F. Robert's World

THE COMMANDER HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

2012-01-28T17:51:00.001-08:00

Editor's note: The Commander, aka "my Bob," passed away January 21st at age 80 after a three week battle with pneumonia, sepsis, a heart attack, and a small stroke. He fought so very hard, but was just too weak to overcome the damage done, especially to his lungs. I was with him that Saturday afternoon and can assure you he passed peacefully.

During the summer of 2008, he lost three of his closest friends (Michael J. Kiley, Jim Freeman, and E. Berry Smith) in a matter of just two months and that weighed heavily on him. He began to think of his own time left and on March 15, 2009 wrote the following blog. He sealed it in an envelope and told me it should not be opened until he departed. I followed those instructions. It was read by his son at his interment service January 26th.

As my age clock continues to rapidly move beyond my 77th year, I have been thinking about the advisability of composing a last essay. I know not when my Lord Jesus Christ will elect to take me from this wonderful life on Earth, but one cannot know and only hope it will not be soon.

When that time comes, I want my loved ones to know that they were the most important thing in my life, and they were responsible for making my years memorable and enjoyable. The most precious things in my life have been my loving wife, Dianne, and my dear children, Kenneth and Karen, who in their own right gave me four magnificent grandchildren: Matt, Angela, Robbie and Teegan.

Looking back, there are several sad issues that have haunted me for many years, but one cannot go back. My divorce took me away from my precious children at a time they needed me, and I lost those valuable years of their early development. Their mother is to be complimented for doing a good job in their growth.

Additionally, I look back and wish that I never had my first drink of alcohol or that first cigarette. Both will negatively impact your life and health, and I paid a price for that over-indulgence. Thank God I was able to stop.

Hopefully, in my next life (I believe that something as unbelievable as life has a next chapter) I will be reunited with my wonderful parents Genevieve and Fred Kalthoff. I owe much to the quality of life I lived to their efforts in my early development. Looking back, no child could have had more wonderful years. While the Great Depression was serious, I never wanted for anything and I now know that my parents made many sacrifices to assure my lifestyle.

Highlights to the years are my summers at Culver, which influenced every part of my life to my dying day. My years at the University of Illinois were great, but Culver remained #1. The four years that I spent proudly serving in the United States Air Force were the best thing I ever did. I matured into adulthood and learned to stand on my own even in an evil, foreign land. Some days I wish I had remained in the military, because I felt it an honorable occupation and I was proud to serve our great country.

My many years in the advertising and broadcasting business led me to many marvelous experiences and travel across America and even foregin lands. After all the years of air travel, I am quite comfortable to stay on the ground, but in those many years I met many wonderful people and a few bad apples along the way. I learned from both types, but remain soured by the negative influences that used people to their own advantage. One lives and learns only from experience, but your early foundation can be counted upon to ultimately keep you on a solid track.

Looking back I cannot stress the need to maintain one's health, because once it goes bad, there is no going back. I will never forget getting that phone call one Friday evening telling my wife that she had cancer. We both pryaed and got through it with a good result. Dianne never deserved to have to suffer through that experience, and I pray that it never returns.

I never forget out dear grandson, Robbie McFeely, because he was the strongest person I ever knew. He suffered from his earliest days with a disease that could not be beaten, but never gave up and never complained. I know that God continues to cradle Robbie in his loving arms. Hopefully, I will see Robbe again and we will head directly to Marshall Field's big store along with Grandma GiGi.

My retirement has been great, and recently I found a wonderful outlet for my frustrations in the shortcomings of mankind with the creation of "F. Robert's World". I know that I tended to get too negative, but my concern for the preservation of our great United States is endless. Greed is the root cause of most our our problems, but the deterioration of basic morality is right up there, too. Lies, filth and corruption run rampant and are no longer challenged. I have come to the conclusion that life back in the 1930s, despite the Great Depression, was really better than life today. There was mutual respect and the spirit of hard work was real. Our great country is in real danger with the womb to tomb entitlement mentality ruling supreme.

I must include in this memo my friendship with both E. Berry Smith and Jim Freeman as very important to me. They were there as true friends when I needed a friend and support. I plan to buy them lunch when we next meet.

It would be wrong to exclude any mention of my great years with J. W. "Bill" Knodel. He was a friend and mentor who believed in me at a very young age. I learned much from Bill, both good and bad. Few were more complex than Bill, few had more lady friends than Bill, and no one had greater stories or Kansas expressions than "Big Bill from Kansas."

Know Karen and Ken, that I love you more than I can express. I love your mates, Mike and Alice, (Editor's note: Alice left the family in November, 2009) and the thing that makes your old Dad most proud is that you have succeeded in a very competitive world and raised magnificent children. You both have a strong moral compass that will hold you in good stead in the years ahead.

In closing, I already miss my dear wife Dianne. I owe her much, because in my later years I have been unable to do many things due to my physical restrictions. We have had one hell of a great life together and know I'll be waiting for you on the other side. Please take good care of yourself and enjoy the years that the good Lord provides you. I will be waiting no matter how long it takes for you to join me. You will always be that beautiful young girl I should have hired when I first met you, but I was very fortunate that our lives passed again and I was smart enough to snag you for many wonderful years of marriage. I love you, Dink.

It has been a great life and a beautiful ride. I wish I could do it all over again, but that is not possible. Something as unique, marvelous, beautiful and rewarding as life is precious. Enjoy every minute and every day, because someday it will all be over. I do not want it to happen, but I cannot stop the ultimate conclusion. In the meantime, I plan to fight like hell for every possible day and minute on our wonderful planet Earth.

See you on the other side.

With deep love and affection,

Bob
Frederick Robert Kalthoff
Commander Granger

2012 PREDICTION: A YEAR OF MEDIA SAVAGERY

2011-12-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, you may not like this commentary, but if you want a sound analysis of the coming year from a recognized media observer you’re in for a good experience. Brent Bozell, who is the Founder and President of the largest media watchdog organization called the Media Research Center, has written an interesting perspective on the coming political confrontation.

I found the article to be informative and humorous while striking several strong points that will impact the highly combative political campaign.

http://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozell/2011/12/28/2012_a_year_of_media_savagery/print

Does it surprise you that Bozell is predicting a “down and dirty” political campaign in 2012? I thought he struck a nerve when he reminded us that Obama “cannot run on the fairy dust of hope and change” in his re-election campaign. I suggest that the Republican candidate must possess the hide of a very, very tough elephant.

COMMANDER GRANGER

WORLD'S MOST CHARITABLE NATION? - USA

2011-12-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

Please take a quick look at Townhall.com and Kate Hicks’ recent report on the world’s charitable giving that lists the good old USA as the most charitable country in the world.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katehicks/2011/12/26/usa_worlds_most_charitable_nation/print

The data revealed in this report, based upon the Charities and Aid Foundation’s annual report on World Giving, totally destroys any foundation or creditability to the Occupy Wall Street movement that has metastasized across the world. Your Commander found it to be most revealing that none of the oil rich countries, and all but one of the Middle Eastern countries are absent from this list.

Personally I am sick and tired of many countries pointing their dirty fingers at America, and it is about time we totally reappraise our overly generous flow of foreign aid dollars, because most of those precious green-backs are not getting into the intended needy hands. Americans will always stand ready to help all in need with a just cause, but it is time to stop being a total sucker to fund corrupt governments. Someday the State Department will learn that money does not buy friends.

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

2011-12-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

On this date in 1945 Congress made the Pledge of Allegiance the official national pledge to the US flag, and during the previous century legendary clergyman Henry Ward Beecher (1813-87) spoke about our flag's meaning.

Your Commander found Beecher’s inspirational words in the pages of my copy of The American Patriot’s Almanac:

“If one asks the meaning of our flag, I say it means just what Concord and Lexington meant, what Bunker Hill meant. It means the whole glorious Revolutionary War. It means all that the Declaration of Independence meant. It means all that the Constitution of our people, organizing for justice, for liberty, and for happiness meant.

Under this banner rode Washington and his armies…It waved on the highlands at West Point…This banner streamed in light over the soldiers’ heads at Valley Forge…It crossed the waters rolling with ice at Trenton…

Our flag carries American ideas, American history, and American feelings. Beginning with the colonies, and coming down to our time, in its sacred heraldry, in its glorious insignia, it has gathered and stored chiefly this supreme idea: Divine right of liberty in man. Every color means liberty. Every thread means liberty. Every form of star and beam or stripe of light means liberty. Not lawlessness, not license, but organized, institutional liberty—liberty through law, and laws for liberty.

This American flag was the safeguard of liberty. Not an atom of crown was allowed to go into its insignia. Not a symbol of authority in the ruler was permitted to go into it. It was an ordinance of liberty by the people, for the people. That it meant, that it means, and, by the blessing of God, that it shall mean to the end of time.”

After I read those beautiful words I wondered if any of the individuals who participated in the numerous Occupy (whatever) Movement demonstrations ever heard them or would even understand their magnificent meaning? I then wondered if our youth are hearing these words in school today, and how many of our elected officials have ever heard them either. I pray that we never fail to appreciate the meaning of our beautiful Pledge of Allegiance to our flag, and that we never permit Patriotism to go out of vogue.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

COMMANDER GRANGER.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

2011-12-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

Your Commander and his Editor Extraordinaire extend our greetings for a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all. We pray for peace around the world and good health for all around the world.

During the holiday season it makes little difference what is one’s faith, because we should all look to our various sources of reverence for guidance in the coming New Year.

Now would be an excellent time to read the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Ten Commandments, and to conduct a Google search for Wikipedia articles that provide critical historical information on the Ottoman Empire, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and the book titled “Islam for Dummies” so you can garner a better understanding of the historical issues that still impact the Middle East to this day.

The coming year is certain to bring forth challenges for each and every one of us, and we pray that the world’s leaders exert great patience and reason as the countries of this world move forward.

Would it not be wondrous to have peace on earth and good will toward men this coming year and beyond?

COMMANDER GRANGER

PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS CHUTZPAH

2011-12-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

As millions of Americans struggle to meet their financial obligations, search for a job, and find a way to celebrate the Christmas holiday season our leader, President Barack Hussein Obama, will be flying off to Hawaii for a long vacation with his family. When I read that his wife and daughters flew ahead of the President, because he was staying at his post in the Oval Office at the White House due to Congressional delays, an old Jewish expression came to mind.

CHUTZPAH is the word, and I looked up the definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and found the following:

“To demand that he be treated as a special case and be given priority in settling his claims.” Synonyms: Audaciousness, audacity, brashness, brass, brassiness, cheek, cheekiness, effrontery, crust, face, gall, nerve, nerviness, pertness, presumption, presumptuousness, sauce, sauciness, and temerity.

When you read the attached article by Townhall.com’s Katie Pavlich outlining the cost to the American taxpayer as posted in the Hawaii Reporter you will understand why I say Mr. Obama has chutzpah. Granted, this was written prior to the announcement that he was delaying his trip, and the costs are staggering.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/12/19/thanks_taxpayers_obamas_17day_vacation_to_cost_4_million

Apparently the facilities at the White House or Camp David are inadequate for the Obama’s new found tastes, and they are capable of spending over $4 million precious American taxpayer dollars while we plebeians wallow in our worsening economic status. Thanks, Mr. President, for thumbing your nose at the 50% of the American population that still pay federal income taxes.

You, Sir, have chutzpah!

COMMANDER GRANGER

NEWSPAPERS: GOING...GOING...GONE!

2011-12-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

Should you be an AOL subscriber you probably have seen the Daily Finance article penned by Bruce Watson that carried the same headline. After reading his print demise conclusions, supported by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for the Digital Future, I penned my personal comment on the web site agreeing with their theory.

Here is a link to the site:

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/12/16/newspapers-going-going-gone/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl15%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D121304

The realities of the problems facing the ever-changing newspaper business is that their model has changed due to the evolution of the internet, and it is doing to newspapers the same diminished fiscal return that it has caused the U.S. Postal Service’s anticipated death. While the pay-firewalls will provide some degree of financial gains in the major markets I am concerned that it will not save the business model in smaller markets.

As I noted in my comment, the internet is bloated with inaccurate information, and the firewalls do permit some degree of financial cover so the few remaining major newspapers have professional journalism oversight. It is important to highlight the fact that the editorial bent of the four predicted print survivors (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today) is currently equally balanced by two being liberal and two conservative voices.

Four newspapers will not properly serve America, but we all must be vigilant in securing accurate vital information and in-depth investigative reporting. Experience has taught this commentator that the lack of competition is dangerous and disquieting, just as is a dominant one-party political democracy.

COMMANDER GRANGER

SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE LAUDS INCOMPETENCE

2011-12-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

If you do not live in the vicinity of South Bend, Indiana you probably do not have any interest in this commentary. When I opened my copy of the Sunday South Bend Tribune December 10th the front page was graced with an extensive article penned by Kevin Allen titled “Transition to ‘Citizen Steve’”.

Here is the link to this puff piece:

http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/sbt-transitioning-to-citizen-steve-20111210,0,2729610,print.story

After reading that fawning and obsequious salute I was forced to take an early morning application of "Tums for the tummy", because you would have thought you were reading about the departure of some savior of mankind instead of the dysfunctional and inept political hack that Mayor Steve Luecke has been over the past 15 years.

The only reason Luecke attained the office to begin with was due to a well-oiled dominant Democrat Party machine. Luecke was the Vice Mayor and became South Bend’s mayor in 1996 when elected Mayor Joe Kernan was chosen to run as Lt. Governor of Indiana on the winning ticket with Gov. Frank O’Bannon. During Luecke’s 15 years as mayor there have been a number of bad financial decisions and commitments. Luecke’s liberal tax and spend agenda has provided South Bend and St. Joseph County taxpayers with growing tax burdens and little to show, except a few isolated projects that favored his political cronies.

While I do not reside within the City limits of South Bend, I do reside within the same County, and thus suffer from an off-the-chart tax burden caused by the repeated mismanagement of Luecke’s administration. His “do-good” projects have cost the taxpayers heavily and caused the county to be the second heaviest taxed in the State of Indiana.

Instead of providing readers with a thoughtful analysis of Luecke’s rule, The South Bend Tribune provided him with a nice article that he can put into his scrap book and show his grandchildren about how wonderful he was in the eyes of the paper. Don’t ask the citizens and taxpayers who live in the crime ridden west side of the city, and don’t ask the folks who can’t find a job in town. The school system is dysfunctional (three schools were about to be taken over by the State of Indiana, but showed enough meager progress to stop that for now) and thousands have fled the city during his administration.

During the rule of Mayor Steve new business development has been a failure. Were it not for development projects emanating from the University of Notre Dame the city would be in even bigger trouble. Space does not permit me to list all the questionable actions, but to name a few how about the millions spent on Covoleski Stadium, impending departure of the failed College Football Hall of Fame, the Dollar Family store purchase, land grant to St. Joseph High School, First Source garage purchase and now the proposal to bail out bankrupt Chase Tower.

Thank you, South Bend Tribune, for selling out your integrity and obligation to objectively serve your readers just so you could praise the political machine that produced the departing mayor.

Steve Luecke's future plans are not yet known, but personally I hope he returns to Canada, where he sought refuge during the Viet Nam War as a conscientious objector, while hundreds of brave young South Bend kids fought an American battle.

COMMANDER GRANGER

STRONG CASE TO REPLACE OBAMA

2011-12-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

When I read the most recent essay by syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer in my local paper, I wondered if it had been penned by the Republican Party as a hit-piece against the re-election of President Barack Hussein Obama. Take a few minutes to read “The wages of appeasement” which appeared in newspapers all over the country this past week.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-wages-of-appeasement/2011/12/15/gIQA5KEzwO_print.html

Obama’s two foreign policy initiatives toward Russia and Iran are in my opinion a justification to vote him out of office come November 2012. Clearly, the person elected as president then will have his/her hands full addressing the increasingly bold actions of these two very unfriendly adversaries.

The tragedy of our times is that most American citizens will not read Krauthammer’s column and if they did many would not understand what in the hell he is talking about, because our educational system and media have dumbed-down voters and diverted their attention to the adoration of the likes of Lady Gaga.

