Joke of the Day?

GE introduces the Mitt Romney limited edition light bulb. Old ideas made new again. Burns out quick. 95% inefficient. Wastes all it's energy making hot air.

Photos by Peter Rimar

Obama spending binge never happened?
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Mitt Romney ~ Serial Flip Flopper?

YouTube has changed forever how a campaign manages the theme and messages of a candidate. Love it or hate it, in 2012, every recorded word a politician utters in front of voters becomes part of the digital public record. In an exclusive news release to Reuters in January, Google reported roughly '60 hours of video is now uploaded to YouTube every minute'. The theory that a candidate can use an 'etch-a-sketch' to change political direction in the middle of a campaign is dead. Campaigns are no longer a debate over ideas but about the actual use of words. And yes, this blogger believes a politician's use of words reveals something about the person. Read More...

Betty White endorses Obama for re-election?
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Newt Gingrich endorses Mitt Romney?

Question: "Are you calling Mitt Romney a lair?"
Newt: "Yes."


Romney Pays Surprise Visit to his Money in the Caymans?
No Timetable for Withdrawal, Says Presumptive Nominee
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The Propaganda of Politics?

"I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends - that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them." ~ Adlai E. Stevenson

President George Bush never gave a 'Mission Accomplished' speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003? What if the Navy Seal mission into Abbottabad had failed? Would the Republican Party had made a repeat of a Desert One type failure a campaign issue in 2012?

Between the Eisenhower Administration and right up to the preemptive war in Iraq, the Republican Party was seen as the foreign policy leader on national security issues. This is no longer the case. While I have the deepest respect for John McCain, his recent statements about staying in Afghanistan forever completely lacks long term vision or insight.

Additionally, for as long as this blogger can remember, there has been an unwritten political rule NOT to attack or criticize the foreign policy efforts of a sitting President when he's not on American soil.



Update: Obama Needles Romney on Old Bin Laden Quotes?
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Economics 101?

How did Mitt Romney get Rich?


Is Romney the Wrong Kind of Rich?
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How can a person on Food Stamps open a Swiss Bank Account?

In the event someone stumbled upon this particular post after searching Google, here's a CNN Money report from 1997 which still applies in 2012. Read More...

It should be noted that after 9-11, the U.S. Government can now request and receive information about a specific individual's bank account under the U.S.-Swiss Income Tax Convention (January 2003).

Obama Campaign Attacks Romney Over Swiss Bank Account?
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My Dog Is On The Roof? I Love Cars?

In 50 years, how will future historians and political scientists judge the impact of social-networking and unlimited Super PAC money on the ideological battles being waged in 2012 and beyond?


"Few businessmen are capable of being in politics, they don't understand the democratic process, they have neither the tolerance or the depth it takes. Democracy isn't a business." ~ Malcolm Forbes

...dashboard Mao...

Jon Huntsman Criticizes Mitt Romney Over China Policy Despite Endorsement?
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The idiotology of ideology?

Despite being raised in an "atmosphere of privilege", humbled by Polio when he was 39 years old, F.D.R. had "it". 

Dwight D. Eisenhower also had "it". While it's difficult to pinpoint the exact moment Ike learned about "it", a tour of a Nazi Concentration Camp certainly contributed to his own personal awakening of what "it" meant for the future of humanity.


Henry Dunant. Mohandas Gandhi. Martin Luther King. César Chávez.

Richard Nixon became aware of "it" after Watergate. Jimmy Carter was judged for having too much "it". George H.W. Bush was only a one term President because he forgot about the importance of "it".

Desmond Tutu. Tenzin Gyatso. Aung San Suu Kyi.

Part of the message of the New Testament of the Bible is dedicated to the spiritual idea of "it".

In 2008, it was clear that Senator John McCain (a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years) and then Senator Barack Obama (an educated black man born in America) both had "it".

So, what is "it"?
ἐμπάθεια. Einfühlung. Empathy.

It's an important human quality which separates a mere politician from a leader. In the view of this Blogger, Mitt Romney doesn't have "it". Indeed, Mitt will never have "it".

And for this reason alone, this Blogger believes the former Massachusetts' Governor will not, but more importantly should not, be elected President.

It remains to be seen whether or not the country is prepared for Mitt to be IT.

Romney Update:
$374,327.62 for 9 Political Speeches = "Not Very Much"?
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Empathy? Envy? Even Newt Gingrich didn't try to play hide the tax banana with his K-Street money in the Caymen Islands.

Empathy Update:
(2/1/12)
"I am fed up with politicians in either party dividing Americans against each other. I am running to be the president of all the American people and I am concerned about all the American people." ~ Newt Gingrich



Romney says he’s not concerned about the poor?
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Mitt’s class problem?
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In fairness to the candidate, running for the highest office is a grueling experience. It's difficult to keep ones own mouth and mind on the same sheet of political music. With that said, once again, because Mitt Romney has never worried about keeping a roof over his head, for this reason alone, he'll never be able to connect with average Americans struggling from paycheck to paycheck.

