I humbly submit to you one of the most condescending, navel gazing, totally clueless and worthless pieces to hit the Internet, well, since THIS.

Robert Hass, former Poet Laureate of the United States and currently a professor of poetry and poetics at the University of California, idealizes the UC Berkeley kids who got a face full of pepper spray yesterday.  In the article, he bemoans the fact that these poor kids (who probably for the most part, are Humanities majors)  have “average indebtedness of something like $16,000.”

The Internet cuts both ways, Herr Professor.  I looked up your salary that the good parents of the students attending Berkeley and United States taxpayers are paying you: 205 GRAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

That’s right America, we are paying an aging hipster poet over 200 grand to flit about and write, for lack of a better term, horseshit. I can’t believe this guy has the audacity to complain about the amount of debt college students are racking up (especially since they are majoring in such critical, but useless, majors such as Greek Poetry or European Cinema.)

The “First Rule of the Coming  Revolution” still remains “Kill All The Lawyers”.  However, I hereby suggest the “Second Rule Of The Coming Revolution” be changed from “Hang All The Congressmen” to “Fire All the Poets”.

Take the Poll:

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Two FREE Short Stories for Your Kindle/Nook/Ebook device!

Own It - A Free Short Story by E.R. White, Jr.

Miscegenation and Other Acts of Love - A Free Short Story by E.R. White, Jr.

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Our Nation is in crisis.  We are facing a “Tsunami of Debt”, an increasingly radicalized Middle East and in China, a rising  giant whose façade of rapid industrialization masks the massive fault lines between those with money and those who pay in sweat and blood the costs of this incredibly unstable oligarchy.

For the apparently increasing majority of people who are convinced that Obama is in way over his head, the only real alternative we will have to replace him will be the GOP Nominee. Period.  There is no other choice.  A third-party candidate cannot win.

That means we registered Republicans had better a) Nominate a man who can win and b) Hope the man is going to be equal to the task.  The United States of America is going to have to re-invent itself or flounder into an economic malaise that will eventually provide fuel to the most radical elements of the totalitarian left and right. We need to make sure the man we elect is equal to the task.

Mitt Romney is the official “Next-in-Line” GOP heir. He has, with brutal efficiency, managed to front load the GOP primary season so that whomever wins most of the votes in the first 45 days of 2012, is the odds-on favorite to take on Obama.  He was aided in this “Front Loading” by Rick Perry’s Florida operatives, who were apparently under the mistaken impression that their man was capable of speaking English in a cogent manner. Make no mistake, The Florida GOP politicians quickly declared for Romney or Perry, and then they joined together to push the Florida Primary forward, under the very correct assumption that it would ensure that the front-runner in January will be the winner of the GOP Prize. It was a gamble that Mitt won and Perry lost. Big time.

Perry has proven himself to be an inept speaker. Bachmann has justly faded into obscurity, a victim of her own clichés and the fact she has no executive experience. Santorum is running for President because he was once a senator, and he has nothing else to do that he thinks is worthy of his out-sized and self-centered political ego.

Huntsman is also running for no apparent reason. His naiveté  when it comes to China is truly disturbing. I can only explain it as “Stockholm Syndrome” or he is being blackmailed by the Chinese Politburo. In any event, we cannot elect a man so subservient to the needs of the Chinese economy.

Ron Paul is a dangerous kook when it comes to foreign policy and his rabid supporters even more so.

As for Herman Cain, I present the below YouTube of his total lack of knowledge on the subject of the “Right of Return” as espoused by the Palestinians. Skip to the 10:12 mark.

It’s Sunday, so let’s put it in NFL football terms. If you’re looking to draft a quarterback for your team, you must insist the guy you draft is physically qualified. So, you have a list of basic requirements your quarterback must meet. First of these is that whomever you draft must have both his legs and arms. If he is missing one or more of his legs/arms, you can safely assume the guy is not qualified to play quarterback.

Going on national TV as a Presidential candidate, and then demonstrating a total lack of knowledge on one of the premier foreign policy issues of the 20th and 21st century is pretty much the equivalent of trying to claim you are qualified to be a NFL Quarterback, even though you are missing an arm and a leg. (I, of course, exclude my beloved Washington Redskins from this analogy, as an one-armed QB might be an improvement…but I digress).

Bottom Line: Herman Cain is not qualified to be President.

That leaves Newt. Here was my opinion of Newt back in 2009. Not very pretty. However, we live in dangerous times that require truly “Outside-the-Box” thinking. Newt, for all his personal and political faults, is capable of innovative solutions to what ails our nation. His command of the English language and his ability to communicate ideas is without peer in the world of Republican politics.