COMMANDER GRANGER

LESS STUFF, MORE HAPPINESS

2011-12-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

With each passing year I look around the house and wonder how we ever accumulated all the ‘STUFF.’ I then ask myself why we don’t weed out the things we never utilize. You know what I am going to say next don’t you? We just never seem to get around to it.

While working on the internet today I ran across an article that includes a short video presentation by Graham Hill, who edits a web project titled Treehugger.com. Normally that title alone would send me running, but I suggest you might find the video appropriate and worth some consideration.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/09/life-editing_n_1138817.html?1323446551&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk2%7C118911

Now don’t worry I am not going to sell my home, but I may just be motivated to finally get rid of some of the stuff that could benefit someone who is in real need of a helping hand. As you know from reading my work I am far from being anyone associated with tree huggers, but Hill makes a sound point. Hell, I would have some difficulty living alone in a 420 square foot apartment let alone share it with my wife.

As the Christmas season approaches this could be a good time to send some items to the Goodwill, Salvation Army and/or Catholic Charities. I guarantee if we all did just that we would all feel much better, and fulfill the message of Christmas in a beneficial way by sharing our bounty.

COMMANDER GRANGER

FACTS BEHIND GINGRICH PALESTINE COMMENT

2011-12-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

If you watched the ABC-TV Republican Candidate Debate last week from Des Moines, Iowa you know that Newt Gingrich made a comment about Palestine. On the chance you did not see the program, or hear about the comment, permit me to summarize.

Gingrich said, “The fact is, the Palestinian claim to a right of return is based on a historically false story…’Palestinian’ did not become a common term until after 1977. This is a propaganda war in which our side refuses to engage and we refuse to tell the truth when the other side lies.”

In an effort to bring some clarity to the subject, I did some detailed research that may allow you to understand the issue better, and it also proves that Gingrich’s statement can be verified as correct by historical facts and documents.

Two links are worthy of your effort to read, but they are both quite long. The first is “History of Israel” and the second one is “State of Palestine” from the Wikipedia free encyclopedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Israel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Palestine

Let me draw your attention to pages 7, 8 and 9 in the first document starting with the Mamluk rule in the 13th Century through The Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate of Palestine (1917-1948). The understanding of the influences of those factors is vital to understanding how Israel was created.

In the second document I draw your attention to page 10 and the Kingdom of Jordan’s rift with the Palestinian leadership, and the later creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974.

Since that time the disputes between Israel and the Palestine Arabs on the creation of borders for State lines has led to bloodshed and repeated wars. It is your Commander’s opinion that the British Empire learned years ago that it could not resolve the conflict dating back to its colonial dominance of the area and washed its hands of the situation.

Since that time the United States has been heavily involved with strong support of the Jewish State of Israel. In 2011 the USA has provided Israel with $8.2 million per day (almost $3 billion for the fiscal year) and $0 to Palestine in military aid. In 2010 the USA gave Palestinians $400.4 million in economic aid and $100 million in support of Palestinian Authority police training, plus another $61.5 million in USAID and Red Cross assistance following Israel’s assault on Gaza. All these statistics were verified by a Google search.

It is your Commander’s personal opinion that we should continue to support our friends in Israel, but I cannot understand our State Department funneling massive amounts of money into an area that continues to lob rockets into Israel. The existence of Palestine and its boundaries needs to be settled by the people in that area and the Israeli’s. I do not understand why we are putting money into the hands of people who are acknowledged terrorists and see no reason for Israel to exist. Both sides come to this debate with blood covered hands.

Please remember the term “Palestine” was created by the British Mandate to define the geographical area that currently covers the State of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, as well as the area covered by the current State of Jordan.

Please remember this conflict has been going on since the Kingdom of Israelite (1200-950 BCE) “Before the Common Era.” As far as the rest of the geographical area is concerned, I agree with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) that it is time for the USA to get the hell out of the Middle East, and let them fight as they have for centuries without our money.

After all that is said, Newt Gingrich was correct in his statement as proven by historical facts.

COMMANDER GRANGER

IF AMERICA IS LEAVING IRAQ, THEN LEAVE

2011-12-16T18:47:00.001-08:00

Your Commander long ago learned to consider ever politician’s statements with skepticism and the recent action of President Barack Hussein Obama proves my point. As the President basked in the glory of his ‘victory lap’ appearance with the brave fighting men and women stationed at Ft. Brag, N.C., he skirted his many previous pronouncements against the American intervention into Iraq dating back to his opposition in 2002. He failed to also note his hesitancy to the troop surge long promoted by the leaders of our Armed Forces on the scene, and now basks in the glory of fulfilling his campaign pledge to take American troops out of Iraq.

While your Commander agrees with the departure of American military from Iraq, we saved Iraq’s very existence from its evil dictator and there is little or no appreciation for what we did on their behalf. Let’s not go down the road about the lack of weapons of mass destruction either, because ask any Kurd in Iraq and they will tell you that they were the proven victims of Sadam Hussein’s WMD.

I am opposed to the timing of our departure, because Iraqis are not presently prepared to defend their country against intervention by foreign elements, such as Iran or the various tribal and religious sects. America is leaving just so Obama can meet his campaign promise to leave as he approaches a difficult re-election campaign.

Although defense troops will leave Iraq by the end of the year, it is time to stop fooling everyone because some 16,000 Americans will staff the bloated American Embassy in Baghdad with some 6,000 hires for private army security. The State Department has budgeted $25 billion for operations over the next 10 years. After reading that, do you really think we have left…and let’s not forget the forces that will sit in Kuwait for sometime in the future.

Obama is still leaving Americans, military or civil, in Iraq in harm’s way in a land whose leadership says they do not want our defense forces there. Our expense will still be great supporting our people still there where Iraq is concerned. Iraq has vast oil reserves and should not need American dollars to continue to pour into that country. It is time for Iraq to stand on its own two feet and pay for its governance with its oil reserves, and not our green-backs.

COMMANDER GRANGER

TEN GRIM LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE IRAQ WAR

2011-12-16T17:41:00.001-08:00

While your Commander is currently critical of the liberal editorial bent of Time Magazine, I must agree with a recent essay with the above title that states “Despite the upbeat talk of the Obama Administration, the eight-year war that ended this week has done plenty of long-term damage to both Iraq and the United States. And it has bequeathed lessons worth considering ahead of further conflicts.”

TEN GRIM LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE IRAQ WAR

1. The Iraq War Weakened the U.S. in the Middle East.
2. Military Power Doesn’t Equal Political Influence.
3. Iraq is a Model – Of What Arabs DON’T want.
4. Weapons of Mass Destruction – Asking the Wrong Questions.
5. Iraq’s Civil War Could Erupt Again, But Resolving its Conflicts is Beyond U.S. Capability.
6. Expect More From the Media.
7. American History Means Nothing Overseas.
8. The U.S. Has No Friends in Iraq.
9. When Arabs Vote, They Seldom Choose American’s Candidates.
10. Don’t Trust Politicians Promising Cheap and Easy Wars.

After I read those ten points I felt a sense of deep sadness, because I wonder how the families of the 4,474 brave service members and 13 Defense Department civilians who died in Iraq feel about America’s involvement in Iraq. I certainly do not have the answer to our participation, but I strongly urge our political leadership to think long and hard before ever ordering our precious youth into another war, unless we intend to end it in total victory.

COMMANDER GRANGER

TEN GRIM LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE IRAQ WAR

2011-12-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

REMEMBERING GEORGE WASHINGTON

2011-12-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

Today marks the anniversary of the passing of President George Washington in 1799. At that time Congress asked Virginia Statesman Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee to eulogize the President, and he said:

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere – uniform, dignified and commanding – his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting….Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues…Such was that man for whom our nation mourns.”

Virginian Thomas Jefferson wrote of George Washington’s character:

“His mind was great and powerful, without being of the very first order; his penetration strong, though not so acute as that of a Newton, Bacon, or Locke; and as far as he saw, no judgment was ever sounder…He was incapable of fear, meeting personal dangers with the calmest unconcern. Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighed; refraining if he saw a doubt, but, when once decided going through with his purpose, whatever obstacles opposed. His integrity was most pure, his justice the most inflexible I have ever known…It may truly be said that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a great man.”

It must be noted that I drew this inspiring information from my copy of The American Patriot’s Almanac.

Now permit me to pose a question for your contemplation. How do you suppose historians will write about President Barack Hussein Obama 212 years from today? Do you suspect in your wildest dreams that the tone will have any similarity to the words rendered by Lee and Jefferson? I predict that the expressions will not even be in the same league as those noted above, because Washington was a man of genuine character, and Obama is a figment of political imagination and creation that does not call for any qualifications to require genuine character. Sad but true, in my opinion.

COMMANDER GRANGER

JULIAN ASSANGE STILL FREE

2011-12-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I read a news story I just shake my head, because I cannot imagine why some devious and weird individuals continue to roam free to cause further trouble. You may remember I wrote as recently as November 20th celebrating the English Court’s decision to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden to face sex crime allegations. Please take a look at this article in The Washington Post article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/wikileaks-founder-continues-extradition-fight/2011/12/05/gIQAr4gnVO_print.html

Assange, who founded and heads the liberal WikiLeaks organization, has been fighting his extradition back to Sweden since being accused of rape, coercion and molestation in August 2010. Since that time Assange has been taking refuge in a wealthy supporter’s English countryside estate.

Do you wonder as I do where Assange secures his funding? Who but some devious, subversive elements would pump vast sums of money into an organization like WikiLeaks and its leadership whose purpose is to disrupt world order?

Everyone should have an opportunity to a defense against legal action, but why would Assange fear and fight in the English Courts his return to Sweden if he is not-guilty as he has claimed? Hopefully, the British Supreme Court will act quickly and force Assange to face the criminal allegations sooner rather than later. With any luck this weirdo can then be placed where he can no longer cause disruption to governments around the world.

COMMANDER GRANGER

WILLIAMS' COLUMN 'FREE TO DIE?' A MUST READ

2011-12-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

A recent column by Walter E. Williams, the national syndicated scholar scribe, is worthy of your time because it addresses the importance of our adherence to our precious Constitution and his deep concerns regarding the Obama Healthcare legislation. Here is the link if you want to read it in full:

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2011/12/07/free_to_die/print

With the Obama Healthcare Bill coming up for judgment by the U.S. Supreme Court shortly, this is a very timely article. Please note I concur with Williams’ thesis. Williams’ reference to James Madison’s vision of Constitutional abuse is convincing and applicable to the healthcare questions that continue to linger and escalate with the passage of time.

COMMANDER GRANGER

GUTLESS CONGRESS FAILS POSTAL SYSTEM

2011-12-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

With all the facts and figures now available and well publicized. our gutless Congress has kicked the can down the road again when it comes to addressing a sound and logical decision to the financially strapped U.S. Postal Service. You may remember that your Commander has previously written expressing suggestions on this lingering financial disaster, but not surprisingly Congress found another way to appease the selfish pleas of a few illogical voters.

Take a look at TheHill.com article:

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/199163-usps-delays-facility-closures?tmpl=component&print=1&page=

Every Congress member who voted to delay definitive action has caused every single taxpayer in this country to assume an additional financial burden by their inaction. How can the financial situation at the Postal Service be anything but worse next May than it is today?

Your Commander begs your forgiveness for his repetition, but our Congress is gutless, dysfunctional, and AWOL. When an entity is dysfunctional and losing money such as the Post Office, privatization is no longer a dirty word. Maybe that is what we should do with Congress too, because they are certainly dysfunctional, inept and adding to the debt that we taxpayers must ultimately repay.

COMMANDER GRANGER

PUNISH ALEX BALDWIN'S BEHAVIOR

2011-12-11T18:06:00.001-08:00

The latest media info-tainment driven frenzy surrounds Alex Baldwin, again. Personally, I am sick and tired of reading about this petulant, egotistical jerk and he should not be getting any attention from the fawning, celebrity centric media. As I have written on numerous occasions it is beyond my comprehension how far our moral codes and priorities in life have decayed.

I refuse to view, listen or read anything related to the ultra left Alex Baldwin. As far as I am concerned he is persona non-grata. I do not understand why the media falls all over him reporting his every movement.

The well-publicized telephone rant he left for his estranged daughter was enough to place him on my shun list, but now the American Air Lines incident at LAX airport where he was removed from a flight for failing to abide by FAA rules is the final straw. That day for many innocent individuals was totally destroyed by Baldwin’s illegal action, and he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Instead of securing publicity, Baldwin should have been arrested on the spot for disrupting the scheduled departure of the aircraft.

If I were American Air Lines, I would black list him from all future flights and file charges against him. However, from a public relations stand-point the airline, already in bankruptcy, will no doubt back-off due to the fear that other Hollywood types would refrain from using their coast to coast service.

Just when is someone going to hold mental midgets such as Alex Baldwin responsible and accountable for their behavior? I would…how about you?

COMMANDER GRANGER

STATES EXPAND LUCRATIVE PENSIONS

2011-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

If you missed the special report in the December 9th edition of USA Today addressing ‘States expand lucrative pensions’, I have placed a link to it and the disturbing details. I will not present an extended explanation of my opinion, because you really should read this article. Suffice it to say the actions the States are expanding as an already ticking financial time-bomb on the backs of sleeping taxpayers.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-08/state-pensions-workers/51750670/1

This is what happens when our elected officials sell out their integrity to the unions in exchange for financial support and endorsements while the innocent taxpayers go happily about daily life. When in the hell will the public wake-up and throw these complicit political crooks out of office and demand that this kind of complicity stop?

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE 'GREEN' DEBATE ON CHRISTMAS TREES

2011-12-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

Reading The Washington Post over the weekend I ran across an article by Darryl Fears and Robert Samuels raising a debate about whether we should purchase a live tree or an artificial tree this Christmas season. If you’re interested here is the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-green-debate-on-christmas-trees-fresh-vs-fake/2011/12/07/gIQAk3mLjO_print.html

I do not know about your priority concerns, but I guarantee you that having a fake or live tree this Christmas is not high on my list of pressing issues of the day. For the record we now have a fake tree because it is much easier for my wife to manage, but I have absolutely no problem with individuals enjoying the smell of a live tree. We have enjoyed live trees over the years, but I must admit they can be a mess and the removal after the big day can be a hassle.

With all the significant economic problems facing our nation, the debate of a live or fake tree seems petty to this observer. Apparently the day The Washington Post assignment editor told Fears and Samuels to write this story it was a slow news day in our capitol city.

Whatever tree you trim this Christmas I hope you have a joyful day, and remember the story of Christmas. Oh, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

COMMANDER GRANGER

REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR

2011-12-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

This is a very important day for the United States of America and as the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “…a date that will live in infamy.” Your Commander was 10 years old and I remember exactly what I was doing on that Sunday morning as if it were yesterday. I was lying on the living room floor reading the Sunday morning Chicago Tribune funny papers and a special announcement came over the floor model Philco radio that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. When my Dad returned from getting his car hand washed at the local gas station, he, Mom, and I sat in front of the Philco to hear the tragic details of death and destruction.

A very small percentage of present-day Americans were alive back in 1941, so it is significant that some vital details be brought to your attention at this time. A total of 16,112,566 US individuals served in the Armed Forces during that War, there were 291,557 battle deaths, 113,842 other non-combat deaths, 670,846 non-mortally wounded, and as of May 11, 2011 there were only 2,079,000 veterans of World War II still alive.

During World War II a total of 464 Medals of Honor were awarded and 266 of those were posthumous. As of August 12, 2011 there were 14 recipients of the Medal of Honor from that war still living.

It is estimated that 850 American WWII veterans die each day, and the median age of the WWII vets is approximately 86 years.

It is with deep regret that I personally have few remaining friends who remember that War and most of my associates know little or nothing of those years of strife and sacrifice that influenced our entire country and the world to this date. Much has been written, but many facts and stories are yet to be told and questions yet to be answered. It is in that vain that I draw your attention to a very important article that recently appeared in The Washington Post that addresses ‘Five myths about Pearl Harbor’. This should be considered essential reading for all Americans on this date.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-pearl-harbor/2011/11/23/gIQAbdKrLO_print.html

Summarizing, I remember the often questioned suspicion that the American government knew in advance of the Japanese plan to attack on Pearl Harbor. It is a proven fact that Washington knew in advance, and that President Roosevelt permitted the attack to ease America into the World War against Germany, Italy, and Japan. In fact, at one point it was believed an attack would take place November 30th.

