Friday, December 16, 2011

In Case You Missed It...

I thought I'd try something new. If anyone can think of a better name than "Odds and Ends," I'd be interested in the feedback.

***********
There's nothing illegal about this, but it may complicate things for Rick Perry if he survives past Iowa.
...Perry makes a $150,000 annual gross salary as Texas Governor. Now, thanks to his early retirement, Perry, 61, gets a monthly retirement annuity of $7,698 before taxes, or $6,588 net. That raises his gross annual salary to more than $240,000…

[T]he disclosure is sure to spark criticism of Perry, who has called for sweeping changes to Social Security for average workers and has railed against special “perks” that members of Congress get...
video platform video management video solutions video player

*************
Nikki Haley's endorsement of Mitt Romney didn't sit well with tea party members in South Carolina. I like Haley, but one has to wonder what effect this will have on her 34% approval rating. If Jim Demint is considering backing Mitt in the primary for a second time, this should definitely give him pause.
“The overwhelming sense that I get from talking to people is deep betrayal,” said Karen Martin, the founder and organizer of the Spartanburg tea party, who has not endorsed a candidate. “She’s not going to be able to come back from this with the tea party. If there’s anybody credible who will run against her, I believe the tea party will support them whole-heartedly.”
**************
Conservatives Network has devoted significant time and effort into exposing Ron Paul for the racist comments that have been uncovered from his newsletters. If he was a serious candidate, you can bet that this would be dominating the headlines.
...In the interview, he did not deny he made the statement about the swiftness of black men.

“If you try to catch someone that has stolen a purse from you, there is no chance to catch them,” Dr. Paul said.

He also said the comment about black men in the nation’s capital was made while writing about a 1992 study produced by the National Center on Incarceration and Alternatives, a criminal justice think tank based in Virginia.

Citing statistics from the study, Dr. Paul then concluded in his column: `Given the inefficiencies of what DC laughingly calls the criminal justice system, I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.”

“These aren’t my figures,” Dr. Paul said Tuesday. “That is the assumption you can gather from the report."...

15 comments:

Pablo said...

Wow! The tea party is one ideologically pure entity. Karen Martin might voter against Haley because she endorsed Romney. It really takes my breath away at how ignorant and shallow these cavemen are.

I would also like to point out the guts that Haley has compared to DeMint. Jim DeMint is a completely useless senator that actively seeks to try to keep the conservative movement at bay. It is all about DeMint with DeMint. If he thinks that his pitched forked constituency will get upset (and they will) over DeMint endorsing the same guy that he did four years ago, when then he won't do it. Better to ride the wave of anger and cultural resentment. The economy is bad and Jim doesn't want to be out of a job.

Anonymous said...

If I remember correctly, Nikki Haley and Mitt Romney were friends before she decided to run for governor of South Carolina. They seemed to get on really well, and Nikki even commended Mitt for his character and vise versa. It was a mutual admiration society.

I believe it's the same situation with Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney. They seem to get along really well.

NIkki Haley and Marco Rubio are both tea party darlings. They both get along really well with Mitt and have at one time or another stated their admiration for Mitt.

In Nikki Haley's case, she is getting some backlash from tea party members from her recent endorsement of Mitt Romney. One of the problems tea party members have with this endorsement is their suspicion of Mitt Romney as not trustworthy and not authentic, even though he has a better political and personal record than Newt Gingrich, for example, who is considered more trustworthy.

If tea party darlings Nikki Haley and Marco Rubio both really like Mitt Romney, do many tea party members really like Nikki Haley and Marco Rubio? Were many tea party members fooled into liking Nikki Haley and Marco Rubio? Or do many tea party members really like Mitt Romney and just don't know it?

My guess is that many tea party members opposed to Nikki Haley's endorsement of Mitt Romney really do like Mitt Romney and just don't know it yet. Afterall, Nikki and Marco have gotten to know him on a personal level. Something most tea party members just don't get the opportunity to do.

