Master The Craft of Leadership

 

The Titanic People

They went down with the ship. Incompetence and poor planning doomed them. On April 15, 1912, around 1,500 passengers and crew died ghastly deaths in the freezing North Atlantic Ocean.

The Titanic hit an iceberg and there were only 20 lifeboats secured on the vessel - room for 1,178 people. That was the lethal problem as there were an estimated 2,224 on board.

Criminal negligence. The lack of planning led to horror.

Today, the United States of America lacks planning in any meaningful way because its President simply is not able to do his job. You know the list, humiliation in Afghanistan, no preparation for supply chain problems, disastrous energy decisions, damaging inflation. While the confused Attorney General threatens parents at school board meetings, thousands are murdered in big-city streets. Putin is massing Russian troops on the Polish border, China is salivating over the "Build Back Better" bill knowing it will reap billions of dollars in "green" product buys. 

Question for the Day. Will Americans sit at home and watch their nation become Titanic II?

How To Build Another Booming Economy

 Conservative policies are best for working families. Ambassador Haley made that clear in her RNC speech on Monday: “Before Communist China gave us COVID-19, we were breaking economic records left and right.”

Before the pandemic hit, the last four years saw a strong economy across the board. Historic tax cuts, record red tape slashing, and unleashing American energy — the combination of common-sense policies created an economy that worked for everyone.
 

- Jobs. The national unemployment rate hit a 50-year low. Women’s unemployment hit a 67-year low. For Hispanics and African Americans, unemployment reached their lowest levels in history. People of all backgrounds were climbing the ladder of opportunity.

- Wages. Workers of all kinds saw their incomes rise at the fastest rate in a decade. Lower-income workers saw the largest wage gains, with paychecks for the bottom 10% growing more than twice as fast as they did in Obama’s second term.

- Tax relief. The tax cuts of 2017 put more money in the pockets of hard-working Americans. Some of the biggest relief went to low- and middle-income families — those earning between $25,000 and $100,000. Millions got bonuses and wage hikes, too.

- Stocks. The markets hit record highs, creating trillions of dollars in new wealth for retirees, pension plan holders, and middle-class families that scraped together the money to invest.

The economic boom was felt in every corner of America. Manufacturers made new investments, the nation’s small businesses saw record optimism, and more. Families and workers have seen remarkable benefits, making communities and the country better off.

On Monday, Amb. Haley said: “The pandemic has set us back, but not for long.” Conservative policies brought the economy back before. They can bring it back again.

A CANADIAN'S VIEW OF PRESIDENT TRUMP

Ernie Meggisen, a Canadian, wrote the following on Donald J. Trump...
 
Make no mistake...I'm not posting this for debate.  I don’t want your
commentary.   ..Unfollow or unfriend me if it makes you feel better.
 
Just consider this...  When you think    that your    President Trump is a
jerk; HE IS...
 
He’s a New Yorker..  He’s crude and can be downright rude.  Some say he's a thin-skinned, arrogant, bombastic ass.  ..No argument, even from most republicans if they're really honest.
 
He gets his feelings hurt and he’s a hot head. ..He hits back; harder.
...And he probably should Tweet less.
 
But let me tell you what else he is...And if you disagree with this that's
your privilege.  ..But in that case my friend, you'd be DEAD WRONG!!!  ..And here's why;
 
He's a guy who DEMANDS performance. ..And more    importantly; RESULTS!!  He spent his entire life in the private sector where you either produce or get your ass fired!
 
He's a guy who asks lots of questions. ..And the questions he asks aren’t cloaked in fancy “political” phrases; they are “Why the hell...?” questions.

 
For decades, the health industry has thrown away billions of face masks after one use. ...Trump asks, “Why are we throwing them away?  Why not sterilize them and use them numerous times?” (Good question.)
 
He’s the guy who gets hospital ships readied in one week when it would have taken a bureaucrat weeks or months or never to get it done.
 
He’s the guy who gets temporary hospitals built in three days.
 
He’s the guy who gets auto industries to restructure to build ventilators in a business that’s highly regulated by agencies that move like sloths.
 
He’s the guy who asks “Why aren’t we using drugs that might work on people who are dying; what the hell do we have to lose?” (Another good question.)
 
He’s the guy who restricted travel from China when the democrats and liberal media were screaming “xenophobia” and “racist.”  ..Now they’re wanting to know why he didn’t react sooner?  When he shut down the borders in the early days of the corona virus, the democrats screamed even LOUDER.  ..Then the rest of the world, including the European Union quickly restricted travel between their own member countries.
 
