Monday, August 30, 2010

The bureaucrats will end up reducing personal debt but is it worth it?

Nice article by Star Parker over at Town Hall Magazine on financial regulation…

The federal government in its continual unconstitutional efforts to protect us, may end up “fixing” the over burdened credit card debt consumers have been struggling to pay. But is it worth it? The credit card industry is being limited to what it can do to protect itself from people that fail to pay back the money they have borrowed. They have introduced laws that limit credit card company’s fees, interest rates, and have generally positioned the credit companies as predators.

The fees that can be charged for credit have been capped and will eventually be reduced. Therefore, the credit available to consumers has been reduced. The fees that can be charged for cash advances have been reduced. Therefore, cash advances are being limited because it costs money to run those convenient ATM machines. It has become harder for credit companies to get their money back from bad debtors. Therefore, credit limits are being reduced and lower income customers are being denied credit.

So in the end, consumers will no longer be able to get the cards or cash they need due to the additional regulations. Free market credit dries up and cash becomes king, again. I guess that is good when you are wealthy and have a lot of cash. Instead of increasing competition in the financial sector, over-regulation is crushing our ability to get credit. No credit, no purchases without cash, and no expansion of small businesses that thrive on credit. Small business gets caught in the tangled web of regulation designed to “protect” the consumer. It is that law of unintended consequences.

So what we are getting is a stagnated economy, less choice and options for the average consumer to get credit, and the result is reduced personal debt. So the regulation does in the end protect the consumer by making credit unavailable and ending the consumers ability to get into debt. It comes with a price tag. That price tag is the loss of freedom and access to credit. But it seems that our government knows better how to manage our finances than we do. Just like healthcare, educating our children, planning for retirement, food intake, smoking, drinking, you name it, the government is much better at making those decisions for us.

The bureaucrats are reducing our personal debt and much more. The question is; is it worth it?

Friday, August 27, 2010

The Colorado Political Debate…

Liberals and the left keep wondering why conservatives keep winning this election cycle even when underfunded. Here is a prime example taken from those liberal “thinkers” over at ColoradoPols website:

The emphasis is mine on the level of debate amongst the elite over at the Pols:

"We love that last quote from 9-12 Project Leader Lu Busse that they might
want to "change their tactics" to include more fundraising. Whatever gave you
that idea? Who gave up the secret that you can't win elections with just "Don't
Tread on Me" flags and message boards?" (feel the elitism in this coment?)

"Do Republicans tow cows to the Tea Party because the Tea Party is a bunch
of cow-tipping idiots? I can live with that;-)" (nice original name calling)

"I wouldn't want to try and tip over any of their wives. You could pull
a muscle trying those pranks." (respect for others; a true liberal value!)

"YOU AINT GOT NO STEENKING head to head.
You got the Tank vs. the Tin Foil Man splitting the nut job vote, leaving the
real world residents voting for Hick. Furthermore, the Tank just shored up his
right flank by adding Pat Miller, the one person in Colorado who makes Maes look
reasonable, to his ticket. That means Maes doesn't dare move to the center, as
he tried to do with the Tambourine Girl, because he'd alienate the Whack Job
Right
that is his only base. I can see those Blue Helmets marching down
Broadway today." (stereo types and generalizations? I thought that was a whack job right virtue?)


These are the “analysts” and political “insiders” that the people are finally sick of. They have an elitist attitude that spews hatred for people opposed to their views. I am glad they think they have this election all wrapped up in their minds, but they are what is wrong with the political process.

I am so glad they ignore me and my political opinions, but it will be fun to watch them scratch their heads when even without money, conservatives keep winning elections. Not because of any particular candidate’s charisma, but the total rejection of the left’s agenda…

The Huffington Post should be proud of this group of left leaning intellects…

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The “Wrath” of the GOP…

Tom Tancredo should step down before it is too late. If he really has the interest of Colorado at the forefront of his efforts, this is not the way to show it. The polls have Dan Maes tied with Mayor Hickenlooper in a two way race. Even if he has personal issues with Dan he should know as well as anybody, no one is perfect. Tom is dividing the people that are needed to come together for a conservative victory.

If Tom were to do the right thing and get out of the race here is what will happen:

• Most thinking conservatives (that is what makes us conservative) will unite around Dan.
• Tom will be seen as doing the right thing, putting his fellow citizens before his self interest. Maintaining the respect he has garnered on the immigration issue.
• End the fight that should have happened in the primary not a general election.
• Allow the focus to be on the opponent. With one candidate in the race the money will be well spent to highlight the Mayor’s policies, and we can see if his “positive campaign” message will be flushed down the toilet.
• Many would open their pocket books knowing they are not throwing their hard earned money away due to the third party threat.
• The GOP may re-think their support when the polls show Dan can win. (longshot)

Dan is not an establishment politician and isn’t that what the people want this year? It may not be the insider’s wishes, but the general electorate that will probably never read this Blog, want a fresh and new candidate like Dan.

