Category: Politics

Higher prices for you, lower costs for him

I get it — if the movement of manufacturing abroad has cost you a job that paid you a fair wage in return for an honest day’s work, you should be upset. And when politicians (both Republicans and, more recently, Democrats) say that the “service economy” or the “information economy” is better for America, that doesn’t bring new opportunities to Elkhart, IN. It certainly doesn’t make use of your skill set and replace your reliable income.

Continue reading Higher prices for you, lower costs for him

I’m surprised to learn the mentally disabled were allowed to watch “American Sniper”

A surprising number of people with access to Twitter accounts were shocked and appalled to see Bradley Cooper at the DNC. Apparently they thought that playing the role of Chris Kyle meant that Cooper, like Kyle, was conservative.

What must those same people have thought about RNC speakers Scott Baio and Antonio Sabato Jr.? Christ, what must they have thought four years ago when a keynote speech was delivered by an old man who was willing to resume his life as a contract killer with Morgan Freeman?

Bradley Cooper Was at the Democratic Convention. American Sniper Fans Didn’t Like That

Is Mike Pence being audited too?

Like his running mate, Mike Pence hasn’t released his tax returns. Whether he will do so presents a tough call for team Trump. Trump claims he can’t (or won’t) release his returns while an IRS audit continues. Of course that’s crazy — there’s no reason releasing personal returns would complicate an audit (the auditors already have the returns). And the Clinton’s have provided returns back to 1977, giving Trump the easy opportunity to release only returns that predate the audit scope.

So Trump has made his bed, but will Pence lie in it?
Continue reading Is Mike Pence being audited too?

Self-sacrifice is a job requirement

I noted Elizabeth Warren’s observation last night that “Donald Trump has never sacrificed anything for anyone.” The more I think about it, this seems like an insightful observation.

We (all of us) value the heroism of American soldiers and law enforcement because of the risks they take to allow our society to function. We applaud schoolteachers for the monetary sacrifices they make to do the work that perpetuates our society. And when we are asked about our parents, virtually all of us acknowledge the hard choices they made to provide for us when we were most vulnerable. In many ways, self-sacrifice is among the most American of values.

What then, is Trump’s sacrifice? What in his past makes anyone think that, if faced with a tough call in the Oval Office, the well-being of anyone other than Donald J. Trump would be on his mind?

Doubling down is only a good idea when you hold a winning hand

Wow. I really thought the economic conservative/social moderate part of the Indiana GOP was ready to take their party back and rebuild the state’s tarnished reputation. I was wrong.

Picking Holcomb to take Pence’s place on the ballot passes over other contenders who had strong business bona fides but who have avoided the social land mines that Pence repeatedly stepped on.

Democratic candidate Gregg had been running a campaign that could be summed up as “Vote for me. I’m not Mike Pence.” By picking Pence’s heir apparent — a man who has sought three public positions in the span of one year, Gregg now need only modify his campaign to “I’m not Mike Pence, but Eric Holcomb is.”

Below is a list of all of Mr. Holcomb’s successful campaigns for elected office: