It is only fitting that the mudslinging now coming out of the Mitt Romney camp is occurring here in Florida. When it comes to dirty politics, the Sunshine State stands in a class all it’s own.

After Newt Gingrich’s overwhelming victory in the S.C. primary and subsequent surge in the polls, a real sense of desperation set in for Romney.

Desperation that manifests itself in the aggressive demeanor he’s taken on and in the negative campaign ads that have inundated the airwaves in Florida.

Such as the ad that falsely claims that Gingrich “resigned in disgrace” which Romney is still running and even had aired during last night’s CNN debate. A claim that none other than Charles Krauthammer himself has stated is not accurate.

Although, were you to ask Mitt Romney about this ad, odds are you will get feigned ignorance. A bothersome trend from the former Governor, whether you’re asking about sleazy campaign ads or Swiss bank accounts, is for him to deny knowledge and divert the responsibility to others.

Yet, desperate times call for desperate measures and fortunately for Romney, his chief campaign strategist and several of his most senior campaign staff were Charlie Crist’s top political advisers who are ever so familiar with the political turf here in Florida.

And this ‘win at whatever cost’ approach now seen coming from the Romney camp is eerily reminiscent of good ol’ Charlie, leaving one to wonder if this is driven by the sense of entitlement that seems to be inherent in the political class, a.k.a. the establishment?

And make no mistake about it, the ‘establishment’ is fully behind Mitt Romney, as evidenced by the likes of John McCain and Connie Mack IV out stumping on his behalf. Individuals who are always quick to rail against the very system they have become an embodiment of.

In truth, McCain’s appearance signals something far more sinister. Mitt Romney has not put forth much effort to court tea party support, much like Crist’s moderate, ignore-the-tea-party strategy. Which makes sense considering the same individuals are behind both campaigns.

As we often see in both Washington and Tallahassee, the political class is first and foremost about outmaneuvering it’s opponents and the tea party needs to understand that the moderate wing of the GOP sees it as much of an opponent as it does the Democrats. Perhaps more so, since both parties share a common benefit from a continuation of the status quo.

And if Mitt Romney can secure the nomination without so much as crossing the street for the tea party, it will serve the dual purpose of ensuring the establishment retains control with ‘their guy’ and will go a very long way toward suppressing the rightward shift of the party brought on by the tea party.

Yes, the GOP presidential primary comes down to the moderate wing versus the conservative wing of the party – the establishment vs. the tea party.

With Newt Gingrich, in all his glory, representing the conservative tea party position.

In reality, this has been a two man race for some time now. Rick Santorum is reportedly pulling up stakes on Sunday and returning home two days before voting takes place. Simply put, he just doesn’t have the resources to compete in an expensive state like Florida where it’s winner take all.

Much like former Gov. Sarah Palin, who wants to see the nomination process continue to play out, Santorum supporters AND the tea party movement in Florida must see the long term effects of a Romney win. If he prevails here, the race is all but over.

A vote for Newt Gingrich ensures a continuation of this process and all parties involved live to fight another day.

One thing is clear, with Romney as the Republican nominee, the tea party may as well pack up and go home – it will have zero influence in his organization.

The moderate wing of the party is counting on the political immaturity of the tea party to prevail, the fierce independence of the many groups to prevent it from seeing the long term strategy playing out.

What is really encouraging here is that just as it has been from the very beginning, the people have it within their power to control the outcome. The question is do we choose to exercise this power.

Cross Posted at Florida Political Press

With the Iowa Caucus about to begin, we are just hours away from the official launch of the critically important 2012 presidential electoral process.

About the only thing that is certain at this point is that the Iowa results, be what they may, will be spun six ways to Sunday by the campaigns, their supporters and the talking heads in the media.

In these analyses, motive will be long and truth hard to find as everyone tries to seize the momentum. Which is really about the only role Iowa plays as it is far from a microcosm of the American people and the caucus process itself is suspect in many ways.

