Sorry Tom
For weeks we have been told that former Governor Tom Vilsack was a lock to be Obama’s Secretary of Agriculture. This past weekend we learned that it’s not going to happen, in fact Vilsack wasn’t event approached or vetted for any cabinet position.
I think some Iowa Dems went a little overboard after Obama’s victory assuming that an Obama administration would be full of Iowans because he got his campaign rolling in Iowa. While Vilsack is a loyal Democrat, he wasn’t an outspoken supporter of Obama’s. Heck I was surprised that Hillary didn’t use him more during the caucuses.
This is the problem one creates when you don’t have any business running for President, you get termed a loser. Many think Vilsack could challenge Senator Grassley in 2010. I don’t think that’s going to happen. While Tom’s a little down on his luck now, he would be irrelevant if he ran against and lost to Grassley.
Empty the Bench?
Anyone else find it a bit interesting that the Democrats seem to be empting their bench? It seems anybody who’s anyone is either part of the Obama administration or rumored to be picked soon. Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Tom Daschel, Rahm Emanuel, and Janet Napolitiano have all been mentioned or selected. So who is left standing once the Obama Boom busts? Plus there is going to be a bunch of newbie Dems seeking election in the upcoming years making them more venerable to good Republican challengers.
The Bailout Continues
The Feds have guaranteed or pledged over $7.4 trillion in taxpayer money to rescue the financial system. That’s half the value of everything produced in the nation last year. Scary stuff. The latest bailout is for CITI Group and the Auto Industry will get theirs too, just wait and see. So our government refuses to let some of the largest companies fail, but what happens when in the upcoming decades when our government fails to deliver on its promises to the American people in regards to Social Security and Medicare? Will Citi, Ford, GM, Chrysler, AIG, or the others bailout the American people? Yeah, not going to happen.
Are there smoke detectors in Terrace Hill?
The recent hubbub over First Lady Mari Culver smoking it up in state vehicles lead me to wonder if she also lights up in Terrance Hill, a state owned building. Now you all know that I was opposed to the smoking ban, but this just goes to prove how stupid this law is. Its one thing to ban smoking in restaurants or places that serve foods, but to extend such a stupid law to tractors, and business vehicles is just ridiculous. Maybe Mari will start an ad campaign to have the law tweaked a bit so she can smoke on the road, and at Terrance Hill.
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Krusty, as I read your post today, I listen to P.E. Obama on the TV introducing his new economic team as the ghost of FDR hovers over his shoulder. Of all the material you covered today, the words $7.4 Trillion caught my eye.
ReplyDeleteHow ironic that the first black POTUS has almost guaranteed our return to a nation of "slaves!"
You can't begin to comprehend the concept of 1 trillion, much less times 7 unless you have an Einstein like brain capacity. Like it or not, ours and future generations are now enslaved to the debtor, finanical slaves from which our punishments are only now beginning to emerge. The only way for our future president to thrust us into socialism is after the complete collapse of the US economy and I am fearful to say, this could be immiment in the next many months. Say your prayers, hug your children folks. We've only seen the tip of this "berg!"
7.4 trillion is what? almost $25k for every man, woman and child in our country.
ReplyDeleteOh by the way, that 7.4 trillion is not including the existing national debt which is currently:
ReplyDeleteU.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK
The Outstanding Public Debt as of 24 Nov 2008 at 06:01:41 PM GMT is:
10,670,537,200,582.38
The estimated population of the United States is 305,153,740
so each citizen's share of this debt is $34,967.74.
(Taken from US Debt clock)
Krusty, add to this the almost 25K for each man, women and child and the theoretical "debt statement" were this a credit card would arrive at your home with a $60k balance for each member of your family. The new class of enslaved debtors in about to emerge!
"Good Republican Challengers" you say?
ReplyDeleteYou mean like Christopher Reed, Miller-Meeks, and Bob Vander Plaats?
The talent is running thin in both parties.
As for Tibby, AKA chicken little :), the sky is not falling.
We went through the ame thing in the Reagan and Bush years, gaining a deficit that seemed insurmountable, as we have under Bush 2. We scaled back spending in the 90's and under a "liberal", we gained a surplus.
Imagine that! Ronald Reagan the father of modern conservatism racks up a huge deficit and Bill Clinton the godfather of modern liberalism deals with it!
We need to talk about scaling back our international aid and our military involvement in foreign countries.
I'd much rather be giving Americans a 700 billion dollar bailout than give the rest of the world a 700 billion dollar police force.
