Long before Wayne LaPierre held his press conference the internet was alive with practical solutions on how to prevent another Newtown, CT like attack on schools. Most comments coalesced around arming school based administrators and teachers. One idea is to provide concealed carry training to school based administrators and on a voluntary basis to teachers. The school district would cover the costs of the training, license and purchase of an approved weapon.
Virginia is considering legislation requiring teachers be armed.
Several photographs and photo-shopped signs were circulated graphically demonstrating the popularity of this solution. Two stand out and were the most often received by WDW. Below is a widely distributed photo allegedly depicting an Israeli teacher and her class of elementary school students:
This photo-shopped sign with the caption “Which sign is most likely to deter a school shooting?” is widely circulating on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites:
Comments on these images may be best represented by a common sense approach to the issue. The argument goes something like this – if there is something valuable that society wants to protect and defend then society must have armed guards in place. Examples of protected areas include: government offices at every level, sensitive installations such as military bases or nuclear power plants, airports, banks, prisons and national parks.
Many are asking why we are not similarly protecting our most precious natural resources – our children?
USA Today reports, “About 70% of public schools don’t have [a] police officer and almost 60% don’t have any security staff. Those with police tend to be big and urban schools, according to a USA TODAY data analysis.” Clearly at some point schools decide to have an armed guard present. The only restriction is cost weighted against the potential threat.
Political opponents focus on taking away guns, not on protecting the children as is done for most politicians. History and statistics work against opponents to arming those most responsible for the protection of our children – school based administrators and teachers.
PLEASE TAKE OUR ONLINE SURVEY ON THE QUESTION OF ARMING SCHOOL STAFF:
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-12-23 15:02:502012-12-23 15:02:50Grassroots movement to arm teachers gains momentum
When Charlie Crist was a Republican and later an Independent, he always identified himself as a strong supporter of the rights of gun owners, but now as a Democrat, it’s clear that his past support for the Second Amendment was based on political expediency and not principled conviction.
“We need to have some restrictions, that’s pretty obvious to most people. What do you need a 30-clip magazine for? Not to go hunting deer. I can tell you that because I hunt deer.” – Charlie Crist
There are many instances where ”Chain-Gang” Charlie was as a staunch political gunslinger as there ever was one that would never waiver from his pro-gun positions. Is there a better example of a political opportunist in the country than Charlie Crist?
Charlie Crist with shotgun
Crist is ‘Pro-Gun:’
“I’m pro-gun. I strongly support the Second Amendment. It’s fundamental. It’s our Second Amendment for a reason; the Founding Fathers thought it was that important.”(Florida Times-Union, 8/20/06)
Crist Opposed Bans on Assault Weapons:
Crist Opposed Both the Assault Weapons Ban and the Brady Bill. “Graham voted for the ban on assault weapons and for the Brady Bill, which imposed a waiting period for handgun purchases. Crist opposes both. “I believe citizens do have the right to bear arms,” said Crist, who is a hunter.” (Orlando Sentinel, 10/11/98)
Crist Says We Need to Ban Criminals, Not Guns:
Crist: “Yes, I do, [own] a shotgun. I hunt pheasant, duck. I’m a very strong defender of the Second Amendment. What we need to do is ban criminals, not guns. As a member of the Senate select committee on juvenile justice reform I took testimony at a hearing from a young man involved in a life of crime as a youth, who had turned that life around. (He) explained how foolish it was to try to limit law-abiding citizens’ rights to have a handgun . . . Prior to a criminal’s illegal act involving a handgun, they don’t ordinarily take the time to look . . . to see if they’re violating the law.” (St. Petersburg Times, 11/5/94)
Charlie Crist Received A+ Rating from NRA for Never Taking a Position Adversarial to 2nd Amendment:
Former Florida NRA Chairman Marion Hammer: ‘You Can’t Get an A+ Unless You Have a Strong History on Our Issues.’ “Hammer said Crist earned an “A” rating as a political newcomer, the highest grade bestowed to a rookie candidate by the NRA, and subsequently received an “A+” in future years based on his voting record. “You can’t get an ‘A+’ unless you have a strong history on our issues,” Hammer said.” (Politifact, 7/14/10)
Crist advocated bringing guns to the work place:
Crist Supported the ‘Bring your Gun to Work Bill’ “I understand there are competing interests. There always are in this process. “But people being protected is most important to me.” (Orlando Sentinel, 4/15/08)
Crist denied it was “too easy” to get guns in FL
“I understand … there are some numbers that are disconcerting, particularly as it relates to murder and other violent crimes,” Crist said Tuesday. Despite the rise in gun crimes, Crist said it is not too easy to get a gun in Florida but didn’t elaborate on why gun crimes are going up so much. (AP, 6/26/07)
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-12-21 11:44:272012-12-21 11:44:27The Two Faces of Gunslinger Charlie Crist
If you’ve seen the movie The Usual Suspects then you know that Keyser Soze is not a nice guy. But he’s sort of the good guy.