As things stand, the odds makers say Mitt Romney will prevail with Ron Paul coming in a very close second, the results of which could easily flip flop. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum will battle it out for third place, with Rick Perry potentially factoring in. It’s very likely that Iowa will spell the end of Michele Bachmann’s 2012 efforts and Jon Huntsman, who’s putting all his eggs in a New Hampshire basket, will be an afterthought.

With the media being diligent in it’s never ending quest to remove all obstacles to the progressive Shangri-la it so desires, a trend already beginning to play out is to cast the electoral results as the death knell of the tea party.

We will be told that this is supposed to be the year that the tea party picked the Republican presidential candidate, a ‘great opportunity for conservatives to finally get a nominee without compromising’. And any success by Romney, Gingrich or even Ron Paul will be used as the measuring stick to point out the utter failure of this objective.

Newsflash… no it’s not!

The success or failure of the tea party will be predicated on one fact and one fact alone, that being the fate of Barack Obama. Replacing the current occupant of the White House is the key aspiration of the tea party, a fact confirmed in a recent Rasmussen poll. Not to suggest that it doesn’t matter which candidate accomplishes this, but it’s not the driving factor.

Of course, politics being what it is, it will be confusing because at the same time the media is selling you on the impending doom of the tea party, the frontrunners will all be trying to convince us that they are the tea party candidate. Particularly Ron Paul.

News flash… no he’s not!

Ron Paul will be the one candidate that will get an assist from the media in propagating the idea that he is the tea party choice because it serves their ultimate goal to associate the movement with some of his more quirky ideas. If successful in that endeavor, the media will then expose those ideas for what they see them as, ‘killing two birds with one stone’ if you will.

Additionally, any lack of success by Bachmann, Perry or Santorum will also be hung around the neck of the tea party, used by the media to highlight the inability of the movement to push the candidates that best represents it’s values to the forefront. Particularly Bachmann, being Chair of the tea party caucus in Congress.

Newsflash… no it’s not!

Since the historic success of it’s early days when there was a laser focus on T.A.R.P., Stimulus I & II and ObamaCare, the tea party has become very fragmented and it’s purpose waylaid by far too many self serving principles calling themselves ‘leaders’. The one consistency that remains is the understanding of how damaging four more years of Obama can be. The realization that this man has emboldened the enemies, both foreign and domestic, of a free and prosperous America like no other.

In what may very well be the only remaining success of this great awakening known as the tea party, defeating Barack Obama in 2012 is job one and the average, everyday Americans who’ve always been the strength of the tea party are looking for that one candidate that can accomplish this, ideology aside.

Which explains why Bachmann, Perry and Santorum struggle to resonate more than they do – the perception being that they do not have what it takes to defeat Obama in the general election.

Some may call placing ideology aside selling out, capitulating or simply the maturation of the tea party toward the realities of politics, but I think it’s indicative of something else all together. And that is, when it comes to defeating Barack Obama, failure is not an option.

Cross Posted at Florida Political Press

For the sake of argument, let’s assume for a moment that Ron Paul prevails in the GOP presidential primary and somehow survives the onslaught from the Far Left, who must be salivating over the thoughts of a match up with an old, white guy surrounded by charges of racism and, at age 77, becomes the oldest man ever elected President of the United States.

Once the inaugural parties are behind us and the smoke clears, how does President Ron Paul govern? And I use the term ‘govern’ in a twisted sort of way to mean actually get things done.

The first question we should ask is how does the Republican Party power base respond to a Ron Paul presidency? How eager do you think the GOP ‘establishment’ will be to advance his agenda? Is it likely that Speaker of the House John Boehner or Senate Minority (Majority?) Leader Mitch McConnell will be willing to work with President Paul?

After so many years in Washington, who are Ron Paul’s allies on Capitol Hill? Does he have a base of followers in Congress who’ve been inspired by his unique stand for liberty that he can count on?

If the Republicans refuses to caucus on his behalf, will he turn to the Progressive Socialist Party, formerly known as the Democratic Party? Out of desperation, does a Ron Paul White House strike an unholy alliance with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?