He’s the guy who campaigned on securing the border - protecting America - in the face of screaming democrats and the liberal media. ...And these SAME leaders of your democrat party (both the Clintons, Chucky Schumer, Harry Reed, Barack Obama, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi et al...)  ALL were in FAVOR of constructing the wall 'UNTIL' Trump had the fortitude to actually do it!!!  
 
Now your comeback might be:  'Oh, he said Mexico was going to pay for it'..  Does that ring a bell?  Well, let me quickly set you straight on this one: Have you compared the old EXTREMELY one-sided NAFTA agreement (negotiated by none other than Jimmy 'peanuts' Carter) with the NEW U.S.M.C. agreement?  Well I have...And let me tell you this:  Mexico will now end up paying much MORE for your goods than you will for theirs...And why you might ask??  Because they're far more    reliant    on the U.S than you are of them.  Yes, it will take time but the bottom line is;...They WILL end up paying for the wall just like Trump said all along!  .Admittedly as a Canadian, this new USMCA is certainly not as beneficial as NAFTA was for both my country and Mexico.  Previously our farmers had a huge monopoly over your farmers
but 'fair is fair'...
 
Has Trump made mistakes? ..Of course.  You can't fault a person for being a human being.  Only ONE perfect man walked this earth 2000 years ago, Jesus!
 
Everyone I know has made mistakes and continues to make them and LEARNS from them.  
 
Trump is and has accomplished more than any U.S. President in my lifetime. (I'm 77 years old)  ..He puts in 18 to 20-hour days. He isn’t hiding in his office; he’s out front - Briefing - ALL Americans almost every day.
 
According to democrats and liberal media, when he offers hope he’s lying, and when he’s straight forward he should be hopeful. It’s a no-win situation for him every day with the haters and naysayers, but he is NOT deterred.
 
I’ll take THIS kind of leadership 6 days a week and TWICE on Sunday over a “polished, nice guy” politician who has seldom or never held a real private sector job in his or her adult life, reads prepared and “written by a speech-writer” speeches from a teleprompter and ONLY answers pre-scripted questions selected for him/her prior to the open forum.  (Sorry folks, but that's EXACTLY what your previous POTUS did.)
 
I am completely mystified as to why this man has been bombarded by the media and liberal electorate EVERY day since back in 2015 when he announced his run for the U.S. presidency.  
 
...And whether you want to believe it or not, Americans, let me tell you one more thing, if you REALLY think that Hillary would have accomplished even a fraction of the things for the betterment of the American public that POTUS Trump has, you've really got your head in the sand.
 
I can only wish he was MY President! - For the good of America, you'd better hope he's re-elected this November.
 
I DO!!!

Coronavirus – We’re All In This Together

Coronavirus – We’re All In This Together

 This weekend, six states now have a “shelter in place” mandate that orders all residents to stay at home unless for essential work, supplies and services, and health and safety matters.  Additionally, all non-essential businesses must close.  We expect (and hope) that other states follow suit as we fight to slow the spread of the pandemic.

Now that the coronavirus has reached the U.S. and has spread across it, the best action for the economy and the U.S. is to take temporary pain for the long-term good.  The coronavirus has surpassed anyone’s expected measures of infection in terms of its contagion rate.  In our talks with epidemiologists, the main goal of a virus is to survive, and it does this by infecting new hosts and reproducing.  If it’s too fatal, the virus naturally dies out.  If it isn’t resilient enough and the body can kill it effectively, the virus naturally dies out.  The coronavirus is, unfortunately, hitting a sweet spot in this zone and at this point, the best action to fight it is by limiting contagion.

 From our perspective, the market, like the rest of the U.S. has started to settle into this new reality.  During this new normal, we continue to look for signs that the government and the Federal Reserve are enacting measures to ensure that the economy continues to function as it should during this time.  To this extent, the Federal Reserve implemented a variety of programs this morning to ensure that liquidity will still be available by buying assets from banks allowing them the ability to then lend that money to businesses.  The Federal Reserve is also looking into measures to directly help small and mid-size companies.

 On the White House front, we are looking for news of what the “phase 3” coronavirus bill will contain.  This bill is expected to contain stimulus measures to help businesses survive this new normal of limited mobility and social distancing.  It is also expected to provide direct stimulus to U.S. families.  The bill did not pass through the Senate with Sunday night’s vote and is currently back to the Senate for further negotiations and revisions. 

 Additionally, we see the President signing the Defense Production Act as a positive for the market.  If an already approved drug such as hydroxychloroquine (previously used to treat malaria) proves effective in treating coronavirus, the President can order all pharmaceutical companies to produce the drug.  Additionally, if a new drug is discovered, approved and treats the disease effectively, the President can order the same.  This will drastically decrease the burden on hospitals, allow social distancing and travel restrictions to be lifted and reduced, and speed up the timeline of economic recovery.

