MORT’s Meanderings

Mirror, mirror on the wall.

I’d like to have a dime for every time the question has been posed over the past several weeks since the Ambassador and three other officials were killed and the U.S. Consulate was destroyed in Bengasi, Libya – “Who is culpable; who is to blame?”.

Quite obviously, it was Muslim thugs who perpetrated these horrendous deeds. The name by which they call themselves this week, is meaningless. It is the vicious, murderous lunatics who are followers of Islam that performed these horrors against our Embassy, the symbol of our presence on that foreign soil. That is not the question.

The real question is, whom in our own government is directly responsible for the fiasco of disinformation that was offered up as the first official response? And secondly, how was it that neither the Secretary of State or the President responded in a timely manner, to the quite obvious fact that this was an organized attack of terrorism against our representatives and property of the United States? Terrorism? Jihad? Muslims? Islam? None of these terms were to be found in the first or even in subsequent reports on this tragedy. How could that be?

The Foreign Desk people at our national security agencies were aware of the build-up of insurgent activity and other undeniable signs of impending violence and trouble in Libya. And, I’m guessing that this information will come to light when their reports are made public - eventually.

Oh, regarding who might be culpable . . or who is to blame?

Hillary; Obama: . . . LOOK IN THE MIRROR! Mystery solved.

Conservative commentary by MORT KUFF

Who Are You Gonna Believe, Me or Your Lying Eyes?

That quote comes to mind when you’re confronted with a political ideologue who only sees an issue through the prism of his political party’s philosophy and talking points, and what he claims as facts are not facts, but are untruths (lies). In other words, who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes.

It seems like Obama’s whole campaign is not to champion his policies, but to trash his opponent personally. Over the past three months, the Obama campaign has spent a couple of hundred million dollars in campaign ads running down his opponent. First, it was calling Romney a “vulture capitalist” instead of a “venture capitalist”, even though 80% of the business deals he was involved in as CEO of Bain Capital, were positive undertakings where over 100,000 jobs were created including Staples, Sports Authority, Burger King, Dominos Pizza, Burlington Coat Factory, AMC Entertainment etc. Compare his record with that of Obama who has used taxpayer money (actually borrowed money) to finance failing “green “ Co.’s like Solyndra, Ener 1, Beacon Power, Eastern Energy etc., all which went bankrupt. In addition, they tried to trash his stint as CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics as being a failure, when, in fact, he took a money-losing proposition and turned it into a highly successful operation and wound up with a surplus when the games were over. Not to be outdone with their former lies, the Obama campaign went after his term as governor of Massachusetts as being a failure, when, in fact, he turned a deficit the state had rung up prior to him taking office, and when he left office in 2007, he left with a surplus and a state ranked #1 in education achievement along with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Next, they implied that he wasn’t paying his fair share of income taxes, claiming that the 14% rate (the present capital gains rate is 15%) he paid, of his adjusted gross income, was much less than what the average taxpayer paid on his income from wages. Everything was legal and his returns showed that he donated more than $4 million to charity besides paying millions in taxes. The voters who were exposed to this relentless barrage of negative ads were starting to believe the charges and Obama began to pull away in the polls.

But on Oct. 3rd, at and after the first presidential debate, the American people (an audience estimated at over 63 million) were able to see Romney “unfiltered” without the slant of the vicious ads about him that was being put forth by the Obama campaign. What they saw was a very likeable man with a formidable grasp of the issues who looked presidential, as opposed to a Zombie-like performance of a president who looked like he didn’t want to be there. Even his flunky’s in the “lame stream media” (especially MSNBC) went apoplectic in evaluating his performance in the debate. Even they gave him a grade of “F”. From that time on, the polls reversed course, and Romney started to inch up and within a little over a week, he began to pull ahead of Obama, especially in some of the swing states.

