With Fox Out, Who’s Next?

Speaker Gordon Fox tumbled: Who's Next?

Unconfirmed reports are swirling around Rhode Island that with following former Speaker Fox’s fallout, another domino will fall.

Who’s next on the corruption chopping block?



RI Governor Gina Raimondo?

 

Newly-elected Governor Gina Raimondo? Local media have blasted her support for Gordon Fox during his elections for Assembly, and throughout his speakership. She could apologize for that. Is she the criminal mastermind putting public money to private uses? Not likely. She is a True Believer, and thus too close to the progressive cause to throw it all away for hush-hush money under the table. Besides, her prior private life on Wall Street has immunized her from making the foolish mistakes of local pols, like those who take money in checks.



Clay Pell: "Have you seen my Prius?"

 

Clay Pell? He’s still looking for his Prius. Some less charitable critics would contend that he would get lost in a museum. Angel Taveras? He fled the Providence mess after one term, then lost his bid for Governor. He could be waiting in the wings for another opportunity, though. Why mess it up? Buddy is busted and gone, and no cares about Dr. Dan.

Who in the Providence politics miasma could go down with Fox, now set to serve three years in prison for corruption, misuse of campaign funds, and bribery?

“Grand Theft Auto” David Cicilline.

These are just rumors, for now, but as I wrote before, the talk in the town suggests that the Congressman, formerly known as the Prince of Providence, will be on the way out next.

“60%” another source shared with me.

Another source, who refused to go on record, suggested that malfeasance with federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could bring down the Providence-Pawtucket politician. Besides, local activists have shared their (lack of) surprise should Cicilline go down over financial shenanigans.

Cicilline has connections with bringing in federal dollars before.  He has steered millions of HUD dollars to the Ocean State during his brief (soon to be ended?) Congressional tenure:

He worked with the two US Senators Reed and Whitehouse to secure $3 million for lead removal.

In another press release, the Congressman announced:

U.S. Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) awarded $580,144 to public housing agencies in Rhode Island including the Central Falls Housing Authority, Housing Authority of the City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island Housing, The Housing Authority of the City of Providence and Town of Cumberland Housing Authority.

Just two weeks ago, Cicilline announced another $5 million grant for disability housing assistance.

The first question that comes to mind: shouldn’t the effectiveness of any program depend on how many people get off the government dole, rather than how much money gets spent on the program?

Second question: was the federal money well-spent?

A year later, during Cicilline’s reelection campaign, WarwickOnline reported:

MORE TROUBLE FOR CICILLINE: More information has surfaced about the fiscal mismanagement that was so rampant during Congressman David Cicilline's tenure as mayor of Providence. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its report on improper spending of taxpayer-provided grant money and mismanaged loans that occurred under Cicilline's leadership. Up to $1.5 million was misspent on such things as marketing, catered meetings and limo services. Twenty percent of the HUD-funded loans specifically designated for jobs creation resulted in no jobs being created (total loans amounted to $14.8 million). And of the 79 loans made, 29 were written off as un-collectable at a cost to taxpayers of $2.17 million.

Cicilline's Next Stop?

 Instead of building and repairing homes, the Providence political class was fluffing their own nests?

While the press reported on HUD mismanagement again on Page One, only now it seems that there is enough blood on the trial to find the dead body and the smoking gun with Cicilline’s fingerprints all over.

Rhode Islanders lament their habitual resignation with state lawmakers misusing local and state funds. When the feds get involved, however, the consequences are deeper, worse, and longer lasting. Speaker Fox and the Smith Hill statehouse was raided, but not fully cleansed. Now 38 Studios has gone bust, and the kingpin in the Video Game business gone bad is going to jail (so far) for unrelated crimes.

With the HUD squandered or worse, fraudulently spent, and the feds fuming, will it be “Game Over” for GTA Cicilline?

Let the games begin.

New Mexico on RTW (Sen. Brandt Speaks)

The New Mexico State Senate Public Affairs Committee will be voting on House Bill 75 today, otherwise known as the Right To Work (RTW) Bill.

New Mexico, like many states in the United States, is going red, in large because of the unpopular progressive policies pushed by President Obama and his now deeply diminished Democratic caucus in Washington DC.

For the first time in nearly sixty years, Republicans not only control the Governor's seat in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but they also control the state assembly.

The lower chamber of the New Mexico legislature just passed a right-to-work bill 37-30, following on the heels of Wisconsin's RTW victory yesterday (March 9, 2015).