Newt’s flawless performance in the GOP debates to date proves that there is still a segment of the American Public that will respond positively to passionate, and I emphasize this, informed rhetoric.

Whether Newt’s rising in the polls is too little too late, we shall see. Unfortunately, we will probably know by the time Florida votes in February. Mitt might not have rhetorical chops of Newt, but Newt doesn’t have the discipline and organizational chops of Mitt. (In the marathon that is US Presidential politics, organization beats rhetoric 9 times out of 10. Let’s hope that if Mitt wins the nomination, he hires Newt as his debate coach.)

Whomever we republicans nominate to take on Obama, let us hope he can win and then let us hope he can rise to the challenge of re-inventing the American Dream.

Finally, I leave you with two recordings of Edward R. Murrow. The first is his description of Chamberlain’s fall from power in May of 1940. The second is his assessment of Chamberlain’s successor, Winston Churchill. I’ll leave to you to draw your own conclusions as to how it relates to today.

Living dangerously, indeed.

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Just wait till the end….Whew, right on! I feel much safer now….

Republican Party of Florida settles with whistle-blower 

How is that for “transparency”.  Corruption, Thy name is RPOF.

First: Truth In advertisement: I’ve donated 100 bucks to the Adam Hasner Campaign

George LeMieux is a man of formidable talents and intellect.  He is acknowledged, by friend and foe alike, as an excellent lawyer, public speaker and debater.  That said, if he is nominated as the Republican Candidate for the Florida U.S. Senate seat in 2012 you can bet your bottom dollar Senator Bill Nelson WILL win re-election.

Why?  Four words: “L’affaire Greer” and “Charlie Crist”.  George LeMieux is in up to his neck in one of the most tawdry and destructive political scandals to hit the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) in recent memory and was, for lack of a better word, the doppelgänger of that most notorious of political turncoats, Charlie Crist.

First, let’s talk the “Charlie Crist” problem.  Can anyone forget the picture taken on 11 February 2009 of Charlie Crist embracing President Obama and his subsequent  endorsement of the Porkulus bill?  It was the beginning of one the most spectacular political suicides in American history.  Charlie Crist lost all of his Republican base, literally,  in a matter of minutes on that day.  Grassroots and local Republican leaders were screaming bloody murder over this betrayal.  From George Lemieux, not one word of criticism. He was Charlie’s man.

Just how much he was Charlie’s man became apparent when Mel Martinez resigned his Senate Seat in August 2009.  I was still active in my local county party and during a meeting during that timeframe,  our county chairman announced that Charlie Crist had called her and asked her to canvas the local Republican Executive Committee for suggestions as to who should replace Martinez.  A lot of names were mentioned in the meeting, but I assure you, not once did George LeMieux’s name come up.  When Crist then announced that LeMieux was to replace Martinez in the U.S. Senate, it quickly became apparent that Charlie’s phoning all the Florida County Republican Chairman for advice was so much crap.  Crist’s “Political Coffin” got a lot more nails driven into it that day, and not with hammers, but with nail guns.  George LeMieux was openly acknowledged as a Crist “Crony”  by practically everyone and he was expected to be a loyal place holder until Charlie won in 2010.  And LeMieux WAS loyal all the way up to the day that Crist abandoned the GOP in 2010 when it became apparent he couldn’t beat Marco Rubio in the GOP primary.

Bottom Line” from this:  It is a very plausible argument that George LeMieux is a man whose values are based not on principle, but on personal aggrandizement. And before you argue with me otherwise, consider his actions during the RPOF/Greer money scandal.

The Republican Party of Florida elites are about to be raked over the coals next year when former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer goes on trial.  Here is some background on the issue from a post I wrote back in 2010: Who do You Believe: “Sammy the Bull” Gravano or Jim Greer?…Answer: Both

Note that Jim Greer has explicitly stated Lemieux was intimately involved in the possible criminal misuse of party funds.  Indeed, Greer claims that LeMieux was the guy that came up with the scheme to allow Jim Greer and Delmar Johnson to set up their political consulting firm in order to siphon off RPOF funds and get around campaign finance law in order to support Crist’s run for the U.S. Senate.  George LeMieux insists he was a simple private citizen at the time, but that is simply so much BS.

Fact: George LeMieux (who recommended Greer for the RPOF Chair) was getting TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH in “consultation fees”  from the RPOF starting in 2008.  (Not a bad payday for a part time job during one of the most difficult economic downturns since 1929). Make no mistake, Jim Greer and Charlie Crist approved and made possible this lucrative arrangement for LeMieux.