If history is any criteria for predicting outcomes of elections, whenever an incumbent cannot gather at least 50% in the polls prior to the election, he will lose the election as undecided voters generally break for the challenger. This is the same scenario that occurred in the 1980 campaign between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, in which just weeks before the election after a strong debate by Reagan, Carter’s 8 point lead evaporated and Reagan won going away. Could this election be déjà vu all over again?

Of course, predictions are open to question, but who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes.

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann

Trickle-Down Government Leads to Trickle-Up Poverty!

The Democrats for years have called the Reagan economic policies “trickle down policies”, implying that if wealthy people or small business people, were able to keep more of their money instead of it being taxed, they wouldn’t use it to create more jobs or to start or expand their businesses, they claim that the wealthy would just keep it for their own personal use. Really? If the policies of the Democrats to tax the wealthy or well-to-do, over and above what is reasonable and fair, the wealthy or entrepreneurs wouldn’t have any money left over to build or expand their businesses as the money would go to the government (and most likely be wasted).

Remember a few years back, the Democrats pushed through a tax called the “luxury tax” which was enacted as a tax on the sale of luxury items ($30,000 or more). Instead of “sticking it to the rich”, the luxury sales tax caused many people to forego purchasing items over the $30,000 threshold price tag. The unintended consequences were devastating. Companies that built and produced yachts, luxury cars, airplanes, R-V’s etc. were hit hard in the pocketbook and some went out of business with the result of thousands of workers losing their jobs and becoming unemployed.

People who are wealthy or well-to-do are not stupid, if they feel that they are “getting the shaft” they will “vote” with their feet or close their wallets, which is what they did after the “luxury tax” was enacted. After seeing the resulting hardship effects of the tax, the Congress repealed it, but a little too late for those companies that went bankrupt and for the workers who lost their jobs. So, liberal left-wing Democrats, be careful what you wish for, you most likely will get just the opposite.

Obama and his Chicago thug campaign team, are complaining about Romney’s $5 trillion tax reduction plan over 10 years as being unrealistic and favoring the top 1% of income earners. What Romney proposes is that ALL workers (rich and poor) get a reduction in their marginal tax rates, but to balance that off, he would close many of the loopholes and tax breaks that many of the wealthy now take advantage of. In order to make his plan revenue neutral, he expects that due to these tax reductions, many jobs will open up as businesses will start expanding and hiring, thereby, bringing much needed revenue back to the treasury. It is a win-win situation to get us back into the economic recovery that we should have had since the recession supposedly ended two years ago.

The Democrats idea of “tickle-down government” does result in “trickle-up” poverty which is what Obama is already pursuing and is expected to continue if he is re-elected.

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann

Why The Benghazi Video Story Is Important

If you read nothing else that I write to you between now and Election Day, please read this.

The story that a You Tube video is to blame for the death of an American ambassador and three other Americans in Libya, has (unnecessarily) taken on a life of its own. It has devolved into a political Ping Pong match. I fear that people will become so aggravated with it all that they simply tune the story out.

This is dangerous as this issue is deadly serious and at the heart of our national security.

Let’s take a short look back at terrorism under the Obama administration.

Early in his presidency, Obama embarked on his now famous Apology Tour, his speech in Cairo being most criticized, as he apologized for what he sees as previous administrations’ mistreatment of Muslims.

He changed our lexicon on terrorism. The word terrorism was stricken from public use. The War on Terror became an Overseas Contingency Operation. We no longer faced terror attacks from jihadists – these were now called “man caused disasters.”

In 2009 public opinion is all that prevented the administration from bestowing constitutional rights upon Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and trying him in civilian court in New York City.

Also in 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan shot and killed 13 and injured 32 at Fort Hood. He was tied to Anwar al-Awlaki and was heard yelling “Allah akbar!” while firing on his unarmed victims. But AG Eric Holder did not charge him with terrorism and eventually the event was termed “workplace violence.” He just went postal.

I’ve lost track of how many times Benjamin Netanyahu has been insulted and brushed aside.