Somebody is going to take advantage of you and your political party. It’s not a question of if, just when. And if you’re not ready for it, everything you’ve built could come tumbling down.
To quote the movie, this is what you’re up against:
“There was a gang of Hungarians that wanted their own mob. They realized that to be in power, you didn’t need guns or money or even numbers. You just needed the will to do what the other guy wouldn’t.”
And this is the Keyser Soze solution:
“And then he showed these men of will what will really is.”
A Test Of Political Will And Integrity
The ruthless political tactics that some people use are void of integrity. They’re so far over the the ethical line that it should be criminal. Most of the time it’s not. Not exactly.
With experience, you learn to see it coming and you can just walk away from the political deal. But even the most savvy political people get taken from time to time. And this is where you have to make a choice.
Do you keep your integrity intact? Or do you get ruthless?
Okay, let’s switch gears here and get a little more serious. The truth is, there are some good, solid political practices that you can follow when you’re neck-deep in it with ruthless politicians.
Real Political Solutions For Bad Political Situations:
Stay afloat. Don’t ignore your good constituents. It helps you moving forward and brings some light to a dark day.
Keep cool and calm. Overreacting is acting without thinking. The ruthless gang of politicians you’re dealing with expect it. They’re probably even hoping for it.
Strategize. You need a comprehensive plan. And maybe tightening up the political ship. You want to figure out their possible reactions to your action. And how you’re going to steer the political situation to make their reactions mute. The best political plans forge forward no matter what they say or do. Or don’t say and don’t do.
Be persistent. Stick to your guns and execute your political plan. If you can’t go around them, keep banging on the door until someone answers and meets your demands to rectify the political situation. Every day, go back and bang on the door again. And twice on the Sunday talk shows.
Learn. Don’t get in deeper once you realize there’s a problem. And if there are similar loose ends in other areas of your politics, tie them up so it doesn’t happen again. Exercising some basic political due diligence is important. ‘Cause you never know.
Predatory politicians will always be around. They move from place to place constantly; they’re always there for a good time, not a long time.
Hold them in one spot for long enough, and just like sharks, they can’t breathe.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-11-30 11:07:042012-11-30 11:07:04The Keyser Soze School Of Ruthless Politics
Many wonder why so many people embrace the progressive utopia. There are progressives in all political parties, in every community, state and nation. There have been many theories put forward on why individuals become progressives. One that is not addressed is: Progressives consistently focus on the micro and ignore the macro. From finance, to politics, to public policy, to national security, to foreign affairs, to science, the progressive, like a laser, focuses on the smallest common denominator.
Progressives proverbially cannot see the forest for the trees.
Some practical examples are in order.
Foreign Policy – Take the current crisis in the Middle East and the progressive diplomatic approach. Progressives focus upon the Israel-Palestinian conflict ignoring the larger issue of the rise of radical Islam in the fifty-six members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). OIC members consist of 1.4 billion people, of which the most powerful militarily surround Israel. Progressives see Israel as the bully or aggressor. Taking a broader view one sees that it is Israel that is the victim of aggression on multiple fronts and from multiple aggressors. It is outnumbered, out spent and out manned.
