Being a Constitutional Conservative leaves one often in a rather lonely place politically. While I have registered with the Libertarian Party as that closest to my thinking, even many of their positions do not come into alignment with my own. This apparently outside-of-the-box positioning however leads me with some things that I would like to say (or more accurately whine) about where political parties are concerned today in the US:
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Listen, I have nothing against Democrats and in fact considered myself one in my youth. (Hey, I did grow up in Chicago after all, where being Republican was damned near illegal.) I believe however, that you have been led astray by a well educated, self seeking, power elite that have taken over your party's message.
Where once you were the party of the little guy, trying to make sure that everyone in this country got a fair chance at achieving their piece of the American Dream; you now appear to have been led down an egalitarian path. The focus is no longer on equal opportunity, but on equal results.
Your support of the union member has now evolved into a support of the union leadership. Intent on attacking big business and the bloated rich that you demonize in this country (in spite of the fact that they pay the government's bills), your leadership now appears oblivious to big unions and the bloated fringe interests of environmental concerns and animal rights.
Who in fact is more evil these days, GM or the UAW? (Oh wait, they're the same thing.) Who is more onerous and odorous, Exxon or the Sierra Club? Who cares less about animals than they do about the exercise of power within government, the beef industry or PETA?
The truth of the matter is that any large organization, on either side of a given issue, is prone to egregious influencing and extortion of elected officials. Look around you with unclouded eyes., you may find that you have been led astray.
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As for Republicans, I have nothing against you either, and in fact considered myself one in my youth (a bit later on, of course). I believe however, that you have been led astray by a well educated, self seeking, power elite that have taken over your party's message (hmmm, that sounds vaguely familiar).
You have abandoned your core beliefs in fiscal responsibility and small government, choosing instead to become the party of "somewhat less than the Democrats". Once the supporter of Capitalism and a free market-based economy, you now attempt to defend corporate bailouts, increased government handouts, and limited wealth redistribution.
Far from being a party with a clearly defined message, you are now being told by your own leadership to accept ideals and concepts which were previously anathema to your principles in the name of creating a "big tent". Even worse, you allow your party of opposition to define what that big tent should be.
Circuses have big tents my friends, but that doesn't mean that we will vote for the clowns.
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Libertarians, you are nearest and dearest to my heart these days; but you have taken the concept of a political party to a level of disorganization that almost reaches an art form. This lack of basic organization skills makes your fund raising difficult and hinders your inclusion on the broader field of American politics.
Far from trying to change this however, you glory in the internal anarchy and take pride in your self-imposed fringe status.
In the name of such worthy causes as limited government and the 2nd Amendment, you have seemingly taken under your wing every anti-government cause on the planet. In the hope of increasing your power base, you embrace fringe groups that often scare your staunchest supporters and allow others to demonize the very freedoms that you seek as "wacky".
As a Constitutional Conservative, I simply ask that each of the political parties of this government follow the dictates of the document that defines it and limits its powers. The Constitution, contrary to the belief of some, was not created as an 'organic' document and is not subject to the opinions of either the Executive or Legislative branches of the government or the whims of politicians, as seems far too often to be the case these days. Even the Supreme Court is limited in the interpretive oversight that it has on this document (though there are times when you would be hard-pressed to convince them of that.)
It is the framework that supports the freedoms that protect us, and should be treated with appropriate respect as a consequence.
I ask only that the branches federal government simply follow the guidelines in this document as set out by the Founding Fathers; and if they find them too limiting and wish to in some way change them, that they do so through the Constitutional processes provided rather than through creative interpretation. (For those of you who have not read this document lately, they call these Amendments.)
I truly believe in these dangerous days that none of the political parties (and few individuals except perhaps, some of the more well-informed groups that came out of the Tea Parties) limit themselves to this simple rule-of-thumb, and that makes me rather sad.
It's a terrible thing in this country to discover that the elected leaders who took an oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States" have mostly abandoned it either through willful neglect or carefully orchestrated deceit.
So I cry out against each of you; Democrat, Republican, and yes even Libertarian as I paraphrase the lyric: "It's not my party, but I'll cry if I want to". And as the line continues from this song from my youth, "You would cry to if it happened to you."
My friends, it is ...
