Thanksgiving Day 2012

What do we have to be thankful for?

It’s an interesting question and in light of the recent election I wondered what it is we are really thankful for.

It seems to me this country has changed and I am not at all convinced it is in a good way. I am a firm believer that we need not agree 100% on all things, but the more I watch the goings on in this country I am convinced that we are heading down paths of such extreme division that will ultimately lead to our destruction.

I got this cartoon sent to me the other day. In an attempt at humor, it drives home a very powerful point. We have changed dramatically since WWII. While I certainly believe that same spirit is present in this country, it is not the dominant factor anymore.

Would the United States be the “Greatest Generation” if the folks today lived back then? I don’t think so.

If you lean to the right, you are probably shaking your head in agreement. If you lean to the left, you most likely just scoffed and are ready to dismiss this as drivel. Either way, please read on.

First, I didn’t vote for the President the first time around, or the second. We simply disagree on too many issues. I will be honest and say that I don’t think the last two Republican contenders were much better. Sadly, I think it is a condemnation of our political system as a whole.

Seriously, look at what is in Washington, D.C. and ask your self “are these people for real?”

For instance, Benghazi.

Four American’s died and we are being lied to. It really is that simple. It’s been over seventy days now and the latest tale is this:

“The CIA director knew it was al Qaeda within twenty four hours, but originally hinted to congress that it might be related to a video, but then told congress that it was terror in the intel report that went to the White House, that was changed to say something different, but no one knows who changed it, and the Director of National Intelligence said to congress that he didn’t change it, until a few days later when his office said oh yeah we did change it, and the president called it terror the day after, but then the UN Ambassador said it was a video five days later, but we shouldn’t beat up on her because she went out at the request of the White House, armed with the talking points someone changed, but no one knows who, and she knew nothing about Benghazi in the first place, and so they need to lay off go after him, the President, but he doesn’t know anything because it is still under investigation, and despite a previous bombing on the consulate, requests for additional security from the Ambassador and the head of the DOD security team, an assassination attempt on the British Ambassador and RPG attack on the Red Cross, he wasn’t aware of any credible threats……….”

The only thing missing is a photo of Abbott and Costello.

Remove politics from it please, it’s insulting. Is there anyone out there that truly feels that the only reason the questions are being raised is because of racism?  Or some alleged war on women? Seriously?

Please, we live in an era that we have almost instantaneous access to information. You do not need to rely on Fox, MSNBC, CNN or any other news format. Would it hurt you to do some research, rather than listen to talking heads and politicians? Here’s a novel thought, just because they say it with colorful prose or sinister undertones does not make it true.

President Obama won the popular vote both elections. 9.5 million votes the first time and 4 million the second time. The Presidents cabinet, federal agency heads, congress and the senate are extremely diversified and yet ANYTIME someone disagrees with something coming from this administration the first thing we hear is that it is racism or a war on women.

Bullshit, plain unadulterated Bullshit.

This administration is lying on the issue of Benghazi and if I call them on it don’t insult me by calling me a racist.

Please, by all means, argue with me on facts, just not some pedantic talking point about how I just don’t like the president because of his skin color. Sheesh, what are we in the third grade?

Maybe I am wrong to expect so much, considering these yahoos voted on a health care bill equal to 1/6^th of the national economy without reading it! In case you think I am just into bashing one side, I’m an equally opportunity nitwit basher. I get rather annoyed when my intelligence is insulted by either side of the aisle. When I go into the voting booth I vote based on the person, not the party.

And how about this whole “fiscal cliff” nonsense. OK, listen up. The whole sequestration thing, Bullshit. Don’t sit here and claim doom and gloom with me. We are running trillion dollar plus annual debt, we are hemorrhaging money. Yet some how the intellectual brain trusts in D.C. will have you believe that by cutting 55 billion in defense and 55 billion in non defense spending will either A: save the nation b: destroy the nation. Pick your poison depending on what party or television “news” show you watch.

Oh, you will however be delighted to know that this will all, allegedly, result in forced savings of 1.2 trillion dollars by: 2021…… I’m so thankful for that. Our national debt will only be about 30 trillion by then. Wow dodged a bullet on that one.

Actually, I think my favorite is the “tax the rich” theory. That’s really going to fix things here. Lets see, we piss money away like a drunken sailor in a Singapore port of call, or a college kid with mom and dads credit cards, and yet somehow by taxing the rich we are going to solve everything…………..uh huh.

Let’s see, wouldn’t it be great to just redistribute the entire wealth of the Forbes 400!!  Why settle for 40, 50, or even 60 percent when we can just take it all. And what could we do with that massive combined wealth. Well the way those good stewards of our money in Washington run things, we could run the government for a whopping…..year.

That’s right folks. Taking 100% of the combined wealth of the Forbes 400 would make up for one year of spending. So what do we do next year?

Here’s the plain truth. We spend more than we earn. In what alternate universe are we living where spending even more is going to restore our savings? The only way to fix things is to make really tough choices and say suck it up.

But we can’t do that now can we? I mean how would those politicians get reelected if they didn’t promise to give everything away?

Wake up America, your politicians lie. They’ve been doing it for decades upon decades and they are getting really good at it. Have success? Take the credit. Have failure? Blame the other side. Bullshit.

Here is what I want a politician to say:

“My fellow Americans, we have officially hit rock bottom and begun to dig. I’d like to tell you it’s going to be okay, but I’d be lying to you. Ironically that is the reason why we are in the position we are in. Too many lies and not enough truth. All I can do is make you three promises, none of which involve free shit. If you’re looking for free stuff leave, go vote for the other guy. He’ll promise you all you need and more. Then the day he can’t deliver he’ll just blame someone else anyway.

