Cruz Control

Sen. Ted Cruz R:TX

On Monday, Senator Ted Cruz, a republican from Texas, announced he will seek the GOP nomination for president in 2016.  Cruz was first of many who are expected to enter the race.

Sadly, as expected, his entrance sparked explosive commentary from the entire spectrum of political discourse.

You will not find a more glaring example of hypocrisy among all the smiling faces of many of your favorite left wing lunatics and politicians (actually one in the same) than their reaction to the entry of Sen. Cruz. Many left wing pundits seemed stunned, which is bull crap as those wagering the field had very high odds on Cruz getting in.

Then came the comparisons to Obama, and these are nothing short of pure comedy.

When Obama ran as a first term Senator, one who voted present most often, he was viewed as fresh, with bold new ideas.  Cruz, who has challenged the broken Washington machine on numerous occasions, has been labeled inexperienced, not ready for the vigor associated with our highest office.  This "inexperience" had no bearing on the left in 2000, as we elected a president with no executive experience of any kind.

Then came questions about the birthplace of Cruz, and if he is eligible to be president.  Cruz was born in Canada and is a natural born citizen and has produced any and all necessary paperwork to close the issue, unlike Obama.  Although it has not been a focus on this blog, Obama has skirted producing paperwork to close up his issue in this arena.  Those on the right who have questioned Obama's birthplace have been ridiculed and deemed racist, but that is not the case for those questioning Cruz.

Due to his entry in the race, Cruz's wife Heidi, took a leave of absence from her position at Goldman Sachs, and with that, Cruz had to seek health insurance.  Therefore, he enrolled in Obamacare, which since Cruz has vowed to repeal every word of Obamacare, seems beyond entertaining to the left.  Sadly, Obamacare is the law of the land, and Cruz is simply following the law.  This, of course, is a foreign concept to Obama and his Obamabots nationwide.

The mainstream media, who watch and cheer while Obama violates the Constitution seemingly on a daily basis, has joined in lockstep with all the talking points, bashing Cruz at every turn on anything and everything.

Why should he left have all the fun?

You just knew those on the progressive right would jump in with the Democrats and hit Cruz.  Karl Rove, who backs Jeb Bush, immediately came forward in an attempt to discredit Cruz.  I could have initiated a countdown waiting for Rep. Peter King of New York to come out swinging.  The former boxer must have had his head hit too much, for he is clueless on Cruz, his record and his chance to win.  King, who sits on numerous committess enabling the decline of America, has also gone after Sen Rand Paul.

I must admit I was surprised to see some folks I respect hit Cruz, inclusive of Greg Gutfeld and Eric Boling of "The Five" and DW Ulsterman.  Gutfeld thinks Cruz lacks vision for country, but has plenty for himself, which I totally disagree with. The position Ulsterman takes, along with Boling, is that, although he thinks very highly of Cruz, he deems him not ready at this time.  Among the hosts on "The Five", Breitbart reports that Kimberly Guilfoyle, perhaps the most beautiful woman on news television, was the most receptive to the candidacy of Cruz.

It is way too early to handicap the field for me, but I would list Tex Cruz at or very near the top of my list. What I do know is that those attempting to discredit Cruz are speaking very loudly about something they do not want you to hear.

Progressive opponents of freedom and liberty; those who aspire for big government and crony capitalism, will ridicule and distort the facts, screaming loudly about opponents they fear the most.  Are you listening?

 

Nothing To See Here

What in the world is going on in Boston?

Obviously, we are all well aware of the tragic terrorist acts which marred the Boston Marathon. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost their life and those who have forever been negatively impacted by the actions of these terrorists.

However, the aftermath of the event has been quite confusing and with all the scandals engulfing the Obama administration, it is hard for the public to keep their eye on the ball.  Heck, we don't even know what game we are playing.

