Category: Politics

I came up out of the bunker with my coffee cup in hand. Now it is not just any cup. This one has on it remnants of a camouflage pattern and rank insignia. An old friend.

Household 6 intercepted me at the entranceway to the kitchen. She was blocking my access to the coffee pot. Technically I do not believe you can call it a coffee pot any longer. Coffee maker perhaps? It grunts, groans and hisses out a cup from a pre-measured little container of coffee grounds. If I hear it first thing in the morning, I am running to the latrine. Works good as those prostate pills the doc prescribed. I presume what comes out of it is coffee because I have never opened up one of those little container cups to see what exactly is inside. HH6, like most days, was of the mind that I had reached my day’s ration of caffeine. Begrudgingly I agreed, sat my good friend on the counter by the sink and quicker than you can say yahoo, I grabbed a Mountain Dew from the fridge and made a run for the bunker all along thinking I really need a coffee maker down there.

I think I would like to ask Bernie Sanders how that socialism stuff is working out for him. After stomping Mrs. Clinton in the New Hampshire primary, she left there with the most delegates. They shared the wealth Bernie. Those democrat super delegates are equivalent to how they would choose the leader in a communist country – if the vote did not turn out the right way. Sorry Bernie, that is how it works in the land you envision. The difference between you and the other communist that is running is you are not afraid to claim it.

I am seeing the instant replay of prior losing republican campaigns for the presidency. Endless debates where eventually they must pound the snot out of one another alienating anyone in that important group who may want to help the general election effort. The celebrities, I consider Sarah Palin as one these days and not so much of a political force, including talk radio types are going all in for one candidate or another. The problem if their candidate loses they will spend the remainder of the election cycle badmouthing the winner. Declaring that in the interest of maintaining their own political purity they simply cannot vote for that person. Instead, they will vote for some unknown libertarian. And by their efforts of talking down a candidate to their very large audiences, they will do more to suppress the republican vote than Hillary’s crew and unethical pollsters could ever hope to do.

When I was in the Army, CAB meant Combat Aviation Brigade. I see the Commander-in-Chief’s Pentagon is directing commanders to engage the climate change battle. So CAB may now become Climate Assault Brigade. We are holding out hope that somewhere hidden away and waiting for leadership to arrive are some war fighting oriented Generals. Generals who believe that force capability far outweighs the benefits of social engineering and dealing with the wealth redistribution scam that is global warming. Rebuilding our military is going to be a challenge bigger than rebuilding the post Vietnam force and a bigger mess than Regan inherited from Carter. I served in the post Vietnam Carter Army. It was not good.

Justice Scalia, our true Constitutional originalist on the Supreme Court, died. I do not want to get off in to never never land with my thinking, but it just seems to me there are a lot of convenient tragedies these days. This looming battle, assuming the establishment republicans can muster enough backbone to put up a fight, will suck all of the attention away from whether Mrs. Clinton should be an inmate or a candidate. But the politics of it are the least concern. I have only heard one candidate speaking of how crucial the Supreme Court is, knowing that the next president will likely make several appointments. Ted Cruz, like him or not, clearly pointed out how we are a single vote away from losing rights such as religious liberty and the right to keep and bear arms by Supreme Court decisions.

Well, here we are. Supposedly sitting at a 4-4 split, but I do not even buy that it is that good considering that a majority of us rightfully thought Obamacare was going to be gone as unconstitutional. We are one vote or decision away from something. But what? Civil War? Yes, I believe it is that serious. And dear leader? He is 10 months and one Supreme Court judge away from completing the promised fundamental transformation and for what it is worth preserving a legacy.

© 2016 J.D. Pendry All Rights Reserved

Even for someone we “know and love”, this might be a few months’ supply.  After all:  at 7lbs per day, 1600lbs = 228 days and change.  (smile)

The Real Story of the Huge Chunk of Cheese
that Sat in the White House for a Year

 

 

UPDATE: 2/12/16.  Even I underestimated how big you guys would come through for me.  It took less than 24 hours, and you raised $3304.98.  So I am shutting it down for now.  Any overage we’ll keep in the account for now.