Both LeMieux and Crist use the same words when addressing the charges by Greer.  Here is a link to how LeMieux addresses Greer’s charges.  And here is a link to how Crist denied Greer’s accusations. Both men use eerily similar language.  If someone was accusing me of major crimes, I’d be much more emphatic than just saying “It’s sad…”.

Emmett Kelly is “sad”.  What Jim Greer is doing is accusing both Crist and LeMieux of  committing full blown felonies that can send both men to the “Big House” if proven in court.

So, let’s summarize: George LeMieux picked Jim Greer to be RPOF chairman; It is alleged that George LeMieux was the guy who came up with the idea for Greer to set up a scheme to siphon funds from the RPOF; George LeMieux was getting paid more for a part time job at the RPOF than a U.S. Navy Captain is paid FULL TIME to command a Cruiser or Aircraft Carrier.

Now, I ask anyone reading this:  Does anyone REALLY believe that George LeMieux was totally out of the RPOF loop while Jim Greer was in charge and had NO IDEA about the actions of Jim Greer that resulted in Greer being indicted for six felonies ?

If a person is of the opinion that George LeMieux was armpit deep in the RPOF quagmire and is still going to vote for him, I say that person is implicitly endorsing the corrupt, “good ole boy” politics that Florida is famous for.

If one feels that George LeMieux had absolutely no knowledge of Greer’s GOP shenanigans (while at the same time getting paid TEN GRAND A MONTH to advise the RPOF) and is worthy of one’s vote, then I say that one is voting for a man who must be a complete simpleton.

Now I readily admit being a “simpleton” does not disqualify a citizen from being a U.S. Senator (indeed, from some of the current crop, it seems to be a requirement…I’m talking to you Barbara Boxer). However, in these trying times, I would hope one would vote for someone who has some sense of personal honor, would work to do the right thing for the people and be somewhat smarter than Barbara Boxer.

Jim Greer is now fighting for his freedom.  He faces prison and complete personal ruin. He has been cast adrift by the RPOF elite, but if the newspaper reports are true (and if conservative news sites are to be believed),  Jim Greer is going to go down fighting.

And I will be honest with you, I hope he does.  Jim Greer DID NOT act alone and there is hard evidence that points towards Charlie Crist and George LeMieux as being intimately involved.  Rest assured Greer will be provided an ample megaphone from the local MSM press when this scandal/trial comes to a head on 2012, just in time for the election.

It stuns me that many of the Republican Establishment are backing LeMieux.  It is as if all sins are forgiven for the hell Charlie Crist, George LeMieux and Jim Greer put our party through and it’s time to support for a candidate that the “good ole boys” of the RPOF can depend on.

Remember, if LeMieux gets called in to testify at Greer’s trail, then it will be very hard for him to explain all the inevitable “I don’t recall” answers he may have to give so he doesn’t place himself into real legal jeopardy.  Bottom Line: Bill Nelson will hammer LeMieux bloody over  “L’affaire Greer” and rightly so.  Floridians do not hesitate to split their vote between parties during general elections and Bill Nelson will benefit from this fact.

When “L’affaire Greer” takes center stage in 2012,  It will be a no-win situation for LeMieux.  He can only claim that he was completely clueless as to the inner workings of the RPOF, while at the same time he was getting a TEN GRAND a month stipend from the RPOF coffers while all this was happening.  Couple this with the “Prima Facia” fact of his close, intimate relationship with both Jim Greer and Charlie Crist and what you have is a situation that simply doesn’t pass the smell test.

I have voted Republican since 1980 (I voted for Carter in my first Election, but in my defense I was a sophomore in college and had sobered up by 1980). I never missed voting in an election during my time in the Navy nor in the time since I got out.   I have voted for the likes of Ronald Reagan, Jesse Helms(!!), Charlie Crist (He was the Republican nominee for Governor) and Marco Rubio.  I’m one of the guys Republicans could always count on to show up at the polls and vote the party line.

If George LeMieux is the GOP Candidate for the Florida U.S. Senate race in 2012, that will change. I will not vote for Bill Nelson but nor shall I vote for George LeMieux.

You see, I know that George LeMieux is not a stupid man.  However, in my opinion, he is a profoundly sleazy, if not corrupt, political hack.  If he wins the GOP Nomination, I assure you,  Bill Nelson’s political machine will make sure a large majority of registered voters between Pensacola and Key West have the same opinion as well.