And finally, how many of Romney's five sons have served in uniform? It's one thing to beat the drums of war, it's quite another to actually send ones own son or daughter into harm's way. Just ask Vice President Joe Biden.

Suggested Reading: Pew Research Center

"I don't think Newt Gingrich got into this race, originally, thinking he was going to be President. I think he was doing it for personal publicity. Ron Paul is a message candidate. He's just out there to get his Libertarian message out there. I think he's quite sure that he's not going to become the President of the United States. Mitt Romney is the only one that ever had a real chance once Pawlenty dropped out and Rick Perry imploded. He's the only one with a real chance to win this thing." 
~ Ron Reagan on MSNBC Live
February 6, 2012

The Absurdity of the Idiotology?

Ten months after releasing his original, official, long-form birth certificate, the clogosphere is still buzzing with various conspiracy theories regarding President Obama's citizenship. Why? Since some folks still have a bad case of selective memory, here's a little CNN reminder from April 2011:


Senator John McCain's was born at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone. His eligibility to run for the White House in 2008 was never questioned. Mitt Romney's father, who ran for the Republican nomination in 1968, was born to American parents living in the Mormon colonies in Mexico.

Are there racial and religious undertones to the 2012 Presidential Election?

Sadly, even when presented with a new truth, people will continue to believe what they want to believe. Read More...

Indeed, how does Donald Trump, who embarrassed the country by hitching his political wagon to the Birther Movement, still receive serious media attention from ALL the major news outlets?

Feeling depressed? Try hunting with Dick Cheney?

Remember when the word Google wasn't a word? Remember when the acronym W-M-D meant Waste Management Disposal? Remember when "corduroy pants" were cool? This status update was brought to you by the makers of Hostess Twinkies.


Corporate insider rumors that Bain Capital is planning a hostile takeover of this American snack food icon are untrue? Mitt Romney plans to announce his economic strategy to save us from a Twinkie apocalypse? Rick Perry wants President Obama to call out the Texas National Guard? Donald Trump demands to see the Twinkie's Original Birth Certificate?
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The Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food

GOP Flavor of the Month: Newt Gingrich?

Back in June, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann first captured the hearts and minds of the Christian Right. Then, Texas Governor Rick Perry rode onto the national stage only to quickly fall off his unsaddled horse. After drinking a six pack of Lone Star Beer while watching Faux News, hungry GOP voters ordered up a $9.99 pizza from Mr. Herman Cain.

Three political love affairs later (pun intended), the ANYBODY BUT MITT parade continues with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich taking center stage. Seriously? Newt Gingrich? This blogger has two simple questions: who is answering the telephone when one of more than a dozen pollsters call? Do folks actually believe this man could get elected President?

Even the conservative sage George Will is shaking his political head,"Gingrich’s is an amazingly efficient candidacy, in that it embodies almost everything disagreeable about modern Washington. He’s the classic rental politician."
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At what point will Republican voters sober up, change the channel and take a serious look at Jon Huntsman or Buddy Roemer?

Gingrich Update:
November 27, 2011
Evidently, this blogger is completely out-of-touch with the winds of political change. The New Hampshire Union Leader, the only "Live Free or Die" state-wide newspaper, endorsed NEWT for the top of GOP ticket. NEWT?
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...Americana...

Cowboy Intersection, Gene Autry, Oklahoma (May 2010).

Pulp Fiction [Blu-ray]

Iraq is a Sovereign State

Despite Mitt Romney's condemnation of President's Obama decision to remove U.S. troops from Iraq before December 31st (a deadline originally negotiated by the Bush Administration), the fact remains, Iraq's economic and political future rests with it own people. 

What was the original mission in the region? The search for W-M-D? Please. It was to remove Saddam Hussein from power (spelled O-I-L). It's a little late in the geopolitical game to armchair quarterback this country's inevitable withdrawal from Iraq. What part of IRAQ is NOT our country that this candidate doesn't understand?
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Photo of Iraqi Soldiers training in Baghdad, Iraq (April 2005) by Peter Rimar.

Rick Perry's New Campaign Slogan?

"Please STOP touching me!"

Another brick in the wall?

Bricks on the Great Wall of China

March 2008

Badaling, PRC

Dragon Rising: An Inside Look at China Today (Hardcover)

Dear Mitt Romney

First, if you're going to use a visual prop to roll out a 59 point jobs plan, it's a good idea to think about where that product is actually made. Apple iPhones & iPads are assembled in the People's Republic of China via Foxcomm (a Taiwanese-based company).

Additionally, at the end of July, Apple ($76 billion) was sitting on more CASH than the U.S. Treasury ($74 billion). Which means the second largest American company in the world in market value (after Exxon-Mobil) has the financial means to help create new manufacturing jobs in this country. 