In the New Mexico state senate, however, Democrats are still in charge, with 25 members vs. 17 Republicans.

I spoke with ranking member of the NM Public Affairs Committee Senator Craig Brandt about the likelihood of right-to-work passing out committee:

"It's dead," followed by "very slim" when I pressed further.

Many conservative partisans have to respect the limitations which lawmakers face in the legislature. All the yelling and screaming does not move any legislator, no matter which side of the aisle he or stands on, without evidence that supporting a measure or voting against something will further their own interests, whether as ideologues or pragmatic partisans.

For many politicians, their number one goals remains: get reelected. Not that voters and activists cannot get the wrong people to do the right things, but the approach must be respected.

In order for Workplace Freedom to pass through the state senate and to Governor Martinez' desk, either the Public Affairs Committee will vote for it, and let it proceed to the senate floor, or let it die in Committee.

New Mexico Senator Craig Brandt (R-Rio Rancho)

A  California native from Los Banos, graduate of Quincy High School in Las Plumas County (way up in Northern California), Senator Brandt explained that the state senate could force the bill to the floor of the senate, i.e. "blast the bill" overriding referrals, but that measure would require four Democrats to cross over and approve the procedure.

"I am aware of three Democrats who support RTW, but they will not vote for the procedure. It's total BS".

Those three Democrats are not on the Public Affairs Committee. "Those are liberal Democrats", Brandt shared.

With three Democrats plus one more crossing over to join with Republicans, the Republicans would then have the Lieutenant Governor break the tie and pass the bill for Gov. Martinez' signature.

Still, New Mexico's senate Democrats have pledged to block the bill, even though there were three who have privately signaled their support for the policy, although they will not join with the procedure to "blast" the bill out of committee.

This kind of political maneuvering is strange. The majority of New Mexicans favor RTW, with one poll touching 70%, according to Brandt. With Democrats, 47% favor RTW, and only 29% oppose the reform, why would Democrats say "No!" to a popular as well as wise reform which is pro-worker and pro-economic growth?

While all indicators suggest that RTW is dead in the committee, can outside public pressure push four Democrats to buck their party and do what is best for the state and the country? Unlike other state senates, the entire chamber will be up for reelection in 2016. If the Republican Party has a strong Presidential candidate (Brandt is partial to Walker, as are a growing cohort of conservatives across the country), New Mexico GOP could bolster their numbers in the upper chamber,

When I mentioned Governor Martinez as a possible VP with Walker, Brandt declared: "We could take the entire state!"

With RTW waiting in the wings to be passed. Hopefully, New Mexicans will not have to wait, and a minority of Democrats will do the right thing and support Right To Work in this legislative session.

Take the Kamala Harris Quiz (Do You Really Know Her?)

While California Attorney General Kamala Harris has become the self-appointed front-runner (and has gathered considerable support, including former Assembly Speaker John Perez), the mounting evidence from the LA Times, plus allegations of fraud and corruption surrounding her tenure,  including a questionable tryst with former CA Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, may suggest that Harris has a Hillary problem: an inevitable nominee who becomes her own worst enemy.

The quiz offered by the Harris campaign touts softball stuff, just like the questions tossed to Barack Obama once he was elected President.

Question 1 / 5

   

What year was Kamala first elected district attorney of San Francisco?

A.

   1999

B.

   2003

C.

   2007

 

 

 

 I chose 2003

 

The correct answer is. . .2003. I feel good! What do I win?

 

Another question -- how many times did District Attorney then Attorney General Harris refused to enforce the law in key circumstances?

AG Harris sat on the Ninth Circuit ruling which struck down the negligent and unnecessary delays on concealed-carry gun permits. The San Jose Mercury News reports:

California Attorney General Kamala Harris and a national gun-control group are asking a federal appeals court to reconsider their effort to intervene in a case that could dramatically loosen California's restrictions on concealed handguns.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence filed papers Wednesday asking that an 11-judge "en banc" panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals review a three-judge panel's ruling from earlier this month barring the center from intervening in the case. And California Department of Justice officials said Harris would file her own brief late Wednesday.

By the way, since the loosening of restrictions, gun sales have increased dramatically, and crime has dropped in the same measure. For an AG who took an oath to defend and uphold the United States ad California Constitution, she continues to shoot blanks at the Second Amendment.

She also refused to defend the Prop 8 initiative, supported by a majority of Californians, which marriage as between one man and one woman.