I think Mitt has a perception problem. The media and their constant attacks and labels, like flip flopper, do have some effect. However, like in last night's debate, Mitt got to explain his side to the latest flip question and it became clear the flip flop label was just that. A label created to make him appear as if he has no core.

I think a lot of tea party members in South Carolina and elsewhere should think about why they admired Nikki Haley in the first place. Also, why someone who is held in such high esteem like she is, would hold Mitt in such high esteem. My guess is that Nikki knows Mitt is authentic and trustworthy.

Lionhead said...

Pablo, your words are so sharp & incendiary! "[i]deologically pure," "ignorant and shallow," "cavemen."

I thought the purpose here was to unite folks under the Mitt banner; not splinter them off into the stratosphere. Then you turn your attack on Jim DeMint. Com'on anyone can endorse anyone they want. What's the "big deal?"

Any politico knows why the endorsements are made. Nothing new under the sun here. If you or others want to attack the Tea Party, just remember they were co-opted by the establishment GOP. You're, in effect, attacking your own constituents.

Anyway, since RW has open this up for "odds 'n ends" I'd like to toss this tidbit into it re the National Defense Authorization Act. This short video reminds us all of the precarious position the USA finds itself in. As you view the video, note the champions of this Bill, the time & place where it was filmed so many years ago & compare to the parallels of today. http://saf.li/96rDj

Much the same rhetoric of today was used against the speaker at the time, but he was successfully elected & re-elected. Choose your candidate wisely as freedom is very fragile now, choosing people who are it's avowed enemies would be tragic.

But 'tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.

* Banquo, Scene III Macbeth

Machtyn said...

It really baffles me. For all these supposed, educated TEA Party members won't do their homework. They're spewing the same platitudes that the Democrats are calling against Mitt and most of them are flat out lies.

Instead of listening and finding out why Haley, Christie, Ayotte, Pawlenty, O'Donnell, Flake, Mack, Chaffetz, and Walker, they instead turn their backs on these people and call them RINOs. Do they even know what the word means at this point? Have they even looked into the records of all the candidates up there?

I understand that RWN and others here don't like Mitt. I understand that their preferred candidate is not running. I know that they have looked into the records, it is not them to whom I refer. But it is those that spout out "flip-flopper", "no core", "moistens his finger to find the direction of the wind", and yet support Gingrich. They call Romney a cronie and a liar, yet support Rick Perry. They say he lacks business experience or that all he cares about is lining his own pocket, yet ignore the fact that he took $1 per year as Governor of MA and donated all of his Olympics earnings to charities. The ignore the fact that after he laid off a bunch of people, sent some companies through bankruptcies, that some of those companies came back stronger and he created over a net of 200,000 jobs. Those people he fired? Most of them found more suitable jobs. Yet, they would support Cain who ran two organizations.

They wanted a guy with foreign policy experience, so they chose McCain last time, completely ignoring Romney's total experience which includes an understanding of international business and politics.

Is Mitt perfect, of course not. But show me a candidate that even comes close to him in experience, practice, training, preparation, organization, determination, and desire. Some have pieces, but none come close to all of these as Mitt Romney has.

Slick-Willy said...

No one owns the Tea Party. The only reason the effort began and the only reason it ever mattered was to create fiscal responsibility and thereby improve our economy and country. It's very disappointing that the focus has been lost and that GOP power grubbers have been able to hi-jack the movement.

As for the Perry news... I agree that he's learned to work the system, but this news is small potatoes compared to his massive corruption through his pay-to-play system. I have a problem w/people who become multi-millionaires through politics.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if this is just the vocal few complaining about Haley endorsing Mitt, or if the feeling is widespread. If so, these people have their heads in the sand.

What other choice is there? Haley isn't going to suffer one bit from endorsing Mitt.

This thing is all but wrapped up, and if the tea party is true to their principles, they will soon see how much they need Mitt.

-Martha

Anonymous said...