Obama gave lofty praise and support to the Arab Spring, even as many of us warned of who might fill the power vacuums being created as leaders fell in country after country. He continued his praise, even when Islamists stepped in to take power.

At their convention, democrats celebrated the death of Osama Bin Laden and Obama told us for months that Al Qaeda was “on its heels.”

I’m sure I’ve left much out, but I’m pointing to the big picture, that President Obama seems to think that words alone can change the fact that terrorism exists and that jihadists want to kill us.

His myth was shattered on 9/11/12 when our consulate in Libya was attacked and four Americans were murdered. Days later CNN obtained the ambassador’s diary and we learned of his fears and requests for more security. People directly involved stepped forward to give credence to those fears and requests.

All the while our president and his assistants kept telling us a You Tube video, that up until then almost no one had ever seen, was to blame. During the same time we have learned that the Libyan embassy was attacked twice in the months prior to 9/11, and that Al Qaeda is growing throughout the Muslim world, regaining its power.

I don’t have to rehash it all. You have watched it play out. You’ve seen the lies. You’ve seen the parsing of words as we fall back into, “that depends on what the meaning of is is.”

President Obama’s standard stump speech contains this paragraph:

“Four years ago, I made a few commitments to you. I told you I’d end the war in Iraq, and I did. I said I’d end the war in Afghanistan, and we are. I said we’d refocus on the people who actually attacked us on 9/11 — and today, al Qaeda is on its heels and Osama bin Laden is no more.”

Well he has ended the war in Iraq and he is planning to end the war in Afghanistan. But Al Qaeda is NOT on its heels. It is stronger than ever and growing in a Muslim world where the Muslim Brotherhood is in control. I saw Sen. Lindsay Graham on TV this morning, giving an open message to President Obama (in case no one had told him) that Iraq is deteriorating and the Al Qaeda training camps there are open for business. Just yesterday, Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis attempted to blow up the Federal Reserve in New York City.

Americans are war-weary. We’re tired of watching our young people come home without their limbs or not come home at all. We would all like for it to be over.

But it’s not. We may not want to be at war with them, but they are at war with us. The president can give lofty speeches and tell you that he has vanquished Al Qaeda and you should sleep soundly. But it’s a lie and perhaps the most dangerous one ever told to us.

And what’s most disturbing is that it’s about politics. It’s about getting reelected. Our president and his administration wanted to give the appearance all was fine in Libya. Lots of Marines with guns hanging around our embassy would have over shadowed that appearance, so they weren’t sent.

And four men died – horrible, violent deaths.

It’s inexcusable.

In my opinion it’s criminal.

And if we don’t wake up to the truth, it will continue and it will get worse. Or have you forgotten those who jumped on 9/11/01 because the alternative was worse?

Conservative Commentary by Kathy from Liberty Trail

MORT’s Meanderings

Gratuitous advice from a failed Democrat Representative.

The Opinion page of today’s SunSentinel was sullied by a guest column ostensibly written by no less a literary lightweight than the very forgettable, former Representative from Florida’s District 22, Ron Klein.

His rant was titled, “GOP twists Obama’s Israel support”. I should have stopped reading right then. But, having watched Klein waltz through two terms while doing a sub-par job of representing the constituents of Dist. 22., I admit to a morbid curiosity to see what this failed ex-Congressman could possibly have to say.

His diatribe was a clumsy attempt to influence Jewish voters in this region to re-elect Obama. Indeed, it did appear as if he actually contributed some of his own views to this piece. Only he could put forth such a Swiss cheese case in support of Obama’s hateful and despicably hypocritical attitude regarding Israel, formerly our closest ally. The shopworn talking points he regurgitates are boring to the point that it is simply too painful a chore to read through them. It is vintage Ron Klein. Boring R us.

I have far better use for my time than jousting with the logic-challenged Herr KleinKlutz. While it would be mildly satisfying to refute all the lame rehashing of his hackneyed half- truths, crude & unproven innuendoes and his trademark, outright lies – I don’t need the exercise.

