Brat Threatens DC Business As Usual

Last week, in what appeared to be a stunning upset, Dave Brat, a literal unknown to a group think biased mainstream media, easily defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in their Virgina GOP primary election.

Dave Brat

Brat ran on old school republican principles, which 35 years ago would have been mainstream.  However, in the world we live in today, Brat is considered extreme by the mainstream media and a threat to the daily goings on in Washington by the elite ruling class, that of which, sadly included Rep. Cantor.

Cantor had this loss coming. 

He was considered a conservative when he entered Congress with such promise, but over time, not only did he forget about his home district while embracing corporations, business individuals and government engaged in crony capitalism if not crony socialism, he was embracing Obama policies, such as immigration reform, and openly working to punish those in his party deemed members of the Tea Party.

Rep. Eric Cantor

Those Tea Party members, albeit there is no actual party and these are regular citizens against a growing government, are the ones who put Cantor into Congress, and they are the ones who threw him out

In his concession speech, it was clear Cantor had no idea what hit him. Cantor vowed to continue to work hard for working class families, clueless that the infiltration in the marketplace by the government, notably through regulation and taxation, is the main problem working class families, defined here as employed families struggling to make it versus union members as defined by the left, face.

In the race, Brat had very limited capital, and was not given help from national organizations such as Tea Party Patriots and Freedom Works.  While he was endorsed by a pair of radio talk show hosts, Laura Ingaham and Mark Levin, he won this race on the merits the old fashioned way.

Brat based his campaign on six Reaganesque principles, which were the following:

That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice,

That all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society,

That fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraints must be exercised at all levels of government,

That the Federal Government must preserve individual liberty by observing Constitutional limitations,

That peace is best preserved through a strong national defense,

That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.

Outside of those who lack faith in their lives, who are the folks among our citizenry that do not agree with these founding principles?  I sure do, and I think Brat will challenge what has clearly been a dysfunctional and broken Washington DC.

Many are quite concerned over the Cantor loss, and it may not be who you think it is.  While progressive GOP members come to mind, it is really those over on the corner of Wall and Broad in the caverns of Wall Street with grave concern. Joe Weisenthal over at Business Insider implies Wall Street should be "terrified" and others noted a loss of a friend.

Without question, Brat is a threat to Wall Street, as things currently are up there, as it is not the same as it was 20 years ago, due to infiltration through open market operations and political activism.  As such, many consider it somewhat of a rigged game, and as an investor of over 30 years, I agree.

Brat would welcome capital markets not politically influenced; a true free market system of buyers and sellers, without promised bailouts, too big to fail and a lack of accountability.  Wouldn't we all.

Sen Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R:KY, had proclaimed the Tea Party would be crushed in very election.  Sadly, Matt Bevin failed to take him out, but crushed indeed was Eric Cantor, the first time in history a majority leader has lost in a primary.

Those progressive leaders, who are among the ruling class thinking they know better than the people, which is in contrast to our founding documents, should beware.  We will not win them all, but our voice will be heard loudly, as Sen. Tad Cochran, R:MS, and Cantor found out.

One thing that can be sure; the increasing lack of Constitutional governance in DC are indicative of the future results if the citizenry keeps voting in politicians consumed with power.  Therefore, I welcome election results like we saw the other night in Virginia.

Welcome Dave Brat!

A Note of Thanks

I just wanted to thank all our regular readers, those who visit from time to time, and any new readers that have recently engaged BAHL Revere!  We are consistently averaging just over 100 page hits on a daily basis, which for what we do, is good.  The blog, after all,  is not to be confused with The Blaze!

With the world seemingly on fire, all events of orchestration by enemies, foreign, and yes, domestic, real world events at the homestead have placed a reduction on blogging activity.  As free time permits, we aim to increase it back to normal levels.

On BAHL Revere, we loathe political correctness; giving you the truth as we see it without worry about insulting individuals or groups.  As they say on the NASCAR circuit; lead, follow or get out the way.

For those who were unaware, we do have an accompanying Facebook page, which we encourage you to check out.  It takes far less time to throw up a Facebook post that to write a blog post, where increasingly every posted sentence must be reviewed to stand any challenges.  We appreciate debate and enjoy respectful discussion on the battlefield of ideas.

Anyhow, posted below is a recent Facebook post.  If you are so inclined, please like us and feel welcome to share any of our activity.

 

We know your time is limited, and we thank all our readers for choosing to spend some time with BAHL Revere.  Keep up the fight for freedom and God Bless You All!

The Hall of BAHL

Sports is and always has played a significant role in my life. I have found that most all of life's lessons are learned between the lines. Discipline, individual responsibility, teamwork and sportsmanship are among many opportunities presented within the games that offer guidance to prosper in life.

Over the years, there have been many individuals associated with sports that I have looked up to, been a fan of, owned a jersey of or just pulled for. These are my guys, and although it has not always been a road without bumps for many, these are my guys. In an effort to recognize these folks, I have formed The Hall of BAHL.

Individuals making this list may or may not be the greatest ever players, coaches or ambassadors, but they are my favorites.

Each year, I will induct five members into The Hall of BAHL. In honor of my good buddy and Sportsman Big Ole BudFeiser, who we lost in 2011 and who I grew up playing sports with, each class will annually be announced on his birthday, June 13.

The inductees for the 2014 Hall of BAHL class are listed in no particular order below:


MIKE ROZIER

Although my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers had won back to back national titles in 1970-71, I was quite young and was unable to completely enjoy the ride.  As the early eighties arrived, a collection of talent that came together in Lincoln that created an environment of championship expectations, culminating in 1983 with a pre-seaason Number 1 ranking based on the scoring explosion, a lethal offense led by playmakers QB Turner Gill, FL Irving Fryar and I-Back Mike Rozier.

Rozier was not blessed with blazing breakway speed, but few were blessed with such nimble moves and sheer toughness as Rozier.  As Rozier emerged at Nebraska, during his junior year, the Cornhukser coaching staff moved future NFL Hall of Famer Roger Craig from tailback to fullback to get Rozier on the field.

