Category Archives: Fred Comella

Unsolicited Advice… (Rhode Island Local)

Posted on 2012/03/14 by

As some in the “political know” may have already surmised, Anthony Gemma has decided to throw his media savvy hat into the ring for District 1 yet again. This time will be very different however in that the current occupant of that office, David Cicilline, is all but finished in Rhode Island (RI) politics. Though it still amazes me how the guy ever made it to the halls of Congress in the first place, this news is truly a game changer, and Brendan Doherty’s team had better focus like a laser beam moving forward.

Gemma is a media smart closet Progressive masquerading as a champion of business. He has plenty of ready cash and a propensity to launch devastating and well thought attack ads against his political opponents. He has a decent grasp of the issues and is an acceptable debater. Basically, he has done this before.

Doherty is the quintessential law man and a model of integrity. His nearly 3 decades in law enforcement are littered with the hides of bad guys who had it coming. His sheer size and demeanor smack of a firm and forthright handshake to be followed by the straight skinny. He is a champion for the citizens of his state. To those who know him, there could be no better soul to send to Washington.

The problem is that RI voters are a microcosm of what’s wrong with our country today. Political cronyism and targeted pandering are the inroads to the hearts of many who will head to the polls in our state this November. For this reason I see the following as my unsolicited advice to the Trooper icon and would be Congressman:

  1. Tell the RI voter that you are indeed “inexperienced” and that is exactly why they should vote for you. Heck, if experience has gotten us to this point, I’ll vote for a little less of that. Note: (Brendan Doherty probably has more experience dealing with people from all walks of life than the rest of the RI Congressional Delegation combined).
  2. Present a “basic” viewpoint and platform for only the headline issues of the day and explain that you will do what every other “rookie” on the hill does when he gets to Washington, run like crazy to catch up, but that this will happen more quickly for you because you are sincere in your reason for wanting to be there in the first place. It will also be much easier because you will most likely be part of a Republican Congress.
  3. Keep it simple and control the argument. Articulate in the simplest possible terms that it will not be a cardinal sin to cast a vote for a Republican running for Pat Kennedy’s old seat, and that more of “the same” is no longer a suitable way forward for our children’s sake.
  4. Finally, do what you do best and tell the truth about how you have absolutely no intention of supporting any legislation that cuts social security benefits for seniors, or ships every Latino back to “Mexico”, and that “right to work” does not mean chasing unions out of the state but rather allowing for simple fairness in the process.

Anthony Gemma has timed his entrance perfectly and will attempt to paint himself as an alternative to going over to the other side. Cicilline will be removed by primary as a reason to vote for Doherty and, (in the humble opinion of this pundit), the Colonels camp had better be ready for this RI “politics as usual” strategy.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Campaign 2012, Congress, Fred Comella, Media, Politics, Rhode Island Local | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Unsolicited Advice… (Rhode Island Local)

They must first desire to be free…

Posted on 2012/03/11 by

The aim of the Taliban is as it has been for generations, to drag a superior opponent into a protracted engagement that has rules for only that opponent. In doing so, time and

Not much about this picture has changed in a thousand years.

perception become their friends. The longer our fighting forces remain in theater, the more likely we are to see these types of horrific anomalies. Military personnel are human beings and thereby affected in very human ways by traumatic events. Granted the fighting soldier is unique in that his training mitigates some of the horrors of war, but never entirely. Eventually, and in relation to the sheer number of boots on the ground, something is bound to crack.

I want to be clear here in that I whole heartedly support our brave men and women in harms away. I believe unequivocally that you can’t support the troops and not support their mission. With that said, we now find ourselves in the position of having achieved somewhat of the objective sought after 9/11 by smashing al-Qaeda and killing bin-Laden. Unfortunately, the mission has slowly become one of nation building in a country that seems to collectively want none of it. Consequently I see only two choices.