For that matter, what does a Ron Paul White House look like? Who does he surround himself with? Who will advise him? We can assume that Lew Rockwell will not have a role… right???

Who does Ron Paul select as Secretary of State to implement his questionable brand of foreign policy?

Will he even be able to find someone willing to accept the role of Secretary of Defense in what will surely be the biggest military draw down in U.S. History?

Having been exceptionally critical of just about every Secretary of Treasury since Reagan, who does he choose that’s sympatico with his views on monetary policy? How does Wall St. respond?

With Ron Paul’s views on individual liberty, will anyone take on the responsibility as Secretary of Homeland Security to protect America from an attack?

And considering that the Attorney General under Ron Paul is sure to have his/her hands full and then some, who ends up in this seat?

I know, I know. Far too many questions… but questions that need to be asked.

Looking back on the outcome of the 2008 presidential election, it didn’t require a rocket scientist to see that Obama was destined to disappoint. The hopes of an Obama presidency were built up to an impossible level that no earthly man could ever meet. I’m sure we all remember the video of the young woman celebrating and proclaiming that she’ll no longer have to worry about paying her bills or put gas in her car.

Will Ron Paul’s emphatic base experience a similar let down, once President Paul is face with the realities of governing? And how does he deal with this reality? Considering he will be 81 yrs old by the end of his term and we’ve seen time and again how quickly Presidents age, how does his health hold up? Remember all the emphasis on Reagan’s age when he was running?

Yeah, I know… more questions. But legitimate questions.

Which may or may not have satisfactory answers. Questions that will probably upset Ron Paul supporters who have a tendency to be overly protective of their guy, but questions any voter should ask themselves as they consider who to support in the 2012 GOP presidential primary.

Politicos, both left and right, are beside themselves trying to understand why the tea party is beginning to align with Newt Gingrich.

(Which is ironic in and of itself. The media continues to feed us a steady diet of how the tea party has lost it’s influence, yet, whomever the movement gets behind quickly finds themselves in the lead.)

With all his history, the many inconsistencies in his record and Glen Beck screaming from the rafters that this man is a progressive, more and more tea party folks are shifting toward Newt. Even with Charles Krauthammer using the ‘S’ word – socialist – he remains comfortably atop the polls.

How can this be? Does this confirm that the tea party was never serious about all this limited government and fiscal responsibility stuff? That they’re a bunch of hypocrites?

It seems that too many on the right are looking to the eventual GOP nominee to not only defeat Obama, but to right decades of misguided policy and reset the course of American history and do it all in a single election cycle.

With feet firmly on the ground and heads free of the clouds, many in the tea party understand that the myriad of problems that plague this country are deep rooted and will take years to resolve, if ever.

Having spent the better part of 3 yrs battling Barack Obama and the Progressive Left, the tea party is well aware of how successful they have been in implementing their ideology in this country.

It’s understood that they dominate the institutions of government, the universities and, subsequently, the minds of the younger generation. That they control the national media, the entertainment industry and, along with that, the ability to define what is ‘hip’ in America, a desperately important motivational factor for the shallow minded.

Most tea partiers understand this is a war for the future of America, pitting collectivism against self reliance, and that it will take many years to play out.

And the critical first step in that battle is to remove Barack Obama from the White House, a man who’s greatest achievement to date may be the extent in which he has emboldened the enemies, both foreign and domestic, of a free and prosperous America.

A sentiment pundits would be wise not to downplay.

Another factor that is tattooed in the minds of many tea partiers is the stark contrast that existed between Barack Obama and John McCain in the debates leading up to the 2008 election. McCain’s painful oratory skills and total inability to expose Obama’s inexperience and idealism played a key role in the unfortunate outcome of that election. A blunder many do not want to see repeated.

If the past three years have taught us anything, it is that the Left will hold nothing back in their quest to retain the White House. The 2012 election will be as nasty as recent memory will allow and the right had better have a fighter in their corner.

And when surveying the GOP presidential primary field, I submit that these are the factors that lead many to Newt Gingrich.