1 quick thing though, I got an email last night from a friend who works at the NRA National Firearms Museum who offered up a guided tour of the museum to anyone who donated.  If you happen to live in the area, it really is an awesome tour.  I took it a few years ago.  There’s stuff you never even imagined in there, like a shotgun that came over on the Mayflower.  Anyway, if you gave and you live somewhere in the area, send me an email if you are interested.  If I don’t hear anything, I will hold it for the next time we need to raise money.

You guys are awesome, and I couldn’t appreciate it more.   I know some are sending checks and such as well, I can hold it or return it, whatever you want.  Just let me know.  Those that wanted posters, I should get them out on Tuesday (I forgot Monday was a holiday, and hope to get in touch with Sal for some books shortly!)

Again, the TAH community is the best, and my sincere thanks to all of you who donated, shared, or even just offered your support.

 

Every time there is a snowstorm or rain or something in DC everyone sends up pictures of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns still out there walking.  And it chokes me up too.  But the Tomb Guards aren’t the only ones to work their asses off over there at Arlington.

Most of you have friends that live there now.  I do certainly.  SSG Robert Burton.  CPT Lawrence Yacubian (who’s birthday would have been last week.)  My two best friends have their fathers buried there, and I just went there for my own personal hero, Colonel Henry Cook, a special forces legend from Vietnam.   And it’s not the guard guys who take them to their resting place, it’s the Caisson guys, and their equine battle buddies.

And lest you forget, they are one of us (ie Infantrymen) as the website makes clear.

 

Most of these men and women come to Ft. Myer, Virginia not as expert horseman, but as trained infantrymen, skilled in their individual fields and tactically proficient. A new Soldier on this team must undergo rigorous training on a riding style the Army hasn’t used anywhere else since 1948. In addition to caring for the horses, the Soldiers must learn to ride in the erect posture of solemn military attention and sitting in a McClellan saddle.  In addition to maintaining the ceremonial uniform of an Old Guard Soldier, the Caisson Soldiers must learn to use, clean and maintain ceremonial tack and harness that is unique to their mission in Arlington National Cemetery. Because of this extensive equine training and experience, the Army has labeled the Caisson Soldiers with the Additional Skill Identifier D2 – Army Horseman.

Anyway, our long time friend and champion Parachutecutie had noticed for a couple of years that Caisson Platoon didn’t have challenge coins.  She surreptitiously asked around from time to time and learned from the Soldiers, many who are no longer with the unit, that they’ve just not had them for a while probably due to budget cuts.  And then she talked to the 173^rd Medal of Honor Recipients, Sal Giunta, Kyle White and Ryan Pitts, and they wanted to pitch in to help.  Again, every one of us that have friends there, the Caisson guys are the one that took them there.  They put in a shit load of time getting ready and training, and get a fraction of the praise their more high profile brothers get.

So anyway, I was going to get them all a boat with Leonardo DeiCaprio’s throw offs for them, but that might be out of the budget.  But they deserve something, and so Parachute Cutie and the MOH guys want to get them their own unique and well-made challenge coin.   I’ve offered to help raise funds.

Here’s the thing: we’re getting the coins.  If you don’t contribute, I’ll pay the whole thing, and then either my wife will kill me, or I’ll have to sell a kidney.  All told it comes to just under $3000.   But, I have 15 posters each of Kyle and Ryan from their medal ceremonies that are autographed, and I am willing to send to anyone who donates at least $50.  But of course that won’t get me to the end either (that would be $1500).  Sal is offering up signed copies of his book too, also for the $50.  But if we are going to make the goal and get to the end, we’re going to need other donations too, be it $5 or $25, or any other number.   Jonn and I and others haven’t asked for much, so hopefully you can find it in your heart to donate just a little and help us to honor those who honor our friends as they go to their final formation in the sky.

So, help us to honor those guys.  If you want the posters, hit up Jonn’s paypal at the side with $50, and then send me an email at seaveyattorney@gmail.com to let me know you did it, and whether you want a Ryan or a Kyle one, and I’ll get it out to you in the next day or two.  But my sincere hope is more so that every TAH reader who has a friend buried there will donate $5 in memory of each of their friends, and help us honor the Old Guard guys who did force protection on their last mission.   No matter how much you donate, do me a favor and send me a picture of your fallen friend, and what you would want to say to or about them.  Next summer I am taking 98 of America’s best and brightest rising seniors to visit people at Arlington during Boys Nation, and we’ll be visiting whomever you donate for.

