Author Archives: patriot64

The blueprint…

I must admit I was less than impressed with the Super Bowl Ads this year. Maybe it was because they were viewable on-line before the game. I liked it better when they were a surprise. Nonetheless there is the matter of the Clint Eastwood Ad, and everyone is talking about it. Eastwood has been a hero of mine since I was very young. His success on-screen and behind the camera is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Moreover, the man who brought us the character Dirty Harry and movies like “Gran Torino” and “Unforgivin” has always been a larger than life figure in American culture. So when he appeared during the Super Bowl Half Time Show espousing America itself was in a sort of “Half Time”, I quieted the noisy house to listen to the iconic raspy voice and came away with mixed emotions.

Firstly, I would not question this man’s patriotism or his intentions, for there is simply no reason too. When you listen to the Ad you hear the passion in his voice and feel the genuineness of his approach. I believe Mr. Eastwood is correct, though what he metaphorically refers to as “Half Time”, I have called the “cross roads” many times. Simply put it is time for us to come together as a nation once again and solve our countries problems. We have done it before and that historical blueprint for success remains today, one nation celebrating that which bonds us and not that which divides us.

However I question using Detroit, and more specifically Chrysler as examples of success. Yes there are signs of improvement in the American Auto Industry, but the price has been high and the end is not yet in sight. GM still owes billions to the American Taxpayer, and Chrysler is majority owned by FIAT of Italy having finally severed ties with another foreign entity Daimler just prior, and having taken billions in bail out money as well. Ford remains the shiny penny at this point.

Anyway, it appears to be a great and inspirational commercial on its surface, but leaves many somewhat perplexed as to how this theme was reasoned in. As of today and having watched it a few times now, I will stand with Eastwood on his faith that we may yet rise to the challenge(s) as the second half begins. However, the stakes are much higher than a shiny “Vince Lombardi” Trophy and a trip to Disney. And the price for failure is always the bitter lesson taught us by history.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PE5V4Uzobc’]

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Judiciary, Media, Politics, Socioeconomic, Sports | Tagged | 2 Comments

Good news…

Still stinging from the Patriots embarrassing loss to the Giants Sunday night, I have decided to move past my disappointment with Mr. Brady for the moment and do some news.

The jobs report is on the tongues of every pundit out there, so I’ll throw in yet another two cents. Republicans are going to have to accept the reality that the latest jobs numbers are damn good news in some ways. If we analyze the Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers for the last quarter, and extrapolate out the trend going back to about the fall of 2009, we can clearly see some movement in the right direction in the areas of Science and technology, engineering, construction and services, to include a pretty good uptick in retail for fiscal 2010-2011. It is noteworthy that in a recovery that has muddled along at what can only be described as a snail’s pace, these types of “numbers inside the numbers” do show improvement. What I mean by this, is putting aside for a moment that the work force has shrunk considerably, and that 24 million Americans remain significantly “underemployed”, the U.S. economy is doing what the U.S. economy always and eventually does, rolling over and coming about, despite whatever Washington is doing to “muck it up”. Some of my readers may recall my writing on this very notion around the time of the great “stimulus debate”.

Appropriately however, I think the Republicans should do their own homework and not get caught bad mouthing any good we can take from very bad times. There is plenty to focus on in the areas of inflation, fuel costs, European financial chaos, our own debt here at home, and how these factors will inevitably impact future jobs reports. But the fact remains that many who have struggled to find work to feed their families and hold on to their homes have found it, and this is absolutely good news…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Campaign 2012, Congress, Economy, Fred Comella, Jobs, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic | Tagged | Comments Off on Good news…

Religion when it suits him…

So now our “Separation Clause” President is gonna weigh in on what Jesus would think about taxes. Yup, it seems the President of the United States has called out Christians implying that Christ would have supported his redistribution efforts. Oh brother…..

I must tell you, there are days when I have great respect for this man’s intellect, and then there are others when I question his ability to reason his way out of a paper bag. As many of you know, I very rarely jump in the religious fray because it is simply above my pay grade. But I am a believer and have read enough of the Bible to know that the POTUS’s “implication” is nothing more than a cheap political ploy. Jesus also spoke personal responsibility and self-reliance, and the Bible has many passages proclaiming the goodness of “work and success”. I mean does he take us all for fools???

I’m gonna leave this one be, as my Pastor will have my “you know what” for going down this road. But I would ask this Progressive President to adhere to that which his party celebrates and (can it) with the Jesus references. Disingenuous does not do this crap justice… This is gonna be a rough 10 months…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Campaign 2012, First Amendment, Fred Comella, Media, Political Correctness, Politics, Religion, Right vs. Left | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Donation shell game???

