The American Spectator : Welcome to 2012 -- Fasten Your Seatbelts

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Special Report

Welcome to 2012 — Fasten Your Seatbelts

By Ross Kaminsky on 1.2.12 @ 6:09AM

Abroad and at home, it will be the year of a lifetime.

(Page 3 of 3)

President Obama can’t and won’t run on his record. Instead, he’ll have a two-pronged approach: First, he’ll try to divide the nation along economic lines, the “millionaires and billionaires” or “the 1 percent” against the rest of us. Second, he’ll argue “it would have been worse.” But the first of these approaches is (like Obama himself) fundamentally against the nature of American thinking. And the second of these approaches cannot withstand the exact same question Ronald Reagan asked in 1980 when running against Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

Current betting odds (at Intrade.com) give Barack Obama about a 51 percent chance of re-election, along with a 75 percent chance that Republicans take control of the US Senate and a 68 percent chance that Republicans keep control of the House of Representatives. The surprisingly (to me) low odds on a Republican House are a reflection of Congress’s abysmal approval ratings and a suspicion that the election may be as much anti-incumbent as anti-Democrat.

In the 2012 elections, unemployment and economic growth will be the key issues (unless we’re in a shooting war with Iran). But Obamacare won’t be far behind in people’s minds even if the “mainstream” media will refuse to discuss it. Republicans should and will campaign on repealing Obamacare, including getting women (who tend to support Democrats more than men do) to fear loss of availability, affordability, and quality of health care for them and their children. Repealing Obamacare may require a filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate (and will require a Republican president) unless the next president can convince the one or two so-called “moderate” Democrats who may remain after the 2012 elections to go along with the repeal.

Democrats currently hold 23 of the 33 Senate seats up for contest this November and seven of those are retiring, explaining the high betting odds on a Republican majority next year. But a majority is not the same as having 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Even if Republicans do a good job of convincing voters to support Republicans for the Senate, repeal of Obamacare might not be possible until after the 2014 elections, by which time most of its horrendous provisions may already have been enacted. It is not out of the question, especially given the Democrats’ reprehensible willingness to change or ignore rules to shove Obamacare and other legislation down the nation’s throat, that Republicans will take the good-for-the-goose position and find a way to repeal Obamacare in a way that is not subject to filibuster. We can only hope, but even doing that will require a very strong Republican performance in this November’s elections, including a big enough win for the Republican candidate for president that Republicans can credibly claim a mandate to eliminate the cancer that is Obamacare.

Prior to the elections — probably in June — the Supreme Court will issue a ruling on the constitutionality of major provisions of Obamacare. Arguably there is no good outcome for Barack Obama here: If the Court strikes down Obama’s “signature” legislation, voters will remember not only that Obama, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid used one dirty trick after another and spent more than year of Congress’ time to pass an unconstitutional, unpopular law which would then lie, as it should, on the ash heap of history. And if the Court refuses to strike it down, the GOP will have a powerful campaign issue arguing to elect enough Republicans to repeal the law.

In the Rasmussen Reports series of polls going back to March, 2010 asking likely voters if they favor repeal of Obamacare, only once has the number been below 50 percent, and that one data point appears to have been an error, with polls a week before and a week after both well over 50 percent. There will rarely have been as anticipated a Supreme Court decision as this one, and for good reason. Obamacare is not just about health care. It is about the nature of the relationship between American citizens and our government, about whether the United States of America remains the nation that Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton and Washington and our many other Founders pledged their “lives, fortune, and sacred honor” to create. It is about whether Americans agree with Barack Obama that our nation needs to be “fundamentally transformed.”

Below the federal level, Democrat governors in big blue states including California, Illinois, and New York — each of which has behaved dangerously similar to Greece for many years — will have to try to deal with collapsing state finances while somehow figuring out how to pacify the union base of their political support. Public sector unions are wholly incompatible with good government and good state finances, but they remain the keystone for Democrats’ elections that should leave Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown, Pat “Tax Hike” Quinn, and Andrew “I acted conservative for two months” Cuomo in quite a quandary.

In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker, champion of putting unions back on a leash, will face a recall election. Given the tremendous benefit to municipal finances through the changes he has implemented, I predict a landslide re-election for Walker. (For example, prior to Walker’s changes, teachers’ unions could force school districts to buy overpriced health insurance from insurance companies owned by the unions.) The Orwellian-named Government Accountability Board said in December that it will allow the signatures of Mickey Mouse and Adolf Hitler on the petitions to recall Walker “as long as they are properly dated and include a Wisconsin address.” There’s no such thing as a fair fight when unions are involved, all the more reason that supporters of good government should endeavor to kneecap public sector unions’ finances and influence (if you will pardon my redundancy) across the nation in state and local elections in 2012.