While the majority of death and destruction occurred in Hawaii, the Japanese also attacked the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam and Malaya, Thailand and Midway Island on that day.

The major misconception of that war was that America retaliated immediately, but that is not a fact, because American forces did not respond until February 1942 when the Pacific fleet engaged in battle in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. Another misconception was that the Japanese were the only U.S. citizens rounded up after the Pearl Harbor attack. Over 120,000 individuals were detained including Japanese, Germans and Italians.

The Pearl Harbor attack did sway American public opinion to enter the War, because prior to the attack the country supported an isolationist agenda. America declared War on Japan on December 8, 1941, but did not declare War against Germany and Italy until December 11, 1941.

Since that time our country has been engaged in several major wars, such as Korea where I served, several small regional conflicts, Viet Nam, and substantial conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is yet to be determined by historical study, but the World War II conflict was the most influential in changing the entire world politically that has occurred in my life time. It is important to know about that war, and I pray that we are never drawn into a conflict of that magnitude ever again. Every effort must be rendered to achieve peace around the world, but we must be strong in defending our homeland from attack by foreign influences bent upon doing our country great harm.

Join me today in saluting all veterans of American Wars, especially our WWII vets.
GOD BLESS AMERICA

COMMANDER GRANGER

USA LACKS SUPPORT IN UNITED NATIONS

2011-12-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

Your Commander has written previously addressing my deep concerns regarding our country’s participation in the United Nations. Remember it was our late President Franklin D. Roosevelt that urged and forged the creation of the United Nations during the closing months of World War II, but over time support and recognition of the massive financial backing granted to the U.N. by our country has only been repaid with an increasing lack of support to our proposals.

Here are some interesting statistics that came to me in an email which supports my feelings:

How they vote in the United Nations:

Below are the actual voting records of various Arabic/Islamic States which are recorded in both the US State Department and United Nations records:

Kuwait votes against the United States 67% of the time
Qatar votes against the United States 67% of the time
Morocco votes against the United States 70% of the time
United Arab Emirates votes against the United States 70% of the time
Jordan votes against the United States 71% of the time
Tunisia votes against the United States 71% of the time
Saudi Arabia votes against the United States 73% of the time
Yemen votes against the United States 74% of the time
Algeria votes against the United States 74% of the time
Oman votes against the United States 74%of the time
Sudan votes against the United States 75% of the time
Pakistan votes against the United States 75% of the time
Libya votes against the United States 76% of the time
Egypt votes against the United States 79% of the time
Lebanon votes against the United States 80% of the time
India votes against the United States 81% of the time
Syria votes against the United States 84%of the time
Mauritania votes against the United States 87% of the time

U S Foreign Aid to those that hate us:

Egypt, for example, after voting 79% of the time against the United States, still receives $2,000,000,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.
Jordan votes 71% against the United States and receives $192,814,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.
Pakistan votes 75% against the United States and receives $6,721,000,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.
India votes 81% against the United States and receives $143,699,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.

Isn’t this a fair question to ask…Why do we continue to funnel money to countries that consistently vote against American resolutions in the United Nations? When will this country learn that we no longer can successfully buy our friends with precious American dollars?

COMMANDER GRANGER

BEST COLLEGE MAJORS FOR EMPLOYMENT

2011-12-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

With more and more stories reporting a lack of jobs for college graduates, I found a Townhall.com article that reported the results of research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Northeastern University that addresses the problem. We have all heard stories of graduates moaning about their huge student loan obligations and the lack of available jobs. Obviously that problem is frequently self-induced, because many students achieved degrees in fields and specialties that simply are not hiring, particularly during the current economic downturn.

The report indicates that the median salary dropped to $27,000 for 2009-2010 college graduates from $30,000 in the 2006-2008 period. The Labor Department announced that the jobless rate for younger workers with college degrees is currently 6.4% and it was only 3.5% as recently as 2007. This computes to about 3.5 million ex-students “underutilized” in government-speak terms.

Important to note are the ten best degree categories with low to no unemployment rates:

1. Actuarial Sciences - 0 percent
2. Astronomy and Astrophysics - 0 percent
3. Educational Administration and Supervision - 0 percent
4. Geological and Geophysical Engineering - 0 percent
5. Pharmacology - 0 percent
6. School Student Counseling - 0 percent
7. Agricultural Economic - 1.3 percent
8. Medical Technologies Technicians - 1.4 percent
9. Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology - 1.6%
10. Environmental Engineering, Nursing, and Nuclear Industrial Radiology and Biological Technologies - 2.2 percent

Considering this research, the student loan problems appear to be self-induced or the product of poor student counseling that has steered students into fields of study with limited or no employment opportunities. It also strikes your Commander that the fields of study listed above require a substantial effort to successfully complete and that could be another causal factor leading to the unemployment line in easier or the latest fad fields of study.

COMMANDER GRANGER

LEADERS SHOULD LEAD NOT HIDE

2011-12-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been forced to turn to the web pages of some conservative publications to secure information concerning significant issues of the day, because our mainstream media has become so liberal and biased they simply are not presenting ALL the news of the day. With that in mind, I spotted an article by Katie Pavlich on Townhall.com reporting the planned 17 day vacation our President and his family will be taking to Hawaii to celebrate the holidays.

With our economy teetering on the brink of collapse and unemployment still hovering at an unacceptable -8.6%, I question the appropriateness of this trip, and the at least $1 million dollar expense the American taxpayers must absorb. Granted, Obama will pay the cost to rent the beach front house they will stay in and reimburse the government the equivalent of regular airline tickets while flying on Air Force One.

In politics they say that perception is reality, thus I contend that the timing of this trip indicates to me that our President, or Commander in Chief as he frequently reminds us, just does not care what the American people think. This vacation is Obama’s 10th in his less than three years in office and shows his total disregard toward the multitude of suffering American people. His action is shameful, and represents his arrogant abuse of presidential power and privilege. Apparently the White House and Camp David is not sufficiently comfortable to suit his newly found elitist tastes.

While serving proudly in the United States Air Force I was taught that leaders lead from the front-lines, but during these days of political tension and economic strife our leader flies 4,831 miles to Hawaii at taxpayer expense away from the front lines of the battle zone in Washington. D.C. Your Commander finds this conduct shameful, inexcusable, and most inappropriate.

COMMANDER GRANGER

DEFENSE SEC'Y PANETTA FILES HOME ON OUR DIME

2011-12-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

I know I get more conservative and out-right cantankerous on subjects as time goes by. An article at TheHill.com drew my attention, because during these times of economic strife, green energy, carbon footprints, and the growing debate surrounding the anticipated reductions in the Defense Department budget, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s excessive use of Military Aircraft is simply wrong.

Secretary Panetta flies every weekend to his home in California where his wife runs his Panetta Institute, since his government appointment requires that he recuse himself from that venture. He can and will return to that job once he leaves Washington again. Here is the link for your further perusal:

http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/operations/196993-lawmakers-shrug-at-pentagon-chiefs-weekend-flights-to-california?tmpl=component&print=1&page=

Your Commander finds it very troubling that Panetta and the Washington based government operatives think nothing of freely spending the taxpayer’s money just because they can get away with doing it. If Panetta and Congressional members want those jobs, they should not have the right to fly home on the taxpayer’s dime every weekend. How about flying the wife and family to Washington at your own expense when you can afford it and/or traveling to your home/district in the same manner.

This is the kind of crap the American taxpayer is getting really sick and tired of hearing. Our government servants expect they are due certain excesses because of their position. I do not agree and I am certain you support my position on this issue, too.

I suspect if we learned how much all the weekend DC travel costs, many of us would have a fatal stroke. This seems to be an excellent place to begin cutting excessive expenses.

A million here and there becomes a billion here and there, and we might come up with a trillion or two!

COMMANDER GRANGER

FAST AND FURIOUS LACKS ACCOUNTABILITY

2011-12-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Everyone has now heard of the ill-conceived Fast and Furious plan that backfired on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and is directly responsible for the death of brave U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry. Investigations have lingered in the Halls of Congress but thus far no one has been held accountable or responsible for this ill-conceived plan.

I urge you to read Katie Pavlich’s article at the Townhall.com link below that provides important insight into this sickening development.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/12/02/fast_and_furious_justice_department_submitted_knowingly_false_information_to_congress/print

I read another Katie Pavlich article that reports the DOJ has been laundering millions of dollars in dirty, bloody Mexican Cartel profits and here is the link to that story:

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/12/04/obama_justice_department_laundered_millions_of_dollars_in_mexican_cartel_profits/print

After reading these articles I do not understand how Attorney General Eric Holder or any of those directly involved in Fast and Furious can continue to retain their office/positions, and even worse not be held accountable and responsible for this program. It is obvious that our Department of Justice, under the Obama Administration will hold you and me accountable and responsible for our actions, but that same standard does not apply to them.

That line of reasoning is totally unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

COMMANDER GRANGER

NOTRE DAME QB CRIST LEAVING

2011-12-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

Your Commander tips his hat to the Sports Department of the Chicago Tribune who scooped all the local media in South Bend in announcing the departure of Notre Dame Quarterback Dayne Crist to greener pastures. Here is the link to the Tribune’s article posted at 12:29 AM early this morning.

http://news-chicago.info/chicago-top-stories/qb-crist-is-leaving-notre-dame.html

Brian Hamilton’s early morning posting provides suggestions where Crist may enroll to play football with his one remaining year of eligibility. I personally hope he has a successful year after a red shirt year, several injuries, and harsh treatment by petulant Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly. It is important to note that the ND players held Crist in high regard, while it is a pity that his coach placed his own agenda before the loyalty shown by an outstanding scholar athlete.

Being a resident of the Notre Dame area, I am shocked that the so-called “Dean of Local Sports,” WNDU-TV’s Jeff Jeffers, missed this story, but on the other hand I wasn’t surprised since the word apparently came while he was at home.

Thanks, Dayne Crist, for your dedication to your school and the sport of football and good luck for future success where ever your journey takes you in life.

COMMANDER GRANGER

FAITH AND OUR NATION'S FOUNDERS

2011-12-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

I may be old, but I was not around when our Founding Fathers toiled so brilliantly back in 1776 to establish the foundation of this great American adventure. But, certainly we can readily agree that they did their work on a sound basis that led this country to become the envy of the entire world. Admittedly there are detractors, but I believe most of those country’s motivations are really based upon jealousness and self-preservation of their questionable way of governing or dictating.

Once again I call upon all of us to look back at our history to better understand what has been successful and exactly where we have fallen short of our goals. Some modern-day forces tend to poo-poo the Founding Fathers as out of date, but I disagree with that premise. In the current edition of the American Patriot’s Almanac there is an excellent review of the Faith of the Founders. Here is a summarization of the seven truths about the founding of America:

1. The Founders believed that we are creatures of God, and that God endows us with our
inalienable rights.

2. The Bible was an indispensable source of inspiration for the Founders

3. The Founders believed that God created humans to be free.

4. The American concept of equality is deeply rooted in the Judaic tradition.

5. The Founders regarded religion as a pillar of American democracy.

6. The Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of religion in order to encourage faith.

7. The Founders believed that America plays a special role in God’s plan.

The real purpose is to get you to think about these seven foundational principles, and then question whether we have gotten into our current state because we failed to follow our Founding Father’s intensions and guidance.
I suggest that a good case can be made for that contention. What do you think?

COMMANDER GRANGER

WASHINGTON'S DOUBLE SPEAK LANGUAGE

2011-12-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

Our nation’s capital has long been renowned for oratory consisting of Washington “double-speak,” saying one thing and meaning something else. Those of you who follow this blog may remember me telling the story about an old southern Senator’s remarks being challenged by a reporter and the Senator in response said, “Son, just because I said it doesn’t mean it is so.”

Presidential Press Secretary Jay Carney responding in June of this year to questions about the Bush tax cuts stated, “I just want to be clear that when some folks are throwing up a lot of ‘gorilla dust’ to confuse people about what they’re ruling out.”

The term ‘gorilla dust’ was a new one to me and upon checking the web site DoubleTongued.org I learned the definition to be “bluffing, posturing, or hollow attempts at intimidation.” That definitely sounds like all the talk coming from both sides of the aisles of Congress and the White House Oval Office to me.

Here are some catchwords I spotted on that same web site that have been introduced into the language of Washington too: macaroon technique, sorry gift, break the ton, ghost shift, stock, startle factor, hair crunch, seagen, rollup, simming, nimbleton, skuke, broccoli journalism, parclo, and dittoism. Not knowing what in the hell these words really mean I doubt few others do, and that is one of our basic problems in Washington because I’m not sure they do either.

If you want to check the definition of these words just hit this link:

http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/gorilla_dust/

I like the basic explanation for ‘gorilla dust’ from “Hinduism Today” in 1998, “When two male gorillas confront each other, they’re too canny most of the time to actually fight, so they resort to the tried-and-true political tactic of intimidation. Both scurry about in frenzy, grimacing menacingly, beating their chests and tossing clouds of dirt into the air. It’s a serious encounter, full of powerful and primitive energies, a test of testosterone. Soon one becomes convinced that the other could win the threatened physical engagement and retreats.”

Sounds oddly familiar, doesn’t it?

COMMANDER GRANGER

BLOCKADE OF WEST COAST PORTS

2011-12-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

Let me draw your attention to Townhall.com’s very disturbing article that reveals ex-Obama White House Green Energy Tsar, Van Jones, is calling for the Occupy Movement to blockade major West Coast sea ports December 12th in Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Vancouver, and Anchorage. With the American economy on a shaky foundation already, any disruption will only acerbate the flow of commerce further and delay economic recovery.

The Townhall.com article, written by its News Editor, Katie Pavlich, goes so far as to call Jones a Communist. Here is the link to her article if you want to read more:

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/12/02/van_jones_calls_on_occupiers_to_block_major_ports

If this information concerns you, I suggest you take a look at the Wikipedia report on Van Jones, because his background and activities should raise a red flag of concern regarding his true political agenda.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Jones

If you are still not concerned, Mr. Jones is a VERY close personal friend of President Obama and has been for years.

While your Commander is a strong advocate of our 1st Amendment rights to free-speech, I believe that Van Jones is deviously intent upon bringing down the American form of government. Operatives such as Jones (again, remember he is an Obama pal) represent a disruptive force functioning under the guise of ‘good vs. evil’ or a ‘Sheep in Wolf’s’ clothing’. Reading Jones’ Wikipedia mention, I wonder how much of Jones’s Princeton University salary is being paid by the American taxpayers or is a left-wing liberal advocacy group backing his earnings there through a funded chair?

Your Commander certainly does not suggest a return to 1950s McCarthy era witch hunts, but in my opinion individuals like Van Jones represent a clear and present danger to the American way of life.

COMMANDER GRANGER

MAINSTREAM MEDIA AWOL ON BOEING SETTLEMENT

2011-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Were it not for my morning scan of various internet sites, I would not have found the report of a settlement of the well-known Boeing Aircraft negotiations with the contentious Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union. When I saw an article on Townhall.com I then searched major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times but did not find so much as a mention of the lengthy labor dispute that led to the problem with the National Labor Relations Board withholding approval for Boeing’s new Dreamliner plant in Charleston, S.C.

Further investigation revealed coverage by The Wall Street Journal and the Politico.com site (Politico link below). What I found most interesting was the fact that it seemed only conservative sites reported the labor settlement, which should lead to the NLRB approving Boeing’s important new Charleston operation in a Right to Work State.

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=DBBDF4A0-2A26-40B0-97BE-8CEC8639DDD5

In the interest of fair and balanced reporting extensive coverage of the Boeing labor settlement does exist in the morning editions of both the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Seattle is home to another Boeing plant and is also the company's former headquarters. Boeing is now headquartered in Chicago.

Your Commander wonders just why the mainstream media outlets did not address this important labor settlement with even a small announcement, but it was sufficiently significant to be carried on right-wing conservative media? Do the words LIBERAL POLITICAL BIAS and LABOR SYMPATHIES come to mind?

