kanesrealm

The latest Republican Presidential debate was held last night in Colorado and hosted by CNBC, MSNBC's conservative sister network. I wish I could tell you it was insightful or at least entertaining, it was neither. The topic was supposed to be the economy but it quickly drifted into more personality driven issues. Go to factcheck.org to see a list of the untruths which were told. They were in Colorado so maybe they should have all smoked a joint before the debate, then it would have been worth watching. I'm not so sure I'll watch the next one and I'm a political junkie. I know, I know you want analysis. So here it is. The winner of the debate was Marco Rubio, not because of his policies but because he displayed a remarkable ability to turn the negatives thrown at him around and back on his opponents. Bush attempted to make an issue of Rubio's chronic abscence from Senate votes. Rubio immediately shot back at Bush and shut him down. Marco Rubio is not the first sit...

Dr. Ben Carson wants to get rid of Medicare. He wants you to get your insurance only through the private sector. Are you young, rich and healthy? Then this might be the right direction for you. Dr. Carson is like a lot of doctors who like to bitch about Medicare and the fact that they don't bow and pay them whatever they say they should get. Complaining about bureaucracy is a national past time and just fine. Write a blog, you'll feel better. But here's my recommendation for current doctors or those considering being a doctor, if you don't truly believe that it is a calling and an extraordinary opportunity to play a vital role in your fellow human beings lives, get out or don't consider it to begin with. Dr. Carson's vision, and he's not alone, would result in tens of millions of people being thrown in a ditch and left to die. That's not hyperbole, it's a fact. Just one more reason Ben Carson is batshit crazy! What? You knew I was gonna say it.

Paul Ryan has been elected Speaker of the House by his fellow Republicans, at least enough of them. The public vote will occur on the floor tomorrow. Enjoy the evening Paul, sit in the Speakers chair, spin around and soak in the glory cause after tomorrow your nightmare begins. John Boehner did Ryan a big favor by cutting a budget deal, including raising the debt limit into 2017. Ryan's response was to say it stank but then he said it's okay. After winning the grand poobah seat he gave Boehner a backhanded compliment for his service but then made it clear there's a new sheriff in town and things are gonna change. If you aren't really familiar with Paul Ryan here's your best insight. He is a disciple of Ayn Rand. He began playing that down when he ran for Vice-President in 2012, particularly when he was hit with questions revealing that he is as ignorant of the true Ayn Rand as everyone else who embraces her political philosophies. But there is a long on the recor...

The W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has issued a report placing processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage and bacon in the same carcinogenic category as cigarettes. It also stated that red meats "probably are carcinogenic". Probably is not a definitive word. If you read this blog regularly you should be aware that I'm pro science. Sound evidence driven research can lead us to a better life. Sketchy research evidence can lead to unwarranted fear. Placing sausage in the same category of cancer causing agents such as cigarettes is over the top. What will our friends in the U.K. do? Bangers and mash are a treasured dish, this report could cause a national crisis with millions of Brits taking to the streets. In America the venerable hot dog is as sacred as Mom, apple pie and the flag. I suppose this could finally unify our country, only time will tell. I support independent health organizations issuing sound warnings about the food we consume, but I do not accept findin...

Ben Carson has surged ahead of Donald Trump in Iowa in a recent round of polls. Huckabee, Santorum, Bachmann and Cain all surged in Iowa. Santorum and Huckabee won, remember the triumphant presidencies of all of those people? Carson will probably be in the top three on the day of the Iowa Caucuses, he might even win it but he'll win nothing else. Carson is constitutionally qualified to run for President but he is not fit to serve in the position. He is willfully ignorant and displays it every time he opens his mouth. He is also not refreshingly honest as some commentators have stumbled to find polite words to describe some of his answers. This was particularly notable when he was recently asked as President what preparations he would be taking to address the coming hurricanes? His answer was "I don't know." That's not refreshing, it's scary. Even if he didn't know the answer he should have been quick enough to say "everything possible to help those ...

Jeb Bush wants to be President of the United States but his campaign is stuck in a muddy ditch. The wheels are spinning and it seems he can gain no traction. So what went wrong? The Bush Campaign has announced it's slashing salaries by 40%, a fiscally wise decision but a horrible political one. Is there blood in the water? As an observer I've struggled to understand why such a well known figure in American politics is struggling so hard to gain momentum. It's not because the field is so large, it's about Bush himself. What exactly does he stand for? Sure he repeatedly denounces the Obama Presidency, repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act, bad foreign policy, blah, blah, blah...It's boring and uninspiring. What does he really want to achieve other than to be the Republican who replaces the Democrat? There are plenty of those to choose from. Not only has he not distinguished himself but he often comes off as being pissed off that he needs to. On paper he's the pe...

When last this little blob of insight seriously addressed the issue of Speaker of the House, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was about to ascend the throne. On the very day of the preliminary vote he said emphatically he was running, less than four hours later he was out and the vote delayed. Oh to be a fly on that wall. What could possibly of transpired in that four hours to stop the ambition of a man who so clearly wanted the job? For most of the history of our country anyone serving in the House of Representatives most certainly would like to be Speaker of the House. Only in the last several years of Republican dysfunction has it become a stinko position. For a party that was once known for it's discipline they can no longer agree on what to have for lunch. The cries went out, we need a hero, we need Paul Ryan, the one man who adamantly said he didn't want the job. Yes his Chairmanship of Weighs and Means is the plum job of the House but it's not better than being Speak...