While the authorities chased down the publicly know suspects, a major US city was in lock down. It was the Tsarnaev brothers, Chechen immigrants, with the older brother killed in a shootout and the younger brother, after being identified by a private citizen, having been captured in cuddy cabin boat on a trailer in the yard of a suburban Boston home.  Tsarnaev is awaiting trial. 

It is over, and the bad guys have been caught and are off the street.  All is good; nothing to see here.  Not so fast my friend.

Where did it all begin?  One of the aforementioned scandals had to do with the National Security Agency spying, without warrant, on all Americans in the name of prohibiting our nation from being hit again by terrorists.  As Benjamin Franklin so eloquently said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety". Even though reports have the Russian government warning us about the brothers Tsarnaev, with the federal government spying on the citizenry with high tech surveillance, it did nothing to stop terrorism from striking our streets, literally, in Boston. 

That ole Franklin was a real gem.

Although we are not aware of any intelligence gathered from surveillance tactics, there were significant clues something was up.

On September 11, 2011, a vicious homicide took place in the area in which the Tsarnaev brothers resided, with the victim having been a close friend of the older Tsarnaev brother.  The case remained unsolved, but it is noteworthy that news reports indicate Tsarnaev did not attend the funeral.  That type of behavior should have raised some suspicion.

Only after the bombing investigation got going did the authorities stumble upon the obvious; that mounting evidence suggested Tsarnaev brothers were involved in the grisly killing.

In the weeks prior to the Boston bombing over in Hanover, nearby the area the Tsarnaev brothers and their friends lived, came news reports of two recent incidents where homemade explosives were detonated.  At the first location, it was noted that witnesses at the nearby Target store on Washington Street reported seeing a bright flash and hearing two explosions from that area. The local news report noted that several unexploded devices were found at the scene and later detonated under secure conditions by the State Police Bomb Squad.  Obviously, these were dry runs.

On the day after the bombing, a series of photographs were published on the internet.  I became aware of the pictures from a Facebook post by FOX News Eric Bolling, and you can see the entire portfolio of photos HERE.

These photos are very interesting indeed.  Several potential suspects, most carrying backpacks, are seen in the screen shots.  I am particularly interested in the picture presented below.  The first is a photo of the immediate aftermath of the bombing, and something peculiar is quite noticeable.  Standing right beyond the start finish line are two men dressed in similar attire who appear stationary and not at all fazed by what has occurred.  Take a look.

 

A closer inspection of the photo, zoomed in below, shows two men hiding backpacks apparently engaged in some form of communication.  Certainly, to engage in identification of these men would be speculative, but it does appear the man on the left is the older Tsarnaev brother.  However, it is clear that the other individual is not the younger Tsarnaev brother.  Take a look. 

 

To gain clearer perspective, an opportunity a better look exists. Click here for full resolution image.

If we assume the individual on the left is in fact the older Tsarnaev brother, who is the individual on the right?  Although some friends of the Tsarnaev brothers have been arrested on lesser charges, none resembled this man. 

The authorities have informed the public there are no outstanding suspects related to the bombings, but regardless if the man pictured on the left is the older Tsarnaev brother or not, these two men are reacting unlike most everyone else pictured, which at a minimum raises suspicion.

I have not heard anything in the media about who these two men, and particularly the one pictured at right, are.  I would like to know.  Oh well, nothing to see here. Move on.

In the immediate aftermath of the bombings, new reports suggested a man who had been hospitalized with injuries likely sustained at the bombing.  The injuries were described as consistent with someone who was not injured from the bombing, but participatory in implementing the bombing.

Respectable journalists over at CNN reported the news, labeling the suspect as a Saudi Arabian. Seemingly due to political correctness, the reports were retracted.  CNN promptly regretted the error, but I conclude there was no error.  John King has been at this a long time and he would not recklessly report such a thing, and Fran Townsend has a credible reputation as well.  CNN may be publicly apologizing for the error, but there was no error. Wonder who got to these guys?

The story of the error has no credibility because the problem is that this individual actually exists, and The Blaze, among others, did extensive reporting on this individual.  The young man had been classified by our government as very dangerous, as The Blaze reports.