Public Policy – Progressives view public policy in terms of the smallest common denominator – the individual. Programs are created not to make society better but rather to address the needs of the individual. Crime is a consistent problem, so progressives focus on guns. Control or get rid of guns and crimes of violence will disappear is the mantra. They focus on an individual case, such the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida, to make the case for gun control and against self-defense, while ignoring the daily violence occurring in places like Chicago, St. Louis and Philadelphia. If guns were the cause of murders then cars cause accidents and spoons cause obesity.
Social Policy – Progressives focus on contraception to reduce the number of un-wed mothers. Progressives ignore the larger issue of a consistent decline in the number of wed-mothers and traditional families, the building block of every prosperous society. With more traditional families more children are welcomed as a good for society. It is single parenthood and the cycle of single parents begetting more single parents that is the greater challenge for society. Progressives subsidize un-wed mothers, while punishing traditional families. Abortion on demand deprives the US of over 772,000 new citizens each year. More than enough to meet our long term workforce needs, without immigration.
Financial Policy – Progressives focus on the 1% who pay more than their fair share of taxes, rather than the 50% who pay no taxes at all. Micro-managing a financial system such as that of any nation is impossible. Such management done by government leads to errors on a grand scale. Witness various nations with central banks failing in Europe and the West. Industriousness and entrepreneurship are replaced with risk aversion. Banks not longer hold the risk, government does. Homeowners do not own their mortgages, FHA does. Businesses do not focus on customers they focus on government. Economic micro-management inextricably leads to more government micro-mangers, debt and ever more spending.
Politics – Progressives focus on sub-groups and sub-sub-groups rather than fundamental policy. Big ideas are replaced with pandering to individual voters. Attacking the political opponents is preferred to debating ideas and finding solutions for big problems. The more the bigger picture is ignored the more likely progressives will be elected.
Science – Progressives focus micro science. Evolution is micro-science. Earth science is reduced to single meteorological events and ignoring recorded weather patterns over long periods of time. The earth historically warms and cools in cycles. Climate changes by its very nature. Man cannot make nature, or weather, change. However, progressives focus on the polar bear population rather than the human population to create policy.
Governing – Finally, progressives govern in the micro at every level of public office. This is the mantra of progressives – think little. Whether it is regulating big gulps or what health insurance you may purchase they consistently think of ways to interject themselves in every aspect of individual lives. From providing rules of behavior like eating habits to micro-managing entire systems like medicine, progressives are always there.
The only thing that will stop progressives is Herbert Stein’s Law, which he expressed as, “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-11-21 17:44:592012-11-21 17:44:59Progressives: Focusing on the Micro, Ignoring the Macro
President Obama, late in the night, took the state of Florida, thereby ensuring his second term in office.
An analysis of the numbers shows that Obama won Florida by a margin of 46,039 votes, a steep decline from his 2008 margin of victory of 204,577. What was different then from now? According to the voting results for Florida it was the third party candidates that gave the President the state and a second term.
The ten Independent candidates drew a total of 70,949 votes.
Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson famously stated, “If you want to waste your vote, vote for me.” Truer words were never spoken.
Finally, President Obama won the popular vote by 2,357,500 over Governor Romney. The Independent candidates took 1,781,825 popular votes. That leaves President Obama with a victory margin of 575,675 popular votes.
America is truly a divided nation. It does not get any closer than this.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-11-07 06:23:282012-11-07 06:23:28Third Party Candidates give Florida to President Obama
Catherine Herridge on Greta van Susteren 10/31/12 discussing classified diplomatic cable (dated 8/16/12, almost a month before Benghazi attack) obtained by Fox News.
“I really believe, having read it, that it is the smoking gun warning here… I can’t think of anything that would be more specific than if these groups had emailed the state department and said, ‘here’s the time, here’s the place, and here’s the method of the attack’… If you couple this with the statements that a videotape was somehow responsible, what you see is that is completely undercut… What I see is a growing body of evidence that the state department has culpability for the death of the Ambassador and those other three Americans.”
