Tag Archives: Mitt Romney

Santorum, Romney, McCain: Hairy Old White Men

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Terry| 3 Comments
Grumpy McCain

John McCain gets a little grumpy when we go a few days without the sweet sound of American bombs falling on foreign soil. Hence the calls to start bombing Syria.

You gotta love Repubs for daring to bash Obama for his foreign policy.  After a Bush presidency where we started 2 ill-fated wars and ruined America’s reputation overseas, I find it a bit ridiculous for Republicans to bash the foreign policy of a Obama administration that has overseen the fall of Bin Laden and Gaddafi and conducted a daring  hostage rescue in the past 12 months.  But of course Republicans won’t let little things like facts stand in their way, and so as always, Republicans are tripping over themselves to make themselves sound as hawkish as possible.

Just in the last couple of days, we’ve heard calls from John McCain to bomb Syria.  Mitt Romney, he of zero foreign policy experience, says HE would stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb.  Rick Santorum also says that HE would be “tougher” than Obama when it comes to Iran.

What the hell is with (again, my wife’s phrase) “hairy old white men” and the need to thump their chests and act like warmongers?  Particularly, REPUBLICAN hairy old white men?   DO these idiots REALLY think it’s a great idea to start another war in the Middle East?   Look at what happened in Afghanistan after we accidentally burned a few Korans.  10 years of “nation-building” in Afghanistan were jeopardized.  We’ve had troops on the ground in the Middle East for FAR too long.  Iraq wanted us out.  Afghanistan wants us out.  If we follow McCain’s suggestion to bomb Syria, or if we start an aerial campaign against Iran’s nuclear facilities, all hell breaks loose in the Middle East.   But I’ve come to believe there are a certain group of “hairy old white men” who are never happy unless America is bombing the hell out of someone.

 The Obama administration has done quite well in the foreign policy arena.  The Obama administration has a lot more information at their disposal, they know what’s happening behind the scenes.  They also know what a complete and utter disaster it would be for America to start another Middle East war.   Do us a favor, Repub “experts” in foreign policy.   Stop acting as if you could magically cure what ails the Middle East, and stick to blubbering about OTHER things you know nothing about, such as gas prices or contraception.

Posted in Hairy Old White Men, Politics

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Today’s Republicans – Unlikable “Reagans”

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Terry| Leave a comment
Trudeau - Remembering Reagan

How do today's Republicans measure up to their idol, Ronnie Reagan? They're JUST as hypocritical. They're JUST as corrupt. But, they're just not as likable! They can't get away with it like Reagan. Strip above is a Gary Trudeau Doonesbury cartoon.

Sarah Palin came out with a blurb yesterday saying that Ronald Reagan would be ashamed of the way Republicans have acted in this primary.   The point she was trying to make is that Republican candidates have spent much of their time trying to attack and tear each other down.  Given that attacking and tearing people down is the ONLY skill Republicans seem to have anymore, it’s hardly been surprising that they’ve turned on each other during this campaign.

But what about the comparison between today’s Republican Party, and their idol, Ronnie Reagan?   How do the views of today’s Republican Party compare to their idol?  To start, it’s laughable to see Tea Partiers and conservatives and their reverence of Reagan, when Reagan’s actual record was MUCH different from the idealized record right-wing wackos seem to focus on.   Fiscal conservative?  Uh…not so much.  The U.S. debt more than doubled under Reagan.   The THREE LARGEST annual percentage increases in U.S. debt since the mid 1970s?  All during the Reagan administration.  Ethics and morality, a self-proclaimed cornerstone of conservatism?  29 criminal convictions of Reagan appointees, Iran-Contra and other.

So how do today’s Republicans stack up?  From a policy standpoint?  They seemingly would LIKE to emulate Reagan!   They ARE a disaster for the environment (remember James Watts?   A shiver just went up my spine).  They WILL ruin the economy.   They WILL drastically raise the federal debt, just like their idol Ronnie did (a fact conservatives somehow forget)!!  They WILL give tax breaks to the rich, and make the less fortunate suffer!!   There IS ample corruption in today’s GOP, ala the Reagan years.  You want a return of the “good ol’ days” under Ronnie?   The current crop of GOP’ers IS what you want!