A bruising runner, Rozier punished would be tacklers; if the could get a hit on him.  He crushed a guy at K-State, and used his ability to make tacklers miss in a highlight touchdown run in Lincoln versus UCLA.

During his senior season, one which culminated with Rozier winning the Heisman Trophy, he set many records helping Nebraska reach the 50th Orange Bowl to play for the national title and an undefeated season.  The 'Husker defense was not as stout as the offense in 1983, and with Rozier tearing up an ankle having to miss the second half, the Big Red fell short against Miami 30-31.

Rozier went on the United States Football League, but could never get rolling due to the ankle.  An opportunity to play in the NFL emerged, and Rozier answered the call, making the Pro Bowl with the Houston Oliers.

Life is good these days for Mkie Rozier.  He turns heads with his wardrobe during the annual Heisman Trophy presentation and has become a fan favorite in ESPN's Heisman House commercials.

Thankfully, Mike Rozier remains close to the Nebraska program, availing himself to his legions of beloved fans.  I am one of those fans, and welcome Camden, New Jersey's Mike Rozier to The Hall of BAHL.






DERRICK BROOKS

Arriving from Pensacola Washington High School as a strong safety, Derrick Brooks became perhaps the finest linebacker ever to play at Florida State University, helping the Seminoles win their first National Championship in 1993.

Derrick Brooks

Brooks was everywhere, somewhat rewriting the position with a rare combination of speed and strength, destroying opposing offensive efforts via ground or air.  The ability to come off the edge and disrupt the quarterback at opportune times, using his high level of intelligence, changed the complexion of many games.  Derrick also collected turnovers, and from his position on defense, found paydirt many times during his famed career.

The two time consensus All-American was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom he helped lead to a Super Bowl Championship in 2002.  During his NFL career, Brooks was a consistent Pro Bowl performer, having named Defensive Player of the Year in 2002.  Brooks was appropriately elected to the NLF Hall of Fame in 2014.  Perhaps his greatest achievement was having been named the 2000 co-recipient of the NFL's Water Payton Man of the Year, an award derived to recognize excellence on, and off, the gridiron.

Brooks remains close to the Florida State family, having been named to the Florida State University Board of Trustees.  Brooks is an outstanding ambassador for FSU, and the State of Florida.

Derrick Brooks

A fine man and among the best players to ever suit it up for both Florida State and Tampa Bay, I am thrilled to have Derrick Brooks join the Hall of BAHL.


KYLE PETTY

It seems only natural, having been a longtime fan of Richard Petty, to also become a fan of his son Kyle as his stock car career took shape.  It was an added plus, that as I was becoming a fan, Kyle was piloting Pontiac's out of the Felix Sabates stable.

There were highlights in the racing career of Kyle Petty, which included sitting on the pole for the 1992 Daytona 500 in his Mello Yellow sponsored Pontiac Grand Prix, and winning at Dover after starting 37th at Dover in his Coor's Light Pontiac Grand Prix.

Kyle had an attitude, and this made being his fan fun. We cheered when he punched Bobby Hillin for wrecking him out of the aforementioned 500.

With Kyle's time behind the wheel winding down, he spent time grooming his son Adam, who many thought had the talent of Richard which seemed to elude Kyle, for a shot a Sprint Cup.

Adam was well on his way, with that Petty smile, to big things on the Spring Cup Series when his life tragically came to an end in a practice session at New Hampshire International Speedway.  Adam's death, as you may imagine, hit Kyle and his family hard.

Kyle changed his car number from 44 to 45, Adam's number, after his death.  Sprint and Wells Fargo were sponsors.  I had a chance to see Kyle and Adam race together in a Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway, which I cherish.

But, in impressive fashion, Kyle wanted to honor Adam with something meaningful and long lasting. The death of Adam Petty gave birth to The Victory Junction Gang, a camp honoring Adam for children with chronic diseases which over the years, has brought a tremendous amount of joy to these children and their families.  This has been an inspiration to us all.

Full disclosure, one of my companies held an annual golf tournament which raised money for Victory Junction Gang, and its local partner, Camp Boggy Creek.

Kyle has retired as driver, and has found a home as an analyst for Sprint Cup Racing with FOX Sports and TNT Sports.   Petty remains opinionated, ruffling feathers along the way.  There are many times I disagree with Kyle, but I know his thoughts come from his line of thinking, and that is fair.


While Kyle was driving, he drove some really cool looking cars.  Two Pontiacs I especially liked were his Mello Yellow Pontiac and his Hot Wheels Pontiac.  Through his television career, we continue to get a chance to viist with Kyle all along the circuit.  Kyle Petty is welcomed as a 2014 Hall of BAHL inductee.


DEION SANDERS

I remember my Mother had watched Florida State get killed at Florida, and while we were in depression, she pointed out that that your man on defense who returns kicks is really special.  Indeed, in all my years, Deion Sanders, perhaps along with Bo Jackson, is perhaps the most gifted athlete I have been around.

Deion arrived as an unheralded recruit out of North Fort Myers, but it only took a practice for the coaches to recognize that they had a world class athlete that could take the program to the top.

Sanders dazzled from the get go, receiving All America honors and wining the Jim Thorpe Award as the nations top defensive back.  "Prime Time" was at his best against top competition, toying with some and outclassing many.  Sanders picked a pass in the end zone to preserve a Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn and blistered Clemson on a 75 yard punt return in the Puntrooskie game at Death Valley.


Sanders calls out Clemson prior to punt return TD

With Neon Deion a human highlight film on the gridiron, it is noted that Sanders ran track at FSU, running a leg of a 4X100 relay in his football pants, and starred on the baseball team. While at FSU, Sanders was always singled out, by both Bobby Bowden and Mike Martin, as among the hardest working athletes ever to wear the garnet and gold.

Sanders went on to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, most notably with the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. In addition, Sanders starred with the Atlanta Braves, becoming the first player to score a touchdown in the NFL and hit a home run in MLB in the same week.  Astonishing!

Without question, Deion Sanders is among the greatest athletes of our time, recording record setting performances in College Football, The National Football League and Major League Baseball.

I am thankful to have witnessed many of his historical performances in person, and currently enjoy his work with the NFL Network.  It is a pleasure welcome Deion "Prime Time" Sanders to the Hall of BAHL.




LEE CORSO

Unfortunately, for the longest time, I only knew of Lee Corso from a historical perspective.  I followed his coaching career at Indiana and heard all the stories of his record setting skills as a defensive back at Florida State in the late 1950's.  Yep, no matter the age, all FSU football scholars were well aware of the stellar career at FSU of "The Sunshine Scooter"

I first met Corso when he became Head Coach of the Orlando Renegades of the USFL in 1985.  It only lasted a year, but Orlando really enjoyed that team and it was great fun back in those days.

However, Corso is now a beloved star across the nation due to his performances on ESPN's Gameday.  The show is tremendous, pushed to must see status by the antics of Corso.  At first, it was simply the pencil and his frequent politicking for beautiful downtown Orlando, where Corso remains a resident up in the Alaqua area.

Corso reached new heights when he started assuming mascot costume status for his final pick of the day, jousting fans along the way.  This is must see viewing for the college football fan, and has really become part of the historical fabric of the color and pageantry of the game.

Fans across the nation cheer Corso, mobbing him at public appearances seeking pictures and autographs.  These are great times for Corso, who is well deserving.  As fans, we are lucky to still have an opportunity to enjoy his Gameday antics, as a stroke in 2009 almost ended it all.

At FSU, Corso was roommates with Burt Reynolds and remains regarded as part of a core of a historical that helped FSU get on the map.  Corso, due to his capacity at ESPN, is asked not to publicly cheer for his beloved Seminoles, and while he remains quite professional, he can't hide his pride and love for the Seminoles.

 

Long before Gameday, as Seminoles, the "Sunshine Scooter" held a special place in our hearts.  Now, we find difficulty in having our college football Saturday's kickoff without him.  Corso loves the game of college football, and we love him.  It is an honor to welcome Lee Corso as a 2014 inductee in the Hall of BAHL.  

Media Snapshot

Rush Limbaugh very accurately points out that there is no real news media.

 

Talking points are derived by the powers that be, distributed to participatory media outlets which include ABC, CBS, and NBC.  They are then presented to the public in cohesive fashion.

 

For those interesting in testing this theory, compilations of key words from the participatory media outlets have been put together, and while entertaining, the reality of the failure of the media to be objective is no laughing matter.

 

Without question, the mainstream media is completely in the tank for President Obama, and in not pursuing him with relevant questions on issued of constitutional and national security violations, they are deemed criminally complicit.

 

In recent years, beauty pageants, of all things, have brought glaring example of this theory, cementing its authenticity.

 

Sunday night,  Ian Ziering, an actor from Beverly Hills 90210, asked Miss Louisiana whether the government was right to release five Guantanamo Bay prisoners in exchange for American POW Bowe Bergdahl.  Miss Nevada, Nia Sanchez, who went on to win Miss USA, was asked about about the high rate of sexual assaults on college campuses.  The fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do demonstrated Tae (strength of mind) and scored big points with her answer.

 

If only President Obama would get questions he did not see previously that asked appropriate questions the citizenry would like to know.

 

Dennis Miller agrees.

 

 

Breach of Trust

As noted in the swearing in of office for our President, he takes an oath, or affirmation, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.  With Obama, this stands in contrast to his public proclamation that the Constitution is a flawed document.

Generally, the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can’t do to you. Says what the federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf.--Barack Obama in 2001.

Beyond the aforementioned troublesome conflict, an integral part of government, particularly between the President and the people, is a level of trust. Seemingly governing against the will of the people and without respect for the built in checks and balances of our system, President Obama has repeatedly breached that trust.

As troubling as many of the many instances of operation outside these constraints are, the IRS scandal traveled into uncharted territory.  Analyzatoin of this scandal identified findings that noted clear violations of the first and fourth amendments of our Constitution.  Therefore, the appropriate call for the resignation, or impeachment, of President Obama was presented on this blog.

In recent weeks, the breach of trust between the citizenry and our President escalated to the downside, reaching an appalling level, and added a third player; our military.

As we have a bond with those of our citizens who have placed their lives in peril to protect this great country, we have always known the Veterans Administration hospitals have not operated at an appropriate level.  After all, they are operated by the government.

Campaigning for president in 2008, candidate Barack Obama repeatedly hammered George W. Bush on the VA, claiming he would fix all the issues should he be elected.  As President, seemingly still in full campaign mode, Obama continued to offer rhetoric on how he will lift the VA to standards to a standard we all would appreciate.  He did so in a speech in Orlando in 2013. 

For those failing to get a participatory trophy in the arena of following politics, allegations of criminal mistreatment of our veterans at VA hospitals have emerged.  Upon learning about these allegations on the news, President Obama vowed to get the facts an take appropriate action.

The widening scandal centers on Veterans Administration Hospitals placing Veterans in need of care on secret list, falsifying appointment records, allowing administrators to receive bonuses while making the agency appear to be functioning adequately.  Veterans, among our finest treasure, died while on hold on the secret list.

Veterans DIED!

The list of hospitals engaged in this action is ballooning to a staggering number.  No longer allegations and a matter of reality, the findings in this wide ranging scandal are appalling, criminal and a dereliction of duty by all those in position to oversee this agency.

With public outrage escalating, President Obama accepted with regret the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.  Regret?  Even MSNBC noted that "finding a scapegoat to blame is a very poor substitute for fixing the problem." The FBI is investigating what was transpiring under the leadership of these men, and with any luck, a condo in the graybar hotel may be in their future.

We are not going to get in the weeds discussing the various levels of despicable behavior, mismanagement and criminal activity associated with the various hospitals.  However, we will note the following:

*  This is an example of government run health care, and obviously, the results are beyond poor and literally life threatening.  Had this been on display for public perusal when Obamacare was being pushed, public support would have crumbled.  Perhaps this scandal will open some eyeballs of the low information crowd currently drowning in a culture of irrelevance.