James Carafano at The Heritage Foundation asks five fundamental and serious questions about the Benghazi cable that was ignored by the Obama Administration. The cable concluded that the consulate could not withstand a “coordinated attack.” Further, the cable identified terrorist groups that were operating in the area. The existence of this document raises some serious questions:
1. Why was the cable kept secret for so long?
2. How could anyone rule out a terrorist attack?
3. Why didn’t the Administration provide any interim findings of their investigation into the Benghazi attack?
4. Why wasn’t a coordinated rapid response force ready to go?
5. How long do we have to wait to get answers to obvious questions?
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-11-01 15:55:062012-11-01 15:55:06BREAKING FROM FOX NEWS: Smoking Gun Benghazi Cable
Jay Leno is the first late night comedian to mention Benghazi in an opening skit. Watch at the 50-second mark in this clip:
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-31 12:15:022012-10-31 12:15:02VIDEO: Jay Leno Opens Show with Benghazi Commentary
Watchdog Wire daily receives dozens of email links to videos produced by politicians and outside groups promoting a political agenda. Two videos prepared by outside groups came to our offices yesterday. The first is produced by Michael Moore and funded by MoveOn.org. The second was produced and funded by Special Ops Speaks.
The contrast between these two videos was so stark that the Editorial staff thought you would like to comment on each of them and the message they are sending just one week before the election.
Here are the two videos in the order received by our Florida office. First the Michael Moore video followed by the Special Ops Speaks video:
Michael Moore – A Message from The Greatest Generation – WARNING GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
Special Ops Speaks – Leaks, Lies, Libya…Lack of Leadership
Please comment and share this column with your friends.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-31 06:55:212012-10-31 06:55:21Comment on Michael Moore’s Potty Mouth Video because you can’t on YouTube
Democrats consistently push the false narrative that Mormons are racist, while ignoring the existence of black Mormons. Then, hypocritically, Democrats demean black Mormons who step into the spotlight. Witness how Democrats trashed Mia Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, and the Republican Party nominee for the United States House of Representatives in Utah’s 4th congressional district. An article that describes the despicable treatment of Mayor Love is “Hate-Filled Screeds Appear on Mia Love’s Wikipedia Page” by Patrick Hobin.
Gladys Knight
Among the black Mormons not in the political arena and largely ignored is Gladys Knight who became a Mormon in 1998 after her son Jimmy and his wife and children did so. Ms. Knight was successful as an R&B singer in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She now writes and performs Mormon Gospel music. Sam Warren of “The Drifters”, another famous black R&B group of the 1960s and 1970s, also became a Mormon. A well-known black personality who is also a Mormon is the famous college and NFL football hero Burgess Owens. NBA All-Star player Thurl Bailey became a Mormon, too, and now composes Mormon music.
LeRoy Eldridge Cleaver
An intriguing historical personality is deceased LeRoy Eldridge Cleaver who went from being a Black Panther to Black Mormon. Mr. Cleaver was the Minister of Information in the early Black Panther Party, a combination of Black Nationalism and Marxism. In 1968, he wrote “Soul on Ice” which became an international bestseller and was once considered the “Manifesto” of black nationalists and white radicals.
Among the lesser known, but influential black Mormons is Jesse Thomas Jr., a former Baptist preacher, who became a Mormon in 1989 and now serves in local priesthood-leadership positions. In 1995 Lee Radcliff, a black Baptist minister who served as a pastor in Chicago and Mississippi for decades, also became a Mormon.
The press cynically stirs up religious bigotry against Gov. Mitt Romney because his faith is Mormonism, a religion that embraces our constitutional principles of free enterprise and individual liberty. This effort to get the voting public to hate Mormons is anchored on the false notion that Mormons are racists. The Mormon denigrators focus on how, from 1849 to 1978, the Mormon Church had a policy against ordaining black men to the priesthood. In 1978, church leaders ceased the racial restriction policy for black men, declaring that they had received a revelation instructing them to do so.
In spite of that old rule about the priesthood, the Mormon Church has always had an open membership policy for all races and today’s church opposes racial discrimination and racism. In 1997, there were approximately 500,000 black members of the Mormon Church, accounting for about 5% of the total membership. Since 1997, the black membership has grown substantially, especially in West Africa, where two temples have been built.
