"Fighting Irish" Prosecutor Fitzgerald, Bags Blago

Displaying the dogged determination and fighting spirit the Irish are known for around the world, Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, scored a great victory for American citizens when he won convictions against former Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich (Blago).

The muppet haired, disgraced former Governor was seen far and wide the past couple of years proclaiming his innocence to anyone that had a microphone. The broken record message was: "just wait until the jury hears my side of the story". Well Governor, you did tell your "story", the jury heard it and you're going to prison. "Prison" also happens to be the home of other former Illinois Governors.

Wiretaps of the former Governor, clearly showed a pay for play attitude that pervaded his office. He was in the midst of selling Barack Obamas Senate seat to the highest bidder, while prosecutor Fitzgerald was surreptitiously wiretapping his every phone call....and building a strong corruption case.

It seems the only criteria for Blago, was who was going to give him the most for Obamas Senate seat, but cared little about who was the most qualified to do the job. It was a disgusting display of greed and alarming to those who note the ease with corruption displayed at the states highest office.

Some say Blagos greed is just the tip of the iceberg for how things get done, Chicago style. There has to be something to it because, since 1973, four Illinois Governors, including Blago were imprisoned or prison bound. Others would have you believe Blago was just a lone rogue looking for personal enrichment. Listen to the tapes, you decide.

To me this conviction showed what a very thin line of defense we have against corruption at the highest levels of government and how easily it could be thwarted if we didn't have such courageous fighters as Irish American, Patrick Fitzgerald out there protecting us.

Only Mr. Fitzgerald knows the tremendous pressure applied to him as he brought the charges forward against Blagojevich. It cast a shadow on Barack Obamas new Presidency and brought to light a very sketchy political landscape from whence our President emerged from.

But as he has shown in the past, Patrick Fitzgerald doesn't back down...from anyone! He proceeded to suit up in his armor and prosecute the case by bringing a conviction to a most corrupt leader.

So here's a toast to Patrick Fitzgerald, Irish American fighter for and protector of, the American citizen! We need many more like him.

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Workin' in the Car Wash Blues

I went in to a coffee shop yesterday, to get a cup to take with me. As the young man behind the counter cheerfully complied, I put a dollar in the tip jar and quipped "this is for your higher education", he replied: "I just graduated from college".

One of the last members of Obama's original economic team just left Washington DC to go back to work in academia, saying his work is done here......I'll say!

The last great surge in employment as a result of these experts and their trillion dollar "stimulus," to our economy, was McDonald's providing a surge of 65,000 entry level positions at their restaurants around the country.

We had those economists on loan to us from Harvard and Berkeley guiding our country with their expert policies. Their policies are proving to be disastrous for our economy. But of course they themselves are pretty well insulated from the consequences of their decisions, as they return to their tenured jobs at the universities from where they came from.

Alright Washington, we already have all of the geniuses we can use. Is there anyone in the Obama administration who has ANY experience in the private sector, who knows what it is like to create jobs by building businesses? If so would you please step forward, front and center and take charge.

Because the job market in the private sector is tight and many people are taking jobs, any jobs just to make some money, even if they are over qualified. Just like the young man with the fresh college education working in the coffee shop.

In the meantime those song lyrics from Jim Croce are being heard by many qualified individuals looking for work in the private sector:" Steadily depressin', low down mind messin,' workin' in the car wash blues.

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Obamas "Progressive Withdrawal" From Afghanistan

When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. As election season arrives, President Obama is trying to shore up support with his Progressive base. One way, is to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

This decision is being criticized from all sides. The left is decrying it as another failed promise because he is not withdrawing totally from Afghanistan. The right is criticizing this move because the job is not complete in Afghanistan.

"Candidate Obama" pledged to get us out of wars and close GITMO. But "President Obama" has found it necessary to keep GITMO open, keep us involved in Iraq and even increase troop strength and widen the war in Afghanistan. President Obama has even found it necessary to involve us in a third "kinetic military action" in Libya. Some have even gone so far as to call it a war.

There is a stark difference between running for office and the business end of governing. Promises are made on the campaign trail that are later found to be difficult or impossible to keep, especially when your base of supporters are progressive liberals and you have to deal with strategic defense reality.