*  While you are outraged, President Obama is not.  Obama, in conjunction with noting his disdain for our military, sees the deaths of aging people, who are no longer productive in society, inclusive of veterans, a win on the funding ledger.  This is part of the Complete Lives System, a directional plan headed by Ezekiel Emanuel, which does include those death panels Sarah Palin warned you about.

*  If the administration really was concerned about the care of our Veterans, they would have immediately opened up care for Veterans in need to any hospital under Obamacare.  No wait, come get the care we promised you and that you deserve.  It has not happened.

* The actions of the VA administrators, which have resulted in deaths of our Veterans, represents criminal activity and those responsible must be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Given the cloud level arrogance of our President, who is bent on transforming our country to his desire, we recognize he would never put the country first (ironically the slogan for the McCain-Palin 2008 campaign) and resign office. As such, we have previously called for his impeachment.

The legal case is solid on a handful of issues, but the IRS scandal would be the avenue to pursue.

Until now.

Our country cannot let stand the abysmal treatment of our beloved Veterans by this administration.

Given this was a campaign cause for the candidacy of Obama and recounted in speeches as President as recently as last year, the dereliction of duty in this matter is so grave the integrity of those in leadership can longer be accepted.

Beyond failure to faithfully execute the mission statement of the agency, a irrevocable breach of trust has occurred.  While the breach of trust between this lawless administration and the citizenry is quite regretful, the breach of trust with our beloved Veterans is unacceptable.

Those engaged in cultivating this problem should not be candidates to solve the problem, and a monumental one it is.  Our current leadership has lost all integrity and can no longer be trusted to serve in the best interest of The United States of America.

Therefore, once again, we call for the immediate impeachment of President Barack Obama.

Penalty Served

Throughout my driving career, I was thrilled to have been fixed firmly in the seat in the camp of General Motors. 

Outside of a Jeep Cherokee I purchased in 1992, my garage has been filled with Pontiac Grand Prix GXP's and Chevrolet Trucks.  Notwithstanding current recall issues, the GM products I have owned have been outstanding.

However, GM, with deep financial issues as the 2008 financial crisis hit Uncle Sam, the company made decisions which I strongly opposed.  There were three main issues that were prominent in my disgust, and they are as follows:

*  GM embraced the decision to take government funding, fully understanding the conditions that were associated with the acceptance, which centered around green energy initiatives based on global climate change, which is the greatest hoax of all time.

*  GM made the decision to jettison the proud and iconic Pontiac Motor Division. ending production in 2010.  The decision was heavily influenced by a young team assembled by President Obama ill-equipped for such consult.  These folks, who would not know a Grand Am from a Dodge Dart, had little appreciation for the American muscle car history and were economic imbeciles.

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

*  Having put themselves in a poor position, the company had little choice than to play a role as a campaign supporter for President Obama, who was actively plotting against the long term success of the company by forcing the company to meet energy standards that limit the long term profitability of the company.  Remember Osama Bin Laden is dead but General Motors is alive?

Well, this longtime GM customer is not going to take that lying down.

What little hair I have left remains on fire over the demise of Pontiac.  In addition, any company supporting the most destructive President in the history of America must be penalized, and the revenues for that penalty must be financial.

A numerical figure for the penalty I have assessed General Motors is approximately $35,000.  It is levied in the form of a 2014 Ford Explorer XLT.

2014 Ford Explorer XLT

The Real Heroes!

Ten years ago today, on June 5, 2004, America lost a true hero in our 40th President, Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan embodied all the characteristics we should seek in a president.  Reagan was a freedom loving man, who placed God and country first, embracing American exceptionalism and rugged individualism seeking to leave all he influenced with the flame of freedom, with aspiration and hope for a better future.


Ronald Reagan at Normandy

Unlike our current Commander in Chief, who has disdain for our military, Reagan had a special bond with our men and women in uniform, formed from genuine heartfelt appreciation and respect.

"In times of peace and in times of war America's military power has lead our nation to many great victories."-Ronald Reagan

While there are many instances of Reagan utilizing his wonderful communication skills in praise of the tremendous sacrifice of our military members and their families, few can compare to the speech given by President Reagan at Normandy commemorating the 40th anniversary of D-Day, or The Invasion of Normandy.

The bravery and sacrifice of those who hit Normandy rivals few, and on this day in 1984, President Reagan eloquently said what so very many of us feel and were unable to express.

Please take a listen:



Friday, June 6, 2014, will mark the 70th anniversary of this historic day.

On this day, our hearts and prayers will be with all the brave men lost on that day and those who stormed those beaches in 1944. A face full of tears will flow as we reflect on this day and express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all those who fought to preserve the freedoms we hold dear.

The Real Heroes. Gentlemen; God Bless You All!

Squeeze The Songbirds

We are approaching the Memorial Day weekend, where most Americans, at least those who remain gainfully employed, will enjoy a three day weekend with family and friends. 

A sadly decreasing amount will take time to remember our fallen heroes, who have paved the way for the freedoms our nation currently enjoys.  Although our thoughts and prayers are unable to pay adequate respect to these brave souls, they are offered with heartfelt gratitude.

 

While we have have tens of thousands in service, perhaps in harms way and away from their families and loved ones on this holiday weekend, one US Marine on this day finds himself in a unexpectedly dangerous plight.  He is currently being held captive in a Mexican prison, essentially for trespassing and in possession of legal firearms.

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, who was in San Diego for PTSD treatment, made a wrong turn at the border after dining out with friends and found himself in Mexico, where he sought assistance from the Mexican authorities.  Greta Van Susteren has more, including how easy it would have been for a wrong turn to be made at night at the border.

Sgt. Tahmooressi, who served two combat tours in Afghanistan, has now been imprisoned for over 50 days and now fears for his life.  In a point of clarification, jails in Mexico make our jails look like an afternoon dining at Taco Bell.

Given the high level of disdain of our military by the Obama administration, I know you would be shocked to learn that there has been no attempt by the administration to reach out to Mexican authorities to rectify the situation.

We will save the disgusting issues surrounding the Veterans Administration for a later post (boy howdy am I torqued), but Obama could use some goodwill in this arena, and obtaining freedom for  Sgt. Tahmooressi would seemingly be an easy way to accomplish that.  Imagine the photo op!

