Not Facing Reality: GOP House wants Romney Tax Plan Passed in Line with Norquist Tax Pledge

There is hope as a good portion of the American voters have woken up to Grover Norquist and his ridiculous 'no tax' pledge or he will primary you.  The Republican Party has given Norquist way too much credit to their own detriment with his pledge.  Very few backbones exist in the Republican Party today who are willing to stand up to Norquist.  Looks like the American voters understand very well based on the results that the no tax pledge is hurting our economy and are willing to see the 2% of the wealthiest people pay more in taxes and close the Bush Tax Cut loopholes for the wealthy.  Shame the Republican House Members do not understand what the voters were saying on November 6th.  They still seem to have their heads buried in the sand from their comments.

Without the redistricting and the gerrymandering by Republicans, the Democrats would have taken the House based on the analysis of the popular vote.  Imagine that -- Republicans doing the same thing they accused Democrats of doing (which they did).  Put the two parties at the state level in a sack on redistricting, shake them up, and whoever won the legislature in the state will be doing gerrymandering to get more House seats and keep the other side from winning more.  Neither side is looking out for constituents but their own personal gain IMHO.  The best news was the fact that the Norquist anti-tax pledge took a big hit:

Setting aside alleged scatological name-calling (by Grover Norquist), the election was an overwhelming rejection of the the political philosophy advocated by Norquist and his allies. 24 Republican Senate incumbents and candidates signed Norquist’s anti-tax pledge and lost. Linda McMahon (R-CT), Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), Treasurer Josh Mandel (R-OH), Secretary of State Charles Summers (R-ME), former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI), considered top-tier candidates, were attacked by their Democrats opponents in face-to-face debates for signing Norquist’s pledge. They all lost.

55 Republican House incumbents or candidates who signed Norquist’s pledge also lost.

When I was first told that House Republicans want the Romney Tax Plan to be implemented, I laughed because I thought it was a joke.  I was wrong -- GOP House is advocating passing the Romney Tax Plan whatever that is as we never did get the details.  Are they too stubborn or dumb to understand that President Obama got over $3M more votes then Romney and votes are still being counted?  That means President Obama gets to set the agenda.

Just because the GOP swallowed the Fox News, Rove, Morris, and other conservative pundits/pollsters koolaid, doesn't change the fact that Romney never came close with Obama getting 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206.  What am I missing?  Arrogance and stubbornness of the GOP House?  They cannot be that naive to think that Obama is just going to sit back and let them tell him what to do.  Sources are saying that  Obama is about to take his case to the American people.  If the GOP wants to lose the House in 2014, all they need to do is keep it up with their obstructionist tactics. 

Congressional Republicans’ ‘Compromise’: Everyone Should Accept Romney Tax PlanBy Josh Israel posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Nov 11, 2012 at 1:25 pm

Seemingly ignoring that over than 3 million more Americans voted for President Obama than Mitt Romney on Tuesday, Congressional Republicans are moving quickly to embrace Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) call to adopt a tax “compromise” that is virtually identical to the tax proposal that Romney made the centerpiece of his failed campaign. 

The running theme this week is what Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the “Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale” that the country can increase revenues simply by lowering tax rates:

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA): On ABC’s This Week, Chambliss said, “Bowles-Simpson said, look, eliminate all these tax credits and tax deductions. You can generate somewhere 1 to 1.2 trillion in additional revenue. You can actually lower tax rates by doing that. And I think at the end of the day, what’s got to happen, George, we’ve got to get this economy going again.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK): In a Friday column, House Budget Committee member Cole wrote: “However, raising tax rates is not the only way to increase revenue, nor is it the best way. Speaker Boehner has proposed comprehensive tax reform to raise revenue and lower rates. Eliminating inefficient loopholes and deductions will generate economic growth while creating a simpler, fairer tax code.”

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX): In a Wednesday Tweet, House Ways and Means Committee member Brady opined: “Stronger economic growth from tax reform that lowers rates and closes loopholes will generate higher revenue to bring the deficit down.

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA): In a letter to his Republican caucus, the House Majority Leader wrote: “What would be best is a fundamental reform of the tax code that lowers rates, broadens the base, makes America’s businesses competitive again, and reduces the burden imposed by taxes on work and investment.”

Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI): In a Wednesday press release, the House Ways and Means Chairman wrote: “There is a better path forward than simply increasing tax rates, and one in which both sides can claim victory. We can address both our jobs crisis and our debt crisis by focusing on tax reform that strengthens the economy. There is bipartisan support for tax reform that closes loopholes and lowers rates.”

Rep. Tom Price (R-GA): On Fox News Sunday, House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Price, a member of both the Ways and Means and Budget Committees, said “We can increase revenue without increasing the tax rates on anybody in this country.”

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says there will be no significant negative impact on the economy should the lower rates on the wealthiest Americans be allowed to expire. And the notion that lowering rates will magically create more revenue is indeed a right-wing pipe dream.

Then there are the comments of Cong Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) who doesn't think the GOP has to move back to center right from the hard right.  All they have to do is modernize the message?  She has to be kidding.  Take a look at the picture from Talking Points Member with the four female Congresswomen behind her.  Don't know about other's take, but those four women do not look very happy to me:

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the highest ranked House Republican woman, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that Republicans need to become more "modern" but not "moderate." 

"I don't think it's about the Republican Party needing to become more moderate; I really believe it's the Republican Party becoming more modern," she said. "And whether it's Hispanics, whether it's women, whether it's young people, the Republican Party has to make it a priority to take our values, to take our vision to every corner of this country." 

"I think it's more about the messenger and who's communicating our values to every corner of this country."

Does this mean that center right in today's vocabulary means 'moderate' to those on the hard right?  The Republican Party cannot win by staying hard right no matter the message.  Voters will see right through the hard right candidates as they did this time.  Using social issues hurt Republican candidates big time but the GOP seems poised to come right back and only redo how the message is delivered.  Keeping social issues front and center along with obstructing anything the President proposes and saying the President needs to adopt the Romney Tax Cuts is a sure prescription for disaster in 2014.

We need at least two viable parties and right now we have the Democrat Party and lack a true Republican Party as the Party went hard right in 2012.  The Republican Party today follows the lead of Rush and the conservative pundits along with Fox News which is a total prescription for disaster.  Don't know how many times that MSNBC would play a Rush clip of the afternoon, then Fox Tabloid News would pick it up, and the next day Romney/Ryan or Sununu would be touting what was said by pundits.  Shook my head more than once during this election cycle.  No wonder the Republicans including Romney, Gingrich, Rove, Morris, and Fox Tabloid News were shocked that Obama won handily since they are relied on a false premise that Romney was winning when he wasn't.  You cannot run a campaign in a bubble of only news you want to hear or you are going to lose which is exactly what happened to Romney/Ryan.

