Tag Archives: Gingrich

Aug 8 2012

Romney – the Chameleon

I was actually looking for more detail on the Romney stand on Global Warming this morning when I came across a recently posted article by Paul Davies in the Philly Post.  The article,

“Mitt Romney Has Perfected Flip-Flopping – Which side of the Republican candidate would show up at the White House?” 

can be found at  http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2012/08/08/mitt-romney-flip-flopping/.  It is quite a well written piece that I suggest everyone read but more impressive is the video embedded in the article which takes the various and everchanging positions of Mitt over the years and displays them very elegantly and effectively.  Say what you will about the Media, it makes it difficult for a politician to duck and run from previous statements and positions they’ve taken.  I’ve included that video below.  It is a bit longer than most (almost 20 minutes) which speaks volumes as to the contradictions and changes we can see in Mitt over his political career.

Now, if only we had a voting public with the intelligence to realize what it going on and the common sense to see that there is a problem here.

I can only hope but my expectations are low.

Mar 16 2012

Can you say “¡Qué estúpido soy yo?”

While I’m not going to comment on the issue of whether English should be the official US language (there currently is no designation), one again has to wonder where Ricky is heading or what he is thinking with this latest running off at the mouth.  Here he is in Puerto Rico, talking about statehood and basically sets a condition for Puerto Rico that is one that does not exist in our Constitution nor has ever been a requirement for statehood:

While Ricky and his staff are doing the usual post-stupid comment dance, he was specific in his statement:  “As in any other state, you have to comply with this and any federal law. And that is that English has to be the main language,” Santorum told El Vocero, a San Juan newspaper. “There are other states with more than one language as is the case in Hawaii, but to be a state in the United States, English has to be the main language.”

Even in the simplest view of gaining delegates, which Ricky needs badly, this stance will not be bringing in too many of the 23 delegates sitting with Puerto Rico.  I don’t know if statehood is something that Puerto Rico wants or not (there is a referendum on their ballot this year so it holds importance at some level) but it is obvious that either Ricky is downright ignorant, is basically exhibiting another form of political bigotry or has another agenda.

Secondly, the Latino vote becomes a game changer in the real Presidential election – especially for a Republican.  My numbers might be a bit off but when Bush last won, he had about 44% of the Latino vote.  McCain managed around 14% and the current polls are showing similar numbers for the Republican frontrunners.

While it is obvious I think Ricky is pretty much a fool and has none of the credentials that would put him in consideration to be President, one would think that the fact that Ricky has a Bachelor’s degree from Penn State, and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Law degree from Dickinson School of Law (so much for educational snobbery) would give him some foundation in law where he would be better informed as to specifics of the  Constitution and how it positions requirements for statehood.

The 21st Century Don Quixote

I think what is really here is a reality that sits at the bottom line view the Republican Party has of minorities in general, poor people pretty much across the board, the middle class and, at some level, most anyone who doesn’t agree with them – they really don’t care what you think, what you need or how you vote – mostly because (and this is the paradox of it all) they still get a good number of these people to support them somehow.  The Republicans can remain the party of the rich and can keep their economic future rosy all at the cost of the rest of the less well off in our country and still maintain a reasonably consistent record of getting elected.  There remain those individuals that no matter what, they stay uninformed, generally uneducated and pretty much filled with hate – it is this crowd this stance Ricky has taken plays directly to.  Yes, let’s say it together – it is the Tea Party – the people generally standing up at Republican events, making the most noise about big Government while fully taking advantage of what is probably the largest handout to the members of the Tea Party – our own national social insurance program – Medicare.

To give a bit more evidence of the depth of this Republican disdain of everything not “American”, I also bring you back to another stellar human being, Newt Gingrich who, in 2007, remarked “We should replace bi-lingual with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country. They learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto.”  Not one of our more gracious leaders.

People – maybe it is time to clear our heads and get a bit smarter.  To quote POGO “We have met the enemy and he is us”.