In what appeared as a stunning jailbreak of lemmings, the media quickly retracted that this individual, complete with burned hands, was not a suspect at all.  In fact, although there was no official recognition of the event, pictures indicate Michelle Obama visited him in the hospital. Reports now suggest he was deported and will not face further interrogation on the subject.  Just lovely.

With the propaganda arm of the Obama administration, the mainstream media, having dropped the subject from the daily news reel, the American people lost focus on the subject as a slew of scandals suffocated the Obama administration.

With the dust seemingly settled came news of a rather startling event just north of Boston.  On May 14th, patrols were stepped up after seven chemical engineering students were caught trespassing at the Quabbin Reservoir.  As CBS Boston reports, State Police say the five men and two women are from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, and “cited their education and career interests” for being in the area. The men told police they were chemical engineers and recent college graduates.

No charges were to be filed against the trespassers, but that did not sit well with Glenn Beck.



After the early and prompt decision not to charge the trespassers, Massachusetts Police are appealing that decision. The reservoir, which provides the city of Boston their drinking water, was accurately deemed "critical infrastructure" and thus the Mass. Police found charges were appropriate.  It should be noted the trespassers included adults, five men and two women, who were from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

Common sense would have you believe the authorities within and surrounding Boston would be on high alert given these wide ranging events with terroristic suspicion.  We are unable to conclude that after learning what took place at the Boston Aqueduct on June 3. 

Three padlocks to hatches were cut at the Boston aqueduct, which supplies water to greater Boston. Seemingly oblivious to the previous incidents, CBS Boston reports State Police are investigating, though they say “there is no evidence of any crime other than vandalism.”  Nothing to see here.

While the events following the Boston Marathon bombing may be isolated incidents with no relation to the terroristic acts of the bombing, my tolerance for coincidence expired a long time ago.  In addition, there are several unanswered and troubling aspects regarding the bombing that have not been adequately addressed.

Obviously, our government values their relationships with countries and groups that harbor terrorists.  While questions regarding Boston remain unanswered, the administration aims to engage in assisting in weaponizing terrorists in Syria and welcomes terrorists into The White House.

Goodwill is quickly contracting globally, and with the United States in decline due to weak leadership and financial constraints, a significant event could catapult Uncle Sam into a very perilous position.  Such an event could well be financial, but it certainly could be the actions of terrorists, or both.

Before discounting the events in Boston, recognize those who carried out the events of September 11, 2001 were not Rhodes Scholars. It would be prudent to remain vigilant.

Citizen Pain for Political Gain

Never let a crisis go to waste.

This phrase, made famous by former Obama COS and current Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is very informing of avenues the Obama administration will take to seek legislation and enact governance upon the American people. Whether or not against the will of the citizenry, the ends justify the means with this group of progressive elites who assume they can run your life much more effectively than you can.

A recent avenue of approach of a crisis, real or perceived, to engulf our nation is what is known as sequestration, which essentially is a series of across the board "cuts" designed to handicap the growth of government. Since compromise between the two parties was deemed unachievable, they agreed that the cuts, which hurt sacred cows on both sides, would seemingly force an agreement to be forged. 

Forget about it.

The sequestration cuts, which are not a real cuts but only a decrease in the amount of growth of an already extremely bloated federal budget, was only just over 2%.  Obama, not one to shy from lap dog media exposure, alarmed the public that there would be stark consequences should the sequestration, originally an idea born in the Obama White House, come to pass.  Take a listen:



Imagine, the government unable to find appropriate cuts in their ever expanding budget while all of us out here are scrambling to keep afloat as taxes and regulation rise while our wages decrease. In fact, as the ball dropped in Times Square in 2013, Obama increased our payroll taxes by just over 2%.  All us "working families" are dealing with it, but apparently our government cannot.