(By the way, did you know that the expression "rule of thumb" came from English common law, wherein a man was allowed to legally beat his wife, so long as the stick used was less thick than his thumb. Perhaps the practice is worth reviving, only this time for use on recalcitrant politicians.)
I try not to use my self-appointed position at the Just Blowing Smoke blog for personal reasons any more than current crop of Congressional Democrats use theirs to abuse the American people with onerous and odorous legislation (you can see how wide open that this leaves the field however). The birthday of one's mother however, should be able to be seen by almost anyone as an exception worthy of note.
And exception is exactly the word that should be used where this woman is concerned, for the exceptional indeed is the Matriarch of our family.
I don't recall that my siblings and I were not a terribly unruly bunch growing up, but I am sure that we presented our fair share of parental challenges; even to a stay-at-home mom. These were probably made a bit made more interesting for her however by the fact that our father worked nights for the lion's share of our upbringing and traveled extensively afterward, leaving her the keeper of both love and discipline, a position to which she was eminently suited.
This situation also left the lioness protecting the cubs (pun intended) from threats both foreign and domestic, and protect them she did. While some days found her breaking up the natural squabbling (fairly frequent as I remember it) that occur when there are four siblings under the same roof, others saw her wading into a crowd of teenagers far beyond her weight class to restore order to an unruly mob. Some found her acting as referee during the the occasional youthful shouting matches at home, while others saw here performing the same function at her sons' hockey games (though not officially, of course). In the end she gained the respect of those around her in all of these situations, and her advice was always listened to (if they knew what was good for them), and was often heeded (even the refs finally broke down and gave her a striped shirt).
An avid sports fan during her years in Chicago, she expanded her fanatical devotion to the Cubs, Bears, and Blackhawks to include the Chief and the Royals after moving to Kansas City, and later still to the KU Jayhawks. With all of these teams, somehow she is able to keep player rosters, performance levels, personal quirks, and character flaws on each player of every one of those teams straight in her head; with a perfect recollection of detail at the ready.
She does this as well with a family of truly Catholic proportions spread throughout the country.
Confronted with a name or a face, she is immediately able to place them by parents, siblings, children of their own, city of residence, and time since last seen. (A trait which she unfortunately somehow failed to pass on, at least to this offspring.) I am always astounded to see relations approach to say hi to "Aunt Sis" (a nickname picked up long ago), never expecting to be recognized or remembered; only to have her reveal minute detail of life to each person, while asking the most exacting questions about their current lives.
So on this day of days, I choose to remember and thank someone who keeps so many of us constantly in her memory. For today Ruth Higgins reaches the all too young age of 80, a number notable for her fulfillment of a promise made long ago to seal her undying loyalty to the Chicago Cubs with a tattoo on her right shoulder (Winnie is smiling mom). The undying loyalty, love, and respect of this son however (and I am sure far more of the clan) are today reserved instead for this woman, who deserves oh so much more than any of us can show her.
Happy Birthday Mom!
Having attained the apparently necessary age and self-appointed title of Curmudgeon, one tends to look at things with a cynical eye and a jaded perspective. Most of the things that everyone talks about as being "the latest thing" appear to one in my position of simply being yet another example of "everything old is new again".
Take for example the current Administration and Congress. While there appear to be some firsts seen with this current crop of politicians, much of what they say and do today is little more than ideological retreads.
President Obama claims to be the first African-American president, but did after all have a Caucasian mother. Perhaps that instead makes him the first bi-racial president, though I suspect that other presidents in our history might have had some interesting pedigrees that they were unwilling to talk about. I guess a person can be who they decide they are however.
President Obama is claimed by many of his sycophants to be the greatest uniter as a president since Abraham Lincoln, but Lincoln's election divided this country as it had never been divided before or since ... in Civil War. Obama and Lincoln do both come from Illinois however, and show a similarity views where the federal government is concerned; with both attempting to draw increasing power both to it and to the executive branch.
(One could also point out that Lincoln
was a great builder of railroads, and that the latest Congress appears to be a runaway train.)
Beginning perhaps in the second term of the Bush years, it seems intent on legislating and spending in a way that has embarrassed drunken sailors. They have raised the debt ceiling (a rather curious term, isn't it?) more times than Visa has raised my credit limit in recent years, and to a worse purpose.