I’m not rich.  But again, I’ll pay if I have to, because the Caisson guys deserve to know that we love and respect them as our brothers, and for having to deal with the mental part that comes with taking others loved ones to their final rest.  But I don’t think I will have to pay, because TAH always comes through.  Come through for me  now.

(If we go over the figure I am looking for the fund raiser, it will go into an account and I’ll give some of you the opportunity to get it back, or we can hold it for the next worthy endeavor.  Either way, I’ll keep on eye on our total and let you know when we reach it, but we know there’ll be other Medal of Honor events coming up, and it is always nice to know we have funds waiting.)

Picture of the coins:

There’s been endless speculation for years about whose bed post Hillary hangs those pants suits on and if you even think to say Bill’s you’ll likely get hoo-hawed outta the room. But we’re not going any further in that vein; it’s the political bedpost where Hillary discards her duds that interests far more of us than her personal peccadilloes. When you see a true power-couple like Bill and Hill leave the world’s most prestigious job in serious debt and then just a few years later posting a net worth north of a hundred million, you tend to get curious as to who’s been financially sleeping around.

When the distaff half of that couple is a presidential candidate, the public’s curiosity expands so as to overflow the void created by the Clinton’s Omerta-like silence on the subject. Questions are being asked and answers demanded. The media’s glib explanation for the Clinton’s miraculous wealth is speaking fees, and therein lies the rub. A hundred million bucks constitutes either one helluva lot of speeches at a reasonable rate or much fewer speeches at an exorbitant, some might even say an extortionate, rate. This being the Clintons we’re discussing, we can easily assume the latter with little fear of being disproved.

We now know that Bill received $1.5 million for a series of what are being called question and answer sessions with executives of Swiss banking giant UBS when that organization was being threatened by the American IRS. The American secretary of state, who just happened to be Bill’s wife, helped work a deal which got UBS off the hook and deprived the U.S. treasury of untold millions in avoided taxes. And of course we can assume that the subsequent joining of UBS with the Clinton Foundation to provide more than $30 million in loans is all purely circumstantial.

But such miraculous windfalls for the Clintons have been pooh-poohed away by the Democrat establishment and the media who slobber like Pavlov’s dog when they hear “President Hillary.” Until now, that is. The issue of Hillary’s extortionist speaking fees is back in the news cycle and this time it’s not about the money but, if you can believe it, the content of her speeches. Hillary, who constantly bashes Wall Street as being the evil puppeteers who pull the economic strings of this nation to their constant advantage, apparently has been a bit duplicitous between her public denunciations and her more, shall we say intimate, dealings with Wall Street.

At this moment, Hillary is being pressured to release the transcripts of the three speeches she made to Goldman Sachs executives which one of them describes thus:

“It was pretty glowing about us,” one person who watched the event said. “It’s so far from what she sounds like as a candidate now. It was like a rah-rah speech. She sounded more like a Goldman Sachs managing director.”

Sounds to me like La Madame Hilláire draped her pantsuit on the Goldman Sachs bedpost and slipped into something a little more comfortable for the occasion. Now the whole world knows who it is she’s been sleeping with and awaits with bated breath to hear the actual pillow talk. But there’s a bit of a problem: Madame Hillary required exclusive rights to the recorded contents of her breathy encouragements and passionate praises of performance, which is of course, the extortionist speechifier’s political equivalent of making those Goldman Sachs studs wear protection.

Someone should have warned Madame that such protection is prone to leaks.

Crossposted at American Thinker

According to Politico, the Bernie Sanders campaign has been using the American Legion’s seal in his campaign literature and they had to send him a cease and desist letter twice to get him to stop. The seal is trademarked and protected against unauthorized use by the US Code.

The Sanders campaign has come under fire in recent weeks for using the veterans organization’s logo on fliers. “We sincerely appreciate the notification of the unintentional improper use by Sanders of the emblem of The American Legion and the helpful information pertaining to your concerns,” the Seattle-based firm Garvey Schubert Barer said in a statement representing the campaign. “Sanders takes intellectual property matters very seriously and does its best to respectfully and appropriately acknowledge and to not infringe the intellectual property rights of others.”

Yeah, they’re so respectful of the laws that have to be asked twice. The American Legion isn’t the only organization’s graphics to which the Sanders campaign has helped themselves. They appropriated the League of Conservation Voters’ logo as well as the trademark of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) according to KVAL.

