My Thoughts on George Floyd

George Floyd, while not on the straight and narrow, did not deserve to die. Especially in the manner in which his life was taken.

That being said, the whole "Let's burn down a bunch of inner cities" narrative and actions is just beyond stupid. The entire country saw what happened to Mr. Floyd and condemned it with no hesitation or quantifiers. We all knew Floyd was being arrested for committing a crime, but we didn't care about that. His murder was unjustifiable, plain and simple. When the riots and looting happened, all that support dried up. While his murder was completely unjustified, it should not be used as an excuse to loot, piliage, and kill like a bunch of Vikings invading Northumbria.

Another Facebook Response

I have been debating with a Facebook friend (My Facebook Friend/MFF) over the past couple of days. As you might guess, it is about how our President is handling the Wuhan Virus outbreak in our great country.

This was the original post, along with the graphic.

(MFF) Still a lot of talk from the usual suspects about the pandemic being a hoax. Conspiracy theories are all fun and games until they kill people we love. Who knows where the grand total will end up unless we all start working together.

(Me) The picture you posted makes it seem, to the low info individual, that the only cause of death in the USA is war and covid-19.

Some Thoughts on Dirty Politics

Recently a Facebook friend posted a link to a Rolling Stone (How the GOP Rigs Elections) article about the dirty politics being played by the Republican party in Wisconsin (his beloved home state) with respect to district gerrymandering, so-called dark money, and voter ID laws.

We exchanged a couple of views of opinion on the matter. But the Facebook platform isn't the best in which to respond fully. So I decided to make a more detailed response on my blog. I put the link in the comment so my friend could come a read it, and so can you, my loyal nine followers.

My original response is as follows:
--Gerrymandering is not the sole providence of Republicans. You should see how the districts are drawn in Oregon and Washington, democrat strongholds. There are a couple of districts in the suburbs of Portland that actually jump neighborhoods only to start up again a few blocks later.

And here is his response after he asked if I had read the article:

"I agree gerrymandering happens on both ends of the spectrum, GOP has been downright unlawful in their drawing. “During the 2012 elections, Democratic House candidates won 1.4 million more votes nationally than Republicans, but the GOP won 33 more seats.” And, if it were going the other way— I’d be just as up in arms. This is an argument of democracy not of partisan values. Votes should count and if you dig deep into that 538 stuff they’ll talk about packing and stacking votes.

I know it can never be perfect, even with algorithms it doesn’t evenly split. But, the majority of districts can get back to competitive elections and that my friend, along with the reduction of campaign finance and the increase ability to vote will increase the amounts of OUR freedoms."
(I highlighted one point he made as I will get back to a little further down the blog post)

He also included a link to a very interesting site (The Gerrymander Project) that discusses gerrymandering in a very balanced way. I did have a little issue viewing each video. My solution was to refresh the page prior to watching the next video.

So without further ado, here is my post:

Dems, Why Do You Continue to Support Clinton?

The picture I posted on Facebook says it all. I've said it before; There isn't a policy of hers that I could ever support, that should be clear. But I just don't understand how a very large segment of our country could actually support her running for president. Do you not care about the rule of law? Do you not care about how this takes this country down a path where we will no longer be the beacon. We will be no different than those banana republics across the world. She doesn't have an honest bone in her body. Can you dems not see that, or is what is stated below true? You could care less that she is dishonest? I'm not asking you to support my candidate instead. I'm asking you to find someone, um, better.

Corruption and dishonesty have dogged her almost since the beginning of her time in government. Kicked off the Watergate committee for an utter lack of ethics by people from her own party, Whitewater, money made in cattle futures, Travelgate, and the list goes on. About the only time she didn't have scandal swirling around her was during her time in the Senate. But then again, she was inconsequential as the junior Senator from NY so not many paid her any mind.