Untwisting this twisted character would be as much a waste of time as it was reading what the SunSentinel chose to print. Klein is what he is. My Mom always told me to, “Let lying dogs sleep” . . . I think that’s the way it went.

Conservative commentary by MORT KUFF

“Fool Me Once…………….”!

The whole quote is, “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me”. What this means is that once you fall for something you should be smart enough not to fall for it again, the second time it’s your fault for not catching on.

A perfect example today is that the people who voted for Obama in 2008, because they didn’t want to be called a racist, should now have to vote for Romney in 2012 so they won’t be called an idiot (taken from a bumper sticker I saw). It would seem like a no-brainer since our economy is in such disarray and shambles, and heading for a Greece-like outcome, but not for some of our citizens, who seem to have in them the liberal gene as part of their DNA. No matter what Obama has done or said or what he hasn’t done or said, they will follow him over the cliff - you could say he is the “Pied Piper of Cluelessness” and he will be “lionized” by his faithful Zombies come hell or high water. The “Messiah” can do no wrong.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama made promise after promise, most of which he hasn’t kept. He painted himself as the “moderate” politician, which he really wasn’t, but luckily for him, in September, 2008, a national financial meltdown occurred, and, in addition, he had a very poor candidate running against him in the person of John McCain. In fact, McCain was supposed to be the center-right candidate in the campaign, but from listening to Obama speak on the stump, he sounded more center-right than did McCain. He really did “fool us once”.

After almost 4 years in office, Obama has mainly “ruled” as a far-left president, all semblance of moderation went by the wayside, as his Marxist/Socialist background came to the fore as he became a zealot for far-left causes and special interest groups, tempered only by a deceitful pragmatism which he has used to con the people into thinking he was the same moderate he portrayed himself to be in 2008.

Most all of his major policy thrusts were met with abject hostility, but he continually blamed others for his failures, especially his predecessor, George W. Bush, and other events that occurred around the world. He never seems to take any responsibility for anything he has done. He does come across as an elitist narcissist who can do no wrong.

During this campaign, the major thrust of this campaign is not his policies, but the personal inadequacies (in his eyes) of his opponent, Mitt Romney. Very little is said about his unpopular health care initiative, his failed “Stimulus” plan, or his total lack of bi-partisan legislative accomplishments (there aren’t any). It’s all about Romney’s wealth, his business career, his tax returns, his “extreme” legislative proposals, and his so-called phony “War on Women”. He wants you to ignore his lack of accomplishments, and that we should focus on him as being more likeable and the fact that he is our 1st black president, with the subtle hint that if you don’t support him, there might be a touch of racism in your actions.

So yes, the phrase “fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice, shame on me” will apply if you vote for Obama again. Remember, ignorance can be cured, but stupidity is forever.

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann

President Chutzpa

From his family background, how he was raised, the company he kept and his apologetic rhetoric, we know Barack Hussein Obama has one foot in Islam. If that foot is not amputated, its gangrene will contaminate our America way of life.

The Middle East is in chaos, partly due to his ineptness and and undertone hostility toward Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu. Apparently our President's campaign fund raising and tee time takes precedent over tensions that could trigger dire consequences in an already explosive situation transpiring in Egypt, Libya and other fanatically populated countries. This president would rather fight a made up, fictitious war of conservatives against women, than face the real war zone in Islam and the rights for women and little girls.

What can you expect from a man who cannot admit there are radical islamic terrorists, only misunderstood freedom fighters that we have insulted. What can you expect from someone who claims life is precious, but still caters to despots that have no regard for it. Who endorses the unfettered use of healthy, pre-infant deaths by abortion.

Have your fun in the sun with your movie stars and sports heroes. And you, Mr. President have the audacity to ask us to indulge you for four more years?!

