Ken Nelson

Recently Joe Biden, Vice Foot-in-Mouth-in-Chief, said that the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden was “most audacious plan in 500 years”.

I’ll agree it was daring by the Seals, and their DevGroup co-horts. The main risk, alas, being the problem of a conducting an unapproved operation on a purported allies’ interior.

My brother and I had an easy time picking something more audacious.

I chose the 1970 raid on Son Tay… Send American Special Forces in helicopters to 23 miles from Hanoi to rescue American POWs.  They’d been moved, but raid was certainly audacious, risky, tactically successful (over 100 NV guards killed) and although no POWs recovered sent a strong message to Hanoi that we weren’t messing around.   The plan meets “audacious” and tops it.  Both strategically, and personally – imagine the thoughts of the forces going into this raid – they were going to rescue prisoners that had been abused for 7 or 8 years. They could easily join them in oppressive captivity.

The credit Biden takes for a mission he opposed certainly is “audacious”.  Obama also “audaciously” basks in the competence, bravery, and dedication of our military he no doubt scorned most of his life.

Obama and Biden’s behavior after the Bin Laden raid could easily be the most “audacious” use of the military for political gain since Lyndon Johnson accepted a Silver Star for taking a plane ride.

This new, unsubtle, painting from Patrick McNaughton is the latest in his patriotic paintings.

Another recent, far more subtle, efffort showed Obama stepping on the Constitution as some Presidents cringed (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln) and others applauded (Clinton, Carter, Roosevelt).   Bush looks away.

He does a nice job of summing up a President’s impact on our freedom with their visual response to Obama tromping on the document.  Madison is the most affronted.

I welcome McNaughton’s pushback and attempt to visually reflect what a lot of us our feeling.   I’m not sure how commercially successful they will be, as how many people want negative imagery on their wall?   I certainly don’t want Obama anywhere on my wall, or Carter, Bush, or Roosevelt for that matter.   We tend towards Tuscan fields, or pictures of the kids.

The left has it easier, they can show the government giving you stuff.  But never the government taking out of the other pocket.

I applaud McNaughton’s efforts, and but I hope that he, or somebody, can come up with positive visual imagery of liberty.  I’m not talented that way.

Although I’m sure the foggy lense of history obscures big faults, it is generally agreed that George Washington could have been President for pretty much as long as he liked. Instead he desired to leave after one term, and was cajoled into serving two.  And while I find myself far more to the Jeffersonian wing of democracy,  to me,  Washington epitomizes the idea of political office holding as service, not career or end goal.

So when I evaluate candidates, I use what I call the “George Washington Test”.   Or, What Would George Do (WWGD).  This may seem simple, or naïve, or un-modern, but if you try it you will find it very  illuminating, or perhaps, clarifying.

So, for instance, would George serve in office for decades?

Would George be a lobbyist?

Would George advocate taking on loads of debt?

Would George permit unelected bureaucrats to print endless amounts of money?

Would George add new spending while we are racking up debt?

Would George support laws that gave the Federal government control over minute personal or local matters?

Would George support  the Federal government mandating candle height in homes (or light switches today)?

Only 7 people will serve Utah in the House, Senate, or as Governor.  We draw those seven from a population of 2.7 million.  I see no reason why there can’t be 7 people of George’s caliber. People who view public office as service, not opportunity.

My job as 2012 State Delegate from Utah SG35 is to find 3 such people.  Wish me luck.

Tonight Paula, the kids and I went to the SG35 GOP Precinct Caucus.  Although we always vote, this was our first caucus.

The meeting had record attendance, with over 80 people for our neighborhood.  Across the gym from us was another 60 people in SG01, making the acoustics tough.

I went with the idea of possibly running for a delegate, but wasn’t really sure.  I’d have been quite happy to have someone of a like mind run with it, as I’ve got a long todo list that doesn’t involve politicking.

First thing that happened was a motion to have whoever was elected Chair automatically assigned as a state and county delegate.  That seemed like a bad idea to me, so I voted against it.  But it carried.

The core question of the night was “Orrin Hatch”. Retire him, or swim in the hypothetical riches lavished upon Utah should he win election and become Senate Finance Committee Chairman.  I rephrase that as “Oh, so you want some pork?”.

The Present Chairman was a Hatch supporter, and against my better judgment I was convinced into running for his job, and the attendant county / state delegate seats.

In my 2 (probably 2+ minutes) I made it clear that I’m a little g government guy, libertarian leaning, and while open about the other candidates would not be supporting Hatch.

I got my hat handed to me 40 to 29. Oh well.  He’s a nice guy, diligent, and we are sympatico on things other than Hatch.  He says he is still of an open mind about Hatch.  I’ll work on him.

I then was nominated for Vice-Chair. And lost a close one.  That’s okay, I’m not sure what Vice-Chair does anyway.   But it was an ominous 0 for 2 beginning to my first political votes.

Next up, 2 remaining state delegates.  I was nominated again, along with a few other good folks. About 10 people.  We answered questions and spoke again.  I finally admitted that I’d not liked Orrin Hatch since he cut me off in traffic in front of the Russell Office Building in 1996 (I used to work and live in D.C. in a technology job)

And after the votes were tallied, I was a state delegate.

So Chuck Barton, Cody Schmitt (terrific guy), and I  will be heading to Salt Lake City to make our mark on the Utah GOP.

Between now and April 21, I’ll be working on Chuck to sway him from the dark side,  and all three of us will be inundated with candidates hoping to woo us.  This is especially likely since none of us are active in working any of the campaigns.

I’m excited to be a delegate and I take the duty very seriously.  I’ll be writing in future posts about what I will be asking the candidates, and I’ll report here on their answers.