An Obama victory in the 2012 elections would cause stocks to decline and economic growth to slow. And while election results in 2012 might not bring the same chaos that events in Europe or the Middle East seem likely to rain on our heads this year, they remain just as important not just for the future of America but for the entire world. A poorer, weaker America — which Barack Obama manifestly desires — will interact and lead differently than a rich, growing, strong nation would, even as we move wisely if glacially away from the “foreign entanglements” that George Washington warned us against in order to follow the political and economic equivalents of the Bible’s exhortation “Physician, heal thyself.”

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About the Author

Ross Kaminsky is a self-employed trader and investor and is a senior fellow of the Heartland Institute. He is the host of The Ross Kaminsky Show on Denver’s NewsRadio 850 KOA at 11 AM on most Sundays. You can reach Ross by e-mail at rossputin(at)rossputin(dot)com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (106) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 6:34AM

Dr.Ron Paul,
" I will ask Congress for A Declaration Of War against Iran, if necessary.

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.

oldfart| 1.2.12 @ 7:06AM

Why bother - a formal declaration has not been required in 70 years!! Constitution? What Constitution? We don't need no stinkin' Constitution!!

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.2.12 @ 8:02AM

Don't waste your time. Congress voted an AUTHORIZATION to use FORCE, twice. Once, behind closed doors. And, a 2nd time, before the cameras, because the Democrats wanted the Photo-Op. That IS a Declaration of War. Same as "Investments" are Taxes, "Undocumented" is ILLEGAL, and "Fudgepacker" is Barney Frank. (Or, is it the other way around?)

You have to remind yourself that CLINT is in a room that has Ron Paul's "How to kill Blacks and Jews" Newsletters, plastered all over the walls, Floor, and Ceiling. If Ron Popeye Paul told Clint to Sh*t his pants, every day. Clint would, not only do it, but he would think that anyone who DIDN'T Sh*t his Pants, wasn't a real Tea party Member.

Do you smell something?

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 9:17AM

Yeah, I Smell A Gutless Smear Bund Coward Named Pennell.

" Written By : Eric Dondero

Fmr. Senior Aide, US Cong. Ron Paul, 1997 – 2003
Campaign Coordinator, Ron Paul for Congress, 1995/96
National Organizer, Draft Ron Paul for President, 1991/92
Travel Aide/Personal Asst. Ron Paul, Libertarian for President
1987/88

I have been asked by various media the last few days for my comments, view of the current situation regarding my former boss Ron Paul, as he runs for the presidency on the Republican ticket.

I’ve noticed in some media that my words have been twisted and used for an agenda from both sides. And I wish to set the record straight with media that I trust and know will get the story right: conservative/libertarian-conservative bloggers.

Is Ron Paul a “racist.” In short, No. I worked for the man for 12 years, pretty consistently. I never heard a racist word expressed towards Blacks or Jews come out of his mouth. Not once. And understand, I was his close personal assistant. It’s safe to say that I was with him on the campaign trail more than any other individual, whether it be traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska or Boston, Massachusetts in the presidential race, or across the congressional district to San Antonio or Corpus Christi, Texas.

He has frequently hired blacks for his office staff, starting as early as 1988 for the Libertarian campaign. He has also hired many Hispanics, including his current District staffer Dianna Gilbert-Kile.

Is Ron Paul an Anti-Semite? Absolutely No. As a Jew, (half on my mother’s side), I can categorically say that I never heard anything out of his mouth, in hundreds of speeches I listened too over the years, or in my personal presence that could be called, “Anti-Semite.” No slurs. No derogatory remarks. "

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 9:22AM

Ronald Reagan,
"Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."

" Dr. Ron Paul served in the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon for several years (1963-1965). While in the air force, Paul reached the rank of Captain. Directly after his service in the air force, Paul worked again as a flight surgeon for the United States Air National Guard (1965-1968).

" Paul served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s, spending time on the ground in countries like Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, South Korea, and Turkey. He also sits on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs."

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.2.12 @ 11:06AM

Why didn't you say so. Ron Paul's former Senior Aide, and Campaign Coordinator, and his National Organizer for his "Draft Ron Paul for President campaign, and his Travel Aide and Personal Assistant for Ron Paul, Libertarian for President, says he's not a Racist?

Well then. I guess he's not a Racist. If this IMPARTIAL/NON BIASED U.S Citizen, with absolutely no reason to lean one way or another, when it comes to things concerning Ron Paul, says that there's no THERE, there? Then we should all just shut up, and stop asking questions.

Why, I've been told that Hitler LOVED the Jews. Oh, yeah. I think it was Herman Goebbels who said it. Hitler loved Animals. He was a Vegetarian. He had a thing for those Blonde Girls, and he enjoyed a Hot Pastrami on Rye, once a week, with his best friend Shmuley Weinstein Jewburger.