The So Call "KEY FINDINGS OF FACT" From Schiff & Co.

KEY FINDINGS OF FACT

Based on witness testimony and evidence collected during the impeachment inquiry, the Intelligence Committee has found that:

I.                 Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States—acting personally and through his agents within and outside of the U.S. government—solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The President engaged in this course of conduct for the benefit of his reelection, to harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and to influence our nation’s upcoming presidential election to his advantage. In so doing, the President placed his personal political interests above the national interests of the United States, sought to undermine the integrity of the U.S. presidential election process, and endangered U.S. national security.

II.                 In furtherance of this scheme, President Trump—directly and acting through his agents within and outside the U.S. government—sought to pressure and induce Ukraine’s newly-elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to publicly announce unfounded investigations that would benefit President Trump’s personal political interests and reelection effort. To advance his personal political objectives, President Trump encouraged the President of Ukraine to work with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

III.               As part of this scheme, President Trump, acting in his official capacity and using his position of public trust, personally and directly requested from the President of Ukraine that the government of Ukraine publicly announce investigations into

(1) the President’s political opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and his son, Hunter Biden, and

(2) a baseless theory promoted by Russia alleging that Ukraine—rather than Russia—interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. These investigations were intended to harm a potential political opponent of President Trump and benefit the President’s domestic political standing.

IV.              President Trump ordered the suspension of $391 million in vital military assistance urgently needed by Ukraine, a strategic partner, to resist Russian aggression. Because the aid was appropriated by Congress, on a bipartisan basis, and signed into law by the President, its expenditure was required by law. Acting directly and through his subordinates within the U.S. government, the President withheld from Ukraine this military assistance without any legitimate foreign policy, national security, or anticorruption justification. The President did so despite the longstanding bipartisan support of Congress, uniform support across federal departments and agencies for the provision to Ukraine of the military assistance, and his obligations under the Impoundment Control Act.

V.               President Trump used the power of the Office of the President and exercised his authority over the Executive Branch, including his control of the instruments of the federal government, to apply increasing pressure on the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian government to announce the politically-motivated investigations desired by President Trump. Specifically, to advance and promote his scheme, the President withheld official 35 acts of value to Ukraine and conditioned their fulfillment on actions by Ukraine that would benefit his personal political interests:

A.     President Trump—acting through agents within and outside the U.S. government—conditioned a head of state meeting at the White House, which the President of Ukraine desperately sought to demonstrate continued United States support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, on Ukraine publicly announcing the investigations that President Trump believed would aid his reelection campaign.

B.     To increase leverage over the President of Ukraine, President Trump, acting through his agents and subordinates, conditioned release of the vital military assistance he had suspended to Ukraine on the President of Ukraine’s public announcement of the investigations that President Trump sought.

C.      President Trump’s closest subordinates and advisors within the Executive Branch, including Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Energy J. Richard Perry, and other senior White House and Executive Branch officials had knowledge of, in some cases facilitated and furthered the President’s scheme, and withheld information about the scheme from the Congress and the American public.

VI.              In directing and orchestrating this scheme to advance his personal political interests, President Trump did not implement, promote, or advance U.S. anti-corruption policies. In fact, the President sought to pressure and induce the government of Ukraine to announce politically-motivated investigations lacking legitimate predication that the U.S. government otherwise discourages and opposes as a matter of policy in that country and around the world. In so doing, the President undermined U.S. policy supporting anti-corruption reform and the rule of law in Ukraine, and undermined U.S. national security.

VII.            By withholding vital military assistance and diplomatic support from a strategic foreign partner government engaged in an ongoing military conflict illegally instigated by Russia, President Trump compromised national security to advance his personal political interests. VIII. Faced with the revelation of his actions, President Trump publicly and repeatedly persisted in urging foreign governments, including Ukraine and China, to investigate his political opponent. This continued solicitation of foreign interference in a U.S. election presents a clear and present danger that the President will continue to use the power of his office for his personal political gain. IX. Using the power of the Office of the President, and exercising his authority over the Executive Branch, President Trump ordered and implemented a campaign to conceal his conduct from the public and frustrate and obstruct the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry by: 

A.     refusing to produce to the impeachment inquiry’s investigating Committees information and records in the possession of the White House, in defiance of a lawful subpoena;

B.     directing Executive Branch agencies to defy lawful subpoenas and withhold the production of all documents and records from the investigating Committees;

C.      directing current and former Executive Branch officials not to cooperate with the Committees, including in defiance of lawful subpoenas for testimony; and

D.     intimidating, threatening, and tampering with prospective and actual witnesses in the impeachment inquiry in an effort to prevent, delay, or influence the testimony of those witnesses. In so doing, and despite the fact that the Constitution vests in the House of Representatives the “sole Power of Impeachment,” the President sought to arrogate to himself the right to determine the propriety, scope, and nature of an impeachment inquiry into his own misconduct, and the right to deny any and all information to the Congress in the conduct of its constitutional responsibilities.

