares the fact that Perry beats Romney by double digits but in a head to head Romney beats Obama by more than Perry.  Excuse me but Perry has been in the race less than two weeks and Romney since 2004.  Romney lost to McCain in 2008, and now only beats Obama by eight points when Obama's numbers have tanked?  Perry has room to grow as people get to know him better but everyone knows Romney.  Hate to break to the Washington Examiner but Romney has to win a Republican Primary and dissing the forum of Sen DeMint after dissing Iowa does not spell a win in the Republican primary.  Just found it amusing that a writer so desperate to show Romney as the best candidate would compare him to someone who just got in the race.

These paragraphs from Doug MacKinnon  who is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the forthcoming memoir, "Rolling Pennies In The Dark" sums up his thoughts on Governor Perry which mirror a lot of us who have been supporting him for a long time:

As he tells his story and as he explains his vision, more and more voters are lining up behind him. As that momentum builds, more and more from the left and right try to twist his words, besmirch his reputation and deceive the American people. 

Fortunately for all who still cherish traditional values, the voters are wise to these self-serving attacks on Perry. Most are now willing and anxious to hear the Texas governor out. 

The rest is up to him. 

The only thing that has surprised me with the attacks is how they went nuclear right away.  Fox News was willing to take what Rove had to tell them at face value and were so far out in left field on the Rick Perry and what he done for Texas, the Dallas Fed Governor took the NY Times, Fox News, and other pundits to task telling them he will have a monthly report with the facts.  Hope Rove is really proud of himself because he has the disdain from many people who once admired him for his actions and those of Bush 41 to the point where Jeb Bush had to defend him and his brother on Cavuto and threw Rove under the bus.

Rove is not the only one as you can tell by the articles on The Weekly Standard, National Review, Fox News,  the Washington Examiner, and the Wall Street Journal for starters on the right.  MSNBC is going nuts with a Perry candidacy along with the alphabet networks and liberal newspapers.  Didn't take a political person to see through Rove with his comments in Fox interviews plus articles for The Wall Street Journal and what he was feeding various writers and pundits.

This article from MacKinnon at IBD nails their agenda for going after Perry -- on the left they are afraid of another Carter versus Reagan and on the right the consultants fear being shut out of the White House if Perry wins.  Frankly speaking I hope that Rove gets what is due after all of these of under handed tactics he has used against his candidate's opponents like in South Carolina against Senator McCain.  His mantra seems to be if you cannot win in a fair fight then take them out any way you can even if it means lying about the opposing candidate.  Looking forward to seeing Rove lose this battle in the primary!

Will Rove have the nerve to attack Rick Perry against Obama?  Stay tuned for the answer!

Left And Right Going Nuclear On Rick Perry
By DOUGLAS MACKINNON Posted 08/25/2011 07:01 PM ET 

When you hear every single liberal media outlet in the country say, "We will know more about Rick Perry after we vet his 11 years in office," you need to understand that what they vindictively mean is: "President Obama and his followers will be proud of us after we are done with the mother of all smearing campaigns against the conservative governor of Texas." 

Not since Ronald Reagan has a Republican candidate for president evoked such outright fear and loathing from the mainstream media and the far-left. 

They are flat-out petrified of Perry and are desperately trying to kill off his candidacy before it can take hold. Why? 

Simple. As they suspiciously heap praise on the likes of Jon Huntsman and even Mitt Romney, they increasingly worry that Perry has the best chance to defeat their handpicked socialist messiah now occupying the Oval Office. 

With exactly that mission in mind, an editor of a major newspaper told me: "We plan to declare war on Rick Perry and do all in our power to crush him." 

There you have it. No pretense of integrity, professionalism or of unbiased news-gathering. This particular newspaper plans to use its very considerable resources to destroy the Perry campaign before it gains momentum. Period. 

Enemies On The Right 

Beyond the usual suspects in the far-left media, many in the GOP establishment such as Karl Rove, are doing all they can to derail the Perry campaign. Again, why? 

