What America Needs and Wants

A recent Gallup poll puts a large spotlight on the disconnect between Americans and their current government, and the SOTU speech last Tuesday was a great example of that disconnect. Inequality and immigration were mentioned as the President’s top priorities this year, yet according to the poll, those two issues are not even close to the priorities of many Americans; garnering just 4% and 3% respectively. What Americans do understand, which our government does not, is that flooding the labor market with a lot of unskilled labor via immigration reform will further exacerbate the unemployment problem, which has become a hardship for millions of Americans. Furthermore, raising the minimum wage to $10/hr will do nothing to lift anyone out of poverty, another concept that most Americans understand and that our government does not. Last Tuesday, Obama emphatically stated that Americans want the government to work together and resolve the problems our country faces. NO, Americans do not want that. Americans currently rank government as the problem, not the solution. There is very little that the government can do, that the private sector and the average American can’t do better.

Americans WANT jobs. Jobs that pay more than $10/hr. And if Obama would unleash the private sector, those jobs would be created. Just as the Tech boom fueled the growth and expansion of the 90’s, the energy boom and expansion can, and should fuel the growth for the next decade or two. We have discovered in the last few years that we are literally sitting on vast reserves of crude oil and natural gas, and the extraction of those reserves would put millions of people to work instantly. The Keystone pipeline is waiting approval, and Canada is hoping that we come to our senses and get the ball rolling. Otherwise, Canada will build that line themselves and those jobs and resources will flow west to China. Obama should also pay close attention to what is happening on private lands in North Dakota and how that activity is fueling job growth throughout the region in every business and driving up wages as well.  This is not rocket science.

The private sector and American ingenuity reigniting an economy built on an energy platform rich with crude and natural gas resources is the prescription this country needs. Not some pandering minimum wage and immigration reform cited by out of touch bureaucrats, Republican and Democrat alike. They are all so out of touch it’s embarrassing, and that is why this year, I am changing my registration to Independent.

 

Another SOTU, Another Republican Implosion

It’s becoming an annual tradition: President Obama delivers his state of the union speech, and some Republican or other implodes on camera. Usually it occurs during the delivery of the Republican response. You know, Marco Rubio clumsily grabbing for his water bottle, or Bobby Jindal–the previous Republican wunderkind, remember?!–giving an awful speech that was painful to watch. I’m not saying that one of this year’s responders didn’t have their awkward TV moment, but there were just so many responses to keep track of this year. Who knows what happened in them, since nobody was watching.

No, I’m talking about Michael Grimm, Republican congressman from the state of New York. Following last night’s SOTU speech, Grimm went on NY1 TV for a brief interview. After eliciting a few comments about the speech–it was “divisive,” don’t you know–the reporter, Michael Scotto, had the audacity to ask the congressman about the ongoing federal investigation of his 2010 campaign fundraising. Rep. Grimm didn’t like that, not at all. His response?

“I’m not speaking to you off-topic, this is only about the president,” said Grimm, before walking off camera.

“So Congressman Michael Grimm does not want to talk about some of the allegations concerning his campaign finances,” Scotto said before tossing back to the station. But as the camera continued to roll, Grimm walked back up to Scotto and began speaking to him in a low voice.

“What?” Scotto responded. “I just wanted to ask you…”

Grimm: “Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I’ll throw you off this f—–g balcony.”

Scotto: “Why? I just wanted to ask you…”

[[cross talk]]

Grimm: “If you ever do that to me again…”

Scotto: “Why? Why? It’s a valid question.”

[[cross talk]]

Grimm: “No, no, you’re not man enough, you’re not man enough. I’ll break you in half. Like a boy.”

It kinda makes you wonder if he has previously broken boys in half, doesn’t it?