Most of my friends here on Facebook are former military and each and everyone of you know the penalty for mishandling classified material, intentional or not. At best, a dishonable discharge, at worst, a long prison term. Gen (ret) Petraeus was forced to resign his position at the CIA over what were essentially his classified schedules.

There was a time when a dem candidate could be someone you could be proud of. I'm not taking about supporting them during an election, but in the aftermath, once the choice has been made. Very few people have real issues over whether or not Truman, Kennedy or even LBJ were Presidential. We can quibble over policy decisions, but I don't think any serious minded person on either side of the aisle would say the aforementioned individuals were not people of honor. When poll after poll shows that even those who identify as democrat don't believe she is an honest person that really should say something.

Post Debate Thoughts

Didn't get to watch the debate live this time around, only able to catch several highlights so the synopsis will not be as through as the previous.

From all reports Carly knocked it out of the park. She had specifics, was well spoken, and did her best to steer clear of Trump. I will have to say that she needs to stop saying "I started out as a secretary..." It getting a little worn out. But I do like her. In any other state than California, she could have beaten Boxer. But then again, only California would have voted FOR Boxer.

Trump continues to defy logic. I completely understand why he has the attraction that he does. He is speaking for the MULTIPLE millions who have no voice, or who are being ignored by the elites in DC. This country voted the Republicans the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014 (not to mention the huge shift in state level governments) and still not a damn thing is being done. He is the voice. Maybe it's not terribly artistic in delivery, but it still resonates. But his performance last night is probably his nadir. But I said that the last time. I really do have my troubles with him. We sent somebody who was "cool" to the White House 7 years ago and look how well that has turned out.

Dem Donor Shows True Colors

I guess when you try to be the all-inlcusive party you are going to get a few nut-jobs.

The woman referred in the link article is referred to as the crazy lady in some circles, is a big democrat contributor in both local and national level elections. She has given over $60,000 to democrats running in local elections here in Washington State and she has also given money to the Obama campaign.

Not only is she a dem contributor, but apparently, if you judge by her recent statements, she is also quite the anti-Catholic bigot.

Michelle Malkin has the full story and related links here.

UPDATE: I have removed the individual's name because she has a history of taking people to court and I don't want to be one of her victims.

Joe Bein' Joe

A few years ago, while deployed to Iraq, I had the opportunity to meet VP Biden. I was doing a late morning workout at the gym and in walks this guy wearing a baseball cap while in Army PT gear. Not only did this guy have a hat on but he was wearing it backwards. Although I was not in the Army (USAF-Retired), I had been posted to many Army support assignments throughout my career (AF provides some specialized support) and had been in combat with them a few times. Hence, I had a working knowledge of what is and isn’t permissible with respect to the wear of the Army PT uniform. Hats are verboten, even those worn backwards.

As I approached the guy to provide guidance on the prpper wear of a military uniform, thinking he might be Army Guard due to his age, I realized that I recognized him. Took me a moment to place him but once I did, I was actually pretty excited. I have always though Joe Biden would be a great guy to share a few brews with and talk about football, fast cars, and faster women. Everyone is aware that Uncle Joe can say some pretty outrageous things and what better way to loosen an already loose tongue that with a beer or two.  Never would I vote for the guy, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t tip back a cold one with the guy and swap a few lies.

After getting a chance to talk with him for a while I began to realize that he was a little weird. He was certainly affable enough and was quite friendly, even after I told him Obama was pretty far down my list (He asked). All I can really relay to you was just having a weird feeling after I walked away. Until yesterday I have never been able to put my finger on it. I just recall thinking this dude was one missed heartbeat away from the Presidency and not liking it one bit. And truthfully, it wasn’t politics.

After last night’s debate, this feeling returned, and this time that weird feeling crystallized. The guy is a goober, plain and simple. How else does one explain laughing while serious points about Libya, where four Americans were murdered, are being made by Congressman Ryan? While Obama got absolutely crushed in Denver last week, at least he remained somewhat professional. Biden was clearly off his rocker. After the debate (actually about half way through) I decided that sharing a beer with this goofball was no longer on my bucket list.