Let’s agree that we are not going to agree on everything. If we are pooh poohing about constitutional stuff we are just wasting time. Don’t like guns, don’t shoot. It’s a simple concept. I mean let’s be honest here. What do you think is more likely to be successful, making more laws for law abiding citizens to follow or actually enforcing the laws already on the books that criminals, by their very nature, flaunt? Seems sort of like a no-brainer to me. Instead of dumbing down America to the lowest common denominator why don’t we begin to hold all people to a higher standard?

If you think the government should care for you from cradle to grave you and I are never going to agree, so leave now before we waste anymore time. If you think the government is good at taking care of people all I have to say is one word: FEMA. We have nothing more to talk about.

What I can promise you is this:

Number One, it’s going to hurt. Ever hear the saying you need rain before you see a rainbow? Well, in order to get this country back on track you’re going to see more rain then Noah did by day 39. Sorry, that’s just the reality of the situation. You elected them, they wasted your money. I can’t promise you prosperity when all they left in the savings accounts were IOU’s. Take it up with them. But I can say that if we all work together and we all put on our big boy and big girl pants things will slowly get better. Your choice.

Number Two, I will work with anyone to fix this country. However, if I get any nonsense from my “esteemed colleagues” you’re going to know about it. This “gentleman” or “gentlewoman” nonsense has to go. Just because someone is elected to office doesn’t make them "not a horse’s ass" sometimes. I’m going to tell you I tried to “A” or “B” but so-so got in the way. Then their constituents can take it up with them. The best disinfectant is sunlight and I think that if people do something they should be willing to stand up and account for their actions. Voting because the party says yea or nay is insulting to the people of this great Nation who deserve more.

And finally:

Number Three. This is my first and only campaign, period. When I am up for re-election, either re-elect me or send me home. I’m not going to waste your time, and mine, running for re-election. Either you know what I did or you don’t. Me running around trying to convince you that I deserve to be re-elected seems to me just a tad disingenuous. If you like what I did, vote for me again; if you don’t know what I did you honestly shouldn’t be voting anyway, your part of the damn problem. Truth is I can’t see pissing away money on a re-election campaign when I am trying to tell you I want to save your money. It’s kind of dumb don’t you think? Want to do something constructive with your money? Donate to a charity.”

WOW, wouldn’t that be a breath fresh air?

As I consider the question I originally proposed I have come to the conclusion that I am thankful that the vast majority of the “greatest generation” are not here to see what has become of the country they fought for.

The generation that I see today is split. One is fixated on what the government can do for them, the other is willing to give everything for their fellow Americans. That is sad to me.  In closing I will ask you to read the following and ask yourself which one do you admire more, the taker or the giver?

From the Medal of Honor Citation awarded posthumously to

Lieutenant (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy, United States Navy

“Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire.  This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy.  While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in.  Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.”

On second thought I am thankful for men like Lt. Murphy, and all those who continue to put themselves in harms way each and every day; who believe that America is best defined by these virtues and not from the corruption that is so pervasive in our Nation’s capitol.

On this Thanksgiving Day, remember those who have made this country great through their sacrifice, their sweat and all too often their blood. May God bless you all, and May God Bless America.

Veterans Day - 2012

May we never forget those, who sacrificing their own lives, their own welfare; who have gone in to harms way countless times, so that each of us may enjoy life with liberty here at home.

May God bless them always, and May God continue to bless the United States of America.

“God of our fathers, who by land and sea have ever led us to victory, please continue your inspiring guidance in this the greatest of all conflicts. Strengthen my soul so that the weakening instinct of self-preservation, which besets all of us in battle, shall not blind me of my duty to my own manhood, to the glory of my calling, and to my responsibility to my fellow soldiers. Grant to our armed forces that disciplined valor and mutual confidence which insures success in war. Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived. If it be my lot to die, let me do so with courage and honor in a manner which will bring the greatest harm to the enemy, and please, oh Lord, protect and guide those I shall leave behind. Give us the victory, Lord." 

General George S. Patton, United States Army

"It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the organizer, Who gave us the freedom to demonstrate

It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag.

And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag."

Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, United States Marine Corps

Benghazi – Cross Border Authority

Several days ago I received a letter from someone that included the story below that was written by Matt Bracken, a retired commissioned officer in the United States Navy and former member of UDT and SEAL’s. Most of us are familiar with SEAL’s but few know the UDT, or Underwater Demolition Teams. They are the “old school” frogs from whence the SEAL’s were born. I do not know Mr. Bracken, but I take him at his word. He is an operator and someone who can speak from actual authority and not simply a talking head or political pundit. If what he says is true, and I have no reason to suspect it is not, then what the administration has lied to the American people on a scale that is quite frankly terrifying.

I ask that you read it and draw your own conclusion.  But when you do, remember this quote from the president on the campaign trail in Denver on October 26, “The minute I found out what was happening . . . I gave the directive to make sure we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to do. I guarantee you everybody in the CIA and military knew the number-one priority was making sure our people are safe.”

One more thing, you may have heard the term “fog of war” being bandied about by people in the administration, including the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, to describe why actions were not immediately taken during the terrorist attack on our consulate in Benghazi. Fog of War is a concept that was first introduced by Prussian military tactician Carl von Clausewitz in his posthumously published book, Vom Kriege in 1837. It applies to the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. So the obvious question is how could the people on the ground, who were notifying Washington about the attack, requesting additional support, and identifying targets and illuminating them for anticipated aerial assault, have situational awareness and yet the folks back in D.C., who were safe and secure and not subject to a barrage of bullets and mortars, not have it?