Its interesting that you mention that the Democrats are emptying their bench under Obama. I always felt that was one of the biggest mistakes we made when Bush was elected. Look at everything we lost in 2001 with the Bush cabinet. We lost Wisconsin when Tommy Thompson got pulled for HHS, we lost Pennsylvania when Ridge got pulled for OHS and we gave up the Governor of New Jersey and appointed her to hear the EPA of all wasted things.
ReplyDeleteI thought we made mistakes in pulling in our bench and turning them into cabinet appointees but President Bush "bench deletion program" was nothing compared to Obama's. He’s clearly not interested in learning from the mistakes of his predecessors, rather, he seems determined to expand on them.
I visited the IFPC banquet where he Iowa Legislators met and most came to hear Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Jindal was a good speaker. He had a very good message and did talk about the family (his specifically) and how it relates to our world and culture. The longest applause and "standing O" came for former Speaker Pro-Tempore Danny Carroll. The people in the crowd really respect Danny and look to him for answers to questions like "so now what?" There was not a person in the room that was sitting in the large audience. It is clear who the legislators want as the new chair at RPI, Danny Carroll.
ReplyDeleteAdam, the "percentages" don't support your argument. % of GDP makes your essay irrelevant. Reagan had to $pend huge amounts just to undo the damage to our military preparedness from the almost criminal dismantling during the Carter years. The unspoken "dividend" from this investment was our eventual triumph of the decades long cold war, which Reagan engineered without firing a single shot.
ReplyDeleteThe sky isn't falling, but the chains and shackles are about to be fastened to your bank account my liberal democrat friend. How much does the Obama campaign pay you to troll these sites and pollute the dialogue with your screw the military, bailout the victims like you rhetoric?
Tibby,
ReplyDeleteYour arguement is not only devoid of facts, but full of bias opinon.
I am not a democrat.
I am not a liberal
And I certainly am not your friend
I am a veteran of the war in Iraq.
I support our military, as I am still a part of it.
The bailout is wrong, and I never defended it.
Ronald Reagan, with the help of some wonderful Congressional Democrats like Charlie Wilson, where able to put the squeeze on the soviets and that was absolutely wonderful!
However to think that you can pay for a war without actually paying for it (No taxes where raised for this war, for the first time in American history) is ludacris.
maybe you should pop and couple more prozac and cry over the election results before you through mud at your superiors.
Mark
ReplyDeleteThose same legislators wanted George Eichorn too.
Next.
From the Heritage Foundation:
ReplyDeleteDespite War Costs, Defense Spending Falls Below Historical Average.
At 4 percent of GDP, defense spending is 1.5 percentage points of GDP below the 45-year historical average and well below Cold War and Vietnam War levels.
National Defense Spending as a Percentage of GDP, 1962-2007
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/fed-rev-spend-2008-boc-S7-Despite-War-Costs-Defense.html
I don't insult your service to our country, just your post which walks, talks and quacks liberal in form. Call it like it is.
I'd much rather defend democracy abroad at any cost than to wake up one day with another countries flag flying over our capital!
But I digress, this isn't about the war, it's about Republicans who acted like Democrats (including you)and the end result is we all lose!
Danny Carroll better hope no college kid from Grinnel runs for chairman or he's toast for a third time. And since we are digging up state reps that can't keep thier seats how about Larry Disney, Tami Weincek, Mike Jager or Jamie Van Fossen? Oh and George Eichorn too of course.
ReplyDeleteYou republicans have no idea how much we are laughing at you and your "recipe" for a turnaround toward victory. Stop by Wellman's and notice the smirks on our faces and maybe you'll get a clue.
You are missing my point, Tibby.
ReplyDeleteYes, defense money may be less than it was during Vietnam, but if you dont have the money to pay for it, it really does not matter!
In World War 2 we had war bonds, a draft, rationing of food, metal, anything we could use for the war effort.
I am all for military action and am proud of what I have done in the service, but the idea that we can have "butter and guns" as your hero Adolf Hitler once famously said is crazy.
I would much rather use the billions of dollars to secure our borders, secure our ports and airports, give tax breaks, and take out these horible terrorists abroad. ALL of which and more is possible with the money we have wasted on the people of Iraq.
My problem is when the US Army moves away from its job of fighting a war, and instead provides police service, road and school building and WELFARE to the people of Iraq, at the cost of the American tax payer and with Iraq having an 80 Billion dollar oil surplus.
Adam, I don't taken issue to most of your last komment. On those issues I would side with your point of view. In a strange way though, I truly believe history will vindicate our presence and $acrifices in Iraq as the middle east, including Iran, did nothing more than "saber rattling" during our presence in the region.