While this demagoguery was not becoming an individual in a leadership role, and most certainly our president, it was also quite false, but more importantly quite telling.  Under the supposed recovery underway, is it logical to assume these minuscule cuts would put our country in such peril? If yes, Obama should be removed from office due to incompetence.  Secondly, why is it always the firefighters, police officers and the military and the potential release of prisoners always the first to targeted for cut?  Regarding prisons, how about making doing the crime a bit less comfortable for those in the graybar hotel?

At any rate, this was another big lie by Obama and his team of strategists to scare the American people, and the spineless GOP, into compromise.  Thankfully, for once, the GOP did not cave, and guess what?  Only the items Obama could directly control have been seriously impacted, like White House tours and the operation of our national parks.  At any rate, while having to back track armageddon comments, Obama will seek to maximize citizen pain for political gain. 

Speaking of the national parks, is there something going on here we are not aware of? 




Could one of the reasons the national parks are first on the list of the "perceived" cuts be because we do not actually own them?

We all know Agenda 21 is a growing problem as part of relinquishing our sovereignty to the United Nations protocol, but if this is in fact true the encroachment of the United Nations may be much more problematic than originally thought.

There is little doubt Obama and progressives seek to advance government control over our citizens, reducing the freedoms and liberties set forth by our founding fathers.  No vehicle for seizing more power is out of line, because as noted by the Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, the ends justify the means.

Bombarding Americans with scare tactics as we jump from the crisis of yesterday to the emergency of today is no way to run our government, unless perhaps the objective is to implement the Cloward-Piven Strategy of crashing our system.

Citizen pain for politcal gain.  Sadly, so far so good in that regard.

Out With The Bathwater

Last year, FOX Business Network ended their 5 PM show "Happy Hour", for a new show with Gerri Willis, who came over from CNN. The new show is not bad, but I find it much inferior to Happy Hour. Then again, who could compete with Glenn Beck over at FOX?

Now comes word that the entire primetime lineup at FOX Business will get the axe. Not a good move in my estimation.

Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano was a very good show. Now, it should be noted this show was in competition with The O'Reilly Factor over on FOX, the top rated cable news show by far. Freedom Watch did need some tweaking, and I was getting very tired of the Judge promoting Ron Paul for President. Overall, however, Napolitano asked intriguing questions of top guests from the political and financial world. This show will be missed, at least by me.

David Asman is very professional and at the top of his game. His current show Power and Money, which evolved from America's Nightly Scoreboard, was very good and often dove into off the mainstream topics, with Agenda 21 being an example. Hannity, over on the flagship FOX, is king of 9PM, but this show worked well and I will miss it as well.

Eric Bolling is outstanding, and his show Follow The Money, had a real chance to overtake On The Record with Greta Van Susteren over on the Flagship. FTM had the big screen here at my humble abode, but the show could have used some tweaking as well. The decisions by the FOX brass to include wacko socialists as nightly panelists on FTM, like the newly hired Sally Kohn and Jehmu Green, hurt. Nobody with a brain has any care about the opinions of these Obama apologists. Anyhow, Bolling is a star and this news is most disappointing. At least Bolling falls back to focusing on The Five over on FOX, a real hit.

Melissa Francis, who jumped off the sinking ship at CNBC to come over to FBN, is slated for a 5PM show, while Gerry Willis will move to 8PM. While Francis is talented, I hope the executives at FBM are not counting on a ratings increase, because it will not be forthcoming with these moves.









Lori Rothman and Charles Payne

If FBN, is going a different direction, they should immediately launch a financial show hosted by grossly under utilized Charles Payne, and a crossover show with the lovely Kimberly Guilfoyle. Business babes Tracy Byrnes and Lori Rothman are also under utilized, but what do I know?

I know I will miss each of these programs and do not have any excitement about the changes.

Five Forgotten

When Glenn Beck left FOX News Channel after smashing rating numbers for the 5PM EST time slot, FOX rebounded nicely with the new show The Five, with five rotating panelists discussing the events of the day. This show is outstanding, with excellent co-hosts Eric Boling and Kimberly Guilfoyle. Anything that puts the lovely Guilfoyle in front of the camera will be a ratings success.