The only real difference?  As the Gary Trudeau Doonesbury strip above shows, Ronnie was just so darn likable!!  Sure, he wasn’t very bright!!  But gosh darn it, he was SO likable, a guy you’d like to sit down and “have a beer with” (the same “high praise” given to George Bush).   His flaws?  His wacky astrology beliefs? His complete and utter disregard for the environment, or for anyone other than the rich?   For Republicans, what would you rather have, someone competent?  Or someone you really, really liked??  Obviously the latter!

And THAT is the difference in today’s crop of presidential candidates.  Would anyone really like to sit down and have a beer with Newt Gingrich? Mitt Romney?  Rick Santorum?  Michelle Bachmann?   Herman Cain?    Are ANY of these folks even REMOTELY “likable?!?!?!    

And here lies the biggest problem for Republicans.  They haven’t FOUND their 2012 version of Reagan.  They haven’t FOUND someone with enough charisma, that their actual political qualifications are overlooked.  It’s the Republicans worst nightmare!   Their current crop of candidates are being judged NOT on their personality, but on (GASP!!!!!) their actual qualifications and beliefs!!  And when the American public focuses on the substance and not the fluff, they find the GOP candidates lacking.

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Rich People are SO Darn Loveable

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Terry| 1 Comment
Scum of the Week

Congratulations, John Goodman! For your despicable attempt to ADOPT your 42-year old lover to protect your fortune from the family of the young man you killed, YOU have won the inaugural "Scum of the Week" award!

I’ll bet you thought from the title that this post was going to be about Mitt Romney.  That’s probably a bad thing for Romney, in that he’s starting to personify the negative traits people associate with the uber-rich.   Romney certainly isn’t doing himself any favors by talking about his low tax rate or his lack of concern for the poor.  But with the tax rate issue, as he stated, he’s just “following current tax law”.  I guess the question that comes up…from a LEGAL standpoint, I guess that’s fine.  But from a moral standpoint?  When does it become unacceptable from a moral and social standpoint to try to protect your fortune at all costs?

From Slate.com, here’s a story that makes you realize just how incredibly screwed up our tax laws are, and the lengths people will go to, to avoid paying taxes.   Romney parking money in an offshore account?  Probably not a great idea when you’re running for president, but from a moral standpoint, it doesn’t raise your hackles.  But THIS story?  It talks about a trend for those loveable rich folks to ADOPT their adult lovers or spouse…all because of the favorable tax or inheritance implications.  In this case, 48-year old John Goodman ADOPTED his 42-year old girlfriend, helping to shield a trust fund of several hundred million dollars from impending litigation against the man.  Even worse, the litigation against the man is from the family of a young man this rich loser KILLED in a car wreck, while he was driving drunk. 

Rich people are SOOOOOOO darn loveable!  It’s not enough that he drove drunk and took a young man’s life.  No, he ALSO did everything he could to protect his fortune from the young man’s family…including adopting his 42-year old lover.  The Slate story focuses quite a bit on the incest aspect of such a maneuver, as by adopting his girlfriend, he’s technically having sex with his daughter.  Incest though?  Really?  CLEARLY this scum isn’t exactly oozing morality, so what’s incest on top of drunk driving and murder?

I’m all for a social and economic structure that rewards those who work hard, and reap the economic benefits.  Let’s face it, people can be lazy scheming SOB’s, and unless you have such an economic structure, people have no motivation to work hard and contribute to society.  But…there comes a point where moral and social obligations outweigh what the letter of the law might say.  This case obviously crosses that line.  And from the content of the story, obviously this loser isn’t alone in using this adoption strategy.

It’s just one of those stories that reinforces my cynicism!!!  Nice job, Mr. Goodman, you’ve just won my inaugaral “Scum of the Week” award.

Posted in Deep Thoughts, Politics, Scum Of The Week

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Poor Mitt…

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Terry| Leave a comment
Sad Romney

Poor Mitt. His campaign is really looking kind of bipolar right now. Cocky and "inevitable" one week, getting his butt kicked by Rick Santorum (of all folks!) the next.