Newt is not only a feisty individual quick to challenge the propaganda arm of the Far Left, better known as the national media, but he also has the intellectual capacity to overshadow Obama in a debate.

But more importantly, as was accurately stated by Scott Baker of The Blaze, ‘there is a cool, analytical detachment to his brutal and effective dissection of liberal failure’, that will enable Newt to win the moral argument over what kind of country America is, or should be.

The very argument that will make up the cornerstone of Obama’s campaign strategy.

And that, in a nutshell, ideology aside, is why many feel Newt Gingrich is the best candidate to go head to head with Barack Obama.

With little confidence that Mitt Romney has a ‘killer instinct’, that Rick Perry won’t end up babbling to himself, or that Ron Paul has the ability to articulate his message in a coherent manner, or that Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann can be anything but negative, it’s “Newt or Bust’ for many in the tea party.

Cross-Posted at Florida Political Press

As the sole administrator of a conservative web site, I read far more than the average tea party member and ingest a steady intake of the many seemingly insurmountable problems that we face as a nation and a people.

Ask around in tea party circles and it will not take very long to find those who refer to me as a naysayer, one who tends to dwell on the negative. When you take a hard look at where America stands, it’s easy to develop this mind set.

I firmly believe we get the government we deserve and but for the apathy of the American people, we would see a more responsive and morally just government. At times, in more intimate circles, I’ve stated that it may very well take an absolute collapse in this country to shake people from their indifference.

I do understand that ever the optimist, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope, as Patrick Henry so eloquently stated in his ‘Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death’ speech. He follows that by asking;

“Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?”

The latter having become my personal motto.

I came across a column titled Government of The Elites, By The Elites and For The Elites written by ‘Monty Pelerin’. The author’s name is a pseudonym derived from The Mont Pelerin Society, an international organization composed of economists, philosophers, historians, intellectuals, business leaders, and others who favour classical liberalism.

I share a portion of it with you because it so accurately captures the pessimism that resides within my heart and that we seldom hear outside of Glenn Beck. A message that has validity in these times that try men’s souls;

This country, founded on personal liberty, freedom and limited government, has morphed into a massive Social Welfare State rivaling the paragons of Socialism in Europe. The concept of government serving the people no longer applies. The people now serve their government and its cronies.

The Founding Fathers would not recognize what has transpired in this country. Their creation and ideals have been savagely distorted if not destroyed forever. In its place stands the detested evil that results from increasingly unbridled power. The image of Leviathan ruthlessly ruling over its citizens is faintly visible. Each violation of The Constitution and The Rule of Law only strengthens the growing monster.

From a short-term perspective, the deterioration in government is barely noticeable. It proceeds slowly, in the same manner and to the same effect as rust or erosion. Looked at from a wider time perspective it is easy to see…

Attacks on the Rule of Law and the Constitution, coupled with the general decline in ethical norms, enabled the inmates to take control of the asylum. Now we face a situation described rather bluntly by D. Sherman Okst:

Plutocracy allows them to do what you and I would be jailed for doing. Being a legislator today is a get out of jail and get rich card. Congress isn’t a place to serve the public, it isn’t where you go to honor your country – it is where you go to earn wealth 150% faster than the American that serves you while you screw them.

There is no viable political solution. Choosing between Corruption Faster (Democrats) and Corruption Slower (Republicans) does not change the destination, merely the rate at which the public is plundered. Government is too large and too powerful to allow itself to be dismantled via the ballot box. Yet it is also too large, too inefficient and too insolvent to survive.

A mercy killing, administered by an economic collapse, will provide a meaningful opportunity to address the political problem and return to limited government. Such an event, unfortunately, also opens the possibility of a totalitarian state.

Great pain lies ahead. The only issue is whether it will be short-term (say ten years) or long-term as in the old Soviet Union. Be aware of what lies ahead and prepare as best you can.

Cross-Posted at Florida Political Press

An extreme comparison, no doubt… Tea Party Nation’s Judson Phillips being compared to the dastardly Alan Grayson?

