The cock fight

"I only know this. So long as this "cock fight" continues, it is not the Republicans who are being hurt. It is not the Democrats either. It is America."

Relax! There is nothing salacious about this title! There really are cock rights with turkeys and roosters. This year, after having decades of turkeys in groups of various sizes, we had our first cock fight. To do this as sport is against the law in most states. However, in nature - it is the way some animals behave.

Anyhow, two of our "Jakes" started going after each other about 8 in the morning. At first my wife thought they were playing or goofing around. Then the war cries started and they were trying to bite each other on the neck. Then a third Jake joined in. It was like one of those big battle royal wrestling matches of old. I finally had to go outside and break it up before one of them got hurt.

Why do I bring this up? Roosters, Toms or Jakes usually fight over a hen, territory, or power (who is going to be alpha). We can see the same thing going on right now in Washington. This one is for power. The struggle is between the former President and the current President. And this is going to be one for the ages. It all came to a head yesterday (Saturday) morning about 6 am Eastern time.

President called out former President Obama for doing something scurrilous and possibly illegal. Mark Levin was the one who really blew the lid off the issue. When President Trump got wind of it, the "ship hit the sand". Then "cock fight" then started in earnest between the current POTUS and the former one. 

This story might have "legs" for the following reasons:

• Mark Levin is no fly by night hit artist like some are on the internet. He is highly respected, a Constitutional lawyer, and would not dream to pass on a story unless it really passed the sniff test.
• Even though I am sure President Trump likes and respects Mark Levin, I do not believe he would have unleashed a "Twitter storm" unless he had more than one source for this story.
• There have been way, way too many leaks in this short time Trump has been President to be a coincidence. It is felt my many that since Trump cannot get his lower level people approved through much delayed Senate hearings, there are many Obama leftovers in State and Defense planting mines in the streets.

The bottom line is this. Some believe that Obama was so ticked that Hillary would not carry out his "third term", he decided to so "scorched Earth" with Trump's presidency. That may or may not be true.

I only know this. So long as this "cock fight" continues, it is not the Republicans who are being hurt. It is not the Democrats either. It is America.   

We might be over driving our headlights

"We spend way too much money, with very few solutions on how to cover those expenses. And right now, we are seeing this play out, live and in color."

A week ago tomorrow, we were on our last leg of our journey home. We stayed in Ottumwa, Iowa, and we were "wheels up" at first light. As I was packing up the truck, I noticed a thick layer of fog moving in. By the time we checked out and got on the freeway, we could hardly see 200 feet in front of the truck. I was very careful not to go too fast, and my spider senses were tingling. I put my hazard lights on so faster moving vehicles behind me could see we were at a reduced speed. In short, due to the conditions, I did not want to "overdrive my headlights".

Ready for this? Here comes the leap. I often think of that phrase when I think of our country. In particular, the way we manage our resources (money) in this country. We spend way too much money, with have very few solutions on how to cover those expenses. And right now, we are seeing this play out, live and in color.

In our national budget, we have certain items which are now considered to be sacrosanct. That would be our entitlements. President Trump has ensured the public that he would not touch those entitlements. Because they were compacts the citizens made with the government. And he is right on that. However, anyone with a half a brain knows we are on the road to nowhere so long as we do not "fix" Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and now ObamaCare. As each one of these stands right now, they are 100% unsustainable. To keep going down this path acting fat, dumb and happy is driving beyond our headlights - big time.

Not to belabor this point, but recent leaks on what the "fix" will be for our nation's healthcare show a significant cost shifting of Medicaid dollars back to the states. The state of Minnesota has just done some quick math on this shift. It shows a boat load of money that will now have to be "ponied up" by Minnesota instead of getting it from the federal government. Because we have waited this long to really fix the unsustainable nature of Medicaid, those enormous costs are now looking for a home. Once again, this issue is due to us over driving our headlights for many years, and not fixing it earlier.

One more example - even though there are many, many more. For the past eight years, President Obama was ignored the care and feeding of our military. He put the ever increasing missions of our military on auto pilot. Now that he is gone and we have a new POTUS who feels the primary purpose of the federal government to be national security, we need to spend a lot of money to catch up. To fix the needs of each service. That increase will be slightly over $50B this year.