The Susan G. Komen Foundation (SGKF) seems to be making some headlines these days. As a rule, I really try and stay out of the women’s issues as I am obviously not qualified. That said, I can and do support several, what I believe to be worthy causes, and while SGKF may not be one of them, I think there is a certain legitimacy to the question of how they disseminate the donations they receive. One would have to assume they would target areas which could show a documented effort in the fight against breast cancer specifically. Why then is Planned Parenthood receiving money? I have done a little homework on the issue and it appears that most of the diagnostic and subsequent treatment of breast cancer issues is farmed out by the controversial agency. Moreover, I think it is fair to say that Planned Parenthood is much more oriented toward “family planning” as they like to call it, with far less emphasis on complex health issues like breast cancer.

Now as I have indicated, this is certainly not my area of expertise, and I do not wish to denigrate and or minimize in any way, the vital work being done by many well-intentioned folks associated with the SGKF. Having said that, I do have strong pro-life political views and will tell you I despise what goes on these Planned Parenthood places. So I guess my question would be why was the SGKF giving money to Planned Parenthood in the first place? And why after stopping said funding did Nancy G. Brinker appear to be a complete and total hack by bowing to political pressure and reinstating those funds?

Let’s just put it this way, if you feel strongly about pro-life issues, you would be well served to take a closer look at the SGKF to be sure that as the preeminent entity in the battle against breast cancer, they are not be distracted or persuaded away from the goal for which you give your money to see forwarded. I think this is fair.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Fred Comella, Health Care, Politics, Religion, Right vs. Left | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Donation shell game???

Read between the numbers…

I think it’s important for those on the Left side of the argument to understand they may not count me among those who refuse to see any good for simple hatred of the opposition.

Today’s unemployment numbers are truly something to be happy about. They reflect a trending in the right direction and come with internal statistics indicating higher rates of pay. This is all good news, and frankly long overdue. The stock market responded accordingly and it was truly refreshing for this Capitalist to see the engine that is our economy at least running.  Happy?

Now for the qualifier:

While we should embrace any good news coming out of this economy with open arms, it is important to apply the proper context. Using yesterday’s post as a benchmark, nothing has really changed. I would add that any employment uptick must first be balanced against the factors of a shrinking work force, those no longer looking for work, and the ratios of months on unemployment for workers in 2008 vs. 2012, (Obama’s “new norm”). When you figure in the CBO’s projections for the next two years, which are partly based on the separate but applicable economic factors of debt and spending, it is very clear that real recovery is not yet around the corner.

As a caveat, it is important to understand our economy and what makes it tick. As I have written many times, the Obama entitlement spending spree and stimulus did little to stimulate anything, but rather created a few government jobs that cost on average $175,000.00 per employee. What we are really seeing in this jobs report is the natural ebb and flow of an economy that will come back on its own “in spite of” any efforts on the part of Washington.

So while I’m happy to know there are folks who have finally found work and can now get back in the game, and that the American economy is as resilient as I knew it was, I remain realistic and even a bit skeptical in my appraisal of this little employment number nugget today. The road to lasting and meaningful recovery that will promote long-term hiring and an “expansion” of the work force to at least what it was pre-recession, is a long one to say the least.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Economy, Jobs, Media, Politics, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic | 2 Comments

This President’s “new norm”…

With hope of banking and debt stability in Europe, and the stock market and “some” leading economic indicators showing anemic signs of life here at home, there are those including our President who would have you believe our nation is on the mend. Insomuch as many of us would like to believe that, reality is unfortunately something very different.

The recent Congressional Budget Office report has leading economists warning of a very real scenario for the United States. Ironically, the one thing which stood out for me in the report besides the references to rising fuel costs, inflation and localized budget shortfalls, was  the Congressional watchdog agency predicts that even if the “Bush Tax Cuts” were to fade away, any budget windfall would not plug the enormous hole in our economy. Actually, it would not even come close. The CBO cites inflation in all categories, the aging population as it relates to the cost of the health care overhaul and a host of other entitlement programs to include Social Security and Medicare as the main reasons. But it also adds that the estimated $800 billion dollars in added revenue the federal government would receive by eliminating those tax cuts would not keep the national debt from soaring to $21 trillion dollars in less than 10 years, thus setting off a chain reaction of economic nightmares. The CBO is now officially calling our record deficits “unsupportable” and warning of the dire consequences of inaction on the part of our leaders in Washington.