ReplyDelete(Don't get me started on uranium enrichment, that's an entirely different subject) In retrospect, imagine Al Gore as POTUS and the attacks actually did stagnate our economy, (this didn't occur!) the combined losses therein would amount to far more trillions than Krusty can type into the width of his blog! Our greatest generation ever were those who sacrificed to overcome the challenges of WWII.
I don't think our country has such character to overcome this challenge, but I pray our children will, cause God only knows how much they'll have to pay to klean this up!
I hope everyone at Wellamans keeps that smirk on their faces. We'll be more than happy to wipe it off.
ReplyDeleteIf you think you've got some kind of machine going, think again. You're not exactly sitting on a solid foundation, strategically or historically, and are very ripe for a butt whooping in '10.
Oh yeah, and I'm not the biggest fan of Danny Carroll, but I've learned one thing running campaigns: it's just as valuable to lose as it is to win. I'd rather have someone who's done both. And 6 out of 8 is a good record in my book.
ReplyDeleteThe only issue I have with your post Tibby, is that I am so firmly pro-American that I really wouldnt mind if 1000 Iraqis dropped off the face of the earth, if it meant that one American would live.
ReplyDeleteCall me crazy, but I place a higher value on American lives. Make it a hundred thousand, a million. Dont get me wrong, Im proud of my service but dont think for one minute I did it for the Iraqi people.
I did it for my brother fighting next to me.
We SHALL overcome Tibby, America will rise again.
As for Danny Carroll, I am coming around to him. Right now, we need to get someone new in there. And we need people running in EVERY RACE!
Adam, Danny Carroll is NOT new and he certainly does not have a winning record. He's coming off two consecutive legislative losses to some college kid from Grinnell.
ReplyDeleteYou can't have a serious conversation about how to start winning for the party if you can't start winning for yourself.
There are about 7 other candidates running. Take your pick.
Mine is Pate. State Senator, Secretary of State and Mayor of Cedar Rapids. I saw it posted on here that he has never lost to a democrat. Sounds like a good guy to have in charge of things since he's proven he can actually win statewide and not just talk about it.
Danny Carroll? eh not so much.
We now learn that not only will Vilsack not be Ag Secretary, but that he was never even seriously considered! As I noted in the comments to my own blog, this was likely cooked up by the Des Moines Register.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Krusty on the bench being emptied. Janet Nepalitano's seat could be a good pick-up opportunity for Republicans. I'm also hoping that Obama picks Kathleen Sebulious (Governor of Kansas) for a cabinet spot. She was a vocal Obama supporter, and her seat should go Republican once she leaves.
My number one pick is Ted Sporer.
ReplyDeleteHe may be a bit too abrasive to moderates, but he is very very smart and I think he'll know when to tone down the hard stuff.
As for emptying the bench, well I wouldnt go that far. I belive that, no matter what party, there are many Americans that want to serve in elected office. I think it is GREAT to get new people in there and make sure we dont have one -person in the same office for life. see Senator Stevens (R-Alaska), or for that matter Ted Kennedy.
I say take this moment to answer the call! Make it happen! The time for talk is over and the time for action has come.
I heard some skoop today - does Deace not like cowbell?
ReplyDeleteDanny Carroll did not lose to a "College Kid". He lost to a 3rd generation business owner/attorney from Oskaloosa, so I can tell you have really done your research. It was not that Danny cannot win elections,(He won 6 out of 8) the party leadership did not want him to win because if he did, he would be the House Minority Leader right now. He was a threat to Rants so they did nothing (or next to nothing) to ensure his defeat. You can say what you want, but the vast majority of the people I am hearing from at the county level as well as the legislators that are counting on a good leader at RPI DANNY IS THEIR MAN. Pate might be good, but he is a moderate. We have had our fill of moderates with McCain. Pate has a role, but it is not leader.
ReplyDeleteDanny Carroll sent out a letter for his campaign for chair. He wants to create some, as yet undeveloped, Plan. He doesn't know himself what to do yet.
ReplyDeleteHe states as his greatest attribute and his reason for being chair is that he "doesn't overexpress himself".
Hmmm....not sure that's what we need right now.
I think we need to express ourselves rather vigorously against the democrats.
I think we've had enough tea party's. That's what has gotten us here in the first place...being afraid to "express" ourselves and our positions and why our conservative approaches are more logical and effective than liberal solutions.
Case in point: Our current economic mess.
A moderate? According to who? You anonymous poster who probably has a stake in Carrol being chair?