I can’t believe the GOP will cut off their nose to spite their face. But as Rush said today on his program, the insider’s are losing their power, and when that happens watch out for their wrath. I guess Tom is their “wrath”…

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Bennett Campaign; Betting on Constitutional Ignorance…

I was amazed to see the first campaign ad against the next senator from Colorado Ken Buck focusing on “Ken Buck wants to take away your right to vote for Senator” as if he can do that on his own. It rings so hollow, and if this is what the Bennett Campaign is using as their opening salvo, they are in big trouble.

What they are referring to is the Seventeenth Amendment to the constitution which changed the election of federal senators from a state legislature responsibility to a vote of the citizenry. I can sense you are already bored as will be the voters of Colorado. Not that the issue is not an important one but it is such a stretch to use such a “complex” concept in such a disingenuous manner it is a waste of time.

We who support the Tenth Amendment also understand that the reason there is a movement to change or rescind the Seventeenth Amendment is to have our federal senators more responsive to state needs rather than special interests in Washington DC. If the senate was elected by state legislatures they would be more in touch with the issues of the states. State legislatures would also have a greater say at the federal level. It is a strong and solid argument.

The reality is it will take a constitutional amendment to do this. Ken Buck isn’t against citizens voting for the senate, he is for making the senate more accountable to the citizens in the states. And that’s good for America.

I shared the stage with Ken Buck at the 2010 Debate and he was charismatic and in control of the issues. This compared to a very uninspiring Bennett. The democrats are in big trouble from a charisma perspective. Bennett will put most voters to sleep, and if this issue is what the Bennett campaign hopes to ignite the electorate with; well, congratulations Senator Buck…

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Thumb in the Eye of America…

The current administration and the left leadership in congress continue to stick a thumb in the eye of every American. They do it at their own peril which will culminate November 2nd.

The Imam pushing for a Mosque at Ground Zero is sticking a thumb in the eye of every American that was murdered at that hallowed site in lower Manhattan.

The media and the press including Time Magazine continue to push the storyline that disagreeing with certain classes and groups of people is a phobia; Islamaphobia, Homophobia, or they simply call Americans bigots for asking legitimate questions about the intentions of a group.

The support of border security is somehow anti-Mexican, and people that support it get a thumb in their eye.

Honestly I am sick and tired of being defined by a radical minority of people that make their living sticking their thumb in the eye of everything that has made this country great. They hate this country and want it destroyed, and they are doing it one thumb in the eye at a time.

Even Sylvester Stallone is tired of America getting a thumb in the eye…

Most of America is on to their tactics and this November is going to be a great opportunity for every American to put their thumb in the eye of the left by voting them out in November. Even though it will not solve the entire problem of undermining American values, at least we will remove the people that promote and “legitimize” this garbage in policy and law.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Open Letter to Michelle Malkin…

Dear Michelle:

As a fellow Colorado citizen I hope you consider the bigger picture regarding the race for Governor. As you know, your name has been floated around as part of a “Dream Team” ticket, but a dream for whom? You are a well respected advocate for ferreting out corruption in government, a watchdog against the practice of illegal immigration, including the despicable practice of highlighting sanctuary city policies, and a solid resource for bringing light to often hidden relationships between government officials and radical supporters of terrorism. We need you on the job there 24/7.

The Republican Party held a primary election and the winner was Dan Maes. Over 300K Republicans spoke through the ballot, and as far as I know, the results are not being challenged. Dan Maes has gone door to door for nearly two years and has convinced many, including Tea Party activists that he was the guy to support. Part of his attraction is the fact he is not a party insider. He is being maligned in an effort to get him to step down, and the person who it is believed you would make a “Dream Team” partner for is front and center in that process. He is a former Republican that has done some good work on illegal immigration but seems to be convinced that his entry into the race is somehow a good thing for Colorado. If he had started the election season as a Constitutional Party candidate I would not be criticizing him, but his last minute entry to force the legitimate Republican candidate to step down is suspect regarding his true intentions. His actions are guaranteed to elect a person that will undermine every effort he has fought for in regards to illegal immigration. I am confused at what is truly important to him if he is willing to cause such mischief in this election, and elect a person that stands opposed to all he has fought for.

I suggest you meet with Dan Maes to understand why so many have stood behind him. It will quickly become apparent that Dan’s motives are truly in the interest of Colorado, and your potential partner’s motives need more vetting. At the best they are selfish. You will find that Dan is not an “experienced” politician, but I ask; what have been the results of “experienced” politicians that we can point to for comfort that will convince us to again elect “experienced” politicians? I would argue experience in the political realm has become a detriment to everyone except special interests. It is time for the people to get a candidate they support.