Even so, this week I was following five stories, or in the case of Rick Santorum's sweep, variations of, that The Five did not cover. As good as this show is, and as good as FOX is, many very important stories do not get proper coverage, if they get covered at all.

Below are five that I focused on this week, and I wonder is any of the readers knew about these stories. They are important, so have a look

NANEX

I was over at Zero Hedge and found an alarming story on high frequency trading. On the day Uncle Sam was downgraded back in August, a staggering increase in high frequency trading ensued and has continued since. Check out the story and the chart over on Zero Hedge HERE.

It seems to be that algorithmic trading between computers is taking place at a highly increased level, and while there is a place for such trading, this type of activity is dangerous. You got any ideas about what is happening?

RICK SANTORUM

Rick Santorum had a big night this week, winning Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado. They picked Rick! Although the pundits discussed the momentum perhaps gained by Santorum, and the problems perhaps exposed by his opponents, I focused on his outstanding victory speech.

Santorum spoke truths about the Obama administration, that they seek to rule over the people rather than listen to them, that they wish to rule over them and run their lives with a lengthy list of central planning programs because they think they know better than you.

Obama really does look down on the people, with soaring rhetoric about helping the people while actively reducing the freedom of the people. Santorum has the right message, and it would do America well to hear him!

BORDER CALAMITY

On GBTV, Glenn Beck presented an incredibly alarming program on the activities taking place on the border. Although there are a handful of Americans who have some level of understanding about the high level of national security issues taking place along the border, most have no clue how serious this problem is. Unfortunately, the problem is worse than ever, and our government, on both sides, is for the most part sitting it out. Why, I do not know.

Although I could not get elected dog catcher in my community, if I were President, with a thorough understanding of the severity of the problem, I would have the US Military seize the day immediately, using any force necessary.

Hearing the facts presented is a depressing indictment of the failures of our government, but unfortunately, something you must become knowledgeable about. The video is not for the faint of heart, so viewer discretion is advised. However; knowledge is power, so have a look on Glenn Beck HERE and HERE.

HOUSING PLAN

Stupid is as stupid does. President Obama has yet another plan to punish banks and reward bad behavior in an effort to boost the housing market. Jimmy Petholoukis leaked that Obama was ready to release the plan, hitting banks with punitive punishment and forcing them to refinance some home owners. Should the banks fail to comply, a newly appointed Czar will seek them out for punishment. Of course, costs force upon the banks will be passed on to the consumers. This will raise the cost of capital, reduce the amount of mortgage activity and prolong the crisis.

Obvious to just about everyone not involved with wealth redistribution, this program will only hamper any recovery in the housing market. As we have repeatedly said, for the housing market to improve, a growing job market must be in place allowing free market principles, free from government interaction, to form an efficient market where buyers compete with sellers in arms length transactions. Under such a market, price will be established a normal market can resume.

Obama will not allow this to take place, as his principles center around wealth redistribution directed by a government who picks winners and losers. This creates an inefficient market, is not free market capitalism, and will restrict the pace of any recovery.

CME GROUP

On Wednesday, the S&P cut the CME Group Inc.'s credit rating in the aftermath of the debacle involving the collapse of MF Global. The has been under fire since MF files for bankruptcy. Under normal market conditions, this news would some kind of spook the markets.

Be advised there is much more here than meets the eye, and the fallout could be mind boggling. Customer funds were stolen, and with this type of activity taking place, the integrity of the market is zero. Ann Barnhardt, of Barnhardt Capital Management, has been leading the way in covering the real story going on here from a birds eye view.

Get The Lead Out!

I recently attended a continuing education class and had to tackle my wallet as it bolted for the door. In what can only be described as a staggering example of an overreach of governmental regulation, the EPA has implemented new costly regulatory measures to combat potential issues involving lead based paint, which is found in buildings constructed before 1978. An NBC affiliate has more:



The Better Business Bureau offers further explanation.