Look folks, no one is praying for light at the end of this tunnel more than I. But the sad reality is this Administration has taken a bad situation and made it far worse, with ideological politics and unprecedented spending. Moreover, for all their talk about saving the country from another “depression”, they have actually set us up for a disaster the likes of which will make the depression of the early 20th century look mild. The cost of this little experiment in socioeconomic restructuring has failed miserably and the numbers show it. And while Americans are being told the “recovery” is on track just slower than expected, the housing market is crippled, fuel costs are rising, unemployment is expected to stay in the 8% range with a real number closer to 15%, wage earners are making less than ever before, every man women and child in America is shouldering close to $50,000.00 of the national debt, the federal reserve is printing money with nothing to back it up, and we will once again run a $1 trillion operational deficit, with servicing interest on the national debt actually eclipsing what is spent on Medicaid.

So when some politician points to the paper tiger that is the stock market today, bear in mind this is a bunch of speculative paper, backed up by less tangible assets than at any time in its history. Thankfully, I hear folks becoming more and more attune to the truth about where we really stand and what it means to our children.

I thought this would add an interesting twist to this post. I heard an exchange between an internet caller and the POTUS the other day where a women asked the President why her husband couldn’t get a job in the engineering field when the President has spoken so much about how many of these jobs are out there. Now as I have said time and again, I feel President Obama is in way over his head. However, I will leave it up to you to listen to the exchange and tell me if he doesn’t sound like a man who has very little real world experience, and even less in the actual job market. Keep in mind then, how can we ask that he or his administration “feel our pain”?

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj3HOmL0OJs’]

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Campaign 2012, Congress, Economy, Fred Comella, International, Politics, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic | Tagged , , | Comments Off on This President’s “new norm”…

“Congressman” Allen West vs. Big Bad Bob Beckel…

Wanting to jump through the flat screen and school Bob Beckel in reality is something I live with every day. So when I hear Congressman and retired Army Lt. Colonel Allen West square away the portly pundit, my heart swells. Beckel is the poster child for the clueless Liberals out there who literally make it up as they go along. Ideology replaces common sense regularly and facts are cast off as obstacles to the Progressive agenda when he speaks. All things bad are the products of 43’s time in office, and Barack Obama was dispatched from the hallowed halls of academia to save us from ourselves. All this is often served up with heaping loads of condescension and disdain for all who disagree.

I actually watched the episode of “The Five” in question and truthfully I wasn’t taken back by Beckel’s “commentary” on a speech West made stating how he felt the message of the Progressives belongs in Europe and not the U.S. What really got me was how Beckel became incensed during the discussion and even refused to refer to West as Congressman or Lt. Colonel. God help us if the tables were turned and West was a Democrat. The cries of racism and disrespect would have been blood curdling.

In the end, Congressman West is asking for but will not receive an apology from Beckel. Not because of Beckel’s politics, but for the blatant and angry way he stated he would not even call him by his hard-earned military rank. It is always ironic but expected when we see the Left’s true colors regarding the military. Appropriately, Lt. Colonel West fell in with his soldiers as he has many times before, and reminded the “FOX & FRIENDS” cast this morning that he had spent 22 years of his life defending Beckel’s right to say the things he does and live in freedom.

In the end Congressman West said it best in a phone interview with FOX: “The days of the Liberal Left using Republicans as punching bags are over”.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-18B13yEUUg&feature=related’]

 

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Congress, First Amendment, Fred Comella, Media, Military, Political Correctness, Politics | Tagged , | Comments Off on “Congressman” Allen West vs. Big Bad Bob Beckel…

What kind of parent are you???

It’s my way or the highway. Anything you want dear. Which parent are you? Or are you some hybrid born of the ideological psychobabble fed to you by the “organized” babysitters down at the public school?

I was tuned into the “Focus on the Family” network recently and heard what I think is the best piece of information a parent could latch onto in these changing and difficult times for American families. Dr. Kevin Leman is a world-renown Christian author and speaker who offers solutions to today’s parenting nightmares. His frank and sensible approach to the most important job we will ever have in this life is enlightening and refreshing.