 Note: This Post was first posted Back in April While Hari was Still running…Promoted because the MSM is just now catching on…

Dear George:

We have been doing some political “gaming” at PracticalState and we have decided that we would let you know we have developed some sophisticated political tactics you could take to ease your way to the Florida GOP Nomination for Senator.

We first had to establish a ground truth assumption in order to come up with our eventual strategies. The ground truth assumption was that you, along with Charlie Crist and Jim Greer, were in on the funneling of funds to Greer’s political consulting firm from the start and you were aware of the continuous rape of Republican Party Of Florida (RPOF) funds during the Governorship of Charlie Crist and RPOF Chairmanship of Jim Greer.  We also took the liberty of assuming that when Jim Greer is tried in Federal Court, you are going to subpoenaed as a hostile witness on behalf of the defense and might have to plead the Fifth when you take the stand.

I like to refer you to this early post of ours that pretty much sums up the pickle you and Charlie Crist are going to find yourselves in:   Who do You Believe: “Sammy the Bull” Gravano or Jim Greer?…Answer: Both

So, We started with this “Hypothetical” fundamental issue that stands in your way to the Florida GOP Senate nomination. We presented the assumption to our PracticalState “think tank” as follows:

Resolved: It is painfully obvious that George LeMieux was up to his neck in probable illegal and definitely corrupt actions with his Boss, then Governor Charlie “Talking Head” Crist and then RPOF Chairman Jim Greer.  What strategies can best be utilized to fool enough Republicans to still vote for an obviously compromised and probably very corrupt George LeMieux in his, frankly, absurd quest to be elected the GOP Senate Candidate to run against Senator Bill “I’ve Never Heard of This Obama Fellow” Nelson.

After intense brainstorming and not some little effort on our part, we think we have come up three possible strategies that might help you get the 2012 Senate GOP nomination (we can’t guarantee anything except that if you ARE elected to run against Bill Nelson, you WILL lose).

Strategy Number One: You have been drunk since 2005.

For most of mankind’s history and specifically American history up until 1919, being drunk was a socially acceptable state of existence for men to be in and most definitely for all politicians of all ideologies.  U.S. Grant kicked Robert E. Lee’s ass while drunk and went on to be one of the more celebrated drunk presidents in our nation’s history. Admittedly ever since Prohibition this has, at least publically, been an unacceptable state for our political class to be in, but as the stellar career of Ted Kennedy proves, it does not disqualify you to be a member of the Senate.  To be honest, the only reason that being continuously drunk fell into disfavor in our society was the really stupid decision (for men) to let women have an increasingly active role in our nations politics and eventually giving them the vote.  Carrie Nation anyone? Yes ladies, your gender is responsible for the Mafia, Al Capone and Murder, Inc.

However, George, it has been a hundred years since Ms. Nation (thankfully) met her maker and since then women have increasingly been a) Drinking like men; b) Smoking like men; b) Screwing around like men; and d) Dying of cancer and psoriasis of the liver like men.  So we at the PracticalState political think tank have come to the conclusion that if you step forward and disclose that you have been a “hog swilling drunk” since at least since 2005 and have openly embraced this as an acceptable lifestyle for yourself, then there is damn good chance a good percentage of the electorate (especially amongst the College Crowd) will respond positively to your announcement and might be willing to believe that because you have been drunk since 2005 so therefore had no idea what Jim Greer and Charlie Crist were doing (or at least don’t remember).

Strategy Number Two: You were victim of the “Silver Tongue” of Charlie Crist

Like a majority of Florida’s voters in 2006, you fell under the spell of the Charlie Crist.  Yep, just tell folks that like a lot of men, you were seduced by seductive, sinuous solicitations by that master of oral ministrations, Charles Joseph “Charlie” Crist Jr.

You probably not the first (nor the last) man to come under that voodoo that Charlie do so well. Just tell folks that Charlie kept you in the closet about what he and Greer were doing and that, like a young Schoolboy, you were totally infatuated with the then Governor and believed everything he told you. But, since then, you have gone to the political equivalent of aversion therapy to Charlie Crist and men like him and/or became a Scientologist.

However, we at the PracticalState think that this is the weakest of the three strategies due the increasing scientific evidence that people are hardwired from birth as to their true nature (in your case, our lawyers at PracticalState are telling us to state in no uncertain terms that we are talking about being “gullible” in order to avoid any lawsuits) and no amount of therapy or purging of Thetans is going to change that. Which leads us to what we at PracticalState think is the best solution to your problems:

Strategy Number Three: “The Weasel Gambit”

This is, in our humble opinion, has the best chance of success because most folks will believe this and like a lot of political tactics, it has a kernel of truth to it. You claim that due to your French ancestry, you are by nature and by culture, a natural born “weasel” and that by electing you, you will prove to be the much sought after GOP counter-weight to Chuck Schumer of New York.