The obvious take is that contradicts what the president alluded to when he said that he gave a “directive” when he found out what was happening. You either know what’s going on or you don’t. So the question is what “directive” did he issue?

Ask this question after you read the following written by Matt Bracken, U.S. Navy.

The Benghazi debacle boils down to a single key factor — the granting or withholding of “cross-border authority.” This opinion is informed by my experience as a Navy SEAL officer who took a NavSpecWar Detachment to Beirut.

Once the alarm is sent  – in this case, from the consulate in Benghazi — dozens of HQs are notified and are in the planning loop in real time, including AFRICOM and EURCOM, both located in Germany. Without waiting for specific orders from Washington, they begin planning and executing rescue operations, including moving personnel, ships, and aircraft forward toward the location of the crisis. However, there is one thing they can’t do without explicit orders from the president: cross an international border on a hostile mission.

That is the clear “red line” in this type of a crisis situation.

No administration wants to stumble into a war because a jet jockey in hot pursuit (or a mixed-up SEAL squad in a rubber boat) strays into hostile territory. Because of this, only the president can give the order for our military to cross a nation’s border without that nation’s permission. For the Osama bin Laden mission, President Obama granted CBA for our forces to enter Pakistani airspace.

On the other side of the CBA coin: in order to prevent a military rescue in Benghazi, all the POTUS has to do is not grant cross-border authority. If he does not, the entire rescue mission (already in progress) must stop in its tracks.

Ships can loiter on station, but airplanes fall out of the sky, so they must be redirected to an air base (Sigonella, in Sicily) to await the POTUS decision on granting CBA. If the decision to grant CBA never comes, the besieged diplomatic outpost in Benghazi can rely only on assets already “in country” in Libya — such as the Tripoli quick reaction force and the Predator drones. These assets can be put into action on the independent authority of the acting ambassador or CIA station chief in Tripoli. They are already “in country,” so CBA rules do not apply to them.

How might this process have played out in the White House?

If, at the 5:00 p.m. Oval Office meeting with Defense Secretary Panetta and Vice President Biden, President Obama said about Benghazi: “I think we should not go the military action route,” meaning that no CBA will be granted, then that is it. Case closed. Another possibility is that the president might have said: “We should do what we can to help them … but no military intervention from outside of Libya.” Those words then constitute “standing orders” all the way down the chain of command, via Panetta and General Dempsey to General Ham and the subordinate commanders who are already gearing up to rescue the besieged outpost.

When that meeting took place, it may have seemed as if the consulate attack was over, so President Obama might have thought the situation would stabilize on its own from that point forward. If he then goes upstairs to the family quarters, or otherwise makes himself “unavailable,” then his last standing orders will continue to stand until he changes them, even if he goes to sleep until the morning of September 12.

Nobody in the chain of command below President Obama can countermand his “standing orders” not to send outside military forces into Libyan air space. Nobody. Not Leon Panetta, not Hillary Clinton, not General Dempsey, and not General Ham in Stuttgart, Germany, who is in charge of the forces staging in Sigonella.

Perhaps the president left “no outside military intervention, no cross-border authority” standing orders, and then made himself scarce to those below him seeking further guidance, clarification, or modified orders. Or perhaps he was in the Situation Room watching the Predator videos in live time for all seven hours. We don’t yet know where the president was hour by hour.

But this is 100 percent sure: Panetta and Dempsey would have executed a rescue mission order if the president had given those orders.

And like the former SEALs in Benghazi, General Ham and all of the troops under him would have been straining forward in their harnesses, ready to go into battle to save American lives.

The execute orders would be given verbally to General Ham at AFRICOM in Stuttgart, but they would immediately be backed up in official message traffic for the official record. That is why cross-border authority is the King Arthur’s Sword for understanding Benghazi. The POTUS and only the POTUS can pull out that sword.

We can be 100% certain that cross-border authority was never given. How do I know this? Because if CBA was granted and the rescue mission execute orders were handed down, irrefutable records exist today in at least a dozen involved component commands, and probably many more. No general or admiral will risk being hung out to dry for undertaking a mission-gone-wrong that the POTUS later disavows ordering, and instead blames on “loose cannons” or “rogue officers” exceeding their authority. No general or admiral will order U.S. armed forces to cross an international border on a hostile mission unless and until he is certain that the National Command Authority, in the person of the POTUS and his chain of command, has clearly and explicitly given that order: verbally at the outset, but thereafter in written orders and official messages. If they exist, they could be produced today.

When it comes to granting cross-border authority, there are no presidential mumblings or musings to paraphrase or decipher. If you hear confusion over parsed statements given as an excuse for Benghazi, then you are hearing lies. I am sure that hundreds of active-duty military officers know all about the Benghazi execute orders (or the lack thereof), and I am impatiently waiting for one of them to come forward to risk his career and pension as a whistleblower.

Leon Panetta is falling on his sword for President Obama with his absurd-on-its-face, “the U.S. military doesn’t do risky things”-defense of his shameful no-rescue policy. Panetta is utterly destroying his reputation. General Dempsey joins Panetta on the same sword with his tacit agreement by silence. But why? How far does loyalty extend when it comes to covering up gross dereliction of duty by the president?

General Petraeus, however, has indirectly blown the whistle. He was probably “used” in some way early in the cover-up with the purported CIA intel link to the Mohammed video, and now he feels burned. So he conclusively said via his public affairs officer that the stand-down order did not come from the CIA. Well — what outranks the CIA? Only the national security team at the White House. That means President Obama, and nobody else. Petraeus is naming Obama without naming him. If that is not quite as courageous as blowing a whistle, it is far better than the disgraceful behavior of Panetta and Dempsey.

