Being Above the Law in America

                           

  One of the many beautiful things about America is that the law of the land is just that. No matter if you are the CEO of a million dollar company down to the janitor at that million dollar company. We fought a war for this very principle. Before America’s independence from Britain, if you committed a crime or some other infraction, and you were a good buddy of the King, chances are that things would go a lot easier for you than if you were just the average tricorn wearing colonist.

  Since the founding of the nation, even with that idea for the most part in place, there have always been that few, that handful of well-connected people who always seem to slide by, to skate. Are they that charming, are they expert manipulators of the truth, do they know the right people, or all of the above?

  We learned last week that that dubious system is firmly in place, and if your name happens to be Clinton, doesn’t really matter if it is Bill or Hillary, the sky’s the limit, the world your oyster.

  It is not a new phenomenon. Long before the nation was enchanted by the man from Hope and his wife, the people of Arkansas were well acquainted with the legal and otherwise escapades of the Clintons. From the bungled Whitewater land deal, to Hillary’s cattle futures windfall, to those long searched for Rose Law Firm records that just poof, appeared out of nowhere in the White House, the close inner circle made sure that no Clinton would ever be held accountable for any questionable activity.

  When Bill Clinton became president, the cycle continued, and with the assistance of an always willing liberal media, the Clintons would be investigated, questioned, and interviewed. But the long arm of the law never seemed to be long enough to ensnare the Clintons.

  Then came the night of September 11, 2012. The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi Libya is attacked by terrorists. Four people, including a United States Ambassador is killed. The Obama administration with Hillary Clinton now Secretary of State tells the world the “spontaneous” attack is because of an offensive YouTube video. Some four years later, we know not only this but virtually everything Americans were told about this attack is a lie. We also learn that not only is Hillary Clinton using unsecured servers to send and receive sensitive classified information, she lies repeatedly and ad nauseum about it. The entire case is handed over to the FBI. Possible multiple felonies have been committed by the now presumptive Democrat presidential nominee. The investigation goes on for months, the result, the usual, no criminal charges.

  Let’s review. We have learned that the concept of equal treatment under the law no longer applies. FBI Director James Comey all but told us that if this were any other American, they would have surely earned themselves an orange jumpsuit. But not Hillary. Not only does Hillary skate because her name is Clinton, she expects to skate because her name is Clinton. When you lose one of the basic tenets your society was founded upon, why would you not assume others are to follow.

  The American people have watched Bill and Hillary Clinton wiggle out of every bit of legal mayhem that has come their way while their willing media accomplices cleared the path for them. American are tired, fed up, and angry that the Clinton double standard they have suspected for decades has once again been proven true.

  It is clear that the Clintons will not go away quietly unless we make them. It is a crime spree whose time has come. 

Ed Martin- The Poison Pill of Politics?

                     

  Politics is a complex and dirty business. It has often been called “blood sport”. Friends can turn on one another in an instant, and the old cliché, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” are words to live by for most Politicians, although it is unlikely that anyone will admit that out loud. Some people, like Bill Clinton are naturals at it. Love him or hate him, Clinton has the charm, personality, and charisma to make anyone believe that he is their best friend. Others, not so much. They attempt various paths in the political arena, working for the candidate of their choice, heading up political organizations, or even running for office themselves. The reality is that they are not very good at any of these avenues, and they tend to leave a swath of possible good intentions but definite bad happenings in their wake.

  Every state no doubt has their own political Mr. Fix-it. Ed Martin seems to have done plenty of repair work in the Show-Me State, whether we need it or not. The result is a questionable track record that goes back way before the current situation at Eagle Forum.

  Martin’s first big step into state wide politics after serving on the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners was being named as Governor Matt Blunt’s Chief of Staff in 2006. Shortly after being named to that post, an investigation was started by the Springfield(MO) News-Leader into whether or not Martin was using his position to influence various groups against political opponents. After a battle to use sunshine laws to gain access to Martin’s emails while Governor Blunt’s Chief of Staff, several other major newspapers in the state found that Martin did indeed use his office for political gain. Ultimately the State conducted its own investigation and found that the emails were mishandled by the Blunt administration and that Martin had illegally destroyed some emails in violation of the state sunshine laws.

  The road to Ed Martin’s various runs for elected office is long and often confusing. In 2010, he ran for Congress against incumbent Russ Carnahan. By most accounts Martin ran a good campaign but was narrowly defeated by Carnahan. It is at this point where things begin to get a bit sketchy. In 2012 Martin announced a run for the U.S Senate against incumbent Claire McCaskill. But now, congressional district lines have been redrawn and Martin decides to run for Todd Akin’s old seat in the second Congressional District. This campaign is also short lived as he drops out of this race and decides to run against incumbent Attorney General Chris Koster. Is everyone keeping up?