If someone brings up the fact that Republicans already have Lindsay Graham, you counter that there is no way anyone of Scot-Irish ancestry can be a “weasel” and with that one proclamation you will secure 95% of the Republican vote in the primary from Pensacola to Jacksonville. If Mike Haridopolos brings up the fact that the current French President, Nicolas Sarkozy doesn’t seem like a weasel (especially when compared to the current U.S. President) immediately counter that Sarkozy is really Hungarian and not a true Frenchman.

When the press and your primary opponents bring up the obvious fact that there is NO WAY Jim Greer did what he did without you personally knowing about it, you go into full weasel mode and deny, deny, deny. You then bring up Haridopolos’s book deal and that if you had been in Haridopolos’s shoes, you would have figured out a way not to have gotten caught misreporting income and would have had absolutely no problem weaseling your way out of getting admonished by your fellow Senators.

By embracing the concept of being a “natural born weasel”, it also gives the option of denying actually being a weasel when people remind you that you admitted to being one.

The permutations and possible political conundrums presented by using this method are endless so we at PracticalState formally endorse this tactic for you to use.

You will be getting a bill from PracticalState for this political “think tank” work on behalf of your campaign, but, if you adopt “The Weasel Gambit”, you will of course, figure out a way to “weasel out” of paying us.

We understand.

Note: This Post was first posted last year…Promoted because the MSM is just now catching on…

“Sammy The Bull” Gravano was a sociopathic murderer, extortionist and all around evil S.O.B. who was the right hand man of Gambino Crime Boss, John “The Dapper Don” Gotti.  However, once the F.B.I. made an airtight case against Gravano for his actions as a Gambino enforcer and “Underboss” and after Gravano listened to secret recordings of John Gotti’s paranoid threats against him, Gravano turned stoolie and testified against his former Boss. One would think that admitting on stand about being a cold-blooded murderer would sort of “taint” your reputation and make you a very poor witness, but it didn’t.  Because of Gravano’s documented close association with Gotti, the jury believed him. The result: John Gotti was sent to the Super-Max prison in Marion, Illinois, where he spent the remainder of his life in a concrete cell until he died of throat cancer in a prison hospital in 2002.

Which brings us to Jim Greer.  Jim Greer was hand-picked by Charlie Crist and made RPOF Chairman in 2007.  By 2009, the RPOF was in a civil war over how Greer was conducting party finances. Long story short:  In January 2010, Jim Greer was ousted..but not after a bitter struggle which had then “Republican” Governor Charlie Crist backing his boy, Jim Greer, to the bitter end.  But (if Greer is to be believed) in one last desperate attempt to seal the record shut and end this PR catastrophe, the RPOF signed an agreement with Greer “that stated all expenses, including fundraising, incurred by Greer were “proper and authorized and otherwise ratified” by the party“. Fast forward a few months and Jim Greer is indicted and everyone denies knowing anything ..except Greer associate-turned informer Delmar Johnson.

Here is a PDF of Greer’s countersuit complaint against the RPOF that says it demonstrates he got a “Get Out of Jail Free” agreement with the RPOF. Here is a link to a story about the lawsuit and note: the RPOF doesn’t flat out deny negotiating the agreement, they just fall back on “legalease” that all parties concerned didn’t sign at once and is therefore null and void.  This may be valid legal argument, but on a higher ethical level, it stinks. Senator Thrasher obviously signed something (see page 18 of the complaint) ; The question is what, when and why?

If this document was actually signed, it begs the question: Who in the RPOF knew of and approved of this agreement  BEFORE..I repeat…BEFORE a forensic investigation of RPOF finances was even started?  This is a question that needs to be answered BEFORE Republicans hold their Primary on August 24th.  Why? Because as a result of the investigations into RPOF finances, serious questions are being asked how Jim Greer was able to misuse all these party funds without senior RPOF and Senior elected officials (including Charlie Crist and Bill McCollum) not being aware of what was going on.  To anyone in the senior RPOF and legislature, it must have been obvious.

For example: Now I might be a naive, unsophisticated Neanderthal of  human being, but when the party holds (at the behest of Governor Crist!!!!!)  an “All Boys” conference in the Bahamas, then someone, somewhere should have heard alarm bells going off and said “You know, why not hold the conference in Tallahassee, or if you really want Spa Services, you can go spend our precious RPOF money in Destin, FLORIDA..at least keep it in the state…”.  Crist doesn’t deny that the conference occurred, he just denies he knew anything about Hookers being there! Once again, the fact that the RPOF was misusing party funds travelling to the Bahamas is not disputed, just that Charlie was not aware of prostitutes running around.  Who the hell was driving this train wreck?