Other than the obvious, the one thing I took away from this debate was how cool Ryan was under pressure. It was mildly surprising that Ryan didn’t reach across the table and slap the dude on the back of the head. I know I wouldn’t have been able to constrain myself.

Here is a recap of “Joe bein’ Joe” from the RNC.

Our Nation at the Brink

For those who care one wit about the direction this nation is currently taking, this is a must read. Director Blue perfectly encapsulates the kind of thug government Obama heads and total disregard of the Constitution he not only encourages but insists upon.

I know that we have an election upcoming and Republicans and conservatives are kind of fighting over who our nominee should be. But please let me say that whether Gingrich, Romney or Santorum become the nominee, please VOTE. Once the nominee has been established we need to unite. This nation cannot afford another four more years under the thumb of the Obama administration.

Think about this: if Obama gets four more years there is a better than real good chance that he will get to select two and possibly three Justices to the SCOTUS. Can you imagine a court filled with Kagen’s? Think about that for a minute. You can forget about state’s rights. You can forget about the 2nd Amendment. You can forget about religious freedom.

Something to Consider

From time to time I use a link from Doug Ross’s Director Blue for the basis of a blog post. When I do this, I do my best to ensure that he gets credit for a hat tip (h/t). I also spend time reading the stuff he posts.

Today I ran across a post that is a must read for all of you out there. In this post he describes what he thinks is the “Most Audacious Armed Robbery in History.” And while the title of his post might just a bit over the top, what he has to say and the points that he makes are certainly NOT over the top.

The very finally point that he makes in his post is something that you all should seriously contemplate. If you are not a supporter of Mitt Romney (and I am not), Newt Gingrich (leaning a little), Rick Santorum (I do like), or Ron Paul (A little too crazy on foreign policy), you need to consider the alternative if Obama gets another four years. During this primary season, support your candidate with everything you have. But once the primaries are done and the GOP nominee has been selected, DON’T sit on your butts in protest come November just because the candidate might not be your first (or even second) choice. At the risk of repeating myself: Consider the alternative.

Sarah Takes On GOP Establishment

I have not yet decided whom I am going to support in the primaries and probably won’t until forced to do so but please take a gander at this link.

Over at Legal Insurrection, Prof. Jacobson has reprinted an excerpt of an article where Sarah Palin takes the GOP establishment to task over their repeated attempts, especially since South Carolina, to smash Newt Gingrich.

Keep in mind that I am fully aware the Newt has warts, some of them pretty serious. But I do like that he is unafraid to take on the media and Obama in the most basic of terms (his terms BTW). I also do admire that he is not afraid to dream big dreams for America. In a way, that is much like Reagan. Reagan had a dream of defeating Communism in his time. He did it! Why can’t Newt dream also?

Google "Bombs" Santorum

Republican nomination hopeful Rick Santorum has had his share of difficulties trying to gain traction during the initial series of primaries. Probably the most publicized issue was hubbub raised, mostly by liberals, over Santorum and his wife’s handling of the stillborn death of their child back in the mid ‘90’s. Of course, you knew the left would raise this issue, and try to paint Santorum as some sort of kook.

Even less publicized were the efforts of Google and gay rights activist Dan Savage. According to the article where I got this information, several news outlets, including MSNBC, ABC, and CNN, had an opportunity to call Savage on the carpet for his behavior towards Santorum. None of them did.

A few years ago Savage ran a contest for people to come up with the vilest definition for “Santorum.” Needless to say, what came up was pretty disgusting. As for Google, what they have done, really takes the cake. When doing a search for Santorum on Google the results of Savage’s contest come up as the top return. He is a screen capture.

Screen Capture Taken 27 Jan 2012

I blocked out the worst of it because it isn’t fit for print. If you must read it, do your own search because the “winning” definition is right there for you to see.