A common trait the two appear to share is the propensity to make the most asinine comments imaginable, all carefully designed to attract media attention in a transparent attempt to remain relevant. And speaking of the media, it’s now a given that when looking for an extreme opinion on a tea party related issue, ring up Judson Phillips.

His latest gift to the media being comments made about Herman Cain. In response to the video clip where Cain pauses to gather his thoughts, Phillips had this to say;

“Herman Cain needs to leave the race because he is not qualified to be President. The video is painful to watch. It is obvious Cain is in over his head and simply clueless.”

Comments you would expect to hear from supporters of the political class.

As a Herman Cain supporter, it’s no surprise that I take umbrage with Phillips comments, however, as a member of the tea party I’ve simply grown weary of these “national tea party leaders” allowing themselves to be propped up by the media as if speaking on behalf of the entire movement.

And in that light, I have three words for Mr. Phillips; Shut up already!

Such a definitive statement on Cain based on one interview, where Cain had the audacity to… pause?

We readily expect to see the Far Left dust off the Sarah Palin playbook and use it against conservative candidates, but it’s a whole other matter when it comes from supposed “tea party leaders”. What makes Judson Phillips qualified to espouse on Herman Cain’s mental capacity or his qualifications?

If you’re going to play into the media’s hands, why not reinforce the racial element of the tea party and proclaim that Cain can’t grasp the complexities of the job simply because he’s a black man?

Here’s a news flash, after the last four administrations, including the current one, America may not survive another “qualified” President.

The great thing about the tea party in the eyes of opportunists such as Judson Phillips is that any yahoo can step forward and call himself a tea party leader. The ranks of the tea party are full of these self proclaimed leaders who command little more than an email list, often purchased from other sources.

Beyond this, what contributions has Phillips, who once suggested that only property owners be allowed to vote, made to the movement?

His only claim to fame is that he was the first to hold a “national” tea party convention and was fortunate enough to secure Sarah Palin as the keynote speaker. A convention surrounded by controversy and lawsuits. And his second attempt at a national convention fell flat and resulted in a lawsuit being filed against him by the casino resort, who says Phillips failed to pay the bill after canceling the event.

I suggest that it is Judson Phillips who’s in over his head and simply clueless… which gives him yet another commonality with Alan Grayson.

Cross-posted at Florida Political Press

So here we are yet again… it’s crisis time in Washington, D.C.

With a midnight deadline looming on Monday, the ‘Supercommittee’ is at an impasse and we run the risk of the automatic cuts taking effect if a deal cannot be struck. For the next couple of days, we’ll be treated to the theatrics of the political class ‘laboring’ on our behalf to desperately come up with solutions.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), one of the six Democrats leaders on the committee has already tipped us off on how it all ends when he said the automatic cuts known as sequestration would not be a failure.

“[But] sequestration is a way to get us back on track,” he said. “Sequestration will give us progress whether we like it or not. I’d rather have a human hand fashioning the progress than, as I’ve said before, the blunt edge of a guillotine deciding what progress looks like. [But] any time you can get $1.2 trillion in savings, that’s not failure.”

Of course, with the savings consisting of at least $500 billion in cuts to national security spending, while entitlement benefits are protected, is it any wonder that the Democrats are fine with no deal being struck?

Meanwhile, another Democrat on the committee, Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.), denounced the latest GOP offer, which he described as containing $600 billion in program cuts with “only $3 billion in revenue.”

“Do we look stupid?” he said after leaving a meeting with Democratic members of the panel. “I mean, I don’t know, maybe we do. I certainly am not stupid.”

I submit that both the Republicans and Democrats think the American people are stupid and I fear that we are doing everything possible to prove them right.

This whole ‘Supercommittee’ stunk from day one. The idea that this group of 6 members of each party would come together and reach an accord on how to achieve $1.2 Trillion in savings was a farce from the very beginning.

Here’s a clue on how that was going to work out;

a) the Democrats will propose raising taxes and the Republicans will balk,

b) the Republicans will propose spending cuts and the Democrats will balk.

Is this starting to remind anyone of the movie ‘Groundhog Day‘?

