You Just Might be a Liberal...

Good week for the Dems

2010-07-12T03:48:00.000-07:00

Democrats should have a Couple of Good Weeks

By Rod Pennington

This should be a good week for Democrats. With the number of concessions the Democrats made in the Finance Reform bill it is likely they will have the 60 votes needed for passage. It will be close and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may have to wait until West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin appoints a replacement for Senator Robert Byrd, but this looks like a done deal.

Also in the Senate, Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan will be confirmed easily. The only question at this point is how many Republican votes will she get?

Both sides want to extend unemployment benefits; the hang up is how to pay for them. Democrats want to add the $34 billion to the deficit but the Republicans want to use unspent “Stimulus” money and not add to the national debt. This will get worked out and quickly; it is now less than 4 months until the November election and everyone wants this one.

Three big “Wins” will make it easier for Democrats to return home for the August Recess and face their constituents. A few of them might even muster the courage to hold a town hall meeting or two. After the pounding they took last summer during the height of the healthcare reform many have been reluctant to meet the voters in an open forum.

However this may do it for this session. The Republicans are unlikely to let any additional legislation pass between now and November.

The Democrats are also leaving a very large piece of legislation unfinished – the budget. This could open the door for some very nasty campaign commercials this fall.

Will the GOP Blow It?

2010-07-07T03:11:00.000-07:00

Five Ways the Republicans Can Blow it in November

By Rod Pennington

Famous 20^th century newspaper curmudgeon H.L. Mencken once noted, “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the America public.” Unfortunately, the same can be said about Republicans in Washington.

This November should be an historical blowout. We’re not talking 1994 and the Gingrich revolution. Think 1856. With the Democrats on the wrong side of the Missouri and Kansas slavery issue, they went from 156-78 seats in the House of Representatives to 79-151. From this wreckage a new party emerged. Four years later Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican president and the rest, as they say, is history.

While no one expects Democratic loses in the House to reach triple digits, a control shift should be a “gimme” and a comfortable working majority for the Republicans likely.

However, never underestimate the intelligence of the Republicans. There are 5 ways they can blow it in November and they are already well on their way.

Keep Michael Steele as the head of the RNC. He has been a long term embarrassment. Between his mouth, ego and lavish personal spending he has badly wounded the Republican brand. That he is still around after shoving both feet in his mouth up to the knees recently by saying the Afghan War belongs to President Obama is mindboggling.

Not Listening to the Tea Party. The Tea Party movement is the Republican’s conservative base. Without them they will not win many elections. From 2004 – 2006, with a Republican in the White House and the Grand Old Party holding both houses of Congress, they were horrified by what they saw. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA) went on a spending spree that had President Reagan spinning in his grave. On the Senate side they were voting for “Bridges to Nowhere” for the corrupt Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). Meanwhile, President Bush did not veto a single bill in his first 6 years in office. In 2006 and 2008 these folks stayed home. The recent swipe at these folks by the insipid Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) won’t help suave the hurt feelings.

Listening to the Tea Party too much. Full of energy and emotion, the Tea Party people often will move too far to the right. Harry Reid was a dead man walking for his reelection in November. That was until the Tea Party folks flexed their muscle and put a total nut job, Sharron Angle, up against him. Reid, who had been consistently down double digits in the polls to any of a handful of other Republicans, has surged into the lead against Angle.

Keep the same messaging people who got you into this mess in the first place. The Republicans are horrible at “staying on message” or, for that matter, even getting on message. Last week they were raked across the coals for not supporting an extension in unemployment benefits. Why wasn’t every Republican in Washington calling a press conference announcing they would support the bill if only it would come from the unspent Stimulus money? Where were they when Speaker Pelosi said this was the best stimulus possible since it would be spent immediately and help the economy? “We agree with Speaker Peleosi!” The Republicans are lousy when it comes to messaging. They lack creativity and they are slow to respond.