 

With Kamala Harris's involvement in negotiations, how much was the record settlement big banks paid for engaging in predatory sub-prime mortgage lending?

A.

 

   $12 billion to California homeowners B.

   $26 billion overall C.

   Both are correct

 

 

 I answered C, for both, and I was right again. Bam!

 

I wonder when she will talk about the donors who are floating her campaign?

 

Who sued Kamala’s Office of the Attorney General last year because of her relentless pursuit of transparency in shadowy campaign donations?

A.

   The Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity B.

   The Karl Rove-backed Crossroads GPS C.

   The California Republican Party

 

 

I guessed it was "The Evil Brain Trust" Karl Rove. Actually, it was the nefarious Old White Men the Koch Brothers.

Actually, it wasn't the Koch Brothers. It was "Americans for Prosperity." No surprise, really. Americans do not find much prosperity in California, with the high taxes and regulations, plus the growth of government unchecked.

Why did they file a lawsuit? The San Diego Union Tribune wrote:

A Virginia-based conservative group filed a federal First Amendment lawsuit this week accusing California Attorney General Kamala Harris of engaging in the kind of activity that was the subject of the recent scandal involving the Internal Revenue Service. Are state officials trying to chill the speech of conservative nonprofits?

This angle gets no press, and notice that the UT-San Diego did not play the Koch Brothers card, as though any AG intimidation is justified, as long as the immoral maneuvering targets conservatives.

 

Besides, these questions are insulting as they are misleading. How many other groups have sued Kammy?

 

What is Kamala Harris's favorite hobby?

A.

   Yoga B.

   Knitting C.

   Cooking

 

 

 

I chose Yoga, since she has to twist and turn to make the case for her candidacy as US Senator. She actually likes cooking.

The fifth question was not even a question, but a request for my email address, which I had already submitted before.

Not much of a quiz.

At least California residents should start asking more questions of their own, quiz this Attorney General on her purported star power. What exactly does she bring to Washington, when she has done very little good here in California?

 

 

Speaker Fox Goes to Jail: The Party is Over

Former Speaker, now Convicted Felon
Gordon Fox (D-Providence, RI)

Oh happy day! (Oh happy day!)

 

When Speaker Fox (when Speaker Fox)

 

Was taken away!

 

I can’t help myself: I am so happy that Gordon Fox went from the hen house to the state pen.

 

Rhode Island readers: prepare for a massive dose of Arthur C. Schaper breaking his arm to pat himself on the back.

 

I wrote about his questionable, even crooked dealings on 38 Studios.

 

When he resigned as speaker, but stayed on as a member of the Assembly, I knew that there was more to the story.

 

WPRI reported on Fox’ guilty plea:

 

Fox, 53, was charged with bribery, wire fraud and filing a false tax return, all following an 18-month investigation by a federal grand jury, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday. He reached a plea deal in exchange for a three-year prison sentence.

 

Fox used his campaign account for a wide array of personal expenses, and he took a $50k bribe to help a Providence restaurant, aptly named “The Shark”. No one can make up this stuff. Yes, he cried, he said he was sorry, and he stood by his lawyer, a former House Speaker himself, who supposedly put principle ahead of friendship.

 

More prescient voices in the background believe that Fox struck a deal with higher-up officials (like GTA David Cicilline), so that one Fox gets out of prison, he will have an office job waiting for him. Despite the guilty pleas, the state has no answers about Fox and 38 Studios, or the grimy powers behind the throne pulling the strings.

 

Convicted Felon Roderick Wright

 

Don’t feel so bad, Rhode Islanders. We Californians have endured our fair share of (Democratic) corruption in Sacramento. In 2014, four state senators were arrested, indicted, and/or convicted of public integrity/corruption charges. I confronted my state senator, (now Congressman, sadly) who had refused to publish a statement or vote to get rid of one convicted felon colleague, who went on paid leave and refused to resign. The pressure grew strong enough (and could have upended his Congressional chances) that he was the lone Democrat to vote with the  minority Republicans toward expelling convicted felon Roderick Wright.

 

Speaker Fox in his power days

 

The moral bankruptcy of California politics has not ended, but is finally getting the fair hearing, the necessary airing long neglected by the liberal media class. Republicans pushed back and removed the Dem supermajority in Sacramento. What happens in 2016 is anyone’s guess, but Democrats already gave up on two special elections in Southern California, and they are eating their own in an East Bay area seat.