  1. Saturate the battlefield and terminate with extreme prejudice everyone and/or thing that stands in the way of complete and total victory, at which point we may save the next generation of Afghans for freedom sake. Or-
  2. Pull up our tents pegs and get our troops home to their families as quickly as possible, and leave these people to their own devices.

If there is a lesson to be learned from the great wars, it was that full throttle warfare very often results in a timelier end to hostilities, thereby saving lives. It is important that we not now snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on this one, if for no other reason but to reward our Soldiers for their efforts and accomplishments in the name of free people everywhere.

The events in Afghanistan of the last day are a tragedy to be sure. However it is important for our leaders to send the right message. Condolences, prayers and whatever help is necessary for those left behind, but with a tag of urgency rooted in the reality of their living in a war ravaged country for far too long. It is becoming increasingly obvious that if the Afghan people truly desire to be masters of their own fate, and join with the international community in civility and peace, then help in facilitating the proper and expeditious transition of an appropriate national posture is of the utmost importance.  (Translation) – step up and take back your own country. The alternatives are listed above. One way or another, it’s time to end this thing.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Fred Comella, International, Military, Politics | Comments Off on They must first desire to be free…

What is “Acceptable”???

Posted on 2012/03/10 by

The U.S. created 227,000 jobs in the month of February. Once again, anytime we see job creation as opposed to job losses, it is a good thing. People are finding work and going about the business of making their way through these difficult times, and it is right that we recognize any betterment in terms of the job market. Now for some qualifying news:

Unemployment remains at 8.3% and has been above 8% for three years now. Almost 45% of those unemployed have collected benefits for longer than at any time in U.S. history. Approximately 13 million Americans are still without work and we have lost 2 million tangible and “countable” jobs since 2007. The number of jobs added is now trending down and those jobs are mainly service sector (temporary) positions and lower paying, which is never a very good sign for long-term growth. Consequently, when you hold up these numbers against a devastating foreclosure rate and skyrocketing gas prices/inflation, it’s hard to jump that “recovery” train with any real enthusiasm.

Look, I have said and will say again, do not be lulled into the “new norm” where 7.5% unemployment will somehow be  viewed as “acceptable”, and $4.25 gasoline along a $6.50 box of corn flakes are our economic future. By and large this may very well be our short-term future based on inflationary trending numbers, but our actions this year will determine whether that will be $5.75 gasoline and $7.00 Cheerios moving forward.

Free market economic recovery after a down turn comes in many forms and at varying degrees of speed. It can be affected only at certain times by the policies of a representative government. That is to say there is usually a very small window for politics to have an effect on free market economics. We must also take into account that there will always be a certain amount of what I like to call “natural” recovery, that being the strength of the free market to advance in spite of every effort made by an incumbent Administration or Congress, (and which they will take credit for, you can be sure). With this in mind I submit to my readers that while it does my heart good that anyone benefits from any upswing in the economy, this particular Administration has been nothing but a hindrance to real recovery. Furthermore, until he is either removed from the WH by vote or term limit, President Barack Obama will continue to govern outside and around everything necessary to bring about that real recovery.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Congress, Economy, Fred Comella, Jobs, Military, Politics, Socioeconomic | Comments Off on What is “Acceptable”???

Say what???

Posted on 2012/03/10 by

There has been much in the news of late to which a pundit’s attention is warranted.  So let’s have some fun.

A couple of observations stand out for me, not the least of which is an apparent and continuing disconnect at the WH when it comes to the President’s appearances and statements. For instance, the big rally at the GM plant seemed almost a bad comedic line at a Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, when we learned barely a day later that production on the Chevy Volt would cease for lack of sales. Now I’m not sure if Mr. Obama intends to custom order his Volt, but if so he may be surprised to find out he’ll have to take one off the lot. Now I know all the “greenies” out there are screaming that it was all the negative “fire” press that doomed the little car that couldn’t, but actually it was more likely the $40,000.00 price tag. Heck even with a $7500.00 tax credit, folks didn’t seem eager to hop in for the “short” ride. Nonetheless the question remains, where were the POTUS’s handlers on this one??