Secretary of State John Kerry, who served in Vietnam, visited with Mexican authorities today, perhaps championing some global climate change nonsense, but there was no hint of the subject of Sgt. Tahmooressi having been engaged.



Sgt Tahmooressi

Some are working to secure the release of Sgt. Tahmooressi, most notably Rep Duncan Hunter of California.  As reported by Investors Business Daily, Hunter, R-Calif., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has asked Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to suspend military aid to Mexico, including training, intelligence cooperation and equipment transfers until Tahmooressi is released, a plea that has fallen on deaf ears.

"You have the authority to suspend cooperation with the Mexican military in a number of areas," said Hunter, who served two tours as a member of the Marine Corps in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. "In light of the Mexican government's incarceration of Andrew, I urge you to immediately consider suspending training and equipment assistance to Mexico until Andrew's case is resolved."

What legitimate reason could our President have for not sternly asking for the cooperation of the Mexican authorities in this matter?  After all, Mexicans are illegally entering our country, by the hundreds, on a daily basis, usually in possession of illegal narcotics.  Should they fail to cooperate, the United States has a myriad of punitive and persuasive actions that could be taken, as their actons have grown quite tiresome.

I think Obama, due to Fast & Furious, is not pressing the issue with Mexican authorities, who might start singing like a songbird if the squeeze is placed on them.  You see, in one of the scandals the Democrats think is a political attack, it appears the Obama administration illegal gun-running operation which sold major weaponry to powerful Mexican drug cartels in a backdoor effort to attack the second amendment.

With the help of the communications arm of the administration, otherwise known as the mainstream media, the administration has done a decent job of covering up that impeachable action, and it would certainly be a shame for Mexican authorities to mess that all up now.

The actions of this President with respect to our military is disgusting, and it can no longer be tolerated.  Any and all legally permissible action must be taken, and while I doubt it will do any good, I will be placing a call to the offices of each of my Senate representation, Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, in an effort to get our American hero, Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, home.

I hope you will join me.  It is something we all could, and should do, as we enjoy the Memorial Day weekend.  If we move fast, maybe Sgt. Tahmooressi can home in time to give the command to start engines Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's running of the Coca-Cola 600.

We would honored.

#MARINEHELDINMEXICO

Living Lies

Without question, the average household in America, at least those that are employed, are working harder and longer to provide the same standard of living of their household from just a decade ago. 

As such, even with expanding outlets, finding time to access the news of the day is tough. For the average individual who is not well schooled on political maneuvering, the degree of difficulty of deciphering the real story is almost impossible. 

Therefore, with the mainstream media continuously misrepresenting the facts, the regular working folks have absolutely no idea the level of corruption and deceit of the Obama administration.

In short, the lie to the American public on a daily basis.

Isn't funny that Obama sometimes knows about local events and stories that support his progressive agenda but finds out about the devastating effects of his presidency on the evening news?  Scandals involving Fast and Furious, The IRS and now the Veterans Administration; found out by the same news reports you and I did.

You think I kid you:



With the country 18 trillion dollars in debt, it is obvious Obama  does not require an advisory staff of thousands to give him information of the goings on if he is gaining this knowledge from The CBS Evening News, which, sadly, is nothing more than an extension of his communications department.

While the low information crowd may think President Obama is simply disengaged, the reality is quite the contrary.  Obama knows exactly what is going on, no doubt orchestrating much of it, and does not "find things out" from the news, like the folks.

From the Cloward and Piven Strategy of crashing our economic system through overload to implementation of the theories of Saul Alinsky, among those, pushing falsities with such repetition they break to the counterside, then are considered true or no longer relevant.

Obama is operating a masterful campaign of deception on the citizenry, transforming this once great nation into a big government collective, but time may be running out for him.  While I continue to be puzzled that Obama was able to win a second term, it certainly seems the lengthy scandal train has picked up enough of the citizenry that the trust the people have placed in him has been severely damaged.

The Obama lies, plentiful and historic, in which many politicians from both sides have enabled, have placed our nation in great peril.  The appearances of an awakening citizenry would be welcomed with great enthusiasm, as time is short in effort to protect Uncle Sam from enemies, foreign and domestic, who seek our demise. 

The enemies referenced above would include those who are against our Constitution and seek the transformation of The United States of America.

Dry Run Fly By

Manipulation of the news has escalated to near boiling levels.

A classic conflict between futurist authors Aldous Huxley and George Orwell centers in that Orwell thought information would be withheld from the public while Huxley opined that the public would be drowned in a sea of irrelevant data, unable or unwilling to decipher pertinent information they require.

Score one for Huxley.

A new story came across the transom last week that I found most concerning, and it disappeared with a false explanation about as fast as it appeared.  NBC News was discredited, which is nothing new.

Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, was shut down for several hours, causing delays and cancellations backing up airline travel across the globe.  Among the busiest airports in the world, I would think such an issue would be major new.

Additionally, given the world we now live in, the cause for such an interruption in air traffic would seemingly be of paramount concern.

NBC News reported a "computer glitch" caused by a high flying US U2 Spy plane adjusting altitudes was the source of the problem, wreaking havoc on on flight command control and radar systems.  As is common with the once proud peacock network, the story was quickly discredited.

As reported by NBC News,  the U-2 was flying at 60,000 feet, but air traffic control computers were attempting to keep it from colliding with planes that were actually miles beneath it. The computers at the L.A. Center are programmed to keep commercial airliners and other aircraft from colliding with each other. The spy plane’s altitude and route apparently overloaded a computer system called ERAM, which generates display data for air-traffic controllers. Back-up computer systems also failed. The U-2 spy plane is the same type of aircraft that flew high-altitude spy missions over Russia 50 years ago and more recently Afghanistan.

U2 Spy planes have routinely operated at these altitudes for decades without issue, so what may have happened at LAX.

A theory I am given from consultation with insiders within the business informs me that data entry on the ERAM system was possibly a culprit. There are reported issues with ERAM, and there literally is no adequate backup system as there appears to be interface issues with the previous backup system which is quickly being phased out.  This leaves no adequate backup system, and therefore, for the first time in history, the FAA is flying without double redundancy.