Conservative commentary by George Giftos

Christians Support Mitt Romney

“Fore More Years”?

Using the word “fore” instead of “four” does have some significance in trying to evaluate the record of the performance of our “Liar in Chief”, Barack Hussein Obama. As the world is in turmoil and our economy is in shambles, Obama had the “audacity” (part of the title of his last book) to play over 105 rounds of golf since he was sworn into office. In addition, just recently it was revealed that he has missed almost half of his daily national security briefings by the C.I.A. and the F.B.I. since he has been president. To show his aloofness to his job, he has not met with his “Jobs Council” since January of 2012, but he says he thinks daily about the high unemployment that has lasted for over 43 months during his watch (that‘s a great way of showing it), and only recently he had a full cabinet meeting after almost a year. Is this what an engaged president is supposed to do during these highly volatile times, both on foreign policy and on domestic issues?

At a time when most of the world’s leaders were in attendance, recently, during the annual United Nations opening session, he could not find the time to meet with any of them, especially the leader of our most faithful ally in the Middle East, Bibi Netanyahu of Israel, who requested a meeting, but was turned down. It just so happens that Obama was able to find time, though, to go to Las Vegas for a $40,000 a plate fundraiser, be a guest with his wife on “The View”, and to attend a big fund raiser in NYC sponsored by Beyonce and Jay Z and their friends in show business, but he couldn’t fit into his schedule the solemn duties that a president is supposed to take care of, that is specifically, the business of the people of the United States. It seems like he has been an “AWOL” president, who likes the trappings of being president, but not the duties that the job entails. He seems to be all symbolism over substance, and who tries to demonize his opponent instead of championing his own policies and how they have affected the lives of the citizens of America.

We all know that politics, especially presidential politics, is a “full contact” sport, but why would an incumbent president resort to the time-worn political strategy of the “politics of personal destruction”? Trying to slander a decent, moral man, like his opponent Mitt Romney, in a very personal way, is sort of like “hitting below the belt”. Inferring that Romney as being complicit in the death of a laid off worker, years after he left Bain Capital, accusing him of intentionally closing businesses and sucking them financially dry, of not paying his income taxes, and accusing him of waging a “war on women”, is patently dishonest and quite honestly, “Un-Presidential”. He should be ashamed, but, then again, narcissists generally have no shame to give. After all, he is the Messiah to his legion of Kool-Aid drinking followers.

One of the major sales tools, as taught by sales professionals, throughout time, is to tout your own product (in Obama’s case, his record in office) and not try to talk down your rival by trying to make them or him into a demon with evil motives.

Just recently, I read a very prescient bumper sticker, which read (I paraphrase), “If you voted for Obama in 2008 because he was black, you’ll have to vote for Romney in 2012, because he is now useless”. Touche!

Now, my fellow patriots, go forth and do the right thing and “fire” Obama this coming November. We don’t need “Fore More Years” of non-performance on the links or in the White House.

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann

MORT’s Meanderings

Waah! I want my ‘Prompter’.

Last evening (October 3, 2012), the first of three Presidential debates was held in Colorado. President Failure looked as if he hadn’t slept in a month, had just been beaned by a 95 mph baseball pitch, and really wished he’d stayed in Las Vegas.

Whereas Mitt Romney looked relaxed, alert, fully prepared, brim-full of vitality and totally engaged in the process at hand. Obama looked edgey, disengaged and somewhat discombobulated. It was not the huffing & puffing, princing & prancing, show-biz rock star, preacher-man & side-show barker we’re used to seeing.

Obama’s responses to Mitt’s charges were delivered in what must have been the most halting, incoherent ramblings ever uttered by a sitting president. References made by Obama to his grandmother and to vague encounters with citizens along the campaign trail were so out of context with the questions at hand, that viewers across this nation surely must have been wondering if the broadcast was being jammed and edited by forces from outer space. It was weird. And, for Obama’s big $$ backers, it most certainly had to be painful to watch.