Congress has likewise intruded in an ever increasing way in the personal freedoms of the citizens of this country. But we have seen this before in the "New Deal" of the FDR years and the "Great Society" of LBJ. It's not perhaps a change in philosophy that we are shown here, as much as an increase in the scope and scale of the governmental abuse.
Money is hard to come by, and many say that it is the fault of this President and this Congress. Inflation also seems right around the corner, and the worth of a dollar may prove much less very quickly, but this too is not far out of our memory. Any of us old enough to have lived through the Carter Administration remember the gas lines, the double digit prime rates, and the fact that no one could afford to borrow money for anything.
There is a lot of talk about organizations like the United Nations, the G20 and others will exert influence that will lead inevitably to a "World Currency" and a "World Government". We have seen this before as well, with Woodrow Wilson and the attempt to form the League of Nations. Many indeed were crying out over the ceding of our sovereignty then to an organization that we never actually ended up joining.
In truth, there is a commonality to all of these abuses and the thinking that is behind them. Having done a good bit of reading on this recently (some of it horribly boring, let me tell you), I feel that I can state that all of these efforts show a recurring theme of Progressive thinking. This belief in larger and more onerous government control, in egalitarianism through wealth redistribution, and in a ruling elite of those best suited to leading runs through all of this like a recurring melody.
Like the music of Neil Sedaka and Frankie Vali and the Four Seasons (whoops, really dated myself on that reference), Elton John and Billy Joel, or Fergie and Kelly Clarkson; there is a repeating theme to all of it.
We began to see the shape of this music with the passage of the Stimulus Package, the the bailouts, and the most recent budget. We likewise began to see the shape of that which is to come with health care legislation, cap and trade, and the internet fairness doctrine. And though I find this particular form of music abhorrent (much as I feel about rap music), these are not tunes with which I am unfamiliar.
The lyrics change subtly in these Progressive compositions from one generation to the next, and the beat speeds up or slows down as it suits those wishing to dance to the tune of the latest pied piper ... but the Progressive Hits Just Keep On Comin'.
Another weekend, another attempt on my part to provide insight and perspective on the events of the week in the Toledo Free Press.
Now I'm not the most knowledgeable person where the solid waste department of the city is concerned. Karen Shanahan has done a number of pieces on her blog on the issue, and Jim Harpen has provided some previous insight in an earlier column in the Toledo Free Press. Some of the recent events surrounding the situation caught my attention however, and I decided to put my two cents in (the only inexpensive investment that has been made it appears).
As you know, I always correctly remind you that there is much more than my limited contribution in the TFP; but this weekend I fear that all reading it will agree with me. Michael Miller has outdone his normally outstanding efforts this week with a special piece that I will not attempt to spoil for you with faint praise. Neither will I specifically mention the many other great articles this week, lest they like I suffer by comparison.
All of this of course, being the reason that you should take some time this weekend to catch up on what's going on in the Glass City in the Toledo Free Press.
On Tuesday, City Council stepped forward to pass new legislation to make it illegal to pass a bicycle without a minimum safe passing distance of at least three feet. Councilman Steve Steel sponsored this legislation, stating after its passage that even though it would very soon become law:
- that it was not currently seen as a problem in the city
- that it would be difficult to enforce
- that it would not of much concern to police
- that for the most part, the law would only serve simply on an educational basis (assuming of course that it's not forgotten in the next month).
Perhaps however the real impetus to pass such legislation, much like the rush to pass the texting legislation currently under review, was to allow grandstanding politicians to get ahead of a parade of similar legislation currently under consideration at the state level in so as to appear even more caring to voters.
Now some of you may remember that I tried to deal with this law, as well as the previously mentioned local texting while driving ordinance under consideration in my proposed TOAD (Toledo Omnibus Auto / Bicycle texting while Driving) legislation last week. Obviously, I was not only unsuccessful in getting these two pieces of legislative nonsense combined, but equally impotent in getting them thrown down to defeat.
Not to be deterred however, I am seeking to change tactics, seeking a different kind of legislation for Toledo. I now am therefore proposing the Add / Subtract Stupid Laws for Toledo. This legislation, which for simplicity's sake will be dubbed the "ASS Laws for Toledo" will seek to force council to remove one stupid law from the books every time that they add a new stupid law to them.
