Thoughts the Day Before the New Hampshire Republican Primary

I’d like to share with you my thoughts about the Republican Primary Canidates. But let me tell you where I am coming from first. I am a Republican Neanderthal, an Eisenhower Republican. I am not a Reagan Republican. For me Republican ideals, represent:

1. Aversion to war

2. Support for small business as a source of welling paying jobs and economic growth but a warriness of the dangers of the Military/Industrial Complex

3. A belief that science and technology can improve our way of life

4. A beleif in personal freedom that includes protection from the religion of the majority

5. A belief that a well educated electorate is key to a successful Democracy

So how do the candidates fare when viewed through this filter:

1. John McCain = a good man and a good soldier but a supporter of Bush’s War, who has also made the mistake of courting the Religious Right. I can not support a canidate who continues to support the war.

2. Rudy Giuliani – a new York thug who was right for New York City but not right for the country. Totally eliminated by his support for the war and recent pandering to the Religious Right who don’t beleive in Evolution.

3. Mitt Romney – Possibly the new Arron Burr, a candidate who willdo or say anything to win the election, also continues to support the war. Not a viable presidential canidate.

4. Mike Huckabee- On the surface a very attractive candidate, I believe he is a bright and capable man with amazing charm. However, I am very bothered by his 15th century beleif set. I don’t understand how a thinking adult can reject Evolution. His statement on “Meet the Press”, if you believe in Evolution tan you think Global Warming is a good thing just sounds too whacked for anyone in the big leagues. Not a viable canidate for President.

5. Ron Paul – I don’t really think he is a viable candidate but where else do you put your vote in the Primary if you are against the war and believe in Evolution.

This is truly a sad time for Republicans – the Evil Compromise forged by Regan between the Republican Party and the pre- Renaissance Religious Right bore an awful child,the George Bush Presidency. We have now become the party led by war criminals for whom every disaster is a chance to enrich their friends. The party of incompetency, greed and rejection of science. The Religious Right did not get what they wanted and the country has been raped and plundered by the greedy few who actually control the party.

Where do we go from here?

Republican NeoCapitalism

Has the NeoConservative movement created NeoCapitalism or has greed just reached another peak?

The current administration has reshaped the role of government and the relationship between business and government. There has always a tight relationship between money and power. Since the 50’s we have discussed the danger of the relationship in the America.

So what is new? Under Bush government has farmed out it’s response to disasters. After Katrina private contractors filled the role of the National Guard and FEMA (Blackwater in New Orleans). In Iraq most participants are actually contractors. This has created a lot of wealth for the friends of the administration and created a new model of government.

An intended side benefit of using contractors is that Iraqi oil has successfully been kept of the world market creating tremendous wealth for the Oil Companies and the Saudi friends of the Bush family. The (unintended?) system effect has also been that counties that the administration has identified as enemies also have more money thus creating more fear in the United States. This diverts the attention of the Public and creates the need for more Contractors.

Government no longer deals with problems; it farms out problems to private contractors who are friends of the Administration and contribute heavily to keep them in power.  Cronyism has been brought to a new level. The Administration often without bids picks it’s friends to handle the problems the country faces, how can Congress object. The Administration is clearly incompetent to handle the problems.  This model may not be the best for dealing with problems but it does maximize the legal transfer of public funds to those that support the administration.

We have taken the step to NeoCapitalism, government is not just a passive friend of business. It is now a creator of real business opportunities. Every public disaster is now a wind fall profit for business.

Business profiteers no longer have to wait for the next war to make gigantic profits by tapping into public finds, every disaster means real wealth to them. Plus the federal government makes sure that the small time local leeches are cut out of the real money. This is “Win – Win”.

Who can say now that “Republicans are small minded religious hypocrites” when they have brought this kind of innovation to Governance. NeoCapitalism is with us now and making big money for Contractors and Oil Companies.

Hillary the next Bush

I would like to find a candidate to support for President in 2008. I am disgusted with the Republican candidates and their campaign of Fear and Tax Avoidance for the Rich.

The TV Press seems to have decided that Hillary has already won the election.

I find Hillary a very disturbing candidate. Not because she is a woman. I thing a woman President is long overdue and that there are some fine women candidates in Congress.

What scares me is that she seems as shut off from reality and bellicose as Bush, and just as stubborn. She seems to have an obvious hate for the Press and I can understand that, but I want to stop the use of National Security Concerns to hide incompetence in the White House

She remains hawkish on war with Iran even after our awful experience in Iraq.

Hilary has also shown an inability to compromise and work with others to get things done on Health Care. When she could have had a 90% win, she refused to negotiate. Does that sound familiar?

She has no Executive experience except as an observer and advisor, even Bush was ahead of her there.

Hilary also seems to have a history of being involved with shady financial deals. She and Bush definitely have that in common.

I desperately hope that I am wrong, eight years of Bush was as much as even a strong country can stand.

The Politics of Fear

I am a very dispirited Republican today not because I believe that the Republican Party will face a disaster at the Polls in 2008. Yes, I beleive that will happen. But I find the party’s commitment to Fear a very disturbing thing.