Holy crap!  Rick Santorum SWEEPS Missouri, Colorado, and Minnesota yesterday?  So much for the inevitability of a Romney nomination.  It still seems unlikely that someone other than Romney wins, but with the Iowa recount results, Santorum shockingly now has 4 states in the bag.  Not bad for a guy who was a complete afterthought until about a week before the Iowa caucuses.

What it mainly shows is just how incredibly weak the GOP field is, and the general distaste the GOP seems to have for even their own candidates.  Turnout was low in all three states yesterday.  There’s a LOT of hate directed towards Obama from the right.  Nothing new there, since the GOP conservative base seems to have based their entire political strategy on hate (thanks for that, Rush).   But they’ve shockingly been unable to focus their dislike of Obama in this race.   GOP voters just aren’t happy with the field, they aren’t motivated to come out and vote, they aren’t currently motivated to rally around the GOP flag and come up with a coherent theme or strategy for the fall election. 

The big loser…obviously Mitt.  When it comes right down to it, it seems like Romney’s biggest issue is that people just don’t like him.  His wealth, his bungling answers when talking about the poor, about his taxes and wealth, etc., certainly haven’t done him any favors, not in an economy where so many working class folks are struggling.   Fair or not, there’s also seemingly been some air of cockiness about Romney.  But as the GOP race has shown, it seems every time Romney establishes his “inevitability” as the GOP candidate, voters in the next state knock him back down to earth.

Again the real winner in all of this is Obama.  Romney is the only candidate who really has a chance against Obama.  Santorum was booted out of his own state in a landslide in his last election, and he certainly has a lot of political ghosts in the closet.   While a campaign theme of “I’m the most extreme conservative” may have some success in the GOP primaries, it’s not going to fly in the general election against Obama.  

It seems like the Republicans were banking on only 2 issues for the fall election…1) the ‘We Hate Obama’ theme, and 2) the ‘Our Economy Sucks’ theme.   As the economy continues to improve, as unemployment continues to drop, Republicans are losing point #2 as a rallying cry. Point #1?  Given the apparent lack of excitement and participation in the primary and caucuses yesterday, even the right’s hatred of Obama right now doesn’t seem to be enough to rally the troops.   Poor Mitt.  Poor GOP.  The stars all seemed lined up for an Obama defeat this fall, until the last couple of months.  But the GOP has nobody to blame but themselves, for fielding quite possibly the worst slate of presidential candidates that any party race has ever seen.

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Republican “Values” Revealed by Gingrich Win

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Terry| 1 Comment
Obama

You can disagree with Obama's politics. But he's a honorable, Christian man with NO personal skeletons in his closet. Supposedly, those are things that Republicans value...good ol' "Conservative values". The GOP race is showing what Republicans REALLY value, however.

As the title of my blog hints at…I’m about as cynical as they come.  There’s a good reason for that.  I’m a scientist…I look at the empirical evidence, and base my opinions on the actual evidence.  There is already AMPLE evidence as to how incredibly selfish, short-sighted, ignorant, and greedy people are.   It’s not as if my cynical views really NEED daily affirmation, but…the Republican presidential race certainly provides me plenty of fodder for reinforcing my views. 

Really, South Carolina?  Really, GOP?  Newt Gingrich is who you consider to be the best and the brightest the GOP has to offer?   The man is exposed as a complete scumbag…and the GOP response is to give the man standing ovations for it?  For him to actually SKYROCKET in the polls, and win the state primary?  My god, Republicans are even stupider than I thought.  It also exposes Republicans as being complete frauds…and reinforces my cynacism.

The hypocrisy of Republicans is just incredible.   How incredibly hateful has the GOP been to Bill Clinton over the years?  How much of Rush Limbaugh’s radio show time over the years was devoted to bashing Clinton’s behavior while in office?  How much of NEWT GINGRICH’s time back then was spent bashing Clinton’s behavior?  This, despite the fact that Gingrich was having an affair with a Congressional aide at the very same time he was trying to impeach Clinton…for his affair. 