Why didn't you put Apple's feet to the fire for outsourcing American jobs?

But then again, why should a multi-national corporation pay health insurance, provide its workers with decent wages or adhere to basic environmental standards when the Chinese government is ready, willing and able to undercut the competition. America is getting its butt kicked in the global economy. There's an ARMY of migrant workers (somewhere between 170 to 200 million indentured men, women & children) who work 350 days a year for $150s a month (along with basic room & board). IF a Chinese worker complains about the health & safety in a factory, the CCP's Public Security Bureau offers that worker a FREE, all-expense paid vacation to a lovely re-education camp in Inner Mongolia.

While the Tea Party screams about the Federal Budget Deficit, I wonder why this conservative movement has avoided discussing this country's continued unbalanced trade relationship with the People's Republic of China. It's rather curious that a so-called grass roots movements (bankrolled by the Koch Brothers) advocates Free Trade instead of Fair Trade.
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Second, during this Press Conference, you discussed holding the Chinese government accountable for its unfair trade practices and manipulation of its currency.

"I will not stand by while China pursues an economic development policy that relies on the unfair treatment of U.S. companies and the theft of their intellectual property. I have no interest in starting a trade war with China, but I cannot accept our current trade surrender."

You're right. No debate. However, maintaining peace in Asia has reached a critical juncture. You need to understand that the DPRK is a proxy of the CCP and PLA. Period. Also, American corporations, which over the last ten years happily relocated part of this country's industrial-capacity to Asia, share some of the economic blame.

Could you please sit down and have a conversation with Jon Huntsman?

One problem the West has with dealing with the People's Republic of China involves how the Chinese people generally view their own society. The country's vast educational system feeds its students a steady diet of historic, foreign victimization (i.e. the Opium Wars). 

Unfortunately, its created an US vs. THEM mentality which borders on xenophobic cultural nationalism. It shares some of the same political characteristics of Islamic Fundamentalism without the theologically based underpinnings.


Instead of painting the Chinese people as the enemy, your campaign message should be BUY Made in the USA. How hard can it be to turn a negative message into a positive one? Once again, IF American consumers don't value the country of origin of a product or service, why should a corporation? IF you're elected President, you'll have to confront the Chinese government on Human Rights, state-sponsored cyber-attacks, the South China Sea, Taiwan, Rare Earth Minerals and the DPRK. The best way to keep the CCP off-balanced is to speak about freedom of expression and human rights.

"An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot."
~ Thomas Paine

Prior to 1979, the CCP spent 30 years trying to erase Chinese history & culture. Today, it's a different story. The only way to counter this political, social, economic and cultural linkage is to address the Chinese People and the Communist Party as separate institutions.

A global trade war targeting poor Chinese workers will only feed the Communist Party's vast propaganda machine. Many folks forget that during the Cold War, leaders in this country linked trade with the Soviet Union with the ideals of freedom of expression and a respect for human rights. It's a bit curious that today's crop of leaders don't hold foreign governments (along with American corporations) to ANY political, economic, social or environmental standards of conduct.

China Watch Update (September 27, 2011):
Taiwanese Officer arrested for spying for the CCP
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Power, Trade, and War (Paperback)

Romney Foreign Policy Update:
(October 7, 2011)
This blogger actually sat down and watched this candidate's televised speech from the Citadel. Afterwards, I questioned whether this man actually understood the global implications of his remarks. Evidently, I was not alone.
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Apple Update:
When I originally posted this commentary about this technology giant, it was to point out that if you're running for President (a.k.a. Mitt Romney), and you're agenda is to get the economy moving in a positive direction (i.e. 22-months of consecutive months of private sector job growth), Apple is the WRONG company to use as a Made in the USA economic model for creating new manufacturing jobs. This blogger actually lived in Shenzhen for six weeks in 2008. The information and analysis contained in the following CBS News report about Apple's manufacturing operations in China is both accurate and factual:


CBS News
The dark side of shiny Apple products
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...perspective...

Beijing, PRC (May 2008).

What?! East Coast Earthquake?

Bachmann, Perry and Romney BLAME President Obama?

The GOP's absurd campaign rhetoric has reached the point that if President Obama said he loved Apple Pie, the Republican candidates would find a reason to dogmatically call it left-wing, socialist food.



Photo of President Obama on a Bus in Hong Kong, S.A.R. (July 2009)
Apple Pie: An American Story (Hardcover)

Embracing the current political SUCK with a BIG SMILE and HOPE?

IF you're running for President and your undisclosed NET FINANCIAL WORTH is over $200,000,000s, it's an extremely BAD IDEA to joke about being UNEMPLOYED with an audience of out-of-work voters struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. It's like joking about your sore GOLF knees to a room full of amputee combat veterans. Read More...