The problem with Syria and Mitt Romney's stand

There has been a great deal of talk about Syria lately, and once again, Mitt Romney has no idea of what he's talking about. And I say this as a man who spent 20 years in the military: There is no good plan for Syria. Don't believe me? That's fine, but on Morning Joe Wednesday morning, even Romney backers couldn't say what would work, what plan was at least 75% sure to succeed. That's right, there doesn't seem to be any plan that will get rid of the current regime and stop the violence. Well, maybe one, but that would take hundreds of thousands of troops in Syria. And for what? Maybe it would topple the regime, but it's likely that tens of thousands of troops would be killed to topple the regime. And that's still a maybe for toppling the regime. So when there are no good plans, what does anyone do? They wait for a better time, doing what they can in the mean time. And in this case, that's exactly what the Obama Administration is doing. Several Ambassadors have been expelled from Western Countries, and action has been taken in the U.N. to stem the violence, although Russia has blocked military action. So what does Mitt Romney say? In a nutshell,  The lack of action by the Obama Administration to pressure Russia to stop the Syrian regime from their rule of terror and the administration's refusing to arm the rebels shows how weak on Foreign Policy the Obama Administration is. But Romney's own spokesperson said that no more pressure could be put on Russia, and that Arab States are already arming the rebels. But you keep spouting off against what the Obama Administration is doing. The problem with your stance on Syria is that your own spokesperson don't know what it means, or how to accomplish it. And I doubt that you do either, and that's the real problem with your stand on Syria.    

With a week like this for Romney ...

So Mitt Romney now has the GOP nomination in the bag, after Tuesday night's delegate haul. So this has to be a good week for Romney, right? Well Sunday, the GOP governor of Virginia was on the Meet the Press, and when questioned about getting rid of regulations, said that the BP oil spill was in the past, and it was time to get rid of hindrances to oil drilling such as new regulations enacted after the spill. No, no one cares about another spill in the gulf, do they governor? Then Mitt goes to a fund raiser Tuesday night at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas the day after Trump again states that Obama wasn't born in Hawaii but in Kenya, and therefore isn't really legally President. And what does Mitt say about this? Only that Trump can have his opinion, and as long as he helps Mitt get 50.1% of the vote, he doesn't care what Trump or anyone else believes. Wow! You show some real backbone there, don't you? And today, a new Romney ad calls out the President for favoring friends when government money is handed out. Hey Mitt, aren't you the guy that took $5 million from an Idaho oil magnate and made him your energy spokesperson? Do you really believe that most voters don't know that high-dollar donors control the political system on both sides, but especially on the GOP side? You know Mitt, another week like this and you'll wish you'd won the nomination that week, not this week    

Stand in a nest of snakes, and what do you get?

The TV season must be over-- no really. I know that there's a summer season, but for the big national stations, their season is over. How do I know? Well, Donald Trump was on The View, keeping himself, as it were, " In the News". And again, one of his throw-away lines was the fact that he'd like to see the President's birth certificate. So, to some idiots, this is still an issue? Well, next Tuesday, Mitt Romney will be at a fund raiser hosted by Trump himself. So Mitt, what will you say if Donald starts spouting off of this again? Your surrogate said that you'd simply repeat the reasons you want to be President. So, you won't tell him he's wrong, and that both the President and the state of Hawaii have released his birth certificate? Beware, Mitt, you jump in to a nest of snakes, you might get bit. Or worse, you'll look like a snake yourself.

Paul Ryan, do you believe what you say?

Watching Paul Ryan (T) IL, this morning on Meet the Press, I just have 1 question for you? Do you actually believe what you said today? You stated that the Greece crisis showed how raising taxes is bad for the European Economy, but that's not true. Austerity measures called for taxes to be raised, but at the same time, current government expenditures to be cut. Who wants that. And the United States budget doesn't need both to happen at the same time. You also said that we have a stagnant economy. This is wrong, as private-sector jobs have gone increased for the last 26 months. And when talking about Social Security, you stated that the next President will have to deal with it, while the money will be there for another 17 years at a minimum. Were you talking about Medicare and I misheard (and I don't record the show to verify, sorry)? Even that can be paid for another 10 years with no changes in policies. So, Rep. Ryan, do you believe in what you said, or are you just lying to the American people?    