Erick Erickson, in an excellent horse race summation in Red State, nails the answer: 

"So you have these guys ... trying to settle every score they can with Perry and his consultant, Dave Carney. ... Because so much of the consultant class will be shut out of the White House should Rick Perry win, their livelihoods depend on Rick Perry losing either now or in November. 

And frankly, for a few in the GOP consultant class, they'll gladly see Perry lose in November just to ensure they are not shut out of a Republican White House. For all the talk of Perry being an establishment guy, the establishment hates his guts as much as the left does . . ." 

Erickson then punctuates the close of that paragraph with this all powerful truth: "That's one reason the base finds him so endearing." 

Exactly. The majority of the American people know — or will know — the real deal when they see it, and that is what is causing so much of the left and the establishment right to quake right down to their faux-Texas cowboy boots. 

The White House has already launched what has been called an "unprecedented" attack against Perry. 

Obediently joining them in this politics of personal destruction campaign against Perry being the likes of NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, and the liberal bottom-feeders at Comedy Central and the cable networks. 

Excerpt:  Read More at IBD

GOP Voters in Early States Embrace a Trump Presidential Bid

When I saw this article this morning, I started chuckling because that is what I am seeing from some unlikely people here in Oklahoma. Frankly a lot of Republicans are fed up with the inside the beltway elitists trying to give the nomination to someone because it is their time. When that nomination looks to be slipping away from people like Romney or other 2008 candidates, then the pundits come out of the woodwork attacking Donald Trump with some pretty nasty remarks. What do they all have in common? Could it be the fact that the ones with most of the negative comments are the most likely to support Mitt Romney?

All we know is that Donald Trump has upset the applecart inside the beltway -- we are enjoying every minute of it to watch Karl Rove, Krauthammer, and other pundits go over the edge in their remarks against Trump.  Normally you only see the pundits come out with their knives drawn when an opposing candidate is scoring points which looks to be what we are seeing here.  Don't know when I have laughed so hard at some of the asinine statements I am reading from the inside the beltway crowd.  The author of the article below had one of those himself:  "even as he perpetuates falsehoods about Obama's citizenship and questions the legitimacy of his presidency."  How does the author know that Obama was born in Hawaii when even the Governor of Hawaii has not seen a copy of his legitimate birth certificate.  The Obama birth certificate on line was a bad imitation.

Like so many other grassroots Republicans, am tired of candidates that are frankly pretty dull or don't have the qualifications that we would want in someone to be our President.  Was sitting here thinking about what it would take to get me to support a candidate in the Republican primary for President and came up with this bare bones list:

1. Backbone. Want a candidate who is not afraid to take on anyone and will do an interview with any and all. Selective interviews is not a plus. Have a hard time understanding why Trump asking for Obama to release his birth certificate and college records is so wrong. He keeps getting told to back off by some Republicans but why?

2. Executive Experience. Running a large business successfully and finding out you don't like to lose even on small matters is a major plus. A candidate needs to enter the race with the attitude that 'losing is not an option' because you can count on that candidate to give it their all. Where do you learn that trait -- in business and in sports which prepare you well for politics.

3. Knowledge of the economy and foreign affairs. Tired of soundbites as the solution to everything. Want someone who has had experience dealing with foreign countries not doing On the Job Training (OJT) which has not worked out with Obama. Lack of experience and knowledge has created a vacuum in leadership in the White House since Obama took over.

4. Do what is best for America. Too many candidates are looking to do what is best for them and their constituency not the whole country. They also get caught in the right versus left where one side is always right and the other always wrong. I want a President who understands once he gets in office, he represents all of us and doesn't throw it in people's faces "I Won" which demeans the Office of the Presidency.

5. Enthusiasm. Tired of lackluster candidates who are nice people but frankly are lousy campaigners. Want someone full of enthusiasm that makes me want to go out and work for their election. Dr. Coburn comes to mind first and foremost as an example of someone who got the grassroots fired up in Oklahoma, and we took it from there to send him to the Senate to bug the old stodgy ways of the Senate. Change is good!