RW, I was wondering if Ron Paul's racist past was ever going to pop up. Doubt it gets any press.

-Martha

Ohio JOE said...

"Jim DeMint is a completely useless senator" Because he won't endorse your guy. You'd be spewing the same non-sense against the Governor had she endorsed somebody else.

Ohio JOE said...

"They're spewing the same platitudes that the Democrats are calling against Mitt and most of them are flat out lies." But being dishonest about Mrs. Palin is OK? With respect Machtyn, your camp does not have a good record of figuring out what is reality and what is Left Wing talking points.

"Instead of listening and finding out why Haley, Christie, Ayotte, Pawlenty, O'Donnell, Flake, Mack, Chaffetz, and Walker, they instead turn their backs on these people and call them RINOs." Very few of us have called them RINOs. It is interesting that you list all the Conservatives that have endorsed Mr. Romney, but ignore the liberals that have endorsed him.

Ohio JOE said...

The fact that Mr. Perry can double dip is a perfect example of how the system is broke and needs more than just a little fixing around the edges.

With respect RW, most Tea Party members will not abandon the Governor just because just might have endorsed the wrong candidate. She did not have a whole lot of choice after all.

Terrye said...

It is difficult for me to believe that all Tea Party people are as uninformed as the ones you are talking about RWN...after all, Romney supported Nikki Haley before they did..they go way back and he contributed to her campaign..is she supposed to abandon him just to pander to a bunch of people who apparently are willing to pander to a big government guy like Gingrich? Really..

As far as her 34% approval rating..that has much to do with the crappy economy which is even crappier in her state than it is in many others.

I do think politicians should note however, that the Tea Party is not only willing to support Gingrich, but they are willing to eat their own if they feel those people have actually made a decision on their own. Telling.

Terrye said...

Ohio Joe...DeMint did endorse Rommey 3 and a half years ago and Romney is the same guy..I guess this makes DeMint a flip flopper. DeMint also endorsed Romneycare back in the day.

And DeMint is the guy who said he would rather have 30 true conservatives and than a majority of mainstream Republicans..well I am sure Barack Obama would agree with that statement.


And what liberals would that be? Gingrich supported that Republican in NY23 Scozzafava who was supposedly a Republican and he has been forgiven..he endorsed and supported that immigration plan that came out of the Senate that conservatives supposedly hated, but he has been forgiven for that..and btw, Romney did not support that plan.

So it seems to me that a lot of the people who are willing to support Newt Gingrich are also willing to overlook a lot of his forays into liberal land.

The hypocricy is just stunning. It really is.

Ohio JOE said...

"DeMint did endorse Rommey 3 and a half years ago and Romney is the same guy." Hello the rest of the field has changed.


"And what liberals would that be? Gingrich supported that Republican in NY23 Scozzafava who was supposedly a Republican and he has been forgiven" This is rich, you lecturing me on NY-23. Why do you think I have little for either Mr. Gingrich or Mr. Romney? NY-23 was a declaration of war from the party hacks. Where has your Queen Dede got you?

Terrye said...

Ohio Joe...My point was that many in the Tea Party do have time for Gingrich and thus all this sanctimonious nonsense about how they have been betrayed by Nikki Haley for supporting Romney is hypocritical.

And who do you support? I looked at Hot Air and the true believers are going after Bachmann because she challenged Gingrich.

The truth is that so many of the people who are passing judgment on Romney are cherry picking his record to fit their own narrative while they either support someone worse, or don't bother to come up with a viable alternative at all.

Anonymous said...

Nikki Haley was never the Tea Party candidate everybody wanted her to be. She knows what needs to be done to get where she wants to go.

WIth Sarah Palin not in the race, it makes perfect sense for Haley to endorse Romney...no big breaking news here.

That's what endorsements are about...you scratch my back...

jerseyrepublican

BTW RW, I like the ODDS and ENDS theme of this post...you should do a daily or weekly version.