Did the GOP learn their lesson.  Jury is out but initial comments are saying NO!  Hope I am wrong, and the Party moves back to center right but I sure wouldn't want to take that bet. 

2012 Veteran's Day

Yesterday at the University of Oklahoma/Baylor football games there was a flyover of F-16's from Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL. Last year they were from Mountain Home AFB. What do they have in common -- leaders are OU grads.


Staff Sergeant Robie Stricklin of Skiatook, Okla., was recognized in game as part of OU's Sooner Fan Favorites program. Stricklin nominated the late OU All-American Bob Kalsu to be featured on the design for Saturday's game ticket. Joining in the presentation was Bob Kalsu, Jr., the son of the former Sooners great, along with his sister, and Mother. While serving in Iraq, Stricklin had the privilege of serving at Forward Operating Base Kalsu.

Kalsu earned All-America honors in 1967 as an offensive tackle while helping the Sooners to a Big 8 Championship. Kalsu was selected in the eighth round of the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills in 1968, but his professional career was cut short. Kalsu was called to join the U.S. Army's highly decorated 101st Airborne Division. On July 21, 1970, he was killed by North Vietnamese mortar fire. He was the only pro football player to be killed during the Vietnam Conflict.
The Pride of Oklahoma performed a halftime show with songs honoring the different services as they asked people to stand who were members.  Around us were members from all the services from young to old.  There is a veterans memorial in front of our stadium that honors all the Sooners killed the service of our Nation.  

This stands at the entrance of the Veterans Memorial at OU:

In Norman there is a veterans memorial of everyone from Cleveland County who has served.

God Bless those who are serving today in the service of our Nation and those who have served in the past to bring freedom not only to America but to countries around the world over the year.  Our hearts go out to those families who have lost loved ones in the service of their country over the years.  Time for both parties to agree that Veterans benefits will not be cut but strengthened.  Those who are disabled need our support as they return from combat and face many struggles in the lives.  Veterans of this Nation should be a priority not an afterthought.

Pres Obama Standing Firm on Tax Increase for Wealthiest Americans

Are Republicans going to come to the table with President Obama next week willing to deal or they going to be stubborn to maintain tax cuts for the wealthy?  Jury is out on that one but if the GOP doesn't want to lose seats in 2014, they had better be willing to forget about keeping tax cuts and loopholes for the wealthy.  Obama is correct that the first order of business should be to extend the tax cuts for those making under $250,000 which should never be held captive for the wealthy.

Don't think most Americans after they have seen the amount of money that wealthy Americans poured into this election mostly for Republicans are in much of a mood to let the tax cuts and loopholes stand for them.  Why should the 2% of Americans pay a tax rate that is less than teachers.  Forgot that the GOP is not fond of teachers via their candidates in 2012.  Romney paid a 14% last year but bet his tax accountants are quickly going to send in an amended return now that he is not going to be President to reduce his tax rate even further and take off all donations.

Time for Republicans to drop the obstructionist tactics of the last four years and work with the President for the American people not the Republican Party.  Will guarantee that some House Republicans in close races in 2012 who plan to run in 2014 will be challenged by good candidates if they don't get on board and quit obstructing.  Too many Republicans are set to bolt the Party if they keep up their obstructionism and go help Democrats.  

House and Senate Republicans have a chance to prove their are putting Americans over Party by actions not rhetoric.  Their rhetoric is cheap -- we want to see compromise and tell the Koch Brothers, Rove, and Grover Norquist to sit down and shut-up along with the pundits.  

Is Rush Limbaugh the titular head of the Republican Party Again?  Even the fact there is that suggestion shows that today's GOP is more concerned about the right wing media and what they think along with donors then they are what is best for all Americans.  The attacks have continued on this President and now extended to Chris Christie because he put his State over Party politics are shallow and mean.  

The hatred is alive and well today on Twitter from the right.  Is it true that some Twitterers are being instructed to be vile and nasty from Rove and the Koch Brothers through a Koch organization?   Personally believe the Kochs have been bad for America as they have used their money to take over the Republican Party and want to take over America.  They were stopped this time as they lost the Presidency and the Senate.  Time to stop them completely in 2014 and take back the GOP House from them along with a lot of State Houses.

Obama has offered the olive branch so the ball is in the GOP court.  Will be watching what happens next week in the meeting.  Don't have high hopes for the GOP to compromise for the American people.  Hope I am wrong but right now I would say it is a lot less than 50% they will cooperate.    

Good speech for the President laying out what is ahead:                                                                      

Obama sticks to guns on tax increase for wealthiest Americans
By Tom Curry, NBC News national affairs writer 

Updated at 2 p.m. ET -- At a campaign-style event at the White House Friday, President Barack Obama invited congressional leaders to the White House next week for talks on how to avoid spending cuts and at least some of the tax increases scheduled to occur in January. But he insisted that tax increases on the wealthiest Americans must be part of any deal.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NBC's Brian Williams anchors President Obama's first post-election appearance, in which he calls on Congress to work with him to avoid the fiscal cliff and get the economy moving again. 

In a statement at the White House, Obama indicated he will meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner next week "so we can start to build consensus around the challenges that we can only solve together." The president was referring to $64 billion in automatic spending cuts that will take effect in January if a deal cannot be reached. Those cuts are mandated by the Budget Control Act that Obama signed into law last year. Advertise | AdChoices In his first White House appearance since defeating Republican Mitt Romney in Tuesday's election, Obama said he was "open to new ideas" to avoid what is known as the “fiscal cliff.” But he also dug in his heels by insisting that additional revenue be part of the solution. “We can’t just cut our way to prosperity,” he said, adding that he would insist that “the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more in taxes” – a line that drew applause from the group of supporters standing behind him on stage. Obama defines "the wealthiest Americans" as single taxpayers earning more than $200,000 a year and couples with annual earnings in excess of $250,000. And he claimed an election mandate, saying, “On Tuesday night we found out that the majority of Americans agree with my approach.” ---- 

Obama also repeated many of the themes of his re-election campaign speeches in Friday’s remarks – such as his view that more federal infrastructure spending is needed. Obama did not take any questions.  

Read More at:  NBC News

Karl Rove's Meltdown on Fox After Spending over $100M and Guaranteering a Romney Victory

Laughed so hard when I heard this Rove meltdown was happening because Rove was talking about my home state of Ohio.  Growing up there I knew there was no way that Romney was going to get votes out of Cleveland in big numbers -- that wasn't happening because Cuyahoga County is the most Democrat county in Ohio.  Grew up with the fact that SW and Western Ohio had to go in big numbers for a Republican to win.  With Hamilton County (Cincinnati) already in the Obama camp, there was no way that Ohio was going for Romney.