My hope is that if we cannot prevent City Council from continuing to pass legislation best used as natural plant fertilizer, that we can at least try to maintain a consistent relative volume of such ignorant pronouncements on the legal books of Toledo.
I urge each of you to call or email your district City Council person, and all of the at-large members of council, and urge them to vote for the ASS Laws for Toledo.
Update:
It has been brought to my attention that some people may be offended by the acronym used for the proposed landmark legislation that I have put forward. It appears that the word "ASS" can be considered offensive (possibly by those who feel that they could be considered one themselves).
An alternate acronym has therefore been called for, and while I am obviously disappointed after all of the previously expended effort in coming up with this rather clever acronym, in the end I find that the principle of the law itself is more important than the name by which we call it. I have therefore withdrawn any objection to a change
(and besides, if just one life is saved ...). As a consequence, please feel free to now use DUMB as the replacement name for this proposed legislation, with this acronym in turn standing for Delete Unnecessary Municipal Bullshit.
Understanding that words do mean things, I have promised to apologize for any offense that might have been caused to members of City Council for the use of what was apparently considered an offensive acronym if any such elected representative of the city will apologize to me for what I consider the even more egregious offense of the idiotic legislation being debated in City Council when they have more important things to do.
"It's not that most politicians want to help you, it's that most politicians simply want to be seen to be helping you that should truly terrify each of us."
- me
This week has seen the return to some level of prominence former mayoral candidate and current Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop. Having taken a rather severe drubbing in September's mayoral primary, Mr Konop seemed to have chosen recently to take a less visible position on topical issues, but no longer.
Ben has come out strongly in this last week on Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon and the subject of the number of dogs that are euthanized under his watch in office. Ignoring the fact that a Dog Warden Advisory Committee is currently addressing this very subject in the Dog Warden's office, our youthful commissioner has jumped instead in front of a sham parade being held by the Toledo Blade in calling for Mr Skeldon's removal.
In this recent awakening, Mr Konop has seen fit not only to attack the dog warden (something that could get him in a lot of trouble if he were a dog and not a county commissioner), but to attack fellow Commissioners Tina Skeldon-Wozniak (whose cousin this dog warden is), and Commissioner Pete Gerken (whose relation will be on City Council and not in the Dog Warden's office).
Appearing more in the paper and in front of the media microphones in the last week than he did in the month leading up to the November elections, he appears to have found this as the next cause de jure to "sink his teeth in".
Please understand me here. I am and always have been a dog person, and take a dim view of animal mistreatment. I had dogs all through childhood (a childhood which some have said has yet to end) and it has only been my schedule and landlord that have prevented me from ownership in recent years. I likewise believe that every dog that must be put down is a terrible tragedy; and that everything that can be done, should be done to prevent such occurrences.
I should also point out that I cannot call myself any great fan of Dog Warden Tom Skeldon, finding his door to door license searches of the past both onerous and self-seeking.
While believing that this Warden perhaps needs to be "held on a shorter leash" however, I believe that this recent attack is unjustified and little more than self-serving nonsense.
I would suggest that if Commissioner Konop would like to be concerned with something of worth, let him be concerned with the safety of Lucas County residents. Instead of manufactured issues, let him seek to do something about the changing level of protection and the drastically changing fees that the Lucas County Sheriff seeks to charge communities around Toledo for such service (a subject on which his silence, and that of his fellow commissioners, has been almost deafening).
If not that worthy goal, let him seek a new level of cooperation with the incoming administration of Toledo Mayor-elect Mike Bell.
Man's best friend needs our protection and our help, but not the apparently disingenuous affection shown here by the Blade and Mr Konop. If our commissioners would like to show true affection for these four-legged friends, they will find a ready supporter in me. I will not support however this self-serving, self aggrandizing, self-promoting sham of the emotion shown by these recent outbursts. Far from being a show of true caring, these fraudulent feelings cannot even qualify as ... Puppy Love.
Perhaps no greater responsibility do we have in this country than to pay homage to those who have served in defense of the freedom and liberty that we enjoy today. Perhaps no no greater gift have we than the thanks that we offer for that service.
To those of you who have served in the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard we tender our love, our respect, and our gratitude for the efforts and sacrifices that you have made.
(I have a few things that I would like to share with the moneychangers in this temple of freedom seeking to take advantage of this hallowed day in order to sell us a car, a mattress, or a television set; but I will not dishonor the sacrifice of veterans in this post by placing it here. But as the Irish say, "I've got you in me book!" and will deal with you in an appropriate manner later.)