Keep the same spokespeople. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) should be replaced with fresh faces. McConnell reminds Americans of the mumble-mouthed professor they never could quite understand from college and Boehner looks like a smoked ham. If they want to win in November they need a pair of fresh faces. The perfect choice for the Senate would be Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA). Sexy, articulate and when he calls a press conference everyone shows up. For the House, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) would be an improvement but not by much. Rep Paul Ryan (R-WI) was a superstar during the health care debate. Will the Republicans leadership be willing to put ego aside for 4 months for the good of the party? Not likely.

Short URL: http://yoursinglesourcefornews.com/?p=1544

McCain has a new lap puppet

2010-07-05T07:01:00.001-07:00

Lindsey Graham is John McCain Lite

By Rod Pennington

South Carolina’s Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is fast becoming the mainstream media’s new favorite Republican. With Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in an unexpectedly tough primary fight, McCain has had to tack hard to the right. This means, the “Maverick” will have to pretend for the next 4 months that he shares at least a few Republican values. It’s a tough job, but McCain should be up to the challenge.

Senator Lindsey Graham pointing out to Senator John McCain the next Republican they were going to disappoint

With conservative and former congressman J.D. Hayworth breathing down his neck, McCain’s reversal on immigration reform has been enough to cause whiplash. He went from the front man on amnesty to Mr. “Just Build the Damn Fence” faster than the airbags could deploy. Not to worry. After the polls close on November 2nd he can revert back to his old habit of pulling the rug out from under Republicans.

For the past decade or so Graham has been Commander Riker to McCain’s Captain Picard on the USS Bi-Partisanship. For some reason and no matter how many times they have gotten bitten by the Democrats, both keep “reaching across the aisle.” This has made the pair darlings of the Washington elite media and each has gotten hooked on the ego stroking that comes with it.

In 2005 the Republicans held the Senate and the White House and Democrats were filibustering everything that moved. When then Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) proposed the “Nuclear Option” of not allowing filibusters on judicial nominees and giving them a straight up or down vote, Graham and McCain both had the vapors. The quickly formed the “Gang of 14” and “saved” the integrity of the great deliberative body.

From closing Gitmo, to stopping “torture” of terrorists, to “comprehensive” immigration reform, to bad mouthing the Tea Party movement, the mainstream media can always count on Lindsey for a quote. There was a bit of concern when Graham showed some spine recently. He got miffed when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) knifed him by having the nerve to move other legislation ahead of his. In a snit, he pulled his name off of the Kerry, Liebermann and Graham bill to tax the daylights out of anything that used energy bill. The Democrats aren’t too worried. They know if push comes to shove they can count on Graham’s loyalty.

Poor Lindsey probably hasn’t figured out yet that he is just a seat warmer for the long time darling of the media, John McCain. While Graham has been sticking his thumb in the eye of fellow Republicans for years, McCain has been doing it for decades. After the Maverick pulls the wool over the eyes of the good folks in Arizona in November with cooing words of conservatism, he’ll jet back to Washington and return to his old form. The press will be there waiting; probably with balloons and a cake.

Graham, who doesn’t have to face the voters of South Carolina again until 2014, can continue to put “whoopee” cushions on the seats of fellow Republicans. He can be secure in the knowledge, at least until November when McCain will be back; that he will be the first Republican all the networks will call to star on their Sunday talk shows.

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2010-07-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

Your Single Source for News

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Independence Day Angst

By Rod Pennington

With America celebrating its 234th birthday, you have to wonder how many more the old girl has left in her. Democracies, by their nature, are destined to fail. Eventually the “tyranny of the majority” rears its ugly head and the wheels start to come off. We’re already seeing four early warning signs of the demise of our democracy.

Cowboys riding off into the sunset

First is the Federal Tax code. For years the way to get money into the government coffers was to soak the rich. The way to get elected to congress was to promise to cut the taxes on everyone who is not rich. The system has become so refined that in 2009 47% of Americans paid no federal income tax. Zero. Nada. We are fast approaching the point where a majority of the populace will happily support raising taxes since they don’t pay any of them anyway.

