Another question for Hillary

In my May 25, 2015 post, “Questions I would ask Hillary,” I mused about the opportunity to ask Hillary Clinton about her role as secretary of state.  My first question concerned her failure to recognize the series of warnings facing the Benghazi consulate over a five-month period leading up to the attack.

Hilklary (Gettyy Images)

If looks could kill. This is the look I could imagine if I had the opportunity to ask her any questions. (Getty Images)

Continuing with the focus on Benghazi, Madam Secretary … and again, please excuse my lengthy lead-in to my question.

As evidenced by documents recently released, prior to the attack, you and your staff were busy behind the scenes developing a scenario that would make success in Libya a notable accomplishment of your tenure at State.

Just one month prior to the attack, Jake Sullivan, your deputy chief of staff, wrote of your leadership on Libya, citing your “ownership/stewardship of this country’s Libya policy from start to finish.”  You were being touted as “the public face of the U.S. in Libya.” Continue reading

Kasich for president in 2016

What!  Has Kramer lost his mind … his conservative credentials?

No, but tell me which of the twenty odd Republican candidates out there is a true conservative?  None of them.  And none of them are going to get elected repeating what they’ve told us so far.

Kasich (newsmax.com)

Is Ohio Governor John Kasich the Republican presidential contender everyone’s overlooking? (newsmax.com)

You’re right.  John Kasich hasn’t even declared he’s in the race, and neither has Scott Walker, Jeb Bush and a few others.

I have been giving this piece some thought over the past month, and when I saw he took the tenth spot in the latest Quinnipiac University national poll and heard that his announcement could come on June 30, I figured now is as good of a time as ever.  An April Quinnipiac poll revealed Kasich has a 61 per cent approval rating compared to a 29 per cent disapproval.

I’ve personally been impressed with Kasich since 1998 when I heard him give a campaign speech in support of another candidate in Phoenix.  There was something about him I liked.  He stood there with his shirt sleeves rolled up and no tie.  No microphone.  His message was straight-forward without clichés.  Down to earth and believable. Continue reading

The Admiral Mullen/Bergdahl saga continues

Regular readers of this blog might recall my April 18, 2015 post, “Another example of Admiral Mike Mullen’s complicity,” in which I wrote about his conversation about the Bergdahl desertion with troops in Afghanistan during his December 2009 trip.

Now, thanks to the able investigative reporting of Fox’s Catherine Herridge, we learn that the admiral had two of Bergdalhl’s squad mates  sign non-disclosure statements about Bergdahl. … read more

Democrats fail in another major city

                “Deadly month sees 35 killings in Baltimore.”

                                                    – The Baltimore Sun, Crime Beat

 

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Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake proves she’s in over her head. (nbcnews.com)

When I saw that headline I couldn’t help but remember the gratuitous statement made by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake at the National Action Network gathering held just after the riots.

“If, with the nation watching, three black women at three different levels can’t get justice and healing for this community, you tell me where we’re going to get it in our country,” said the mayor, referring to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, and herself.

On May 26, with the news of 35 homicides in Baltimore- the city’s deadliest month since 1999 – she sent her spokesman to say that she is “disheartened and frustrated by this continuing violence, particularly when you think about the progress that the city has made.”

Progress? Continue reading

Questions I would ask Hillary

When you think of all of the unanswered questions about Hillary Clinton’s past, it’s mind-boggling to muse what you would ask her if you had the opportunity, as improbable as one could imagine such an occasion.

Forget the unanswered questions of her years as first lady, including the missing Rose law firm papers, the travel office firings, the cattle futures, and the mysterious death of Vince Foster.  And don’t bother inquiring about her decision to stand by her man with all of his dalliances, because that’s clear now.

Hillary (allenwestrepublic.com)

This is how I imagine Hillary Clinton when being questioned. (allenwestrepublic.com)

You might be interested in getting answers to these questions, but they’re meaningless to younger voters who were just infants when the Clinton’s soiled the White House.  And forget die hard Democrats.  They don’t care.

I believe Independents and women (including some Republicans), who want to see a woman become president, are still persuadable. Continue reading

Obama warns Coast Guard grads that ignoring climate change would be considered dereliction of duty

Can you believe it?  ISIS now holds nearly half the territory of Syria and has a major hold on Fallujah and Ramadi, two Iraqi cities our warriors fought and died for, and what do we hear from our president?  It’s merely a setback.

And what does he tell graduates at the recent commencement ceremonies of the United States Coast Guard Academy? … read more

They can’t name a single Hillary accomplishment, but they like her as their president

I don’t know how Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin thought a group of low-information people could name an accomplishment of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. You may recall that former State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki couldn’t answer that question either.

But try he did.  Halperin sat down with a focus group interview of Hillary Clinton supporters in Iowa recently and the response was silence when he asked a man, a woman who passed and a second woman, who couldn’t respond to that question.… read more

Progressives pushing for more handouts

There he stood – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – on the steps of the nation’s Capitol, flanked by the most liberal of liberals, including Al Sharpton and Representatives Raul Grijalva, John Conyers, Barbara Lee and Keith Ellison, all purveyors of the “taker” culture.

By now you have most likely heard about his 13-point Progressive Agenda, his attack on income inequality, recommending what he calls bold steps to make a difference for ”every day Americans.”  He jumps from increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, national paid sick leave and paid family leave, universal pre-K and after school programs and childcare, to closing tax loopholes that allow CEOs and hedge fund managers and billionaires to avoid – are you ready for it – “paying their fair share in taxes.”

deBlasio (usatoday.com)

Flanked by Washington’s purveyors of the “taker” culture, NY City Mayor Bill de Blasio outlines his 13-point Progressive Agenda. (usatoday.com)

He promises there’s more in his agenda, including the expansion of Social Security, debt-free college and investments in schools, not jails.

Ironically, President Obama was speaking at Georgetown University that day saying, “I think the effort to suggest that the poor are sponges, leaches, don’t want to work, are lazy, undeserving, got traction.” Continue reading

First Lady plays the race card

Did you hear about the First Lady playing the race card at the dedication of the Whitney Museum in New York?

In 2008, I wonder many voters thought the election of black president would put an end to the racial divide they imagined in this country.  Actually, he’s made matters worse as he sends in his Department of Justice; first Eric Holder and now Loretta Lynch, to interfere in state and local matters.

michelle-obama-whitney (twitch.com)

First Lady Michele Obama told an audience at the Whitney Museum that museums and other cultural centers are welcoming only to whites. (twitchy.com)

Enter the First Lady, Michele Obama.  Speaking at the dedication of the $429 million Whitney museum, she told the assembled audience that museums and other cultural centers are really only welcoming to white people.

“You see, there are so many kids in this country who look at places like museums and concert halls and other cultural centers and they think to themselves, well, that’s not a place for me, for someone who looks like me, for someone who comes from my neighborhood,” she said.  “In fact, I guarantee you that right now, there are kids living less than a mile from here who would never in a million years dream that they would be welcome in this museum,” she added. Continue reading