The passing of George Herbert Bush

The passing of George Herbert Bush

Like many in America, like I, mourn the passing of a leader and president of the United States that was among the last few living from the greatest generation in America. As I listened to the stories and personal experiences people spoke about, George Bush was truly a great man aside from his public service and being President of the United States.

As I watched and listened to the many radio, TV and written tributes to this man, I eventually had an unsettling thought. All this media attention to a great man that was more than just a great president, but one that had deep and abiding beliefs. Beliefs and principles that are publicly and constantly denigrated by the Left. What was I witnessing? What was the media doing and why?

We have all witnessed the vile mobs on the left that stand on the opposite side of the values and principles that were the very life of this great man! Not a peep from them, not a peep from the extremist among the politicians.

I could only imagine. Lives like his should be a model for many aspiring young people. Not what we have witnessed in recent years. Many have said that he “…the last of his kind….” I pray to God that is not true. My fervent prayer is there are many among us that are like George Bush that will rise up and be like him. Strong like him in disciplined moral strength and courage.

America cannot watch his passing and accept he was the last. No, we need to embrace the idea we need to step up to take his place. At least in his humanity, beliefs and values.

God Bless America

My vote, explained

My vote, explained

Charles Krauthammer

WASHINGTON - The case against Hillary Clinton could have been written before the recent Wiki-Leaks and FBI disclosures. But these documents do provide hard textual backup.

The most sensational disclosure was the proposed deal between the State Department and the FBI in which the FBI would declassify a Clinton email and State would give the FBI more slots in overseas stations. What made it sensational was the rare appearance in an official account of “quid pro quo,” which is the agreed-upon dividing line between acceptable and unacceptable corruption.

This is nonetheless an odd choice for most egregious offense. First, it occurred several layers removed from the campaign and from Clinton. It involved a career State Department official (he occupied the same position under Condoleezza Rice) covering not just for Clinton but for his department.

Second, it’s not clear which side originally offered the bargain. Third, nothing tangible was supposed to exchange hands. There was no proposed personal enrichment – a Rolex in return for your soul – which tends to be our standard for punishable misconduct.

And finally, it never actually happened. The FBI turned down the declassification request.

In sum, a warm gun but nonsmoking gun. Indeed, if the phrase “quid pro quo” hadn’t appeared, it would have received little attention. Moreover, it obscures the real scandal – the bottomless cynicism of the campaign and of the candidate.

Among dozens of examples; the Qatari gambit. Qatar, one of the worst actors in the Middle East (having financially supported the Islamic State, for example), offered $1 million as a “birthday” gift to Bill Clinton in return for five minutes of his time. Who offers – who takes – $200,000 a minute? We don’t know the “quid” here, but it’s got to be big.

In the final debate, Clinton hid when asked about pay-for-play at the Clinton Foundation. And for good reason. The emails reveal how foundation donors were first in line for favors and contracts.

A governance review by an outside law firm reported that some donors “may have an expectation of quid pro quo benefits in return for gifts.” You need an outside law firm to tell you that? If your Sultanic heart bleeds for Haiti, why not give to Haiti directly? Because if you give through the Clintons, you have a claim on future favors.

The soullessness of this campaign – all ambition and entitlement – emerges almost poignantly in the emails, especially when aides keep asking what the campaign is about. In one largely overlooked passage, Clinton complains that her speechwriters have not given her any overall theme or rationale. Isn’t that the candidate’s job? Asked one of her aides, Joel Benenson: “Do we have any sense from her what she believes or wants her core message to be?”

It’s that emptiness at the core that makes every policy and position negotiable and politically calculable. Hence the embarrassing about-face on the Trans-Pacific Partnership after the popular winds swung decisively against free trade.

So too with the financial regulation, as in Dodd-Frank. As she told a Goldman Sachs gathering, after the financial collapse there was “a need to do something because, for political reasons ... you can’t sit idly by and do nothing.”

Giving the appearance that something had to be done. That’s not why Elizabeth Warren supported Dodd-Frank. Which is the difference between a conviction politician like Warren and a calculating machine like Clinton.