We do not know the facts for certain, but we do know that the rescue mission stand-down issue revolves around the granting or withholding of cross-border authority, which belongs only to President Obama. More than one hundred gung-ho Force Recon Marines were waiting on the tarmac in Sigonella, just two hours away for the launch order that never came.

Post Election Day 2012

If you are like fifty-seven million plus other people, you woke up this morning after the election thinking to yourself what the hell just happened?

Sadly, the truth is that fifty-nine million plus other people superseded your vote. The question is, why?

If it sounds like we have been down this road before, we have.

Surely we are not in the best of times in this country. Despite what many would like you to believe, we are in pretty bad shape. The argument of how we got here is old by now; truth is both sides did equal amounts of damage. If you don’t feel that way I am truly sorry, but it’s still the truth. Lying to ourselves that it was one parties fault over the other is just disingenuous.

Recently someone made what I thought was a very deep observation: “What if the republican and democratic parties are just two wings on the same bird of prey?”

So why did we choose to stay on the same fiscal course, instead of turning the helm over to someone who has a proven track record of good business acumen?

Very simply, the electorate has fundamentally changed. Whatever you might think about the Obama political machine, it is a force to be reckoned with. To be fair, it actually is a democratic machine that seized strongly on the changing electorate. They have made connecting to young people and minorities a focal point of their platform.

Truthfully, even the term minority is incorrect in the way that it has been used. Last May Census Bureau statistics revealed that, for the first time, whites represented a minority (49.6 %) of all U.S. births.  The fact is America is “browning” from the bottom up, and is destined to become the “majority” population in the coming years. The democrats have seized on this opportunity.

At one time it was believed that the economy would be issue No. 1 in the general election. That important minority / youth concerns such as education, immigration reform, gay marriage, and health care would take a back seat to the impending “taxmageddon” and national debt. Those pundits and politicians were sadly mistaken. 

In addition, this younger vote has decidedly different priorities and they get their information from a much different source. They are more likely to be influenced by celebrities then they are from traditional news sources. Considering just how “connected” they tend to be, the issue becomes “to whom are they connected to?”

The fiscal strength of the country simply is not an issue to the youth. The government has promised to provide to them, promised to take from the rich to accomplish it. The promise stuck in their minds when they went into the voting booths. The fact that it is a hollow promise never even registered because they never bothered to look any further beyond the promise, which was delivered in a bling covered package by the likes of Springsteen, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Clooney, and Longoria and tied up in a nice Baldwin and Kim Kardashian bow.

The right was continually mocked by comedians like Maher, Leno, Letterman and Stewart; and equally vilified by the mainstream media that always seemed to be in a perpetual state of slumber when actual news hit.

Do you still wonder why the electorate broke for Obama?

I read a story the other day on the release of the new Halo 4 video game that was being released on Election Day. Some gamers believe that it would impact the election because many would be staying at home eagerly awaiting the delivery of the game. Seriously.

I am inclined to disagree and say that it actually didn’t play an integral role in the election, but the mere fact that it might have is truly cause for concern.

We are living in a changing America. The only problem is what will it look like when the change is complete?

It is clear that what we considered a minority voting block, at one time, became the majority in this country. They put aside some very important issues to vote for someone based on likeability and skin color. To some who may read this, that is not a racist statement; that is simply the truth. One only has to look so far as the social media world, that America’s youth gravitate to, to prove what I am saying. But in the end do these “attributes” take the place of capability?

Four years ago we were given a series of promises that were never fulfilled. Listening to the president’s speech last night I heard a rehashing of the same rhetoric. The problem is that you can’t fix the issues that face this nation with flowery words. At some point you have to stop talking about how hard you’re going to work and actually begin doing the work.

For the republicans, they are going to have to lick their wounds and figure out whether or not they are going to come to terms with the fact that they need to do some serious outreach to the new majority. They’ve lost a lot of ground and to be honest, they are not selling what these kids want to hear.

The values that most of us “older electorate” grew up with are gone. The youth now have a sense of entitlement; they believe the government should provide for them. It doesn’t matter whether they can not, or choose not to, do it for themselves.

Benjamin Franklin said it best: “When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”

What we are living in is a time where politicians will promise anything to get elected, knowing that the money to pay for it comes from someone else. But what happens when the money to pay for those promises come to an end? Who will those voters turn to? More importantly, what will the United States of America turn into?

During World War II the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, put it very eloquently “We are only 3 meals away from anarchy.”

How well do you think we will fare, as a country, when the “promise bubble” bursts and there is nothing left in the coffers to give?

The Economy for Dummies

I got this email that I think is pure genius because it simplifies things so that real people can understand.

If you’re like me, once we started hanging out in the “trillion” playground things kinda, sorta got all fuzzy. You know the way they do about ten minutes after midnight on New Years.

So look at it this way:

Economy 101

U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000

Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000

Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:

Annual family income: $21,700
Money the family spent: $38,200
New debt on the credit card: $16,500
Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
Total budget cuts so far: $38.50

Now do you get the picture?

I was talking to my wife today about all the pundits and spin masters going around and saying how the president inherited a bad economy and it’s not as good as it could be, but it’s getting better. I said to her “You know, under a strict interpretation of the economic data they’re right, it is getting better. But using their argument it would be like a person filling up their pool with a Dixie cup while the garden hose sits idylly on the ground. Yes it will work, but why would you waste your time doing it that way?”

Election Day – Choices

Tomorrow many Americans will get up and at some point head out to the polls to cast their vote for President of the United States. It is an awesome responsibility that sadly a lot of citizens will not engage in.