El Presidente Obama

Ran across an interesting article on whether this election could be our last if President Obama should win a second term. Please read the article and then read my post. I also recommend you bookmark this site.

Over the past three years as I have watched President Obama with an obviously critical eye, a nagging feeling has been scratching at the back of my mind.

Would President Obama either try to make the 2012 elections null and void if he lost or, if he won, would he takes steps to ensure that he never had to step down, ala FDR (his hero BTW)?

President for Life?

Before you all start sending me tinfoil for my conspiracy hat, please hear me out.

Romney Pays 15%, I Don't (Like the 48 Percenters)

Just last night Mitt Romney (not my favorite candidate) revealed that he pays about 15% taxes on dividends he earns.

“The last ten years, my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past, rather than ordinary income or rather than earned income,” Romney said. “I got a little bit of income from my book but I gave all of that way. And then I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much.” (Source: CNN)

It didn’t take the White House long to get their mitts on this (non) story.

At the White House, [Jay] Carney told reporters that President Barack Obama believes that wealthy Americans “should not pay a lower effective tax rate than middle-class Americans.”

“Everybody who’s working hard ought to pay their fair share, and that includes millionaires who might be paying an effective tax rate of 15% when folks making $50,000 or $75,000 or $100,000 a year are paying much more,” Carney said, adding that Obama “thinks we ought to fix that.” (Source: CNN)

Over the past several years, even while earning close to $75,000 a year, our effective tax rate on earned income (my salary plus my wife’s) was close to nothing. After filing our tax return, we would get nearly all of it back. Of course we have two children, plus a mortgage interest deduction that went along ways to decreasing our tax burden. We all know the statistics about how much the top 5% of earners pay vs. the lower 48% (a lot vs. nearly nothing) so I won’t rehash here, but when Obama and his acolytes say we need to get millionaires to pay their fair share, it sounds like Romney is already doing just that. He is paying 15% and I was paying a lot less than that.

Eric Holder: The Dark Cloud

Over the past few months as the Republican race has heated up and candidates came and went, there has been an uneasiness floating around in the dark recesses of my mind. For a while, I thought much of the disquiet had to do with the fact that we Republicans and Conservatives can’t seem to settle on a candidate. While we kept chasing the flavor of the month (Perry, Cain, Bachmann, et al), the Obama White had to certainly feel both comfort and concern.

Comfort: If I were Obama I’d look at the seeming dysfunction within the Republican Party and rub my hands with mild glee. It has to feel somewhat encouraging to Obama and his crew that we can’t seem to settle on a candidate.

Concern: Somewhere within the apparatus that is the Obama White House there has to be one individual with a level head that looks at the back and forth going on in the Republican nomination process and says to him/herself “This might not be all wine and roses.” Unlike what the mainstream press did with Obama back in 2007/8, our candidate is going to be thoroughly vetted by the same press that swooned over a certain first-dude born in Hawaii. Once the nomination process has run its course and focus switches to denying Obama another four years, there will be little “surprise” news that could derail the Republican nominee, allowing whoever it is to fire away on all cylinders.

Getting back to the main point here, I soon decided that the dark cloud that I could see on the horizon was not the nomination process and the rumble and tumble going on there. What brought clarity for me was the recent spat of suits brought by the Eric Holder Justice Department against cities, towns, and states that were implementing some form of voter identification. Recently Mr. Holder stated that these voter ID laws are taking America back to the days of Jim Crow and “the same disparities, divisions and problems” that affected America prior to the 1965 passage of the Voter Rights Act.

Keep in mind that Obama recently hailed from Chicago and that region has a notorious reputation for bending, to the point of breaking, election laws. After all the term “vote early and vote often” has its roots in Chicago. Any laws on the books that could suppress repeat voting and voting by non-existent and dead persons and is not the “Chicago way.” Based on many recent polls that are not very favorable for his re-election, Obama is going to need all the help he can get in 2012 if he wants to continue to occupy the White House and send Michelle on lavish vacation to the far-flung reaches of the global.