Like the greater majority of governmental intervention in the marketplace on behalf of the consumer, the new requirements, which are beyond extensive, are going to cause significant strains to an already bludgeoned housing industry and small businesses in supporting industries. Jeremy Drobeck of 1st Class Mortgage Service is not happy. Take a listen:



FOX Business's Dagen McDowell and Brian Sullivan have more:



The Wall Street Journal thinks you are willing to suck down more costs to defend against lead based paint, but FOX Business's Brian Sullivan sums up the unintended consequences. Property owners who own homes built prior to 1978 who are considering repairs face an estimated 25% in additional costs per project as businesses must pass along the extra costs of completing the job. These additional costs serve as a tax raising expenses which could make these renovations cost prohibitive.

As a property owner of these type of properties, I will now refrain from taking on upgrading projects that fall under the new EPA requirements. In my capacity as an investor, I will be much more inclined on purchases for renovation and for long term holding to seek out buildings built after 1978. Since I am no doubt not alone in this mindset, in my capacity as an appraiser perhaps a negative adjustment should be applied to all homes built before 1978 due to the extra costs associated with any repairs that may be required going forward.

Who will enforce these regulations anyhow, since county code enforcement workers are plenty busy already. Could it be the 6000 person civilian army President Obama has recently implemented?



Currently, our government is engaging in the installation of excessive regulations, much in support of global warming from cap and trade, that will severely handicap economic growth and prosperity. These regulations take the form of a tax, and you need not be Milton Friedman to recognize that when you tax something, you get less of it. With the implementation of the looming cap and trade bill, the residential governance on the energy efficiency of improvements and this overreach regarding lead based paint, it appears that property rights are under alarming assault. In addition, property values will face additional negative pricing pressure and any future recovery of the housing market will be handicapped.

Free market capitalism remains the best path to prosperity!

Rambling On Through 500th Post

As I approached my 500th blog entry, I asked some of the readership for a question or two to celebrate the occasion. Then, I siphoned through all the media requests for interviews and selected an old friend, Tiffany Hill Donely, of WLPC ABC-TV of Port Charles, NY to present me with five questions selected from the readership.

Here we go!

1. Please name three leaders of today that you see pulling our asses out of the mess we're in?

I found the first two real easy.

First, I think Congressman Paul Ryan (R:WI) is someone who has a real grasp of the economic status we find ourselves in, and I feel this is a critical attribute moving forward. Rather than just criticizing the administration, with his Roadmap for America, Ryan has presented an effective plan to redirect our once great country in a pro growth free market path.

New Jersey is a complete mess, until Chris Christie was recently elected Governor. Christie is a free market capitalist and is implementing policies that are certain to get New Jersey back to competitive footing. Christie recognizes the heavy burden that entitlements bear on economies and he is set to use Reagan principles to right the ship. And he does not care if you don't like it!

My third choice is former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Although I quite like her, and I think more people support her than you may think, she may be too polarizing to take the Presidency. That being said, she is a rock star and has dictated policy from posting on her Facebook page. Can you imagine? Palin can continue in this role supporting policy and candidates that fit the "tea party" principles that most conservatives yearn for and speaking out on issues of importance during speaking engagements. I have met her personally, have seen her speak live and I warn you to underestimate her at your own peril.

And a special nod to Glenn Beck, whose foresight and courage to walk the plank alerting the American citizenry of the progressives aggressive march make him an American Hero in my mind.

2. Regarding the stock market, I may sell about 25% of everything of my positions and ride this out on the sidelines. What say you?

For sure, we will revisit the "flash crash" levels. Unfortunately, I think we will take another 15% or so down from there at a minimum. Companies have been beating earnings estimates that were revised down so deeply it makes them look better than they actually are. While I do think the economy is improving slightly, the housing crisis is not over, the unemployment rate under the policies being implemented will remain elevated for some time and the debt levels are unsustainable.