The State investigator has granted full immunity to Greer’s associate, Delmar Johnson, in order to get him to flip on Greer.  In mob terms, they flipped a junior associate to get the “Underboss” .  A real prosecution would involve getting the “Underboss” to agree to a lighter sentence to flip on the “Don”.  In this case the “Don” is Charlie Crist. However, in January 2010, the “Don” was still the REPUBLICAN Governor of Florida and the REPUBLICAN of choice for Senate by many of Senior RPOF and elected Republican elite (including Senator Thrasher and AG Bill McCollum).  Hence, the above documented “Get out of Jail Free Card” agreement in which the RPOF absolved Greer of all mistakes was probably discussed and put on paper .  Bottom Line: Thrasher signed something, it is now a question of what he signed.

With the declaration of war by The Republican Party of Florida against Republican Candidate for Governor Rick Scott, then it is time for those who are tired of the Florida GOP backroom deals and drift away from sound fiscal policy decisions (Can anyone say “High Speed Rail?) to once again stand up to the RPOF and Florida GOP and ask them: who are you for?

As far as I can tell, the pushback against Charlie Crist has consisted of removal of his picture from the RPOF website, a practically moribund website denouncing him and a few emails and letters of disappointment  from party elders. That is it. The RPOF should be in a full court assault on Charlie Crist.  Every RPOF official should be calling for Crist’s investigation and indictment.  This vain, self-absorbed narcissist of a man has inflicted a grievous  wound on  the Republican party and compounded this insult by betrayal.  Where is the anger, where is the outrage, where is the political payback? For crying out loud, we have elected Republicans endorsing Crist without fear of any retribution or cost to their political careers.  How is this possible?

Two words: George LeMieux.  Appointed to the U.S. Senate to act as a placeholder by Governor Crist, George LeMieux is as much a creation and a confidant of Charlie Crist as was Jim Greer. Like Greer, he was a member of Crist’s inner circle and is probably enmeshed in this tawdry tale of money and power up to his eyeballs.  Greer is on the record saying  that the alleged illegal PAC Greer and Johnson were funneling money to was originally LeMieux’s idea.  That means that if the RPOF goes hammer and tong after Charlie Crist, it also means destroying now United States Senator George LeMieux (R-FL), who could (would?) turn on his party in a heartbeat if his liberty were at stake. No one in the RPOF wants that..hence the political kid gloves treatment by the RPOF of “Turncoat-Charlie” and it goes a long way to explain the extraordinary denouement of Rick Scott by RPOF Chairman John Thrasher.

Rick Scott, for all his flaws, owes the RPOF and the entrenched GOP party in Tallahassee nothing. If elected Governor, he will have the means and the power to blow apart the inside baseball politics of Tallahassee.  The kind of politics that allows State Senators vote themselves a fortune without fear of investigation and/or prosecution.

When it became possible McCollum may be summoned to testify in “RPOF-Gate”, it is now painfully apparent that the RPOF went into full “CYA” mode.  Unfortunately,  this opens up a whole other can of worms.  It is now entirely legitimate for Republicans to ask of their party:

1. Was there ANY collusion, directly or indirectly, between the McCollum Campaign, Senator Thrasher and the RPOF that led to this statement by Senator Thrasher?
2. Who in the RPOF and Florida GOP knew and approved of Senator’s Thrasher’s official RPOF reprimand to Rick Scott?
3. Why is the RPOF going after Rick Scott, a committed Republican, instead of Charlie Crist?
4. Will Senator Thrasher Resign as RPOF chairman if Rick Scott wins on August 24th?
5. Is there any evidence linking Bill McCollum to Jim Greer alleged illegal activities and if so, should not voters be aware of this before August 24th?

Finally, the 64 dollar question is this: Why is the state just going after Jim Greer and not his boss, Charlie Crist?  Why was Jim Greer not granted immunity or a special deal to reveal what Charlie knew and when did he know it? I mean, If the Feds can give “Sammy the Bull” a deal in order to get Gotti, why aren’t Florida investigators doing the same with Greer to get Crist?

So my fellow members of the RPOF, don’t get mad at me for asking these questions. I didn’t start this mess nor will I stand silently by and hence be an enabler of such behavior.  Limiting prosecution of RPOF sins to Jim Greer is like settling for Freddo Corleone when you could have gotten Michael.