I have been saying for weeks that Ohio was going for Obama after what I had been picking up especially after Romney's comment that Jeep was going to send all their production to China which included the Toledo plant when he was holding a rally in the Toledo area.  Jeep immediately came out they were adding jobs in Toledo not outsourcing to China.  They did announce that Chysler would be doing production of Jeeps in China to make them cheaper for the Chinese who love Jeeps.  Adding another shift at the Toledo plant is not outsourcing to China but Romney doubled down and even after GM weighed in he continued to say they were outsourcing and ran ads that Jeep was going to China.  Don't think Romney ever apologized for anything.  When the Ohio Governor finally said Jeep is not outsourcing to China, there was no way that Ohio was going to Romney who had a penchant for lying.

Would have bet the house that Ohio with unemployment numbers dropping thanks to the auto bailout that saved jobs in Ohio, that there was no way Romney was going to win Ohio.  It was Obama Country in the normal Democrat areas of the state.  If you base your campaign on hate of your opponent, it is not going to work.  GOP was not energized for Romney at all in Ohio not to mention that Obama had the complete ground game.  Looks like none of that was picked up by Karl Rove with his meltdown demanding Fox News take back their call of Ohio for Obama.

Watch the Karl Rove Meltdown on Fox News and then read the reasons why below:

Karl Rove's Historically Colossal Waste of Money 

By Business Insider
Posted 4:30PM 11/07/12Posted under: Money and Politics
By WALTER HICKEY
Karl Rove is the co-founder and senior advisor to American Crossroads, a multifaceted organization that has raised massive amounts of money in order to get Mitt Romney elected to the presidency.
That did not work out. 

Here's how much American Crossroads spent on Mitt Romney, thanks to the records at the Center for Responsive Politics.

• In 2012, American Crossroads' Super PAC raised $80 million.

• Using money rolled over from a previous cycle, American Crossroads Super PAC spent $100 million this election cycle.

• American Crossroads Super PAC spent more than 84% of that -- $84.6 million to be precise -- in independent expenditures against Barack Obama.

• They also spent $6.5 million bolstering Mitt Romney

• The affiliated 501(c) spent $70 million on the election, much of that in support of Mitt Romney's presidential bid.

• In the end, Rove spent between $90 million and $160 million of other people's money on Mitt Romney. That investment did not pay off.

Some donors spent multi-millions with the belief that Rove and Romney would deliver victory, the highest donor giving $19.5 million. 

All that money might explain why Rove had a televised meltdown when Fox called Ohio -- and thus the election -- for Obama Tuesday night.

How could Rove, Dick Morris, and Rasmussen all be so far off on the election.  The signs were all there Obama was going to win.  Then there was the factor of 'women' who frankly had it with the Neanderthal thinking of the Republican Party when it came to many issues including equal pay which Romney refused to endorse, definition of rape, Supreme Court justices appointed to overturn Roe v Wade, the 47% and the list goes on since a lot of women are teachers who Romney threw under the bus.  Add in students where Romney wanted to drastically cut Pell grants and the student loan program saying ask your parents for money for college, then there are the veterans, senior citizens, civil service, fire, and police not to mention our military and you have a prescription for a loss.

Hard to believe that Rove and this group thought money could buy a general election with such a flawed candidate who lied over and over again.  It worked in the primary so guess they just figured the Democrats were going to lie down and let Romney run over them.  Instead, the Obama campaign took it to Romney early in the summer.  They also had boots on the ground versus the limp GOTV of the Romney camp.  In the end Rove blew millions of dollars to see Romney lose along with the Senate candidates Rove went all in with millions to win the Senate seats.  Mr. guru's plan after Citizens United was a failure as the Democrats after having to defend 21 seats, pick up two seats -- huge win for Democrats and colossal failure for Rove and Republicans because some of those seats were winnable.

Now some are saying the GOP candidates didn't go hard right enough?  Excuse me but that is why they lost the women's and youth vote in big numbers plus minority voters.  Romney's rallies were almost all white while Obama's looked like America.  The Republican hard right, mostly white, mostly male Party is in for trouble in the years ahead if they think going more conservative is the answer.  As I have been saying for years when something bugs me, the GOP can 'shove it' because I will never lift a finger to support them again if they don't come back center right.  There are millions of Republicans who agree and others who actually registered independent who would come back if the GOP went center right.  With going hard right, they won't think of coming back or donating to the Republican Party.

Karl Rove blew this election big time and his dirty tricks finally caught up with him.  How many big donors want their money back?

Will GOP leadership get the message or stay the course of the hard right after President Obama's Huge Win Last Night?

My first time voting for a Democrat for President was a success as President Obama won handily not only in the electoral college but in the popular vote proving conservative pundits wrong.  A strong message was sent by voters to the Republican Party that going hard right is not going to win national elections and becoming the all white party is a huge mistake.  The question is whether or not the GOP will learn the lesson.  Senator John Cornyn last night calls for 'period of reflection and recalibration' for Republicans as the Hard Right Tea Party Senate candidates that wanted to redefine rape went down in flames.  Shame Senator McConnell couldn't have said similar words as his statement was defiant not congratulating the President on his win or offering an olive branch.

Now we are starting to hear from conservative pundits that the GOP lost because Romney was a Massachusetts liberal.  How can Republicans/Conservatives be so stupid?  Many of us were saying that when Romney ran and the hard right started supporting him.  The RNC went all in for Romney and the GOP/Rove/Morris/Fox News kept lying about Obama to the stage a group of us joined Republicans for Obama as we could not take the lies any longer refusing to be part of a group that supported a man who thought 47% of us were worthless.

If the GOP continues going to the hard right, you can put a fork in them for national elections.  The days of the white voters being the determining factor are coming to a close especially when you realize that a lot of white women won't vote for Republican Neanderthals.  White male blue collar works in the old 'rust belt' states stood up for Obama against Romney.  The unions didn't make the huge monetary contributions to candidates but they provided something more tangible -- boots on the ground.  In states that Obama won, his campaign turned out the volunteers in big numbers, his donations were fueled by small donors who bought into his campaign, and his message was heard loud and clear as he stood on his record saying there was more to be accomplished.  Many liberal leaning pundits thought he was giving the wrong message but in the end the Obama strategy was correct.  The American people were willing to give him four more years to get the job done.  This time if the Republicans obstruct, they will be out on their ears in 2014.

Romney had the huge donors who spent over $1B, but he had to hire people to make calls and door knock, had very few small donors relying mostly on the wealthy and little GOTV in operation as Rove and company thought they could buy this election with negative ads that lied and little ground game.   The American people said NO to a candidate trying to buy an election and to vote suppression.