Some won’t because they feel disenchanted by the whole system, where their vote doesn’t matter because they live outside the “important” county. Those of us who live in Illinois understand that feeling very well. In the last election here for Governor, Pat Quinn was labeled as the “Governor of Chicago” because he managed to win only 3 of the states 102 counties. However, he only needed one, Cook County to actually win.

I wrote about this before in “The election and YOUR vote.”

Others don’t vote due to a sense of apathy. They are sick and tired of all the “politics” and the never ending stream of ads. They honestly hate both parties but believe in their hearts that voting for an independent is just a waste of time because of the financial juggernaut that is the republican and democratic parties.

The worst is the last category, and that is our military. Many of them won’t because ballots have not gotten to them. That is something we as Americans should be angry about. The very people that we send into harms way to protect us are denied this basic right because of what? Laziness? Ineptitude? Where is the outcry? Where is the Department of Justice? They always seem so eager to get involved in alleged voter suppression nonsense. Oops, no apparently I think they don’t do that anymore.

When you go into the polling place tomorrow you need to be honest with yourself. It’s no longer about party but about where we as a nation are heading.

I can’t take four more years of this direction. Everywhere I hear talking heads, pundits and political spin masters twisting and contorting issues and sounds bites to the point I feel like I am at the circus watching a dozen clowns unload out of a mini-car. Here is what matters to me:

• Unemployment remains incredibly high. The numbers don’t add up to a “recovery.”
• We are at 16 Trillion + in debt and no realistic plan for paying it down.
• Welfare has increased
• Health care was rammed down our throats, even though the majority of citizens rejected it.
• Budgets passed in Congress die in the Senate because of a partisan divide.
• Taxes increase along, with costs, and yet our personal wealth continues to decline.
• The government spends our money on alternative fuels that continue to fail, all while continuing to restrict production of fossil fuels.
• The administration that promised transparency from the beginning has been darker than the previous ones.
• Almost two months after the attack on our consulate, we still have no answers. I fear it will end up like Fast and Furious, relegated to the back pages and no answers will ever be given.
• The president blasts the wealthy, but every time I see him he is surrounding himself with celebrities, comedians and the wealthy.
• The president has said he will explore a new assault weapons ban in his 2^nd term.

I am more than willing to debate anyone on the points I have made.

These are only some of the reasons that I cannot vote for the president’s re-election. I believe the direction he wants to continue down is a fool’s folly. It has not and will not work and we have to be willing to admit when we have made a mistake. The president’s ego will not allow him to do that.

Four years ago I issued a warning Campaign Promises – Politics As Usual but it seems everyone was too enamored to care.

Before you pull that lever and cast your vote be honest with yourself: “Are you better off now then you were four years ago?”

Ft. Hood Shooting - 3rd Anniversary

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the Fort Hood TerroristAttack.

This administration refuses to identify it for what it was, but that does not mean it is not the truth. Too often politics likes to change the meaning of a word to suit their agenda. Not that long ago we had a president make the statement "depends on the definition of 'is'."

Another believes an act of terrorism can be redefined as "work place violence."

It is not wrong for us, as Americans, to disagree with our government. In fact we would be wrong to sit by idly and allow them to do whatever they want in direct conflict with the will of the people.

In this case, we owe it to those brave souls who lost their lives as a result of terrorism. What the government has failed to do, we mustalways remember to do.

November 5th must always be remembered as the day Fort Hood was attacked by a terrorist. Those who were killed and wounded that day joined a long lift of those before them in the Global War on Terrorism

Edmond Burke once said “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.”

We must not let the evil that is terrorism succeed because we are too afraid to call it what it is.

NYC Anti Gun Mayor - No to National Guard

In what can only be deemed delusional, the extreme anti-gun NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has told the Brooklyn Borough President that he will not grant a request to send in the National Guard because, as he so eloquently put it, "“We don’t need it... The NYPD is the only people we want on the street with guns.”

The denial comes after the Brooklyn Borough President had said “In the name of public safety we need to send more National Guard personnel into Coney Island, Manhattan Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Red Hook, and any other locations.”

Markowitz demanded the National Guard’s help just an hour before Bloomberg’s press conference, claiming that the NYPD and FDNY are “brave, but overwhelmed” by all the challenges Sandy brought including flooding, power outages, and looting.

Markowitz hoped that the sight of an armed soldier would deter criminal activity in the still inaccessible evacuation zones but the Mayor said the NYPD was more than capable of handling the job.

Apparently, the Mayor does not believe that our military is competent enough to carry firearms in his beloved Shangri-La.

Now if he could only convey that message to the actual criminals in his fantasy world, instead of the law abiding citizens he wants to make criminals.

Seems Mayor Mike doesn’t want a “police state” in his precious city. A “nanny state” on the other hand is completely appropriate.

NYC needs to send this blustering billionaire packing. Rudy Giuliani he is not !!

Las Vegas, Baby!

What is it about this President that he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of propriety? As in “Yes you can do it, but no it’s not really the proper thing to do.”

Case in point, Vegas II (as if Vegas I wasn’t bad enough).

I’ve never been there before, I heard it’s nice. But I have to question for a moment whether anyone is alive above the neck in D.C. that they think this is a really good idea.

First let me say that I understand this is the end of the campaign road and I appreciate the president wanting to get out their and press the flesh and rally the troops. But at what point do you question if it’s a good idea.

The truth is, sometimes the role of the president is simply to “look presidential.” To say, “If you don’t know me, don’t know what I stand for, then these next few days are not going to matter anyway.”

Send out a surrogate and make a video to play saying “I’m saddened that I can’t be with you today, but there are a lot of people that are going to a horrible situation back on the east coast and I feel it is my responsibility to be here to make sure they are getting what they need to survive and rebuild.”