The environment is against small business, who creates jobs and innovates. This will put a brake on the recovery effort, as will governmental intervention efforts like health care, financial reform and cap and trade, which would be horrendous to small business.

Once it seems baked in the cake Obama is finished, a major move higher will take place. Until then, while their are individual opportunities which require tight supervision, cash is king!

3. You recently responded in the comment section to a Facebook entry by Eric Bolling of FOX Business as he discussed being thrown under the bus by Media Matters when he spoke of progressives ruining this country. Did Bolling go too far?

Absolutely not. I am gravely concerned about the direction the current administration is taking this country and am in total agreement with Eric that the progressives are ruining this country, and in a hurry.

The administration is lawless in many regards and seems to be following Saul Alinsky's Rules For Radicals as evidenced by how they treat those in opposition to them. The appease our enemies, apologize for America and fail to recognize America's position as a divinely inspired land that stands apart from the rest of the world. The administration lacks an appreciation for our Founding Fathers and favors collective rights rather than individual rights. They are economically inept and the foreign policy decisions boggle the mind. This is nothing more than a group of thugs from Chicago who are interested in righting the perceived wrongs of the past and seem poised to use global warming as a vehicle for the global transfer of wealth through whatever corrupt means necessary.

While I have had this right on the blog the whole road traveled, America is waking up slowly. I fear it may be too late. As Ronald Reagan said, "if we lose freedom here there is no place to escape to, this is the last stand on earth".

4. With the Big Ten talking expansion, College Football is apparently on the verge of what could become a major realignment of the conferences. Your take?

I am a traditionalist in this regard and have a great appreciation for the old rivalries we find across the country. I also like the intersectional matchups we usually see in September before conference play begins. One thing I do not like conferences having some members for basketball and then others for football, and look no further than the Big East for an example of this.

I think the best course of action would be for Notre Dame to drop the arrogance and join the Big Ten, which would allow the conference to hold a championship game and keep the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. The Pac Ten needs to expand to have 12 teams and follow suit with a championship game, with expansion teams being Boise State and Utah (BYU has obstacles which knock them out).

I think the demise of the Big 12 and potentially the ACC as we know it then triggering possible SEC expansion when and if the dominoes start to fall would not be good for the color and pageantry of NCAA College Football.

5. Guests on "Imus in the Morning" are asked to list their five favorite songs, What are your top five?

Wow! This will be tough. Here are five that come to mind in no particular order.

"In My Life"
The Beatles

"Kashmir"
Led Zeppelin

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
The Beatles

"Rhiannon"
Fleetwood Mac

"Simple Man"
Lynyrd Skynyrd

Keep the Tap Open at Happy Hour

According to a handful of reports, Happy Hour is over at FOX Business Network.

Happy Hour, a program set in the Bulls & Bears Pub in the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan, covers market related business and political topics of the day, with hosts Eric Bolling, Rebecca Diamond and Cody Willard. It allows interaction between bar patrons and the hosts and guests. Although drafts are a bit stout at $8 a piece, it was fun to "be a part of the show" while having a few tall cool ones. Last time I was there I tried to turn Imogen Lloyd Webber into a conservative but failed miserably.

This decision is one of many changes that has been taking place at FBN, and I view this particular move a major mistake. Certainly, I am no television executive and I am sure they could not care what I think. But this was a quality program that had the unfortunate draw of going up against Glenn Beck on FOX News Channel, where Beck has been rewriting the record book for ratings. I watch Beck at 5PMEST, but usually caught the replay of Happy Hour. I think the show would fare much better if they moved it 6PM.