Mar 15 2012

It’s also about the environment, stupid.

As we continue through this political season and I listen to both sides continue the positioning and manipulation of facts (yes, I recognize that neither party holds the patent on exaggerations and outright lying), I am hoping that the cloud being raised by all the focus and fuss on the economy doesn’t overwhelm the fact that we can’t just throw all caution to the wind and start making rash and short-term decisions – all in the name of trying to quickly fix an economic situation which did not develop and happen overnight.  I do believe that many of the economic woes we currently have are a result of rapid fire and poorly thought through, short-term focused actions and decisions.  Doesn’t appear to have worked too well for the vast majority of Americans.

We have already pretty much sold our children’s and grandchildren’s economic life somewhat down the tubes in getting to where we are today.  Let us not also throw the environment out the door for them at the same time.  One thing to have money issues – a whole other thing to pretty much find ourselves in a world where everything resembles a toxic wasteland.  I know that is probably an overstatement but I expect most have forgotten what it took to get our air and water to where it is today from where it was when the environmental movement became a force to be reckoned with back in the 1960’s and into the 1970’s when the idea of protecting the environment was still considered radical.  At the time, air and water pollution was almost seen as an expected and reasonable by-product of our continued industrial growth.  And in reality, there was no economic pressure for industry to do anything different.  It was basically a view that the ends justified the means.  Fortunately, smarter and influential individuals and organizations were able to take hold and their efforts eventually made a difference.  I suggest that people take a quick tour back to that time and see what the Great Lakes looked like, take a look at the air pollution in our major cities, get a sense of the number of lives impacted by the toxic waste dumps created by big business.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to put a limit on the amount of pollutants in the air. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Noise Control Act in 1972 and the Clean Water Act in 1977.

I am far from someone who could be considered an extremist when it comes to the environment.  Yes, I wore Earth shoes (who didn’t back then) and I take recycling to be something important but I am far from an activist in any sense.  I believe that there are extremes in the enviromentalist initiatives that probably go too far.  But when I hear the current crop of Republican candidates and leaders start there “Drill baby Drill” chant and when I hear the call to disband the EPA, I start to shudder a bit.  I am one that believes that corporate America will do whatever is needed that leads to an extra penny in a dividend check.  I believe the Exxons of the world don’t have a proactive social conscience and their sense of any social responsibility is more evident only when they get caught.

Yes, it is likely that by increasing oil drilling or removing any EPA required limits for things in the air and water that are known to kill or severely injure people we could see a temporary uptick in some economic indicator they would choose to put out there.  I do ask whether reducing the price of gas by a dime (and I have doubts that any action in the US could have any lasting impact on price) is worth any of us having children or grandchildren with increased cancer rates well beyond that we see today.  I don’t see it and I don’t get it.  And I’m tired of the politicians manipulating the facts and the public into supporting positions which benefit only corporations.  How can we be so stupid when the evidence is all out there?

Prior to 2008, Congressman Gingrich believed in man-made global warming and supported a cap-and-trade program. In 2008, Gingrich shifted his view to be in complete opposition to cap-and-trade and to be skeptical of global warming claims. Gingrich strongly supports expanded drilling both onshore and offshore. Gingrich supports a rapid expansion of nuclear energy, hydrogen energy, wind, and solar energy. One of Gingrich’s more interesting environmental ideas is to build “a large array of mirrors that could affect the earth’s climate,” to extend farmers’ growing season. (from his book "A Contract with the Earth"). Gingrich has opposed EPA regulation of carbon emissions and has called for the EPA to be abolished.

People, open your eyes, stop being sheep, take stock of what you are hearing and make it clear that our leaders hear “yes, while it is about the economy, it is also about the environment, stupid”.   It is time they realize that the American public isn’t as stupid as they think.