Bam, Done………. PRESIDENTIAL

Consider for a moment what these images say:

September 11^th- 12^th, 2012

October 31^st – November 1^st, 2012

I scratch my head some days and ask myself if they are really trying to “win” the election. If they are in fact trying to win, that’s even scarier to me because it means they honestly don’t care what we think about what they do.

Seriously Mr. President, some people in New York City have lost their loved ones and everything they ever owned, in some cases they are dumpster diving for food, and you think it’s a smart move to fly out to a fundraiser in Vegas with Eva Longoria? 

People in the hardest hit communities are still waiting for federal help to arrive, and in some instances recovering their own dead, while administration officials hold press conferences and pat themselves on the back for the outstanding job they are doing.

Really? Is this what you mean by “Forward” ?

November 6^th – Vote as if the future of this country depends on it. It Does!

Has NYC Mayor Lost His Mind?

From the realm of “What the hell could you possibly be thinking” comes this little nugget.

After being pummeled by Hurricane Sandy, with the loss of life, including a NYPD Officer who died saving his family, mounting and with utter devastation to countless communities, including over 100 homes destroyed in Breezy Point, Queens, what does the fearless Mayor of New York City think is a good idea? If you guessed focusing on rescue and recovery……….. You’re Wrong!!!!

Nope, to Mayor Mike, what the city really needs to do is focus on the NYC Marathon.

This blustering bully billionaire once again thinks that he knows what is best for everyone else. Not that it matters what anyone else truly thinks, he is going to do what he wants anyway.

So, while many New York City residents are dealing with power outages, no food, and utter chaos the mayor is redistributing resources to the NYC Marathon.

Staten Island is in bad enough shape, and he is knocking out the only way in or out from the New York City side. I guess if they need help badly enough New Jersey can try to get to them.

Oh and how could the press ever survive without the three massive generators set up in Central Park to accommodate them? Two to accommodate the power needs, and a backup in case one of the other two goes down.

In addition, there are apparently other generators sitting outside the park that are also not being used. Hundreds of cases of water are also being brought in for the runners. I wonder if the people in the hardest hit areas could use some clean water?

Not to mention the redeployment of police officers from the jobs they need to be doing, to standing foot posts on the marathon route.

Seriously? Under the circumstances, and out of respect for all of those who lost loved ones and maybe all their earthly possessions, shouldn’t the marathon have been canceled or at least postponed till the basic necessities were being provided?

I guarantee you one thing; Mayor Mike has power as do all his affluent friends.

Is this really what is passing for leadership in this country?

Camp Bastion. Never Forget!

Do you know what it is? Do you know where it is?

If you don’t that’s to be understood. There hasn’t been much coverage from the mainstream media about it.

Camp Bastion is the main British military base in Afghanistan. It is situated northwest of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province. The base also adjoins Camp Leatherneck.

Three days after the 9/11 attack on our consulate in Benghazi, the Taliban waged an detailed and coordinated assault on Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Then, to add insult, they released a video this week showing off their training exercises in preparation for the assault. Have you seen it on the news?

If you have not heard reporting on this attack by your local news and have not seen the video ask yourself this fundamental question, Why?

Where’s the accountability? Where’s the administrations response to this attack? Where’s the press? Where’s the outrage?

What you also may not know is that two brave U.S. Marines were killed in the battle. Their names, Lt. Col. Christopher Raible and Sgt. Bradley Atwell, have not been spoken publicly by the commander in chief. Lieutenant Colonel Chris Raible was killed while personally leading an attack on the infiltrators. He and Sgt. Atwell were killed by an RPG round. Our Marines, and all of our military personnel, seem to understand the true meaning of “leading from the front”, something our politicians should be ashamed of.

How many more of these events will have to take place under this administration for people to open their eyes and come to their senses?

Is this what passes for Commander in Chief these days?

Please understand this is not a partisan attack against the president. People have to come to their senses.

THEY work for US!

Like any employee we need to demand accountability on the part of our representatives, including from the man we elected to the highest office in this country. Keyword, ELECTED. He is not above us.

The return trip home for these two Marines, in flag draped coffins, was for the most part not covered by the media. However, their brothers-in-arms did not, and will not, forget.

Neither must we.

Semper Fi Marines, OOHRAH !!

Censorship 2012 – Facebook & Politics

Is there anyone else that is a bit mildly torqued that censorship in America seems to only apply to those who go against the “common collective” these days?

Now to be fair, it’s not just Facebook. We seem to be inundated with PC Police which has almost become a cottage industry in this country. If you are in step with the current political leanings, the world is your oyster; go against the grain, and you are quickly shunned, or in the case of SpecialOperationsSpeaks, subjected to a cyber timeout.

And what was it that caused such a drastic action?

Did they call for the violent overthrow of the government? No.

Did they poke fun at former Facebook CFO Eduardo Saverin for renouncing his citizenship to save tax money? No.

Did they ridicule Mark Zuckerberg's wife? No.

No, their crime was to post that little photo above on their Facebook page!

I know, horror of horrors! You see, they had the unmitigated gall of making a statement that went against the popular belief of President Obama. This resulted in the photo being removed because, and I quote, “we removed the following content you posted or were the admin of because it violates Facebook’s Statement of Right and Responsibilities”

Huh? Seriously? Is this the first page they have ever looked at?

When the photo got uploaded back on their Facebook page, that’s when the Zuckerberg hammer dropped from on high resulting in a twenty-four hour time out.

Let that be a lesson to all of you who believe that you have a silly 1^st Amendment right. You do, just as long as you say the right things.

The truth of the matter is the photo makes a valid point. The president was all over the news that Team VI got bin Laden. Benghazi, not so much.  Hell, even the crickets have been silenced.