Everything new is old again for the GOP-- well, almost

It looks like for the GOP, the 2012 election is going to look and sound a whole lot like the 2008 election. Only a week in and the GOP are already talking about  lowering taxes for the rich, more money for the military, the Reverend Wright, and the President's birth certificate. Yes, I thought that both issues had been put to bed, but no, for the GOP, why look forward when you can look back. Mitt Romney again stated his love for the Ryan Budget, which cuts taxes on the rich, slashes or eliminates all domestic spending, including slashing infrastructure expenditures. Then, the GOP-controlled House approves an increase in military spending, overturning a compromise the required cuts in both the military and domestic spending that was signed 2 years ago. A possible ad bringing up Reverend Wright was brought up to the attention of a GOP group, and although Mitt Romney and others denounced the ad, the fact that it was brought up at all means that at least in some GOP circles, this is still an issue. And since Hannity is in this circle, this won't be the last that people hear about this ad. Then, the Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who is in charge of elections in the state,  has said that he actually isn't a birther, but has requested that the President that the President send him a certified copy of his birth certificate. When asked if he didn't get the birth certificate if he would refuse to put the President on the ballot, he said that this would happen only as a last resort. If he didn't get the birth certificate, he would have to ask all those seeking office and on the Arizona ballot to send him birth certificates, and then if he didn't get the President's birth certificate,  he then would consider keeping the President off the ballot. So he asked for only the President's birth certificate, and not those of all candidates? Thank God he isn't a birther. So while all this does sound a whole lot like 2008, in one respect, it really has changed. For while at every turn John McCain would tell people they were wrong when they stated the Obama was not an American or a Muslim, and was very open with the press, no matter what station or paper they were affiliated with, Mitt Romney has kept his mouth shut when lies have been told at rallies, and refuses to give interviews to anyone but Fox News. Congratulations GOP, your candidate has regressed farther than your party plank, and that's saying quite a lot.    

President Obama is researching GOP donors?

So I heard today that several leading GOP politicians are upset that President Obama's re-election committee is doing research on people that are giving millions to GOP PACs, possibly naming names in an ad, and showing what they stand for. I can completely understand this. After all, the GOP would never use the people donating money to the President's PAC, or people who have backed his ideas, in any ads. They're above using ads that state that Bill Maher has given money to the President, or used Hillary Rosen in an ad to scare voters. Oh that's right, the GOP have an ad using just those 2 people, trying to scare people. I can see why you're so upset, GOP. Isn't it a real pain when the other side uses your own tactics?    

Tony Perkins, you're an idiot!

I just watched Tony Perkins on  Hardball, and I'm sorry Tony, you're an idiot. No if ands or buts--with one T or 2. Truly good people couldn't have a gay child? Tell that to the Cheneys, and they love their daughter. This country is based on religious faith? Which one. Didn't people leave Europe to get away religious persecution? And didn't they make a land of laws and not religion? And the social fiber and the economy has been bad because of the easy path of divorce? I can cite over 1000 surveys and research papers that can prove that tax cuts for the wealthy have ripped apart the economy, and because of that, families. You didn't look like an idiot on MSNBC Thursday night, Tony, you are one.

Where's Reagan's Big Tent? It's a pup tent now.

So explain something to me, GOP. What happened to the big tent theory you used to believe in? Just over 30 years ago, President Reagan wanted to include as many people in his coalition as possible. But now, if you don't believe 100% in the Tea Party mantra on deficits and agree 100% with the cultural right on the social agenda, you have no right to belong to the GOP, and they don't want you. Not only don't want you, they want nothing to do with you. Agree with them 80% of the time and hold office? Not enough, they'll run someone against you that agrees with them 100% of the time. So what's happened to that big tent? Yeah, it's about the size of a pup tent now. And it would be even smaller if the far right had its way. Is there anything smaller than a pup tent? You may find out soon, GOP.    