I recently read a bit on Warren Buffett regarding his battles with the IRS over some unpaid taxes and thought to myself, this is the same guy who’s advocating we all step up and pay our “fair” share. In view of this extraordinary development, I read on that Buffett’s airline owes more than $350,000,000.00 and is locked in a suit counter suit with the government he so enthusiastically promotes as the solver of all of our national woes. Well as far as I can see, this would be a great opportunity for the old gent to put his money where his mouth is and fork it over for the greater good. (Not gonna happen people). You see that is the old Liberal game of “do as I say and not as I do”. These people are always most comfortable spending other people’s money.

I just thought hypocrisy would be a good lead in for the next few posts. Stay tuned…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Economy, Fred Comella, Green Energy, Just for fun, Media, Political Correctness, Politics, Right vs. Left | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Say what???

Youthful ignorance…

Posted on 2012/03/06 by

Some of you may have read recently about the prayer banner controversy in a Cranston Rhode Island high school. For those who haven’t, it was another example of the ACLU’s illegitimacy in area of Constitutionality, and the exploitation of yet another young person not fully “educated” in the world.

This is something I wrote for a popular Christian newspaper that kind of sums up my individual feelings on the matter. From there I encourage all of you to research and read about the slow undoing of all that makes us who we are.

From “The Good News Today”

Hello Friends,

I’m not so old that I can’t remember my thought process back when I was 15 or 16 years old. Not yet anyway… I suppose I could have been moved to one particular cause or another, but only if prodded or persuaded by someone of age and/or so called “wisdom”. Hence my days as a not so bright “beach cleaner” with limited focus and an equally limited understanding of reality. My point is, it’s certainly a fair statement to say we mature with age. Much of what we believe in our youth is “usually” at the very least influenced by time and life’s future lessons. Therefore, when I hear a young person speak to their belief system(s) one way or another, I take that with a grain of salt and snicker under my breath remembering all of my own journeys.

I live in Barrington now but grew up in Cranston Rhode Island, and I’m familiar with the prayer banner hanging in my old school, Cranston High School West. Notably, I’ve always viewed my home city as a kind of quirky place where “keeping up with the Jones” seemed a way of life. It was hard to pin folks down as the trends changed, religious and otherwise. For this reason hypocrisy will always factor into any analysis of mine concerning events coming out of Cranston. It’s important to note however, this is a personal distinction and not an indictment of the city on mass. Appropriately, the banner is a simple statement and its words give voice to some of the most basic values every student should aspire to regardless of any religious connotation attached to it. Truth be told, the story of Jessica Ahlquist and the prayer banner is somewhat of a non-starter for me based simply on the fact that this young woman is just that, a young woman. She is barely 16 and in the very beginnings of this life developmentally. I certainly will not debate her intellect as she seems intelligent and well-spoken for her age. With that said, it is equally as clear that the ACLU is a major player in this ongoing saga. It is important to note this is an agency with a track record of manipulating puppet causes as a means to forward an agenda focused on the systematic undoing (re-doing) of our Constitution to reflect something very different than the intent of the Framers. So carefully are the Amendments “chosen” to defend, as well as the players who will ultimately be out front of the argument, that all credibility associated with this phony bunch on any subject is subsequently diminished or completely absent.

Appropriately, my Editor has asked that I not bore you with precedent on either side of the “separation clause” as this is can be a political argument I am willing to, and have taken a great distance in the past. I will simply tell you that many of our time seem predisposed to partner with agencies like the ACLU in an effort to steer folks away from what are some of the most fundamental tenets and foundations of our nation. The matter of the Framers and their intent when it came to the first amendment is clear for any who wish to (do their homework). Sadly, the only way away from a life of faith and personal responsibility is to diminish and eventually eradicate that which brought us here in the first place, that which “separates” us from the rest, and that which has allowed for our success as a culture, “one nation under God”. Ironically, it is not Jessica who carries the message of secularism and human vanity, but rather it is her parents and their generation who have failed in every way to give her the unfiltered and non-revisionist history necessary for her to at least make a 16 year olds “educated decision” on the issue. In the end it is free country and (God has given her free will). I suppose I will just have to go back to the beginning of this little piece and pray that life’s lessons may show her differently with time. Unfortunately, the message continues to be watered down with each passing generation and our posterity suffers for it. Soon we may actually find ourselves the, “be all and end all”, and then it will simply be too late…