Of course, we knew all this. But we hadn’t seen it so clearly laid out. Illicit and illegal as is WikiLeaks, it is the camera in the sausage factory. And what it reveals is surpassingly unpretty.

I didn’t need the Wiki files to oppose Hillary Clinton. As a conservative, I have long disagreed with her worldview and the policies that flow from it. As for character, I have watched her long enough to find her deeply flawed, to the point of unfitness. But for those heretofore unpersuaded, the recent disclosures should close the case.

If you are part of the 71% of Americans that believe the country is going in the wrong direction: Vote Trump

If you are part of the 71% of Americans that believe the country is going in the wrong direction: Vote Trump

Trump can shake up Washington, lead

Mason, Ohio resident Jordan B. Arnold

Thousands across Hamilton County are voting for Donald Trump because they are tired of the conventional approach to politics. Politicians at every level have led us into an era of economic stagnation, offering no vision and no plan for the future. Our people understand that for Washington’s politicians, our region hasn’t been a priority.

Every four years, lifelong politicos like Hillary Clinton come to our region promising solutions that never materialize. During his own campaign against then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama promised a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and it was never taken up by Clinton in the State Department.

President Obama told us that he would fight to replace the Brent Spence Bridge, but he has failed to follow through. On so many issues that are important to us, the conventional politics has given us nothing but broken promises and broken trust.

In The Enquirer’s Facebook Live announcement that the editorial board was endorsing Clinton, Opinion Editor Cindi Andrews revealed reservations about her candidacy. Andrews is not the only one with these concerns; many don’t trust Clinton. People do not trust government to do what is best for them. They do not wish to give control of their lives to Washington or City Hall, who raise the cost of living while wages remain stagnant. This is why so many have chosen Trump, and why there is such apathy about local political races.

If Donald Trump is elected president, Hamilton County will be in a favorable position to renegotiate the federal government’s unfunded mandate to the Metropolitan Sewer District. I believe that smart leadership from the county and city can even win a waiver from Trump’s EPA, allowing local government to focus on services and delay the most lavish improvements to the sewer system until a funding source can be found.

Democrats and Republicans must work together to address the issues that we face. The culture of stagnation that bogs down our political system is caused by entrenched political leaders like Hillary Clinton, who will unify Republicans in opposition to her agenda. Only Donald Trump can shake up Washington and lead, and I know he will be a friend to Hamilton County.

Political leaders from Washington to Cincinnati aren’t focused on the issues that bring up the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Instead, they are focused on personal feuds and outrage over silly words. We deserve better than this system, and to change it we should all vote for Donald J. Trump.

Trump a huckster, but knows how to build things

Trump a huckster, but knows how to build things

Letter to editor of local paper

Regarding “It has to be Hillary Clinton”: I listened to your rationalization of your endorsement of Hillary Clinton and find your reasoning to be shallow. You are endorsing Clinton because you dislike Donald Trump and think he is hiding something because he hasn’t made public his tax return.

The strength of the presidency is in integrity and having the best possible advisers giving advice that will improve the lives of its citizens and keep the country safe. The president then acts in the best interest of the country. Clinton has only ever acted in the best interest of herself and the party.

Looking at the type of people she has around her giving her advice (basically the same people Barack Obama has advising him), we are staring right down the throat of a more socialist government takeover of our independence and loss of freedoms – plus, a stagnant economy.

Your endorsement shows a “what’s going to make me feel good today,” not what will be good for the country in following generations. Clinton has never created a private-sector job, ever.

Trump comes across as a flim-flam huckster, but he has built an empire and knows how to create and build something. That’s more than Obama or Clinton can say.

Gerald E. Duerk, Miami Township, Hamilton County Ohio

Tale of two candidates: who do you want keeping America safe?

Tale of two candidates: who do you want keeping America safe?

There is a clear difference. Can you pick it out?

Hillary on the recent bombings

We know they’re doing everything they possibly can to keep us safe in this dangerous situation. I’ve also spoken to the governor of Minnesota.

Like all Americans, my thoughts are with those who were wounded, their families and our brave first responders. This threat is real, but so is our resolve. Americans will not cower, we will prevail. We will defend our country and we will defeat the evil, twisted ideology of the terrorists.

Trump on the recent bombings

"I must tell you that just before I got off the plane a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows what's going on," Trump said, minutes after stepping off his plane during a rally at an airport hangar in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

He continued: "But boy we are living in a time -- we better get very tough, folks. We better get very, very tough. It's a terrible thing that's going on in our world, in our country and we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant."

Hillary believes this is true for over 25 million Americans!

Hillary believes this is true for over 25 million Americans!