The Air Force officially denied the U2, also known as the Dragon Lady, caused the issue, which seems obvious. It is assumed the Air Force knows what caused this troubling issue, but they have not made their findings public.The U2 has more problems landing than it does wreaking havoc on flight systems. 



US U2 Dragon Lady Spy Place and Chevrolet Camaro SS

Lack of knowledge leads to speculation, and some of the theories emerging are quite disturbing.

Actions in the Ukraine have seriously strained US relations with Russia, and Vladimir Putin has stepped up military action and mobilization across the globe.  Russian long range aircraft have been acknowledged along the California coast, as reported by SHTFPlan.com.

Gen. Herbert Carlisle, Commander of United States Air Forces in the Pacific, acknowledged a significant increase in the activities by Russian long-range strategic aircraft flying along the California coast. There was no comment about whether the aircraft were nuclear capable, but it has not been since the Cold War ended in the early 1990s that Russian patrols have skirted the West Coast and California.

Did the Russian aircraft test advanced technology, which may range from system jamming equipment, stealth technologies or perhaps a non-nuclear EMP weapon, in muscle flexing fashion?
Given the current US weakness, it would be the perfect time for Putin to seize the opportunity to test new military technology. 

Beyond revoking his NetFlix card, what might Obama do?  Putin is not afraid of hashtag rhetoric, and he is not happy with financial sanctions the Obama administration has imposed.

Perhaps the US accidentally caused the issue while testing technology?  If so, this is also troubling as this type of accidental error could have had devastating consequences.  Given our military remains the envy of the world, I really doubt we inadvertently made this error.

We are in real trouble, and are under attack.  The hacking of computers, from major retail to the military, has been an issue, there have documented attacks on our financial markets and there have been lightly reported attacks by unknown foes of power grids across the nation.  A airport flight control system seems a logical next step.

With the US at its weakest position in five decades thanks the policies of President Obama, those who wish America harm see the remaining years our his presidency as an optimal time to attack us.  Given our remaining military prowess, these attacks will not be with conventional weapon systems.

The weapons of choice will be strategic, through use of technology in hijacking, disabling or dismantling our computerized systems.  Even primitive actions like starting fires can become very costly weapons, through finance and manpower, to our infrastructure.

The facts of what happened at LAX remain elusive with very limted media coverage.  Was this a dry run of some sort?  Who knows?

While the news media routinely dismisses stories like these, bombarding you with useless stories of irrelevance and news item propaganda, you should keep promptly dismissed stories like this one ON YOUR RADAR!

The Long Goodbye

Kim & Glen Campbell

With great sadness, we knew this was coming, particularly when news came out a couple of weeks ago.

Kim Woolen Campbell, longtime wife of music legend Glen Campbell, reports that the public musical career of The Rhinestone Cowboy, Glen Campbell, is likely over.

Campbell's battle with Alzheimer’s has progressed to the point where, as FOX News reports, Kim told People Magazine he is now living in a full-time care facility near the family’s home in Nashville.

Kim also said that Glen is no longer able to tune his guitar, but can still play some "licks' finding joy in that.  Kim was quoted in the article as saying "his disease has been “absolutely heartbreaking” for her and the couple’s three children, they try to stay positive".

This seems to be progressing far too quickly for Campbell.  In 2012, Campbell was on his farewell tour across the country with Kim and his kids, who played in his band.  His dueling banjo act with his daughter Ashley drew rave reviews from fans at every performance.

As previously posted, my family and I were honored to attend on of these shows at Silver Springs in Ocala, Florida.  It was certainly a day we will always cherish and will never forget.  It really touched our hearts.

We wish Glen and his family all the best during these times, hoping they will always cherish the joy Glen and his music has given his legions of fans over the years.



God Bless You Glen!

Range of Emotions in The Good Life

 

As Gary Sharp of Sharp & Benning in the Morning on 1620 The Zone in Omaha accurately summarized, on a day when sports, politics and life came together on a Tuesday in Nebraska, a "full range of emotions" littered the landscape from the Harper-Schramm residence halls on 14th Street in Lincoln up to Leavenworth Street in Omaha.

With voters heading to the polls from Sydney to Bellevue, a puzzling story surfaced involving a pair of University of Nebraska athletes. NU long-distance runner Lucas Keifer and starting linebacker Josh Banderas were arrested and charged with felony theft as evidence appears to indicate they stole approximately seven locked bikes from the UNL campus.

Keifer and Banderas both attended Lincoln Southeast HS.  Banderas is the son of Tom Banderas, an outstanding tight end in the mid eighties for the Big Red.

By all accounts, testified to by Zone co-host Damon Benning, Banderas would be among the last of the football roster to be suspected of such activity.  However, as one of the culprits stated, it was a bonehead move.

No kidding.  If only they had stopped for some crab legs.

Meanwhile, the proclamation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R:KY, that every Tea Party candidate would be "crushed everywhere" went down in flames.

Ben Sasse, a candidate backed by Tea Party stalwarts such as Sarah Palin, Sen, Ted Cruz, R:TX, Club for Growth, Sen. Mike Lee, R:UT, and Glenn Beck, won going away.  Shane Osborn, no relation to famed Nebraska football coach and politician Dr. Tom Osborne, seemed like a decent candidate, but had some issues with regard to his Navy past and informed the audience of The Glenn Beck Program on radio of his involvement with Grover Norquist of Americans For Tax Reform, whose cozy relationship with Muslim interests give many cause for concern.

While we are at it, Pete Ricketts,  President and Director of Platte Institute for Economic Research, won the GOP primary in a close one over Jon Bruning, who had just lost a Senate race to now Senator Deb Fischer.  Ricketts, son of J. Joseph Ricketts, Founder of Ameritrade and owner of The Chicago Cubs, a fiscal and social conservative, won the endorsement of Sarah Palin.  Ricketts is almost assured of victory in the general, with a substantial lead in recent polling.