Thank You Clint, for setting me straight.

Do you believe this Stupid Bast*rd?

Hey. I guess it must be true.

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 1:31PM

Do You Believe Stupid Bastards Like Yourself, Pennell ?

Hmmmmm Smear Bund Boy ?

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.

Mike| 1.2.12 @ 4:04PM

As your commentary goes you are unable to distinguish between Hermann Göring and Joseph Goebbels.

This about wraps up your understanding of history and the significant players therein.

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.3.12 @ 6:11AM

I don't EXPLAIN the jokes. If you're too STUPID (and you are) to get it, then just move along, Mike.
Another Idiot.

VonMisesJr| 1.2.12 @ 8:43AM

ObamaCare (Provisional Personhood and Annulment of the Constitution Act - PPACA) was the repeal of the Constitution.
If it stands, then bureaucrats will decide if your life is worth saving and the precedent is codified that the government can force you to buy or do anything. It is time to speak now of forever hold your peace.

USSAlabama| 1.2.12 @ 11:23AM

No mention in the article or comment of NDAA -

So we are now effectively under martial law.

russel| 1.2.12 @ 1:09PM

If they get SOPA .....

russel| 1.2.12 @ 1:12PM

We can kiss our internet communications adios . No real news reporting via radio , so we're effectively sol in the dark where we can't organize . Hey about those cell phones ? . Heck , too easy to shut off . By the way , they're using drones on citizens now .

VonMisesJr| 1.2.12 @ 1:13PM

Signing Statements were touted by the Democrats as unconstitutional when conducted by G.W. Bush. I personally agree with the libertarians and the left on this issue since the Executive cannot change the Constitution or the law with a unilateral act.
So where is the left now when Obama utilizes the Patriot Act and NDAA to detain or even assassinate without oversight, or checks and balances?
But back to the point, if ObamaCare stands, you are no longer a citizen protected by our Founder's Constitution. And the difference is only one of degree between martial law and arbitrary statist government.

coal carrier| 1.2.12 @ 7:22AM

The problem is that Paul, with his Libertarian viewpoint “live and let live”, will not challenge Iran. He has stated in the past that Iran has just as much right to have nuclear weapons as anyone else. The problem with that thinking is that Iran is controlled by religious fanatics who will not hesitate to use these weapons against the Infidels. And who are they? Anyone out side of Islam.

Ross Kaminsky | 1.2.12 @ 8:01AM

Ron Paul's Iranian stupidity is not because he's libertarian.

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 9:24AM

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.

KennesawJack| 1.2.12 @ 11:32AM

Clint, stop making a big deal out this. All doctors are commissioned as Captains when the come into the military. They don't "reach" the rank as someone who begins as a Second Lieutenant does. While serving 2 years as a flight surgeon is indeed laudable, it wasn't a very long time in service during the Viet Nam era compared to most of us who served. Irrespective of all else, the man's foreign policy positions are simply adolescent, especially regarding Iran and Israel. If you want to guarantee a President has to ask for a declaration of war then elect Ron Paul. He'll be perceived as every bit as weak as Obamarx.

Dan| 1.2.12 @ 9:53AM

Libertarianism certainly plays a big part in Ron Paul's foreign policy insanity.

So let's not go affecting some agnosticism on the subject of whether or not Libertarianism tends to cross over into an unwise and unsafe isolationism.

Mac Jehoff| 1.2.12 @ 11:07AM

I suggest that Clint and Ron Paul hope Iran nukes Israel so they would not have to.

Margie| 1.2.12 @ 8:52PM

Really, Ross?
I have yet to hear a Libertarian speak unlike Ron Paul concerning Iran.
And they're all over the place.

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.2.12 @ 10:33AM

Why does Obama do the things he does? Why does he feel the need to Seal his life's Documentation, in a Vault, in "Asia"?

OBAMA is the Boulder, pushed off the Mountain. Only, he doesn't careen, aimlessly. The things he strikes, he strikes precipitously.

You mention Honduras. Read the Wiki-Leaks on Honduras. Read WHY Obama was threatening our Democratic Ally, with a withholding of Aid, because they had dared to uphold their Constitution, and Remove a would be Presidente' For Life. Go read it. Obama was trying to show the Leftist Dictators, South of the Border, that He was someone they could "Work with".
Look it up.

You mention Libya and Egypt, and you mention Iran and Syria. They are Different, yet, the Same.