Racist; a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and those racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

Sexist, relating to, involving, or fostering sexism, or attitudes and behavior toward someone based on the person's gender.

Homophobic; irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals

Xenophobic; fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners

Islamophobia: dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force.

 Irredeemable; not able to be saved, helped, or made better

Worst for last

“Thankfully they are not America”; A person who is not American

A Day To Read: DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

JULY 4, 1776

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the

Senate Candidate: My name is Darryl Glenn.

My name is Darryl Glenn. I am a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, and last night I became the Republican nominee for US Senate in Colorado.

...And I am the Democratic Party’s absolutely worst nightmare.

Why is that?

Well, you see, I am a black conservative Republican running for the United States Senate against one of the most vulnerable Democrats in America in 2016. This race is the best chance Republicans have to pick up a seat and keep control of the Senate.

You see, I am a conservative. I believe in defending our borders, cutting our taxes, defending the sanctity of human life, and crushing Radical Islam. (Yes, I’m willing to say it even if our President will not.)

For many years now, the Democrat Party has sold the black community a bill of goods. Every single year, they know they cannot run on their record, so they try to make these campaigns about identity politics.

Well, I am tired of it. They can’t pull that with me. I intend to call the Democrats on their nonsense and hold their feet to the fire. Trust me that terrifies them. ...Because I have had it with the Democrat Party and the extreme liberal activists that run it.

The policies liberals have advocated for the past 30 years have not helped African Americans one bit—they haven’t helped ANY Americans—they’ve helped the liberal elites who run their corrupt party, and they have bankrupted our children. The Democratic Party isn’t the “Party of the little guy” it’s the party of the bosses and the liberal extremists.

White liberals have profited while the black community has been left behind. It’s been 50 years since LBJ’s “Great Society” programs were launched, and yet our poverty rate has stayed the same. Meanwhile, our inner cities are war zones, children are without fathers, we are bankrupt both morally and financially, and America is weaker than ever before.

So-called “black leaders” like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have used their influence with black people in the Democrat Party in order to gain great personal power with the Democrats. It’s time for a new generation of “black leaders” who are ready to help rebuild America, as the strong, great nation we know it to be.

The fastest way for the Democrats’ stranglehold on the black community to end is to elect leaders who will tell the truth about how the Democrats failed policies have gravely injured the family in America.

They have absolutely expanded the federal government beyond our means to the point that we face a financial meltdown if we keep going like this.

They have crushed job creators.

...And through the Welfare State, they have nearly driven black fathers out of the home by creating an incentive for parents not to stay together. I’m sick of hearing white liberals claim that if you call them out for their failed liberal programs, you’re a racist. It makes my blood boil -- which is part of why I am running.

We’re not going to let them change the subject in this election because they can’t pull that stuff with me. I am going to make them run on their record, and let me tell you, when I do, the people of Colorado aren’t going to like the record that they see.

Orlando: This Is On Obama

Orlando: This Is On Obama

By Bruce Bialosky

Long before the mass murder in Orlando happened, I was in the process of writing this column. Obviously what happened early last Sunday has changed a lot for all of us. But it has not changed the fact of how ISIS has grown and prospered is the responsibility of President Obama more than anyone else, and that needs to be identified and he needs to be held accountable for that.

The impetus for this column was an article in the Wall Street Journal exposing the fact that ISIS fighters are returning to their home countries because they don’t like getting their butts kicked on the battlefield. They also did not find the way the leaders of ISIS treated them was as exciting and as glamorous as they thought it would be while sitting in their living rooms. You can be assured President Obama will be touting the decline in ISIS forces, but they never should have been there in the first place.

Way back when President Obama called ISIS the “JV team,” I and many others were hollering about how foolish that was. It is not because I am a military expert nor do I espouse that I am. But having read enough books on the working of power, I think I know how these things work. You need not have read Sun Tzu or Machiavelli to have questioned the strategy Mr. Obama had adopted. All you needed to have done was follow American sports or possibly sports anywhere to know he was being a fool.

It is called the “bandwagon effect.” True fans of a sports team see this all the time -- particularly ones who have suffered for years. The people of Kansas City have seen this last couple of years; the ones who stuck with the Royals through some miserable years were all of a sudden being crowded out at games by bandwagoners.

In early 2014, ISIS was experiencing many successes and flaunting it with murderous videos. Their successes were being broadcast into our homes and they were spreading them through a sophisticated internet communication system.

