Category Archives: National Politics

Is there a connection between Aneesh Chopra and PRISM?

by

With the recent controversy of the government monitoring its own citizens, it is clear for many to point fingers at who is to blame. If anything, we could sit around and point fingers at various entities in the Obama administration.

Today, Bishop E.W. Jackson (R), candidate for Lieutenant Governor might have brought up a series of interesting questions to ask of a possible opponent. Aneesh Chopra is one of the Democrats seeking the Lieutenant Governor’s nomination for his party, and he served in the Obama administration as Chief Technology Officer. During that time, it is unknown whether or not he had connections with the PRISM program and other ways to monitor American citizens. Jackson, in a statement from his campaign, is seeking to find out what Chopra might know about the government surveillance.

:As more information becomes public concerning the government’s efforts to monitor its own citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment, Virginians have a right to know: What did Aneesh Chopra know about the PRISM program and other federal government efforts to archive our telephone conversations, e-mail and internet activity? If Aneesh Chopra can not stand up to his boss in the White House for the privacy of American citizens, how can Virginians trust him as Lieutenant Governor?”

With the “1984″ style surveillance taking place, Chopra should come clean to voters on what connection he might have had during his tenure as Chief Technology Officer to the PRISM program. If one thing is for certain, this is only causing many people to continue having a deeper distrust in the government.

The Fiscal Cliff: Manufactured Crisis or Not?

by

It seems convenient that Congress has to vote on ways to avoid going over a fiscal cliff. After all, one would have thought that the so-called Supercommittee would have helped us to find a solution to our overspending woes. This didn’t work, and I was certain it was doomed (and a joke) from the beginning.

My husband and I were discussing after watching tonight’s evening news whether or not the fiscal cliff conversations were part of a manufactured crisis. I mean, we are in a new year, and the news cycle is slow over the holidays. Probably, the media and Congress supposedly struck a deal to create a crisis to make people fear the fact we are going over the cliff. Now, I am not saying the fiscal cliff isn’t real, but it seems odd how all of a sudden we need to avoid going over the edge, when in fact, we probably have been over the edge for quite some time.

However, we have learned who the real conservative leaders in the House and Senate are, and they decided not to vote for legislation that would raise taxes on Americans. Perhaps, they realize that spending cuts need to made to address the government debt.

Just a poll and leave a comment: Do you think the fiscal cliff situation is a manufactured crisis or was this just destined?

What Really Grinds My Gears (2012 Edition)

by

I think it is time to start a new CCC tradition. One that may find many of you laughing at my list of complaints. You see, I have always had a goal to limit my complaints, eye rolling, and of course, my “bless his heart” type of moments. In the five year history of CCC, I have never had a chance to really reflect on what truly grinds my gears, as it might drive away readers. However, the loyal of my fifty or so followers may notice that I rarely complain about personal stuff on this site, partially because I want you to continue reading. With 2012 drawing to a close, I want to start a new tradition of a top ten list of what truly grinds my gears each year.

1. Laundry. Okay, it may sound like a common complaint of what grinds the gears, but it is hard to contain the number of clothing items that enters the basket by the end of a week.

2. Talk Radio. Listening to other people complain (i.e., Mark Levin), only drives me to complain much more…especially when it comes to politics. It may be great for the blog, but for my husband and others, it only drives them closer to the escape route. When it comes to sports, it always spurs conversation of a different variety. At this point, I’ll stick to 106.7 The Fan for Redskins sports and WTAM 1100 for Cleveland athletics.

3. Wedding Spam. If I didn’t use your services in planning my wedding, then I’ll never use your services. So, David’s Bridal and The Knot should leave me alone. There are millions of brides you can bother now.

4. The Fiscal Cliff. They knew about this a long time ago. Instead, they decided to play musical chairs and forget about the pain this was going to cost the taxpayers. Congratulations! You go on with your bad self, Congress.