Here is the bottom line. Our nation spends more than we take in. Year after year, POTUS after POTUS, Congress after Congress. As a nation, we are addicted to spending. What is the cure? Sadly, only a balanced budget amendment. We need to be forced to "pay as we go". If Trump wants to spend an additional $50B on the military, there needs to be an exact offset for that amount. Or an increase in revenue.

I am sorry to say this. But I really do feel this way. We are like addicts. Addicts with no off switch. Addicts who over drive their headlights. And we all know what happens to addicts when they never take the cure. It does not turn out well.

    

Moonlight Madness

"I have also been told from time to time that 'I just don't get it'. Well, last night watching Moonlight, I 'just did not get it'. I will watch Sound of Music or Exodus over today's movies any day of the week, and twice on Sundays."  

I will be the first to admit that my wife and I don't follow the latest and greatest coming out of Holly Weird. In fact, I can't stand the plastic life styles of the rich and famous Lefties who inhabit that town. Anyhow, now that we are home from Florida, we are way behind on watching just about anything. 

We decided to purchase a rental from VUDU. Usually when we have to negotiate on what type of movie to watch, we either agree to disagree and end up watching nothing, or my wife will acquiesce to my male yearnings for action, space or war. So last night it came down to watching Hacksaw Ridge, Manchester by the Sea, Fences, or the Best Picture of 2017 - Moonlight. I agreed to Moonlight as both of us wanted to see what all the buzz and controversy was about. 

About halfway through the movie, my wife turned to me and said she was about ready to turn it off. Truthfully, I was ready after about fifteen minutes from the start. But I wanted to see it through to conclusion, and told my wife so. My wife was wise to my motives however. "You just want to write about this tomorrow morning, don't you?" Guilty, I responded. It was so bad, it would make good grist for a juicy blog post.

This is not a spoiler alert, so settle down. It was about this young black boy growing up. It had everything in it that Lefties love and most on the Right rail against. Smoking, swearing, sex, violence, drugs, the "n" said about 100 times, and some man on man romance. The movie was dark and depressing. There really was no message. No pathos. No nothing. It was $6 that I would love to have back.

Now the rumor is that last year during the Academy Awards, many black actors were upset that the awards turned out so "white". Will Smith and his wife threatened to boycott this year's awards. In fact, the tag line for last year's awards once they were over was "all white, all night". Some think Moonlight was "payback" for what happened last year. I don't know if it was or was not. All I know is this - it does not matter if the movie had an all black cast, an all white cast, or a combination of the two - it stunk.

When I think back to how movies used to be decades ago, it saddens me to see the garbage which is produced today. Many movies today are vapid, insipid and devoid of anything of merit. Parents who are trying to raise their kids right today would not dare take their kids to see 90% of the movies currently made. Most are just plain garbage. 

Maybe I am just dense. That's fine - I have been called that in the past. I have also been told from time to time that "I just don't get it". Well, last night watching Moonlight, I "just did not get it". I will watch movies like the Sound of Music or Exodus over today's movies any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.  

Deep in the land of never happen

"I hate the fact I am even saying this - I really do. With this issue, silence is not golden - it is telling. The Speaker has looked at his hand and can't even find a pair of sixes."

First, let me get something straight. Nobody, and I mean nobody, hates ObamaCare more than I. It was a huge mistake from the start. It was mishandled, pushed through Congress in a ram-rod fashion (in the middle of the night), and built on a set of assumptions more goofy than la-la land. It never stood a prayer of making it in its present form. Now here it sits - festering. And all of a sudden, this red headed stepchild belongs to the GOP.

I also know that in the 2010 midterms, the 2012 election, the 2014 midterms, and the 2016 election, there were legions of Republicans who won their races by promising to "pull this monster up by the roots, kill it, and replace it with something better". Now the GOP has control over just about everything, and does not know what to do with Rosemary's Baby. Our new President is smart enough to resist killing ObamaCare until the newer, better plan is ready to slide in at the same time. And that is the rub.

Here is the bottom line, as painful as it may seem. I have addressed this before. My belief is 2014 was our last best chance to kill and replace this terrible program. Even then it would have been next to impossible. When Mitt blew the election (and he did indeed blow it), he also blew our chances to remedy this issue. In other words, the roots have become so deep in 2017, the expenses are so vast, the better mousetrap might not be in the offing. We might be stuck with only one option - fixing this piece of crap.