The President is right, it's the laws that's wrong

President Obama came out today in favor of same-sex marriage, and of course, the GOP rips into him as fast as possible. But the President is right when it comes to the idea that under our constitution that all people have the same rights as everyone else has. So what set of laws are wrong? I'm sorry to say this, but the civil laws of marriage in this country are wrong.  Or a better way of saying it is that marriage is and should be only a religious rite, and it never should have been a civil document. All civil unions should be considered just that, a civil union, and nothing more. Marriage should be a religious rite, in the tenets of the church of the people being blessed and married. Going to a Justice of the Peace should be a civil rite, enforced by the laws of the state, county, and country.Call it a Civil Union if you want, but don't call it marriage. But since states deemed unions of 2 people of opposite sexes to be a marriage, the only thing the President could do to ensure all people had the same right to love and be with the person you want to be with regardless of whom they are is to come out in favor of same-sex marriage. You do want the President to follow the laws of the land and the Constitution, don't you GOP? Well, do you, GOP?

Hate Government workers?

So, you're glad that there's fewer government workers than there was 4 years ago? So, you don't like teachers, police officers, and firemen and women? You see, they're government workers. If all these people that the states fired in the last 2 years would have jobs, the jobless rate wouldn't be over 8%, but just under 7%. Yes, that many teachers, police officers, and firemen and women have been fired that the unemployment rate would drop that much. Still think small government is good, and all government workers should be hated?  

Rock Center and the GOP Right

I don't understand how even the GOP right-wing idiots could speak bad of the President and of his administration if they watched last week's NBC's Rock Center show. Yes, they can disagree with some of his policies, but how can they say that the President isn't a true American, or that he doesn't want what he thinks is best for the country. And how cartoonists can make jokes about that night, or the decisions by the President that lead to that night, is beyond me. But maybe they don't believe the news, or even watch anything but Fox. They don't seem to believe science when it comes to the earth's history or global warming patterns. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised when something else is shown on TV that they can't be real.

Missteps on all sides is bad for the country

If you like either the GOP or the Democrats, you had a whole lot to crow about, as both sides made mistakes. President Obama went to Afghanistan and didn't talk about withdrawing troops, but extending our stay there. Why? Even after the speech, not many knew why, including some of his staunchest backers. And this to the mistakes in China and a lackluster jobs report, and the week wasn't a very good one for the Democrats. But for the GOP, it was no bed of roses either. If Newt finally went and suspended his campaign, he went out with a half-throated endorsement of Mitt, and except for Bachmann, so were all the other endorsements. Think Mitt will be a statesman and have a spine? Sorry, if this week is any indication, he isn't and doesn't have one. Less than 2 months after hiring a gay man for his Chief Foreign Policy Spokesman, Mitt walked away from him and basically threw him under the bus when right-wing homophobic idiots demanded his resignation. Then in the middle of the negotiations with the Chinese, Mitt stated his displeasure with how the Obama administration was acting. It didn't matter to Mitt that negotiations were still on-going, and that when it was all said and done the dissident and his family will be allowed to come to the United States.And to top it off, Romney spokespeople were almost giddy to report how few jobs were added last month. It didn't matter that the only 2 areas that aren't gaining in jobs are transportation and government jobs. And both of these areas are being held up, due to GOP tactics in transportation and due to GOP beliefs in government jobs. So if you are a fan and a true believer of either side, you had a lot you could complain about, and it was a good week for you. But if you cared about the country, like I do, you had twice as much to complain about, making a very bad week for you. And for me, too.      

Romney playing Etch-A-Sketch? No, he's got 20/20 hindsight

Are things getting really bad of Mitt Romney? If not, why is he and his campaign trying to make people forget what he said 4 years ago and lying so much? Four years ago, he wrote an op-ed piece for a paper stating that no bailout money should be given to the auto industry from the government. Now, a spokesperson for his campaign state that the government bail out of the industry was exactly what he was suggesting. Four years ago, Mitt Romney said that candidate Obama would be wrong in going into Pakistan unilaterally to kill bin-Laden when then-candidate Obama said he'd do it. Now, not only would he do it, Mitt is now saying any President would do it, neglecting the fact that George W. Bush pulled troops from the area to act and invade Iraq. And George W. stated that it wasn't all that important that bin-Laden was killed.
When Romney became that presumptive candidate for the GOP, it was thought that he would try to get people to forget things that had been said during the primaries. But this really is that at all, it's really looking back with 20/20 hindsight and changing the facts. Of course, it can also be called lying.