It goes against our constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion to declare that a person is not fit to be our nation’s leader because of that person’s religion. No one has called for Democrat Senate Leader Harry Reid to denounce his Mormon religion in order to be the leader of the US Senate.
Frances Rice
Frances Rice, Esquire – Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (Retired)
Frances Rice’s great-great-grandparents were slaves. She spent her formative years in poverty in the segregated South during the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. Frances was born in Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, the same hospital where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born. She occasionally attended Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. was the pastor.
She joined the Army in 1964 as a Private and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of active service. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Drury College in 1973, a Master of Business Administration from Golden Gate University in 1976, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1977 – all while serving in the US Army.
During twenty years of active duty in the US Army, Frances served in a variety of positions, including commander of a WAC company, adjutant of a basic combat training brigade, a prosecuting attorney, and chief of the administrative law division. She also served as a special assistant to the Army Judge Advocate General and an adviser to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Equal Opportunity.
Subsequent to her military career, Frances worked for the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, serving first as a member of that company’s “think tank,” and then as a government contract advisor. She later taught Business Law for the European Division of the University of Maryland in Brussels, Belgium.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-28 06:02:442012-10-28 06:02:44CAN YOU NAME ANY PROMINENT BLACK MORMONS?
Sarasota, FL – Watchdog Wire, a citizen journalism project of The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, will provide pre and post-debate coverage and commentary on the final Presidential Debate, focusing on foreign policy, at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. on Monday, October 22 starting at 7:00 p.m. The event will be live streamed on Watchdogwire.com.
The event will feature a Watchdog Wire panel that will consist of Mark Langfan, expert on Israeli and Middle East affairs, Tom Trento, president of The United West, and Dr. Richard Swier, U.S. Army (Ret.) and editor of Watchdog Wire – Florida.
Special guests will include—Gary Bernsten, former CIA station chief and author of Jawbreaker, Clare Lopez, nuclear arms and Russian expert, and Frank Gaffney, former Assistant Secretary of Defense.
“This coverage is unique because we have scheduled guests who have been implementers of U.S. foreign policy globally,” said Swier. “Watchdog Wire is focused on high quality citizen reporting that adds to the debate.”
“The Franklin Center is committed to giving citizen journalists the resources to investigating ground-breaking issues that are of great importance to every American,” said Erik Telford, vice president of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach for the Franklin Center.
“This is the final Presidential debate with a focus on U.S. foreign policy,” Swier noted “Given events in Benghazi, Egypt, Syria and Iran it is critical to understand how each candidate will face the challenges.”
Viewers may tune in on their computer, iPad or smart phone by going to www.WatchdogWire.com and clicking on the “Presidential Debate – Round III ad” on the right side of the page, or you can follow this link.
Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity is a leader in non-profit journalism. It was founded in 2009 to address falling standards in the media as well as a steep falloff in reporting on state government and provides professional training and assistance with a mission of exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in government.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-18 06:54:162012-10-18 06:54:16MONDAY, OCTOBER 22ND: WatchdogWire Live-Streaming Pre & Post-Presidential Debate III Commentary
Mark Levin attended an event with Allen West. Both men talked about liberty and tyranny and what some call liberty is in fact tyranny. The choices laid out between a nation based upon unalienable rights and one based upon Statism are articulated by both men.
Rep. West in Part I states, “Individuals have sovereignty. Entrepreneurial spirit is rewarded. The pursuit of happiness not the guarantee of happiness. If you take God out of this nation then the words of Thomas Jefferson mean nothing.”
In Part II Levin states, “We live in a post Constitutional period. There are people in this country that do not like this country. Obamacare is about uniformity. What is going on is immoral. This President’s policies are political child abuse.”
Please watch these two videos provided by a citizen journalist from Florida:
PART I
PART II
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-08 06:52:362012-10-08 06:52:36VIDEO: Mark Levin and Rep. Allen West on Liberty & Tyranny
Democrat Congressional Candidate Patrick Murphy runs away from a reporter asking him to clarify his statement that the “Tea Party are Extremists” made during a debate with his opponent, incumbent Rep. Allen West (R). Murphy is Rep. West’s opponent for Florida’s new Congressional District 18 seat.