But the crux of the matter is, when Obama took office the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were ongoing. He did not start these wars, but he full well knew he would have to deal with them if he became President.

His key military advisers told him he would need a 60,000 troop surge in Afghanistan in order to turn the tide and subdue the Taliban. After very long deliberations, Obama allowed only 1/2 of that number to be increased. As a result there were never enough troops in the surge to accomplish what the military experts said needed to be done in Afghanistan. The decision was criticized by the left and the right.

Now that election season is drawing near, he is pulling those surge troops out.

It is never easy to be the leader, there are responsibilities that will fall on your shoulders. When it comes down to crunch time, tough decisions must be made.

If you are measuring all of your decisions by how you will be approved by poll numbers, then those decisions will not be what is best for the whole country.

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'The Fast and Furious' reflects our failed drug policy

"The Fast and The Furious" was a 2009 action movie centering around an Irish lad named Brian O'Conner, who worked for the FBI in LA. He teams up with Dominic Toretto to bring down a heroin importer by infiltrating his operation.

But the Fast and Furious I heard about on the news today, was the name of a weapons sting by the Federal government that went horribly wrong. The result is thousands of weapons supplied by us, have been used by drug cartels to kill hundreds of Mexican citizens, soldiers and police, as well as killing one of our own officers.

But this is just one story story in a long list of stories that are symptomatic of a much greater problem we have been facing due to the criminalization of drugs.

The Taliban and Al Quaeda make enormous profits off of the opium poppy crop in Afghanistan. This product is refined into heroin where it is shipped to Europe and America to keep the heroin addicts supplied with their fix. The profits are used to wage war against western civilizations.

Didn't we learn a lesson during the Prohibition days when alcohol was made an illegal substance in the United states? The only ones who gained from this social experiment was organized crime, certain American political dynasties and the armies of law enforcement who devoted their energies to sniff out illegal alcohol.

Instead of eliminating alcohol in the US, Prohibition caused consumption to skyrocket and Americans drank more than ever.

What is apparent in this decades old "war on drugs" is that this "war" is a failure. Our prisons are full and the drug use continues. Lets face it folks, people want to escape reality, it is an age old human condition.

If drugs were de-criminalized the prison/legal systems would be decimated. What would we do with all of these empty prisons and empty court dockets? Use the prisons as rehabs & the army of judges and lawyers could get jobs in the private sector, or learn how to be drug counselors.

Lets turn the direction of this war to treatment rather than punishment and that's what we could do if we took out the criminal element of drug use.

The time has come to look at this honestly and remember: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different outcome.

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Obama to Woo American Business. Can They Afford It?

The recent headlines reflected a new image of President Obama as the business friendly President. He will smooth talk and cajole them into creating "new jobs". But Mr. President in business, unlike government, you need to have a demand for a product or service BEFORE you create jobs.

After 2 1/2 years of his Keynesian economic policies and a trillion dollar "stimulus" it seems that our economy is moving in the predictable direction most real world economists foretold.

Almost all of President Obama's original economic advisers have resigned and gone back to their academic careers. Their work in Washington is accomplished, the results of their economic theories are reflected in the record unemployment numbers and fast rising inflation.

Bureaucracies seem to be fighting business on every level. Boeing is being sued for moving some of its manufacturing operations to South Carolina, a right to work state, in order to help it become more competitive with its rival Airbus, for the worldwide jet market....Isn't South Carolina a part of the United States?

General Motors is building a new engine manufacturing plant in Mexico, with the administrations blessing, huh?

Wisconsin's attempt to rein in run away spending and attract business is being fought by the administrations minions every step of the way. The looming Obamacare has brought great extra cost & uncertainty to businesses in America and our corporate tax rate is among the highest in the world.

But there is a bright spot on the economic horizon as a result of this administrations wooing:

Mr. Woo in mainland China is adding a 3rd shift to keep up with demand for his manufactured goods. Mr. Woo likes how the administration has been wooing American business. He can make huge profits, by manufacturing his products without the regulations American businesses have to abide by. He is not worried about green house gasses, child labor, labor unions, Obamacare, The Environmental Protection Agency, planning departments/permits, Card Check & tort lawyers suing him into oblivion. To him the economic future looks stupendous.