  In 2009 the St. Louis Tea Party was on track to become one of the most influential Tea Party groups in the nation. But that all changed when the purely Grassroots organization began to splinter. The reason, some were of the belief that the Tea Party should also be in the business of endorsing candidates. The candidate those folks wanted to endorse, Ed Martin in his run for Congress against Russ Carnahan. This split among Tea Party faithful proved to be the death knell for a group that in its infancy had the potential to produce many rising stars within the Conservative movement. However, the fate of the St. Louis Tea Party would be sealed as soon as Ed Martin’s loyal fan club appeared on the scene.  

  In 2013, Ed Martin was elected as Missouri Republican Party Chairman. Fundraising for MOGOP immediately dropped off after Martin took the helm. At one point the bank account for the Party only held about $200 and in 2014, former Republican candidate for Governor Dave Spence had to write a check to infuse the Party with some cash flow just to make payroll.

  Of course the latest in this line of snafus is the upheaval at The Eagle Forum. Since his arrival at Eagle Forum in January of 2015, things have not been rosy for the organization founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972. In April of this year a lawsuit was filed by six board members, one of which is Schlafly’s daughter seeking an injunction against Martin and Schlafly’s son John. Part of the lawsuit states that Martin refuses to acknowledge that Eagle Forum fired him at the beginning of April, and that he and John Schlafly have prevented other board members from accessing documents and financial accounts. They also accuse him of malicious social media attacks against the board. Phyllis Schlafly herself has accused the board of a hostile takeover attempt, and she and others within the Missouri political circle believe this is because of her endorsement of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. She is not named in the lawsuit. Board members claim that Martin is again using his position for his own agenda and that he has fostered “unprecedented chaos and division” at Eagle Forum. Sound familiar? 

  What Ed Martin’s future political plans are is unclear. In other words, no one knows quite where the political trail of breadcrumbs will lead. Just look for the usual path of destruction.          

Orlando Strong

                                    

  Americans are in mourning today. We are in mourning for fifty of our fellow Americans who were slaughtered on Saturday evening at a nightclub in Orlando Florida. They were doing what so many of us do on a Saturday night, hanging out with friends, having a good time, maybe having a few drinks and dancing, just unwinding from their week. This attack is vicious not only because once again, innocent Americans have been targeted by someone who, as we have recently been prone to say, identifies as an ISIS terrorist, but he targeted innocent Americans for nothing else than the fact that they were gay.

  As do a lot of others in the media, the name of this monster will not be uttered here. He will not get his fifteen minutes of fame from this blog. What will be uttered here are things that need to be said.

  It is understandable that Gay Americans will look at this first as a hate crime. They are right, it is, but not in the way we identify hate crimes in this country. It is a hate based on ideology that perhaps the Gay community should become educated on. Radical Islamic terrorism, because that is what it is and that is what it will be called here, teaches that homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. Any day of the week on YouTube you will find videos of Gay people tossed off the roofs of buildings in Muslim countries for this reason. Radical Islamic terrorists want to kill you not only because you are an American, but because you are a Gay American. This is a fact.

  We also have a problem because our President refuses to say the words that have been said here, radical Islamic terrorism. It is here and it is here because it is no secret that our southern border has a giant “come on in!” sign on it. It is known fact that items such as prayer rugs have been found there. For some twisted reason, we have decided to turn ourselves into a nation of pretzels in order to not offend in any way the very people who want to kill all of us. They do not care if you are rich or poor, black or white, fat or skinny, they want to kill you again, because you are an American.

  America is at war. We are at war with radical Islamic terrorism. But we are officially back to pre- 9/11 mentality. Nothing could be more dangerous. Is political correctness part of the problem? Absolutely. Being polite is literally getting us killed.

  Once again, as we did after 9/11, we will erect memorials, go to funerals, pay tribute to and bury the loved ones we have lost. How many more memorials, how many more funerals, how much more of this war that we refuse to fight must we endure?

  Americans, wake up and get your head out of the sand. There are some instances where the answer to that question posed long ago is no, we can’t all just get along.                   

Not Your Mother's Feminism

                          

  The presidential election of 2016 is on track to become historic for a variety of reasons. If Donald Trump wins in November it will be the first time in modern history that someone who is not a career politician, not someone who has spent a good portion of their adult life in Washington would win. If Hillary Clinton wins she will be the first female American president and the first former first lady to ascend to the presidency.

  A Hillary Clinton presidency would most certainly be a crowning achievement for feminists of Hillary’s generation. The Gloria Steinems, Betty Friedans and Germaine Greers would view it as a culmination of their life’s work. But what about the young women of today? While they may recognize the strides for women made in those days, how many of them can relate with the feminist ideology of Hillary Clinton’s coming of age years?