FBN has some outstanding talent on hand and I hope they have some positive plans for the future. So far I am not real keen on what has been happening. Certainly, the recent departure of the talented Alexis Glick, who is left of my taste, is a major loss. I hear Judge Andrew Napolitano is getting a weekend show, and that is good news as he is very strong. Charles Payne is a very good market analyst and I would like to see him get a show. FBN also apparently canceled the Saturday show with Dagan McDowell and Tracey Byrnes, which I think is another mistake. Eric Bolling is very good and I do like Cody Willard and his opinions as well. David Asman is top notch, and his program America's Nightly Scoreboard is great. Liz Claman and Stuart Varney are strong centerpieces for Neil Cavuto to work with.

I hope the future is bright for FBN, but I sure do wish they would keep the beers flowing during "Happy Hour"

Empower the Entrepreneur

Across America, under the tyrannical governance of the Obama administration, small business, home of the entrepreneur, is under assault. The Kauffman Foundation, a foundation formed to attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success by Ewing Kauffman, Marion Laboratories Inc. founder and former owner of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals, is combating the assault with a new entrepreneurial pledge.

Through the pledge, the foundation correctly concludes it will be the entrepreneur who leads any future economic recovery and they ask you to pledge to join the movement.



In that spirit, I am reminded of the great story of entrepreneurship of a self made multi-millionaire, Chris Gardner, whose story is depicted in one of my favorite movies, The Pursuit of Happyness. Recently, Chris Gardner sat down with Eric Bolling, Cody Willard and Rebecca Diamond on FOX Business's Happy Hour to discuss entrepreneurship.



Cash is in fact king, and the best path to prosperity is free market capitalism and the empowering of the entrepreneur. The current political path to socialism must be thwarted for our economy to regain expected levels of growth and expansion.

Who is Obamacare Army Adversary?

Previously, President Obama has openly spoken about his intention to form a civilian army, one with equal power to our military forces. Roll the tape:



Is there a need for this type of organization? What purposes does the President envision for this organization? What is the makeup of the individuals who will staff this organization? Who is the organization accountable to? These are just a few of the many questions I have. Glenn Beck, fellow sick twisted freak, has some questions as well:



I have found this administration untrustworthy, and find the announcement of the formation of the "Ready Reserve Corps" to be most troubling. You become an instant candidate for the Anti-Christ if in any way you were to compare Obama to Adloph Hitler, but did Hitler not form a civilian army which morphed into the SS?

I am not going there, yet, but I do see the potential for members of civil disobedience groups like ACORN or union thugs from SEIU staffing the Reserve Coprs. Will the Apollo Alliance, who astonishingly helped craft the stimulus bill, be part of the creative team? Of course, the NY division of Apollo is headed by Weather Underground co-founder, along with Obama's favorite unrepentant terrorist William Ayers, Jeff Jones. As reported by Atlas Shrugs, they have already began recruiting veterans to help launch an “Operation Free” campaign that has veterans touring the country to call for federal action on climate change, which is perhaps the greatest hoax of all time. I could easily see former Green Jobs Czar Van Jones running point on this!

As alarming as this is, the organization is not set up to be accountable to American people through Congress, but only to the President. See the following:

3) APPOINTMENT.—Commissioned officers of the Ready Reserve Corps shall be appointed by the President and commissioned officers of the Regular Corps shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Source pg 1312

Caution on the speedway!! I read that as advice and consent of the Senate, not accountable to the Senate, or the American people for that matter. This administration has bullied the other legislative branches, threatening Congress and admonishing in front of the American people the Supreme Court of The United States, attempting to diminish their power. Our country is built on among other things a system of checks and balances, to prohibit abuses of power. I consider the President forming his own army accountable only to him for undefined domestic purposes such an abuse.

On top of it all, the provision, and the entire Health Care Reform Bill for that mater, may in fact be unconstitutional. Judge Andrew Napolitano of FOX News discusses the action on FOX Business Network's Happy Hour with Tracey Byrnes, Eric Bolling and Cody Willard. Take a listen:



So we have the Ready Reserve Corps, a domestic army formed to operate at the discretion of the President to be used for domestic purposes accountable only to the President. For what reason? Who is the enemy of the armed Reserve Corps? I sure hope it is not me and my fellow Tea Party Patriots!