NOTE: 3/6/12: I have just read today that the city of Cranston will now pay the ACLU $150,000.00 in legal fees after bowing to their threats of litigation. So in setting aside the collective and majority will of the people to leave in place a fundamental and historical piece of a school’s history for fear of paying through the nose, the city of Cranston will pay through the nose anyway. We are giving away our country one lawsuit at a time…

Our Heavenly Father.
Grant us each day the desire to do our best. To grow mentally and morally as well as physically. To be kind and helpful to our classmates and teachers. To be honest with ourselves as well as with others. Help us to be good sports and smile when we lose as well as when we win. Teach us the value of true friendship. Help us always to conduct ourselves so as to bring credit to Cranston High School West.

Amen.

—School Prayer, Cranston High School West
Posted in "Patriot64", America, Constitutionality, Education, First Amendment, Fred Comella, Media, Political Correctness, Politics, Religion, Right vs. Left | Tagged | Comments Off on Youthful ignorance…

Lambasting Limbaugh…

Posted on 2012/03/04 by

Well it looks like the “main stream” media will take yet another whack at Limbaugh. And once again there will be some knee jerk reactions to that “press”. Subsequently, I will be sure and remove any and all affiliation with, or purchase from “Legal Zoom”, “Quicken Loans” and “The Sleep Train”, makers of the Sleep Number Bed. And this goes for every other entity or business so quick to bow to the whining Socialists which have infiltrated and hijacked journalism in our country.

As I have said many times, Rush is not a journalist, a fact he himself has pointed out so many times on his program. He is a radio talk show personality with an opinion based show which thrives on ratings. (Ironically, all this attention does nothing but drive his ratings even further skyward). Now I will not reiterate again how the reason for the Lefts attacks on the portly pundit are obviously rooted in their failure to present and maintain any semblance of a competitive show to best him, as well as just a simple inability to compete in the arena of ideas. Basically speaking, he cleans their clocks in the ratings markers with embarrassing regularity. Moreover, every Lib show to challenge him has failed miserably because no one is interested enough to listen, (a fact which infuriates the “Fairness Doctrine” folk’s).

In this case, rush as he so often does, was using edgy stuff to draw attention to the fact that the Dems have no problem sending out the innocent to do their dirty work for them. He was reminding his listeners of exactly the tactics the Left uses, and what they essentially lead too. Everyone knows Rush does not support any initiatives which mandate insurers provide birth control to their customers, as those insurers will in turn pass that cost on to the other customers. That is just simple mathematics even an idiot understands. (Accept maybe an ideological idiot). What Rush was doing was verbally illustrating the obvious mine field Progressives send their foot soldiers through with absolutely no regard for the way they will be treated on the other side. He was drawing attention to the notion that this is not a question for prime time and never should have been. As a personal observation, I have no interest whatsoever in this young lady’s sex life, family planning issues or anything else for that matter. It is none of my business. It has little if anything to do with women’s health and everything to do with agenda based political gain. Sadly, young ideologues are often drawn into the web of deceit spun by the Obama sycophants and are subsequently labeled and unjustly ridiculed for it. “Sad but true.”

Now while Rush can be a bit brash at times, he reminds his listeners they must tune in regularly to the program and understand fully his approach to these types of issues, and the entertainment based satire he often uses to make his points.  (Anybody remember Don Imus and the shellacking he took from those poster children for racist hypocrites, Sharpton and Jackson??) This is what these guys do. If ya don’t like it, spin the knob…

Look, the bottom line here is stay out of the fire if you can’t take the heat. And to the Democrats who are now holding up this young woman as a cause celeb for no other reason than to silence Limbaugh, shame on you for your indecent and uncaring willingness to use her as a prop for your political gain.