Holder has already proven that he will do anything to maintain his place at the Justice department, including “not remembering” any memos, e-mails, talk, scuttlebutt, rumors, and just plain old news on “Fast and Furious.” I have no doubts that Holder will do everything in his power to redact any laws that will prevent dead people and Mickey Mouse from voting several times over.

Obama has also proven over again that his feeling towards the rule of law and the Constitution are nothing more than lines in a speech.

If Obama wins re-election at the end of this year, I would not be surprised that it happens with many shenanigans at various locations around the nation. Remember, all he has to do is carry certain districts in certain key states to win the Electoral College totals. I think we can safely assume big states like California and New York are already in the bag. Take those and he has a quarter of the electors needed for victory. But in a few others states where the vote could be closer like Illinois, Pennsylvania, and even Texas all that has to happen is districts near the larger cities like Pittsburg, Houston, and Chicago vote early and often in favor of Obama and the tide could change. This might actually be a first. A presidential nominee who is not above 45% approval gaining re-election.

So the dark cloud remains on the horizon and feels menacing.

Any means necessary.

BTW: To all of those who'll call me a racist for putting dark cloud and Eirc Holder in the same sentence I'll say it now just so I don't have to in the comments section. Shut the heck up!

GOP Field (Part One)

As we move along in 2011 and approach 2012, the GOP presidential hopeful field continues to shrink and front-runners are beginning to emerge (sort of).

Early on, in the Iowa straw poll, it looked like Michelle Bachmann was going to gain some steam. She has conservative bonifides, and she had the backing of the Tea Party. But after that early momentum, she has sort of falling off the face of the earth.

Next came Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, and heir-apparent, for good or bad, of the Bush legacy. But after several stumbles in the debates, he too has fallen by the wayside.

About the same time Perry came along John Huntsman of Utah announced he was going to run. The main stream media made much ado about his joining the race, but after about 10 minutes, he slide to the very rear of the pack.

Early in the summer Rep Thad McCotter decided to join the fray, but was quickly eliminated as his candidacy was never able to gain any traction. It didn’t help matters when the rest of the GOP field wouldn’t include him in one of what has turned out to be an endless stream of debates.

For over a year, Sarah Palin teased us. Was she going to run? Was she happy being a king-maker? When she finally made her announcement I think there were more than a few sighs of relief. Not only from the Republican field, but from the general public. I really do think she would have made terrific candidate, but the MSM would have crucified her. She has proven to be a strong woman, but I have my doubts she (or any other for that matter) could have survived the beat the media had in store for her.

Herman Cain got his 15 minutes, that eventually turned in 30 minutes with the last 5 minutes being a treatise on how to bring everything tumbling down on your head. I was actually gearing up to support Cain even after the first wave of accusations began to appear. When Gloria Allred got involved, it actually bucked up my resolve. But the latest news about the possible affair was the end for me. I feel it was wise of him to withdraw; he needs to spend some time repairing his relationships.

Newt Gingrich also teased us for while, but when he finally made it known he was going to run, it barely caused a ripple. He started off slow and only got slower. I actually thought that he might drop out, especially after his Iowa team imploded. But he has resurged in recent weeks as the GOP voters look for the “anyone but Romney candidate.

I will only mention “The Donald” because he did throw his hat into the ring for a bit, but as a complete political novice, he was more of an interesting sideshow than a candidate to really look at all that hard. It is true we are trying to find a candidate who isn’t a beltway insider, but Trump was too far out of the circle as to make Obama look like a seasoned pro.

Ron Paul cannot be forgotten here as he poses some interesting feelings. The guy has a strong conservative background, especially when it comes to small government. But as a libertarian candidate, he is going to struggle to get much more than a cursory glance from the voters. This is not to dismiss his as serious candidate, of which he is. But I think his foreign policy of isolationism is going to get him bypassed by most of the voters

Finally we have Mitt Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts. During all of this he has remained fairly consistent. I’m not talking about his political consistency; I’m referring to his polling. Others have surged ahead of him from time to time. First Bachman, then Perry, the Cain, and now Gingrich.