If you live in SG35, or if you are a candidate or supporter of a candidate for state / federal office, and you are not Orrin Hatch, please feel free to contact me.  I’d be delighted to talk to you.

If Panetta doesn’t trust them, he and THEY should go home.

The Tea Party represents all the people working, producing, and PAYING for everything, while the Occupy movement represents all the people wanting to TAKE things from those who have earned them.

TakiMag.com

Another inappropriate gesture?

I confess to not liking Herman Cain that much. He is 100000% better than Obama, but he bugs me. He is supposed to be a scientist – having a degree in Math, doing Ordinary Differential Equations as a mathematician for the Navy, then he got a Masters in Computer Science, and held various IT positions as he climbed the corporate ladder.

But he doesn’t talk like a scientist. His thoughts and speech patterns seem chaotic and he wanders all over answering questions, when he answers them at all.

I understand his attraction to the typical conservative. And I’ll vote for him, but I have concerns, and it seems like yet another “blah” candidate option in the decades long failure of our political process to actually offer up decent people.

I was once accused of sexual harassment. Although almost 20 years ago, I remember it quite clearly, because I was first, mad, and second, a bit scared.  The woman in question had been fired for poor job attendance and drug use. She retaliated by bringing a lawyer and an accusation hoping to fish for $.   After hearing our presentation and documentation on why she was fired, the lawyer apologized and bowed out.

For Cain to not “remember” the details of the accusations and their legal aftermath smacks of flat out lying, or frankly, cover-up.

Now, given my experience, I can readily believe that some money grubbing slacker female decided to attempt legal extortion. I can REALLY believe that is the case.  What I can’t believe is Cain doesn’t remember it happening.

I also can’t believe he didn’t dump this to a friendly reporter months ago.  It smacks of continued amateurism.  I don’t want a smooth politician, but I wouldn’t mind a hint of competence.

Oh… and I never liked Godfather Pizza’s pizza.

http://pointsandfigures.com/2011/11/03/new-words-ineptocracy/

1. Ineptocracy
*_Ineptocracy_****(in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) – a system of government where the least

capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the

members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded

with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number

of producers*

Via Instapundit

Greeks – even those fiercely opposed to Pasok from the left and right – are resigned to the fact that the country faces years of painful restructuring. The real question at issue is a) under whose control and b) in whose interest?

Those are the questions for Greece. But they apply to us as well. Greece is just farther along the failure trajectory.

Obama, to me, isn’t really a socialist. Well, he is, but that isn’t what drives his decisions. He is a cronyist acting on behalf of his cronies, financial supporters and voters.  He is willing to accelerate our failure as long as his team does better than the others.

So, under Obama, and the DemocRATs,  failing solar companies, General Electric, unions, public employees, will get larger slices of a shrinking pie.

It makes no economic sense. But economic value isn’t his standard.

Two views on what “government should give”

Ace describes the difference pretty well:

As someone said, both groups don’t like crony capitalism, but OWS wants to keep the cronyism and ditch the capitalism. The Tea Party, the opposite.

That sums it up well.  I, too, don’t like the Wall Street shenanigans, but it only matters when I can’t say NO to it.  I can fire a Wall Street business, except when they are spending government money taken from me, given to them, in return for campaign support.

I really only worry about things I can’t say no too – government being the only large example.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my plan to fool gullible Utahans again.

Orrin’s been a changed man since the Tea Party started. Why yesterday he even threw us gun enthusiasts a bone:

Recognizing the need to revamp outdated and restrictive gun laws, U.S Senators Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) have introduced the Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act. The bill allows for the interstate sale of firearms and removes several antiquated and unnecessary restrictions imposed on interstate firearms transactions.

Well gosh Orrin…you’ve been a Senator what… 30 years? And now, when you face a strong primary challenge, you start to worry about the Constitution?

No thanks. Enjoy your retirement. 

That actually pays taxes…

The odd thing is that she posts to a site wanting MORE government.  Could she be so crass as to want more government but not to pay for it?  Hmmm… maybe.

My suggestion… try marriage.  Maybe give estmen.com  a shot….then all this is HIS problem. (-:

I left college with no debt and excellent job prospects in the worst recession since the depression (the one before this one).  Admittedly we had a President that actually liked the country, so maybe I did have an easier go of it.

Who is the dunce in this story?

http://takimag.com/article/the_obama_family_circus/print#axzz1X6ksy9BA

Sure his family is full of leeches, illegal immigrants, and shysters. So Barry is the successful one, being only 2 out of 3 on those counts. 

I’m convinced there story says more about us than him.

We let them be illegal here. We let them drive drunk repeatedly. We PAY them to live in our free housing.

It proves… we are stupid I guess.

H/T Bro

Sums it up, doesn’t it?

H/T: The Corner

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I reserve the right to change my mind… but of the folks running now I’d pick Michele Bachman for President, and Rick Perry for Vice-President.

Why not reverse?  Why not 14 years Texas Governor Perry on the top of the ticket?  I don’t trust him to not to something REALLY stupid on immigration. I do, however, trust him to attack Washington D.C. where it deserves.   If he weren’t for amnesty he’d have my full support based on his results in Texas.   The last thing we need is Perry getting rolled by lying Democrats and trading 25 million new Mexican Democrats for fake spending cuts. Nope… I’ve read that book, don’t need to try the sequel…

And I definitely think Bachman will hold the line on things I care about. No compromise. That is over!  It never worked, and it just made things worse. No MORE!

Oh sure, I’d rather have Gary Johnson, but hey, if he can’t even force himself into the debates, how is he going to force his way through Democrats on the Hill?