Second is the rise in power and cost of public employee unions. Until the 1960s, federal civil servants traded lower wages for job security and attractive benefits. In the past 50 years, as public sector unions have grown in power and political influence, the old rules no longer apply. Based on the March 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics, including benefits, public employees earn on average $39.81. Their private sector counterparts only earn an average $27.73.

To make this even worse, the public employee unions actively support political campaigns of the people who will determine their wages. The Democratic Party has been shameless in accepting cash and manpower from the public employee unions then doing everything within their power to protect their “friends”. It is hardly surprising to discover with this incestuous relationship fully one third of the $787 billion dollar “stimulus” has gone to protect public employee jobs.

During the current recession the private sector has lost 7,900,000 jobs while the public sector has gained 590,000 jobs. The Democrats are willing to raid the nation’s treasury to reward their most loyal and generous political supporters. Then guarantee them 100% job security and a wage package 30% more than the people whose taxes pay for it all. This is very bad for the country.

Third was the ending of the military draft. Before the Viet Nam War the draft was the great equalizer. A Harvard grad from New York City might have to share a foxhole with a high school dropout from Ottuma, Iowa. Without this great melting pot our society has become more stratified and polarized.

To many Americans our government, colleges and media have become dominated by “elites” with little understanding or regard for those in “fly over country.” This has lead to the rise of the Tea Party movement which has baffled those holding the reins of power. The bile coming from the mainstream media toward a group of citizens dissatisfied with the direction the country is headed has been embarrassing to watch.

Since there is no longer any intermingling, the ruling class has become like the late New York Times film critic, Pauline Keal. After Richard Nixon’s landslide victory in 1972 she is report to have said, “I live in a rather special world. I only know one person who voted for Nixon. Where they are I don’t know. They’re outside my ken. But sometimes when I’m in a theater I can feel them.” Nixon carried 49 states including New York.

This disconnect has also been seen in recent legislation. The Democrats, on a straight line party vote and using every trick in the book, passed health care reform against the wishes of the majority of Americans. This attitude of our elected leaders telling the voters to, “sit down, shut up and listen to your betters” is disturbing on many levels.

The final nail in our independence is the feminization of our society. Everyone has seen the pictures of young boys in the Muslim world posing wearing terrorist scarves, bandoleers and holding an AK-47. While unsettling to some, it isn’t much different than our kids in the 1950s posing with cowboy hats and fake six-shooters. While other parts of the world celebrate masculinity, in America we ban dodge ball and put all of our young alpha males on Ritalin.

As we have become a more female dominated society our ability to stand up for our own independence is in question. With a growing number of politicians openly antagonistic toward any application of military power, cuts in defense spending can’t be far behind. While negotiation should always be the first option there will come a point where action is required. We are fast reaching the point where our country may no longer have the spine to even defend itself.

During the Reagan and George W. Bush years, the biggest insult the feminized politicians and media could hurl at the president was to call him a “cowboy.” The strong silent type who was willing to use force if necessary was no longer in vogue. In 1992 the country turned to its first “metrosexual” president, Bill Clinton. John Wayne was replaced with a lip quivering guy who could “feel your pain.”

Now we have the ultimate metrosexual president in Barack Obama. President Obama’s heartfelt belief that negotiations are the only answer and his habit of doing deep bows when in the presence of our enemies and rivals has not made America or the world a safer place.

There was the famous quote by Senator William Borah when he was informed that Germany had invaded Poland. “Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler—all this might have been averted.” This faith in negotiations and reluctant to use force to defend our self and our interests is very dangerous. Let’s hope in the near future we don’t get a similar quote about North Korea or Iran.

Enjoy Independence Day. They be hard to come by soon.

Even though China is now the world's largest polluter, you still think they should be exempted Kyoto...

2007-12-29T05:58:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you haven't figured out yet that neither Bush nor Cheney will be on the 2008 ballot....