As has happened with the previous candidates, the MSM has is taking it whacks at Newt.

After Bachmann gained serious traction after the Iowa straw poll, the media really began to focus on political positions, painting her as a cold-hearted person. Never mind that she and her husband took in many, many foster kids over the years.

When Perry began to surge the media was waiting in the bushes to ambush this guy and it didn’t take too long for him to provide the fodder. While his early debate performances were nothing to write home about, it was when he couldn’t remember the three government agencies he would close that did him. Granted, the wounds could be considered self-inflicted, but I certainly don’t remember the MSM going after Obama for his “57 states” comments or his mispronunciation of Corpsman. Of the first mistake, the media, playing their role as his protector, chalked it up to him being tired. As for the later, they pretty blew it off, most likely because none of them would have pronounced the word correctly either.

As for Cain, they certainly did a great job of digging into his background, which is entirely fine with me. But the question must be asked (and has many times); why didn’t they vet Obama as well as they vetted Cain? Why haven’t they insisted on Obama showing his grades while at Columbia and any of his legal papers while studying at Harvard? Why not question his alliance with proud domestic terrorist Bill Ayers? And they most certainly glossed over his 20-year association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Now they are going after Gingrich. Only this time they have help from the conservative wing of the Republican Party.

I will have more later.

Gingrich Surges

As the Republican primaries get closer to commencing, Newt Gingrich, whom I had written off this past summer, has seen a dramatic surge in the polls. I think his standing has as much to do with Herman Cain’s trials and tribulations as it does with the “anyone but Romney” feelings out there. I also happen to think that folks are discovering that Gingrich is actually a very smart man, who truly knows his stuff and would wipe the floor with Obama in any debate.

But Newt doesn’t come without some warts; many of them in fact. Most of us are aware of his serial marriages and some of the issues he had with ethics while serving as Speaker of the House during the Clinton Administration.  However, if you are willing to dig a little deeper, there might be a few other issues that might cause one to pause.

A friend of mine sent me a link to a blogger than she reads quite frequently and he really does have a problem with some of the stances that Gingrich has taken over the years.  In his post, the writer covers several topics that he feels make Gingrich not qualified to be the Republican nominee for President. (my take in italics)

- Campaigned for Nelson Rockefeller during the 1968 presidential elections. Anyone remotely familiar with the Rockefellers in general and Nelson in particular knows full well that no conservative could ever support such a candidate.

   A little bit before my time, but I during some research on the Rockefellers, they do seem to have a bit of an elitist attitude towards most people. In fact, the Rockefellers could be the poster children for everything bad ever said about the Republicans.

Cain Suspends His Campaign

The “high-tech lynching” is done and Herman Cain has decided to suspend his presidential campaign.

After several allegations of sexual harassment and one woman claiming that she a Cain had a 13 year extra-marital affair, former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and one of the more recognizable faces of the Tea Party movement, Cain has decided it would be better for him and his family if he slipped from the national scene.

We all know the story. About two months back sexual harassment allegation began to surface, although with one notable exception, the women pretty much remained unknown and the reports were anonymous. The earlier this week, which has proven to be the backbreaker, Ginger White came forward and said she had a long-lasting affair with the married Cain.

SCOTUS To Review Obama Care

Not sure if this is good or bad news, but the SCOTUS has decided to rule on Obama Care in 2012.

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear challenges to President Barack Obama’s health care reform law – but it’s not all clear that the court will decide anything soon.