COMMANDER GRANGER

SEQUESTRATION-CAN IT SAVE TRILLIONS

2011-11-30T15:50:00.001-08:00

With the failure of the Super Committee and the previous Simpson/Bowles Debt Reduction Commission appointed by President Obama due to political gridlock, we now have “sequestration”, which has stirred great concern across the country and within the Halls of a do-nothing Congress. With a President more interested in his re-election than the deep issues confronting the nation, we must urge our reluctant Congressional representatives to act bravely and firmly before the axe falls sharply upon our national economy.

The definition of sequestration in this case is, “confiscation of property, as by court or government action.” What will be confiscated are dollars from government budget line items, which means that half of the $1.2 million in expense will be cut from the Defense Department.

We and Congress have kicked the can down the road so long we now must address several previously untouched issues, because there is no longer any alternative. Cuts in expenditures must be made and they must be made soon.
Issues such as Immigration, Social Security, and Obama-care must be changed, but the hot-button issue getting all the attention currently is National Defense and cuts to the Pentagon budget. That is a highly emotional subject just like the ones I noted earlier.

I have addressed Defense spending previously, and know from first-hand experience, as every single veteran knows, that we can cut waste, fraud and corruption in Defense spending and not lose one iota of defense readiness.
That would save billions of dollars, but we must save trillions ASAP, and I am going to make a suggestion that will cause a huge emotional negative reaction from many of my readers, but it is doable and logical.

There is absolutely no reason for the United States of America to fund, supply and support five separate distinct branches of our military. We should unify the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard into two distinct units, namely the Army and the Navy. Currently we have five separate units operating five different air operations, with five different supply units, five different uniforms, five different budgets that overlap the same objective.

After you take the emotional opposition out of the argument there are obviously billions of dollars in savings that can occur, and many of the under utilized facilities domestically and internationally can be unified with immediate greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Our federal government has never been run with the efficiencies and cost-controls that exist in private industry and those efficiencies must be forced upon our military and government operations ASAP. We have to require the political leadership to make these hard decisions and get our country back on a sound economic balance sheet.

Just consider all the under-utilized buildings that our government owns and maintains. Consider the millions of acres of land owned by the federal government and the substantially under-utilized acres of land that exist on our military installations. Selling off unneeded and unused land and getting it on the tax rolls only makes sense, but some one must have the guts to face these issues despite the well-known special interest lobby efforts that will quickly spring forth.

Remember our five-star General of the Armies, and later President Dwight Eisenhower warned us of the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex shortly after he left office. Many of the essential services of government must be preserved, but first we must get our financial house in order or nothing will exist if all our institutions collapse because our elected officials did not act responsibly. If you look into the mirror you know I am correct in my conclusions, but no one enjoys facing the cold hard facts of the day.

We are all guilty of kicking the can down the road, and we have been spoiled and bought-off by persuasive political forces, including lobbyists, but we must now suck it up and pay the price for having it good for far too long without keeping an eye on our federal check book. We trusted Congress to do that, and they cannot be trusted in this day and age.

I think our last chance to achieve an improvement in our economy and our national finances may be with the adoption of the Simpson/Bowles Commission Report.

COMMANDER GRANGER

DARE THE DEMOCRATS

2011-11-30T15:21:00.001-08:00

The title listed for Dr. Charles Krauthammer’s recent column was called “The Grover Norquist myth”, but I think it should have been DARE THE DEMOCRATS. Krauthammer’s insightful column elequently notes that the Democrat spin machine has been effective, but he proves without any doubt that it is the Democrats who have failed to even present a budget plan over the past 2 ½ years. Here is the link:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-28/news/ct-oped-1128-krauthammer-20111128-20_1_tax-revenue-tax-rates-tax-reform

This opinion piece proposes an important suggestion by urging the Republicans to force a vote on the Simpson/Bowles report in the House. The key point of Krauthammer’s thesis is in his closing paragraph when he states, “Dare the Senate Democrats to vote down the grandest of all bargains. Dare Obama to veto his own debt commission. Dare the Democrats to actually do something about debt.”

When are the Republicans going to force the truth to come forth and out-maneuver the Democrats and their complicit simpatico main-stream media pals?

COMMANDER GRANGER

OCCUPY POSTER OF THE DAY

2011-11-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

In my email today I received a wonderful example of the shallow misdirected foolishness that permeates the Occupy Wall Street Movement. A young woman at the OWS site in New York was holding a sign (to the best of my knowledge the sign was not photo shopped). It said:

$96,000 for a BA in Hispanic transgender gay & lesbian studies and I can’t find work!

Now I ask you, why do you suppose she can’t find a job? Let us start by questioning why the school even offered such a degree, and why the guidance counselor suggested or permitted this course of study, and why a bank would approve the accompanying loans for this particular student when there were few if any jobs in this course of study? It is apparent that our universities and colleges are not serving their students’ best interests, but presenting courses that support politically correct or politically sympathetic agendas of the facility.

This demonstrator should be holding up that sign in front of the university or college she attended asking the same question of them. Maybe they should hire her, but that action would end up costing the American taxpayers to support another scholastic program that leads to nowhere.

I suspect this misguided young adult is only qualified to open a coffee shop for Hispanic transgender gay & lesbian students, but little else. I think I am having another Howard Beale moment…”I’M MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

COMMANDER GRANGER

BOOK REVIEW - KILLING LINCOLN

2011-11-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

Since completing the Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard best-selling book “Killing Lincoln”, I have given considerable thought toward this review of the extremely sad story surrounding the assassination of one of the most famous presidents in the history of the United States of America. I must note that I believe a person who is 80 years old will be affected differently when reading this book than an individual of a much younger age. At my advanced age the subject of death is one I prefer to avoid and not dwell upon, although I recognize that it is inevitable.

That being said, I strongly recommend that all ages read “Killing Lincoln”, because it certainly brings forward many long forgotten facts surrounding this devastating event. While some have challenged certain details disclosed in the book, I suspect some of that is due to the strong sentiments individuals hold regarding Bill O’Reilly.

Permit me to suggest that there is great value in understanding all the subsequent actions that occurred as a result of Lincoln’s assassination, such as the creation of the Secret Service, the restriction of public entrance within the White House, and the importance of the vetting process for the Vice-Presidential candidate in subsequent elections.

The authors have written a book that is very easy to read, and with short chapters it is one that you can read for a short period and then pick-up again quite easily. The book is a worthy read or it would not have been able to sustain its long tenure on the better best-seller lists across the country.

Lastly, I wonder how different our country would be today had we had the leadership and direction of Abraham Lincoln as our president for the remainder of at least his second term (remember that the presidential two term limit did not occur until the late 1940s). Certainly the re-unification of the North and South after the Civil War would have been a priority under Lincoln’s leadership, but did not occur under his inept successor, Andrew Johnson.

Tragically, we will never know all the answers, and we must trust historians for direction and understanding as O’Reilly and Dugard have done so effectively in this book.

COMMANDER GRANGER

PRIVATIZE THE NATION'S MAIL DELIVERY

2011-11-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Here I go again addressing the sad financial state of the U.S. Postal Service. You may remember that your Commander has addressed this subject on numerous occasions, and has long suggested that the business model of the Post Office has changed forever and it should be privatized.

At my advanced age I find it most rewarding when I find someone else who carries an opinion identical to mine, and thus I draw your attention to a recent George F. Will column.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/privatize-the-nations-mail-delivery/2011/11/23/gIQAe2J7wN_print.html

Once you take the emotion out of this conversation the answer is obvious as clearly stated by Will in this opinion piece. Now we have to wonder just how long Congress will take to implement the appropriate action, and save the country billions of additional wasted dollars.

COMMANDER GRANGER

IGNORE ELIOT SPITZER

2011-11-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, the name of Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced former Governor of New York, has popped up in a sympathetic article in the weekend edition of Politico.com. Any suggestion that Spitzer can or should re-enter the political scene is utter nonsense and should be simply ignored before it gains any traction.

If you have nothing better to do, spend fifteen minutes reading the Politico.com article. Here is the link for your use:

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=BFE9147E-80C3-4867-8090-DAF4E21EE788

As the article notes Spitzer and the Occupy Wall Street movement have found each other. That should be sufficient reason to ignore him again just as he was by the electorate after being exposed and shamed in a prostitution scandal that caused him to step down as Governor of New York and his failed attempt as a cable talk show host on CNN. The thought that Spitzer has even the slightest thought of returning to politics is sickening and again, as I did many months ago, I recommend that he be shunned for all time.

Seeing Spitzer extend his support to the Occupy Wall Street movement reminds me of the old expression “Birds of a feather stick together.”

COMMANDER GRANGER

UNIONS AND POLITICS

2011-11-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Over the holiday weekend I had an opportunity to read a very interesting and reflective interview with Fred Siegel, an economic historian of the American city, written by Matthew Kaminski on The Wall Street Journal web site. Siegel discusses “how government unions came to dominate state and local politics.” Here is the link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577016092542307600.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read#printMode

This article really puts the current economic problems into a simple and easy to understand explanation by an experienced economist who has strong ties to a socialist environment within his family. I have never heard our current problems explained so logically and I hope you find this to have been a valuable experience to better understanding just what we must do to improve our economy in the near term.

The resolution is political dynamite, but it must be confronted because we simply do not have the funds to continue paying the unfunded union pensions that our government officials authorized to garner union voter support. Only strong leadership will solve our current economic debacle, but the day of reckoning must now be faced head-on, because the alternative is unacceptable to both political parties.

When you read articles with such substance as this one, it is easy to understand why The Wall Street Journal is so highly regarded.

COMMANDER GRANGER

NBA - THE GRINCH TRIES TO STEAL CHRISTMAS

2011-11-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

On October 13th I wrote a commentary stating I could care less if the National Basketball Association played any game of the 2011/2012 season. Now word has been released that the spoiled and over-paid players and the bloated rich-cats who own the teams have reached a tentative agreement to resume play with three separate games scheduled Christmas Day. (All NBA, all Christmas Day.)

It might be a wonderful way to disrupt and spoil a beautiful day for families who celebrate the joys of life and the Christmas story, but I hope no one cares and no one watches. I believe the NBA wants to come back as ‘the Grinch Spoiling Christmas 2012.’ This is the essence of misplaced values. Sad, but true.

You might want to view the attached You Tube video parody relative to this fiasco. If it wasn’t so close to the truth it would be really funny.

http://www.wtam.com/pages/bfrantz.html?article=9407224

Need I say more?

COMMANDER GRANGER

MEDIA FUELS OCCUPY WALL ST. MOVEMENT

2011-11-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

Repeatedly I have expressed my negative reaction to the Occupy Wall Street movement and its motivation. I have noted complicity between the “OWS” participants, and the main-stream media including radio, television and newspaper coverage.

Media outlets across the country are outraged with the pepper spray incident at the University of California/Davis that is often mentioned and video aired with little or no acknowledgement of the activities that lead up to the action by campus Police. Shepard Smith on Fox News Channel went ballistic criticizing the Police involved before he knew anything about the incident, except the brief video feed from the local Fox affiliate showing the protestors being pepper sprayed from point blank range.

When viewing OWS demonstrations have you ever asked yourself: Why do the participants feel they must mask their faces. What are they ashamed of and why do they not have the guts to be recognized. What are they hiding?

Lately, good solid reporting by print and broadcast journalists is long on sensationalism and short on solid facts, because their approach is quick and cheap. Good and accurate journalism is costly and time consuming and that is not what we are getting in today’s stringent economy.

I know from what I speak, because I was on the management side of the industry in the good old days when the business of journalism made an excellent profit and could afford to do the job correctly. Now the old expression, “If it bleeds it leads” is very much in vogue for both print and electronic media outlets. Then add the very real liberal vent that is prevalent in newsrooms across America today and the public is being fed a biased, one side view of the issues.

CNSnews.com reports that according to an Associated Press survey the OWS movement has cost the nation’s cities $13 million dollars in over-time expense for Police Department and other municipal services in just two months. One must wonder how the OWS organizers can justify that expense when they are so critical of government and bank actions.

Beware of what you’re getting from media today. Question what you’re seeing and reading and look for responsible sources of your information before your react. If the cameras and reporters were to ignore OWS, the movement would likely fold 24-48 hours.

COMMANDER GRANGER

INDIANA LEGISLATURE FACES DIVISION IN 2012

2011-11-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Do you remember when the Democrat Party members of the Indiana State Legislature walked-out in early 2011 and fled to Danville, Illinois preventing a quorum which avoided any vote on anti-labor legislation? Well based upon reports emanating from Indianapolis the brief 2012 General Assembly session is headed for a confrontation when they push “Right to Work” legislation.

Legendary blow-hard State Democrat Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer, who wears the worst rug in Indiana, promises stiff opposition due to the Democrat Party’s strong union support. To bring yourself up to date on this important issue you can take a look at a South Bend Tribune article at this link:

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sbt-assembly-likely-faces-more-division-20111122,0,4102368,print.story

Despite the strength of the union movement in Indiana the early reports of a poll in the South Bend Tribune are both surprising and interesting. After only two days the poll indicates that 59% of the participants support “Right to Work” legislation, and 41% are opposed. Clearly the extremely high levels of unemployment in Indiana may be causing the Hoosier citizens to favor State legislative action that could enhance the chance of improving employment opportunities through successful economic development.

It does not take an intellectual to predict that this next General Assembly session is going to get contentious, because if the union movement loses this battle its future is certainly in jeopardy of fading out of existence. For the record I favor “Right to work” legislation, because it has been successful where it exists in 23 other States around the USA.

Indiana and the entire country needs to create jobs, which will increase tax revenues, and if “Right to work” creates jobs then we would be fools not to endorse such a plan.

COMMANDER GRANGER

DYSFUNCTIONAL GOVERNANCE

2011-11-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

On this day when we give thanks for the many blessing that have been bestowed upon us, I felt it appropriate to search for a better understanding as to why our governance has become so dysfunctional. Permit me to draw your attention to a very reflective article by Holman W. Jenkins Jr. that I found on The Wall Street Journal web site.

The title “If Only Obama Had Been This Guy” is supported by the sub-headline ‘Carter at least did not substitute his priorities for the nation’s’. This article goes to the heart of the necessity for leadership in Washington.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204443404577054141769215880.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read#printMode

Hopefully on this day of consideration a growing number of our fellow Americans will become involved in requiring our government officials to address the important issues of the day as opposed to ranking their selfish, egotistically driven re-election goals their first priority. When our elected officials took their sworn Oath of Office how can they ignore those very clearly specified objectives?

Your Commander cannot think of anything more important for all of us to contemplate on this day of reflection than honest, prioritized, good governance.

COMMANDER GRANGER

IMPORTANT - WHO IS GROVER NORQUIST?

2011-11-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

The timing of the CBS 60 Minutes segment Sunday 11/20 on Grover Norquist was brilliant, because it exposed his personal responsibility for the failure of the Special Congressional Debt Committee to reach any agreement in reducing our national debt obligations. To say that Norquist is a controversial figure is a massive understatement. In an effort to better understand just who and what Grover Norquist is, I have done some research and I urge you to read the attached links so you too can assess Norquist more accurately.

When I read this Wikipedia article I certainly learned some interesting background facts about this very influential lobbyist:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist

That article directly addresses and supports the suggestion of retired Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) who said, “It’s time to peel all the layers of the onion off of Grover Norquist.” I agree with that statement after reading the Wikipedia details of his past.

Take a look at the Oath of Office that our United States Senators and members of the House of Representatives are required to take upon their election, which is required by the Sixth Article of our Constitution:

“I, ______, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Now review the Taxpayer Protection Pledge that Norquist succeeded in having 267 Representatives and 41 Senators take:

“I,_____, pledge to the taxpayers of the ____th district of the state of ________ and to the American people that I will ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rate for individuals, and businesses, and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”

In the interest of full disclosure I urge you to take a look at this link that specifies each and every member of the Senate and House who signed Norquist’s pledge:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/atrfiles/files/files/Federal%20Pledge%20Signers%20112th%20Congress(2).pdf

I draw your attention to the fact that 6 GOP House members and 7 GOP Senators declined to sign the pledge and note that 2 Democrat House members and 1 Democrat Senator signed the pledge.

In a separate commentary I intend to address my deep concerns about our current tax code, but I believe the signers of Norquist’s anti-tax pledge have abrogated the specific requisites of their Oath of Office. Your Commander does not feel a member of the House or Senate can take a federal oath “take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office” when he or she in a pledge to a man or lobbying organization to ‘never’ raise taxes.