2007-12-06T03:41:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you find the improvement in Iraq is making you depressed....

2007-12-06T03:31:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you feel Jimmy Carter and Al Gore both richly deserved their Nobel Prizes and politics were not involved....

2007-12-06T03:27:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

Do Your Knees Go Weak and You Start to Giggle like a School Girl at the Thought of Bill Clinton Back in the White House...

2007-12-06T03:24:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you don't believe in God but would never vote for a Mormon...

2007-12-06T03:21:00.002-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you feel everyone is picking on Hillary just because she's a girl...

2007-12-06T03:19:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!
And a Feminist Too!

After Hillary Planted Questions and CNN Sandbagged the Republicans, if you still think Fox News can't be trusted to hold a debate....

2007-12-06T03:15:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you feel Michael Vick is a better role model than Clarence Thomas....

2007-09-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you feel submerging a crucifix in urine is art but putting a copy of the Koran in a toilet is hate speech….

2007-08-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If Obama pledging to never ever use Nukes under any circumstance made your knees weak with joy....

2007-08-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a liberal

If you feel Paris Hilton is a good role model for your daughter….

2007-06-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If the names Crystal Gail Mangum and Tawana Brawley don’t make you question that a “Woman won’t lie about being raped”…

2007-06-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think Mike Nifong was just making up for historical injustices by railroading a bunch of innocent “Rich White Kids” in the Duke “rape” case….

2007-06-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel Angelina Jolie was right to limit questions by journalist during the preview of her new movie about freedom of the press….

2007-06-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel the lefties at Google collecting personal information is way cool but the government doing it is obscene....

2007-05-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you lit incents and had to recenter your Chakra when you heard Cindy Sheehan was leaving the peace movement....

2007-05-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If your candidate wants to "Talk" to our sworn enemies but runs like a scared little girl looking for her mommy from the Fox News debates...

2007-05-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you believe Nancy Pelosi is a sniveling sell out because she didn't cut off funds to our troops...

2007-05-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you really believe the US losing in Iraq will help stop terrorism...

2007-05-29T05:46:00.001-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If the Supreme Court’s upholding the ban on the “Partial Birth Abortion” had you muttering “Slippery Slope” and reaching for the smelling salts…

2007-04-24T09:30:00.001-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

Even though it was a “Gun Free Zone”, if you feel Virginia Tech wouldn’t have happened if only there were stricter gun laws…

2007-04-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel an actor with a room temperature IQ and whose only news source is the “Daily Show” should be listened to for government policy insights...

2007-04-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you still feel "something must have happened" in the Duke Lacrosse case....

2007-04-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel Imus should be fired for what he said but Rappers should be given Grammy’s for saying far worse….

2007-04-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you consider yourself a “Feminist” but feel it culturally insensitive to criticize the way Muslims treat women….

2007-04-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you drive an SUV that gets less than 10 MPG to a Global Warming rally….

2007-03-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

In the past five years, if you’ve spent more time in “Rehab” than church….

2007-03-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you fly to an Earth Day event in your own personal jet….

2007-03-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you pine for the good old days when Janet Reno was Attorney General….

2007-03-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

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If you’re stinking rich but hate capitalism…

2007-03-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you have a hyphenated last name (Smith – Jones)…

2007-03-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you believe the world’s temperature was perfect in 1954 and any increase marks the beginning of the end for humanity…

2007-03-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you’re convinced conservatives will not vote for Barack Obama simply because he’s African-American and not because he’s a raging liberal….

2007-03-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

While you feel Ann Coulter is a homophobic bomb thrower, you have to admit John Edwards is kind of cute….

2007-03-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you think Clinton’s firing ALL 93 U.S. Attorneys is fine but Bush firing 8 is an impeachable offense….

2007-03-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you're willing to waive your aversion to Captial Punishment in the Scotter Libby case....

2007-03-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal!

If you think White people who never owned slaves should give money to Black people who never were slaves...