I was recently sent an Email that is making the rounds that made personal reference to “Yours Truly”.  It was written by Geoff Ross, USN (ret), who at one time was the Senate campaign manager for “Pharmacy Salesman” Mike McCalister.

As the tens of readers of my blog know, way back in March I wrote a couple blog posts on McCalister and said he was a poseur who was over-inflating his very thin military resume for political gain.

Here is my first Post on the “Colonel”: On Whales, Satan Worshiping, Bordellos and US Senate Candidate Colonel Mike McCalister

Here is my second post on the “Colonel”: On “End of The Rainbow” and “Colonel Mike McCalister Has No Clothes!!”

And here is the last post I did on the Subject: Of Popinjays and “Colonel” Mike McCalister

It turns out that the good Colonel’s former campaign manager (who plays an integral part in my first two posts) has decided to re-enter the political arena and has sent out a campaign letter on behalf of his former candidate. Here is a link to the full letter. It is quite long, but to true Connoisseurs of Florida Panhandle Politics, well worth the read. Here is a short excerpt of this truly remarkable political “cri de coeur”:

…..Most of the people trying to hurt the Colonel are Hasner supporters. In fact one critic stated he trashed the Colonel (and me) in a blog then gave Hasner $100.00 donation. I was even called the bastard son of the grim reaper by a so called retired Naval Officer. Get real. My parents were married. What a sorry excuse for a Naval Officer to call a retired Senior Chief names lol. Thank God his ass is retired and not in charge of anything.

Let me tell you something folks, these liberal left wing communist, ass kissing Obama brown nose reporters at the Tampa Tribune and the Saint Petersburg Times and the like are scared of Colonel McCalister. They fear that he has the ability to toss Senator Nelson out on his ear and start returning this nation back to a Republic form of government. This is the plan ladies and gentleman. Take a look at the alternatives who are running. Tree hugging RINO’s or a Communist named Nelson who supported Obama Care…..

Geoff Ross
Senior Chief Petty Officer USN (Ret.)
Signing off from the Bunker
Latitude: 30-22’46” N
Longitude: 086-51’44” W

First Geoff, and let me make this perfectly clear, I never said you were the actual “bastard son of the grim reaper”.  My exact words were you “gave the impression of being the bastard son of the ‘Grim Reaper’”.  In addition, I never meant to imply that your parents were not married when you were born.  However, I cannot help but observe that procreation between even the most upstanding of Homo Sapiens is, at best, a crap shoot.

As for your descriptions of the staff of the Tampa Tribune and St. Pete Times, I assume it also applies to the Staff of the Miami Herald.  All I can add is that thank God there are no Right Wing Communists on the staffs of these fine newspapers.

For all my readers, please feel free to judge the merits of a candidate by the people he surrounds himself with.

Finally, Geoff, a word of caution. One of the key features one wants in one’s “Bunker” is that it’s location remains secret so that when the Left and Right Wing Communists take over the nation, they can’t find you.

Your Pal,
Royce

First, let me state, I am not a religious man.  I don’t belong to any church and while I believe in God, I do not claim to understand his nature, only that he exists.

Now let us discuss Mayor Bloomberg’s decision not to have allow prayer at the 10^th anniversary of 9/11 ceremony to be held at “Ground Zero”.  Instead, as in the past, there will be “moments of silence” to reflect on those lost in the terrorist attack.  Apparently Mayor Bloomberg is afraid of insulting a religion by excluding any one clergy during the prayers.  There is a solution to this quandary.  Let a prominent lay person (hint, maybe you Mr. Mayor?) lead all at the ceremony and those watching it on television in a non-denominational prayer.  There is a precedence.

On June 6^th, 1944, when it became obvious to the American People that the Normandy landings were underway and the need for operational silence was now over, Franklyn Delano Roosevelt LED THE PEOPLE UNITED STATES IN PRAYER OVER THE RADIO.  And not just any prayer.  He wrote the prayer and had the Mass communication outlets (radio and Newspapers) publish it or read it BEFORE he read the prayer the evening of 6 June 1944 so that all Americans could copy it down and join him in prayer that night.

Want Proof?  Here is the radio broadcast made by NBC where the announcer reads the prayer very slowly so citizens could write it down in anticipation of FDR’s actual public reading of his prayer.

And just to prove he did it, here is FDR leading the Nation in prayer for the safety and success of our troops in harm’s way.