I hate the fact I am even saying this - I really do. With this issue, silence is not golden - it is telling. The Speaker has looked at his hand and can't even find a pair of sixes. To come up with a new plan which is more cost effective than ObamaCare, bullet proof from the expected sniping from the Left, and ready to plug and play for everyone - might just be a bridge too far. In other words, the "repeal and replace" story might be living in the land of never happen. 

I might be wrong on this. I really hope I am. Maybe Secretary Price can pull a rabbit out of his hat. If anyone can do it, that would be Dr. Price. In any event, something has got to happen with this issue, and soon. Real people (who are not getting this as a freebie or subsidized) are getting toasted with the ever escalating costs of premiums. And by the way - this for those who are chanting "Medicare for all!" You have no clue what you are talking about. If we did give everyone Medicare this year, we would bankrupt that fund in less than a New York minute.

Sorry to be such a rain cloud. Nobody will be happier than I if this article is completely off base. But I believe it contains some truth.  

The USDA misnomer

"I could go on and on with this one, but I think you get the picture. The seeds this department manages may not be growing very fast, but the social programs it produces sure are."

Did you know that the Department of Agriculture is one of the oldest cabinet posts? It has been around since the days of Abe Lincoln. And when it first started up, it made quite a bit of sense. The country needed to get a handle on the seeds which were native to our soil and the ones which were coming into the country. The basic function of the department was to assist this developing and very agrarian country by helping to catalog seeds and plants.

My how times have changed. This very benign yet important cabinet post, set up to help farmers, and ensure food safety, now has really spread its wings. It has a budget of $140B and employees over 100,000 people. One might think, "Do we need that many people to take care of seeds and plants?" The answer is no. Food safety and the care and feeding of our farmers is a drop in the USDA bucket. The rest is all stuff which (I believe) should be in some other agency (or cut).

Hold onto your hats on this one. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) portion of the USDA Budget is a whopper. Of the $140B, it is $112B - definitely the lion's share. What is in it? Here are just a few items: 

• SNAP - better known as food stamps.
• NSLP - National School Lunch Program.
• SBP - School Breakfast Program.
• SMP - Special Milk Program.
• SFSP - Summer Food Service Program.
• WIC - Special Supplemental Service Program for Women and Infants.

I could go on and on with this one, but I think you get the picture. The seeds this department manages may not be growing very fast, but the social programs it generates sure are.

Now is where we really walk on the wild side. Almost $30B of the $140B that the USDA is responsible for goes for housing. Huh? What does that have to do with agriculture? Good question. The program is called the RHS - Rural Housing Service. It is responsible for a wide variety of services which have absolutely nothing to do with food nor agriculture. I could go into some of them, but trust me - you would get dizzy and nauseous.

When Donald Trump talks about cutting back some of the waste in the federal government, this program is (excuse the pun) low fruit on the tree. First off, the food assistance programs should be transferred to HHS. And the housing over to HUD. And the over 100,000 employees could be cut in half of better. This is not IBM for crying out loud!

Drain the swamp, expose the waste. This will be the mantra for the next four to eight years. Some of these federal programs are like the 400 pound man who visits the all you can eat buffet every night of the week. It is time for a crash diet. 

The dying party of death

"However, within the highlight, we had the low light. Our own Keith Ellison (now deputy of the DNC), Debbie Wassermann Schultz (former head of the DNC) and Nancy Pelosi (former Speaker of the House), sat on their hands during the ovation."

I would like to say I am original in this title, but I am not. One part I got from someone whom I can't remember, and the other part I will give attribution to Eric Erickson (formerly of Red State). The person I can't remember, would always refer to the Left as the "Party of Death". He did this due to their fierce devotion to abortion. Today, I heard EricK Erickson quoted when he described the President's speech last night. Erickson said, "What we had in the audience was a dying party and a party which is struggling to stay alive. Both parties are Democrats."

Before I address the boorish behavior of some during the President's speech last night, I will first go back in time to last week. It was a town hall meeting for some Senator or Congressman who was in his home district on break. Some on the Left came to protest and be disruptive. However, some of the protesters went way beyond the pale. At the start, a pastor came forward to offer an opening prayer (yes, that is common in the political meetings which I attend). As the prayer started, some started to boo and yell "Pray on your own time!" to the pastor. Once again, the Loony Left is on the wrong side of a very important issue.