Senator Santorum does not believe in man-made global warming. In 2011, he referred to the notion that man was changing the climate as patently absurd. He opposes cap-and-trade legislation, stating that it would destroy a state like Pennsylvania. Senator Santorum supports all manners of energy production. He is a strong advocate for increased oil and gas exploration and increased drilling for oil and natural gas. This includes drilling in ANWR and the outer continental shelf. He opposes the viewpoint that government should chose which resources the people are allowed to use.

Mitt Romney is neutral on the idea that human pollution is a significant cause of global warming. Personally, he's not sure global warming is happening. Romney supports investment in drilling for oil domestically. Romney supports investment in alternative forms of energy including investment in nuclear energy. Romney strongly opposes the protection of natural places from development. Romney is of the opinion wherein the solution to our environmental problem lies in adopting a market approach. While solving the environmental challenges, we should also be supporting growth. Romney is criticized for flip-flopping on the environmental question. He has been blamed for subjecting his will to the likes of big companies.

 

"I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues... "

 

UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. – The Lorax – Dr. Seuss

Feb 20 2012

Santorum – back to the 50’s?

No matter how you look at it, the lack of insight as well as the hypocrisy that sits in the head (not sure a brain exists) of Rick Santorum is obvious and rather disturbing.  His latest attack on President Obama and those not part of the “right” again show the depth of not only his lack of connection with the real world but his total disregard for anything other than his shortsighted and anachronistic views of the world and where we are as a society and people in the 21st century.

First the lack of insight and hypocrisy (and I quote – taken from MSN) – “Santorum said, “I’ve been pretty clear that the left in America has their own moral code in which they want to impose on this country. You can call it a theology. You can call it a moral code. You can call it a world view, but they have their own moral code that they want to impose on everybody else. While they insist and complain that somehow or another that people of Judeo Christian faith are intolerant of their new moral code that they want to create here. I’m just saying they the ones who are intolerant in imposing their will on in this case the Catholic church.””  Okay, what am I missing here?  It would seem that I could replace the work “left” in Santorum’s statement with the word “right” and other than the fact that it would no longer impose will on the Catholic Church and it would pretty much read to mirror the intent of those leaning to the right in our country to inject their views and rules into everything the rest of us do and how we live our lives.  Whether it be the Tea Party, Born-again Christians, the Catholic Church, etc., etc., the mantra is essentially “if you are not with me, you are against me” and we of dissimilar faith (or no faith at all) are now the target of their set of delusions.  In this case, if it was up to Santorum, no one would be using contraceptives (maybe other than an aspirin) and we would all be paying for even more of the Santorum offspring issues as a result of being too old to reproduce.

Tweedledick and Tweedledumb

I also find Santorum’s statements on the “Face the Nation” regarding the environment to be somewhat of a throwback view – one I would expect from someone stuck in the 50’s.

“I am talking about his world view, and the way he approaches problems in this country. I think they’re different than how most people do in America,” Santorum said in the broadcast interview.

The former Pennsylvania senator said Obama’s environmental policies promote ideas of “radical environmentalists,” who, Santorum argues, oppose greater use of the country’s natural resources because they believe “man is here to serve the Earth.” He said that was the reference he was making Saturday in his Ohio campaign appearance when he denounced a “phony theology.”

First off, nice Texas Two-Step on the Theology remark – at least have the balls to hold your ground.  That explanation doesn’t even make sense in try to tie “phony theology” to Obama’s take on environmental issues.  Second, good to see that in the world of Santorum, anyone who takes a view that says that the environment is important and that it is important to consider the impact of what we do as man on the earth is a radical environmentalist.  Of course there is no history or evidence that man ever disregards how what we do impacts the environment and the ability of the earth to deal with it.  Oh, that’s right, in the world of the Right, global warming is not real and is something that has no scientific basis.

So this is the one of the contenders for our next President.  Wow, wonder at what point we start to hear it is time that pants for women are outlawed and it’s skirts only – and at least two fingers below the knee.  Looks like The Honeymooners reruns – “To the moon, Alice” – oh wait, that’s Gingrich territory.