Oh, and I will continue to post a listing of those who abandon Limbaugh, and urge all of my readers to “drop” them as well.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Congress, Fred Comella, Health Care, Media, Political Correctness, Politics, Religion, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Lambasting Limbaugh…

Andrew Breitbart, February 1, 1969 – March 1, 2012…

Posted on 2012/03/03 by

3/1/12 – The untimely death of Andrew Breitbart showed me something today. Despite having been at this game a little while, I am still a bit of a novice. As I read through some of the vile crap posted on the social networks by a number of hygienically and morally challenged individuals, it occurred to me the propagandists are indeed a dangerous bunch. Truth be told, I have been labeled in this regard a number of times.

I have to admit though, even having been witness to some of mankind’s most evil acts against one another, there is nothing like the presentation by an individual so corrupted by an ideology that they are incapable of (real) debate. Any form of mutual discussion with this type, descends almost immediately into vitriol and unabashed intolerance for any other argument, (or person) for that matter. They seem almost robotic as if brainwashed beyond any compromise by hate and deep seeded self-esteem issues. I find this to be the case when dealing with the Progressive wing of the Democrat party. So “convinced” of the opposition’s complicity in all things bad in the world, they simply cannot allow the seeds of self-doubt to temper their rhetoric. They become that which they claim to oppose with every fiber of their being. These are the true Socialists. These are the real intolerant among us, the true minority who would even “silence” dissent if allowed to by way of our collective complacency or some perceived notion of “political correctness”.

Now I will admit that I was not a Breitbart follower per say, and I’m not so naïve as to candy coat the real world we live in. But what decent person among us could condone such hate filled vitriol as we have witnessed in recent hours? What decent person could view this as acceptable while a wife and children mourn the loss of a husband and father? A consequence of the saturation of social media, maybe? Ironically, it seems to be a broad cut of the Leftist political machine, from the “intellectual giants” in the twitter cage to the so called “main stream media” types. This is not to condemn the lot by any means, but you know who they are.

Breitbart was apparently many things to many people. He was true to his cause and passionate to a fault at times with regard to his beliefs. He was not perfect, but who in this field claims to be? He took a position and defended it. Simply put and for the purposes of this post, he was a family man and he died too young. For my part, I have many political enemies and feel strongly about how their agendas will affect my son’s country. Debate along these lines is what sets us apart from the rest of the world, and I welcome it (if) sincere. However, with the exception of those who would harm children, and of course Osama bin-Laden, I could never see myself partaking in such hurtful dialogue at so inappropriate a time. It is simply wrong.

So at the risk of over simplifying, I will reflect on what my dad told me many years ago: “Take a step back kiddo and consider the source. That (sxxt) just makes rejects feel good about themselves”… He was a smart guy my dad…

 

 

Posted in "Patriot64", America, First Amendment, Fred Comella, Media, Political Correctness, Politics, Right vs. Left, RIP | Tagged | Comments Off on Andrew Breitbart, February 1, 1969 – March 1, 2012…

Talk is cheap…

Posted on 2012/03/01 by

I do agree that with many of our fighting men and women still in harm’s way, it would be premature to celebrate by way of a nationally recognized event such as a ticker-tape parade. I am happy to see however, that the President has decided to hold an event at the White House which will at least mark the occasion of some of our soldiers returning from both theaters, and acknowledge them for their immense sacrifice and bravery. Now let’s take a look at what the reality is for many Veterans and active duty Soldiers during the Obama Presidency 2012.

The President’s new budget is calling for cuts to Veterans medical benefits by as much as 30 – 70% in 2013 depending on the individual package, and a graduated 90 – 345% increase within 5 years. Co-Pays for active duty personnel will triple within the same period. Administration spokespeople are touting these cuts as a necessary burden applied through an overall military cut back. Ok, so let me understand this. At a time when United States interests are threatened on the broadest front in our history, we will not only cut funding for the means by which our defenders “bring it” to the enemy, but we will also cut their means of making a living and supporting their families?