Brit Hume, speaking on FOX News, noted that Bill Clinton is now an elderly man – a thought that I’ll wager has been going through many American minds since last Monday night, when Hillary gave her post-caucus acceptance…er, victory speech in Iowa. While much of the television audience was focused on the fuming candidate, many were mesmerized by an airhead Clinton voter in the crowd behind the podium. The young man was upstaging madam secretary by trying to lick her campaign stickers off his cheeks. But many, including me, were fixed on and fascinated by the former president standing behind his podium-pounding partner.

The visage that Bill wore for much of that harangue was truly revealing – more like something you’d see in a nursing home day room than on a presidential campaign stage. His head drooped, and his mouth frequently gaped open in what almost appeared to be a slack-eyed but leering old geezer smile directed towards his partner’s back. If it was in fact a leering smile directed at Hillary, then America likely witnessed something that hasn’t occurred since before their marriage, and we can pretty well take that as evidence that Ol’ Bill has lost it.

But seriously, I was fascinated watching that drooping lower lip. I said to my better half, “Watch babe, watch him, he’s gonna drool any minute.” Watch the video yourself, and you’ll see what I’m talking about: that mouth hangs open for most of the first four minutes of her speech in contrast to all the other folks behind, who politely have theirs closed in that very public setting with a live television audience. We were sorely disappointed when the drool failed to materialize, as, I’m sure, were all those laying bets around the country.

To further sear that geriatric image into our brains, in another broadcast this week Bill’s hands were obviously palsied, another common affliction in the elderly. Others noted that he’d worn his Hillary pin upside-down at the post-caucus speech. So it’s not surprising to hear Hume and a few others in the news refer to the ex-prez’s advanced age, even though he is a few years younger than your scribe. But then, yours truly is not out trying to steal the youth vote back from an undisguisably septuagenarian socialist who actually seems a bit spryer than Old Willie. Those Democrat strategists who had counted on Bill’s aw-shucks, down-home Arkansas charm to rope in the vote for his undeniably less likable other half must be having some tremors themselves as they ponder putting Old Bill in front of meeting halls full of much younger voters who may balk at the idea of the White House becoming a senior center.

And it’s all over for sure the first time Bill actually drools. He’ll be outta that campaign quicker than a dirty Depends.

Crossposted at American Thinker

There’s a special place in hell for a Secretary of State of the United States of America who would stoop to such a needlessly evil deception as to lie to the grieving families of three fallen warriors, as those family members were in the process of receiving the bodies of their loved ones from the foreign battlefield. Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright now supports and defends what Hillary Clinton did to the families of the Benghazi victims at the return ceremony at Andrews AFB September 14, 2012, with a Hell-bound condemnation for those women who don’t march in lockstep with Hillary.

Albright demonstrates that in spite of all her worldly experiences, she doesn’t know a damned thing about damnation, and even less about who it is she really should be damning to Hell if she had a single ounce of integrity remaining. Albright cannot possibly be ignorant of the many news reports of Hillary Clinton’s truly evil betrayal at that sad homecoming where she told those grief-stricken families that our government would soon arrest the producer of a squalid anti-Muslim video that she and her boss were attempting to portray as the motivation for what was an obvious terrorist attack. She knew that the attack was a terrorist attack and had so informed others, including her daughter, and that the video in question had absolutely nothing to do with the deaths of those brave men.

I don’t use the term evil very often because it is a term that liberals far too often ascribe to conservatives simply because they disagree with our beliefs and political positions which they otherwise cannot refute. But, folks, Hillary Clinton is evil. She did not have to lie to those grieving families; it just came so naturally to her that she just did it because that is what she does: she lies, much like the scorpion on the frog’s back; it’s just what she does. Political prevarication is so second nature to Hillary Clinton that she does it, as my mother used to say, “When the truth would serve better.” Worst of all, she does it without regard for who is hurt or how deeply it may hurt them.

So, Mrs. Albright,, while you’ve come doddling out of retirement to consign a few million women who no longer believe the lies of Hillary Clinton to the depths of Hell, perhaps you might wish to advise them that your contemptible candidate will most assuredly be there to greet them as the Devil’s very own consort, Hillary Clinton, the Queen of Mean.

Crossposted at American Thinker