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The Future President was on the New Hampshire Stage

The Republican debate which aired last night from St. Anselms College in Manchester in New Hampshire, showcased a talented and patriotic pool of Republican Presidential candidates.

Sponsored by CNN, it was, in my opinion a well run, fair and balanced question and answer session which give us good insight into each candidate on stage. Special kudos to CNN's moderator John King, who was the cat-herder in charge, able to move the debate along by poking and prodding the would be fillibusterers. (is that a word?)

The candidates all followed the Reagan doctrine of practicing the 11th commandment by not speaking ill of each other, so the debate was not tinged with rancor or personal animosity towards each other. But there were plenty of shots taken at Obama and especially Joe Biden.

Among them were ex Governors of states that have executive experience and know what the "the buck stops here" means. As Governor, it is impossible to vote present. Everyone of your decisions has your signature on it. Both Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney scored points with the audience last night as they fielded questions from the moderator. Romney was the frontrunner coming into the debate and didn't seem to slip from that position (He was voted as having the best Presidential hair). While Pawlenty scored points when he said he would champion "right to work laws" if he was elected President.

We also had a man of integrity and great experience from the private sector, who has never ventured into the political world before. Herman Cain is a breath of fresh air when he speaks from the heart and tells you how he would solve the nations problems. Maybe he doesn't have the polished professionalism of the seasoned politician, but the way he speaks from his gut trumps all of that. He will be a force to be reckoned with.

Ex Senator Rick Santorum acquitted himself well by speaking out on the administrations failures and capped it off with a crowd pleasing "Under this administration, our enemies don't fear us and our friends don't trust us", which brought a loud burst of applause from the audience.

Newt Gingrich used his time to showcase his through understanding of the nations problems and what he would do to set the nation back on the right course. He definitely has the experience and wisdom to do that. But past Gingrich gaffes and the recent mass resignation of his staff casts a pall on his chances.

Ron Paul never waivered from his Liberterian principles and as always has a core of support among the right.

But Michelle Bachman seemed to be the one who gained the most approval and applause from the audience and the nation. She not only announced her candidacy for President while on stage, but forcefully and honestly laid out her beliefs and core tenets for all to see. She also took the opportunity to explain to the public what the Tea Party really stood for. She clearly showed it is NOT a marginalized group of extremists, as it has been painted by the media, but a wide array of Americans proactively working together to get the country moving on a self sustaining path of prosperity....Away from the direction of nanny state which it is now pointed in.

Yes the field of Republican candidates on the stage last night was impressive. Any one of them would make a great President in these stressful times for our country. I am looking forward to the process which will bring forth our next President.

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The Sarah Palin Emails Reveal She is Honest & Moral. Left is Bitterly Disappointed

To add insult to injury & deliver a second blow to the far left this past week, Sarah Palins court ordered emails have revealed nothing scandalous.

Unless you want to consider the scandalous behavior by the left leaning media. The pushing and shoving to get their hands on the over 24,000 pages, in six boxes weighing 275 pounds was thought to be scandalous behavior, by me at least.

The left had hoped and prayed(?), a firestorm of impropriety would be revealed in those emails. A Palin misstep would take the heat and spotlight off the scandal that has enveloped the Democrat Party with the revelations coming from Weinergate.

But no such luck for them. The Palin emails reveal an honest, moral, upstanding patriotic conservative American. The contrast cannot be anymore stark for the American public when compared to the revelations of disgraced Democrat Congressman Wiener.

The leftist media had thought they struck gold for a few moments when they found the Palins had purchased a tanning bed for their home. Feverishly searching for a connection showing she had used Alaska government money to purchase it, they came up empty. Their dreams were crushed when they found the Palins had used their own money to purchase the used bed. Tanning beds are popular in localities where you see very little sun for half of the year, not so much a luxury but a necessity.

So go ahead main stream media, keep on digging into Sarah Palin and ignore the glaring herd of elephants in our living room: The 3 wars we are in, the record debt which is getting us perilously close to bankrupt status, the non defense of our borders, closing down of our coal industry, non constitutional legislation by regulation...Shall I go on?