And to further insult our intelligence, the GOP managed to include a vote on a balanced budget amendment in the deal that created the supercommittee. Well, the vote just took place and surprise, surprise, it fell well short of the 290 votes needed.

Speaker Boehner watered down the proposed amendment in an attempt to ‘appeal to Democrats’ by not including any spending limits and allowing a simple majority to raise taxes to balance the budget instead of a supermajority. Basically, pulling it’s teeth and rendering it meaningless.

So now the Republicans can go home and say ‘we tried to pass a balanced budget amendment, but those big, bad Democrats voted against it’. And the Democrats will go home and, well, I’m not sure what they say to their constituents, but I sense most could not care less about a balanced budget anyway so long as the entitlements continue to flow.

In the end, the American people get what what we always get from Washington. Politics.

Oh, by the way, we just tipped the scales to the plus side of $15 Trillion of national debt.

And to add injury to insult, despite Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac playing a large role in the economic collapse of a few years ago, a bipartisan Congressional committee, with quiet support from the White House, just announced an agreement to increase the FHA’s maximum mortgage limits to $729,750 from $625,500.

So the political posturing and gamesmanship continues and I have to ask; “Do we look stupid? I mean, I don’t know, maybe we do.”

Cross-posted at Florida Political Press

It is often said that history repeats itself…

This column is about the dastardly Alan Grayson, but before we step into the abyss of trying to comprehend what this man represents, we must first look to the past.

One of the greatest misconceptions today is that the Progressive Left is, well, progressive – indicating forward looking change or improvement. In reality, the progressive movement has been around for well over 100 years ago and really came into form in America in the early 20th century.

“Republican” Teddy Roosevelt, perhaps the first official RINO in American history, founded the Progressive Party, also known as the Bull Moose Party, as a political party in 1912.

However, it’s Woodrow Wilson who’s often seen as the father of the progressive movement. He was the man who ushered in the modern view of the constitution being a “living document” which enabled activist judges to re-write the Constitution according to the progressive notions of the day.

He believed the checks and balances incorporated into the Constitution to check governmental power were “inefficient” and needed to be eliminated. Does that remind you of anyone currently advocating going around Congress? Picking and choosing which laws to enforce?

Wilson also introduced the Income Tax and the Federal Reserve to America and along with fellow Progressive Franklin D. Roosevelt, ushered in the ‘modern’ form of government that we suffer from today.

To fully introduce you to the mindset of one Woodrow Wilson, from his 1890 essay, “Leaders of Men”;

”A (true leader) uses the masses like (tools). He must inflame their passions with little heed for the facts. Men are as clay in the hands of the consummate leader”.

Wilson recruited journalist George Creel to become a propaganda minister as head of the newly formed Committee on Public Information (CPI) and they were so successful that Hitler’s Master of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels studied the American Progressive Left. Goebbels being infamous for saying;

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

During WWI, under the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918,Wilson shut down newspapers at an astounding pace. Indeed, any criticism of the government, even in your own home, could earn you a prison sentence. All in all it is estimated that about 175,000 Americans were arrested during this time.

It was Jonah Goldberg who said “if you get rid of the labels and you look at what the progressives actually believed and what fascists actually believed, they are pretty much the same thing.” And that is totalitarianism.

Woodrow Wilson also had a one world order view, advocated for the predecessor of the United Nations, the League of Nations, and even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919. Remind you of anyone?

Coming full circle and tying all this together, the modern day Progressive Left has a much more socialist element to it. Yet, upon close examination, there’s not much difference between socialism and fascism.

As promised, the topic du jour is the dastardly Alan Grayson. Mr. Progressive himself is running for Congress. Again.

And Grayson wears that title as a badge of honor, touting it in a series of fund raising emails sent out this past week with comments from some of his progressive “friends”.

A few examples;

“He’s someone whom we miss desperately here in Congress” – Congressman Raul Grijalva, Co-Chair of the House Progressive Caucus.

“He is an excellent partner, and a proud, fearless progressive” – Congressman Keith Ellison, Co-Chair of the House Progressive Caucus.