 

Yet for many concerned, conservative inhabitants, they are less interested, or even capable, of forcing change in the system. They all have one question on their minds: “When can I leave?”

 

It’s sad, but when the poor, parasitical classes depend on the political class, and the wealthy 1% never absorb the consequences of government micromanaging (because they can buy hordes of lobbyists), the working taxpayers, property owners, and small business entrepreneurs will do the easiest thing to safeguard their interests:  move.

 

How much longer will Smith Hill hammer the makers and create more takers?

 

For now, the biggest problem facing the Ocean State is not the over-generous welfare state. It’s not the onerous regulations on business.

 

It’s corruption. When a mayor’s race gets exciting and conflicted because a two-time winning (and two-timing felon) runs for a third race, and has strong backing to do so, it’s time to admit:

“Providence, we have a problem.”

 

So far, the not so merry-go-round of corruption has not troubled Rhode Islanders enough, yet.

 

Talking with Rhode Island’s chattering classes, I found that many agree: residents think corruption is cute, funny, and entertaining. One Rhode Islander here in California even laughed it off, then told me she was moving back home to care for her sick mother.

 

The next question comes to mind: at what point will Rhode Islanders get tired of this circular  swirl of pay-for-play?

 

It’s not funny. It’s pathetic. It’s stupid, and it should no longer be tolerated. But has business as usual become a sclerotic status quo which no one can or even wants to do anything about? What is it going to take before voters stop thinking that corruption is merely business as usual?

 

 

Gordon Fox Goes to Jail

Perhaps in order for anyone to do anything about this culture of corruption, innocent people, perhaps even children, will be hurt, or killed. Sorry to be so harsh, folks, but a direct threat to one’s life, not just livelihood, will have to jolt voters to stop promoting same insane Democratic litany of greedy public sector unions and seedy interest groups, stealing from dwindling public sector pie.

 

I was horrified enough to read about school children targeted with terrorist threats last year. Then I read about a former police officer who beat down a suspect, yet his conviction was reduced, his record scrubbed, and his pension protected. What happens when that next victim of corruption and malfeasance is you and me? Will this Fox episode be one more anecdote, or will it be enough to force Rhode Islanders to shout “Enough!” and “The party is over”?

 

 

Consolation on DHS Fail

Like many conservatives, fighters for liberty, and mainstream Americans who wanted a robust fight for the Constitution and against President Obama's executive amnesty, I was very disappointed that Boehner and Co, pushed a dirty DHS funding bill, dirty because it was cleansed of the necessary riders blocking funds for illegal executive orders.

One comment from a post put this failure into perspective. What can Republicans do with a rogue President? There is only so much that the federal legislature can do, the post also argued.

McConnell caved. Why?

I do not agree with that sentiment, myself. If McConnell was willing to press against the President and the red state Democrats in the minority caucus, if the Republicans in Washington would give their Beltway Blinders and recognize that the Mainstream  Media is no floating like a dead fish down river, they would stop pandering by the numbers only and start fighting back.

Boehner caved, too. Huh?

I am really at a loss to explain why US Senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Mike Lee did not try to talk the dirty DHS bill to a stalling point. They have been more than willing to fight back before. It's all about calling Democratic Senators' bluff. Sixty-two US Senators voted for Keystone. Surely the could have collected those same Senators and gotten them to budge on funding in line with constitutional rule.

Why didn't Senator Cruz filibuster?

The fight must take place incrementally. A number of soft and unwilling Republicans are leaving Congress, replaced by fighters.

That is the first good sign.

The Chamber of Commerce is drifting over the Democratic Party, having endorsed key Democratic Congressmen in California, even though they were vulnerable incumbents. "Chamber of Commerce" is just as bad as "Tea Party" to many voters, and in fact is a worse epithet. No one wants to be painted as a puppet for Big Business. Big Labor will be coming from behind.

Republicans and conservatives are learning lessons from the Left. It is not enough to elect the right people. It is more important to make sure that they do the right things, too.

One conservative, pro-family activist in Massachusetts reminded me that conservatives have to get organized, keep the pressure on the state legislature. Work with the power of small groups with concentrated focus and special incentives. Whether we like it or not, the politics game has to be played a certain way.

Let us not think that Republican voters are alone in their frustration, either.

President George W. Bush forced
Dem majorities to cave, too!

