HALF-FULL REPORT 09/05/14

One of Hollywood’s legends is that their deaths always come in threes.  This proved true when Joan Rivers’ came yesterday (9/04), which followed that of Lauren Bacall (8/12), and one day earlier, Robin Williams (8/11).  They were marvelously gifted, and we should be grateful for the joy they brought to our lives.

As Howie Carr of the Boston Herald notes this morning (9/05), in Massachusetts bad news also come in threes – as it did this week.  On Wednesday (9/03), Secretary of State Lurch hinted he might run in 2016, as did Governor Incompetence and Senator Talking Bull.

While all three are "shameless hacks who couldn’t park a bicycle straight," Howie particularly skewers Lurch: rather than indulge in Oval Office fantasies, "put your kiteboarding bloomers back on (and) ride your pink girly bike down to the beach," he advises.

"Barney Frank, Ted Kennedy, Gerry Studds – how can one midsized state inflict so much damage on the body politic? From Obamacare to gay marriage to the Immigration Reform Act of 1965 – every downward spiral of the last half-century has our (state’s) fingerprints all over it," he cautions.  His plead is to please ignore these latest three incarnations of Mass disaster.  

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Two months from today we’ll know if we’re going to suffer the undiluted Curse of Zero for another 28½ months, or if it will be diluted enough to render Zero impotent.

Two months is two centuries in political time, yet as the post-Labor Day campaign launches, Dems already are in Desperation City, as explained by Michael Barone.  Their main ploy is to play the race card, focusing on Ferguson in particular to ramp up the black vote – but the black vote doesn’t make a difference in the key Senate races.

As we all know,  with Reid’s Senate at 55D-45R, the Pubs need a net gain of 6 to flip it.  The Dems have given up in West Virginia, South Dakota, and Montana – so the Pubs really need a net gain of only three.  Interestingly, three Dems took big hits this week.

In Colorado, Dem Sen. Mark Udall has spent his whole ad campaign on demonizing Pub Cory Gardner as "anti-women" because he "wants to make birth control illegal."  On Tuesday (9/02), Booker started an ad saying he’s for making the Pill available over the counter without a prescription (as now required by the FDA).  Udall’s entire campaign issue has popped like a soap bubble.

In Alaska, Dem Sen. Mark Begich began a "Willie Horton" ad last Friday accusing Pub Dan Sullivan of culpability in a horrific murder-rape crime.  It was so disgusting the victims’ family publicly demanded he withdraw and apologize for the ad – which he did on Wednesday (9/03).  The WaPo headline: Begich Ad Does Plenty of Damage – to Begich.

In Louisiana, Dem Sen. Mary Landrieu was served with a subpoena yesterday (9/04) to appear in court regarding her status as a legal resident of the state.  Rove’s American Crossroads has an ad now which the WaPo calls "one of the most damning political ads you’ll ever see this year." 

Meanwhile, the latest poll (yesterday 9/04) shows Pub Bill Cassidy up by 3.  He’ll be helped further by Dr. Ben Carson’s endorsement this week.

(Two Notes:  1) I’ve always despised Landrieu for cheating her way to defeat my friend Woody Jenkins in 1996 – and the Pub Senate for being too cowardly to support Woody against "a woman," even though the evidence of her cheating was massive.  2) Louisiana has a "Jungle Election" on Nov 04 – unless a candidate wins 50%, there will be a runoff between the top two on Dec. 06.  You can imagine how berserk-o that will be if the winner determines Senate control.)

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What’s the matter with Kansas?  The Senate race was upended this week when Dem candidate Chris Taylor dropped out as demanded by Reid to clear the way for phony "Independent" Greg Orman to defeat Pub Sen. Pat Roberts.  Early the next day (yesterday 9/04), State Secretary Kris Kobach said the withdrawal did not follow state law and Taylor must remain on the ballot.

At the same time Taylor dropped out on Wednesday (9/03), a group of 70 bitter Kansas RINO has-beens endorsed Orman over the Pub incumbent Roberts!  Pat is not RINO enough for them. Oh, and they also endorsed the Democrat running against incumbent Pub Gov. Sam Brownback.

And just who is Greg Orman?  A wealthy guy who wants to be called "Senator" – he’s in it as a pure ego-trip.  Take a look at his "Where I stand on the issues" section in his website.  Nothing but kumbaya can’t-we-all-get-along total mush. 

Of the 36 Senate races this year, 21 are D, 15 are R.  While there are at least 11 Dem seats vulnerable, only 1 Pub seat is: Roberts’.  Thus the Dems’ desperation to kick Taylor, their own guy, out and pave the way for FauxIndie Orman.  Looks like that’s failed.

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The HFR is still sticking to its prediction of an 8 seat Pub gain.  This brings up West Virginia.  There are three House Districts, 2 R and 1 D held by Nick Rahall who’s been there for 37 years (since 1977).  Rahall may finally lose to young conservative Pub Evan Jenkins.

Pub Rep. Shelley Capito is going win in a walk over Dem Natalie Tennant for the Senate.  That leaves Sen. Joe Manchin as the only Dem in the WV delegation – and in the minority.  He’s an interesting guy – pro-gun, pro-military, hates the EPA.  He’s no Tea Partyer, but he’s no libtard either.  You can bet Mitch McConnell will make him an offer to switch parties.  He just might, making it 9.