Your Commander further feels that Norquist is an egotistical opportunist who has attached himself to an emotionally charged con-job in the form of the Americans for Tax Reform movement that provides him with a healthy financial gain similar to the Jack Abramoff transgressions. Having been fortunate to have lived over 80 years, I know it is prudent to never say “NEVER” to anything.

I totally agree that our country desperately needs substantial tax reform to bring about a fairer distribution of personal and corporate tax liabilities. It is also absolutely essential to always have options available to our law makers to address any eventuality such as funding emergencies and sudden national defense issues. Any elected official who signed the Norquist pledge has abrogated their Oath, and should not be re-elected.

The Super Committee should have reached some agreement, and President Obama should have supported and urged legislation based upon the reasonable recommendations of the earlier Simpson/Bowles Debt Reduction Commission. As a result of the failure of the Special Committee and its inability to put a number of Simpson/Bowles Commission conclusions into its recommendations we have a falling stock market and are now in danger of another credit rating demotion and real economic chaos.

In conclusion, beware of Grover Norquist, because I consider him to be dangerous for the economic health of our country, and he could destroy the entire Republican Party, if they do not do it to themselves.

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE HILLARY MOMENT

2011-11-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

I try not to address the same subject in the same month, but having read an interesting opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal titled “The Hillary Moment”, and having recently presented my comments (11/11/11) on the same subject, I feel compelled to return to the same issue. If you missed it here is a link to noted Democrat pundits Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen’s opinion piece:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203611404577041950781477944.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#printMode

Allow me to pat my self on the back, I beat Caddell and Schoen to publication and we addressed the same subject from different angles. I feared Hillary would be the 2012 Democrat candidate, and Caddell and Schoen are urging the Democrat Party to have her as their candidate. Either way, the important point is that the Republican Party has a real fight on their hands and this race is theirs to lose and the Democrats to win. Anyone who thinks the 2012 General Election is going to be anything but a bloody negative fight is simply naïve.

The way the Republican Party has been fumbling the ball, the negative reaction to the influence of Grover Norquist, the internal fighting in the Republican Party, the failure of the Super Committee, and the strong credentials of Hillary Clinton I fear that she can beat any one of the current Republican candidates if the election were held today. Festering in the background are the unknown dangerous intensions of those loons in Iran who could turn everything upside down.

As Pat Caddell said on Fox News Channel, “Our President is AWOL and unengaged.” Time will tell.

COMMANDER GRANGER

CAN GINGRICH WIN ON IMMIGRATION?

2011-11-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

Your Commander did not have an opportunity to view the Republican presidential debate last night, but I have read the article by Dan Blaz from The Washington Post, which summarized what occurred during that debate. As the title of the article indicates the big reaction came from Newt Gingrich’s statements on immigration, which is apparently one of the hot-button issues in the race for the Republican nomination.

Here is the link to Blaz’s article, and I’ll address some personal comments and reaction below.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/can-gingrich-sell-humane-immigration-policy-to-gop/2011/11/23/gIQApuP0oN_print.html

I do not know who is going to get the Republican nomination, but I know that I want to see a qualified candidate challenge President Barack Obama. I believe he has done a poor job as President and has deviously lied to the American public. At the moment Mitt Romney seems to be the front-runner, and Newt Gingrich has deported himself very well in recent debates.

Gingrich has plenty of baggage, some significant and some really totally unimportant, but his poll numbers grow with each passing day. I believe he is the best debater and has the ability and experience to handle himself very well on his feet. While I am a long-term hawk on the issue of immigration, I must confess that my once held positions have changed, because they are not realistic or doable. Gingrich’s stated position is carefully noted in the Post article if you have not seen news sound bites.

Only time will tell, but I believe the Republicans have a tough road to hoe, and the negative Democrat Party campaign is yet to be fully unleashed against Obama’s opponents. I believe that Gingrich has made a bold move to garner votes from minorities and families with immigration issues, and I now support Gingrich’s position. It is logical and realistic.

Although I would like to deport all illegal immigrants, it is simply not possible to be approved or supported by Congress. We must get on with a solution to immigration, because it is breaking our back economically and preventing the resolution of far greater issues of the day.

In conclusion, I urge you to ask yourself the following question: Who has more logical suggestions for resolving the pressing problems of the day than Newt Gingrich? Thus far I suggest nobody has done so. Still, I am refraining from selecting a nominee at this time, but I must agree that I think this is now a two-man race to the finish. Only time will tell.

COMMANDER GRANGER

OCCUPY WALL STREET ASSESSMENT

2011-11-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I spent well over an hour crafting my thoughts relative to the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations ramping up across America. My comments covered over 500 words, and expressed my deep concerns about the cause and effect of the well organized gatherings that are causing massive disruption in cities across the country with escalating violence each passing day.

While conducting some research for that blog I ran across an article that struck a chord, because it very clearly addressed the subject in a far more adroit fashion than I had. The article was written by Thomas Sowell, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, and I urge you to read his sentiments at the link below where he succinctly addresses the difference between rioting and protesting with his dissertation “Democracy vs. mob rule in ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests”.

http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111108/OPINION02/711089989/0/OPINION02&template=printart

Your Commander finds the fact that an increasing number of well-reasoned voices of color are stepping forward to challenge the actions of main-stream media, social movements, and the current administration very interesting. It is my personal opinion that this entire disruptive OWS movement is well organized and well financed with direct ties to the re-election agenda of Barack Obama. The OWS movement reflects another concerted effort to play the ‘transference card’ deflecting blame away from its true source of Capital Hill and the Oval Office of our White House.

COMMANDER GRANGER

PSU SCANDAL - IT ALL COMES DOWN TO MONEY

2011-11-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

The news that has dominated the media and discussions in coffee shops, around water coolers, etc. across the country is all about the Penn State University child molestation scandal, and to say that it is a sad situation is a total understatement. Assuming all of the allegations and suspicions are true, this entire situation could have been prevented, but like so many previous sickening criminal acts, authorities will now take remedial action after the fact.

I find all the outrage being uttered by many public officials, university officials, and those involved in various athletic programs to be hollow and off the point. Had the proper perspective existed at Penn State and many of Colleges/Universities all over the country this scandal would not have happened, but football in this case took precedence over appropriate institutional controls.

It has been widely reported that football at Penn State brings between $70 and $80 million annually to the school. As a result, the school has one of the lowest state supported percentages of budget in the nation.

The root of this scandal and the cause of many of our nation’s problems are simply MONEY, GREED, AND POWER. When you look at many other grievous issues of the day, you find the cause is often the same MONEY, GREED, AND POWER.

Recently USA Today ran articles reporting the salary levels of college athletic directors and another listing the salary totals for football coaches. That prompted me to investigate the annual salary reports for the presidents of major universities around the country. Those reports allowed me to conclude that apparently football makes so much money that the football coach is very frequently paid more money than the ADs or even the presidents who are the ultimate leaders in the pecking order.

I think it is fair to say that in far too many cases football coaches have had inappropriate influence and control beyond both their ADs and university presidents. The coaches have a strong influence where alumni contributions are concerned.

One of the reasons it is so expensive to send our children to institutions of higher learning, is because the presidents, athletic directors, and coaches are being compensated at lavish and unjustified levels. Winning has become more important than learning and protecting our children, which is simply tragic and we must get our priorities in proper order ASAP.

If you’re interested in further details you should look at any of these links:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/story/2011-athletics-director-salaries-database/50669958/1

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2011-11-17/cover-college-football-coaches-salaries-rise/51242232/1

http://www.wsws.org/tools/index.php?page=print&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Farticles%2F2011%2Fapr2011%2Fpres-a18.shtml

Nick Saban, head coach at Alabama makes $4,183,333; Univ. of Texas coach Mack Brown receives $2,293,361; Illinois coach Ron Zook is paid $1,750,000; Vanderbilt Athletic Director Dureal Williams is paid $2,560,505; new Ohio State University AD Gene Smith is paid $1,024,546; Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbuck receives $932,232, Duke AD Kevin White is paid $908,000.

Compare those salary levels to the top ten earning university presidents. The top pay goes to Ohio State University’s E. Gordon Gee at $1,818, 911 down to the 10th on the list, who is Michael M. Crow of Arizona State University at $728,350 you can see that virtually every President receives substantially less than the football coach and in many cases the AD compared to the institution’s Chief Executive Officer.

The football programs and in some cases the basketball programs rule the roost and that is why tragically a situation was permitted to brew like the one that occurred at Penn State University. I say…Why have we permitted the priorities of institutions to fall to this tragic condition?

Back to my earlier point, it is the vast amounts of money and the greed of the leadership to guarantee the continuing flow of dollars into the coffers of institutions nationwide. Sadly, I suspect there are many other cases of athletic influence covering up campus situations involving administrators, professors, or students. Hopefully the PSU scandal has sent Presidents, Boards of Trustees, Athletic Departments and others across the country into executive session to make sure their asses are covered. The country and college fans of any sport should not have to experience one more disgusting act to happen before corrective action is taken.

The Penn State University story has yet to totally unfold and it is certain to be disturbing, and I pray we learn and take appropriate action to prevent another tragic occurrence. Our children are the future of this country and they deserve our love and protection.

COMMANDER GRANGER

AMERICAN DEFENSE AND COST CONSIDERATIONS

2011-11-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

As part of my normal Sunday morning behavior pattern I scan a variety of internet websites and view the Sunday morning political news programs.

Once again I was struck by the fact that the CBS Face The Nation program seems to be taking on an obvious harder edge. Host Bob Schieffer has become an attack-dog with his guests, such as Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) on this morning’s program. I thought moderators such as Schieffer were to probe, but not render harsh personal opinions. CBS is clearly changing its tenor in the effort to achieve better ratings.

Moving on to this morning’s internet surfing, let me draw your attention to three interesting articles, which may contribute to a better understanding of military expenditures, military deployment, and our defense capabilities world-wide. All three links are noted below, but if you do not want to take the time to read each, I will summarize them in the following paragraphs and conclude with my opinion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/us/costly-osprey-symbol-of-fight-to-cut-pentagon.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/general-us-troops-uganda-mission-likely-to-last-until-rebel-leader-is-caught/2011/11/18/gIQAOKeScN_print.html

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/11/18/armys_new_toy_strike_anywhere_on_earth_in_one_hour/print

The first article from The New York Times addresses the changing mission of the Marine Corps and the Corps’ efforts to sell the costly V-232 Osprey $70 million dollar aircraft program. Essentially the article addresses the significance of the influences of the Military Industrial Complex against cuts in military budget expenditures expected in the coming months. I, on the other hand, see this as a good opportunity to shift spending priorities for the Marine Corps away from outdated mission expenditures for amphibious equipment to the modern troop deployment Osprey.

The Washington Post article reminds us of the recent deployment of 100 Special Forces personnel into Uganda, and now we learn that a "small number” are assigned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, too. I see mission-creep developing here. Remember President Obama has just announced that 2,400 Marines will also be deployed to Australia shortly.

Allow me to paraphrase something Rep. Ron Paul said this morning on Face The Nation: With American military now posted in 130 foreign countries on some 900 different bases it is certainly time for our government to re-examine the necessity for commitments of this extent. It is obvious to your Commander that reductions in Defense Department spending are appropriate, prudent, and necessary.

Lastly is the Townhall.com article by Katie Pavich announcing the success of the test flight of the DARPA Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV)-2 by the Army. The hypersonic missile travels at least five times the speed of sound, or 3,805 mph at sea level. It is capable of striking "anywhere on Earth in as little as an hour.” This one weapon could totally change the way military actions and Wars are fought in the future. This single weapon could provide us with a great opportunity to reduce Defense expenditures significantly.

In conclusion after all the smoke clears there will be many opportunities to address Defense capabilities and spending as a result of the evolving shifts in the missions of each military unit, and evolution of the weapons of War. Recognizing that your Commander is a committed hawk, we just should never just say "No" to any discussion of Defense spending expenditures until an objective analysis can be conducted away from the political influences being brought to bear by the Military Industrial Complex.

COMMANDER GRANGER

ASSANGE MAY FINALLY BE EXTRADITED

2011-11-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

Frequently the wheels of justice move slowly, and the case of WikiLeaks’s founder Julian Assange is a perfect example. Here is a link to a Chicago Tribune article reporting the action of the British High Court which has rejected his appeal against extradition on accusations of rape and sexual assault back in Sweden.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-rt-us-britain-assangetre7a07oq-20111101,0,2326011,print.story

Certainly Assange will try to appeal the Court’s decision, but hopefully he will eventually be brought back to the Swedish authorities and eventually be held accountable for his alleged actions. I cannot speak with any degree of inside knowledge, but I do know that this creep is guilty of totally unethical conduct when his group of left-wing wackos released thousands of secret government papers breaking laws all over the world.

Your Commander was delighted when Visa and MasterCard cut off the flow of financial contributions to WikiLeaks and hopefully as a result it will quickly go out of business. Assange and his band of little puppets have caused great harm to numerous governments and intelligence gathering institutions around the world.

This little piss-ant’s motivations are certainly not as he portrays them to be and if convicted in Sweden he should be placed in a dark cell to contemplate his destructive actions for many years. Eventually Assange will pay for his many crimes, but in the meantime numerous lawyers are having a field day collecting huge fees, and he is living-large in some rich liberal English fool’s country estate.

COMMANDER GRANGER

UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS

2011-11-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

The major topic of the day appears to be unemployment and I believe it will be the key decision point when it comes to selecting the next President of the United States come November 2012. To fully understand the depth of the electorate’s concern about unemployment Politico.com earlier this month conducted a poll in which 11,735 individuals participated. I found the result to be very important and revealing as to the depth of our collective concern on this subject.

‘THE NEW UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE: -

Good News – they show the economy is moving forward – 24%

Bad news – jobs growth is still way too sluggish – 43%

Mixed news – could be better, could be worse – 31%

I’m not sure – 0%

Clearly 100% of the participants have an opinion on this question, and less than one-quarter of the respondents feel the employment news is good. On the other hand 74% feel that unemployment is a problem, which leads me to believe that unless there is a sharp improvement in employment figures before Election Day that single issue will be decisive.

Thus, I conclude that nothing short of the parting of the waters will solve this critical issue before Election Day, and that puts President Obama in jeopardy of being a one-term president. It will be for the historians to determine if the Republican Party can come together and win or if they fail to unify to take advantage of this political trump-card.

COMMANDER GRANGER

CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE IS A JOKE

2011-11-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

I recently spotted an article that appeared in the Blog Briefing Room section of The Hill, and I want to bring the details to your attention. Below a link to the full article by Jordy Yager dated November 4th detailing an investigation into another member of Congress’ ethical conduct.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/191807-report-ethics-committee-votes-to-launch-investigation-into-rep-richardson?tmpl=component&print=1&page=

Now we have the second investigation into the ethics of Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) on top of long delayed inquiries impacting Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) which have lingered for years without any definitive action. Since all three mentioned in this report happen to be black, it is not surprising that the race card has come up. Don’t you think that race is something that certainly at the Congressional level we have moved far beyond?

What is troubling is the fact that long delays by the Ethics Committee are not something new. All of these inquiries cost significant amounts of money and we must provide a fair hearing, but it is time to get conclusions with definitive actions. This situation is exactly why there is so much dissatisfaction with Congress and I have come to the conclusion that they (Congress) are their own worst enemy.

Apparently there is so much corruption and internal violations of ethical behavior on Capitol Hill that everyone is fearful of pointing fingers at one another or they will be exposed too. There is one easy way to solve this apparent problem and that is to simply totally clean house.

COMMANDER GRANGER

VOTER PARTICIPATION ADVICE FROM 1924

2011-11-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

In view of my recent writings about voter apathy, I found a rather profound commentary from President Calvin Coolidge dating back to 1924 that addresses the issue quite well. Permit me to quote Coolidge directly.