Obama "Meddled" in Egypt and Libya. In Egypt he gave the Islamists HOPE for CHANGE, with his words and his deeds. He threw Mubarak, another Ally, under the Bus, and expressed encouragement, and supplied Boots On The Ground, in the form of CODE PINK, the AFL-CIO, SEIU and ACORN. He was Leading from behind. The Prince of Lies does not stand out front and shout his intentions. He stays in the background, and whispers in your ear.

In Libya, the man who wore his opposition to the War against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, like a halo over his head, sent the U.S. Navy's Carriers to Bomb Libya, to "Save her people" from a Tyrant". (I think about 150 people were killed by Khaddafi. That was the impetus, Obama gave) He was Leading from behind. From the shadows. That's what Evil does.

So, he does these things in Egypt and Libya, 2 Countries that were NOT at War with Israel, but now, with the inevitable takeover of the Islamists, soon will be.

Meanwhile, after his Valiant effort to save Libyan lives, and Egyptians, from a Dictator in the Palace, Obama does nothing where Iran and Syria are concerned, even though Thousands of Syrian Civilians have been slaughtered in the streets, and the Iranian people are Ruled Over by a Repressive Regime.

The answer to the question, can be found on the Web Site of HAMAS. Hamas believes that Obama has been "Sent by Allah to Deliver them". They believe that he is The Deliverer. That he has been sent to DESTROY THE JEWS, and return Jerusalem to Muslim control. They have even given him the name: ABU HUSSAIN. Son of the Father.

So, he helps the Islamists take control of Egypt and Libya, and he does nothing in Iran and Syria. That's because Iran and Syria are already in a State of War with Israel.
Capiche?

Abu Hussain is not "Projecting Weakness". He is doing what he did, in Honduras. He is showing HIS PEOPLE - The Muslims - that he is someone they can work with. Isn't it obvious?

He wants to "Talk" to the Taliban. He lessens our supply of Nuclear Weapons, in a Treaty with Russia, that we didn't need, and they didn't ask for. He informs the Russians of the Number of Nuclear Weapons that England possesses, AND their Serial Numbers. He pulls our Troops out of Iraq with no thought to the Consequences. Consequences that came to the fore, almost Immediately. Another Beach Head, in the coming War against Israel and the West.

He, Personally, through his Corrupt Attorney General, put Thousands of High Powered Weapons in to the hands of Mexican Drug Cartels, for the SINGULAR PURPOSE of killing as many Innocent Mexican Men, Women, and Children as possible, so as to use their Dead Bodies as Props, in an effort to achieve the Leftist Wet Dream, Holy Grail of Disarming the American People. And, if they kill any Americans? Well, that's Gravy.
You don't believe me?
Ask CBS News. They've got the Emails. Yeah. I'm talking to you Purp. And all the other Purp wannabes.

Back home, he's doing everything in his power, to bring this country down, from within. He wants a "Civilian Force, just as Strong, and just as well Financed one, as the Military". Can you say: SIEG HEIL?

He preaches Jobs, but the only Jobs he'll allow, are UNION Jobs. Jobs for his "Civilian Force". He had $784 Billion for Shovel Ready Jobs. He gave it, for the most part, to States, so they would keep their Public Employee Union Members on the job. He defied 2 Court Orders, and put a Drilling Moratorium in place, using FORGED DOCUMENTS (Forged by his Energy Secretary and his Secretary of the Interior) He prevented BOEING from Employing thousands of people, because they wanted to do business in a Right to Work State. He's forcing Electrical Power Plants to shut the doors, while at the same time, refusing to let the Canadian XL Pipeline go forward, with all of the Jobs that it will bring with it. Add to that, his constant attacks on the Job Producers, in the Country. The never ending addition of Massive New Regulations, that make these Companies Uncompetitive, around the World, and you get what we have, today. Which, bye the way, is Far Worse, than what His Majesty's Official Criers are reporting. Even Joe Biden knows that someone who is Long Term Unemployed, and has "Given Up Looking", is STILL Unemployed, and should be COUNTED.

So, why does he do the things he does? Why are all of these things, around the world, happening now?

Israel is becoming more threatened by the day. Islamists surround her, more than ever, thanks to an American President, who's life story should have made it IMPOSSIBLE for him to rise to Power.

Born to an Atheist and a Muslim. Raised in Muslim Indonesia. Attending Muslim Schools and Mosques. A Coke Snorting, Pot Smoking, Chain Smoking Street Hustler, on the South Side of Chicago. Running the streets with Marxists, and Communists, and Maoists, and Anarchists, and Domestic Terrorists, who took up Arms against this Country. How is this possible? How can this be?

Can you explain it, ROSS?

"And I saw the Beast rise from the Sea. And he was given a MOUTH, to speak Haughty and Blasphemous words. And he was allowed to exercise Authority for forty two months." Revelation 13-5.

