151 Band

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Pruitt, Clinton, & Brogdon, Oh My!

Oklahoma AG
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is an odd cat.  He is one of the few people who have ever been elected and is doing exactly what he said he would and the whole preservation of Christianity thing is full steam ahead.  Because, you know, Christians in Oklahoma are having their faith ripped from them.  But I digress.  Pruitt has announced that he is going to "defend free speech and free exercise of religion."  Sounds cool, doesn't it?  Well, Mr. Pruitt you can't have it your way - the very free speech and exercise of religion you speak of must, by necessity, apply to ALL faith groups, not just the Evangelicals.  He decided he is going to back up the teachers who distribute the Bible to their students.  

Pruitt is quoted in the Tulsa World as saying, "Our religious freedoms are under constant attack from a variety of groups who seek to undermine our constitutional rights and threaten our founding principles.”  Wait.  What?  The only religious freedoms being "under constant attack" are those that are not Evangelical or Catholic.  If you're a Mormon, aren't you allowed to distribute the writings of Joseph Smith at schools?  If Evangelicals can do it, why not Mormons?  How about those who would like to distribute the Q'uran in public schools?  Wouldn't they be allowed too since Pruitt is going to "defend free speech and free exercise of religion?"  Wouldn't that include ALL expressions of faith?

The Madness Ensues
There is no doubt in my mind that before and after the Hillary Clinton announcement, she and her consultants sat back and watched the GOP tinkle all over itself finding which talking point against her polled the best.  Hillary and crew are probably still laughing their rears off watching the madness ensue.  The hope for the Democratic Party this election cycle is that the GOP is so hurried to elect someone they think can beat Hillary, that the nominee will only be marginally prepared to be POTUS - like Ted Cruz.

Personally, I don't want a Clinton or a Bush in the White House again.  We have to break this cycle of dynasty-building.  It's not good for the country at all.

Sucks Being Poor
According to the McCarville Report, it looks like the Oklahoma GOP is in some debt - $50k in debt.  Apparently, David Weston wasn't the good steward of the GOP's cash flow during his term.  I guess what I don't understand is how the various committees at the GOP didn't catch it - or how the VP didn't have  clue that the party was in debt.  They have more committees there than Congress.  

Looks like there needs to be more fiscal accountability or we'll have another financial mess on our hands like we did before.  Remember this (a few familiar names)?



As McCarville states and I mentioned a week ago, Brogdon isn't likely to make the Chamber very happy and because of that, the dollars may not come flooding in like it used to.  In addition, the GOP pretty much runs the whole bloody state now, so there is probably questions in the minds of the average Sean,  "Be not afraid," Hannity Republican as to why the state GOP needs any cash whatsoever.  After all, Mission Accomplished, right?

Brogdon has already let go some of his staff to try and shave expenditures and being the penny-pinching hyper-conservative cat that he is, and all. Trey Richardson has decided to jump in and help the GOP by doing a little fundraising - something he is very good at, regardless of the political views of Randy Brogdon.  I've said it before and I will again, for all of the hardcore right wingers out there, you may have just kissed the pooch by electing your patron saint.  Everyone knows that money wins campaigns unless you're a door-knocking fool.

Of course, these are just my opinions and I could be wrong, but a really doubt it.

Gorilla



Monday, April 13, 2015

Hillary Is Here

Were there any of you who doubted that Hillary Clinton's Presidential bid?  I mean, really?  She has been preparing for this for a very long time and many Democratic pundits believe it's "her time."  Neither should we be surprised that the hit pieces are coming out like nuts.  Rand Paul, Republican candidate, has already taken a shot across the bow with an anti-Hillary ad.  The consultants have probably told him that he should try to make himself the frontrunner by posturing against Hillary.  I'm not so sure that technique really works.  The problem with all of the attacks on Hillary now is that by the time the election comes along, people will be sick unto the point of death with the negative ads.

Personally, I think it's going to come down to another Bush/Clinton showdown - and that is the very last thing this country needs.  In essence, the American people are going to be forced to choose between the lesser of two evils and I have no clue who will win that battle.  Jeb Bush is an opportunist, entitled, rich boy with more money than sense.  Hillary is an assertive woman who can be a real bitch.  So, there are our choices.  Pretty abysmal, isn't it?

The reason I think it will come down to the Bush/Clinton race is that the nomination has been, and always will be, about cash flow.  Whomever can raise the most money in the Republican Primary will win, whomever raises the most in the Democratic Primary will win.  It's a simple formula - money buys votes.

Hillary is not the Antichrist, neither is Jeb Bush.  They are just not what this country needs right now.  The growing threat of terrorism and the repercussions of a prolonged war in the sandbox are the things that need to be addressed and addressed quickly and effectively.  Neither Hillary nor Jeb will have that as their hot button talking points.  They will have their agendas, and here are some samples of what I believe Bush and Clinton will be putting out there for public consumption:

Bush:  Reversing Obamacare, lower taxes on the rich, oil subsidies, corporate welfare, downsizing government assistance to the poor, reversing environmental protection laws, partial amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Clinton:  Assault weapons ban, national gun registry, reduction of the DOD budget, increased entitlement spending, increased tax audits on large corporations, full amnesty for illegal immigrants

This election could serve to turn off even more voters.

Of course, it's just my opinion and I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Gorilla