Democratic partisans pushed their politicians into majorities in both chambers in 2007, and yet  Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid caved (that's right, they caved!) and signed off on more funding for the War in Iraq. The Surge gained George W. Bush considerable credibility, even from anti-war factions because Bush stuck to his guns (so to speak)

Eight years later, and Bush has been vindicated regarding the War in Iraq. The Democrats were in a defense position, even though they controlled both chambers of Congress. There were repeated demands from the left-wing base to have President Bush impeached then removed from office.

In no way do I justify the epic fail from Republican lawmakers to stand their ground against unconstitutional executive amnesty.  The fight is just beginning, and conservatives are learning the importance of the long-term game for #MakingDCListen.

MoveOn Hates On Bibi

Jo Comerford (MoveOn.org)

Jo Comerford of MoveOn.org released the latest e-blast following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's third speech before the joint session of Congress:

Dear MoveOn member,

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress at the invitation of House Speaker John Boehner. It was a breach of American protocol and an insult to President Obama. But more importantly, it was an attack on America's diplomatic efforts to limit Iran's nuclear program.

 

Wrong on every count. Speaker John Boehner had the right and the authority to invite Prime Minister Netanyahu, especially as President Obama's foreign policy failures make the world a less safe place. From apology tours to appeasement wars, the current executive is no Commander-in-chief, spending more time on the golf course than in the White House working with his generals and attending military staff.

 

Netanyahu's influence didn't end with the speech. Immediately after the address, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attempted to rush legislation that could derail the negotiations.¹ And major newspapers across the nation had Netanyahu on their front pages this week, amplifying his assault on the diplomatic talks.²

 

Would someone explain why anyone in this country cares what newspapers across the country say about Prime Minister Netanyahu? The marginalized media has been covering up for President Obama since his election 2008. Every scandal under his administration has been blamed on President Bush or the Republicans, including the latest setback from the Democrats in Congress to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

 

All told, Netanyahu's presence has supercharged the war hawks' efforts to thwart diplomacy—which is why we need to supercharge our own efforts to create the space for negotiations to work.

 

So we're hitting the phones, planning visits to key Senate offices, and designing hard-hitting ads calling out Democratic senators by name—if we can raise the funds to do it.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

 

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu is not pleading for war, but peace at all costs is not worth the cost. The world has witnessed the left-wing appeasement agenda, which enabled blood-thirsty dictators to conscript, arrest, then exterminate millions of "undesirable" people.

 

There can be no peace if there is nothing but moral equivalence and unready unease to call evil what it is.

 

MoveOn.org should be ashamed ogf itself for shaming the Israeli Prime Minister and key legislators who support Israel and a strong military to fight back against global menaces like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Iran, a nation-state sponsor of terror in the Middle East as well as around the world.

 

Can you chip in $3 to ensure that President Obama's approach to Iran—not John Boehner's or Benjamin Netanyahu's—has a chance?
Yes, I'll chip in.

Together with allies, MoveOn members' efforts so far have helped preserve the diplomatic process. Key Democrats have halted McConnell's anti-diplomacy blitz.³ But this success amounts to only a temporary reprieve. 

 

What diplomacy is left when the other side refuses to recognize one side's right to exist? Such is the stance of the radical Islamic government in Iran.

 

Now, we have three weeks before a potential vote could derail the nuclear talks once and for all—three weeks to solidify enough Democrats behind the president that we can give diplomacy a chance.

 

No one has signaled a push to upend discussion or diplomacy. But force becomes necessary when persuasion in good faith, coupled with necessary sanctions, do not succeed.

 

Diplomacy is a delicate balancing act. We can't know if these talks will succeed—but we do know that we can't afford the alternative: another Mideast war. We need to give the talks the time and space to succeed.

King Abdullah of Jordan

The MoveOn.org group does not read the papers after all (unless the editors and editorials are bashing Israel and blaming America for the world's woes.) There are already wars breaking out throughout the Arab countries. The King of Jordan strapped on his military gear and personally joined the fight against Islamic terror. Our President picked up the links and went golfing, again.

When Netanyahu spoke to our Congress, at the invitation of Speaker John Boehner and without reaching out to the White House, he attempted to slam the door on diplomacy. Members of Congress have heard from him—now, let's make sure they hear from us.

Lies. Damned lies, and no statistics or evidence to prove otherwise.

We have three weeks to make the case for diplomacy louder and clearer than the case for endless war. 

Who writes these emails? They should be fired for breach of trust, morals, and contract.

Destined for Stardom: Elizabeth Warren and Susana Martinez

The McLaughlin Group has been airing reruns for the past two week, replaying the 2014 Best Category Awards.