The Republican self proclaimed candidates for President in 2008 seem to have all adopted Bush’s Politics of Fear. Every statement must contain a reference to 9/11. They have discovered that the tools of ancient despots also give them power, make the people fear an external enemy and they will forget about internal government repression of human rights, incompetence and corruption.

So far the discussion on the Republican side has avoided  how we will pay for the tremendous financial costs of war and that it is the Invasion of Iraq that is costing American lives not terrorism.

There is very little hope on the Republican side today. My only hope is that all decent Republican candidates are avoiding this election cycle to distance themselves from Bush and avoid what appears to be obvious defeat at the Polls.

Bank of America Rip Off

I got a mailer today from Bank of America that really pissed me off.

The mailer gave you all of the reasons to send in for a Free Credit Report. On the back of the page it mentioned in a paragraph labeled Continuous Protection that unless you cancel within 30 days your credit card would be billed $129.99 for the first year and $139.99 for subsequent years.

It is hard to call that Free. The kicker is that if you write to the Credit Companies they have to send you a free copy of your report and if you ask them to freeze comments, they have to notify you of any new comments. So yes, what Bank of America is offering is Free but if you sign up with them it costs $139.99 per year.

You can see why they changed their name from Bank of Italy to Bank of America. This isn’t fraud but it certainly is preying on the weak and helpless. I can’t see why anyone would deal with a company like this.

Bush is a War Criminal

I do not see how any Republican can take any position other than that George W. Bush is a War Criminal responsible for the needless death of over a 100,000 people and the Start of a Civil War that will kill many more. He started a illegal war and deserves to stand trial before an international tribunal to account for his crimes.

The Republican Party is not a War Party and has always been the Party to counsel going slow and avoiding war. But Senators Gregg and Sununu have forgotten the Republican Principles to serve what may well turn out to be the worst President in American History. 

Judd Jab

Musings of a Republican left behind by the Party 

I listened to Senator Gregg on CSpan Friday discuss how Medicare Funding should be modified. He strongly pointed out that all of-the recipients should give up a little to keep the program spending in line. These poor and middle income people that are receiving Medicare benefits can all afford to give up a little.

This position makes sense if you don’t consider Senator Gregg’s other positions. He has spent years trying to push through tax breaks for the wealthy and “Repeal of the Death Tax”. His “Death Tax Repeal” when looked at more closely appears to be in fact a special break for the Rockefeller Family that will help them avoid paying taxes on their family wealth for the first time. This money was accumulated by tax breaks to oil companies and railroads and has for the most part never been taxed. But he isn’t asking them to give a little.

Senator Greg has been a supporter of Tax breaks for Oil Companies. His major investments in Oil are not the reason for his support I am sure but he is not asking them to give a little.

Senator Gregg has been a supporter of contracts to Halaburton a company that has recently moved out of the US to Dubai. He hasn’t asked them to give a little.

Senator Gregg has become an embarrassment to the Voters of New Hampshire. He consistently votes against their interests but has been a strong supporter of the Bush War and Tax breaks for the wealthy. I doubt that Senator Gregg sees any conflict in his positions. He and his family have long been wealthy and he is just doing what is right for his friends and family. The wealthy are probably the only New Hampshire folks he knows.

I Didn’t Join a Religious Party

When I became a Republican, I didn’t join a Religious Party. I joined a party that was tolerant of Religious Differences not a party whose agenda is to defend a paranoid Religious Majority.

The Terry Schivo Case was a example of how far the Republican Party has come from it’s once basic principle of Local Control and Small Government. This was not an issue for Congress or the Supreme Court to be involved in. It was handled locally but the Republican Congress had to make a show of representing the Religious Beliefs of a small part of The Party.

It is a fine example of why Politics and Religion are such uneasy bed fellows. Politicians must recognise the reality of their Religious Constituents but it is not their role to force those beliefs on the Country. This is the road to increasing contentiousness and loss of personal freedom.

We want our Party back from the Hypocrites who hide their greed behind Religion and do not value Personal Freedom.

An Apology to Congressman Jeb Bradley

This is a copy of the letter I sent to Congressman Bradley today.

Congressman Bradley I have been a Republican for 40 years and feel I need to make an apology for the way I plan to vote November 7.

I believe that you have done a good job and deserve my vote, however, I will be voting for your Democratic Opponent.

I am voting for your opponent for several reasons:

1. I am very, very angry with the people who have stolen the Republican Party and taken it so far from Republican and New Hampshire values. They have made it the big spending, big government, war party.

2. The Republican Party has come to be the Party of Cronyism and Incompetence.

3. The current party leadership has no shame, they don’t even try to lie effectively or cover the massive give aways to their friends.

4. It is very important to take away from the Republican Party the Stewardship of our Country. They have despoiled our lands and given away our resources to their friends.

For these reasons, I will be voting against all Republican Candidates in the next election. I am hoping that the Republicans of New Hampshire will send a message to The Republican Party that we are fed up with the people that have stolen our Party.

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