Author: Eldon Kramer

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When are we going to say ‘no’ to café standards?

For years, I have written critical pieces about the government’s interference in automobile and truck manufacturing by introducing strict emission goals. And at the same time, I have been critical of the manufacturers for caving to the heavy hand of government.

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Cartoon courtesy of mtcave.blogspot.com.

The recent tests that caught VW cheating to meet U.S. emissions goals for nitrogen oxide shouldn’t surprise anyone, and if you think VW is the only manufacturer looking for ways to meet the emission standards, you’re dreaming. Keep in mind that emission goals are just part of their problem; manufacturers also need to produce a safe, well-performing car that the public can afford to purchase without a government subsidy. Continue reading →

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Our military on “hold” until January 2017

As someone who believes in a strong defense, over the past six years I have watched President Obama weaken our military and the reputation it has enjoyed globally for years.

Austin_Lloyd - Commander, US Central Command

U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III (defense.gov)

I recently witnessed an embarrassing testimony by Army Gen. Lloyd Austin before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he said, “Despite some slow movement at the tactical level, we continue to make progress across the battlespace in support of the broader U.S. government strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS.”

In view of information that reports out of General Austin’s U. S. Central Command were overstated to paint a rosier picture of its success in Iraq and Syria, the Senators weren’t pleased with his testimony. It was learned that analysts were told to revise their reports of U.S. air strike damage to support command assessments of mission success. They were also urged to state that the killing of certain ISIS leaders would diminish the organization and lead to its collapse. Continue reading →

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Walker takes the hint and bows out

In my Aug. 31 posting, “It’s time to bow out gracefully, guys,” I named six Republican candidates who should consider bowing out of the race because their message was simply not being heard. Scott Walker, who was showing well in Iowa at the time, wasn’t on my list, but he bowed out yesterday.

untitled(blogforarizona.net)

It’s time to get serious about the number in the GOP debates. (blogforarizona.net)

As a reminder, I said Gilmore, Pataki, Graham, Jindal, Santorum, Huckabee and Perry should leave the race. Perry did so on Sept. 11. Continue reading →

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No better time for the GOP to use the nuclear option

“Americans by a significant margin oppose Obama’s nuclear capitulation to Iran. The GOP is in the majority in both houses. Yet the Stupid Party still gets snookered.” – Investor’s Business Daily

 I know … I know … I was critical of Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) use of the nuclear option in the Senate when he was majority leader, and, yes, I was supportive of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s decision to return “the world’s greatest deliberative body” to regular order.

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(Editorial cartoon courtesy zerohedge.com)

The free world, however, is facing a serious juncture in the realm of foreign policy on the agreement with Iran, and nobody seems to be taking it seriously. Columnist Charles Krauthammer believes, “No international agreement in a generation matches this one in strategic significance and geopolitical gravity.” Continue reading →

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Kasich continues to impress

Though my pick for president, Ohio Governor John Kasich, hasn’t been seen much on television lately, thanks to the camera-hogging Donald Trump, Kasich has been making the rounds in New Hampshire. He’s ranked second to Trump in the Granite State.

For the benefit of those who didn’t see him on Fox News Sunday this morning, click here.

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From the boastful mouth of Trump

Donald Trump, who thinks he can bloviate his way to a presidential nomination, stepped in it again this morning during an interview on Fox & Friends, but don’t expect anyone to catch his screw-up, or cause a dip in his polls.

When asked for his reaction to the Boston Globe report that veterans of Mitt Romney’s campaign are united in the common goal of defeating him, Trump took off on Romney as a failure saying, “this is pure Romney wanting to get back in.”… read more

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Baltimore’s costly down payment to prevent further rioting

Baltimore to pay Freddie Gray’s family $6.4 million to settle civil claims   – Baltimore Sun

Unbelievable! In the wrongful death civil suit in Maryland, Baltimore has settled with the Freddie Gray family for $6.4 million.  Some have called extortion to prevent further rioting.

Put aside the fact that civil suits are generally handled after the criminal suit and that those six Baltimore police officers yet to go on trial are now practically found guilty by the payoff.

f_bal_familyspeaks_150428(nbcnews.com)

Freddie Gray’s mother, Gloria Darden, a heroin addict who cannot read, will receive $5.36 in a settlement over the loss of her son. (nbcnews.com)

Put aside the fact that when it comes to wrongful death decisions in Maryland, the payout to the Gray family is simply ridiculous. Since 2011, the city has settled more than 120 cases of alleged police brutality with just six exceeding $200,000, and none close to the Gray settlement. Even settlements in Maryland traffic deaths average just $500,000. Continue reading →

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Hillary Clinton favored continued enrichment by Iran

Well, well, well … today we learned that it was Hillary Clinton who opened the door to accepting a change in U.S. policy that would allow Iran to continue to produce nuclear fuel.

President Barack Obama talks with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton about his decision to send her to the Middle East while attending the U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 20, 2012. From left are: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; Jake Sullivan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State; and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

Hillary Clinton and her foreign policy aide Jake Sullivan photographed during a White House visit. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

After an unproductive secret meeting between Clinton’s foreign policy aide Jake Sullivan and Iranian diplomats in Oman in July 2012, and in a series of meetings in Washington over the following six months, Clinton and Obama concluded that we would have to let Iran continue to enrich uranium at small levels if an agreement was to succeed.

Very interesting, since it was Clinton who, during the 2008 campaign, called Obama naïve for believing he could directly negotiate with Iran’s regime. Continue reading →

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Sure, Hillary, we believe you

“I always thought this would be a competitive race.” – Hillary Clinton

hillarysbrainrelatednational review.com)

Hillary never believed the “anointed” and “entitled” clichés about her run for the presidency. (natinalreview.com)

Yeah, Hillary … while the rest of us were hearing words like “entitled”… “anointed”… “it’s her time” and “her turn,” you want us to believe you were thinking otherwise. You knew all along that Bernie Sanders would be as popular as he has demonstrated.

It took a bit of digging, but I found a piece by Myra Adams I had remembered seeing in The Daily Beast some time ago. “Not having a real primary will be a tremendous advantage for Hillary, thus freeing her up to concentrate on the general-election battle…,” wrote Adams, “claiming any opposition would be “symbolic.” Continue reading →

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PBS’ Ifill continues support of Obama White House

“Take that, Bibi.” – Gwen Ifill

Since I am not a fan of what the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS) reports as “news,” I learned of the most recent Obama administration pandering of Gwen Ifill, co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour, in a newspaper account.

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Ifill during an interview with Obama. (pamellageller.com)

When it became known that the president had secured the required Democrat support in the Senate to ensure the Iran deal could not be blocked by opponents, Ifill, in what was described as a digital spiking of the football, tweeted “Take that, Bibi.” The reference, of course, to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who addressed Congress in opposition to the deal. Continue reading →