  In poll after poll Bernie Sanders is running away with the millennial vote, and that includes millennial age women. Why isn’t Hillary owning the 18-29 female vote? In spite of another former Secretary of State, Madelyn Albright declaring there is a “special place in hell for women who don’t support other women”, that is not resonating with young women.

  Feminism in the 60’s was angry, militant. Career choices were still few for the working women of the day. Secretary, nurse, teacher, and stewardess, now known as  flight attendants were the main career paths open to women. In most of those environments it was quite acceptable to pay them less for the same work, being called “honey” and “sweetie” were the norm, and inappropriate jokes and touches were endured if you wanted to keep your job. Sixties feminism changed a lot of that so we can give props were they are due.

  But there was another aspect to Hillary Clinton feminism. It involved a lot of anger and hatred, and it was directed at men. Perhaps some of it was justified given the changes in society that were being attempted. Gloria Steinem now famously once said, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”. While today’s young women who might identify themselves as feminists are fiercely proud of their independence and rightfully so, not many of them are going to admit to a level of hatred for men.

  Hillary also has other problems with young women who have become aware of Bill Clinton’s 90’s era escapades and her participation in the destruction of the lives of many of the women who made accusations of sexual assault and even rape against her husband. Then there is money given to the Clinton foundation by such countries as Saudi Arabia. How can you be a champion for women when you accept donations from a nation who does not permit women to drive?  

  The definition of feminism is very different for women today. It includes choices about career, education, marriage and family. And while there will always be some vestiges of 60’s mentality, women today have the means to fight back. Perhaps they are not angry because they have never had to be.

  Will Hillary drag out the founding mothers of the Feminist movement in order to grow her numbers with millennial women? Maybe, but it could just be that millennial age women are figuring out that they need Hillary Clinton like a fish needs a bicycle.         

Trump Derangement Syndrome

   

  Republicans and Conservatives always seem to bring out the “best” in Liberals. They do not like you so they have only one goal, shut you down, and/or shut you up. If you have the nerve to win an election, translated that means that they did not get their way so a chronic temper tantrum will ensue that usually lasts the length of said Conservative’s time in office.

  The most recent example of Liberal derangement came during the presidency of George W. Bush. It was a display the likes of which have rarely been seen. It had a big place in the spotlight thanks to Conservative new media. The name-calling, Hitler comparisons, and degrading comments regarding the mental health and capacity of Bush was a regular feature on mainstream media, and average Americans who just happened to be Bush supporters were not spared any liberal wrath when it came to trashing George W. Bush. If you dared to put a Bush election sign in your yard it was likely to be vandalized in some way or even disappear altogether. If you had a Bush/Cheney sticker on your car make sure your insurance was paid up as you were sure to run into some tolerant liberals who would treat you to some sort of “coexistence” like keying your car, smashing out windows, and slashing tires.

  With a new election season comes a new form of derangement syndrome, and it is coming from an unlikely source. This new strain is popping up amongst our own as the GOP is more divided over candidates than has been seen in quite a while. The derangement happens when you announce that you are a Trump supporter.

  Oh it starts out rather innocently, in the form of rational debate and discussion. But when it becomes apparent that you will not be changing your mind, the derangement ramps up a bit. You will be told that you are not a “true” conservative, as if the person with whom you are speaking has been dubbed the arbiter of all things conservative. As if on que the required Hitler comparisons are trotted out, the anti-Trumper believes  this creates actual credibility for him or her. But it’s not over yet, it is at this point that the state of your mental health is aggressively questioned.  But through all of this remember, this is merely a political debate among friends. Huh?

  In all fairness, a Facebook page appeared recently that specifically said no Cruz supporters were welcome. This would also fall under the derangement umbrella, not right either. No one is saying not to be passionate about your candidate, but how did we get here?

  As this process moves forward, and should it become apparent that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for president, will the anti-Trump folks announce they are taking their toys and going home or will they remain defiant and ramp up the derangement syndrome? Will they have a sudden “true conservative” epiphany and remember that our ultimate opponents are Hillary Clinton and the Democrat Party, and just maybe it might be a good thing if we all unite against that common enemy?

  As we have seen time and again this election cycle, anything can happen and most likely will.  

A Tale of Two Bills

                            

  Ah the mainstream media. If you knew nothing about them and you had just landed here from Mars, you would think their job is to determine for all of these bumbling Americans what is best for them. You would think that their sole purpose is to tell people what to think, why to think it, and what they need to know and what can be left out. Throw in a healthy dose of lecturing, finger-wagging, and political correctness and their work here is done.

  What is interesting is how they determine who should be treated positively and who gets destroyed. Some of the criteria is business as usual. Liberal Democrats good, conservative Republicans bad, east and west coasts good, Middle America bad, and in 2015 all minorities good, all cops bad.