I stated they needed to be crushed, and immediately. Obama, the reluctant warrior, refused to do what history had taught us. I even wrote comparing his action to the inactivity of France and Britain in crushing early actions of Hitler that emboldened him to take the next step and then throw the world into war. As Lincoln wrote to General McClellan: “If you don’t want to use the Army I should like to borrow it for a while.” At the time I said: “Please, Mr. President, let me use the greatest military force in world history. I will crush ISIS in the crib and you will thank me.”

Instead he dawdled. Sure he sent some drones in to make selective kills. Those drone strikes killed ISIS leaders, their associates, friends and family. Obama went after the terrorists with no regard for their families and then instructed his press secretary to chastise Donald Trump for calling for actions he was already condoning. And it was so he could avoid actually using the full force of the military we gave him to protect us. It is much easier to sit in a shed somewhere and push a button than confront terror face-to-face.

While Obama fiddled, ISIS grew in power. On the home front, our police (FBI) were fighting the battle attempting to protect us. But when their leader refuses to recognize the existence of the threat and name it as such, you can only imagine how hamstrung our protectors were. The government knew about Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, in San Bernardino. They likewise knew about Omar Mateen.

President Obama rails against guns, but what did he do here in a situation that should have been questioned? Mateen has been on the FBI watch list for some time, but he walked into a gun dealer two weeks ago and bought new guns. He went through a background check. Why was he not questioned? Because the system in place is inept? Or does the government not want to seem anti-Islamic? Instead of confronting the challenge at hand, Mr. Obama blamed law-abiding citizens for having guns and called for new gun laws. He labeled it home grown extremism.

Let’s be clear, Obama had zero desire for the massacre that occurred last week and he holds no responsibility for that particular act. But he has made decisions as to how to confront the evil that bred the horror and for that he is responsible.

Secretary Clinton will be more of the same. Sure she will blow meaningless platitudes our way, but not much will change. She has never called him out for not crushing ISIS. Sure her campaign sent out a cover-your-ass statement expressing sorrow about the event and talking tough, but not telling us how she will be different or expressing dissatisfaction with Mr. Obama and his policies. She did state we should do all this while “staying true to our values” which are code words for half-measures. She too labeled it home grown extremism. She wants us to believe this is a hate crime and nothing more.

Mrs. Clinton swears solidarity with women and gays. But she has taken millions into her slush fund charity from governments that abuse and denigrate women and murder gays. How can we trust her to change the policies of the government she endorses and of which she was a big part? Is the Congenital Liar now to be believed? Was Lincoln not true to our values? Was Roosevelt not true to our values? They realized that we are at war and the time for half-measures was over. It has come to our shores; the great oceans can no longer protect us.

Things need to change folks. More of these murders will go on until they do. The sad thing is much of this could have been prevented if Mr. Obama did his job. This in on his head.

Why Does Trump Upset So Many People?

Why Does Trump Upset So Many People?

It is the political season and politicians are out in force. They are behaving just like politicians always do. Trump is not. Trump is saying what he thinks and a lot of people like hearing it.

Many people are viewing what he is saying through “Political Optics”. Problem is Trump is not a true politician. The conservatives fear he is really a liberal and liberals are in glee because Trump could be one of them! Both parties have no idea of what to do except fear him!

Trump has no political ideology. He thinks and he speaks without political concern. I believe he is as surprised as anyone that “Plain Speak” has attracted millions. The talking heads and other pundits talk incessantly about him putting his foot in his mouth and waiting for his political collapse. They are continuously shocked! Their views are purely political. They think they are talking to a savvy politician that has boned up on any and all issues. Real leaders don’t think that way. They think strategically and not tactically. Real leaders surround themselves with the smartest people they can find and fire the rest. Real leaders use a consultative approach to decision makers that take in as much advice as they can. They then make the decision and the responsibility that goes along with it.

Trump also speaks like the everyday American. Always ready to give an opinion and not fail to respond when asked. That makes him vulnerable to political hacks that like to trap people. In the process, Trump has managed to have the largest unfavorable ratings of any politician in memory running for office.  Does that bother you? Maybe it should. But, if you look at Trump like looking into a mirror, you will likely see yourself; a non-political person with the country put first and popularity last.

Ask yourself this, have popular politicians hurt or helped this country? Why? You know why, they put politics first.

Get The Varmints Out of Washington!

Get The Varmints Out of Washington!

An analogy

You've been on vacation for two weeks, you come home, and your basement is infested with raccoons.  Hundreds of rabid, messy, mean raccoons have overtaken your basement.  You want them gone immediately so you hire a guy;  A pro.  You don't care if the guy smells, you need those raccoons gone pronto and he's the guy to do it!  You don't care if the guy swears, you don't care if he's an alcoholic, you don't care how many times he's been married, you don't care if he voted for Obama, you don't care if he has plumber's crack...  you simply want those raccoons gone!  You want your problem fixed!  He's the guy.  He's the best.  Period.