If that's not enough for you, I have 24,000 pages of additional issues and scandal you should be focusing on, yet you seem to want to ignore.

Do something about the elephants, they're really messing up the living room.

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Many Politicians Secretly Want Weinergate Scandal to Continue

The Weinergate scandal has exposed a sitting Congressman to be a "new media" flasher without the trench coat. But instead of just exposing himself and disturbing the peace of a relatively few on a subway car, Weiners scandal has gone viral. Millions have been exposed to his peccadilloes and Weinergate has become a household name. What was he thinking?

Despite the compromising evidence, calls from some of his political colleagues for his resignation and a call for a congressional "investigation", Congressman Weiner has vowed to stay in office. Many will use this decision to their advantage.

One politician who is grateful for the Weinergate scandal, is none other than Ex California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is embroiled in his own a high profile sex scandal of epic proportions. He was in the midst of his own firestorm of love child and looming high profile divorce from a Kennedy when the Weinergate scandal overshadowed his scandal. Arnold is grateful for the temporary reprieve of being off the front pages of the New York Times/Irish Central.

The Weinergate scandal was perfectly timed to erupt with dismal financial news for the Obama administration. Instead of the Obama administration being pilloried for squandering the "stimulus" money which is driving the country in deeper debt & seeing the unemployment figures rise ominously, the press has been focused on Weiners sexcapades. So the longer this scandal lingers, it gives the administration more time to spin this to their advantage. The timing is rather suspicious though.

Many Republicans have already called for the Congressman to resign, but is that what they really want him to do? The Republicans learned a hard lesson from the Clinton/ Lewinsky scandal when public opinion went against them after it was perceived they were too harsh on the sitting President. So there is doubt that the Republicans will press for a resignation.

If Weiner stays in office though, this will be a boon for Republicans. A "wounded Weiner" will no longer be able to be the liberal "pitbull" of the House. A wounded Weiner presence will taint the Democrats with an air of scandal permeating the whole Democrat party. Every Democrat politician will be asked to either defend Weiner or condemn him, in order to get it on the record.

Yes the sanctimonious among the politicians will condemn Weiner and call for his resignation. But the Machiavellian among them will secretly urge him to stay, for their own selfish reasons.

Does Weiner have the necessary narcissism and chutzpah he has so often displayed over the years, to endure the firestorm of criticism and stay in his seat? Many hope so.

For other points of view visit Carroll Standard:

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California: The Canary in the Mineshaft

The miners of yore kept caged canaries to warn of dangerous gas build up as they worked below ground. The birds would chirp away while the air was good, but would fall silent & sicken if conditions became dangerous. This avian early warning system saved countless thousands of miners lives, until, I am assuming, the practice was banned by California animal rights groups.

California is the nations early warning canary and the little bird is no longer chirping away.

It has been a fact for many years: Where California goes, the rest of the nation will soon follow. In that case fellow Americans, be afraid, be very afraid.

Just listed again as the most business unfriendly state in the nation, California is also well on the road to be the most unfriendly to agriculture, once it's economic backbone.

At the behest and insistence of their core base, democrats have yielded to rabid environmentalists who have turned the state upside down. They have stuck the proverbial bayonet into the gut of Central Valley agriculture by shutting off their water. Thousands of farms (yes folks that is in the thousands) have been driven out of business because of a non native species of minnow called the delta smelt.

The once vibrant verdant central valley, is looking more like the dust bowl of the depression days. Hundreds of thousands of farm workers have no jobs and if you'll notice, food prices are rising.

To make a long story short, water was cut off/rationed to these farmers because environmentalists backed by Californias Senator Barbara Boxer (D), decided the smelt needed more water than human beings. That's right folks, in the enviro/whacko world we are governed by, humans are far down the list of what is valued anymore, especially private sector humans.

What about "save the humans" for a change?

The elephant in the living room concerning this "water shortage" is that it could have easily been averted had dams been built to harness the tremendous watersheds of California. But by design, the perennial water shortage is due to the proposed dams being sued out of existence by environmental lawsuits.