6. Sense of Humor. That may be the best trait. A person who can laugh and have a good time is someone I want to support. Being serious all the time is a downer for me.

Those are just a few of what I would like to see in a candidate. More will follow in the days ahead as we start looking at the candidates. Today Donald Trump or 'The Donald' as many refer to him is out front in the media because he is considering running in the Republican primary. Finding it refreshing that he doesn't follow a script that some political consultant gave him but tells it like it is and lets the chips fall.

So happy to learn it is not only people around where I live and in several other areas who are giving Trump a real look but now we find the voters in early like states like what they see.  A lot of us are looking for someone to energize us and to be frank, most of our candidates to date before Trump were not candidates who were going to energize a large part of the voting public.  Some people forget that in order for a Republican to win, we have to be able to attract the independents and conservative Democrats to vote for our ticket in the general.  The conservative base seems to get it, but the elitists including the RNC members don't which speaks volumes.  Energizing people to work for your campaign seems to be overlooked by a lot of people but we learned in Oklahoma in 2004 how important that energize factor is to a candidate.


IMHO it is time for a different type of candidate for the GOP -- one who is not tied to 'it was always done this way' but is willing to be innovative with new ideas. That sounds like another item to add to the list.

GOP Voters in Early States Embrace a Trump Presidential BidApr 19, 2011 – 12:10 PM

Charles Babbington, AP
WASHINGTON -- Out with Sarah. In with The Donald.

President Barack Obama has launched his re-election bid in a low-key manner, but the Republican Party's search for a challenger seems stranger by the day.

GOP celebrities like Sarah Palin aren't getting much buzz. Mainstream candidates like Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty aren't getting much traction. It's people once considered highly unlikely to compete seriously for the party's nomination who are creating big stirs in early voting states, a reflection of an unformed and uncertain GOP presidential field.





Republican activists in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina appear deeply intrigued by, and open to, a run by Donald Trump, the publicity-loving business tycoon and host of NBC's "The Apprentice," even as he perpetuates falsehoods about Obama's citizenship and questions the legitimacy of his presidency.

"I hear more and more people talking about Donald Trump," said Glenn McCall, Republican Party chairman in South Carolina's York County. "He's got people fired up."

These Republican officials and activists stopped short of saying they see Trump as the eventual nominee. But they said their party is hungry for forceful, colorful figures to attack Obama and other Democrats on health care, spending and other issues.

Excerpt: Read More at AOL News

When it is all said and done maybe the theme of this Republican campaign will be:

OBAMA:  YOU'RE FIRED

TRUMP 2012

Congress Begins the 112th Session, 4 January 2011

Received the new Majority Leader, Eric Cantor's, Weekly Schedule Today for the week of 3 January 2011.  This week is the beginning of the 112th  First Session of Congress with Republicans taking control of the Leadership of the House at noon today, and the number of Republican Senators increasing in the Senate.  Thought I would list the schedule for the week and show some of the Fox pundits the Republicans are serious in the House about the way business is done.  During the last week while attending the Fiesta Bowl was less than happy with Fox coverage of the new leadership in the House and had a hard time figuring out their agenda while CNN and MSNBC gave the facts about the new leadership not spin.

THE LEADER'S WEEKLY SCHEDULE (From Eric Cantor)


WEEK OF JANUARY 3, 2011

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4TH
On Tuesday, the House is not in session.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5TH
On Wednesday, the House will convene for the start of the 112th Congress at 12:00 p.m. There will be a recorded quorum call at 12:00 p.m. following the Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.

H.Res. 5 - A resolution providing for the House Rules of the 112th Congress (Privileged Resolution)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6TH
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. Members are advised that there will be a recorded quorum call at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Reading of the Constitution of the United States by Members of the House of Representatives (The reading will begin at approximately 11:00 a.m.) (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte)

H.Res. __ - A resolution to Cut Congress’s Budget (Suspension) (Sponsored by Rep. Greg Walden)

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7TH
On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. Last votes for the week will conclude by noon.

H.Res. __ - A resolution providing for consideration of the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act (Special Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. David Dreier / Rules Committee)

Think it is time for those who always want to criticize to chill.  A lot of us are getting extremely tired of the threats that are being made by some pundits to the House leadership to listen to the Tea Party or else be turned out of office.  Not necessary and starting to drive people to CNN and MSNBC where their morning shows gave a fairer assessment of the new leadership by introducing who they are.  Know one thing, Fox News is fast going to the bottom of my list to watch.  When I heard a Fox pundit say in 8 months the voters will be ready to turn out Republicans as I was flipping through channels made up my mind to give CNN a chance once again.  They cannot be any more irritating than what I hear every time I turn on Fox News.

Had a great time at the Fiesta Bowl where the University of Oklahoma Sooners won big against Connecticut on the evening of January 1st -- for several reasons hated to see the trip end.  One thing I took away from the trip is the disconnect from people on the east coast to people in middle America where I live.  At the various events, the local people in the Phoenix area were supporting the Sooners, and the ones we talked with felt the CT people were snobs.  When meeting the people from CT, they seemed standoffish and not very friendly.  Everyone we met from the Phoenix area was really nice and very friendly. 

Know it is a small thing but even the dress was different -- Sooner fans were wearing mostly jeans while CT fans were more dressed up or dressed down completely -- their favorite color:  black.  You could pick out Sooner fans as we were mostly wearing something with OU or Sooners on the shirts.  The only way to tell some of the CT fans was when you were told they were CT fans like in the one art gallery in Scottsdale we were visiting where they just looked at us and never said a word even after being introduced.  Maybe they thought Sooner fans were out of place in a Western Art Gallery.  Since most of the pundits are on the East Coast, we have to wonder if that is the disconnect from a lot of us in Middle America. 

This was my second trip in a month the other one being to Fort Collins, CO, and had the same reaction from people I met on the road and listening to local pundits.   Most people are tired of the threats from the pundits and all the naysayers without giving the new leadership a chance. 

We also hear a lot about Sarah Palin being so popular from the national pundits but in two trips don't see it even a little bit.  Comments when she appears on the TV screen are not complimentary and seems people are tired of having her rammed down our throats by the pundits and Fox News.  It is great to get out and realize a lot of people have the same opinions that I am hearing where I live.

Maybe it is hanging around fellow football fans, but they are down to earth people who work very hard and love following their teams (Arizona State/Arizona) like we do the Sooners.  OU does a Tickets for Military project so fans can buy tickets and OU gives them to local military at bowl games.  The military who sat across from us were yelling as loud as the rest of us.  They didn't have to buy drinks or food as the people around them made sure they were well taken care of -- it was the Sooner way of saying thanks for their service. 

Wouldn't trade the trip to the Fiesta Bowl for anything.  Would recommend anyone else tired of politics take a few weeks off and go see the Country to meet other people in the south and Middle America.  You might find you agree with a lot of people who don't call in talk radio but have their own opinions a lot more.

Hope all of you had a great New Year's.  We spent New Year's Eve eating at In and Out Burgers in Glendale.  Hadn't had those since San Diego.  Someone on Soonerfans message board had said they had moved into the Phoenix area and saw them the first evening after finding the University of Phoenix Stadium where the Fiesta Bowl was held.  We spent New Year's Day at the Tailgate and then the game.  Great way to welcome in the New Year with a victory.

Great start to 2011 -- Sooners won the Fiesta Bowl, great trip to Phoenix even though it was really cold, and we have new Republican leadership in the House starting today!

Boomer Sooner!