Somebody help me out. How Big does Revelation say the Army that will go against Israel, be. And how big will the Armies of all of these Islamist Countries be, once they've joined forces against Israel? And, why 42 Months? 40 is all over the Bible. Everything is 40 Days and 40 Nights. But, 42 Months? A Presidential Term is 48 Months, and 42 Months, is June 2012.

So I'll ask it, again. Why would an American President do the things that THIS THING has been doing since Day 1, unless he wanted to weaken this Country's ability to stand up to the forces of Evil, in the Final Battle?

Don't listen to me. Look around. Look at the Numbers of Natural Disasters, lately. Look at the Severity of the Tornadoes, and Hurricanes, and Earthquakes, and Tsunamis. Civilation is becoming Poorer. It's going bacwards.

Have you ever seen so much Evil? We have whole Communities (and they know who they are) Rampaging like Animals, through Mom and Pop Stores, and American Shopping Malls, STEALING everything they can get their hands on. McDonalds is becoming a War Zone in that Community. We have been Divided, as a Nation, by Race, Creed, Colour, and Income, PUPOSEFULLY, by this President. He has us Fighting amongst ourselves, cause he knows that: "A House divided by itself, cannot long stand".

Isn't it OBVIOUS?

He might have been born in Hawaii. But he is NOT one of us.

Happy New Year?

russel| 1.2.12 @ 7:46PM

TP , you write well , but as it's been said , brevity is the soul of wit . Dude , Richard Pryor once said " He thinks he's sayin' alot , but he ain't sayin' shit ". Not surprisingly , I should be speaking to our site Troll , but in your case , just relax -- we have a long way to go before the Imposter in Chief is expelled , and much will happen over the summer .

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.3.12 @ 6:34AM

Richard Pryor once set himself on fire, too.

Unlike you, I don't think that the American people are all that bright. I've see the T.V. Guide. They need to be REMINDED, all the time. They're not all as smart as you, with your quotes from Richard Pryor, and your spelling Russell with one " l"

You can quote Me, the next time you need a quote: "He thinks he's saying a lot in 3 sentences, but he ain't saying sh*t, Dude".

There's a difference between Crying Wolf, and Getting the word out. If you were able to spell your own name correctly, you would understand that.

russel| 1.3.12 @ 10:29AM

It is spelled the way my my parents gave it to me. Same goes for my Grandfather . Lighten up , pal .

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.3.12 @ 4:39PM

Okay. So your Parents and Grandfather are stupid.
That explains everything.

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 7:40AM

Dr.Ron Paul said that the president is “obligated” to respond to an imminent attack on the United States. “You don’t have to wait until they have put their feet on our soil.”

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.

Stormzeye| 1.2.12 @ 8:23AM

But I thought L. Ron Paul never would have responded to the murderous attacks of September 11th because our foreign policy "chickens had come home to roost" and we therefore brought the attacks upon ourselves. Or are Islamists exempt in that situation because it was an air attack rather than "feet on our soil".

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 9:38AM

Dr.Ron Paul Voted For The Use Of Force In Afghanistan.

And,
"On October 10, 2001, Congressman Ron Paul led the effort in Congress to give President Bush the tools he needed to capture, dead or alive, Osama bin Laden and the other terrorists responsible for September 11th. Dr. Paul introduced on that day H.R. 3076 - The September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001.

If passed, that legislation would have given President Bush an additional weapon against bin Laden. If Dr. Paul's legislation had passed in 2001, it is likely bin Laden would not have been around until May of 2011."

The Tea Party Is Here And In Iowa.

Bob Grant| 1.2.12 @ 4:24PM

It's pretty pathetic Uncle Paulie has to spend time convincing people he's not a weak sister on defense.

It would be a sad fact that if Ron Paul (God forbid) wins the nomination, Obama would run as the hawk!!!..........a scary prospect indeed.

9thID| 1.4.12 @ 10:57AM

The article's "soon-to-be-ex-Congressman Ron Paul" certianly has a nice ring to it!

Melvin| 1.2.12 @ 7:45AM

Six Party Talks, France, Germany, and Russia make allot of money trading with Iran. Hmm, sounds like the sanctions are working aren't they?
That is beside the point, I suppose. The real point is how many murdered people are worth the money that Germany, France, and Russia make?
How many innocents should be vaporized in a mere instant so that Germany, France and Russia can make a quick buck or Euro.
All three Countries are no stranger to sacrificing their own for whatever means. But this time they're sacrificing not their own people but people who are just trying to survive in providing for their families.
I guess some things never change do they? Iran and Israel are getting ready to wipe each other off the map and everyone is worried about Germany's, France's, and Russia's ability to trade with a bunch of religious fascists.