This week, the broadcast revisited the Award for "Destined for Political Stardom in 2015."

US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Pat Buchanan mentioned US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts:

PAT BUCHANAN, AUTHOR & COLUMNIST: Elizabeth Warren. Eleanor has a leader, and Hillary has a problem.

(LAUGHTER)

MCLAUGHLIN: Eleanor?

. . .

MCLAUGHLIN: Is Elizabeth Warren your leader?

CLIFT: I think she's bringing a very important message to the country, but I think Hillary is hearing it, too. 

Eleanor Clift is the figure-head liberal on the McLaughlin Group. She will preach the pro-populist, progressive line, whether her talking points line up with reality, or not. Her comments elicit the greatest ire as well as derision from conservative viewers, and yet John McLauglin should be commended for allowing her on the program year after year, since she is a true believer, much like the aggressive progressive Elizabeth Warren.

Her political answer, which the host pounced on a few minutes later, betrays the intra-party fratricide eating up the Democratic Party. From the Establishment Democrats bent on consolidating Washington Power and Wall Street preeminence, the Progressive/Populist wing of the party still feels the slights and betrayal of a party which has done nothing for working and middle class Americans still struggling from week to week, paycheck to paycheck. Those same voters are gravitating to the Republican Party, not out of enthusiasm but frustration.

Still, Clift like many high-powered, well-connected liberals in the political circles recognizes the dangers of a Warren candidacy. Buchanan called it out perfectly: "Eleanor has a leader. Hillary has a a problem.

Another name mentioned who is destined for stardom in 2015? Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico:

Governor Susana Martinez (R-NM)

MCLAUGHLIN: Tom?

TOM ROGAN, NATIONAL REVIEW/DAILY TELEGRAPH: Susana Martinez, Republican governor of Mexico. 

Unfortunately, the audience never gets a reason why Anglo-American columnist views Governor Martinez as Destined for Stardom.

Some reasons which her supporters site include her diligent stance against driver's licenses for illegal aliens, even while presiding as the chief executive for the most Hispanic state in the union per capita. She has a welcome, inspiring story from childhood to adulthood, a glowing example of the American Dream.

Her presence as a Hispanic, female Republican Governor also gives credence to the growing diversity of the Repulican Party, especially since Martinez once registered as a Democrat. She defeated a Democratic incumbent in a Democratic region to become a high-ranking, well-profiled prosecutor.

Her record of low taxes, regulation relief, and spending reductions have garnered a great deal of support, too. She also opposes amnesty, and does not support in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

She remains a very popular executive in her state, and many contend she could run for President, or serve as Vice-President with a strong Presidential candidate, like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Walker v. Warren Already On

With Hillary Clinton's campaign imploding, with Scott Walker's run for President ascending, Democrats are desperate for a candidate who can push back against the rising pro-liberty, anti-Big Government agenda swallowing up this country.

Millenials want opportunity, not dependence. Elderly voters are wondering if they will be able to retire, and whether they will find a doctor and health care plan which they can keep.

Working mothers and fathers wonder if their kids will enjoy the same high quality of life which they had received from their parents.

Young and old are still looking for hope and change.

Scott Walker, the successful, reform-minded Republican governor of Wisconsin, commands a portfolio, record, and resume which would evoke envy in any sitting governor, Democrat or Republican.

He is polling on par or slightly better than former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. With the revelations about her conducting official business through a private email account, plus her numerous gaffes about her finances and the role of businesses, plus Benghazi, no wonder concerned left-leaning partisans are looking for someone else.

Elizabeth Warren v. Scott Walker

Like US Senator Elizabether Warren (D-Massachusetts)

On one of her tweets, she attacked Governor Walker, when he commented at CPAC 2015: "If I can stand up to 100,000 union members, I can take on ISIS."

Critics pounced on the remarks, claiming an immoral moral equivalency between unions and terrorists.

Including Warren:

Elizabeth WarrenVerified account ‏@elizabethforma Feb 28

If Scott Walker sees 100,000 teachers & firefighters as his enemies, maybe it's time we take a closer look at his friends.

Warren's rhetoric is spoiled, boilerplate anti-liberty sarcasm at its worst. Almost as old and staid as the "War on Women" mantra, which reached epic lows in 2014, the Democratic Party, bought and paid for by public sector unions, continues to confuse unions with workers. Many of whom resent the lack of service, respect, and even fair treatment. Unions have become all about unions, much the same way that environmentalist groups bring in donations merely pay the overhead for the organization, and nothing  more.