“I believe that Alan Grayson belongs in Congress” – AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka

“Alan Grayson will fight against any rollback of the gains that The People have fought for…” – Ralph Nader

In addition to the email, Grayson will be at a fundraiser on Nov. 12 at the home of Jerry and Jan Manpearl, with actor and comedian Rick Overton moderating. Those on the list of supporters include Ed Asner, Michelle Phillips, John Heard, Norman Lear, Elliott Gould, Ed Begley Jr., Mike Farrell, Peter Coyote and Lila Garrett.

And an “exclusive sit down dinner” with Grayson and AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka is available at a price starting at $1,000.

So let’s review Grayson’s supporters; Rep. Grijalva has extensive ties to the Communist Party, Rep. Ellison, the first Muslim American elected to Congress and apologist for the Muslim Brotherhood, Trumpka, who’s well known for both his thuggery and Communist leanings, Ralph Nader, who wants a primary challenger for Obama because he is not progressive enough, proud self proclaimed socialist Ed Asner and a who’s who of far left Hollywood loons.

Nothing new here to anyone paying attention, I know. What is noteworthy is that an individual running for Congress in the United States of America would not only openly publicize such radical connections, but would be comfortable enough to use them as an impetus to advance his candidacy.

Is this who we are as Americans?

The really troubling aspect of all this is that thousands of citizens will enthusiastically vote for this man, indicating just how far removed we have become as a nation from the principles that made this country the greatest in the all the history of the world.

And this brings us back to the very beginning, of history repeating itself. So what happened to the progressive movement that was so relevant in America in the early 20th century?

As mentioned above, truth is the enemy of the progressive agenda and propaganda the weapon of choice. Just as Alan Grayson will advocate for wealth redistribution and many other tenets of socialism, he just can’t quite work up the courage to call himself a socialist.

Yet, as the early progressives gained confidence in themselves, they began to remove the cloak (as Grayson is inadvertently doing).

And as Americans came to see the progressive ideology manifest itself in their daily lives, they rejected the philosophy outright. So much so that ‘progressive’ came to be a dirty word and the Progressive Left were forced to re-brand themselves as ‘liberals’ throughout much of the rest of the 20th century.

And, thus, where we find ourselves today, personified in all it’s glory by one Alan Grayson.

Cross Posted at Florida Political Press

Romney suggests that the Koch Brothers ‘Fuel’ Tea Party

Let’s be clear on one thing before we go any further, I do not support Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for the 2012 presidential race. Nor do many in the tea party.

And for good reason.

From a story in the Washington Examiner yesterday;

Mitt Romney is quietly courting the Tea Party as it becomes increasingly clear that the conservative grass-roots movement, which has stubbornly refused to embrace him, represents a bigger threat to Romney’s quest for his party’s nomination than any of his rivals.

Less than two months before the Iowa caucuses, Romney is skipping a major Iowa event Friday — where every other GOP hopeful will be — to deliver a keynote speech on fiscal policy to the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity.

Americans for Prosperity is led by billionaire Republican donor David Koch, whose endorsement Romney seeks. An Oct. 4 internal Romney campaign memo obtained by The Washington Examiner describes Koch as the “financial engine of the Tea Party” even though Koch “denies being directly involved.”

The reason I clarified that I do not support Romney is because I am going to offer him some friendly advice because it looks as if he desperately needs it.

As to be expected of an elitist big government proponent that just doesn’t quite get what all the fuss is about, Romney approaches the tea party as a top down entity. In staying true to the age old GOP tradition of successful deal making in smoky backrooms, he starts at the top – or at least what he percieves to be the top.

He did the same thing when in town back in April, holding a “quiet” meeting with a local tea party leader, as if a single individual controls the spigot, capable of turning the flow of support on and off at one’s choosing.

As the Washington Examiner story indicates, for Romney to believe that the Koch Brothers direct the tea party not only gives the Left the vindication they seek in diminishing the tea party, it also shows just how little he knows about the movement.