GOP is now trying to blame the hurricane and Gov Christi, but they are wrong IMHO.  The day Romney lied about Jeep moving everything to China which was repudiated by Chrysler and General Motors, was the day he lost the rust belt states.  Romney doubled down keeping up with the lies and even made a campaign ad which ran in the 'rust belt' states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.  The worst part was seeing Republicans I trusted spring to Romney's defense on Jeep.  Finally Ohio Governor Kasich broke with Romney on Jeep but Senator Portman doubled down along with others.

Rudy Guiliani made an absolute fool of himself in the end calling for the President Obama to resign, be impeached, or voted out for his incompetence over Libya and his response to Hurricane Sandy which made no sense but he lost it completely and with it the respect of a lot of us who had worked for his 2008 election.

I have included this email below from MSNBC this morning that breaks down the demographics and shows just how bad off the Republicans are in the future if they don't change.  They had better look to Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio where voter suppression didn't work.  Cutting voting hours to help Romney or making it hard to get a voter ID, only added to the disgust of many minorities but also to life long Republicans like me.  The very idea that Rick Scott cut voting hours so drastically should get him kicked out of office as the Florida Governor in 2014.  Americans want voting laws that encourage people to vote -- no one should have to stand in line for 7-8 hours to vote.  Anyone involved in this voter suppression we witnessed should be charged IMHO.

The whine coming out of Karl Rove last night was actually funny as he couldn't believe Fox News had declared Ohio for Obama.  Rove went into a meltdown talking about his numbers, his numbers when it was Cleveland and Cincinnati where votes which were still out -- no way was Romney going to win in either county.  Rove was demanding that Fox News pull back their call of Ohio for Obama, but they refused.  Then there was the right wing media:

Right-Wing Media React To Obama's Re-Election: War, Impeachment, Revolution

It is time the GOP wake up and realize that they need to be reaching out to minority voters or in the years ahead they are going to be the real minority party left with a bunch of neanderthal ideas trying to go back to the 1950's.  Whether that hard right Tea Party and social conservative coalition wants to admit it, they lost big last night.  Only a matter of time, until AZ, TX, and GA start turning blue with their large minority populations.  GOP either changes and embraces the change or they can be stubborn like Minority Leader McConnell and start demanding.

The question is, "Will GOP leadership get the message or stay the course of the hard right?"  When you read the demographics of voters in the email below, they had better wake up or the GOP as we know it will go down in flames as the hard right party of white male Neanderthals with a bunch of wealthy donors who were repudiated even if they won't admit it today.  The American people in fairly large numbers are sick and tired of social issues at the National level, but social conservatives cannot seem to get it through their heads that the majority of Americans don't care about the hard right positions -- they are in the minority on those positions no matter what they say.

When you read this email about demographics, it says it all.  America has now become a true melting pot. The Republican Party to survive needs to embrace the change not throw them under the bus.  We have a whole generation of young people who will add a lot to America if given the chance and embraced.  President Obama is correct -- Time to Move America Forward!

First Thoughts: Obama's demographic edgeWednesday, 07 November 2012 06:12:44 PST 

Obama’s demographic edge… And the GOP’s demographic dilemma… Breaking down last night’s results… Do status-quo election results = status-quo governing?... Obama’s swing-county swagger…His tactical dominance…  And lots of history was made last night.  

By NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Brooke Brower 

*** Obama's demographic edge: Yes, the auto bailout mattered in Ohio. Sure, Hurricane Sandy helped the president. And, yes, the economy was the No. 1 issue. But make no mistake: What happened last night was a demographic time bomb that had been ticking and that blew up in GOP faces. As the Obama campaign had assumed more than a year ago, the white portion of the electorate dropped to 72%, and the president won just 39% of that vote. But he carried a whopping 93% of black voters (representing 13% of the electorate), 71% of Latinos (representing 10%), and also 73% of Asians (3%). What’s more, despite all the predictions that youth turnout would be down, voters 18-29 made up 19% of last night’s voting population -- up from 18% four years ago -- and President Obama took 60% from that group. The trend also played out in the key battleground states: The president won about 70% of the Latino vote in Colorado and Nevada, and he won 60% of it in Florida (a high number given the state’s large GOP-leaning Cuban-American population). On Monday, we wrote that demography could determine destiny. And that’s exactly what happened. While the campaign’s turnout operation deserves all the credit for getting these voters to the polls, the most significant event of this presidential contest might very well have been the 2010 census. 

*** And the GOP’s demographic dilemma: Obama’s demographic edge creates this dilemma for the Republican Party: It can no longer rely on white voters to win national elections anymore, especially in presidential cycles. Indeed, according to the exit poll, 89% of all votes Mitt Romney won last night came from whites (compared with 56% for Obama). So the Republicans are maximizing their share with white voters; they just aren’t getting the rest. And come 2016, the white portion of the electorate will probably drop another couple of points to 70%. Politico’s Martin puts it this way: “Battling a wheezing economy and a deeply motivated opposition, Obama still managed to retain much of his 2008 map because of the GOP’s deficiencies with the voters who are changing the political face of once conservative-leaning Virginia, Florida, Colorado and Nevada. Republicans face a crisis: the country is growing less white and their coalition has become more white in recent years. In 2004, George W. Bush won [about 40 percent] of Hispanics. Four years later, John McCain, the author of an immigration reform bill, took 31 percent of Hispanics. And this year, Romney captured only 27 percent of Hispanics.” 

*** Hard for the GOP just to turn to the Midwest: Now Republicans might argue, “Look, we can win back the Midwest -- Ohio, Iowa, and Wisconsin.” Yet those account for 34 electoral votes. But the Sun Belt states where Obama campaigned and which have more diverse populations (Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia) have a total of 57 electoral votes. And then there are Arizona, Georgia, and Texas. Do those states come into play in 2016? What about 2020? Come 2016, you could argue that Arizona and Georgia become for Democrats what Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania are for Republicans -- just slightly out of reach. 

*** Last night’s results: The morning after, here are the results (so far) from last night: Obama holds 303 electoral votes and Romney 206. (NBC News has yet to call Florida and its 29 electoral votes, but Obama leads there 50%-49%.) In the popular vote, it’s Obama 50%, Romney 48%. Also, Democrats have held on to their Senate majority and might add to it -- with undecided races in Montana (where Democratic incumbent Jon Tester leads 48%-48% with 77% in) and North Dakota (where Democrat Heidi Heitkamp is ahead by about 3,000 voters with 93% in). But Republicans held on to control of the House, holding 237 seats vs. 197 for the Democrats, plus-minus four seats. 