Individual employees want a choice. Investors, business owners, and corporations have more choices for placement and transfer of operations. Burger King inverted to another country to avoid the confiscatory corporate taxes. Other firms move overseas because of the burdensome labor costs due to union bullying.

Warren is the last true believe in forced unionism as a core American value. She is on the wrong side of political history, yet her sentiments best reflect the heart of the current Democratic Party.

She should run for President, and let the whole world see what the Democratic Party has become, a communistic, agenda-driven craze of left-win billionaires, on-line petitions, and dwindling relevance in the public square.

While Walker's statement about taking on unions, then launching into attacks against terrorists grazed on hyperbole,

MoveOn.org has moved on from Hillary Clinton, and they are chanting "Run, Warren, Run!"

She will run, and she will ruin her party's brand in ways beyond calculation.

What the Republican Party has struggled with for the past six years, will break the Democratic Party for the next two years, where their more liberal wing has become dominant, to the caucus' hurt in Washington and throughout the country.

Walker v. Warren is already on, as Hillary Clinton looks less likely to run, let alone win the Democratic Party nomination in 2016.

Right-To-Work In the Works Across the Country

Wisconsin State Flag

The Wisconsin State Assembly just passed its own Freedom to Work Act, a fast-track bill which made it through the state senate on near party lines (one Republican crossed over and voted against it). Still, the vote in the Wisconsin State Senate was 17-15. Impressive.

I now understand why the bill was not only fast-tracked, but why it started in the state senate.

One staffer in the Madison statehouse, who refused to be identified, acknowledged that they presented the bill at this time because they had the votes for it.

In the state assembly, right-to-work supporters not only had the votes, but the assembly passed the bill by a 62-35 margin.

Imagine that: The Dairy State, where the Modern Labor Movement (and Progressive Movement) emerged, is now scaling back the unjust authority of labor unions over individual employees.

New Mexico State Flag

New Mexico

Yesterday (March5, 2015), the New Mexico state senate attempted to vote for its own right-to-work, bill, coupled with a minimum wage increase most likely to attract more Democratic votes.

That bill died along party lines, 18-22.

The New Mexico Senate minority leader Stuart Ingle achieved a floor vote, yet the majority pushed it back to committee, where  it will very likely die.

Unlike other states, New Mexico's state senate goes up for reelection as a whole every four years. The next election will be in 2016. If the right-to-work momentum stays in place, grows in force, then New Mexicans may champion the interests expressed by their very popular governor and get more Republicans into the NM state senate.

Until then, some prodding from lobbyists out of state, where RTW has already succeeded, may convince some Democrats to move out of the way and support worker freedom.

Where else is RTW in the works?

Kentucky State Flag

Kentucky

The Bluegrass State still has a Democratic Governor, and the Democrats still control the state house, but the state senate flipped Republican.

Instead of waiting for the state legislature, county leaders are proposing their own RTW reforms to attract businesses in their constituencies.

The Kentucky Attorney General has criticized this proposal, yet two former Kentucky Supreme Court justice have openly differed, arguing that indeed pro free market reforms are within the purview of county leaders. This legal argument is neither a new nor isolated stance, as the Heritage Foundation offered a sound and lengthy analysis supporting RTW at the local level, even if the state government does not pass similar legislation.



Missouri State Flag

Missouri

Previous reports have articulated the fight brewing in Missouri over RTW, where Republicans expanded their supermajority status, but still must contend with a Democratic governor. The state assembly voted for the measure, but did not reach the two-thirds of support needed to overcome the governor's veto. The senate majority leader will not resist the legislation, but is not a strong supporter of it at this time.

With the growing momentum across the country for right-to-work, it looks like a few hiccups along the way will not prevent freedom for individual employees from getting its proper due. These reforms will help with necessary entitlement and anti-corruption reforms, too, as the end of forced unionism and forced dues will dry up the unjust, unethical funding streams to Democratic Party machines which have supported unions at the expense of businesses, individual employees, and entire cities and states.

Blacks' Distorted Faith (?)

I have read the penetrating and deeply controversial "Confessions of a public defender" a number of times.

That a liberal public defender would outline his searing indictment against black ghetto culture was too much to ignore.

That he was so piercing in his indictment against the religious bent within certain black communities: my interest was so piqued, I had to comment.