On Thursday October 4, 2012 during a debate with Rep. West, Murphy made the statement, “I used to be a Republican but because the TEA Party people are extremists, I decided to become a Democrat!”
J. Mark Campbell, investigative reporter for The United West, repeatedly asked Murphy to explain his statement about the TEA Party after the debate. Campbell approached Murphy and then, it was OFF TO THE RACES…as he literally, RAN-A-WAY!
Following the debate Rep. West stood outside in the parking lot answering press questions for 30 minutes. Murphy was no where to be found.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-05 09:54:592012-10-05 09:54:59VIDEO: Democrat Candidate Patrick Murphy Calls TEA Party “Extremist”
Planned Parenthood “Send a condom to a Republican delegate!” Campaign
During the first Presidential Debate Governor Mitt Romney was asked: What things would you cut from spending? Romney replied, “Well, first of all, I will eliminate all programs by this test — if they don’t pass it: Is the program so critical it’s worth borrowing money from China to pay for it?”
Is federal funding for Planned Parenthood worth “borrowing money from China to pay for it?” Keith Fitzgerald thinks so.
Democrat Congressional Candidate Keith Fitzgerald appears in a series of videos taken at an event featuring abortion activist Sandra Fluke. Fitzgerald is fixated on issues that are not of great interest to most Floridians. Polls show that the national debt, jobs and the economy are top of mind with Americans. Fitzgerald at the event made some interesting comments about helping the middle class.
Fitzgerald stated that eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood takes away a woman’s ability to “achieve and stay in the middle class”.
“If a young woman has access to reproductive rights and information about how to exercise those rights she can make choices about when to have a child. She can make the choice to start her family when she has a partner in place, if that is her choice, when she has finished her education, when she has a life plan and a direction – a career and every study will show you that if a woman makes a choice on those grounds her economic prospects are great,” says Fitzgerald
Recent studies have shown that achieving and staying in the middle class is best determined by marital status, not reproductive choice.
The Heritage Foundation found that, “Despite the massive impact of marriage in reducing poverty, government does little or nothing to discourage births outside marriage – and nothing to encourage healthy marriages. Many common misconceptions persist. This isn’t about teen pregnancy: Most non-marital births occur to women in their early 20s. Girls younger than 18 account for only about eight of every 100 births outside marriage. Also, lack of access to birth control isn’t a significant factor.” [My emphasis]
“Planned Parenthood is a private organization that receives a little bit of — in the grand scheme of things – public funding,” says Fitzgerald.
“So, you are leveraging public dollars to let a private organization provide that (reproductive) information and those services. You take that away and what do you do? You take away the ability of a young person to make the choices that will allow them to get into the middle class or stay there. So we are taking people in the middle class and throwing them out, but not just them, but their children too. So Planned Parenthood is an issue about middle class as much as it is about women’s rights,” Fitzgerald stated.
However, the Heritage Foundation recommends that, “Government ought to connect low-income couples with community resources to help them learn, or relearn, skills needed to build and sustain healthy marriages – before they bring children into the world. It’s also imperative to reform the welfare system to encourage rather than penalize marriage.”
Fitzgerald said women’s issues, which he defined as Planned Parenthood and reproductive choices, are the primary reason he is running for Congress.
https://drrichswier.com/wp-content/uploads/China_satellite.png478640Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-05 08:08:362014-05-26 10:47:17Is Planned Parenthood Worth Borrowing Money From China to Pay For It?
According to the Florida Division of Elections there has been a steady decline in the number of registered Democrats since 2008, while during the same period Republicans have gained 66,434 voters. Since 2009 the number of voters registering as Republican has been gradually increasing. The greatest increase in registered voters was in the “Other” category. There has been an overall increase in the number of registered voters in Florida.
YEAR REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT OTHER TOTAL
2008 4,106,743 4,800,890 2,504,290 11,411,923
August, 2012 4,173,177 4,627,929 2,782,261 11,583,367
Difference +66,434 -172,961 +277,971 +171,444
President Obama won Florida in 2008 by a margin of 204,577 votes. The Democrat Party of Florida has since 2008 seen a decrease in the number of registered Democrats of 172,961.