Louis Jenkins| 1.2.12 @ 8:18AM

A whole bunch of sh-- going on on. While we may have our eye on foreign issues, remember it is the economy my dear stupids. It will make or break Obama in the next general election. As much as I hate to admit it but it will be a pleasure to suffer through the hard times in order to watch him fall.

DOLLI ASARO| 1.2.12 @ 8:30AM

2012 SUPRISES?
Ego driven, party changing, D.Trump, plans to muddle the GOP political waters.

He changes parties like he does wives.
Independent (2011–present)[3]
Republican (1987–99; 2009–11)
Democratic (2001–09)[4]
Reform Party (1999–2000)[5]

Dan| 1.2.12 @ 9:59AM

Who can really blame Trump for wanting to jump in?

Who here really thinks that the GOP establishment is equal to the economic challenges confronting us?

Who here really thinks that Trump wouldn't make a much better executive than Romney?

Trump KNOWS full well that he's got what it takes to turn this country around, and the only thing holding him back is a Republican establishment that is as dimwitted as they are unimaginative.

KennesawJack| 1.2.12 @ 12:24PM

If Trump runs and gives this election to Obmamarx, I will do everything I can to organize a boycott of ALL his businesses, especially the hotels and golf courses, not to mention his television show and the network it's on. He needs to understand the dollar cost of feeding his ego by helping to destroy the country.

Anthony| 1.2.12 @ 3:04PM

Amen!! Trump is a mega fraud intent on our destruction for his ego.
All of this is just a game for this mega monied ego manic, who lives to see his name and face publicly displayed daily. He's a junkie for face time.
He needs to understand actions do have consequences, and I'm not talking play acting television. He'll be fired for real!!!
We are a nation in peril, yet we have a whole host of frauds and egomanics who see this as an opportunity for personal fun and games.
Trump claims to represent millions!! Really? Like millions of Kardashians and other reality T.V. wannabes?
Get lost Trump, you're not even the least bit entertaining.

DOLLI ASARO| 1.2.12 @ 8:32AM

OOPS! *2012 SURPRISES

POST American| 1.2.12 @ 8:42AM

______ESSENTIAL 2012 VIEWING________

"Korea, and NOT the long gone World Wars,
is rapidly emerging as the pivotal conflict of
the 20th century, viz a viz the 21st."
POST American
(2011)

----Globalism
---the RED China Halocaust
---Betrayal ---TREASON---EUGENICS
---- the RED China 'miracle'
--the four decades engineered
takedown of the American economy
and, now, American soveriegnty
---and on and on and on.

Kick off your New Year with Infowars
latest short vid detailing the FINAL signing
of NDAA 1031 ----with provisions authorizing
the secret arrest, and 'disappearance' of
American citizens at home or anywhere on earth.

And DON'T buy the baloney that Obama was
'forced' to sign it in order to clear DOD funds.
It now comes out --he had specifically asked
for it and directed its drafting personally.

This IS creepy.

AGAIN, take note: the ONLY other country to
have ever openly carried such a law on the
books was, and is, ---North Korea.

Obama's signature on the last day of 2011
as good as shreds the American Constitution
and Bill of Rights once and for all.

___BEYOND HUAC

______BEYOND Nuremberg

_________BEYOND X-Files!

--------------------WE ARE THERE---------------------

albert constantine jr.| 1.2.12 @ 11:31AM

Hey POST, I know you were following this story, so in the event that you missed my earlier pasting, I repeat the space consuming addition:

Pentagon aide's death stumps police a year after grisly find
Exactly one year later, the John P. Wheeler III slaying mystery shows no signs of being
solved.

Wheeler, a former Pentagon aide and key founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
turned up dead last New Year's Eve in Wilmington's Cherry Island landfill, his body
spilling from a garbage truck that had just picked up trash in Newark.

The grisly discovery occurred about 14 hours after Wheeler was seen on
surveillance video in downtown Wilmington, where the 66-year-old New Castle
resident, looking disheveled, had been wandering for about two days.

After 12 months of investigation, at first intense but recently almost dormant,
authorities still have no suspects. They don't know where Wheeler was killed,
according to an autopsy, by blunt-force trauma.
Tips to Newark police have been sporadic and unhelpful to investigators, who have
not even determined which trash bin the killer or killers used to hide Wheeler's body.
"There's no new information," Newark police Lt. Mark A. Farrell said. "We're still hopeful somebody's going to come forward to provide information that's going to help us. But, at this time, we don't have the answers".

Katherine Klyce, Wheeler's widow, would not comment for this story. Her attorney said she remains distraught by her husband's killing and frustrated that the culprit hasn't been found. Klyce and her family have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

"For obvious reasons, the family is not looking forward to the first anniversary of his death," said her Wilmington lawyer, Colm F. Connolly. "They are committed to helping the authorities."