Oklahoma team members pose for a group photo after a Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football
game victory against Connecticut Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011, in Glendale, Ariz. Oklahoma defeated
Connecticut 48-20. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

A deal has been struck on Tax Cuts

Looks like in exchange for extending unemployment benefits for 13 more weeks, the Bush Tax Cuts will stay in place for two more years.  IMHO it is a small price to pay to get the Bush Tax Cuts for two more years and then hope to make them permanent so we don't have to go through this every few years.

Liberal Democrats are mad that Obama cut the deal with Republicans because they wanted the tax cuts on the rich to go away.  That would be the same 'rich' that create the jobs, but for once Obama didn't listen to the likes of Pelosi and the Progressives.  He did the right thing.

We think unemployment being extended for long time unemployed is something that needs to end, but at this time of year, some of those people cannot find work and with Christmas approaching, they could use the extra help.  A lot of places are not hiring and when you are unemployed, there is no way you can afford to move so it is Catch 22.  There are some people unemployed who have worked for years, have paid into the unemployment fund and for the first time have had to draw unemployment checks to survive.  With the high unemployment rate, I just don't see how we can do anything but help these people.  It is not like they are getting checks that most can afford to live on, but it puts food on the table and a roof over their head. 

A down economy leads to unemployment which is what we are seeing and believe the numbers are much greater than the ones we are seeing released from the Federal government.  It has hit every state but some a lot harder.  We do not see a big push to hire people even for the Christmas holidays either at least where we live.  We have noted a lot of older employees have taken jobs in places like Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and Lowes when they were used to having jobs with a lot of responsibility.   We will say one thing that the customer service at check-outs has improved dramatically with the influx of these older people. 

We don't know the answer to the unemployment and down economy but we do know if the Bush Tax Cuts were removed for people making over $250,000, it would have been a disaster.  Thirteen more weeks of unemployment may just help some of the people make it to where they can begin to get jobs. 

Know we haven't seen the full details, but we think it is probably the best deal that could be achieved from what we are hearing off the record.  Lot of people forget that they hated everything being rammed through with no compromise.  Now that Obama has agreed to compromise, they want to go after Republicans for compromising.  Short-sighted in our opinion and part of what is wrong with politics on both sides especially from the pundits.  Not always going to get your way so you get the best deal possible. 

We have noted that pundits on both sides who have never been in politics always claim to know what is best and if an office holder doesn't follow their agenda, then they are not a 'true' conservative or liberal -- throw a dart depending on the office holder.  Have to wonder if some of these pundits have worked in campaigns before the way they want everyone to think they know it all.  As someone who has worked campaigns for years, nothing is ever a done deal because something out of the blue always comes up.  Anyone who says only "I" know the right way to go is arrogant. 

There are some pundits who are former campaign people like Dick Morris who at times is all over the place and one of the ones to use "he is not a 'true' conservative."  We have no clue to his agenda and frankly pay little attention since he was the Clinton mastermind.  When Karl Roves speaks, we listen because he knows how to organize a campaign and understands very well how something can come up out of the blue to hurt a campaign and what has to be done to keep moving forward.  If we had to rely on one person, it would be Karl Rove.  Even when not agreeing with what he is saying 100%, listen closely because he knows politics as well as anyone on the scene today and a lot better than most.  Sometimes a campaign guru gets blamed for what the candidate actually does, but most have broad shoulders and no one is going to rattle them.

We remember back in the 90's when the Republicans shut down the Government thinking it was a good idea when it was a horrible idea and gave Clinton the upper hand again.  We believe this leadership team is very smart and will not allow that to happen.  They will do what is best for the American people as a whole and work to always get the best deal possible.  With the Senate still Democrat controlled, it is going to be a tough fight but the House Leadership is up to that challenge the way we have seen them fight the last two years.

Bottom line is that this looks to be a good deal because we have two more years for the Bush Tax Cuts unless Pelosi throws a monkey wrench in the compromise. If that happens, then the new House can pass the Bush Tax Cuts and make it retroactive to 1 January 2011.