You have an opportunity to help the cause in Colorado by meeting with Dan and injecting your common sense into the state and national GOP leadership. The answer is not to get Dan to step down and the GOP “anoint” a candidate to eliminate the third party threat, the answer is for calmer respected minds to come together in an effort that will help all Colorado citizens. We must bring back common sense policies to government and we can only do that if we end the circus which is what this third party debacle has created.

I would have thought a congressman so passionate about illegal immigration would never be a catalyst for more illegal immigration, but I guess I was wrong. I hope you take this opportunity to convince Colorado conservatives to get behind the candidate that actually respected the voters and the process.

Thank you!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Why is This Third Party Candidate Different?

I left the GOP several years ago because I felt the party put itself before the cause. The cause I believed to be a dedication to fiscal responsibility, traditional family values, and constitutional limited government. At the federal level the GOP only survives because the rules in the Congress make sending any candidate but a republican or democrat detrimental to the district. That must change but that is not what this post is about. The state level GOP can’t afford to lose anymore voters but they seem to be embracing a strategy to do just that.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that the GOP candidate is the only choice for conservatives and the only way to win is to ignore third parties. Now all of a sudden there are people in the GOP that support a third party candidate Tom Tancredo. Granted Tom was recently a republican, but he has jumped ship. Why is he even in the calculus of the GOP strategy to take back the governorship in Colorado? I don’t get it? Where are all of those Republican leaders that have been preaching for years against third parties? Why are they trying to broker a deal to get Dan Maes, the winner of the GOP primary out of the race? Why are they insisting on undermining the will of their own constituency? Do they really think that a handpicked candidate by party leaders will endear them to the independent and tea party voters?

I know I’m not as smart as the people over at ColoradoPols, but I think I represent the voter most likely to support a conservative candidate, and if the GOP doesn’t get behind their candidate, why should I or anyone else for that matter support the GOP? Many of us have principles that are more important than just winning elections, and if the GOP handpicks anyone other than the current candidate, I will vote for all other offices and write-in a candidate for Governor. I will not accept usurping the will of the voters of Colorado by some leadership group because isn’t that what we as conservatives deplore about the left? The Supreme Court legislating from the bench, the democratic leadership voting against the will of the people. What would make this different?

The problem with the parties is they get caught up in the party politics and forget about the real goal; getting back to limited constitutional government; creating a strong economic landscape for business; bringing state wages and benefits in line with the people that pay them; ending the sanctuary city supported by the democratic nominee for Governor to name a few goals.

The GOP seems to be imploding and I feel for Dan Maes and the sensible republicans that have come out in support. But it seems to me the leadership has not gotten the message that the voters don’t want party politics as usual. That is why Dan Maes has continued to “surprise” the GOP at every opportunity the voters have had the chance to express themselves. The voters will do it again if they just get behind their candidate and stop trying to be “King” makers. Let the process move forward and support your constituency. Tancredo can be ignored just like every other third party candidate…

Monday, August 16, 2010

Three Reasons Why Dan Maes Will Win in November…

There is a lot of confidence in the democratic establishment that Hickenlooper is a shoe-in for Governor of Colorado but I can’t help wonder why? Is Colorado insulated somehow from the national movement to throw out the democrats that have created such a mess of our economy and have governed against the will of the people on most every issue? Is Hickenlooper not a democrat that embraces the policies that have proved disastrous to our economy and culture? Has Hickenlooper not been responsible for creating a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants?

There are many reasons Dan Maes will be the next Governor and here are the top three:

1) Dan is not a democrat and is really not a polished politician which is attractive to many in this environment of the anti-establishment sentiments of voters. He had some campaign finance issues but the current maize of campaign finance regulations is just another reason to support someone that has not mastered the art of political campaigning. The attacks against Dan regarding his business are an absolute red herring because if you have ever run a small business you learn how to survive and adjust to the economic environment which the government needs to learn desperately. Dan will be a strong leader in this realm. And to suggest the company he separated from to start his own business is not supportive and made insinuations he somehow took a client list is not supportable. If it was it would have been an issue when he left to pursue his business. People branching out on their own to start a business is the epitome of the American spirit and Dream and Dan is doing his best to live it.

2) In a three way race Dan polls extremely well considering the limited media attention he has garnered. Tancredo has had the support of a media that would like nothing more than a split of the conservative movement and Tancredo has been the welcome recipient of this attention. But that will fade and Tancredo supporters will realize that Dan Maes is more likely to win. Dan is a strong illegal immigration opponent as well, and if you have seen him speak at gatherings as I have, he will only get more support the more people see him in person, and if he stays on the economic massage as well as fighting federal intrusion into state issues he will become the candidate to unite around.