For the first few months of 2011, the murder of Wheeler was international news.

A video of him hobbling around a Wilmington parking garage on Dec. 29 was shown repeatedly and went viral on the Internet. In the video, Wheeler is carrying one of his shoes while looking for his car, which was parked in a different garage blocks away.

The mystery even spurred wild, Web-fueled conspiracy theories like the one that claimed he was killed because he was about to blow the whistle on poison gas testing that killed thousands of blackbirds in Arkansas the day his body was found.

At the time, Wheeler's family and friends vacillated between wondering whether the West Point graduate was targeted for assassination or had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time in a rough section of Wilmington. Wheeler, who had served in the last three Republican
presidential administrations, had bipolar disorder and once was hospitalized for that condition.

Klyce told The News Journal in May that she was trying to decide whether her husband was targeted or the victim of a random act of violence. She said then she was leaning
toward one scenario, "but I'm not going to tell you which one. I'm open to being wrong."

California lawsuit

In recent months, the only rumblings concerning the late John P. Wheeler III occurred 3,000 miles away in California and had nothing to do with who killed him.

They occurred in a lawsuit filed by Klyce's brother and wife, who accused Klyce, Wheeler and Klyce's sister of "cyberterror" by hacking into their email accounts and disrupting their lives.

The suit, filed in San Francisco federal court in May by Henry and Carole Klyce, claimed that Wheeler used "the military expertise he had gained in cyberwarfare" to assist with the "unending and intensified harassment." The goal of the conspiracy, the lawsuit claimed, was to persuade Henry Klyce to allow his sisters to invest in his business ventures in medical devices.

The women had made several million dollars through such investments in the past, but after Henry Klyce cut them off amid a family feud, the lawsuit charged, "they were experiencing financial difficulties."

In court papers, Klyce and her sister, Ellen, scoffed at the allegations. Through their attorneys, they called the allegations "fanciful and unsupportable allegations, surely more suited to an Ian Fleming novel than a federal complaint."

Their response also minimized Wheeler's computer capabilities, saying the allegations "grossly misrepresent Mr. Wheeler's military experience to imply that he, himself, was an advanced computer hacker. In actuality, Mr. Wheeler's military career was that of a policy adviser and his technical experience with computers was very limited, both in his professional career and in his personal life."

The notion that Wheeler was a skilled hacker was "contradicted" by the fact that the Klyce sisters were readily identified by "simple subpoenas" to their Internet service providers, they wrote.

The lawsuit was settled last month. Andrew Kreeft, attorney for Klyce in the lawsuit,
said neither side admitted any liability in the settlement and both paid their own
court costs and attorney's fees.

The search for Wheeler's killer continues, however.

Farrell said a Newark detective who initially worked full time on the case is now handling other duties."He follows up on information that has not proven to be fruitful," Farrell said.

Police still yearn for a break, perhaps spurred by anniversary stories about the killing.

"Hopefully, this will generate more interest in the case from the public," Farrell said.

Colin | 1.2.12 @ 8:42AM

It's simply my cynical side at work here, but Kaminsky's commentary, pretty much, nails it. Looking over the landscape, and as these thing often go, most of the leading conservative candidates we're stuck with (to date) are primarily interested in three things: (1) playing it safe (2) getting elected and (3) the ongoing game of CYA.

As Kaminsky implies , the next twelve months should be ickier than the previous twelve. And with Obama in charge of executive ordering and such, it should be twelve additional months of the SOS -- only faster.

By November, and should we end-up with a Republican president, the cynical side of me will be looking for more of the SOS -- only slower.

But that's just my take. And until I see a different posse riding over the ridge, I'm stickin' with it.

Oh, one more thing. In the interest of full disclosure and critical reasoning: Ron Paul is a dangerous fool. And his drones? Kool Aid Kids.

Happy New Year. (maybe)