5. The Battery Life on my Samsung Galaxy SII. Yes, I traded my iPhone 3GS in for a Samsung Galaxy SII, and now, I regret it. Why? The battery life sucks. I can charge my battery and fifteen minutes later, it will be dead again. A trip to Sprint is now in order and hopefully, I can come back to the Apple iPhone again soon.

6. The Disarray known as my Closet. Okay, I have not seen my closet floor since I moved into my place two years ago. It may not seem like something that might grind someone’s gears, but for someone who prides herself on being organized, it made me feel like I was walking on the set of “Hoarders.” It is now clean, especially since my husband needs some room for his belongings.

7. Bad Drivers. Need I say more…

8. Facebook asking you questions. Okay…Facebook must be the extension of big brother. Although, it is one of the commonly used social networks, Facebook still finds a way to exude creepiness by asking “How are you doing?”; “What’s going on?”; and “How are you feeling?” I say, “Stop the insanity,” and I’ll tell you how I feel about you prying into my privacy…geez.

9. Receiving multiple emails per day from political candidates. Need I say more…

10. Tareq Salahi for Governor. There’s a reason why Journey is so popular, eh? Come on, you crashed the White House party, and expect to be elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. That’s quite a resume…NOT!

Happy New Year! Please let me know what grinds your gears in the comments, and may you have a wonderful 2013.

Farewell, Congressman Ron Paul!

by

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) went on the House floor yesterday to deliver his farewell remarks.  He is retiring after 23 years in the House.

Rep. Paul is one of my political heroes, and there is no doubt that he is one of the strongest defenders of liberty.  His legacy will last for years to come in Congress.  I only wish more people would have listened to his arguments on ending the Federal Reserve and reasons to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Below are his remarks, and you can read the transcript here.

The Obama Campaign and the War on Women

by

image

You can tell the campaign is getting closer, as both the Romney and Obama campaigns have been gearing up with direct mail, television ads, and merciless attacks. It is enough to make someone who has no interest in politics cringe.

(By the way, I received the above ad at my apartment over the weekend. I had to laugh, as I have voted Republican ever since I was 18.)

However, the merciless attacks have appeared to come after a different demographic of sorts. President Obama, in his re-election campaign, has used the defunding of Planned Parenthood as a ploy to garner more votes from women. While there are some women who will vote for Obama based on Planned Parenthood, there are some who feel he has taken it too far with his tactics.

Recently, President Obama’s re-election campaign has been airing numerous television ads focusing on what Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would do to Planned Parenthood. This smacks of desperation.

How so, you ask? Not every woman has abortion as their top issue for deciding an election. For example, the economy is still in a state of decline, and more women are now unemployed, compared to when President Obama took office. What will Obama do to address the economic situation our nation is facing? So far, nothing has been addressed, rather I keep hearing ads about how women should be fearing the fact that contraceptives and abortions will be eliminated.

Right now, I feel like my lady parts are under attack. I want to hear candidates discuss how they are going to get our economy back on track. I want to hear how our Presidential candidates plan to get us out of these endless wars we are fighting over in Afghanistan and Iraq, not push us into future wars.

This election, I plan to use my lady smarts and vote President Obama out of office. We don’t another four years of an apology tour, more destruction to our personal liberties, and the constant reminder that all women care about are free contraceptives and abortions.

By the way, TokenLibertarianGirl has a great take on the recent Obama ad with Lena Dunham that has been circulating around the internet. Here’s her take:

The Desperate Tactics of the Obama Campaign

by

This is sick and disgusting. If this is how the Obama campaign expects to garner supporters for the re-election, this is desperate…plain and simple.

The Obama caller then went back to her script, asking these clever questions:

1. How can you support a “Mormon” who does not believe in Jesus Christ?
2. What to you think about the “Nuns on the Bus” who support Obama?

Wow. Let’s look at how I would answer these questions.

My response to number 1: Why is this relevant to the election? The job market is tight and many people are unemployed. What is the Obama administration planning to do to address this issue? How about this…President Obama seems to be so focused on imposing a government mandate requiring that everyone has health insurance that covers contraceptive coverage. As a Catholic, my moral principles are under attack. What will Obama do if I refuse to take health insurance coverage? It seems like he would rather impose regulation after regulation on Americans, and this is in direct violation of our Constitutional liberties.