The President is the Commander in Chief and he is ultimately responsible. The other day someone was commenting that personnel decisions are not something that the president would get involved in so it was wrong to point the finger at him. That is correct. On any given day that the decision is made by local supervisors and you rarely hear a peep. However, this was not any given day and the lead up to it was so clear that you could make a case against a blind man for not connecting the dots.

• There was an assassination attempt on the British Ambassador on June 11^th, 2012. 
• The British Consulate subsequently pulled out in June 2012.
• There was an attack on the Tunisian Consulate in June 2012.
• The International Red Cross pulled out in August 2012 after being attacked by an RPG.
• The U.S. Consulate was attacked on two prior occasions with explosives.
• The C.O. of the DOD Site Security Team requested that his team’s assignment in Libya be extended because of the deteriorating condition which was denied.
• Requests were made to the State Department for additional security personnel which were also denied.
• The U.S. Ambassador personally requested additional security in August citing inability on the part of locals to provide adequate security.

The significance of this request cannot be stated enough. For the President, and Vice President, and everyone else to say they didn’t know is a lie. He would have been advised of everything listed above in his daily briefings.

A U.S. Ambassador personally requesting additional security is going to make it directly to the President’s desk. So, when the U.S. Consulate was attacked on September 11^th, 2012 resulting in the deaths of four Americans it should have come as no shock to anyone in Washington.

It was not a matter of if, but a matter of when it was going to happen.

But according to the bureaucrats in D.C. there was no discernable pattern there.

SOS is 100% correct, when those brave SEAL’s, Ty Woods and Glen Doherty, called for help they were abandoned.

If the media won’t do its job, then it is up to all of us Americans to demand what the President promised us in 2008, Transparency. 

It starts with “what did he know and when did he know it” and until we have those answers, we must never let this issue fade from our minds and lips.

Despite what the fine, just slightly left of center, people over at Facebook believe.

In memory of Artur Kasprzak, NYPD

In the aftermath of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Sandy, we are once again reminded that the destruction left behind more than physical damage, the personal damage is only now being learned.

This particular story hits close to home for me and I wanted to take a moment to mark the passing of one the New York City’s Finest.

Among the people killed in New York City as a result of Hurricane Sandy was an off-duty NYPD police officer who died after rescuing his family from flood waters on Monday night.

Officer Artur Kasprzak was able to get six members of his family, including two men, ages 69 and 31, three women, ages 31, 56 and 68, and a 15-month-old boy into his attic so they could safely escape the rapidly rising water. He went back down into the house but didn’t return.

NYPD ESU attempted to get to the house but couldn’t because of downed electric lines. His body was later recovered. Officer Kasprzak was only 28 years old.

His actions that night were in keeping with the finest traditions of the NYPD.

Fidelis Ad Mortem.

Never Forget, Never Forgive.

I remember first reading those words on a memorial patch for the twelve Navy SEAL’s and eight members of the 160^th Special Forces Aviation Regiment that were lost during the Operation Red Wings ambush and the subsequent rescue effort.

They are strong words, solemn ones. They caution us, not only to remember the bravery of those lost, but to never forgive those responsible. Some may not agree with that, but I do.

At one time or another we have all seen a Hollywood movie where the hero is sacrificed for a politically expedient decision or gain. We have all cheered as the hero overcomes overwhelming odds and rises up in defeat against his betrayer.

But what happens when it is real, when the hero dies and politics wins?

It has been exactly forty-five days since the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of our Ambassador and three other American’s including two former Navy SEAL’s. With each passing day, the tale becomes almost more unbearable to hear.

Today we are learning that former SEAL, Tyrone Woods, was at the CIA annex when the U.S. consulate came under attack. When they heard the shots fired, at approximately 9:40 p.m., they informed their superiors and requested permission to respond to the consulate and help. At that point they were told to "stand down," a second request was met with the same reply.

Woods, and at least two others, ignored the orders and made their way to the consulate, which at that point was on fire, to assist and returned fire on the attackers. They managed to evacuate those who remained at the consulate including Sean Smith, who had been killed in the initial attack. They could not find the ambassador and returned to the CIA annex at about midnight; two hours after the attack had begun.

At that point, they called for military support because they were now taking fire at the CIA annex. The request was denied. The fighting at the annex continued for four hours.

At least one member of the team was on the roof of the annex and had a laser sighted on the target that was firing at them. They repeatedly requested back-up support from an AC-130 Spectre gunship, which could have deployed ordnance on the laser sighted target.

A Special Operations team had been moved to Sigonella, Italy, but was never told to deploy. A second force that specializes in counter terrorism rescues was also at Sigonella. Sigonella is about the same distance to Benghazi as Tripoli is. Both teams could have been onsite in less than two hours.

Pentagon official says there were never any requests to deploy assets from outside the country. Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, the former director of the CIA, went so far as to say the following during an interview on October 25th, "But the basic principle here ... is that you don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on." 

Call me crazy, but someone might just want to share the USMC mantra of “Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.”

In any event, there were two military surveillance drones that had been redirected to Benghazi shortly after the attack on the consulate began. Both could have provided real time footage that could be accessed from any computer that had proper clearance. Surely there was one or two of those handy at the White House, Pentagon, State Department, etc...
 

An American Quick Reaction Force sent from Tripoli had arrived at the Benghazi airport at approximately 2:00 a.m. but was delayed for 45 minutes at the airport because they could not get transportation from the airport to the annex.

February 17th Brigade, a Libyan militia which is friendly to the U.S., showed up at the CIA annex at approximately 3:00 a.m.