3) Hickenlooper was fortunate to have been unopposed in the primary and has received very limited scrutiny to date by the media. If Dan gets the monetary support he needs to highlight the differences between his positions and Hickenlooper, he will be the only choice. The fact that Hickenlooper is a democrat and has supported a sanctuary city policy will be his undoing in this anti democratic fervor that will culminate in November. The fact that Hickenlooper is not further ahead at this point shows a huge vulnerability. If the folks at Colorado Pols would just stop talking to themselves and take the temperature of the Colorado electorate, they would change their odds to reflect the fact that Hick is not a shoe-in. But liberals love to talk amongst themselves and ignore the people that actually vote.

The fact is that Dan is the people’s choice and if the Republican Party decides to tamper with his legitimate win as the Republican nominee, they will be the only reason Dan will have lost. Dan can and will win if he gets the chance to get his message out, and if the people of Colorado, especially conservatives unite around him and support his candidacy. Dan is the best bet and Tancredo needs to re-evaluate his self aggrandizing position as spoiler. If Tancredo is truly concerned about the future of Colorado he should step down and support Dan. Tancredo will lose support as this campaign goes on. He should save what little face he has left as a great defender of Legal Immigration. Dan comes in to this race with limited name recognition, limited financial resources, and an outside the establishment candidate. Conventional wisdom would have written him off a long time ago but he keeps winning.

He has support that is not yet captured in the main stream polling. I think he is the odds on favorite to be the next Governor of Colorado…

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Economy, Racism, and Islam…

All three of these issues have taken a front seat in the American political debate and each of these pose a grave threat to America as we know it. These issues are being driven by left wing radicals that hate this country and are bent on its destruction. These people reside in the formerly American Democratic Party but that party has had a coupe de tat of leadership.

The Democratic Party of old was a party that prided itself on being a party of the “average” American although I think they have always been socialist in nature they were not as dangerous as they are today. Today they represent the greatest threat our constitutional republic has ever faced.

On the economy these radicals want it destroyed so that more and more people turn to government for their “hope” for a better future. They have undermined individual ingenuity with group collectivism that in another day was called communism but today it is called progressivism. They are doing their best to impress on America that it is capitalism that has failed but in truth it is they who have purposely failed to forward their agenda of taking over the industry that makes our economy the greatest in the world. Not one of the people in the current administration has ever worked in or created a private sector job in their lives and don’t care for the private sector or trust it to be the engine of prosperity it is. These democrats and every democrat must be defeated in November to show all of them we still believe in the individual, free market capitalism and the American Dream.

Racism is being used as a means to divide this nation again after many years of advancement all for the purpose of votes. Black and Hispanic Americans are being sold down the river on the concept that they are inadequate to achieve the American Dream because of the racist white Americans and their institutional barriers to these communities. They ignore the facts. Black and Hispanic Americans are living the American Dream everywhere you turn in this country. They own businesses, have climbed corporate ladders and have been as successful as their white counter parts every time they turn their backs on the government programs designed to “help” them. The evidence is clear for anyone to see and all you have to do is go to any inner city and see what government does for the American Dream of these communities; it destroys them.

Islam is a threat to this country in its current state and must be rejected and called out in its belief that Sharia Law is compatible with constitutional government. Honor killings are on the rise, the threat to the woman of our country is under assault by this movement, and the idea that a Mosque at Ground Zero is even a debate is a sign that political correctness has become suicidal for our nation. The good news is seventy percent of Americans are against the Mosque at Ground Zero so it is not too late to stop it. But the bigger threat is the left wing and other politicians that are not calling out the facts on Islam. The religion is a cancer in this country and they are slowly making inroads into our institutions to overthrow our constitutional government from within. They are allies with the radical left that has taken the helm of this great nation. If we throw out these radicals in November it will be a good start. We will then need to look at Islam and decide as a nation if we can afford to allow this political movement to take hold here without a repudiation of its premise of submission of all peoples to its doctrine. It is not hard to understand what can happen if we assume they will change by appeasing to their demands for autonomy of law within our nation. They are determined to do here what they do everywhere else in the world. Just review the practices in Muslim nations and you decide if Islam is a movement we should allow to take hold here. It is incompatible with the constitution. Just like the administration and current democratic people we have in charge of our federal government today.

The answer for us is simple. We need to first throw out every left wing progressive in November at every level of government. We need to elect Governors and legislators in our states that understand the role of the federal government within our constitution. And we must face the fact that we are no longer governed by people that believe they work for the people. They believe the people are stupid. Are you?

I urge everyone to vote against every democrat to show them they too must weed out the radicals in their party. It will be a start. We must also hold every elected official to the law of our land the U.S. Constitution…