At this point of the conversation, I would fully expect to hear canned ham rhetoric on how this is contradictory to the Obama plan. Meanwhile, I would probably hear how Pope Benedict is wrong as well. Of course, the so-called Catholics for Obama would probably call me out for being a bad Catholic because I don’t hop-skip-jump for Obama.

Moving on to Question Two: What do the Nuns on the Bus for Obama have to do with prosperity? Again, I am forced to pay increased taxes to support wasteful government programs. Even more so, I am forced to go against my moral principles by submitting to ObamaCare. Meanwhile, aren’t these the same Nuns on the Bus that got in trouble with Pope Benedict for going against the teachings of the Catechism?

Again, I will probably hear canned talking points, instead of being addressed on the real issue that many Americans are facing: the Economy and how we are going to get people back into the workforce again.

Look, we have the choice. Do we re-elect the candidate who claims to be about hope and change, or do we elect a candidate who stands on principle and wants to get America back to work and repeal legislation that infringes on liberty?

Fast and Furious Scandal Unveiled on Univision

by

Well, it’s about time more information starts being uncovered on the Fast and Furious scandal.   The Daily Caller has a great article explaining in detail exactly what happened with the scandal that has been plaguing the Department of Justice and Obama Administration.  However, I am more impressed that Univision has a great report delving deeper into this scandal (see video)

The bigger question remains:  Why is Eric Holder still in charge of the Justice Department?  He should have been kicked out a long time ago.

The Great Hair Ticket

by

Well, it’s Romney/Ryan 2012!  Game on…and welcome to The Great Hair Ticket.

Am I disappointed in the pick?  No.  Actually, Romney needed Paul Ryan to boost the Republican ticket.  Ryan has a pretty solid record on fiscal issues, which will definitely be appealing to those who are fiscally conservative, and he also has a libertarian lean (as noted in the video below).

While there are some issues where I disagree with Ryan, I think he is a solid pick.  This will no doubt help Romney in the Midwest, where the race has been tightened.

We need change.  I don’t think the hope and change that was elected in 2008 is the answer (rather that change has been a disaster).  The real change is someone who is actually committed to turning around our economy and reducing government spending.  This has been an area, where Barack Obama and his cronies have failed consistently.  Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are more committed to getting America back on the right track.

Oh, and I am so glad this website is back…”Hey Girl, it’s Paul Ryan.”

Is Voter Intimidation on the Rise?

by

How would you feel if your personal information was distributed to a newspaper because you signed a petition regarding a controversial issue?  You would probably feel violated and feel threatened by groups who may vehemently disagree with the specific issue.

In Maryland, there are thousands of people who may be feeling violated as the state Board of Elections released a database containing the names and addresses of those who signed the petition in support of traditional marriage between one man and one woman on the general election ballot in November.  The Washington Blade obtained the database to show its readers who signed the petition to bring this law to question, which would make same-sex marriage legal in Maryland.

Does this sound like voter intimidation to you?  After all, this database could be used to empower groups who support same-sex marriage to target those who may disagree with them and forcibly persuade voters to change their stance on this issue.   For example, similar actions have been taking place like this throughout the country.  While a majority of this has been focused on those who do not support same-sex marriage, these tactics could extend to other issues as well.

When one goes to sign a petition on bringing a controversial issue to a general election ballot, they should not feel threatened for voicing their concerns.   While this information was likely obtained through a FOIA request, this information should not have been released in its entirety to readers of a publication.  This is bad journalistic efforts on behalf of The Blade to release the database to its readers, in an attempt to possibly threaten those who disagree with them on same-sex marriage.

If this action can happen in a neighboring state, this same thing could happen in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  This election is crucial in so many ways, and it does not need to go down to illegal and coercive tactics to persuade people to vote one way or another.  If there are differing issues, it is best to follow proper political discourse and respectfully disagree.