  But now there may be a problem, and the media’s solution to the problem will be interesting indeed. Recently, GOP presidential front runner Donald Trump stated that if Hillary Clinton attempted to portray herself as an icon of women’s rights and equality during a possible general election matchup between them, he felt that her husband’s indiscretions would absolutely be fair game. Well if you are a dutiful mainstream media zombie, you can’t have that! You will do whatever must be done to cover for Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, and if that means a few chicks sacrificed in order for the escapades of Hillary’s husband to not look quite so skanky well, so be it.

  Enter Comedian and Actor, beloved by Americans one and all, Bill Cosby. Most people were shocked to learn of the many women who had accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them, some as far back as the late 60’s and 70’s. It was a pretty far stretch to think that Cosby, Dr. Huxtable, America’s family man could have such a side that no one knew about.

  These two cases of very high profile individuals are being treated in the media in vastly different ways. Bill Cosby has been all but convicted by the liberal media, despite a lack of evidence in a lot of the cases. In fairness to the victims, no one is accusing them of lying, and they all tell a very similar story. However many of the incidents are 30 to 40 years old and any evidence would not likely exist anymore. More importantly, Bill Cosby has yet to have his day in court, his right as an American. But tell that to places like the TVLand Network, or any other channel you might have previously found reruns of “The Cosby Show”. Tell that to the numerous universities who have stripped him of honorary degrees. Tell that to any one of the products he endorses. Those entities are not waiting for a court date.

  Bill Clinton on the other hand, continues to be the darling of the Democrat Party. He is geared up and ready to hit the campaign trail for the Mrs. He will get slaps on the back and handshakes. Funny, plenty of women in his case also tell  similar stories. Some even accuse Clinton outright of rape. Way more evidence to go around in the cases of Clinton’s accusers. So what’s the difference? Has the liberal media finally come to a place where they have to decide what is more important, race or politics? It sure looks as though they have, and it sure looks as though which one they have chosen. What blacks, gays, and women must know about the Democrat Party by way of their secretarial pool known as the media is that politics will always win the day. Oh they want you to think that they are the only ones in your corner, the only ones who have your back, certainly not Republicans, but when it comes to protecting the Clintons, you better take your seat in the back of the bus.

  There are rumblings that the Democrats may already be looking at the former president as a liability for Hillary’s campaign. That may be a bit less harmful than the sizeable number of women who have long looked at him as a predator.           

Political Correctness: That Stuff Will Kill You!

       

If the Founding Fathers could return today to get a good look at their creation, what would they think? We all wonder what they would think of cars, computers, and thing like that, but what would they think of our stewardship of the rights they so carefully laid out and risked their very lives for?

  America has no doubt surpassed their wildest dreams. For two hundred plus years, people from all over the world have come with the clothes on their backs and what they could carry with them, very often risking their lives for the fresh breeze of freedom and liberty. They knew that once they became Americans they would have the right to things like justice, the right to defend themselves, their families and their property, and perhaps most important of all, the right to speak their mind and speak it freely.

  That precious thing known as the first amendment is first for a reason, because all other rights hinge on its existence. But something has happened to the first amendment. It has become infected. That infection is commonly known as political correctness. As best as we can tell, political correctness, or PC evolved where else but on college campuses inhabited by liberals. The idea, to not “offend” anyone. No one wants to intentionally offend. We get why one does not hurl racial slurs and words of that nature, but when words like, “Merry Christmas”, or anything remotely having to do with God or Christianity enter the mix, time to call the thought police. Then there is the established view that Christians are offensive by virtue of their existence, but the most unpardonable offense of all seems to be offending Muslims. It looks strangely like liberals are quite willing to change every aspect of American life so the people who murdered 3000 Americans in one morning on 9/11 won’t be “offended”. Are you kidding?

  We have now reached the point where P.C. kills. Literally. As the investigation into the horrific terrorist attack in San Bernardino continues, one of the things that the mainstream media really does not like to talk about in polite society is the fact that a neighbor witnessed a large number of middle-eastern men coming and going from the house where Sayed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik lived. She also noticed lots of packages being delivered and lights on in the garage where people seemed to be working late at night. Perhaps this might send up a few red flags to some, and they may think once or twice about making a phone call or two to, well, someone. Not the neighbor! Because, well, there are things worse than terrorist attacks, that would be profiling. You guessed it! The neighbor did not want to be accused of profiling!

  So let’s review. Fourteen people might be alive to celebrate the holidays, remember we can’t say “Christmas”, with their families, were it not for the upholding of P.C. at all costs, and in this case, the cost was enormous.

  The cure for the virus of political correctness is simple. Free speech, free thought, free expression, combine that with a healthy dose of no fear and push back of this insanity. Bottom line, this is a very small group of people that we have allowed to bully us into what amounts to censorship.

  We can only speculate what the founding Fathers might think of what we have become. But chances are, if they were not impressed, they would not be politically correct when they told us.