Update:
I have been spending the evening of Veterans Day listening to the soundtrack from the HBO series "Band of Brothers" (also often broadcast these days on the Arts and Entertainment Channel). This was the favorite music of my late father, who was likewise enamored of the series, even though it depicts service in Europe when his was in the Pacific.
It brings back some truly wonderful memories, both of him and the show. I should also point out that anyone who is not moved by this music, written by Michael Kamen, has no appreciation either of music or of the bond experienced by those who have served in the armed forces. While never being so blessed myself, I can at least share some small part of this experience by listening to the joy, sorrow, and majesty of the human condition embodied in this music.
Originally formed as two battalions of Continental Marines on this date back in 1775, the United States Marine Corps has continuously and honorably served this country for the last 234 years.
For those who would like to see some additional information on the "Leathernecks" (a name derived from the leather collar of their uniforms during the Revolutionary War period), you may refer to some previous postings that I have done on the subject of the Corp.
They include one on the recently opened Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, VA.
Another one on the original Marine Barracks (first used in 1801, and one of the few structures in Washington not damaged during the British occupation of Washington in the War of 1812) and the Evening Parade, which I was privileged to witness during a memorable trip with a group of WWII Marine veterans on a trip to that city last year.
Of course no history of the Corp would be complete without the very special, and to me very personal story of "Lost Battalion", Company A of the 10th Amphibious Tractor Battalion (in which my father served during WWII).
Oorah!
Today's Toledo Blade feature an editorial by syndicated columnist Froma Harrop "Tea Party Points the way to GOP loss in N.Y.". (I found the identical column under a different title here.), decrying the strategy of what she called the "Tea Party wing of the Republican Party" for its lack of success in getting Conservative candidate Douglas Hoffman elected to New York's 23rd district.
She speaks of a this group condemning a moderate Republican (who seemed far more liberal than moderate to me), having outsiders like Dick Armey and Sarah Palin coming in to support a candidate with similar beliefs, and decrying big government projects like building roads and dredging the St Lawrence river as the reason that Mr Hoffman lost. She likewise calls Mr Hoffman a carpetbagger because he lives outside of the Congressional District.
Of course this is typical of left wing journalism these days, which reports only the most convenient 'facts' to bolster a position while ignoring everything else.
- The Tea Parties are about conservative thinking, and not necessarily Republican thinking.
- If we are to decry the efforts of Sarah Palin and Dick Armey in NY, will similar condemnation be made of President Obama's efforts in the Democratic losses in Virginia and New Jersey?
- If Mr Hoffman was a carpetbagger for his residency, was Hilary Clinton likewise one when she first ran for the NY Senate seat, having never lived in the state before standing for election?
- Mr Hoffman's effort was his first in politics, a last minute decision, and that of a 3rd party candidate, all of which certainly had serious effect on his chances of winning.
- Ms Scozafava, the endorsed Republican candidate was so in tune with the Republican Party that when she dropped out of the race, she endorsed the Democratic candidate.
But all of these issues are beside the point. The mistake that Ms Harrop makes in her rush to judgment is to attack the effort as being by outsiders and the electorate in NY for making a principled stand. Somewhere in her analysis of politics, she seems to have forgotten that there is more to government than the two major political parties. She likewise seems unable to understand that having an elected official who does not believe in the principles that the voters represent serves no purpose, regardless of which party they claim to belong to.
Mr Hoffman may have lost this election, and there may be one less Republican in the House, but New York voters have not completely lost. The voters of the 23rd District did very well by a candidate who stood for election without party support, but stood instead on conservative principles. This close showing by a last minute candidate should serve as a warning for politicians around the country of the power of those principles.
There is an upwelling of Conservative thought going on in this country that can quickly turn into a lack of support for a candidate, Republican or Democrat, who believes otherwise. Being a Republican is no longer a guarantee of support from Conservative voters however, unless you believe in Conservative thought (in my case, Constitutionally Conservative thought).
The failure in the 23rd District may not have been the best run campaign in New York, and it was certainly unsuccessful in putting its candidate in office. I consider it a success however, because unlike Ms Harrop, the Hoffman campaign took not a party, but a principled stand.