*** Does status-quo control = status-quo governing? So in the end, we got a status-quo result -- with Obama holding on to the White House, Democrats keeping control of the Senate, and Republicans maintaining their grip on the House. But here’s the question with the “fiscal cliff” negotiations coming up: Will the governing be status quo, too? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell released this statement last night: “To the extent [Obama] wants to move to the political center, which is where the work gets done in a divided government, we’ll be there to meet him half way. That begins by proposing a way for both parties to work together in avoiding the ‘fiscal cliff’ without harming a weak and fragile economy, and when that is behind us work with us to reform the tax code and our broken entitlement system.” And House Speaker John Boehner makes a statement on the “fiscal cliff” negotiations at 3:30 pm ET. But who holds the mandate here? The GOP? Or a president who waged a national campaign on raising taxes for the wealthy, and who won? And here’s another question: Do Boehner and McConnell take advantage of the lame duck to compromise? 

*** Obama’s swing-county swagger: Turning back to last night’s presidential contest, Obama beat Romney in almost all of the swing counties (won by Bush in ’04 but by Obama in ’08). Indeed, Obama won three of four swing counties in Florida (Hillsborough, Pinellas, Osceola), four of six in Ohio (Hamilton, Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky), 11 of 14 in Virginia (including Loudon, Prince William, and Henrico), and all six in Colorado (including Jefferson, Arapahoe, and Larimer). And despite losing North Carolina, Obama may have proved that the state is changing, becoming more “Mid-Atlantic” but not quite all there, as Charlie Cook has said. Obama won nine of 13 swing counties in the Tar Heel State (including the large counties of Wake, Forsyth, Cumberland, and Buncombe). 

*** And his tactical dominance: But it was more than winning the swing counties for Obama; it was tactical dominance. Romney made inroads all across the country from previous GOP performance. What happened, however, was that the Obama campaign exploited the census and changed the margins. The best example of this was in Florida. 

*** Making history: Finally, it was an historic-making election. With Obama’s re-election, we now have the first time since Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe that Americans have elected three two-term presidents in a row… Tammy Baldwin will become the Senate’s first openly gay member… The Senate will have at least 19 female members -- the most ever -- and there’s a chance that number could increase to 20 if Heitkamp wins… Maryland and Maine became the first states to approve of gay marriage at the ballot box… And initiatives to legalize marijuana passed in Colorado and Washington state. 

Voting Day in America!

Today I proudly cast my vote for Barack Obama/Joe Biden which is my first ever for a Democrat for President.  When I got my ballot after waiting 55 minutes in a precinct that has been split twice, I looked at the straight party voting and said to myself, I am personally filling in the block for Obama/Biden.  I also voted for the Democrat for Congress and found out it is a she because I wasn't sure from the signs.  As I walked out I was laughing with a retired doctor from OU Medical Center on her name Bebo was so close to Bevo, the University of Texas Longhorn mascot, that it made me do a double take because I wouldn't vote for Bevo no matter who it was.  Used to be the GOP Precinct Chair of my precinct and know it is mostly Democrat here in Norman.  The lines at the other precinct here that votes at the same place was four times as long and has not been split out -- also mostly Dem.  All the signs leading to the polling place were Democrats.  No GOP presence outside where we vote.  That should mean our conscientious objector GOP State Rep is going down.  YEA!!!

Here is a post I did this morning about how whiney Romney has become:

Made this comment to a Tomasky post on The Daily Beast about Romney being whiney:

I am white and I just proudly voted for Obama/Biden for President.  This longtime Republican only voted for one GOP on the ticket -- my State Senator.  Proud member of Republicans for Obama since the GOP went hard right.  Their war on woman sent me over the edge.  Romney is whiney and thinned skin just like TX Coach Mack Brown who is whining about everyone doing 'horn's down" who plays TX.  Obama will not win OK with all the racist GOP in parts of the state but I was very happy to cast my vote for four more years of President Obama.  Also voted for the Dem for Congress -- need to cut the lead of GOP obstructionists and in 2014 knock them out.  Don't like Tea Party or Hard Right who always have excuses when they lose just like UT's Mack Brown who has almost the same haircut as Romney!  Boomer Sooner!

UT Football Coach Mack Brown wants the Big 12 to ban the 'hook em horns' down side that all the fans and some players use against UT.  Texas even changes their fight song when they play the Sooners so all he did was make the rest of us laugh at him for being thin skinned and whiney just like Romney.  What is with this whiney older white guys?  Is it catching?

If you haven't voted, be prepared to stand in line -- take a drink and some snacks would be my suggestion.  Voting should not be hard and no state should be actively suppressing voters like Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania have been doing.  Even in Oklahoma the early voting is only three days and lines are huge.  It seems the Republican Party prefers to suppress votes for a better chance of winning this time.  

It is despicable and disgusting to hear the leader of the PA House, Mike Turzai speaks on June 23, 2012, that a voter ID bill that they passed was going to lead to a Romney victory.  That is not America but then Beck just said that if Obama is elected, America needs destroyed.  What kind of rhetoric is that?  Sounds to me like he needs investigation for supporting armed conflict but then that is what I also heard on So CO radio that they might have to take to the streets if Obama is reelected.  

Yet some Republicans are wondering why so many of the GOP are voting for Obama?  Those of us center right to moderate have no desire to be around today's hard right in the GOP who have created a war on women, minorities, military, senior citizens, teachers, fire, police, and civil service following the lead of Mitt Romney.  I don't want to go back to the 50's but move forward so I voted for Obama!

Please exercise your right to vote no matter who vote for as every American should have their votes counted without fear of intimidation.  If you have to stand in line for hours to vote, I tip my hat to you.  We all need to join in future elections to make sure that rules to vote are the same across this great Country so some out of control Secretary of State in places like Ohio and Colorado don't get to determine who votes and who does not.

The power of the ballot box is powerful and maybe it will open some eyes in this election that voters will not be bullied and harassed.

God Bless the United States of America and may she stand for many more years.