Democratic Presidential hopefuls Jim Webb and Lincoln Chaffee have now both dropped out of the race. Chaffee says he'll work to help elect a Democratic President. Webb on the other hand is having none of that. Not only is he not offering support for the Democrats, at least right now, but he is clearly stating that he may run as an independent. Webb will soon discover that the enthusiasm for him to run as an independent won't even register as high as his staggering 1% in the Democratic polls. More importantly he'll discover that getting on the ballot in all fifty states and deploying the ground operations necessary will cost even more as an independent. It's difficult to see how Webb could pull this off or why he would want to try. Martin O'Malley might get a boost from these departures and rise to 3, maybe even 4% in the polls. If the money lasts he might make it to February but short of the withdrawal of both Sanders and Clinton from the race, he will not be the...

It's not a clever post title. It's not witty or snarky. It's not funny, it's just the fact. Hillary Clinton testified at the Select Committee on Benghazi for eleven years, I mean hours, but it felt like years. Let me reiterate that the true name of this committee is Scamgazhi. Institutional Abuse of Power, how does that make you feel? Do you care? The phrase is not a new one but has it become so commonplace that we're numb to it? Are we so bitter and resigned to accepting this shameful behavior from the highest legislative body of the land that we look the other way and say pass the cheesepuffs? I don't care whether you like or dislike Hillary Clinton, facts are facts. Seven Congressional Committees and one federally mandated independent review have all closed the books on Benghazi and issued their findings. Speaker of the House John Boehner did not want to form this select committee because he felt it served no purpose. He was forced to form it by the hyper ...

Spinning on a dime as they say.  I just wrote a post about Joe Biden's possible Presidential run and boom he has announced he's not running. His statement came with his wife Jill and President Obama by his side. It was a firm and classy statement. He felt it was now too late to run and he did not endorse Clinton or anyone else. Good for you Joe!

Will he or won't he? Should he or shouldn't he? Joseph R. Biden was infected with the Presidential virus over thirty years ago. The only cure is to become President, Joe Biden is out of time. At 72 this is his last chance to reach for the brass ring. The pundits talk about whether or not there's a path to the Presidency for him, of course there is, he runs and wins, that's the path. Biden certainly sees himself as the person who would be the greatest defender of Obama's legacy, which is probably true. But any Democrat seeking the Presidency is not going to throw Obama under the bus, they can't afford to. There is no question, to a normal person, that Biden is more than ready for the job. Decades of legislative experience combined with eight years as Vice-president puts him in a unique position. But in a campaign against Sanders and Clinton can he ever rise above simply being number three? It's a tough lift when there is very little substantive difference ...

It's a lovely fall day here in Hindtit. I'm sitting in my favorite lawn chair staring at the fields across the road. The crops are all gone now, the ground stripped, a reminder of the winter desolation yet to come. Winters in Hindtit can be brutal, similar to our current Presidential race. With great anticipation I patiently awaited the first Democratic Party debate. Before continuing let me say that having more than six isn't necessary. There's a lot of disagreement amongst Democrats over this issue but in this modern era of social media and mass communication such venues as these joint news confererences posing as debates are not required. Some candidates want more, it is after all a cheap way to get your message out, if the moderator let's you. Now to the meat. The CNN Democratic debate was actually quite good. Anderson Cooper was forceful and sharp, hitting each candidate equally hard. The ongoing debate about the debate is who won. Well here's who lost. ...

And that's why I went easy on the Pope. Oh, sorry, I got ahead of myself. The Vatican has confirmed that Kim Davis met with Pope Francis last week. The ancient institution went further than usual stating that the meeting was brief and that the Pope in no way was voicing an opinion on the unique circumstances surrounding Kim Davis' situation. It has also been made clear that the meeting was arranged by the Papal Nuncio (Vatican Ambassador) in Washington, D.C. He is a very conservative fellow that didn't use good judgment particularly when you consider that we also now know that many American Bishops were opposed to the meeting. What has prompted the Vatican to respond in such detail? Because the Pope himself clearly was informed of what was being reported in the U.S. and the spin that Davis and the Liberty Council were putting on the meeting. If you carefully listen to what Davis states the Pope said to her, it's all very generic. It's the kind of comments a person...

Would be Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy admitted in an interview on FOX News that the Select Committee on Benghazi is about tearing Hillary Clinton down politically, he pointed out the success with her falling poll numbers. This select committee is now the longest running in the history of our country. There have already been eight Congressional Committees and one outside investigation and all found there was no wrongdoing. There was no reason to form a select committee except to try and derail Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign. The committee has cost taxpayers $4.5 million, is that alright with you? McCarthy has faced a firestorm since his remarks and he has now tried to take it back. Now Congressman Jason Chaffetz says he'll challenge McCarthy for the Speakership, though his quest is a long shot. Congressman McCarthy was caught accidentally telling the truth and he certainly regrets it but it's out of the bag now and that select committee needs to be disbande...

Another mass shooting has taken place, this time in Oregon. While I agree with the Sheriff in this case who refuses to use the shooters name, in the long run it's irrelevant. Law enforcement will conduct it's investigation and as the public we will get a glimpse of that person's life. Murder Is murder whether it's one or nine. I agree with President Obama's comments about our numbness and were I in his position I too would be frustrated however, other than banning all guns, gun sellers and manufacturers, what's there to do? That doesn't even take into consideration all the guns already in private hands. Let's take the NRA out of the equation, they do not represent their membership, they represent the gun manufacturers. If you don't believe that, you're delusional. But it doesn't matter. We're not getting rid of guns, the will of the majority is not there. So what to do? No real proposals are placed on the table for serious review. Ther...