The combination of increased numbers of registered Republicans and the decrease in registered Democrats exceeds President Obama’s margin of victory by 34,818 or a margin of .003 registered voters. Can you say close election in Florida?
Additionally, the margin between registered Republicans and Democrats has narrowed since 2008. In 2008 the difference between the two parties was 694,147. As of August 2012 that has been reduced to 454,725. While there remains more registered Democrats than Republicans in Florida the gap has closed since President Obama was elected.
Both political parties will be wooing the “Other” voters in 2012. That appears to be where all the data mining will occur. If you are an “Other” voter expect to receive more direct mail pieces, more robo-calls and more pressure to vote on November 6, 2012.
The cut off date to register to vote in the November 2012 general election is Monday, October 8, 2012.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-03 06:00:012012-10-03 06:00:01The Decline and Fall of Registered Democrats
Democrat Congressional Candidate Keith Fitzgerald‘s new Communications Director Ana Maria Rosato posted an audio file on her public blog Sassy Political Insights. During the audio commentary Rosato states, “I have a strict policy — I don’t screw Republicans.” Well her comments have gone viral and she may have just screwed Fitzgerald, a Democrat.
Rosato asks, “Do Republicans hate sex, because they are tragically . . . pre-orgasmic? … Republicans are mad as hell, because they can’t get it up, can’t get off, and/or can’t get any.”
Rosatos’s Linkedin page states she previously worked in the office of former U.S. Congressman Gene Taylor (D-Mississippi) and on the Gene Taylor for Congress campaign. Rosato’s biography states that she is, “A seasoned, disciplined, and persuasive communications professional with savvy political acumen, I possess extensive experience with America’s diverse ethnic communities and political cultures from California’s multi-ethnic, union, pro-choice, and progressive communities to the Deep South’s Blue Dog Democratic, conservative, talk-radio, Fox-TV watching watching constituencies.”
During the podcast Rosato states, “Look at the evidence. Republicans damned sure aren’t acting as if they routinely experience that kind of rip-your-clothes-off – as you – walk – through – the – door – can’t – w-a-i-t – to kiss – your lips – and feel – your hands – all – o-v-e-r – my body – that kind of physical – merging where pleasure, pure unadulterated pleasure takes over – where being – pleased – where pleasing – each other, taking-you-to-new-heights-of-sheer – can’t catch-my-breath – orgasmic ecstasy pulses through our veins – pure delight . . . . until . . . . ☺ oh yeah, baby.”
Listen to Rosato’s commentary on her public blog:
Rosato posted a column titled “Do Republicans Hate Sex?” published in May 2012. Here is the full transcript of her podcast with a link to the podcast:
Today’s Grand Ob/Gyn Party is obsessed with sex — mainly ensuring that the rest of us have the same apparently miserable sex lives that they themselves endure. Just look at them. Do they look happy? Do they look like they are being romanced and courted? Do they look like they have happy, fulfilling, fabulous-can’t-wait-to-get-to-my-honey relationships? Nope.
They sure seem like a cranky, irritable, miserable lot to me. They ain’t getting any lovin’, and they damned sure spend a lot of time devising ways to prevent the rest of us from happy lives and in particular, happy sexually fulfilling lives.
Look at the evidence. Republicans damned sure aren’t acting as if they routinely experience that kind of rip-your-clothes-off – as you – walk – through – the – door – can’t – w-a-i-t – to kiss – your lips – and feel – your hands – all – o-v-e-r – my body – that kind of physical – merging where pleasure, pure unadulterated pleasure takes over – where being – pleased – where pleasing – each other, taking-you-to-new-heights-of-sheer – can’t catch-my-breath – orgasmic ecstasy pulses through our veins – pure delight . . . . until . . . . ☺ oh yeah, baby.
Wait a sec . . . b-r-e-a-t-h-e . . .
The kind of sex I just described? You have to experience it to understand it, to understand the power and joy, the word-escaping orgasmic ecstasy of it all. How tragic that when it comes to that lovely ecstasy, Republicans act as if they have lived their entire lives never, ever, ever coming close. (Puns quite intended.)