So, it was a big win for The Tea Party, much to the dismay of Senator McConnell, who should know better than to mess with Sarah Palin.  The Tea Party victories are just beginning. 

Some good folks, who stuck their neck out, lost races but can hold their heads high as we certainly appreciate their participation in the debate.  We listen to voices rather than attempt to quiet them.

Maybe those living The Good Life could have closed this day with some baseball at TD Ameritrade Park, where I am told hamburgers were two for one.  But, this is not a food show.

Sadly, those hopes ended with the wheel of a bus going round and round. The college baseball game with Nebraska facing Creighton scheduled for Tuesday night at TD Ameritrade Park was canceled due to travel issues.  After having their flight canceled after defeating Michigan State in East Lansing, the Big Red baseball team traveled back by bus.  However, they were unable to arrive in Omaha in time for the first pitch.

A fitting closing for a day which encompassed a wide range of emotions; mixing life, politics and sports.  Don't Tread On Me and GBR!

Information Overload

Last Sunday was Mother's Day.

 

It sometimes seems as though Mother's Day was a creation of a clandestine meeting between executives at Hallmark and FTD Florist, with children running around seeking cards and flowers in anticipation of a celebration during the day.

 

In spite of the commercialization, which as a free market capitalist I have no issue with, it is a wonderful day of reflection and an opportunity to express our love and gratitude for our Mothers.

 

Sadly, many have lost their Mothers, some have strained relationships and some have never met their Mother.  It is noteworthy to pray for these folks on days like this, hoping they have found love and support from loving friends and family along the way.

 

If Facebook is any kind of example, most have.

 

The greater majority of my personal Facebook friends posted on this day sharing their love and thanks to their Mothers.  In many ways, this was touching and warmed the heart.

 

On the other hand, I wonder how many of those posting, if possible, expressed this person to person.  Additionally, I cringed at the excessive amount of private information many voluntarily surrendered and freely informed the world of. 

We assume that all this information will be consumed by those who do not wish us harm or seek to place limits on our liberty and freedom.  However, Edward Snowden gave us glimpse this may not be the case.

 

Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards--Aldous Huxley

 

 

I find it astounding the amount of information people place on Facebook, many practically offering live daily look-ins on their private lives.  Edward Bernays would be gushing in amazement!

Although it is a personal choice with seemingly no right or wrong answer, I have decided not to use Facebook for a slew of personal posts concerning birthdays, anniversaries and holiday proclamations.

Needless to say, it appears I am in the minority.  No worries.

What I am not in the minority of is having love and admiration for my Mom, feeling heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for all the things she has done and thankfully continues to do for me and our family.

Happy Mothers Day to all those very special ladies out there, who are of vital importance to be sure.

Taking Names

It is amazing that a group of patriots, whose rose up in recent years in the spirit of the those among the founders of this great country, can be so continuously vilified in this day and age as The Tea Party.

Although there is not a person at the head of this movement, at the core of the objectives of those associated represent the founding principles of our nation, which are closely associated with the Constitution, and in particular The Bill of Rights with acknowledgement this is a nation founded on Christian values.

Hard to imagine folks at quarrel with this, but the opposition is significant, and without question, on both sides of the aisle.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, when asked about the races which pit a Tea Party representative versus an establishment GOP candidate, McConnell said "We are going to crush them everywhere".

In an early round of primary action in North Carolina last evening, a Tea Party backed candidate, Greg Brannon, lost in the GOP primary to an establishment Republican named Thom Tillis, who was a favorite of the GOP establishment and supported by Karl Rove's American Crossroads group.  Brannon, a Constitutional Conservative Republican, who was backed by Senators Mike Lee, R:UT, and Rand Paul, R:KY, is an MD and has extensive command of the Constitution.

Again, while Tillis is likely preferable over Sen. Kay Hagan, the Democrat candidate, his positions indicate he favors progressivism, where increasing government control of the citizenry is welcomed.
Certainly, this position does not coincide with the free market individualism mindset of The Tea Party or those from both parties who may be considered libertarian. 

In absorption of Sen. McConnell's comment, we gather that the GOP establishment would rather edge closer to the progressive democrats than embrace the Tea Party.  Now, perhaps, one can understand why there has been little success in opposition to the progressive leadership which has presided over the decline of prosperity and liberty of America over the last decade or so.

Sen. McConnell is also facing a challenge from a representative of the Tea Party in candidate Matt Bevin.  Gloating in the victory last night, RNC spokesman Jahan Wilcox tweeted the following:
"Next up is that fraud @MattBevin! #GOP.

Sarah Palin, appropriately, found such action juvenile and not becoming "the establishment".

While the GOP establishment fails to consider Bevin a legitimate candidate, ( a tactic utilized recently by the Obama administration in effort to de-legitimize those Benghazi inquiries ) Bevin is certainly worthy of consideration and a candidate who in fact has my full support in his effort to defeat Sen. McConnell.

Things get ugly in campaigns, there is no doubt.

However, I will scorecard each of the GOP establishment on their actions and not verbalized rhetoric and campaign website commentary on how conservative they are.  On that scorecard, Sen.McConnell fails miserably, and his intent to crush his internal opposition while hardly standing in opposition to the orchestrated wreckage of the Obama administration.

The scorecard I have of establishment GOP players who insult me by attacking candidates sharing my views rather than opposing progressive Democrates with equal vigor is increasing in names.

Among those on the list are Speaker John Boehner, Rep. Eric Cantor, Rep. Peter King, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Lindsey Graham and, although I certainly respect the heroism and extensive service to our country, Sen. John McCain.

I will campaign for and donate accordingly. Check out MattBevin.com!

Tick Tock

JACK IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

Twisted Tales

I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

That was my reaction to the following headline of a post by Tyler Durden over at ZeroHedge.com:

"With 1 In 3 Homes Unaffordable, Freddie Mac Prepares To Enter The Trailer Home Loan Market"

After fighting through the propaganda presented daily by the Obama administration and their media partners, it is quite obvious that the issues surrounding this headline are illustrative of an anemic and fragile economy, with our country teetering on economic peril few can currently visualize.