2007-02-28T10:27:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think American is racist, sexist, homophobic and evil. But, you get offended when your patriotism is questioned...

2007-02-25T10:45:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel anyone who still supports the war in Iraq must have been repeatedly dropped on their head as a small child....

2007-02-24T05:27:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you've ever bought a "Gangsta Rap" CD because you love the lyrics....

2007-02-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel pornography is protected speech but calling someone a bad name is a "Hate Crime"...

2007-02-24T05:17:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think former democractic political hacks like Tim Russert, Chris Matthews and George Stephanopoulos are fair and unbiased "journalists"...

2007-02-24T05:10:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think the first family is Brad and Angelina...

2007-02-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think making honest people jump through hoops to legally own a gun will cut down on crime....

2007-02-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you believe the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" is alive and well....

2007-02-16T07:06:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you don't know there is a difference between "Sales" and "Profit"...

2007-02-16T05:07:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If your life's ambition is be a journalist, politician or college professor.....

2007-02-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If any religious symbol in a public place kicks you into "Righteous Indignation" mode...

2007-02-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you believe the current round of global warming is caused by SUVs instead of that big shiney thing up in the sky...

2007-02-15T05:31:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel the Arab Muslins killing the Black Muslims in Darfur is George W. Bush's fault...

2007-02-15T04:36:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think only White people can be racist....

2007-02-15T04:32:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you attended all 63 of Barbra Streisand's "Final" performances...

2007-02-14T05:11:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you ever had to cancel a "Global Warming" protest because it was too cold and snowy...

2007-02-14T05:08:00.000-08:00

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If you feel shouting down a speaker you disagree with is a good exercise in Free Speech...

2007-02-14T05:07:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you are baffled as to why we're spending so much money on prisons while the crime rate is falling...

2007-02-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think second hand smoke is a bigger threat than global terrorism....

2007-02-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think Michael Moore is incredibly sexy....

2007-02-13T04:40:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think Al Franken is funny....

2007-02-13T04:33:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you hate the military, big oil and Halliburton but "Support Our Troops"...

2007-02-13T04:32:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If the idea of meeting Dennis Kucinich in person makes your heart race...

2007-02-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think Keith Olbermann is the voice of reason on cable news....

2007-02-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you've ever called Forbes magazine a "Capitalist Tool" and meant it in a bad way...

2007-02-12T13:23:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you've never been north of 125th Street or west of the Hudson River but think you know best how Alaska should drill for oil...

2007-02-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you've ever called an illegal alien an "Undocumented Worker"...

2007-02-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you wish more places could be as enlightened as San Francisco

2007-02-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you oppose the death penality but support abortion....

2007-02-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you spend more time at "Peace" rallies than at church....

2007-02-12T13:12:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you "teach" in any of the Humanities Departments of any major college...

2007-02-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you work for ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN or the New York Times...

2007-02-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you believe the Dixie Chicks got all those Grammys because of their singing ability instead of their politics....

2007-02-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel the UN should have control over America's foreign policy....

2007-02-12T05:17:00.002-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel anyone who disagrees with you is brain damaged....

2007-02-12T05:17:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel animals should have the same rights as people....

2007-02-12T05:16:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you didn't find "Brokeback Mountain" the least bit creepy...

2007-02-12T05:15:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you feel the National Education Association does a great job educating our kids...

2007-02-12T05:13:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you believe Bill Clinton "Never had sex with that woman, Miss Lewinski."

2007-02-12T05:10:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you listen to NPR more than 5 minutes a day....

2007-02-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you believe the Mainstream media is too conservative....

2007-02-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal

If you think Charlie Sheen is a better role model than George W. Bush...

2007-02-11T11:19:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal.

If you find Hillary Clinton oddly attractive

2007-02-11T11:17:00.001-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal.

If you have a degree in "Woman's Studies" and its not about picking up babes

2007-02-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal.

If you believe the stripper in the Duke rape case is telling the truth

2007-02-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

You Just Might be a Liberal.