hardcard| 1.2.12 @ 9:16AM

dr. ron paul = Dr. Strangelove

cicero| 1.2.12 @ 9:25AM

Good article, Ross. Lots to comment on.
The Arab Spring? When are we ever going to recognize Arab history, and begin to analyze things based on how they are, rather than how we want them to be? Regime change in the Arab Muslim world has never come about as a result of peaceful, democratic transition. It always occurs when the current ruler is either murdered, dies in his sleep (usually the same thing), or escapes across the border with the national treasury. The only difference this time is that the Arab world is letting the West finance the whole fiasco.
Expect Europe to do the same thing that the U.S. did when confronted with a banking crisis - bail out the bankers. If the involved governments, and the international bodies, keep their hands in their pockets, (as opposed to the taxpayers' pockets), the whole thing will quietly resolve itself. The affected governments will not be able to borrow any more money once they are forced to default on the last round of borrowing. The bankers who invested shareholder money on the bad bonds will be fired. The bankers who bought the bonds with depositor money will go to jail. The bankers who bought the bonds with their own money will lose their own money. At that point, the involved governments will only be able to spend up to the limit of thier tax receipts. See if the citizens who have been eating off the other guys' plate will be willing to pay more for their benefits.
The stock market will only end its silly volatility when something is done about the programed trading. This is only casino style roulette, with no one even caring about what is behind the numbers. The fact that there is a buyer for every seller makes no difference when 80% of the trades are based on a computer program, and only 20% is based on analysis of the fundamentals of the company's stock traded.
The Republicans may very well capture all three branches of government. They will then have 2 years within which to cut spending; balance the budget AND cut the debt; disband several Federal agencies; and at least appear to represent the best interests of the public. This will have to include huge cuts in government employment, and possibly disallowing unionization of Fed workers. If they do not acccomplish dramatic change, look for them to go the way of the Whigs, and a third party will emerge to replace them.
In any event, 2012 will be an interesting year. If we are very unlucky, or foolish, we will be involved with another shooting war in the Middle East. Europe, Russia, and China will, again, sit on the sidelines, and take bets on how long it will take us to self-destruct. If we are lucky, and wise, we will make reasoned choices that are in our own best interests.

richard ryan| 1.2.12 @ 9:46AM

The governing bodies of Europe and the United States have so far had only one response to the debt crisis-adding more debt to the debt crisis. Entitilements are eating up our federal budget, and we ain't seen nuthin yet. Over the next generation we are in the hole about 100 T. The problem: if republicans attack this problem seriously, the Dems and the media will label them Grandma Killers and it's game over for our country. If we DO get all 3 branches of government in 2012, it will be a very tricky 4 years with the lying media hounding them constantly.

Clint| 1.2.12 @ 9:27AM

" The New Hampshire Gazette

The Chickenhawk Hall Of Shame

name:
Willard Mitt Romney
rank:
Chickenhawk First Class with Distinguished Fleeing Cross
date-of-birth:
March 12, 1947
home state:
Michigan
missed opportunity:
Vietnam War
excuse:
None to speak of
preferred activity:
Trying to talk people into becoming Mormons
occupation:
Climbing ambition's greased pole

When your daddy's a Governor and a Cabinet Secretary, it's amazing how your odds of being drafted diminish."

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here And In Iowa.

LindaF | 1.2.12 @ 9:30AM

You're supposing that Obama and the Dems WANT to be re-elected. What if they are NOT trying?

http://rau.3littlefoxes.com/?p=207

Tenn Slim| 1.2.12 @ 9:45AM

Excellent summary. Spread this gospel far and wide.
I would add this. A serious Weather Event + a Serious FP event + the Obama Ex Orders propensity + a Serious Electorate response to the ACORN, SEIU, OWS explosion in May, may well = the Leftist Machine going balllistic, IE the dreaded "Leftist Crisis" predicted for summer of 2012. IF that probabilty comes about, the end game is in doubt.
Semper FI

Joseph Armstrong| 1.2.12 @ 11:44AM

Such a leftist explosion is inevitable. The Obama zombies will rise up as one huge flash mob.

DaveD| 1.2.12 @ 2:18PM

That's what I am afraid of - rioting in the streets starting this summer as Barry looks less and less electable. Then the riots only intesify in late November/December.

Do not think for one moment that the entitlement class will go quietly into the night.

Bob Grant| 1.2.12 @ 4:17PM

You know it will be desperation time when some leftwing pundit threatens... er, speculates...about potential violence in the streets if republicans defeat the Dear Leader.

Violence will also occur when the Scott Walker's around the country begin to make the teeny, but necessary, cuts in services.

9thID| 1.4.12 @ 11:06AM

If you haven’t already invested in semi-precious metals like lead and brass, then you might want to jump in the market real quick. Foreboding news reports that December’s gun sales set an all-time record, even beating the November record set when Obama usurped the presidency...

Anthony| 1.2.12 @ 10:03AM

Well Mr. Kaminsky, you are the first of the media class to finally begin to describe Operation Fast & Furious for what it really is and was. Congrats, but still, you're a tad too timid.
"Criminally negligent" is a start in the right direction; at least you have used the word criminal.
Obozo and Holder are accessories to murder.This isn't rocket science, nor hard to figure out, it's basic black letter law, and the media had best stop playing games with this regime.
Obozo now declares the right to incarerate American citizens. It's no wonder gun sales went through the charts.
I'll promise you all this, we'll all be different people a year from now!! Very different!!!

Timothy L. Pennell| 1.2.12 @ 10:23AM