Republican hypocrisy is NOT just an issue with politicians like Gingrich, or talking-heads like Limbaugh.   No, the hypocrisy extends ALL the way through the Republican voting base.  How many Republicans call themselves “social conservatives”, and supposedly base their vote on those views?  The complete OUTRAGE over Clinton’s affairs?  Justified!  Even to me!  Clinton WAS a womanizer who NEEDED to be called on his behavior.  And GOP politicians, talking heads, and the electorate ALL very vociferously and publicly called him out on his behavior.  But then, when Bush was elected, the GOP electorate forgave Bush’s past indiscretions, and embraced him as a ‘Christian’, a man with “Republican values”.

Then along came Barack Obama.  A life-long Christian.  A man who has had ZERO personal skeletons in his closet.  An honest man who has had ZERO personal scandals while holding the office of president.  You can disagree with his politics, but Obama is a fine human being, one that we can be sure won’t embarrass us while in office.  But, for Republicans, that’s not enough.  They had to try to MAKE UP personal issues in his past…saying he’s really a Muslim (as if that would matter?!??!)…saying he’s not an American citizen.  The biggest “sin” Obama has ever made was being born black, but obviously that’s not something (most) Republicans can come right out and SAY is their biggest personal issue with him. 

What this GOP race is showing is that what cynical folks like myself have known all along.  MORALITY, HONOR, conservative “VALUES“??   THEY…DO…NOT…MEAN…ANYTHING to most of the GOP.  It all SOUNDS good.  Republicans talk a good talk.  But as I’ve said before, and what is PAINFULLY obvious from this GOP race…it’s all just talk. 

Republicans don’t care about any of that.  When it comes right down to it, they just care about their own personal self-interest, about their own greedy desires, their own personal biases and demons…just like seemingly 90% of the human race.  Voting for Newt Gingrich?  A man with SO many personal AND political skeletons in his closet that from a personal perspective, he’s better identified as a what Republicans would call a “godless liberal” than a “conservative Christian”?    Nobody should really be surprised.  As I started this post with, it’s just more fodder to stoke my cynicism.

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Romney says 99% are just Envious

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Terry| Leave a comment
Romney laughing

Romney is a happy man. Why not? He pays the same tax rate as the old lady who took your order at Burger King today.

Last week, when questioned about the growing income inequality between rich and poor in the U.S., Mitt Romney said that people worried about inequality just suffer from “envy”.  Gee, Mitt, I wonder why that could be?  I wonder why the poor would be envious of the way America treats the rich?  Perhaps, Mitt, you should have thought about your “envy” statement before talking about your own personal tax rate today.

At the debate last night, Mitt Romney was questioned about releasing his tax returns, an exchange that had Romney looking uncharacteristically flustered.  Today, Romney said that his tax rate is “around 15%“.    Hmmm.  15%!?!?   A very rich, American politician says his tax rate is around 15%.  Is it any wonder people concerned with income inequality are envious?    A single person making $9,000 a year pays that same 15% tax rate.   A full-time McDonald’s employee making $6.00 an hour pays the SAME RATE as one of the richest men in America. 

Envious, Mitt?  You’re damned straight people are envious of the way the rich are treated in the U.S.  You’re damned straight people are envious of the tax loopholes the rich can exploit.  You’red damned straight people are envious of the political puppets the rich have at their disposal.  

The media panned Romney over his “envy” remark last week, but sadly, Romney was correct.

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Evangelicals Endorse Santorum

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Terry| 2 Comments
Romney and Obama

Rick Santorum endorsed by evangelicals? When thinking about it and comparing to Santorum and the rest of the GOP field....maybe Romney and Obama aren't all that different. Does it matter which of these men is president come January 2013?

A group of over 100 “prominent” evangelical leaders have endorsed Rick Santorum for the GOP nomination, evidently to try to foster some opposition to Mitt Romney.   As this story from the N.Y. Times notes, the endorsement is in hopes of “undercutting” Romney’s march to the nomination.  This move strikes me as, well, expected, but odd.  Santorum has NO chance in the general election, even if by some miracle he can stop Romney’s momentum and win the GOP nod.   Is that what evangelicals want?  To nominate someone with no chance in the general election against Obama?