The Sexual Frustration & Immaturity Bad Public Policy Connection
Today’s Republicans act as if they are sexually frustrated and sexually immature. They lash out at the rest of us to prevent anyone from experiencing this fabulously Divine birth-right given to each of us by the Great Creator-of-All-That-Is just because we arrived on this planet.
I wonder.
Do Republicans hate sex, because they are tragically . . . pre-orgasmic?
Look at some of the legislation that the “I-hate-sex” Republicans aggressively promote.
1. the “Just say no” a la Nancy Reagan answer to teen pregnancy
2. re-outlawing birth control
3. re-outlawing abortion (legal in the nation until 1873)
4. opposition to legal marriage equality for LGBT Americans
The connecting dot is sex. Republicans fear that someone somewhere—perhaps many of us in many places know and experience fabulous sex. Republicans are mad as hell, because they can’t get it up, can’t get off, and/or can’t get any.
Hint: being mean and nasty, fellas, fails the AM aphrodisiac test.
Sex Ed 101: Recreation and Reeee-creation
We all know that sex can be for two reasons. On the one hand, sex can be for pure pleasure, enjoyment, fun, recreation! Yoohoo! Yeah, baby! On the other hand, it can be for the purpose of having children—babies. Sometimes for both. Most of the time, though, we have sex for purely recreational purposes. It’s fun! It’s f.r.e.e. Under the right circumstances and with the right person, sex feels soooo good. [Note to Republicans: deciding which circumstances and which person is unique to each of us, and none of your business.]
Some of us are coupled, some of us are married, some of us are single. Some have girlfriends. Some have boyfriends. Some have B.O.B. (battery operated boyfriends.) Many of us have a number of partners throughout our lives. We have sex. Life’s good that way.
Can’t you just hear the mantra from today’s Republican leadership?
“The audacity! The utter injustice of it all! How dare anyone enjoy their birth-right to f.r.e.e. recreation.”
Yes, today’s Republicans certainly expend an awful lot of energy focusing on, pontificating about, and obsessing over sex. What the Republican Party needs to focus on like a laser is fixing the economic mess they created during the eight years that their boy was occupying the Oval Office, which they stole in 2000.** But getting all up in our private business is what busibodies do when they themselves don’t have much of a life. Republican creative juices are so pent up that all they can think of is to create an America that is puritanical, harsh, cruel, hate-filled, and deprived of all pleasure – sexual or otherwise.
The idea of being sexually fulfilled just isn’t part of the Republican equation for living life to its fullest. That may explain the Republican propensity for prostitutes and airport stalls. That may help to explain why Republicans legislate as if our sex lives are their business and that sex must be for reeeee-creation only. Ergo, Tea Party Republican legislative packages center on restricting our knowledge of sex, eliminating our reproductive health care options, and punishing women and men for having sex without the intent of creating a baby inside a legal heterosexual marriage. In other words, Republicans are obsessed with punishing us – all of us – for having sex for pleasure!
You know, if Republicans had healthy, loving, hot sex lives, they would quit screwing over the rest of us.
Does Fitzgerald agree with the person he hired to speak for him? We have left a message for his campaign Communications Director to call us.
UPDATE: October 4, 2012
Now former Communications Director for the Fitzgerald campaign, Ana Maria Rosato said she is standing by her statements and issued a parting blog with the dateline “Saratoga” Fla. Rosato refused to apologize for her comments about the Pope and his “pedophilic protecting” priests and for calling Republicans “child haters” who “hate” women, blacks, the poor, police officers, firefighters and teachers.
When approached by a reporter Tuesday, Democrat Candidate for Congress Fitzgerald “refused” to comment or say whether he agreed or disagreed with her statements.
Rosato was sent to Sarasota, FL by the Democrat National Committee. Rosato was sent to help Fitzgerald breathe life into his campaign. The national Democrat Party announced it was cancelling a $400,000 TV buy reserved for Fitzgerald.
00Dr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Richard M. Swier, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.)2012-10-01 11:09:262012-10-01 11:09:26UPDATE: Congressional Candidate’s Communications Director Who Has “Orgasm” on Her Blog FIRED!