Tyrone Woods, and fellow former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty, who was a part of the Global Response Staff, a unit that provides security to CIA case officers and provides counter-surveillance / surveillance protection, were killed when a mortar hit their roof top position around 4:00 a.m. 

The truth is, it was too late for Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, but Woods and Dohertys deaths were avoidable.

Seriously, the attack lasted seven hours and the best the United States could do was to send one team from Tripoli, that didn’t arrive on scene until nearly five hours later, while Special Forces units were just as close in Sigonella.

This however begs the follow-up question to Secretary Panetta’s statement. Why, if there supposedly wasn’t enough information in the first place, was a smaller, less equipped force sent in, rather than the better equipped Special Forces unit? This is what they are trained for!

I’m sorry, but I don’t believe the story we are being told.

·        The State Department denied requests for additional security prior to the attack.

·        The embassy was previously attacked with explosives, the Red Cross had pulled out, there was an assassination attempt on the British Ambassador which resulted in the British closing their embassy and withdrawing the Ambassador, and our Ambassador had notified State Department that there had been threats to his life, yet the President, Vice President and surrogates all claim they were unaware.

·        A request, made by the Lt. Colonel in charge of the Site Security Team (SST), to remain in country was denied and the security detail was pulled mere weeks before the attack.

·        Requests for support, made by people on the ground during the attack, were either denied or ignored.

·        Drones were overhead providing live feed, and communication was being relayed by those being attacked, yet according to SecDef we didn’t have a clear enough picture to deploy military assets.

·        An email was sent by the State Department advising that a terrorist group had claimed direct responsibility, yet we were told for weeks that it was all about a video.

·        A United States Ambassador, the official representative of the President of the United States, is killed in a terrorist attack and yet the President travels to Las Vegas the next day for a fund raising event where he says “we had a rough day.” Two weeks later in an interview with CBS he would say this, and other incidents in the Middle East, were “bumps in the road.”

·        Why hasn’t the President addressed the American people like he did the night he gave his “Justice has been done” bin Laden speech.

The other day I wrote about Operation Neptune Spear and how I felt the president was grandstanding and taking credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden. Within days of the operation being completed we were being fed copious amounts of information from the administration, which was almost universally decried by the special warfare community for the risk of comprising operational security. If you don’t believe them ask Dr Shakil Afridi. He helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden. His reward, 33 years in a Pakistani prison after he was outted by Leon Panetta.

Yet here we are forty-five days later and it feels like the administration is treating us like tourists watching a shell game.

Maybe one day we will learn what really happened, but you can bet your last dollar that it will not be before the Presidential Election on November 6^th.

But ask yourself this question: If we find out that we were lied to and that, at the very least, two American heroes died in vain, should we ever Forget? can we ever Forgive?

Stolen Valor – Operation Neptune Spear

I have a problem. I know that is going to come as a shock to many of you.

By now most of you have probably heard that the National Geographic channel will be airing a show titled: “SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden” otherwise known as Operation Neptune Spear.

Now, I am all for our brave Navy SEAL’s getting some much deserved credit for ridding the world of that scum.  But I am here to alert you that all is not what it seems.

The show is going to be aired two days before the 2012 Presidential election. Coincidence? I don’t believe in them.

Consider for a moment the following:

The film was completed and was subsequently purchased in May by Harvey Weinstein, a major supporter of President Obama.

After Mr. Weinstein purchased the film, it was edited to include additional voice-overs, still photographs and archival footage which now put President Obama in the center stage of the ninety minute film.

The person hired to do the additional editing is Meghan O’Hara. Ms. O’Hara is a producer for Obama supporter Michael Moore, whose prior films include such classics as “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “Sicko” and “Bowling for Columbine.”

National Geographic, for their part, had some of the added footage removed from the film because they felt it was out of context and inappropriate. The footage appeared to show Mitt Romney being against the raid. The only problem was that the footage was taken from the 2007 primary, four years before the raid took place. I commend NatGeo for that.

The reality is that the release of this movie, two days before the Presidential election, turns it into nothing but a presidential, chest thumping, football spiking, campaign ad. If they were honest, they would at least include the voice over “I’m Barack Obama and I approved this ad” at the end.

Just over eleven years ago nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in a terrorist attack orchestrated by Osama bin Laden. Taking credit for giving the green light FOR OTHERS to take out the perpetrator of that heinous act is not exactly magnanimous nor is it appropriate.

A real leader would have let it go immediately after making the announcement that bin Laden had been killed. There are no doubts as to who authorized the op and I certainly applaud the president for making the right choice. But this is the real world we are talking about and I don’t envision the president to be the Kabar and night-vision kinda guy.

Maybe I’m simplistic, but I believe the accolades rightly belong to the shooters, those in the arena fighting and not bureaucrats sitting in some comfy situation room in the White House riveted to a TV set like they were watching the newest release the Medal of Honor video game.

If I’m wrong, and simply rooting for victory on the sidelines is comparable to taking the field, then please let me know because I have four super bowl rings that the NY Giants owe me.

If you are inclined to watch this show, I ask that you consider the following before you do.

President Obama sat in Washington while the SEAL’s conducted the operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Within about eight hours of so the president went on live television and announced to the world that bin Laden was dead. Ever since then we have been inundated with the campaign slogan “GM alive and bin Laden dead.”

Yet, on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attack,  we had two brave former SEAL’s, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, killed in the embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya. Two months have gone by and we still don’t have an answer as to how or why. I guess the old adage “success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan” is very true.

To co-opt President Obama’s “you didn’t build that” sound bite, I suggest that when it comes to the killing of bin Laden the president should be told “You didn’t do that.”

To learn more about the real hero’s visit the US Navy UDT SEAL Museum.

Hooyah!