ReplyDeletePate took out a "moderate" republican in Lee Clancy to become a conservative Mayor of Cedar Rapids. He had a strong pro-life conservative voting record in the Iowa Senate.
Is Ted even running? He would be good, but Pate would be better. Carroll does not even register on the adequate scale. Who else is there? If it is Carrol, then I'm going to spend my time volunteering for the Illinois GOP where its not as hopeless. ;)
Revise history all you want, nobody is buying it.
"My plan is I don't have a plan yet?"
ReplyDeleteIf Carroll had a plan he would have used it to keep his safe house seat and not lost the last two races. Surely I'm not the only one who realizes this?
A wise man who had a striking resemblence to Bob Vander Plaats once said, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and anticipating a different result".
Carroll has tried to get the support to run for a house leadership spot for well over a decade and each time backed out because he could not get enough support from his peers.
ReplyDeleteAnd these are the same people who thought George Eichorn would make a good candidate for the U.S. Senate after he too lost his legislative seat.
Next.
Pate couldn't get elected as a delegate to the national convention.
ReplyDeleteWho the hell would be still pushing Pate? He is such a has been! He's a good guy but c'mon it is time to get new blood and talent into the party not rehash old figures and fights
ReplyDeleteWho you ask?
ReplyDeleteProbably someone who is working in the trenches for free and is tired of no leadership from the state party. Maybe even somebody who wants a proven winner? You can't have a serious conversation about how to start winning if you have no concept of winning. I like the fact that Pate has been a county GOP chairman prior to being an elected official at all levels of governemnt in Iowa.
But what do I know I'm just a pee on volunteer.
Mark-
ReplyDeleteI attended the IFPC fundraiser and at no time did Danny Carroll speak nor get a standing ovation from anyone. Total bs. You are the problem with our party. Support who you want, but lying is what the democrats do.
Pate's a has been??
ReplyDeleteAccording to who?
How many leaders do we have in this party who have served as a county GOP leader, then won MULTIPLE State Senate elections in Linn County...then won statewide election as Secretary of State.
Pate's demonstrated an ability to bring together social conservatives and fiscal conservatives together.....
He understands what activists out in our county leadership are frustrated about when it comes to RPI
He understands that if we do not WIN..we do not LEAD.
Right now..I'd sure love to have someone at RPI who understands what we out here in the counties go through on a regular basis in trying to put together our efforts year after year.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette just endorsed gay marriage on Sunday. This is kind of climate we are dealing with in Cedar Rapids. Paul Pate stepped up and challenged a moderate republican mayor of Cedar Rapids who passed a gay rights provision into the city's civl rights charter. He defeated her soundly.
ReplyDeleteWe need a leader who is capable of taking on and WINNING against the pro-gay agenda movement.
For those keeping score:
State Senator (Linn County)
Iowa Secretary of State (Statewide)
Mayor of Cedar Rapids (2nd largest city in Iowa)
President of the Iowa League of Cities (940 municpalities)
Chairman of the Linn County central committee
Chairman of the Linn Eagles
Never, REPEAT, never lost to a democrat.
You cannot have a serious conversation about winning if you have no frame of reference. He's been there. He's done that.
I agree with Cedar Waxwing. We need someone who can win and has proven that he can get the support from all republicans.
ReplyDeleteThe folks who think we can kick out the social conservatives from our party are just as short sighted as those who want to kick out the moderates. We need them all if we are going to win.
We need a uniter and I believe that Paul Pate is that man.
I like the thought of a chairman who has proven he can win. I'm tired of listening to people talk about how they think we can win. I don't have a vote but given who is running I'd say Pate is probably the best choice. Unless Branstad jumps in or something.
ReplyDeletePate is a guy who Steve Deace and Steve Roberts would agree on.
ReplyDeleteIf we are ever going to put the shovel down and stop digging ourselves a deeper hole as a party, we need somebody we can rally behind. We don't just need to start over with a new chair, we need to start winning hearts and minds as well as elections right now.
As a "right wing fundamentalist" I welcome Pate with open arms.
wait, I thought Ted Sporer had the RPI job locked up.
ReplyDeleteHardly. Sporer shouldn't be seriously considered...
ReplyDeleteHe's got no track record of winning elections or the ability to do large scale fundraising.
Plus, Sporer has been well known for his abrasive tendencies which quite frankly, the Democrats would seize upon and constantly bash us over the head with as being "insensitive" or "callous", etc...
Anybody know who Scheffler is going to let us have as a chairman yet?
ReplyDeleteScheffler for Chair/ Gopal for Co Chair!!!
ReplyDelete