That's why Trump.  Yes he's a bit of an ass, yes he's an egomaniac, but you don't care.  The country is a mess because politicians suck, the Republican Party is two-faced, gutless and wimpy.   Illegals are everywhere.  You want it all fixed!   You don't care that Trump is crude, you don't care that he insults people, you don't care that he had been friendly with Hillary, you don't care that he has changed positions, you don't care that he's been married 3 times, you don't care that he fights with Megyn Kelly and Rosie O'Donnell, you don't care that he doesn't know the name of some Muslin terrorist... this country is weak, bankrupt, our enemies are making fun of us, we are being invaded by illegal's, we are becoming a nation of victims where every Tom, Ricardo and Hamid is a special group with special rights to a point where we don't even recognize the country we were born and raised in;  "AND WE JUST WANT IT FIXED" and Trump is the only guy who seems to understand what the people want.   

You're sick of politicians, sick of the Democratic Party, Republican Party, and sick of illegals.  You just want this thing fixed.  Trump may not be a saint, but doesn't have lobbyist money holding him, he doesn't have political correctness restraining him, all you know is that he has been very successful, a good negotiator, he has built a lot of things, and he's also not a politician,  he's not a cowardly politician.  And he says he'll fix it.

You don't care if the guy has bad hair.  

You just want those raccoons gone, out of your house.  Now!

THE THREE BIG THREATS THE U.S. & THE WORLD MUST FACE

THE THREE BIG THREATS THE U.S. & THE WORLD MUST FACE

JOHN PEPPER

John Pepper is a former CEO and chairman of Procter & Gamble and also served as chairman of the Walt Disney Company.

Ian Kershaw’s magisterial new history of Europe from 1914-1949, To Hell and Back, reminds us that during the 40-year period from 1914 to 1945, Europe came close to self destruction in two world wars and an economic depression that cost over 50 million lives.

Yet, defying centuries of internecine warfare and history, Europe came together in the second half of the 20th century to form organizational constructs (NATO, ECM, etc.) that make the prospect of another war between the European nations inconceivable.Yes, tensions still exist: economically and socially. And will continue to. But the common interests were so clear and the bonds now so strong that war is not conceivable.

Today, in the early years of the 21st century, I believe our civilization faces a question not dissimilar to what was faced in the 20th century: “Will we allow civilization and the world as we know it and want it to be, to self-destruct?”

This may strike the reader as a needlessly draconian question. I do not think it is.

What are the risks to our civilization as we know it? I believe there are three.

One is the threat of fundamentalist driven terrorism seeking to expand its reach across borders and annihilate “non-believers” via a new caliphate.

The second is the threat of nuclear disaster. Let us not allow the half century which separates us from the first hand ravage of the hydrogen bomb to disguise the annihilation to civilization which will result from atomic warfare. To our knowledge, we are the only celestial body with life as we know it. The possibility of our ending it is in our hands.

The first and second threats are related for a doomsday scenario is having a nuclear device in the hands of terrorists.

The third threat, while less immediate is no less real: climate change which would cripple life as we know it on earth.

It is clear that confronting and curtailing these threats will require nations to work together as they have not before. Without trying to identify an exhaustive list, these nations must include the United States, Russia, China, Western Europe, Japan, Saudi Arabia and India.

There are those who will object to Russia and China being included, attributing to these nations the intent to expand their geographic reach. The evidence that this is their intent is frail, defies what their leaders assert and what is in their own best interest.

Neither  China or Russia are driven today by a mission which seeks to convert other nations to a given ideology (unlike Germany under the Nazis or ISIS today). Neither have a need for more land. Like the United States and Western Europe, they are threatened by ISIS. Yes, their values, their economic and judicial systems will not be identical to ours. Corruption may exist at higher levels. And they will look for good relations with neighboring countries just as we in the United States always have with countries near our own.

But the commonalities of their interests – preserving peace and safety for their citizens, being treated with respect – will be far greater than the differences.

Just as world leaders following World War II had the wisdom to bring together organizational coalitions to normalize cooperation and the creation of stronger bonds so must the world leaders do that today.

With regard to Russia, we had the opportunity to create an organizational construct which would have bound its interests those of the West post glasnost and perestroika in the early 1990’s.

We missed that opportunity. We have the opportunity again, confronted by the greatest threats we have had since that of Nazi Germany in the 20th century.

Today’s leaders will be judged by how well they seize this opportunity. I believe the future of civilization as we know it depends on it.