After the incident–and after Grimm realized that maybe he shouldn’t be physically threatening television reporters while their cameramen are recording the threat–Grimm issued the following statement:

I was extremely annoyed because I was doing NY1 a favor by rushing to do their interview first in lieu of several other requests. The reporter knew that I was in a hurry and was only there to comment on the State of the Union, but insisted on taking a disrespectful and cheap shot at the end of the interview, because I did not have time to speak off-topic. I verbally took the reporter to task and told him off, because I expect a certain level of professionalism and respect, especially when I go out of my way to do that reporter a favor. I doubt that I am the first Member of Congress to tell off a reporter, and I am sure I won’t be the last.

Rep. Grimm expects “a certain level of professionalism and respect?” One might say the same about our congressmen.

P.S. As soon as Cluster reads this post, he’ll no doubt start scouring the Internets looking for a similar incident involving a Democrat. It could be from the twentieth century, or the nineteenth century, or colonial times. I’m sure I speak for all of us in saying that I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with.

 

Tweet Of The Day

On floor of house waitin on "Kommandant-In-Chef"… the Socialistic dictator who's been feeding US a line or is it "A-Lying?"

— Randy Weber (@TXRandy14) January 29, 2014

Randy Weber of Texas, a United States congressman. I get having a difference of opinion, but really?

 

Happy Tuesday

 

Anything can make music

The next time someone tries to claim that the only “real” musical instruments are either stringed, (guitars not included) blown through or banged on, show them this.

 

http://gizmodo.com/an-ingenious-composer-made-this-awesome-music-using-onl-1502241637

 

Former Govenor “vaginal probe” McDonnell and his lovely wife

    This is beyond pitiful because they took a right turn at entitlement, drove up arrogance and crashed into stupidity.  And it sure shows the ugly truth of so called conservative purists.

11 days into his governorship he was being lauded as the next Republican candidate for President. 11 days out he and his bride are under a 14 count Federal indictment. This is the conservative side of conservatives. I guess the “serve” part of the word has to do with oneself because they sure as hell aren’t serving others. Unless it’s in prison mess hall. Don’t bend over in the shower Bob!

And as far as Christie, I’m at a loss. If he’s telling the truth then he’s the most oblivious human on the planet and shouldn’t be governor. If he’s lying he must either be delusional or think he’s smarter than everyone else and shouldn’t be governor. Either way, shutting down the GWB certainly was a Bridge to Nowhere.

And speaking of Bridges. Although not Jeff Bridges . Here is what one of my favorite writers had to say.

http://www.stonekettle.com/2014/01/a-bridge-too-far.html

 

Ring my doorbell and I’ll shoot

Sigh. Another instance yesterday of a gun owner shooting at other human beings with little to no provocation. I realize you all are probably getting tired of me bringing these reports to your attention, but geez. I’m tired of the fact that so many gun owners seem to have so little self-control.

Gabe [May] reportedly told police that after knocking on a Main Street door and running toward Conewago Street, he and his friend hid near a culvert for about 15 minutes. They walked down Hale Avenue before a white male stepped into the alley and said, “Are you boys lost?” according to the affidavit.

Gabe said he and his friend turned around and started running, when he heard a gunshot and felt pain in his foot, the affidavit states. After running and hiding, Gabe said he took off his shoe and sock, discovering he was shot.

Kids have been knocking on doors and running away from them since there have been doors. It’s a juvenile prank that usually results in, at most, an angry glare from the neighbor. But not in this case.

Naturally, the specter of “stand your ground” raises its head again. In Pennsylvania, where this shooting occurred, it’s referred to as the “castle doctrine.” Experts don’t think it applies in this case because, you know, the kids were running away when they got shot. Not only that, the shooter apparently hunted them down over a 15-minute period. For ringing his doorbell. He only wanted to scare them, but apparently his aim was so poor that when he attempted to miss them, he hit them. You never know with this stand-your-ground business. Perhaps the whole idea of having your doorbell rung late at night is enough to feel threatened to such an extent that you’re justified in resorting to lethal measures.