With all the failed stimulus, which I was against, we literally have nothing to show for it.  The economy "grew" an a paltry 0.01 percent last quarter, and it culprit is not the much discussed weather.  The culprit remains increasing taxation and regulation, and Obamacare, the biggest job killer we have witnessed in many a moon.

With over 90 million potentially fully employed workers out of work and the lowest labor participation rate since the economically dismal Carter administration, job growth is practically extinct and the annual after tax income for the average worker has decreased approximately 10% since the financial crisis of 2009.

Therefore, although housing prices have significantly retreated, due to a bludgeoned job market, as reported by Zillow, a third of the homes for sale are unaffordable to the average household. In addition, due to Dodd Frank and increased lending requirements, there is increasing difficulty in obtaining financing. 

Housing purchases have been happening over the past year, which have potentially inflated values.
However, it has not been the young family moving up from apartments or starter homes accounting for the sales; it has been Wall Street Hedge Funds and public and private real estate asset management firms, who have been making purchases to rent back to the increasing number of potential buyers unable to make purchases.

It is noted that in recent months these firms have significantly backed off their number of purchases.

Mark Hanson is a top notch real estate analyst, and he recently presented the following chart indicating cash purchases, which were a stunning 63% of residential properties sold in Florida in December:

Mark Hanson/MHanson.com

As the FED seemingly prepares to end qualitative easing, interest rates, which have been been held down and are not a true reflection of the market where economic equilibrium would be measured, without continued FED intervention, are sure to increase.  With the employment landscape stagnant as best, the purchasing of home will become increasingly unaffordable.

Seemingly in anticipation of the negative environment for housing created by the government and their partners, GSE Freddie Mac is now set to begin financing manufactured-housing communities.

Make no mistake, increased financing opportunities are always welcome, although the government should not be involved, as the private sector should be the marketplace for mortgage lending.

But, with this action, is there a story behind the story?

Manufactured housing is typically utilized by lower income families and acreage owners in rural communities.  Are stick built homes to become increasing unaffordable, forcing middle class owners to back step and unitize manufactured housing?

Keep in mind as well, that potentially increasing regulatory actions by the EPA, under the Agenda 21 guidelines, may make transactions on older existing homes much more costly for all involved through having the subject improvement meet EPA guidelines with respect to energy efficiency of appliances, windows, roof cover,etc. before qualifying for financing from GSE's or money center banks the government has interests in.

As a real estate investor, I have not included manufactured housing in my portfolio, primarily due to limited economic life of the improvement in comparison to stick built improvements.  Be advised I am not the only investor aware of this. 

Thanks to the Obama administration and their anti-capitalist policies, the economic conditions in the country are horrendous.  Reminiscent of the climate in the Great Depression, if you are fortunate to have good, stable employment, it has been your neighbor who has been laid off who cannot find adequate employment who is really feeling the brunt of the poor economy.

With employment stagnant at best, and the true future effects of Obamacare unable to be adequately forecasted, the job market remains facing unnecessary head winds with are keeping our economy from reaching high efficiency.

Perhaps Freddie Mac knows something most of you don't, and is looking for another investment opportunity?   The weather is unpredictable; don't get the tales twisted.

Super Sport G8

General Motors is really in a world of hurt these days.

Troubles for the company became highly visible during the financial crisis of 2008, where obligations the company had, most notably poor union contracts not remotely associated with reality, were "discovered" as unsustainable.

Both George W. Bush and then candidate Barack Obama thought it prudent to offer the company bailout money, which GM gladly took.  Once Obama took office, after evaluation, his team orchestrated the making of a new GM and made "recommendations" for the company, which most notably included the elimination of the proud Pontiac Motor Division. 

In addition, bailout monies failed to make their way to the appropriated parties as outlined in 200 year contract law, with union partners and political partners reaping cash benefits.

GM, under the "direction" of the administration and viewed by most as "Government Motors" embarked on effort to produce high mileage low powered cars which were beneficial to environmental concerns.

In recent months sales are reported to have been slightly increasing.  However, as reported by ZeroHedge, reported actual sales "were largely irrelevant" due to channel stuffing of inventories with 805,769 units in inventory at months end in February of 2014.

Issues surrounding a faulty ignition switch has resulted in massive recalls and has company executives testifying before Congress. While the issue not restrictive to just one model, the Chevrolet Cruze appears to have, by far, the most noted cases, with tens of deaths having been reported.

In anticipation of a barrage of lawsuits as a result of the ignition defects, because the sales of most of the affected models took place before GM's 2009 bankruptcy, the company has filed a motion in US Court to bar lawsuits on pre-bankruptcy sales.

Shares of General Motors, GM:NYSE, closed at $34.48 per share, down almost 20% from its 52 week high achieved in mid December.

I have owned GM products all my life, and have been very pleased with the products, which were generally Pontiac cars and Chevrolet trucks.  However, due primarily to the government takeover of GM, using bailout money and terminating the Pontiac Motor Division, I have opened up my candidates for a new vehicle outside of GM.

From an SUV perspective, I am looking at the Ford Explorer Limited.  With respect to a four door sedan, without Pontiac, the door has been kicked wide open.  Previously, the Pontiac G8 GXP would have been the choice. 

However, it looks like Pontiac G8 lives on in the form of the Chevrolet SS.  The SS debuted in 2014 to much fanfare, filling a need for a four door performance sedan Chevrolet has been missing for decades.  Lets check a review to see how they did:



It is not a Pontiac, but the reviews for the Super Sport Chevrolet cousin to the Pontiac G8 have been outstanding.  Not as flashy as its Pontiac predecessor, the performance and handling, a longtime Pontiac wide track feature, exceed expectations.  In addition, the interior in really impressive.

The SS does seem pricey, but vehicle inflation is in full swing, and when a comparable analysis is performed, it actually is a heck of a vehicle for the price, which is about $45K.

The price includes a gas guzzler tax, implemented by the Obama administration.  Eat my exhaust!

A few reviewers wondered why Chevrolet left the acclaimed Magnetic Ride Control system off the 2014 SS, but indications are it will on the 2015 models.

In keeping in the Pontiac family, it looks like an SS will be in my very near future.