“All the opportunity for self-government through the rule of the people depends upon one single factor. That is the ballot box…The people of our country are sovereign. If they do not vote they abdicate that sovereignty, and they may be entirely sure that if they relinquish it other forces will seize it, and if they fail to govern themselves some other power will rise up to govern them. The choice is always before them, whether they will be slaves or whether they will be free. The only way to be free is to exercise actively and energetically the privileges, and discharge faithfully the duties which make freedom. It is not to be secured by passive resistance. It is the result of energy and action…

Persons who have the right to vote are trustees for the benefit of their country and their countrymen. They have no right to say they do not care.
They must care! They have no right to say that whatever the result of the election they can get along. They must remember that their country and their countrymen cannot get along, cannot remain sound, cannot preserve its institutions, cannot protect its citizens, cannot maintain its place in the world, unless those who have the right to vote do sustain and do guide the course of public affairs by the thoughtful exercise of that right on election day.”

Well said, President Coolidge! Considering the fact that only 63.6% of eligible voters participated in the 2008 presidential election, that means that more than one-third of Americans failed to participate and apparently have lost faith in our government.

America desperately needs a greater percentage of our population to get to the polls and participate in the voting process. If you do not like the way things are going then it is your duty to learn all you can about the candidates and express your opinion for the future leadership of this country with your vote. If you do not vote, you should keep your mouth shut and be ashamed, especially if you are taking any government handouts.

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE POVERTY CARD

2011-11-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

As we rapidly approach another General Election campaign, both sides of the political spectrum are playing up the “Poverty Card” in hopes of arousing the minority population and also play on the guilt of wealthy liberals who classify themselves as Independents. Again I suggest that you turn to the writings of Professor Walter E. Williams to assist you in cutting through the fog of deceptive words being tossed our way. Please take a look at William’s recent syndicated column:

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2011/11/16/poverty_in_america/print

Williams really makes an important point in his closing paragraph directing the blame appropriately upon Congress who through its devious actions increasingly is getting their hands in our pockets.

COMMANDER GRANGER

VOTER TURNOUT - A REAL SHAME

2011-11-15T14:50:00.000-08:00

Recently there were local elections for Mayor and several other local offices in northern Indiana’s St. Joseph County. During the election campaigns much was said about the local economy, unemployment, crime, abandoned and vacant homes, and a lack of economic development. Local newspapers in both South Bend and adjacent Elkhart County were filled with highly critical voter concerns that were published in the Letters to the Editor sections questioning the direction and leadership of local government.

Now that the election is over, the Democrats have retained control of the Mayor’s office in South Bend, and the Republican incumbent has retained the Mayor’s office in Mishawaka despite a vicious negative campaign run by his Democrat opponent, something very significant has been revealed.

Yesterday I spoke to a knowledgeable member of the St. Joseph County Clerks Office and learned that the voter turnout for South Bend was 19.6%, and the turnout in Mishawaka was 24.8%. In other words 80.4% of the registered voters in South Bend and 75.2% of the registered voters in Mishawaka did not take the time or indicate their interest to vote in these vitally important elections.

While the winners in the Mayoral races in both South Bend and Mishawaka both won by landslides, neither should consider their election a mandate when you consider the insignificant size of the voter turnout. The truth of the matter is that the turnout in both cities was shamefully inadequate.

Recognizing that there is a substantial difference between a local election in St. Joseph County, Indiana and the General Election here in the USA in 2008 it is significant to note that 63% of this country’s eligible voters voted in the Presidential election. Now please take a look at a very interesting piece of information for voter turnout on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout

It was interesting to learn that voter turnout in Australia is mandatory, and in Malta, which does not have required voting, the turnout averaged 94% during the years 1960 to 1995. Hopefully you scrolled down to pages 4 and 5 and noted the percentages of voting in a wide variety of countries world-wide. It is surprising to note the significantly higher average percentages of voter participation from 93% in Chile, to 86% in Germany to 51% in Poland during the same 35 year period. Tragically, the summary indicates that the lowest percentage of voting was in the United States with only an average of 48%. As the report specifies we Americans voted on the average of 55% in the General Elections and only 40% in the off-year elections.

If you read the Wikipedia link then you have noted the many factors that come into consideration for voter turnout. Taking all this into my consideration I am totally ashamed of my fellow Hoosiers here in St. Joseph County for such limited participation in local elections. If the people in the county have such a disregard for the governance of their communities then they have absolutely no business voicing any complaints about their local government. Those people should be totally ashamed of themselves and simply put they should keep their mouths shut taking what they get without any complaint.

These shocking numbers raise many questions that would make for a revealing Doctorate Thesis. What is the demographic profile, the percentage of non-voters who are unemployed, are on welfare, are Republicans or are Democrat Party members, and why South Bend appears to be in decay, and Mishawaka appears to be prospering. With voter turnout so low it is no wonder Newsweek Magazine deemed South Bend a “Dying City.” Your Commander can only believe that the people of this community just do not give a damn about the future of their local government. SHAME ON THOSE WHO DID NOT VOTE.

COMMANDER GRANGER

OCCUPY WALL STREET AND EDUCATION

2011-11-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Your Commander draws your attention to a fascinating article appearing in The Wall Street Journal that addresses the real root problem that exists within the Occupy Wall Street movement. I urge you to read the complete article by William McGurn where he takes the position that the Occupy Wall Street group has a good point about student debt, but it is flawed.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204394804577010080547122646.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read#printMode

As I mentioned above, the Occupy groups are claiming that student debt is the problem and the big banks are at fault, but the banks and financial institutions are not at fault, but the universities and colleges that present expensive curriculums that deliver students who are not prepared for the available job market place.

The reference to the book “Academically Adrift” by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa is particularly interesting. It states that 1/3rd of the students over four years were showing no improvement in critical thinking, analytical reasoning, or written communications. The authors also look at far too many students ending up with huge loan obligations and degrees that their university or college indicated would be financially beneficial but do not serve the student properly in later years. These programs within the schools are driving up the cost of a solid educational experience and not the banks that provide the loans.

Thus the Occupy Wall Street should actually be meeting on the campus lawns of colleges and universities across the country and not around the major banks.

Which brings me back to a subject that I have been writing about for years: our educational institutions are bloated and if tenure were eliminated costs would certainly be reduced along with the resulting staggering loan obligations.

COMMANDER GRANGER

MORE ON KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE

2011-11-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

For some reason I have been receiving copies of a magazine titled Bloomberg Businessweek, and in the November 14th issue there is a very interesting article titled “Keystone XL: Pipe Dreams.” This article directly addresses several pros and cons relative to the approval of the TransCanada pipeline project. While I am a strong proponent for the creation of jobs and tax revenue, this article does present some important additional considerations regarding the TransCanada Keystone project.

Here is the link to this rather long article:

http://www.businessweek.com/printer/magazine/keystone-xl-pipe-dreams-11102011.html

I believe the delay and the diversion of the decision to the State Department is strictly political cover for President Obama to postpone a decision until after the November, 2012 General Election. I suggest it is important for all Americans to become well versed on both sides of this debate and this article is a good starting point for that conversation.

COMMANDER GRANGER

PANETTA'S INSTITUTE AND THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

2011-11-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article by Craig Whitlock in The Washington Post regarding the Panetta Institute honoring former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. I was immediately reminded of late President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address of January 17, 1961 that warned us of the power of the Military Industrial Complex’s influence.

Attached is a link to Whitlock’s article, and I urge you to read it fully to understand the continued influence that military contractors have on the functions of government since the conclusion of World War II.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/back-in-monterey-panettas-institute-honors-a-washington-crowd/2011/11/04/gIQAluYpnM_print.html

No one, especially your Commander, is being critical of honoring Secretary Gates, but the point is the amounts of money being funneled into the Panetta Institute and other special interest organizations by segments of the Military Industrial Complex is troubling. Following his departure from government service our late President Eisenhower spoke at length of the dangers and influences of the military industrial complex.

We are talking about decades of money being directed to continue building and buying weapons of war, and the debate should be expanded in an effort to curb waste, fraud, and corruption especially during this tight economic period. I suspect that without the funding from defense contractors Panetta’s institute might cease to exist.

I should note here that when Leon Panetta returned to government service in 2009 he recused himself from direct involvement in the institute and his wife has been running it since.

Eisenhower knew this subject well, but we never really listened to his warnings and advice. We humans world-wide just never seem to learn from the facts of history, and we keep making the same mistakes over and over again.

COMMANDER GRANGER

OBAMA'S KEYSTONE PIPELINE PROBLEM

2011-11-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

The Obama Administration has announced it will delay a final decision regarding the construction of the Keystone Pipeline until after the election. Frankly, I think they want to avoid a confrontation with the special interests that approve of or oppose the project. The delay is definitely political and will prevent the creation of much needed jobs and tax revenue creation.

With every newspaper and television station across the country talking about the fact that jobs and the economy are jointly the biggest problems facing our country today, how can President Barack Hussein Obama make this decision about the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline that is expected to create some 20,000 jobs? I have read several articles over the past few days and one of the best in presenting the details appeared on Politico.com. Take a look and then you decide.

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=AF031FD4-4BE1-430F-802B-F7AF9AD2A9DE

I believe that the Darren Goode article explains the situation facing our President, and considering the seriousness of the economic situation and his Oath of Office he should make no other decision but approval of the construction of the pipeline ASAP. While a few special-interest groups are firmly opposed to it, Obama has far more to gain than he does to lose.

It has become fashionable to kick the can down the road these days in Washington, but someone has got to do something that will positively impact our economy. To delay creating jobs, reduce the price of gasoline, buy oil from a “friend” rather than enemies, and delay the increase of tax receipts from the new jobs is beyond logical explanation.

The current stagnation of Congress and the president to delay everything reminds me of Nero fiddling while Rome burned. I do not know how President Obama can look into a mirror these days, because he has obviously been blinded into inaction by his intense desire to get re-elected. When a president takes the Oath of Office he should put politics off to the side, and serve as a true leader for all the people, and not just to his political operatives. Many American presidents have put politics before service, but fortunately they have been fewer than the great leaders in our history like Washington, Lincoln and Reagan.

Obama should remember that he can fool some of the people some of the time, but he cannot fool all of the people all of the time, and his clock is ticking. Approve the pipeline project now, Mr. President, in the interest of all the people you took an Oath to protect and serve.

I do not believe for one minute that the decision was made by the State Department. I think it came directly from the political gurus in the White House. Here is an article from The Washington Post, which you should read and then decide if this delay is warranted or more political dishonesty.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/keystone-pipeline-route-in-nebraska-to-be-reassessed-sources-say/2011/11/10/gIQA95cv8M_print.html

It becomes clearer every day that our President is more concerned about getting re-elected than creating critically needed jobs and tax revenue.

COMMANDER GRANGER

HILLARY CLINTON IS COMING ON STRONG

2011-11-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

Anyone who does not see the well organized campaign to promote the stature of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must be living in a bomb-shelter without any communication to the outside world. In view of the falling poll numbers for President Barack Hussein Obama there are influential forces working within the Democrat Party to have Hillary Clinton waiting in the wings to step forward for a Presidential run in 2012.

Forget all the recent comments from Hillary Clinton that she has no aspirations for the Presidency, because I do not believe that for one single minute. Permit me to draw your attention to the attached article from The Washington Post leaking information from the soon-to-be released new Bill Clinton book that is critical of Obama in specific terms.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bill-clinton-has-advice-and-some-criticism-for-president-obama-in-new-book/2011/11/03/gIQA1xhLmM_print.html

Your Commander does not believe the Clintons have ever forgiven Obama for defeating and derailing Hillary’s run for the Presidency back in 2008, and they have been treading water since that time building her image and resume. The bad feelings that exist down-deep are beginning to reappear, and the book and the increase in major-media publicity promoting Hillary are not by chance.

The next shoe to drop will be direct action by the major movers in the Democrat Party when they see the hand-writing on the wall for Obama’s defeat. The power-brokers and money men in the Party will drop Obama like a hot potato before absorbing a loss at the hands of the Republican Party, and suddenly embrace Hillary to save their skin.

Bill Clinton’s charge that Obama has failed to identify workable economic policies and to outmaneuver his Republican foes is stunning, yet correct. I contend that there are several smoking-guns than may come forward in the next few months that can be disastrous for Obama, such as his auto czar’s involvement in the Chrysler auto dealership closures or his unconstitutional actions in Obama-care legislation.

The swords are being drawn, and as I predicted months ago the snakes will eat their own when the going gets tough.

COMMANDER GRANGER

OBAMA'S 'BODY MAN' TO LEAVE WHITE HOUSE

2011-11-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

There was a small story in the pages of The Washington Post that announced the planned departure of President Barack Obama’s ‘body man’ Reggie Love (a former forward for Duke University's basketball team) by the end of the year. Here is a link to that story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/reggie-love-obama-body-man-to-leave-white-house-by-years-end/2011/11/09/gIQAvjU06M_print.html

Now I know that all of our Presidents have had pals hanging around the White House over the years and travel with an entourage, but I believe that during these times of severe economic hardships it is fair to pose this question …What in the hell do these dudes do, and how can our President’s justify this additional expense to be placed upon the backs of the American taxpayers? Do you suppose we will ever learn how much money Reggie Love was paid?

I suggest you and I have been paying for our President to have a guy hanging around the White House so he could be available to play basketball with him whenever he wants to hit the court. This is simply another clear example of the depth of the arrogance that our elected officials think they can get away with or are due without an outcry from the taxpaying suckers. Presidents get away with this abuse of office, because the mainstream media turns the other cheek, since they have been bought-off by the glow of the office they are assigned to cover.

The media has made the mistake of serving the politicians, and not the electorate or the people who really pay their salaries.

COMMANDER GRANGER

SALUTE TO ALL AMERICAN MILITARY VETERANS

2011-11-11T12:58:00.001-08:00

Today I stand to salute my beautiful American flag, and all fellow veterans of military service to the United States of America. November 11th has been a day that has been important to me since I was a small boy, because my father was a proud Captain with the Illinois National Guard’s 122nd Mounted Field Artillery Battalion, and he taught me the importance of service to our country.

I am also proud of my service as a Staff Sergeant in the Regular Air Force serving four years with postings in Texas, California and Korea. Looking back I view that period of time as one of my proudest accomplishments, and I would gladly do it all over again if given the chance.

I was fortunate to come home healthy, but many gave their lives and others returned gravely scarred for the remainder of their lives. It is my belief that few, if any, veterans expect your sympathy or a hand-out, but we do appreciate the fact that our fellow American citizens acknowledge the service we rendered.

The challenges facing our country are great and our military will no doubt be called upon again in the future to protect and serve our country. Please remember to continue supporting all members of our military and provide them with the necessary tools to accomplish their dangerous and difficult missions all around the world.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

COMMANDER GRANGER

BOOK REVIEW - GOING HOME TO GLORY

2011-11-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

‘Going Home to Glory’ is a wonderful book that I suspect will appeal to a limited audience, which is made up of individuals who lived back in the days of the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, served during WW II, or are real history buffs.

The grandson of President Eisenhower, David Eisenhower with his wife Julie Nixon Eisenhower, has written a wonderful, insightful, and warm book that takes the reader inside and behind the closed doors following the retirement of this hero of World War II from a presidency that historians thus far have not treated kindly. The book covers the years 1961-1969.

As a senior citizen and lover of history and books, I enjoyed every single chapter, and I learned much about the real character of this legendary world figure. While reading, several points made by Eisenhower became especially significant and I made notes for inclusion in this review.

Permit me to quote directly when Eisenhower said, “In the last quarter-century or so, however, I have found my self intermittently looking backwards; putting down on paper or dictating on machine tape the record of deeds done, words said, goals attempted and sometimes achieved. Nevertheless, the future---what lies before my country and the world---is still my paramount concern. But for those who will be its shapers and leaders. I recognize the lessons of history can provide them guidance against repeating the mistakes of their forebears.”

Another Eisenhower remark I made note of is, “Always take your job seriously, but never yourself.” We should all take that comment to heart.

I found it interesting to learn that when DDE wanted to relax, he read pulp fiction western novels and re-read important books of his youth such as works of Arthur Conan Doyle, O’Henry, Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain’s Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

When Sir Winston Churchill died on January 24, 1965 Eisenhower was asked to speak at his funeral and his words were particularly moving. After reading a poem by Tennyson he said, “With no thought of the length of time he might be permitted on earth, he was concerned only with the quality of service he could render to his nation and to humanity. Though he had no fear of death, he coveted always the opportunity to continue that service…In the coming years…there will ring out through all the centuries’ one incontestable refrain: here was a champion of freedom.”