Americans for Prosperity has been a tremendous ally of the tea party, providing much needed support at every opportunity. However, AFP has never controlled the tea party. It holds it’s own events, pursues it’s own agenda and even though the organization is very active here in Florida, it does not try to influence the direction of local tea party groups.

To believe otherwise is buying into the propaganda of the Left.

And that is because AFP understands the movement and the fierce independence of the local groups. Other than showing up at a tea party wearing a ‘Che’ t-shirt, about the worst thing one could do is start telling tea partiers what to do. The two entities share common goals and often partner together in advocating on behalf of these shared beliefs, but that’s where it ends.

As for Romney, if he wants to curry favor with the great awakening known as the tea party, he will need to kick off his Ferragamo loafers, roll up his sleeves and mix with the ‘great unwashed’.

He’ll also need to understand that the tea party is not about so called leaders, it’s about we the people. If in doubt, just look to Herman Cain as an example.

Of course, in doing so, he will need to be prepared to address the concerns the folks have about many of his policy positions. He will not receive the kid glove treatment he’s grown accustomed to from the national media – which may explain why he hasn’t already traveled down this path.

Nonetheless, if Romney is not up to the task of successfully taking on a bunch of racist, far right extremists that want to wipe out women and the elderly, well… is he the man for the job in these very troubling times in American history?

(Sorry there’s no love for Perry herein)

Cross Posted at Florida Political Press

Welcome to big time politics Herman Cain.

While we can only wonder how the country would look today had the media dug as enthusiastically into the background of the other black American in the presidential race back in 2008, we can be sure that we are witnessing the beginning of an all out assault to destroy Herman Cain.

Now that it’s clear that Cain is a serious contender, an effort led by the Inside the Beltway crowd is underway – with the national media, the entertainment industry and the race baiters in the form of those who’ve yet to leave the liberal plantation being eager allies.

To review, Cain has already been questioned on his authenticity as a black man, if you can believe that. He has been called a racist. And most recently, he had the “Uncle Tom” accusation thrown at him when it was said that he is a black man that “knows his place“. And adding to the audacity of all these attacks is that most are coming from white liberals!

And now the Clarence Thomas blueprint has been dug out from the closet.

I’ve said previously that the 2012 election will be the ugliest of our lifetime, and I stand by that. The Left will stop at nothing to hold the White House. Racial division, class warfare, it’s all on the table.

Just as we saw when threatened by Sarah Palin, nothing is off limits to these people. Hell, even Palin’s son Trig, who is a down syndrome baby, was fair game in their eyes.

Ultimately, the attacks on Sarah Palin set the bar on just how low the Left will go – with a full assist from the political establishment on the right, who stood by approvingly with a wink and a nod while the most vile and disgusting things imaginable were thrown at her.

And the onslaught that Herman Cain is about to endure will be on a comparable scale because he is just as dangerous to the end game of the political establishment, Left and Right.

Not only does a potential Cain match up threaten the lock Obama has on the black vote, which is critical to his re-election chances, it also goes right at the heart of what the Democrat Party has stood for for decades.

Herman Cain’s story rejects the belief that a black man cannot be self reliant and successful in America without a benevolent government ushering the way. It lays to rest the idea that conservative America is inherently racist and if they lose minorities, the Democrats know they’re relegated to going the way of the Whigs.

Simply put, the Left cannot allow Herman Cain to be successful and we will see the extent of their desperation over the next few months to ensure that doesn’t happen.

What will not be as apparent is the support from the political establishment on the right. Just as Cain threatens the Left, so too does he shake the elite power structure of the GOP. Not to suggest that Cain is a reformer in the same mold as Sarah Palin, but he is a wildcard nonetheless.

Unconventional and unpredictable, a Cain presidency strikes at the insecurities of those who’ve labored a lifetime to ascend the throne of power.

Just as the tide of big government progressivism is reaching full crest in this country, perhaps, in the embodiment of Herman Cain, a man of strong character and intestinal fortitude, we are about to witness the sudden crash of that wave and then the quick draw back before calm is temporarily restored.

Cross-posted at Florida Political Press