Although the court set the stage for an epic, five-and-a-half-hour oral argument in the midst of the 2012 presidential race, it also signaled that it could punt a decision on the individual mandate until 2014. In accepting the challenges to the law, the court said it would devote an hour of the argument to the effect of the Anti-Injunction Act – a law that, in the view of some courts, could prohibit a ruling on the individual mandate until the mandate goes into effect in 2014. (Source: Politico)

While on one hand I really look forward to getting a ruling on this bill that is most likely unconstitutional, I have concerns. Two members of the Court should most likely recues themselves as Justices Sotomayor and Kagan both had a hand in engineering the bill. While those two Obama appointees didn’t really shift the balance of the court, those they replaced didn’t have a dog in the Health Care fight and might have actually ruled on the side of the bill being unconstitutional.

Of course, the biggest concern is Justice Kennedy. He is considered more on the conservative side of the court, but has thrown an occasional curveball. Essentially, he is the swing vote.

As Obama’s signature piece of legislation for President Obama, popular opinion says the SCOTUS’s decision could make or break his run for a second term. I have a slightly different view. If the court rules against Obama, then I think we can put a fork in his campaign and call it done (as in over). If the court rules in his favor, I really don’t think, as some believe, that it will clear the path for his second term. Personally, I think there is better than good chance that if the court rules in his favor, it will cause a significant ground swell that will really turn the tide against his reelection. The Health Care bill is already quite unpopular as evidenced by the pounding democrats took in 2010 and if the individual mandate is ruled constitutional, I really do think Obama will be even more Jimmy Carteresque than he is now.

But I could be wrong. Obama might still have some of that magic he had in 2008 when he overtook the presumed nominee, Hilary Clinton, then pounding John McCain in the election. The guy does have a way with words, even if those words are written for him and projected on a tele-prompter. Plus he has something many of the Republican nominees don’t have, and that is an ability to energize his base. If the 2012 turnout is lackluster, that energy could overcome a lot.

If you one of the many who wants to see Obama gone in 2012, please make sure that you get your butt to the polls, even if the nominee is (yuck) Romney.

Cain Accuser Has A (Brief) History

The plot thickens. Seems that a woman who filed sexual harassment complaint against GOP hopeful Herman Cain also filed a complaint against her next employer.

Karen Kraushaar, 55, filed the complaint while working as a spokeswoman at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the Justice Department in late 2002 or early 2003, with the assistance of her lawyer, Joel Bennett, who also handled her earlier sexual harassment complaint against Cain in 1999. Three former supervisors familiar with Kraushaar’s complaint, which did not include a claim of sexual harassment, described it for the AP under conditions of anonymity because the matter was handled internally by the agency and was not public.

To settle the complaint at the immigration service Kraushaar initially demanded thousands of dollars in payment, a reinstatement of leave she used after the accident earlier in 2002, promotion on the federal pay scale and a one-year fellowship to Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, according to a former supervisor familiar with the complaint. The promotion itself would have increased her annual salary between $12,000 and $16,000, according to salary tables in 2002 from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (Source: Yahoo News)

I know this already old news, but I thought I’d post in case you had been away.

Heavy Thinking

Some thoughts on the brewing controversy that is surrounding GOP hopeful, Herman Cain.

Over the past six months I have been looking for a candidate that could beat Obama and was not named Mitt Romney. Because of his stances on illegal immigration, universal health care, and abortion, Romney is nothing more than Obama-lite.

There have been some possible contenders out there.

Palin teased us for a while. While I would have supported her with both guns ablazin’ I think in these divided times, she is just too polarizing. The left HATES her with every fiber of their being. Even after the vicious attacks on her ranging from her IQ level to her decision to keep her baby, an organization that purports to support women’s issues couldn’t even find the time to give even a lukewarm response in support of woman who has done it all. Career woman, raised a family, married to the same guy, things you would think NOW would get behind. But because Palin is a conservative, there wasn’t a snowballs chance in a hot place the NOW would issue even a squeak.

Christie has too many liberal stances (2nd Amendment, illegal immigration) that he never really stood a chance to gain my support. I will give credit where credit is due. He has brought NJ back from the brink with the hard choices he has made. But his non-committal to the 2nd Amendment and his stance on illegal immigration was a huge red flag for me.