Vote for the Centrist in 2012: Vote for Barack Obama for President on November 6th

In this election the Democrats have the ground game and the small donors.  Many of the right like to say unions but they are only a small part of the total picture.  People from all walks of life, men, women, college students, young, middle age, senior, those from various ethinic backgrounds, minority groups, and religion are out pounding the pavement for Barack Obama because he represents all of us.  For a President who has been demonized so much by the right  being called names and lied about on conservative talk radio and Fox Tabloid News,  I cannot believe he has kept his positive attitude that no matter what he is not going to let it get to him.  I have sat here at my desk and listened to his speeches and so many times I have gone WOW -- his ideas for America are really good.
Thank God I took my GOP blinders off thanks to Romney, RNC, Rove, conservative talk radio, pundits, etc., because I now see a man who only wants what is best for all Americans.  When I saw the interaction between the Obama's and the Bush's at the unveiling of the Bush's official portraits for the White House, I knew for certain that I was on the right track.  I have gone from saying that I will vote for Obama because I cannot stand Romney and what the Republican Party is turning into in this election, to a proud supporter of Obama and a member of Republicans for Obama where I found a home with other disenfranchised Republicans.  First it was the moderates that felt pushed out of the Party but now it is a lot of us who are center right in our thinking they want out.  When I signed onto the site, these paragraph spoke for me:

The Republican party isn't what it used to be. Our leaders and our most vocal activists have written moderates out of the party and have refused to work with the other side, to the detriment of the nation. Center-right presidents such as Reagan, Bush Sr., Ford, Nixon and Eisenhower would have no chance being nominated today. 

Unfortunately, Mitt Romney has not proven to be able to stand up to our party's most extreme elements. Instead, he has fallen for the "one-size-fits-all" mentality that tax cuts for the already-wealthy will solve all of our problems, and has no workable plans to solve the challenges we face. 

President Obama has shown himself to be a common-sense centrist. He has cut taxes when necessary, has taken steps to protect the environment, and has aggressively pursued Islamic extremists who threaten America. Most notably, he has reformed our healthcare system by signing a Republican-inspired healthcare plan into law. In most other points in our party's history, Obama would fit in well as a Republican.

Reading those words made me realize how far hard right the Republican Party had gone.  Today I am not sure it will ever come back to center right as some hard right Republican Tea Party types like Senators DeMint and Rand Paul have vowed to double down on moving even more hard right in the GOP.  After the election,  it will be decision time for many of us including some leaders who are not hard right like Jon Huntsman, Colin Powell, and others from the years of Reagan/Bush.  Former FL Governor Charlie Christ has already made the move to Independent -- will his next step be running as a Democrat for FL Governor to throw out Republican Rick Scott?  Will center right Republicans start to help centrist Democrat candidates in the future?  No one knows, but I can guarantee on thing -- I will never lift one finger to help a hard right Republican win anything ever again.  
Last night was I was watching this football game, I saw someone remark on line about this story.  Was going to look it up this morning but when I logged on a good friend had sent me the story.  It is something that every last Republican should read and realize just how nasty and bigoted  the Republican Party has become.as it moved hard right and supported the 'severely conservative' Mitt Romney in 2012:

The Pulse: The smearing of a president: From start, unrelenting, unfairMichael Smerconish, Inquirer ColumnistPOSTED: Sunday, November 4, 2012, 4:01 AM 

This election has always been a referendum on Barack Obama. For some, not on matters of substance. They can't have it both ways. It's hypocritical to distribute a vicious, false narrative about him while fancying yourself a patriot and a great American. Vilify a sitting president of the United States with fiction and innuendo, and you are neither.

I objected when George W. Bush was the subject of undeserved hyperbolic criticism, but the baseless scorn heaped upon President Obama makes Bush's detractors look diplomatic. The president, the office, and our nation deserve better. 

It's been unrelenting. The day after Obama took office, Rush Limbaugh told Sean Hannity he wanted him to "fail." Later, Glenn Beck called the president a "racist" with a "deep-seated hatred of white people." Donald Trump's birtherism took hold while words like socialist were uttered with increased frequency. And a prairie fire of falsehoods spread through the Internet suggesting, among other things, that Obama is a Muslim or refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, paving the way for Dinesh D'Souza's fictionalized "documentary" 2016, which characterized Obama as fulfilling the anticolonial agenda of his father - a man he literally knew for just one weekend! 

Among the usual memes used to undermine the president is the threat of some apocalyptic cataclysm, usually in the form of an assertion of federal power, like the seizing of guns. These predictions demand unthinking acceptance of the notion that the president, like a bizarre Manchurian candidate, is saving his nefarious agenda for a second term that might never arrive. By my count, the website Snopes.com has evaluated and debunked 103 of 124 Internet assertions about Obama. 

Just before Hurricane Sandy hit, Ann Coulter called our sitting president a "retard," Sarah Palin mocked his "shuck and jive shtick," and John Sununu openly questioned Gen. Colin Powell's weighty endorsement as being motivated by race. At least earlier in the campaign there was some effort at camouflage. Such as when Mitt Romney aired an anti-Obama welfare commercial that falsely suggested Obama supported handouts ("They just send you your welfare check") when, in fact, Obama was accommodating requests of several governors, two of them conservative Republicans, to try new ways to put people back to work. A similar sentiment was expressed by Romney when he maligned the 47 percent who don't pay federal income taxes, overlooking that 83 percent of that group are either working and paying payroll taxes or they're elderly.

And, almost daily, there have been dire warnings about Obama, often with sirens, from the Drudge Report. Example: the Sept. 18 edition featuring a hideous picture of Obama (eyes closed) emblazoned with the all-capped quote: "I ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN REDISTRIBUTION," a 14-year-old excerpt that conveniently excised the future president's explicit embrace of "competition" and "marketplace." No wonder I routinely field calls from radio listeners who, with no hint of embarrassment in their voices, say things such as "I call him 'comrade' " or "he's not my president." 

Their best evidence? Obamacare - crafted by the same people who wrote Romneycare. Critics ignore that the Affordable Care Act is premised upon personal responsibility and was born in a right-wing think tank. Politifact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning website of the Tampa Bay Times, called the idea that Obamacare represents a "takeover" of the health-care system the 2010 Lie of the Year. And while some have also labeled the president a "socialist" for signing the $831 billion stimulus, no one ever used such language when Bush acted similarly with the $700 billion TARP.

In the final days, the critics have turned to Benghazi, drilling down on the shifting narrative regarding the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, but ignoring that, as the Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 22, "The CIA was consistent from Sept. 13 to Sept. 21 that the attack evolved from a protest." There's another problem with the criticism. Romney now gets intelligence briefings, too. Perhaps that's why he took a pass on this kerfuffle when Libya was the first question at the final debate.

So why the attention on the recent 9/11? Perhaps to deflect attention from Obama avenging the first 9/11. Most disturbing, the president's critics have sought to diminish that achievement by treating his order as a no-brainer. As a candidate in 2008, Obama was roundly criticized when he said (to me and others) that he would act on intelligence regarding the al-Qaeda leader even if he were in Pakistan. To Bush that was "unsavory." To John McCain that was "naive." Hillary Clinton said this was "a mistake." Joe Biden said Obama "undermined his ability to be tough." And Romney regarded that pledge as "ill-timed" and "ill-considered." Imagine the criticism Obama would have faced if the mission had failed.  