Couple the above with California's edicts on business and industry which has driven 1,000's of companies to other states- Sanctuary city policies/ illegal alien invasion costing the state billions -Politicians owned and controlled by public sector labor unions- The concentration of power into the hands of lobbyists and bureaucrats.....and you have a state spiraling down the drain on a path of fiscal insanity.

Sound familiar?

America: Call the vet, stat! Your canary is hanging upside down from its perch.

For other points of view visit Carroll Standard:

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What does not kill you will make you stronger - Sarah Palin emerges stronger

Sarah Palins direct Alaskan style has started to resonate with the citizens of the lower 48 states. She attracts great crowds of enthusiastic supporters wherever she appears.

In spite of the concerted savage attacks by the established leftist main stream media, she is having a resurgence in popularity. As if grasping at straws, some are even breathlessly reporting (Martin Bashir, of NBC of course) that her bus tour of national monuments is somehow illegal?

Those of lesser character and strength would have wilted under the continued hateful attacks aimed at knocking her out of politics. But Sarah Palin seems to grow stronger as she finds an inner strength that inspires her onward and inspires Americans at the same time.

She has a disdain for the media that has repeatedly tried to undermine her at every turn, sent investigative reporters to her elementary school to dig up dirt on her and practiced the art of character assassination on her at every level, public and private. It brings a great truth to mind when you see the indomitable Sarah plow forward: "What does not kill you, will make you stronger".

It makes one speculate if that same media would have probed Obamas past with the same zeal they have gone after Sarah Palin, before the 08 election, if he would have been elected President? Would it have meant a Hillary Clinton as President instead? It is interesting to probe that possibility as we start the new political season.

When Sarah Palin first came on the scene, she spoke in a language many of us had not heard in a long time, direct truth in what she believes in, not sugar coated. That rankles many who like to ignore the herd of elephants in the living room and pretend that there is no economic problem that bigger government can't solve and simplistic all we have to do with terrorists/dictators is sit down and have a beer with them.

It will be interesting to see what Sarah Palin feels inspired to do, whether she will run for President or who she will throw her weight behind in the coming Presidential election. But one thing for sure, she will speak out fearlessly on what she believes in and that is what America desperately wants to hear.

For other points of view visit Carroll Standard:

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Governor Signs Drug Test for Welfare Law

Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) on Tuesday signed into law the requirement that adults applying for welfare assistance undergo drug screening.

This had been one of Governor Scotts primary aims when he campaigned for Governor of the state, to bring some control to the states welfare programs.

"It's the right thing for taxpayers," , "It's the right thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We don't want to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs." Scott said after signing the legislation into law.

The laws lofty aim is a way to help the states drug addiction and abuse problems, by creating incentives to stay clean in order to receive assistance from the state.

The usual suspects, Democrats from the state's congressional delegation, issued a joint statement attacking the legislation, one calling it "downright unconstitutional."

"Governor Scott's new drug testing law is not only an affront to families in need and detrimental to our nation's ongoing economic recovery, it is downright unconstitutional," said Rep. Alcee Hastings. "If Governor Scott wants to drug test recipients of benefits, where does he draw the line? Are families receiving Medicaid, state emergency relief, or educational grants and loans next?"

Rep. Corrine Brown said the tests "represent an extreme and illegal invasion of personal privacy."

Really? What a concept, social engineering by the government in order to change peoples behavior, how unconstitutional! Almost every law passed by politicians is designed to modify the citizens behavior!!!

If requiring a clean drug test before receiving a government check is such a hardship, how about all of the private companies and government agencies that require clean drug tests of their employees?

This law is a good law and long overdue. Just maybe it can help break the chain of generational welfare dependency that has developed over the past 40 years. If you are not being subsidized to be drug addled, maybe it will provide the incentive to go out and improve your life.

Just like requiring proper identification in order to vote in elections was met with a cacophony of protests. The same group is crying foul now that a Governor is tackling the thorny issue of welfare reform.

Kudos to the states for being proactive in bringing about fundamental change. Because the "hope and change" promised by Washington, is nothing but bong smoke.

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