While I have my issues with FDR as far as his economic policies went, he was, after Lincoln, our greatest “War Time” President (he made the big picture decisions and left the rest to George Marshal).  FDR knew that as Commander-in-Chief, he was personally responsible for sending many men to their death in order to achieve a greater good.  While the next few days would bring martial glory to a nation at war, it would also bring unimaginable pain and loss to mothers, fathers, wives and children across this truly blessed nation of ours.  FDR was aware that while the sacrifices that were being made were necessary and right, he also aware that the best he could do for those about to suffer terrible loss was to give them the only gift possible to help alleviate this loss.  A simple, heartfelt prayer.

Mayor  Bloomberg:  Why is it right for you to ban a simple prayer at  the 10^th anniversary of an event that is every bit as historic as 6 June 1944?  FDR knew prayer was called for.  Is it your opinion FDR was wrong to lead a nation in prayer on D-Day?

A simple, eloquent non-denominational prayer would give those who lost loved ones on 9/11 a sense of peace and would give a nation a sense of hope for better days to come.

To deny this simple gift to our nation is just not a wrong decision made by you.  It is a disservice to the people who died, to those that survived and to people of our nation as a whole that, 10 years later, still remembers that earth shattering day that did not destroy us, but rather, united us for an all too brief, transcendent moment.

After a surprisingly strong showing In the 2010 GOP Primary for Florida Governor, followed by a surprising strong ranking in local polls for the GOP Florida U.S. Senate nomination up for grabs in 2012, “Colonel” Mike McCalister has come crashing down to earth, because he was living (and spewing) a lie.

Here is the brutal takedown by Marc Caputo published in the Miami Herald on 26 August.  Part of McCalister’s  stump speech was about he had been the “go to” man for testifying in front of Congress for USSOCOM and that he was involved in black ops that , darn it, he just couldn’t tell details about because they were so highly classified (I have firsthand knowledge of his speech…I witnessed it back in March at Fort Walton Beach.)  It turns out he not did not testify before  Congress and the General Officers who did don’t even remember this popinjay being there during the period McCalister was claiming he was setting Congress straight on matters of great importance.

From what we know now, It can be argued that the potted plants scattered around the room where Congress took testimony had more impact on the discussions that Mike McCalister did.

You can read my reaction to his stump speech harangue (back in March) here and here.  Also, here is the infamous “I gotta go to the Bathroom” video Marc Caputo took after the recent GOP  Florida Senate Debate.  (Hat tip:  Sunshine State Sarah.)

From McCalister’s  wearing of the uniform for political gain, to his flagrant and incredibly irresponsible lies he has made in his innumerable stump speeches, to his unbelievingly stupid denial of making these false statements despite there being  video of him making these lies, this man has proved himself totally unfit for any job that involves the public trust or tax dollars.

My opinion in a nutshell back in March was that this guy was a Bullshit artist.  My opinion since then has changed.  In my opinion, he is not only a Bullshit artist, he is also an insult to the uniform he used to wear.

What Mike McCalister has been caught doing is one of the biggest sins a retired military person can do:  Lie about his record for political gain.  He owes every person who wore the uniform of this nation an apology, especially those men and women in the Reserves and National Guard.  Make no mistake, we could not have fought this 10 year war on terror without our reserves.  They have died on the field of battle, have had their bodies shattered, their souls seared and their families have endured the massive stress and havoc that occurs by having loved ones placed in harm’s way.

For example, there is a young man who works for me and is in the Air Force Reserve.  He has a wife and three young children.  In the last three years he has been to “the Sandbox” four times.  He is a gunship navigator.  He has lost count the number of times he has been shot at.  He is just one of many.

This man is a warrior.  Mike McCalister is not.  He is a total and complete fraud.

I cannot prevent this jerk from running for the Senate.  Any U.S. Citizen over the age of 30 has that right.  What I can do is ask all GOP organizations in Florida shun this bastard.  Do not invite him to your meetings, do not invite him to your rallies, do not invite him to your formal debates and events.  Above all, now that we know the truth about this man, do not come to his aid.

For George LeMieux: What you need to do is withdraw your defense of this oaf.  You and your huge staff didn’t do your homework on this man.  This act does not inspire confidence about your management and decision skills. (Truth In Advertising:  I support and gave 100 smackers to the Hasner Campaign. He will get a lot more if I hit the lottery.)

For all the different flavors of Tea Parties that exist in Florida.  You need to make Mike McCalister “Persona-Non-Grata”  at all your events.

To Marc Caputo, Adam Smith and all your team members and staff at the St. Pete Times and Miami Herald: you did your job…very well.  Credit where credit is due. (Just remember, I called it in March!)

Finally, to the RPOF: Are you going to stand up to this fraud or are you going to roll over and play dead?