The reality is that there is much to be admired in the president and his rise to power. Replace Kenya with Poland or Germany, and you'd have observers rightly saying that only in this country could such a career path be possible. He is a loving husband and father who, with the first lady, is ably raising two daughters in the glare of the White House. He is an intellectual heavyweight. And his personal ethics have been above reproach.

Real patriots vote for or against candidates based on substance, not smears.   

That last paragraph from Michael Smerconish says it all.  I have added the bold to the article to highlight various parts that jump at you.  Several topics get me the most:  

Libya which Fox Tabloid News is still pushing the lies on Libya for Romney to the stage that anyone who believes what Fox Tabloid News  has to say is not thinking. 

Capture of Bin Laden who now the GOP says it was routine when in the past he had been attacked for never losing site of the fact he wanted Bin Laden sleeping with the fishes which he is today.

Attacks on the President's character and background from Republicans with calling him names, saying he doesn't understand America, or is not American for starters.  Even Romney got in the act on the birth certificate.  Many of the comments you hear are bigoted and an insult to any person who thinks.  

These items speak more about the lack of class from today's hard right GOP then they do about Obama who has weathered all of these attacks with his sense of humor in tact that comes out from time to time:

Also in the Tonight Show interview, Obama made light of Donald Trump's much-hyped offer to donate $5 million to charity if the president released his passport application and college records. The real estate mogul also has championed the "birther" movement, contending that Obama cannot be president because he was born in Kenya. Actually, the president was born in Hawaii. 

On Leno, Obama joked that Trump's beef dates back to when he and Trump grew up together in Kenya. 

"We had constant run-ins on the soccer field," Obama said. "He wasn't very good and resented it. When we finally moved to America, I thought it would be over."

To me that last paragraph says it all about the type of person Obama is that he can take all these hits and come back with a sense of humor.  He not only has my vote and the votes of my family but I can now say:

I wholeheartedly support President Barrack Obama for reelection and will be casting my vote for him on November 6, 2012. 

The Two Faces of Mitt Romney

Found on UnitedNY1′s YouTube channel:

Kudos to the people who put this together -- very good representation of Romney -- who knows where he really stands?  Not sure he even knows as much as he has flip flopped.  He will lie, cheat, and steal if he thinks it would win him the election.  We saw it in the primary, and now we are seeing it in the general election from Mr Perfect Romney who never takes responsibility for anything.  The Romney campaign is already blaming Hurricane Sandy if he loses along with Governor Christie who put the needs of his State over the GOP Presidential candidate Romney.  Never could be Romney's fault that he is as two-faced as they come who doesn't think twice about lying.  
Vote on November 6th for four more years for Obama to finish what he started!

Center Right Republican Supports Obama for Re-election

In 2008, I bought into the GOP/Conservative pundits koolaid about Obama which as I have learned over the past four years was mostly lies and spin.  I held my nose and supported John McCain in 2008 even though I didn't think had the temperament to be President but I believed what I was told about Obama not being American, being hard left, apologizing for America -- the whole nine yards.  Then I began to slowly see the truth as I did the research for articles on here.  
When reading sources that ObamaCare was based on Healthcare Reform of the Republicans in the 90's and RomneyCare, I started to get a glimmer the GOP was not telling the whole truth.  The more I read and researched, I slowly  began to realize that I might be wrong about Obama, but I refused to believe a Party I had belonged to my whole whole adult life could be lying to the Country.  My defining moment was when the GOP overwhelmingly took the House in 2010 and made the Senate numbers closer for the GOP.  Slowly I began to realize that Republicans in the House and Senate were the problems when it came to the recession we were in by doing everything they could to obstruct Obama on issues they normally would have supported.
The more research I did for this blog in the last two years, the more I saw a pattern that if Obama proposed anything, Republicans were against the plan but would spin and lie about what was happening.  Then the primary season started where I couldn't believe Romney was running again as he could not beat McCain in 2008.  What I didn't count on was his run had been in the works for sometime as Romney had the big donors lined up to support him.  The Citizens United ruling finally tipped me over the edge even faster when I realized this was a Mecca for Rove and big donors to try and buy this election for Romney.  
RNC Chair Priebus with his changing rules in the states and orchestrating obvious leaning Romney debates led to candidate after candidate not getting a fair shake as the bully Romney took over the debates.  Anyone with compassion for those less fortunate like Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry, think TX Dream Act, got tossed under the bus.  That left us with Gingrich, Santorum, Paul, and of course, Romney.  The nasty attack ads and verbal attacks by Romney left me totally disgusted with him, Rove, and the RNC.  His attacks were so over the top in the primary in FL with lies against Gingrich that I started to look at Obama and do the research.
Finding lie after lie that had come from Republicans about Obama started made me search even more for the truth.  The final nail for Romney and Republicans was when I discovered that a group of House and Senate members including my Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn had met on the night of the inauguration to plot how to make Obama a one-term President.  That did it for me so I started answering the call by donating $8 at a time, then $10 to support Obama in race against the most flawed candidate I can ever remember who has lied over and over again even after being fact checked.  Fact Check doesn't matter to Romney or the GOP in this election.  As we have witnessed with voter suppression and the outright lies, this group of hard right led by Romney will lie, cheat, and steal to win.  They have a good teacher in Karl Rove. 
In the first debate, Romney showed what an arrogant bully he was catching Obama off guard when he changed his stances completely.  In the second debate, Obama was ready for Romney and was willing to take him on and came out the winner especially when Romney lied about Libya.  Obama was masterful in that debate.  Then came the foreign policy debate where Romney went spineless and became me too, me too. When Obama corrected Romney, the hard right got up in arms that he was picking on poor Mitt.  That was laughable after the jerk Romney was in the first debate.
Most amazing thing is to see ads by Obama that look like they come from Republican ad makers who make some very professional ads versus the nasty ads from Romney which mirror the nastiest ads I have ever seen -- think LBJ.  This video from Obama shows the ordinary Americans who support him and why he needs four more years to finish the job of bringing America all the way back.  Without the GOP obstructionist, our economy would be much farther along and more people back to work like veterans where the House GOP stalled the veterans jobs bill.  This ad emboldens my belief of who Obama truly is -- someone who cares about America and its people deeply no matter who they are.  He represents the best of America and is a representative that the American dream is alive and well.
I fully support Obama for reelection on November 6th.  If the GOP continues to obstruct like they have especially the last two years, I will get out and work for Democrats to defeat the GOP at all levels in 2014.   Some of these State House GOP members already need defeated with their hard right agenda and voter suppression bills they passed.