Of course not, but…I guess from an evangelical perspective, I really wonder how much of a difference there really is between Romney and Obama.  Despite Romney’s hard turn to the right as he tries to corral the GOP nomination, Romney is pretty moderate, ESPECIALLY when compared to the hard right turn the Republican Party seems to have taken in the last decade.  If evangelicals are indeed most concerned about social issues, for them I guess, there really probably isn’t much difference between Romney and Obama.  Despite his current bluster, Romney isn’t going to push hard for a constitutional amendment to “protect” marriage.  Despite his current bluster, Romney isn’t going to push hard to overturn abortion rights.   He’s necessarily tacked right to win the nomination, but when it comes down to it, if he wins the election, he’ll do exactly what Obama has done (from the other direction)…tack right back towards the center.

In fact, the closer November comes, the more I wonder just how different things would be, if Romney wins or Obama wins.  With the filibuster in the Senate, neither would be able to push through their agendas without compromise, no matter what happens in November (no party will end up with 60 seats in the Senate).   Romney will start moving back towards the center for the general election, as he knows he needs to win independent voters, not just hard-core conservatives.  In other words…Romney will go back to being the type of politician he was as governor of Massachusetts…a rather moderate, sometimes even rather liberal, Republican. 

And…I think I could even live with that.   I’d obviously prefer Obama, as I’m as liberal as they come on environmental issues, social issues like ensuring equality for all, etc., but I really don’t think things would change drastically between either Obama or Romney on those fronts.   I honestly don’t think things would change that much fiscally between the two either.   If I’m Obama, the fact that someone as supposedly “liberal” like me is saying this probably should scare the hell out of him regarding his November prospects. 

Or is it just the fact that I’m still up and typing this at 1:00AM that is making me realize it just may not matter that much?  If Santorum should by some miracle win the nomination, and the general election though?  Then I’m moving to Canada.

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Pot calls Kettle Black – Gingrich vs. Romney

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Terry| 1 Comment
Nest Gingrich clap

Newt Gingrich's main (and perhaps only) fan...himself.

This is hilarious.  Newt Gingrich, a man with the integrity and honesty of Al Capone, has dropped his vow to avoid negative campaigning, and is calling out Mitt Romney for being a liar.   My favorite part is the Gingrich quote at the end of the story:

“Here is my simple tag line: Somebody who will lie to you to get to be president will lie to you when they are president,” he said at the appearance in Marshalltown.

THAT is Gingrich’s tag line?!?!   A man who has been through 3 marriages?  A man who has campaigned as a Washington outsider, despite once being Speaker of the House, AND an incredibly well-compensated lobbyist!?!!  How about this line for you, Mr. Gingrich, once you cheat on THIS wife and are courting your next one?

Before we start our date, you need to know my tag line.  A man who lies and cheats on his other wives will lie and cheat on you.

And THAT’S just his personal life.  God knows his political life has been full of just as much dishonesty.  How about this for a tag line?

A man who lies and cheats in his personal life will lie and cheat in his political life.

You are political toast, Mr. Gingrich, and the main person to blame is none other than your lying-ass self.  Thank GOD after tonight in Iowa, we likely won’t have to ever hear from you again.

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Perusin’ and Musin’

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Terry| 2 Comments

Some random thoughts from perusing the web…

Obama’s Approval Rating Surges - Well, that didn’t take long.  There was speculation that the GOP’s stubborn, and foolish, stance against a 2-month extension of the payroll tax holiday would end up benefiting Obama politically.  The new Gallup poll on Obama’s approval rating shows a 5% spike over the last week or two, a spike which is at least no doubt partially due to the House GOP fiasco.   It may be a short-term boost, but more than that, I think people are starting to realize just how scary GOP control would be.  Voters have flipped between just about every GOP candidate that’s running, in desperate hope to find someone palatable.  They’re still looking.   Independent voters who want bipartisan cooperation in Washington see how the GOP operates in the House, they see the ridiculous extremist stances the GOP candidates have been forced to adopt, and will also be reluctant to hand over control in Washington to such a dysfunctional party.   