Before the end or Election Year 2014, a special election for state senate took place in Inglewood, CA.

The previous officer holder, convicted felon Roderick Wright, was forced to resign for perjury and voter fraud.

The special election took place one month after the 2014 general election.

Three Democrats and one Republican ran for the seat, with a 60-20 Democratic advantage in a heavily machine-dominant Democratic district. Hopes ran high that Spencer would force a run-off, even if he couldn't win outright,

James Spencer, the Republican businessman from Inglewood, had a dedicated though small team of volunteers getting out the vote for him. I even made phone calls for him on election day. I was not surprised to learn from some of the prospective voters that they were unaware of any election taking place. Among a number of individuals, I had mistaken the election day, and I had my pulse very close to the local and statewide politics, at least more than most concerned citizens.

It was understandable that many people were not paying attention the 35th State Senate election.

On December 9th, Special Election night, I  met with a team of Spencer supporters, and the discussion about the pathologies in black communities emerged. One of the volunteers pointed out that there are churches on nearly every street corner in most black neighborhoods, and yet the prevalence of welfarism, disease, and gang-related violence prevails.

Why? I asked myself. Public Defender Michael Smith answered the question:

Black women have great faith in God, but they have a twisted understanding of His role. They do not pray for strength or courage. They pray for results: the satisfaction of immediate needs. One of my clients was a black woman who prayed in a circle with her accomplices for God’s protection from the police before they would set out to commit a robbery.

Imagine that. They see God as some deity who justifies their every action, regardless of the wrong-doing.

The mothers and grandmothers pray in the hallways–not for justice, but for acquittal. When I explain that the evidence that their beloved child murdered the shop keeper is overwhelming, and that he should accept the very fair plea bargain I have negotiated, they will tell me that he is going to trial and will “ride with the Lord.” They tell me they speak to God every day and He assures them that the young man will be acquitted.

The blind trust in a God not revealed in the Word of God is deeply disturbing. Faith has nothing to do with what we say, but with everything that Jesus has done at the Cross.

I can testify that I have rarely, if ever, heard black preachers talk about Christ and Him Crucified. Yet for Paul, the key spokesman for the full revelation of the Gospel, he clearly outlined his priorities:

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2: 2)

One pastor told me about his experiences in many black churches. They were celebrated as a time and place where black folks would put on their best clothes and "be black".

It had nothing, if anything, to do with Christ Jesus and His Work at the Cross.

Picture from the American Renaissance article "Confessions of a Public Defender"

The mothers and grandmothers do not seem to be able to imagine and understand the consequences of going to trial and losing. Some–and this is a shocking reality it took me a long time to grasp–don’t really care what happens to the client, but want to make it look as though they care. This means pounding their chests in righteous indignation, and insisting on going to trial despite terrible evidence. They refuse to listen to the one person–me–who has the knowledge to make the best recommendation. These people soon lose interest in the case, and stop showing up after about the third or fourth court date. It is then easier for me to convince the client to act in his own best interests and accept a plea agreement.

Public defender Smith may not have the strongest hold on doctrine or the truth of God's grace revealed in Christ Jesus, but he does pinpoint the distorted understanding which many people, including different black communities, have about faith.

In this country, even in the most affluent areas, there is a prevalent focus on man and his efforts, rather than Jesus and His Finished Work. Men and women see prayer as a form of coaxing God to do something, when the focus needs to be on seeing all that He has done, all the He is, and that in Him we have all things.

We are called to loose our identity from Adam and identify with Jesus:

"figure of him that was to come.

15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 15-17)

 

and also

 

"16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." (Galatians 5: 16-17)

 

Never should anyone believe that Gospel grants license to sin, to do as we please, and reject the goodness of godly life.

 

Romans 6, Titus 2, and Jude dispel these perverse misunderstandings.

 

What then can we conclude about the churches in ghetto communities?

 

As long as institutions preach man-centered ideas which glorify a man's flesh or ethnic legacy, as long as churches are revealing the Perfect Savior and the Loving Father, and the Holy Spirit who transforms us from glory to glory, then those buildings with crosses do not constitute churches as much as extant mortuaries.

 

Men and women, regardless of their color, need to hear the grace of God. His favor grants us His life, and inspire us with fervor to serve Him.

 

No pathology can survive in the face of the grace of God, in contact with the living Savior who brings dead men to life through His love, demonstrated fully at the Cross.

 

How many black churches are teaching and preaching the transformational grace and truth of Jesus?