Anyhow, last night when the President came in to start his speech, some on the Left did not stand. It reminded me of an officer I once served under on active duty. He was rough and tough. One day we told our section, "You may not like or respect me - but you will respect this uniform". The same is true for last night. The Left may not like this President personally, but they will respect the office.

But the highlight of the speech last night happened when President Trump gave special recognition to Navy Seal Senior Chief Bill "Ryan" Owens who was KIA fighting terrorism in Yemen. The President had invited his widow, Carryn, to attend last night's event. Once the President's tribute was given, there was a thunderous ovation, which lasted over two minutes. Most everyone stood and clapped. It was a very special and very emotional moment for Ms. Owens.

However, within the highlight, we had the low light. Our own Keith Ellison (now deputy of the DNC), Debbie Wassermann Schultz (former head of the DNC) and Nancy Pelosi (former Speaker of the House), sat on their hands during the ovation. Plus, they all made faces like they just sucked on a lemons. It really did take boorish behavior to a new low.

I know, I know. Some on the Left are going to say, "Remember Joe Wilson! He called President Obama a liar!" Yes he did, and I did not approve of it. Congressman Wilson did apologize for his outburst shortly thereafter. It was never determined if it was a lie or not, as it had to do with ObamaCare insuring illegal immigrants. But that was it for the eight years Obama was President. No other disrespect when President Obama was addressing Congress.

The final disrespect by the Left was to start leaving before the President did. What the what? I just hope and pray that no normal civics teacher instructed his or her class to watch the speech last night. As much as they could have learned from the speech, the behavior of some was the wrong message to send.

I have told my wife this many times before. I don't understand the Left - I really don't. They always seem to come down on the wrong side of every issue. They give the appearance they don't like the originalist concept of our Constitution; they don't care for faith based issues or the Christian religion; they prefer abortion over adoption; they prefer open borders over national security; and they prefer a welfare check over a pay check. Too harsh? Please prove me wrong.

One other thing that I can't attribute to anyone particular as I just remembered reading it on social media just this morning. If the Democrats keep acting like they did last night, this dying party might as well start chanting, "Four more years! Four more years!" Yes sir to that one! 

  

NOT hating haters

"Hatred is an awful thing. Hating anyone is just plain wrong. It truly is the battery acid of the soul. Yes, I am going to talk about hate on Ash Wednesday."

Like most of us, I saw the President's speech last night. In my opinion - it exceeded expectations. However, not everyone feels the same. Yesterday, a person I have known for many years told me on social media, "You sure picked a winner." She projects a palpable and seething hatred for our 45th President. As does just about every Democrat who sat in the audience last night. And to answer her charge about "picking a winner" - it was not just me. It was the majority of the electoral college. Like it or not, Donald Trump is the current POTUS.

Some people in the past have accused me of hating our former President. Wrong. And if someone wanted to, they could go back through my postings and check. I hated how he was dragging this great country down the road to socialism. But I did not hate him as a person. Nor his family. The worst thing I ever said about Obama concerned his skin. Not the color - the thickness. I thought he could be very thin skinned at times. And that is as far as it went.

Hatred is an awful thing. Hating anyone is just plain wrong. It truly is the battery acid of the soul. Yes, I am going to talk about hate on Ash Wednesday. It is the perfect day to do so. Why? Because Ash Wednesday is a day of reflection. Of realizing we have been living more like Adam and less like Jesus. That is why many churches put a cross of ash on the forehead. It starts the beginning of the Lenten journey. The journey which ends in victory on Easter Sunday. 

My oldest daughter had a roommate in college who is like an adopted daughter to us. Her father said something very profound one Ash Wednesday (we at one time went to the same church). He said going to an Ash Wednesday service is "like getting your teeth cleaned". Bingo. Ash Wednesday and the entire Lenten season is a chance to get your spiritual life cleaned up. I know I sure need it this year.

On the road last week, we saw a bill board down south with a very simple message. "Love God. Love each other. It is as simple as that". That is after all, the greatest commandment. We do all of us forget that from time to time. Plus we are not to hate anybody. Ever. Even if someone is a hater, not to respond with hate.

Our new President is a flawed man. All of us have flaws. But President Trump recognizes the potential for our country, and all its citizens, to be better - to do better. We can do it. But we have to work together. Talk to each other, and not over each other. Disagree, but not to be disagreeable. Let's try it to see how it works. Because if we let hate rule the day, we will lose everything, including our country.