Upon the occasion of his final confinement at the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, he memorized the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which is fully noted in the book and should be read to thoroughly understand the depth of this legendary world leader.

I found this book to be a very rewarding reading experience. I vividly remember all of General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower’s unique accomplishments leading our armies to victory in WW II, and then as our President.

I firmly believe that history will be kinder to this great leader who loved his country like few since our Founding Father’s led us to independence. We owe our Interstate system to DDE. Can you imagine life today without it? David and his co-author wife Julie Nixon Eisenhower have done a great service to our understanding, appreciation, and the legend of a great American.

COMMANDER GRANGER

TAKE A LOOK AT CYBERCAST NEWS SERVICE

2011-11-10T14:15:00.001-08:00

Wandering the internet I ran across a web site that I had not seen before and some of their articles were both informative and very enlightening, if you have a conservative point of view. If you’re a liberal stop reading and go about your myopic way. As you can see from that comment I am very open-minded. Here is some background information about cnsnews.com:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybercast_News_Service

The article that attracted my attention was one that reported a Gallup Poll result that indicates a majority of Democrats seldom or never go to Church, but that is not all the results reported, and if you’re interested here is a link to that brief article.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/majority-democrats-seldom-or-never-go-church-says-gallup

I am not sure what that proves, but I found it to be an interesting statistical finding from a highly recognized polling organization. It is your Commander’s opinion that voters of faith will have a substantial influence in the coming elections, but only time will reveal an accurate answer.

COMMANDER GRANGER

TAKING YOGI BERRA TO 'MONEYBALL'

2011-11-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

A few of my readers may not recognize the name Yogi Berra, but if you’re a baseball fan I suspect you will and appreciate his many contributions to the game. Here is a link to an article by Jason Gay that appeared in the Wall Street Journal recently, and warmly presents the real depth of this great American baseball hero who is a living legend.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204190704577022222894383202.html#printMode

I remember fondly sharing many baseball games with my late grandmother, who kept a magnificent score card and knew all the players’ batting averages. We saw all the greats of baseball back in the late 1930s and 40s. Yogi Berra joined the Yankees in 1946 was one of the best catchers I have ever seen, maybe even ranking above the great Yankee Bill Dickey.

My wife met Yogi when she worked for a television station in Norfolk, VA in the late 60s. Yogi was a coach for the New York Mets and was in town to look at talent on the Mets Triple A team there. Yogi graciously gave her autographs for her two young brothers. These were not ordinary autographs, but were personalized with their names and a note about the positions they played in Little League.

They don’t make them like Yogi anymore, because he played the game for his love of the game and certainly not for the money, which many of our modern-day prima donnas do these days.

Now that I have reached by 80th birthday I have adopted Yogi’s now famous expression “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE PENN STATE SCANDAL

2011-11-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

Every single media outlet has splashed the sickening initial details of the Penn State University scandal across their pages and airwaves this week. The recent decision of the University Board of Trustees is but one of the initial actions that will impact literally millions across the country in future months. The firing of University President Graham Spanier and Head Football Coach Joe Paterno has caused big headlines, and those actions appear at this early date to have been both appropriate and necessary.

Permit your Commander to suggest that you take a look at the actual indictment document that has been filed against ex-assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky so you can secure a full understanding of the depth of this scandal. I have read the document and find it to be one of the most reprehensible reports I have ever read. I was sickened by the facts and believe you will be too. Most important to take into consideration is the fact that the alleged acts of illegal child molestation have been going on for many years, and several individuals have known about it without taking appropriate action.

http://www.freep.com/assets/freep/pdf/C4181508116.PDF

If you have read the indictment, I am certain that you will agree that the University Trustees of Penn State had to take the action they took, and now it is up to the courts in the State of Pennsylvania to move the appropriate judicial procedures forward promptly. Personally I do not understand how the local judiciary could justify permitting Jerry Sandusky to be free on bail. The allegations are so serious when you read the indictment I suggest that his life is in real danger to violent actions by some disturbed individual or individuals.

Additionally, I suggest that the acts of the Penn State student body last evening demonstrating and destroying property were somewhat understandable considering Coach Paterno’s long record of accomplishments and beloved status. It is, however, another clear example of inappropriate action by immature individuals who have failed to take into consideration all the facts before acting irrationally and emotionally. There are direct parallels to this and the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators.

Only time will tell the full extent of this tragic story of an alleged very sick individual who avoided accountability as a result of numerous individuals who just did not do the right thing at the right time. I am afraid that there is more to this horrible and disturbing case yet to be revealed.

The reputation of a fine educational institution has been ruined and it may take decades to restore. In addition, this scandal has impacted many individuals, families, and the entire profession of coaching. School administrators at every level will be reviewing and enforcing their child abuse policies.

Did the football program at Penn State simply have too much power and notoriety on that campus? Could that explain this terrible situation? Remember, this isn’t just another story on the Sports page…what happened on that campus is criminal!

COMMANDER GRANGER

IGNORANCE EXPLOITED-OCCUPATION WALL STREET

2011-11-09T12:59:00.001-08:00

As violence increases across the country with the Occupy Wall Street crowd I suggest you will benefit greatly by reading Professor Walter E. Williams article “IGNORANCE EXPLOITED”. As always Williams has a clear and objective analysis of the core complaint being spewed by the participants.

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2011/11/09/ignorance_exploited/print

Once again Professor Williams totally destroys the core justification claimed by the demonstrators to be without any basis of fact. Thus why are they out there creating disruption, destruction of property and violating any number of local, state and federal laws?

Don’t tell me this is a spontaneous group of concerned citizens. This is a highly organized and well-financed mob intent upon destroying our country. How can President Obama, who took an Oath of Office to protect all Americans and uphold the laws of our country, not speak out strongly against the actions of these disruptive misinformed individuals? Our president does not speak, because he supports the agenda of ‘divide and conquer’ as part of his over-all devious political objectives.

COMMANDER GRANGER

REST IN PEACE, ANDY ROONEY

2011-11-09T12:50:00.001-08:00

We have all heard the sad news of the passing of Andy Rooney, the highly regarded and honored contributor to the popular “60 Minutes” CBS-TV program. When I heard the news of his passing just a month following his reluctant forced retirement I remembered that he clearly indicated that he wanted to work forever.

I immediately remembered a similar incident that occurred many years ago when my Dad was forced to retire at age 78, because his employer, an architecture firm, could no longer acquire insurance for him on construction sites where he was their representative. Dad had retired at 65 after a 40 year career with Interlake Steel, and then worked for the next 13 years until forced into permanent retirement.

I vividly remember Dad telling me at that time that it was time for him to die, because he loved to work and he felt he was no longer of value. Tragically, Dad had no hobby, and he just sat in his chair and died a little with each passing day and passed away within a few years.

I think that is what happened to Andy Rooney, too. I am certainly glad that I was not the CBS executive who had to tell Andy that his services were no longer needed or desired, because I think it killed Andy just as it did my Dad. I think Andy and my Dad died of a broken heart, because they could no longer do the thing they loved best…work.

We all know stories of individuals who retired with the big going-away party and the commemorative watch, then die within a couple of days or weeks. Some of us just need to work and do not have other interests, and that is surely sad. Fortunately, I knew when it was time to retire, but I must admit that it took me sometime to adjust, because all of a sudden nobody asked my opinion or looked to me for my decision.

One day I was urged by my wife to start writing about my experiences and we created this blog. It is the best thing that I have ever done since retiring, because I now look forward each and everyday to get to my computer addressing a wide array of issues. The passage of time and the big-80 birthday have slowed my mobility, but the blog has been a blessing and a reason to look forward.

Like Andy, I have become somewhat of a curmudgeon in my old age, but I certainly do not consider myself to possess the writing talent Andy presented over such a long period of time. I was never a big fan, but I respected his talent and being fellow veterans we had something in common, and neither of us ever took ourselves too seriously.

I am saddened that Andy did not have the pleasure and satisfaction of many enjoyable years in his retirement, which the good Lord has blessed upon me. Andy set the bar very high as a wonderful journalist, family man, and he will be remembered and respected for standing firmly by his principals and serving his audience with honor and respect.

Andy was blessed with a great run in life during his 92 years. Certainly Andy is organizing his old colleagues up in heaven, and I bet there will be one hell of a good party. Thanks, Andy, may you rest in peace with the knowledge that you did it right.

For those of you who are retired or about to retire ‘GET A HOBBY’, because it could save your life.

COMMANDER GRANGER

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED INTERNET/COMPUTERS

2011-11-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

What is next for our government to financially support? Please read the attached article from The Washington Post announcing the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to provide reduced internet connections and $150.00 computers:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/fcc-plans-cheap-internet-service-and-computers-to-connect-poor-americans/2011/11/08/gIQArnbp3M_print.html

The justification for this ambitious program sounds nice and will certainly appeal to the liberals who want the government to provide ‘womb to tomb’ coverage for all Americans. How much is this hand-out program going to cost you and me?

Don’t get me started when it comes to all those television commercials pleading with people to get their free cell phone so they can be safe and call their children each day, because it is just more crap that you and I have to pay for in the long run. Where is accountability and responsibility? Where has the desire to improve one’s position in life when your government is begging you to take another freebee that drives our debt even deeper?

With our federal, state and local taxes haven’t we (those who pay taxes) already paid for computers and wi-fi access in libraries across the country? Those on the Federal and State dole only have to go to the library for free computer use.

I say enough is enough, but nothing is going to happen if you sit on your backside and do not vote in November, 2012 and say you want real change and not vote buying political bull excrement.

COMMANDER GRANGER

PRESIDENTIAL TRIVIA

2011-11-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my copy of the American Patriot’s Almanac I learned some interesting facts about our American Presidents, and I want to share the details with you. Being a student of history I don’t remember hearing most of the following factoids about out Presidents.

Which presidents signed the Declaration of Independence? John Adams, Thomas Jefferson.

Which presidents signed the Constitution? George Washington, James Madison.

Which president served the shortest time in office? William H. Harrison,
31 days.

Which president served the longest? Franklin D. Roosevelt, 12 years,
39 days.

Who was the youngest person to be elected president? John F. Kennedy, 43.

Who was the youngest person to become president? Theodore Roosevelt, 42*.

Who was the oldest person to become president? Ronald Reagan, 69.

Who was the only president to resign? Richard Nixon.

Which presidents were impeached? Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton.

Which president served two non-consecutive terms? Grover Cleveland.

Which president was never elected either as president or vice-president?
Gerald Ford

Which presidents were elected even thought their opponents received more popular votes? J.Q. Adams, 1824; R. Hayes, 1876; B. Harrison, 1888;
G.W. Bush, 2000.

Note: * Theodore Roosevelt was forty-two in 1901 when he succeeded
McKinley, who had been assassinated, John F; Kennedy was forty-three when elected president in 1960.

For those of you who enjoy history and trivia these few facts can enliven your conversation in the coming days. Your Commander wonders how much of this historical information is currently being taught in our schools during these politically correct days.

COMMANDER GRANGER

DEMOCRACY IN MIDDLE EAST IS IMPOSSIBLE

2011-11-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

Permit your Commander to pat himself on the back, because a recent essay by Professor Walter E. Williams supports the positions that he has been espousing for several months. Please read the recent article written at this link:

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2011/11/02/democracy_is_impossible/print

While Williams and your Commander agree that democracy is unlikely to take root in the Middle East, he makes his case stronger with his historical supportive references. Collectively we call for getting American troops out of the Middle East and let the neighborhoods and tribes fight among themselves as they have been doing for centuries.

I certainly have not always been correct, but I surely do feel that this time I am on the right side of history and democracy with the support of a gentleman who has a trace record of correctness far greater than mine. Only time and history will prove whose position is correct, but the odds are clearly in favor of Williams and your Commander.

COMMANDER GRANGER

OBAMA'S FORM OF GOVERNMENT DEFINED

2011-11-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a new word for your consideration and use. I wish I could claim authorship, but I cannot, because I acquired the word from a longtime friend who resides in Jackson Hole, WY and Hilton Head, SC.

“INEPTOCRACY

Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc`-ra-cy) – a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.”

For those of you who study history you will remember that Thomas Jefferson warned against this form of government and even the ancient Greek scholars spoke of this problem. When will we ever learn from the mistakes of the past? Tragically we have nobody to blame, but ourselves.

COMMANDER GRANGER

DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SHOULD SHUT UP

2011-11-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the title will get your attention, because I urge you to read the link to a cnsnews.com article titled: Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Says Life Begins at Conception is ‘Extreme and Radical.’ It makes little difference if you’re a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative you must agree that that statement is highly inflammatory and controversial.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/debbie-wasserman-schultz-saying-life-begins-conception-extreme-and-radical

Pro or anti abortion, I suggest that Wasserman Schultz as Chairman of the Democrat Party has opened a debate that will certainly lose votes for the Party in the coming election.

In the section following the article one comment states that Wasserman Schultz was making an effort to take Nancy Pelosi’s place as a lighting rod for the Democrat Party and clearly this highly controversial statement is bound to cause stronger opinions to be generated from both sides of this debate. Please note the comments when you read the article, because they confirm my thoughts about the emotional storm Wasserman Schultz’s statement is already causing.

Sometimes it is far more prudent to just keep one’s mouth tightly closed.

COMMANDER GRANGER

BOOK REVIEW - THE RACE

2011-11-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is another #1 New York Times bestseller by the team of Clive Cussler and Justin Scott that is bound to provide the reader with several evenings of pure enjoyment. The setting is 1910 San Francisco and the early days of aviation when a wealthy newspaper publisher establishes a big dollar prize for the winner of an air race from New York to San Francisco.

During the adventure the star Detective, Isaac Bell, repeatedly saves the day with daring and action packed involvement with a wide array of characters from a young woman aviator, Bell’s beautiful fiancée, aircraft mechanics, and a near mad ex-husband.

"The Race" is a fun read and one that will hold your attention and interest, which is assured when Cussler and Scott’s names are on the cover. Happy reading.

COMMANDER GRANGER

JACK ABRAMOFF-OUT OF JAIL AND TALKING

2011-11-03T14:50:00.001-07:00

I want to draw your attention to a brief article posted on Politico.com by MJ Lee. Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has been released from prison after serving a three and a half year jail term for illegal influence peddling in the Halls of Congress. He is talking and promoting his autobiography “Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist.”

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=FC025B54-BA03-454F-900B-E88CA1A6FDE4

As the article notes Abramoff appears on CBS’s “60 Minutes” next Sunday to promote the book, but we already know his convicted crimes. I won’t be buying or reviewing the book because I just do not want to help him make money on the book circuit.

What is disturbing, however, is the degree of corruption that exists within the offices of our elected officials. We must hold those members of the House of Representatives and the Senate totally responsible for this type of criminality.

Too bad we can’t try each and every person he bought.

COMMANDER GRANGER

CAMPAIGN 2012: WELCOME TO THE SLUGFEST

2011-11-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been suggesting that the 2012 campaign would get dirty. Here is a very interesting opinion piece with the above title by Ruth Marcus in the November 1st edition of The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/campaign-2012-welcome-to-the-slugfest/2011/11/01/gIQAD6HldM_print.html

Isn’t it interesting to see the pundits in Washington and New York falling in lockstep addressing the obvious shift in the Obama campaign strategy as his poll numbers continue to fall? Apparently the Obama campaign staff, now headquartered back in Chicago’s Prudential Plaza, is reverting to its Chicago-style political distraction mode which is 180 degrees from that of his original approach of hope and change.

The political scribes are trying to cover their bets and just do not know which horse to ride yet at least where the GOP is concerned. After the election in November 2012 it will be interesting to look back in the archives of the Times and the Post to see who had the accurate crystal ball.

Even more interesting is that a couple of key Obama staffers (Plouffe and Axelrod) are already talking about how they will attack GOP contenders.

The voting natives are restless and I think it is going to be very bumpy and surprising ride between now and November, 2012. Tighten your seat belts, the pot-holes are getting deeper with each passing day, and we still have an entire year to go.

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE DIVIDER vs. THE THINKER

2011-11-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

With the political campaigns for the general election gaining steam daily there is a significant increase in the harshness of the dialog. I believe that it is a fair statement to say that the coming election is going to be one of the harshest and divisive that has occurred in many years, because the divide between the political parties is increasing rapidly.