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You can’t blame Mitt Romney for capitalizing on his clairvoyance.  The entire Zero-worshipping Enemedia made fun of his "gaffe" when, during the 2012 campaign, he told Wolf Blitzer that Russia was "without question, our number one geopolitical foe.  They fight every cause for the world’s worst actors."

Since it’s now blindingly obvious he was right, you can’t fault his timing by penning a piece in the WaPo yesterday (9/04):  The Need for a Mighty US Military.

No matter what you think of Mitt, what he says is bang-on.  E.g.:

"The most ludicrous excuse for shrinking our military derives from the president’s thinking: ‘Things are much less dangerous now than they were 20 years ago, 25 years ago or 30 years ago.’ The ‘safer world’ trial balloon has been punctured by recent events in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Gaza, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and Iraq…

The arguments for shrinking our military fall aside to reveal the real reason for the cuts: Politicians, and many of the people who elect them, want to keep up spending here at home. Entitlements and programs are putting pressure on the federal budget: We either cut defense, or we cut spending on ourselves. That, or raise our taxes.

To date, the politicians have predictably voted to slash defense… The Army is on track to be the size it was in 1940, the Navy to be the size it was in 1917, the Air Force to be smaller than in 1947 and our nuclear arsenal to be no larger than it was under President Harry S. Truman."

He fails to mention Zero forcing homosexualization upon the military and the pussfication of the Pentagon bowing to the edicts of political correctness.  Nonetheless, he’s right:  cut "entitlements," not defense.  Or else, as he warns, appeasing cannibals like ISIS or Putin out of weakness only means "they eat us last."

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However, Mitt is playing catch up with Rick Perry.  Right now, Rick’s the Pub front-runner for 2016.  He showed why in his fabulous speech in Dallas last Friday evening (8/29).  I encourage you take 24 minutes to watch it all.  He quotes Thomas Paine:  "The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government" – and goes from there.  Enjoy:

Also playing catch up is Rand Paul.  Last week, he called Hillary a "warhawk" and wrote an op-ed that blamed the US for creating ISIS, resulting in even Democrats ridiculing what they called "The Rand Paul Doctrine: Blame America,  Retreat from the World."

Sure is different this week.  Yesterday (9/04) in Time Magazine, he penned: "I Am Not An Isolationist."  He’s on the defensive, explaining what he isn’t.  But fine, I’m glad he says he isn’t.  I’m glad he’s trying catch Perry, rather than retreat.

Meanwhile, in Vegas yesterday, the PIAPS gave an idiotic speech declaring that man-made climate change is "the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges" faced by the nation and the world.

No mention of ISIS, Ukraine, chaos in the world or on our southern border, nothing except this.  To show how dumb this is, not only has there been no "global warming" whatever for at least 19 and as many as 26 years now, but the UN is holding a "Climate Change Summit" on September 23 for "world leaders" – and China, India, and Germany aren’t attending.

No one cares anymore.  Warmists are beating a dead horse.  Pretty soon all the "Dumb Blonde" jokes are going to be about Hillary.  She’s dumber than Algore, whom the London Daily Mail can’t laugh enough at this week for predicting the North Pole ice cap would disappear by now when it’s bigger than ever.

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A "must read" this week is by my friend Quinn Hillyer in NRO, calling for Zero to resign:

"Just resign already. Go. Be gone. Vamoose. Get out of our lives. More important: Stop endangering all of us with your self-indulgent vacations and self-absorbed dithering, along with unconstitutional domestic power plays while the whole world burns.  Barack Obama already is derelict in his duties as commander in chief. He ought to abdicate and just step off his self-made throne."

Also on Monday (9/01), the parents of a SEAL Team Six member killed in Afghanistan, Billy and Karen Vaughn, wrote an open letter to Zero demanding he resign for his "cowardly lack of leadership."

These calls are going to mount.  That he resign, be impeached, be prosecuted under the Anti-Deficiency Act, whatever it takes to get him to stop being POTUS, and spend the rest of his life on a golf course where he’ll be out of our lives.  We won’t have to wait until January 2017 before millions of Americans will be echoing Oliver Cromwell in 1653:  "Depart, I say, and let us have done with you.  In the name of God, go!"

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And on that happy note, we say so long until next Friday – when we hope we’ll all still be here the day after 9/11.

Two closing items.  First is that TTP’s old friend – Joel Wade, who’s been writing our The Virtue of Happiness column since May 2004 (over ten years!) – has a marvelous new program,  "A Master’s Course in Happiness".

As Joel explains: 

What if you had an owner’s manual for your mind?

A Master’s Course in Happiness is a monthly, in depth program to help you actively, purposefully, and effectively live a happier, more fulfilling life.

We don’t come into the world perfectly prepared to deal with the range of life’s emotions and challenges. We each have to learn to master our own selves – our own feelings, impulses, thoughts, and actions, in a way that allows us to function… and hopefully flourish.

There are skills for living well that we aren’t taught in school. Skills for dealing with your emotions and thoughts, skills for successful relationships… skills for using your mind to master your most important habits…

These skills and ideas are what you will learn in A Master’s Course in Happiness.

Joel certainly has helped me be more productive.  I’d like to suggest you give his new course a try.

Lastly, let me plead with you not to deprive yourself of the TTP Portugal Fall Retreat.  Look at the pictures and think of what you won’t see if you don’t.  Think of all the fun you’ll have with your fellow TTPers, and all you’ll learn about the world – and the latest skivvy on what’s in store for the US three weeks before the election.

All you have to do is call Miko (202-656-3008) and say, "I’m in!"  I sure hope you are.

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