An all-volunteer army that goes in harm’s way in our stead is now left to muddle through on an actual and applicable living wage barely at the poverty line, and it gets worse. All this comes as our domestic entitlement spending is at its highest level in the last 10 years and shows no sign of slowing. (Note) – As a bonus slap in the face, the United States Government will spend nearly $750,000.00 on a new soccer field for the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Yes, you heard right, the same Guantanamo Bay President Obama promised to have had closed 3 years ago.

Once again the glaring political hypocrisy of this Administration is nothing short of insulting. Where are our priorities?

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Fred Comella, Military, Politics | Tagged , | Comments Off on Talk is cheap…

Tolerance???

Posted on 2012/02/28 by

At a time when the Middle East is in turmoil and “tolerance” is talking point #1 on the lips of many a hypocrite, Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani may have already been executed for his Christian beliefs in Iran. In Afghanistan the Taliban has whipped up a fervor of anti-American and anti-Judeo/Christian sentiment over the inadvertent burning of Korans at a military air base, which threatens to destabilize that struggling country. Now I have gone over the word tolerance and its definition time and again and I’m pretty sure I understand the concept. The question I think, is does the Islamic community understand it?

Now I have been called a bigot, anti-Islam, and other vile things by my detractors when addressing the media and political double standard applied in the area of religious freedom, and that’s fine, as I know their way is to demonize as opposed to recognize and/or compromise. But my questions have always been simple ones. Where are the ringing voices of condemnation from those within the Islamic communities, both here and abroad? Where is the outrage when a good and decent family man may be hung or beheaded simply because he worships different than you? Where are those to speak on behalf of two decorated American Service people shot like animals in the backs of their heads while they were trying to help the Afghan people? And what do we tell their families when they ask, why?

The patronizing and placating of one religion at the expense of any other is a travesty. And while I have always believed that organized religion leaves complex voids in application and discipline, I do believe one’s (personal faith alone) in a higher power should never be a reason for final judgment by the hand of man.

These are the times when the moral compass of a nation founded and nurtured in freedom must be at the forefront. Not as the world’s policeman, but as purveyor and standard bearer of the flame of liberty, religious and otherwise for all mankind. These acts of violence, rooted in “human” intolerance, should be condemned publically by “all” who see them for the injustice they represent.

Now I’m not so naive to think that a perfect world is possible in this context, but it will always be easier when intellectual honesty and common sense are part of the equation. To look inward no matter what you believe and speak out for what you know in your heart to be decent and right, is the single best hope not only for America, but for the world.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, First Amendment, Fred Comella, International, Media, Political Correctness, Politics, Religion, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic, The Middle East, United Nations | Tagged | Comments Off on Tolerance???

Popular vs. Legal…

Posted on 2012/02/25 by

On the matter of Constitutionality, I read recently of the divide with regard to interpretation of this unique and special document. The words “popular and legal” come up quite a bit with a good segment of the judicial community coming down on the side of legal interpretation. Once again I will defer to the “popular” reading of the document and the emotional tone and time in which it was written. Never in recorded history, have so many sacrificed their lives and fortunes to provide for the survival of that which is framed in the Constitution of the United States. And while there is no doubt the Founders themselves acknowledged a need of legal definition for posterity sake, it was never to come at the expense of the basic ideals and principles which are its foundation. One only need put down any legal briefs or modern definitions as put forth by agenda driven judicial ideologues, and pick up the letters and writings of the men who actually wrote the Constitution to understand this. No symposium/seminar chaired by the so-called scholars on the matter can match the feeling and fervor of group of individuals pledging everything in this life for a cause greater than self. Think about that…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Education, Fred Comella, Judiciary, Media, Military, Political Correctness, Politics, Right vs. Left | Tagged | Comments Off on Popular vs. Legal…