Round One: Romney 10 points; Obama 0.

MORT KUFF

AVOID THE SCAM

Senior citizens are warned to be wary of scams. Many are trusting and not as sharp or alert as they were in their younger days, falling prey to con artists who find them easy marks. The Press often runs articles about this, and offer advise on how to avoid being a victim. Unfortunately, they fail to expose injustices perpetrated by our own government and scrupulous politicians, that can also be described and classified as scams, because many newspapers hold a liberal bias. I can speak on this issue as an independent senior who grew up in a family worshiping FDR and still considers Harry Truman as one of the most down to earth, honest presidents.

I don't know what happened, but what I see today scares me. This pre-election period is turning into one of the dirtiest in modern times. Particularly by one of the parties that is resorting to distortion and down right lies to scare us seniors.

Its members are being forced to confront third rail issues that have been avoided in the past, due to a controversial figure, Paul Ryan, chosen to run for vice president by the challenging party. Theirs is not a sweet sixteen party. We are talking about a sixteen trillion dollar debt, and still growing if nothing is done about it.

That should scare the bejeebers out of everyone and not just senior citizens. The only thing Pelosi's neo-democrats came up with is ObamaCare. It is a bill passed, with no one reading it, that is chaotic and very costly, versus a plan requiring some austerity, but will not break up the present medical system of Medicare that we seniors are on now.

Contrary to what you hear, we will not be affected, unless the seven hundred sixteen billion dollars hijacked out of it to finance ObamaCare creates a short fall that causes less compensation to providers, forcing them to raise their rates, or provide less services to make up for the loss of revenue.

For those fifty-five and under, it is better to have some of the pie than none at all. This is the problem we face if a fix is not tackled now. What I just said is fact and anything else iterated on the subject is a distortion of the fact.

Birds of a feather, flock together, so I'm urging fellow seniors who glue themselves to only MSNBC and the New York Times, be more objective and start mingling with other than your mahjong and bridge groups to broaden your horizons.

It is evident the proponents of ObamaCare wish to change the subject, away from our dismal economy and the failure of every plan this administration has put forth, with vicious, degrading personal attacks, injecting lies to defame their opponents. On one hand, they complain the presidential challenger, Mitt Romney pays only fourteen percent tax on his rather large income, and on the other hand, they accuse him of not paying any tax at all in ten years.

Calling him a dispassionate murderer of a woman who died of cancer six years after the fact, when the time frame does not compute with the accusation, putting him out the scenario entirely.

On another matter of accusing conservatives of waging war against women. What they are against is the ungodly use of abortion as another method of birth control and wanting the tax payer to fund their irresponsible discretions. They are not against women's' rights. They are against healthy pre-infant deaths! The havoc is just beginning and Chicago Central is working overtime to come up with more bigger and better whoppers of distortion to try to sink their opposition. The tactics are underhanded, so don't fall for the con game they are playing, because you'll be compromising your intelligence and screwing your children and grand children.

Another thing we seniors have to watch out for is yellow journalism, practiced by the so called mainstream media. The on target comments made by Gov. Mitt Romney, shortly after the terror attacks on our embassies in Libya and Egypt, was severely criticized by them because he pointed out the flaws in the administrations response, while the accusation of shooting first and then aiming can be attributed to the President, who went to sleep for an early wake-up call, to make his flight to Las Vegas, for yet another campaign fund raiser.

While this president's radical Islamic appeasements are stoking the fires charring ther Mideast, he found time to appear on Letterman and the idiotic 'The View'; but can't schedule talk with our staunches ally in the area, the prime minister of Israel. It is an affront to the Jewish community. Apparently his incomprehensible, inept expertise in foreign relations failures is seen by him as just another bump in the road. His foreign policy has more bumps than a bad attack of hives.

Voting against the branch office of this Chicago political machine in November will let them know we seniors are not all senile.

Conservative commentary by George Giftos