Lessons Learned on Romney/Obama from Denver Trip Last Week

After spending a good portion of the last week in Denver, I have come to the conclusion that there should be a limit to how many ads that lie you are forced to endure if you want to watch television or turn on the radio.  Halloween with my granddaughters was awesome as I was able to attend their Halloween parties and go trick or treating with them.  The politics in Colorado is unbelievable by the media ads and the conservative talk show hosts who give out instructions what to tweet or what to message for Romney.  The conservative media may be the most dishonest I have ever seen out of the media and that includes the liberal media over the years.  I have seen stretch the truth in campaigns with spin, but not the outright lies coming out of Romney and his campaign.

Believe Colorado will end up in the Obama column since the pollsters keep leaving out Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, who is well liked in Colorado.  Funniest things I heard was Boulder (think San Francisco) was going for Romney.  Obviously anyone who knows Colorado knows they would never go GOP.   Imagine the shock in Boulder to wake up and discover some pollster said they were for Romney who is about 180 from everything that most people believe who live in Boulder.  My second funniest thing I heard was votes for Gary Johnson would normally go to Obama.  Since when are Ron Paul supporters Obama supporters?  They are Libertarian Republicans who are going to Johnson across America.  IMHO the Romney/Rove/GOP spin in CO is not working in 2012 any better then it did in 2008 with McCain/Palin.

After watching the Romney ads, you have to ask yourself if Romney even has an ad that doesn't lie?  If he does, it is not being shown in the Denver media area.  Obama has a very positive ad on why you should vote for him which looks like an ad for a GOP candidate of old.  The Romney ad that bugged me the most was Romney talking way too fast on what Obama promised knowing full well we were in a recession and lasted longer because of obstructionists Republicans in the Congress.  I heard that one on the radio so much as they run so many ads back to back that are the same but I would switch stations and get it on another station as well.  Talk about oversaturing a market with ads -- Romney has wasted a lot of money and in the end his lies should tank him not only in Colorado but around the Country in states where people still value the facts and truth.

Driving through southern Colorado is an experience as the local radio stations all use the same Fox News/Rush talking points with different hosts -- last Sunday it was the Libya consulate that they were giving out lies and coming back on Thursday later in the evening it was Obama was too fast to offer aid to the areas hit by Hurricane Sandy.  Bet  New Jersy Governor Christie wouldn't agree with them or any other Governor whose state received a lot of damage.  Still haven't recovered from former FEMA Director Brown complaining that Obama rushed in with emergency help but then he is the person who blew Katrina relief efforts for the Bush Administration but yet he is talking on Fox News about how Obama mishandled the aftermath of the hurricane.  Talk about a loser -- Brown's name comes to mind.  Believe Obama has done an outstanding job.

Then there was Mitt Romney holding a canned goods 'non' campaign event for the hurricane relief when anyone with a brain knows that the Red Cross does not take canned goods and then it comes out the Romney campaign bought the canned goods or did they?  Did they come from the Mormon  storage areas around the Country for a disaster for Mormons to be able to survive -- forget the rest of us. Turned out it was really a campaign event after all complete with a band and campaign video of Romney.  Lying even near the end of the campaign when there is a disaster that hit the uppper East Coast.  Some things don't change.

Then there are the lies Romney told about Jeep and Chrysler that the Chrysler CEO had to debunk not once but several times about his moving the Toledo Jeep plant to China when, in fact, it was establishing Jeep production in China not moving American jobs there.  Guess Romney is so much into outsourcing jobs that he never gave it a thought that a company would actually start up new manufacturing not move American manufacturing to China.  Not only has Chrysler chastised Romney but so has the head of General Motors.  Romney scared a lot of people about moving Jeep and never gave it a thought when he knew he was lying because when it was pointed out by Chrysler that he was lying, he kept doing it.  Remember that Romney and his campaign don't believe in Fact  Check for anything Romney says. 

Then there is the matter of work for welfare recipients that Romney says Obama wants to give them free money but that wasn't the case as it was giving the states more leeway on how they handle welfare.  Romney ads received four pants on fire but continue to use them.

Every time Romney came on the TV while I was in Denver, lies spewed from his mouth.  Fortunately despite all the money, crooked polls, crooked RNC to get Romney the nomination, big donors trying to buy the election, and the lies of Romney and his surrogates, Romney is going to lose.  When pollsters have to leave out Gary Johnson, the Libertarian, to get the results they want, it shows that the hand of Rove has stretched in the polling companies.  Ever heard of over sampling white southern males -- it is happening this time.

Then we have the flip flopper Romney himself -- how can he keep track of where he stands as he has changed positions so much?  In Florida he is running ads that are almost making him pro-choice but then the hard right says jump and he goes back to being pro-life saying he is going to sign a law ending Roe v Wade but then says he believes in abortion but only for the exceptions.  All three stances in a week.  The only ad that Romney has done for a Senate candidate is for Mourdock in IN, the total nutjob on rape that is actually to the right of Akin which is almost impossible to believe.  Even when Mourdock referred to a woman who got pregnant from rape as being God's will she was pregnant, Romney didn't back off his endorsement.  In the end who knows if he is pro-life, pro-life with exceptions, or pro-choice?  Don't think anyone knows as this 'severely' conservative fraud has been all over the map on where he stands.

On top of Romney lies are the surrogates willing to lie for him like Portman, McCain, Guiliani, Tom Ridge, Condi Rice, Gov Jindal, and most members of the Republicans in Congress.  Why?  Have they all lost their backbones and afraid to stand up to Romney and say they will not attack Obama and lie about him for Romney?  It sure looks like it.  It makes me wonder how I ever supported this bunch of limp wristed Republicans who put wealthy donors ahead of the middle class.  Not allowed to touch their tax cuts and especially their loopholes from the Bush Tax Cuts according to the Romney Republican Party.

What I took away from Denver TV was that I NEVER want to living in a Battleground state and have to endure all the negative campaign ads this time it was Republicans but it could easily have been Democrats in a different year. 

Also learned that the Tea Party backed by the Koch Brothers, Rove, and Ailes are running the Republican Party and why the move to the hard right where most of their candidates for Congress could easily lose as they are out of mainstream America.  The hostile takeover of the GOP by this group of hard right is going down IMHO but then they will blame everyone in sight as they take no personal responsibility.

Looking foward to Tuesday night when the election will be over and Obama gets four more years. My one hope is that some GOP grow some backbones and actually work with the President and Democrats for all Americans not just the wealthy GOP supporters.

My mini rant about the last week!  

Please go vote and make your voices heard!  Don't pay attention to ads but pay attention to what candidates are saying.  Please vote for Common Sense candidates to get America moving forward not back to the 1950's!