Dr. Leman suggested that we explain something to our kids that is in fact the simple reality. “We are equals but with different roles”. That one sentence hit me like a brick in the face, as I’m focused like a laser most days with my nine-year old and what I can do to ensure his best possible shot in the world. Somewhere into the myriad of conversations we will surely have with our legacy, that sentence must find its way. Immediately, and while driving no less, I applied it in my head, thinking of those conversations with my boy when fairness and drama collide even if silently, and it just fit like a glove. For as Dr. Leman says, God does not love parents more than children or vice versa. “We are equals but with different roles”, I’m the parent and you are the child. Our responsibilities are different but no less important. “The Good News” is, someday you will play my role, and if I have done my job you will be great. I love you son…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Education, Fred Comella, Home and Family, Political Correctness, Socioeconomic | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What kind of parent are you???

“A picture is worth a thousand words”…

 

Now Mr. President, did you actually buy my book or did you thumb through it at the bookstore???

It seems quirky politicians are in abundance these days and Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona could certainly be counted among them. While I’m sympathetic to her passion for enhanced border security, her application at times is a bit shall we say, off the cuff…

That said, there has also been  a bit of talk over the last three years about the President’s thin skin. The truth is we political junkies have been watching this for some time. For all of his rhetorical themes of coöperation and bipartisanship, it’s been President Barack Obama who has led the obstructionist charge right along. His Chicago brand of politics and elitist underpinnings are there to see for anyone not blinded by ideology. The events on the tarmac with Governor Brewer the other day fit a pattern of quasi bullying by the POTUS if he feels he has been mischaracterized or “insulted”.

I read the Governor’s book and while none of us were at the meeting between her and the President, we only have to read Mr. Obama’s litany of responses when asked about our Southern border to make a fairly accurate assumption concerning Brewers version of events. And while I agree that one must show respect for the high office, the President of the United States should know better than to “diss” an elected Governor on her home turf right in front of the cameras and her constituents. I thought it was not only rude, but sexist and arrogant the way he simply thrust her note into his pocket, and with a few course words immediately moved on to shake some hands in the crowd.

Now I know this may seem a bit trivial to some, but in recognition of recent news events highlighting Rep. Gabby Giffords and her decision to leave Washington to focus on her extraordinary and inspirational recovery, and the soaring speech the POTUS made in that very state following the tragedy, we are left wondering if this President fully understands the finer nuances of governing, particularly as “leader of the free world”. Undoubtedly, leadership by example should be high on that list.

 

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Congress, Fred Comella, Media, Politics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on “A picture is worth a thousand words”…

Find your own iceberg Mr. Polar Bear, this one’s mine…

No questions please!

So frightened are the Progressive Environmentalists and their friends in the “main stream” media, about the questionable data implicating civilization in all of our planetary woes by way of “fossil fuel” consumption, that they are now pressuring states to include in their respective public school curriculums, a kind of “climate change denial” course. Huh? I guess this must be meant to convince our young ones not to be swayed by the “naysayers” and to fully embrace what is being “taught” them by way of the complicit academics.

Putting aside for a moment the mounting evidence that much of the rhetorical “global warming” pabulum being spoon fed to our children has been at the very least exaggerated, and some cases even down right manipulated to suit a particular political agenda, one has to ask: Can we send our children to school any longer without fear of them being indoctrinated as opposed to educated?

Listen up parents! It’s time you do your homework and make sure that your children are getting the facts. There are literally thousands of legitimate and noted scientists offering qualifying information about the effects of carbon emissions on our planet and its atmosphere. Dozens of agenesis have put forth challenges to the science of “global warming” but have been rebuffed by the “main stream” media when attempting to make their case. Only when one of the environmentalist hacks gets caught red-handed “cooking” the books are they forced to tell the story. Only when entire data collection firms are outed for manipulating results at the behest of agenda driven lobbies and their political enablers, do we learn the truth about the real numbers and the reality that goes with them.

Truth be told, I catch a lot of flak for some of my stances past and present concerning the “human footprint”. I think there is in fact much we can do to ensure a cleaner planet for our posterity. Having said that, the intentional mischaracterization of mans impact on this planet, combined with a clearly agenda driven approach to the problem and to the degree which it may or may not exist, does nothing but threaten our economy and ultimately our very way of life. Notably, the recent “push back” by Americans, as described by those who walk in the “evolutionary science circles”, is simply a reflection of doubt, not necessarily about the information, but about how and by whom it is being compiled and subsequently passed on to our children.

Additional note: It befuddles me the way in which Progressives continually portray themselves as purveyors of the debate, and then do everything in their power to silence the opposition?

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Congress, Economy, Environment, Fred Comella, Green Energy, Media, Politics, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic | Tagged , | 2 Comments