 Gingrich unraveling – Gingrich hasn’t exactly been known for his integrity or morality in the past.  Somehow, even social conservatives had decided to forgive him and overlook his shady past (which tells you more about what social conservatives REALLY value, other than morality).  That may be ending, as the evidence of his outright lying continues to come out.  First we have documents coming out and contradicting his claims that his first wife is the one who wanted (and filed for) divorce.  We have old memos of Gingrich praising Romney’s health care plan in Massachusetts.  Perhaps folks should have gotten just a WEE bit suspicious of Gingrich when he tried to position himself as some kind of Washington outsider…despite once being Speaker of the House, and despite his now documented monetary ties to Fannie Mae.  The man is dishonest, even for a politician!  Thank god the media is doing their job and calling him on it.

Ron Paul’s pathetic record as a legislator – I love this story from the Washington Post.  Ron Paul has sponsored 620 bills on the House floor.  Only ONE of these ever became law, and only 4 even ever made it up for a vote.  Ron Paul is just so out of the mainstream, and his ideas are so incredibly ridiculous, that he can’t get any support for his legislation in Congress.  But yet, Ron Paul has a real chance to win in Iowa next week.   That should scare the Republican party.  They’ve become a party of extremists, and a party that is incapable of governing.

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Role Reversal – GOP Caves to Obama

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Terry| Leave a comment
Merry Christmas for Obama

Thanks to the wonderful "presents" the GOP is providing lately, Obama is going to have a MUCH happier Christmas than we would have guessed a few months ago.

Thank GOD!! FINALLY Obama stuck to his guns, and beat the Republicans at their own game.  After a summer of Obama struggling to negotiate in good faith with Republicans, after a summer of seemingly caving to Republicans when push came to shove, Obama finally was able to out-maneuver Republicans on the issue of the two-month extension of the payroll tax reduction.  Well, out-maneuver may not be the right term, as Obama simply had to watch the GOP self-destruct.  A GOP-led house that’s gone mad with power, led by the rebellious (and incredibly naive) Tea Party freshmen, has continued to overplay their hand, and finally it came back to bite them. 

A much weakened and humbled John Boehner had to cave.  As if it wasn’t enough that the Wall Street Journal and John McCain had been incredibly harsh towards House Republicans, even some of the Tea Party Repubs had begun to question the House strategy.  The GOP was being roasted in the press, and in the eyes of the public. 

Just a month ago, things looked very bleak for Obama.  Suddenly, things are swinging his way.  There are signs the economy is starting to take off.  He’s been able to strut about ending troop involvement in Iraq.  But most importantly, it’s the GOP self-destructing which seems to be pushing him up in public opinion polls.  Newt Gingrich jumping to the front of the Republican polls for a while?  There’s NO doubt that brought some energy to Obama’s reelection campaign, as a Gingrich presidency would be a nightmare in a majority of Americans’ eyes.  The House GOP implosion on this issue certainly helps.  Heck, GOP Congressmen are now even calling out Michelle Obama for having a big butt!  Thanks to a good news cycle over the last month, and the GOP implosion, polls that showed Obama losing in 2012 to Romney now have him up by 8 percentage points, and up by 16 points in a matchup with Gingrich.  

Remember when Obama took office, and Republicans fretted about a long-term minority in Congress?   Well, that certainly didn’t last very long, thanks to the GOP sweep into House control in 2010.   Remember after that election, where Republicans were salivating about 2012?  Heck, even a couple of months ago, Republicans were SURE they were going to re-take the Senate and the presidency.  If there’s any lesson we should have learned about D.C. politics, it’s that these folks just can’t seem to handle success.  No matter who is in charge, they’ll get over-confident, they’ll over-reach, or they’ll shoot themselves in the foot in some other fashion. 

Republicans are learning that lesson this week.  Obama couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present.  Thank you, John Boehner and the House GOP.

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