The claims from the liberal left in America appear to me to becoming more strident, and the voices from the right are fighting among themselves to the point of self-imploding. Permit me to suggest that this is a time that we all are desperately seeking clear voices to separate the misinformation from the objective points of view.

It is your Commander’s opinion that the few clear voices must seek a wider audience or we will certainly fall to the grasp of the liberal left and should that to happen it will change the country we love forever. Some of those clear voices are Peggy Noonan, Charles Krauthammer, and Prof. Walter E. Williams. Please take a look at Noonan’s recent piece from The Wall Street Journal titled “The Divider vs. the Thinker”:

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

I cannot remember a time in our recent history when we need a true patriot to lead out country back to the principals outlined in the Declaration of Independence that were supported by the sound visions of our Founding Fathers. Real leadership does not lead by fear and division, but with a clearly stated idea and inspiration that unifies toward a common goal.

COMMANDER GRANGER

US PLANNING TROOP BUILDUP IN GULF

2011-11-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I noticed a surprising article in The New York Times that immediately raised questions in my mind, because President Obama told the country our troops would be home from Iraq by the end of this year (2011). In addition, a total of 10,000 troops are scheduled to return from Afghanistan this year and another 20,000 in 2012 with a full withdrawal by the end of 2014. Was his intention to make the country think we would really be GONE from the region?

We are now learning that Central Command, based at Mac Dill Air Force Base in Florida, is planning a troop buildup in nearby Middle Eastern countries friendly to the USA.

If you would like to read this in-depth report by Thom Shanker and Steven Lee Myers, here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/world/middleeast/united-states-plans-post-iraq-troop-increase-in-persian-gulf.html?_r=1&ref=politics&pagewanted=print

Recognizing that I am not a military analysis or specialist, this plan is troubling to your Commander because I believe Iran will certainly make a move once we depart Iraq and also once we leave Afghanistan. If we have thousands of troops in the immediate area, it seems to me we will be drawn back into another costly encounter meaning a cost of additional dollars in the billions and no doubt the loss of too many more of additional American lives.

Permit me to suggest we assign many of the Middle East based troops to secure both our southern and northern borders and leave the Middle Eastern countries to fend for themselves. They will likely continue to fight against each other as they have for centuries. Is it possible they just could wipe themselves out? I don’t think so, too bad.

If and when Iran becomes a further threat beyond what it is today, we have the military air power to address that incursion. I think keeping American military personnel within the Arab countries will not be well received by the local unfriendly elements and only cause more problems for our troops.

We cannot afford to continue to build costly compounds to protect our military personnel sitting in the middle of a hostile environment as we have done in both Iraq and Afghanistan, because it just does not provide the necessary security from crazy Islamic terrorists who are willing to blow themselves up for 76 virgins. (Really, there is a seemingly limitless supply of virgins in heaven? Can those young men really think that is so? And what is in it for the female homicide bombers? I’m just asking.)

While I do understand the military theory behind this plan, I believe it represents a concept that will only lead to further bloodshed and loss of more American lives.

I cannot imagine that those brains in the White House are pleased with the release of these details by The New York Times with the Obama re-election campaign now in full swing. While Obama talks about keeping his promise to get out of Iraq and eventually out of Afghanistan, we now are alerted to extensive planning for a long-term massive financial commitment of American military personnel to protect countries and people who are clearly determined to kill all Americans and destroy our country.

There must be a better way to address this continuing threat to our very existence than just continuing to throw money and young American lives into the face and range of enemy guns.

Think about it and then do something about it by alerting your Congressional Representative or Senator how you feel about this situation.

COMMANDER GRANGER

STUDENT VISA PROGRAM QUESTIONED

2011-10-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

I want to draw your attention to a program that our State Department originated as a form of vacation diplomacy. As the article in The Washington Post reveals, the State Department selects foreign college students to work at beach resorts, amusement parks and other seasonal jobs. The reported intent is to educate the students in the ways of America and improve their English language skills.

Here is the article that you should read to understand the absurdity of this program.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/foreign-students-say-visa-program-abused/2011/10/26/gIQAbsUESM_print.html

While the program has several theoretical virtues, it strikes your Commander that it is not appropriate to fund this project at this time considering the economic pressures forced upon all citizens of this country. This project is another one that sounds good and certainly sends warm and fuzzy feelings through the hearts of all those liberal do-gooders who proliferate the Washington bureaucracy.

With unemployment running above 9% nation-wide and much higher in certain pockets of the country, these jobs certainly should be made available to our own youth and adult Americans who need work immediately. One wonders just how many millions of dollars this program is costing our government. I would suggest this program should be one of the very first cut by the Super-Committee that is currently determining how we can cut our massive financial deficit.

COMMANDER GRANGER

DEATH TO TENURE

2011-10-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my commentaries know that I have previously expressed my strong contention that tenure in our educational system is abused and should be terminated as soon as possible. With that provocative statement, please take a minute to read an article penned by Mike Adams that recently was posted on Townhall.com.

http://townhall.com/columnists/mikeadams/2011/10/29/death_to_tenure/print

If that story does not make a strong case for the elimination of tenure, nothing will. The abuse of tenure by teachers and their unions across the country is another one of the reasons our educational and financial houses are in disorder. Teachers should be properly compensated, but there is no legitimate reason to have rules that prevent the leadership of educational institutions from terminating dysfunctional and/or dangerous teaching influences.

COMMANDER GRANGER

CHICAGO'S POLITICAL REPUTATION

2011-10-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

As a native born Chicagoan I frequently write critically of my old home town. Having experienced the misfortunes of political operatives for decades one must admit that criticism of ‘Chicago-way politics’ has been well earned, but the citizens continue to re-elect the same old gang year after year. Apparently enough “juice” is passed around to get the votes for the Democrats and ‘business as usual’ prevails.

I received this comical email this morning and just could not pass-up the opportunity to share it with you, so here it is:

“SUBJECT: Bin Laden & Gaddafi Are Definitely Dead

This just in:

There is finally conclusive evidence that Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi are dead.

Yesterday, they both registered to vote in Chicago."

Sometimes things just never change or so it seems in my old home town.

COMMANDER GRANGER

WILL JESSE JACKSON JR. BE VINDICATED?

2011-10-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Your Commander wants to draw your attention to a statement rendered by Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) that once the House Ethics Committee fully investigates the long-standing charges against him he will be vindicated. Attached is a brief article that appeared in the Sunday edition of The Chicago Sun-Times with the details.

http://www.suntimes.com/8497819-417/rep-jesse-jackson-jr-i-will-be-vindicated.html?print=true

With little action taking place in the sentencing of convicted ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D), along with the secret prison location of convicted political fund-raiser Tony Rezko, it is logical to wonder why Tony has also yet to be sentenced.

The House Ethics Committee has been investigating allegations that Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr. was attempting to buy President Obama’s former Senate seat from ex-Governor Blagojevich. Months have passed without any definitive action. All three of these cases carry a typical stench of Chicago-style politics.

Now Gov. Blagojevich’s brother Robert has apparently volunteered to talk to the Ethics Committee, and that has to be bad news for young Jesse. With Jesse Jr.’s latest comment that he will be vindicated, I am reminded of the old Shakespearean quote……”THE LADY DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH.”

Certainly you get my point. Based upon history and the way things happen in Chicago and within the inept House Ethics Committee I suspect that Jesse Jr. will ultimately get a pass. Just consider what would happen in the racially divided communities of Chicago if Jesse Jr. were actually held accountable for his deeds. The Democrat Party certainly wants to keep the lid on the situation until after the coming general election.

I still suspect there is a correlation between the much delayed sentencing of Blagojevich and Rezko. Jesse Jr’s. situation only adds to the intrigue and questions of influence that goes all the way to the White House.

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE FEDERALIST PAPERS

2011-10-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

On October 27, 1787 the first in a series of publications appeared that were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay that recommended the ratification of the Constitution. The essays were a series of 85 papers that appeared in New York newspapers under the name of PUBLIUS and in book form as THE FEDERALIST.

I am certain it has been a long time since any of us remembers studying THE FEDERALISTS PAPERS back in grade school or in some classroom for college or university study. I will even venture to suggest that few if any of those participating in the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations around the country have ever heard of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS, and what I find most interesting is the fact that it was THE FEDERALIST PAPERS that led to the rights for people to gather and express their opinions in a public forum.

If you are interested in refreshing your mind about THE FEDERALIST PAPERS you can easily accomplish that via this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Papers

If it was possible to journey back to 1787, can you imagine how the British Army would treat the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators? If not for the influence of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS in securing the approval of The United States Constitution and our freedom from foreign domination, the world would certainly be a totally different place today.

Americans must be certain to not allow a relative handful of misdirected, politically motivated, diversionary, but reasonably financed, few destroy what so many worked so hard to establish. How can the original intent and magnificent foresight of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS be so totally denied by those demonstrating across the country without recognizing that they are being used for pure political purposes and not for the betterment of all Americans?

COMMANDER GRANGER

VALERIE JARRETT - BIG INFLUENCE BEHIND OBAMA

2011-10-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

We have all heard about Valerie Jarrett, an extremely close personal friend to both Michelle and Barack Obama who officially serves as head of the Office of Public Engagement. It is reported that she is one of the most significant forces within the Obama Administration. I suggest you read an article by Jason Horowitz that appeared in The Washington Post this past week, and draw your own conclusion.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house/valerie-jarretts-latest-role-shoring-up-obamas-support-base/2011/10/17/gIQARiI0GM_print.html

For quite sometime your Commander has been very suspicious of the influence cast upon this Obama presidency by Jarrett, and based upon the recent fall in the polls for Obama I would start wondering if the advice and council being rendered to him was part of that problem. I also find it interesting that since the election, Jarrett has received a total pass by the prying eyes of the Washington Press Corps, but that special treatment may be starting to erode.

If I had a friend like Valerie Jarrett I would be thinking it may be time to replace her. At the very least, a good objective vetting of Madame Jarrett’s influence and recommendations would certainly be necessary as the election rapidly approaches. Political observers are noting that Obama’s Iranian-born guru-advisor may be the cause of his current political disfavor by forcing him to ramrod an agenda that has been exposed to be in direct opposition to many of his pre-election promises.

After reading this lengthy Post article I would start looking over my shoulder were I the all-knowing all-seeing world renowned intellectual known as Barack Hussein Obama.

COMMANDER GRANGER

HOW MANY DAYS OLD ARE YOU?

2011-10-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

I recently received an email with this title and when I hit the link and inserted the necessary data I obtained some very interesting but also somewhat disturbing information about myself and the life I have lived.

That day I learned I have been on the face of this earth for 29,231 days or 4,175 weeks and 6 days, I was born on a Monday, my last birthday occurred on a Wednesday, and God willing my next one will be on a Friday. If that kind of specific data is intriguing to you than hit this link:

http://korn19.ch/coding/days.php

When I thought about the information reported for me I was somewhat disturbed. It feels like I have wasted one hell of a lot of time, and I better get busy accomplishing the many things that I want to do before I have “part two of the big one.” I suspect the information will affect everyone differently, but it sure gave me pause to think about my temporary journey on this planet.

Have a great day and be certain to not waste one single minute that you’re granted to achieve something of significance for the betterment of your family or mankind in general.

COMMANDER GRANGER

A DANGEROUS POLITICAL TACTIC

2011-10-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Within the past two weeks President Barack Hussein Obama has signed two different Executive Orders that establish new federal government programs impacting Home Loan procedures, and addressing Student Loans.

Admittedly these are two of the many pressing issues facing many Americans at this time, but it is your Commander’s concern that addressing these problems by Executive Order skirts the established procedures specified in our Constitution. While we are also experiencing a near dysfunctional Congress, I believe the excessive use of the Executive Order is a diversion of the established order that placed the authority of enacting laws within the Halls of Congress. Laws should not be made in the Oval Office, but in the Senate and House of Representatives.

It is a fact that President Franklin D. Roosevelt holds the record for signing the most Executive Orders. He also served the longest. To date (less than three years since inaugration) President Obama has signed the fewest, but I see a pattern developing as the coming general election is looming and Obama’s poll numbers cast a negative light on his re-election chances.

Permit me to suggest that these two recent Executive Order actions are purely overt divisive actions to buy votes from a segment of the electorate that are currently most vulnerable and needy.

Both orders totally ignore the fact that the impacted individuals have, in a majority of the cases, created their own problem as a result of their making poor choices that caused their financial problems. Borrowing money for the purchase of homes when you do not have the financial means to repay the loan is irresponsible. Students who take out student loans that are excessive are also irresponsible acts. Everyone does not need to attend the most expensive schools of higher learning when less expensive alternatives are readily available.

Simply put, the current examples of Presidential Executive Orders are nothing but a political action to pander and buy desperately needed votes for the next election. The dysfunctional Congress is the direct result of the electorate loudly stating that they want change in Washington, but when our president cannot get his way he skirts the rule of law to force his personal interests upon the electorate, and that is a very dangerous precedent to set. That is the kind of thing dictators do and not how real leaders serve their constituents and their country.

COMMANDER GRANGER

CLINTON WANTS INCREASE IN STUDENT VISAS FOR IRAN

2011-10-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was interviewed a couple of days ago by BBC Persia. Among her remarks she said that by the end of the year the State Department plans to set up a “virtual embassy” in Tehran so Iranians can study or travel in the US.

Clinton also said, “I’m trying to increase the number of visas for students so that we have more Iranian students coming to study here. We’re trying to reach out to the Iranian people, and we’ve tried to reach out to the government, just not very successfully.”

If you want to read the fairly brief article in its entirety, here is the link:

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/hillary-clinton-im-trying-increase-number-visas-iranian-students

Simply put I have only one question to address after reading this statement of insane, dangerous, liberal, political drivel…...WHY?

COMMANDER GRANGER

BOOK REVIEW - LOST IN SHANGRI-LA

2011-10-26T13:06:00.001-07:00

As the book cover states this is a true story of survival, adventure, and the most incredible rescue mission of World War II. I have just finished reading Mitchell Zuckoff’s amazingly well-researched report of a tragic event dating back decades that occurred in the wilds of Dutch New Guinea.

The author takes the reader back to an ill-fated decision to take twenty-four American servicemen and WACs aboard an Army Air Force C-47 transport plane for a sightseeing flight over “Shangri-La” deep in the jungle-covered mountains.

I do not want to spoil the read for you, but it is clear from the first pages that the initial decision to take this flight was totally ill-conceived by the Officer in Charge, and it was compounded by a lack of proper flight procedures that resulted in a devastating crash and loss of multiple lives. While not ignoring the tragic loss of life and the impact on the families back home, one must imagine the substantial financial costs that resulted in the rescue of the survivors.

This is one of those sad stories that come out of War that could have been prevented had cooler heads prevailed, but one must consider the isolation, boredom and frustration that brought about the action. While reading I wondered just how many other examples of War-time deaths were due to similar decision making misjudgments.

This is a great read for a cool autumn evening and it is certain to keep the reader turning pages into the wee-hours of the night.

COMMANDER GRANGER

OCCUPY WALL STREET ANALYSIS

2011-10-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here I go again directing you to another thesis by Professor Walter E. Williams. Be assured that I am NOT receiving a spiff from the good Professor, but I do feel he is providing us with a clear analysis of the real reasons behind the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations that are increasing across the country.

Permit me to be totally clear that I am opposed to these obvious examples of civil disobedience. These well organized mobs are well financed, well fed and when they break existing law they should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of our legal system guidelines.

While Professor Williams states thoughtful analysis for the mobs’ motivations, I see the hand of the liberal left diverting our attention away from the primary election season coupled with President Obama’s recent all-out efforts to address lingering issues by circumventing Congress with the issuance of a growing number of Executive Orders.

Our newspapers repeatedly fail to note that when Congress recently rejected Obama’s Jobs Bill it was really caused by a lack of Democrat votes from a Senate that currently is controlled by the same Democrat Party. All the blame is placed on the resolute Republican Party, but two Democrats voted NO.

Enough of me…here is the Williams article “Profits Are for People” for your perusal:

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2011/10/26/profits_are_for_people/page/full/

One wonders why voices such as William’s secure such little publicity in the main-stream media these days.

COMMANDER GRANGER

STEALING FROM YOUR IMPOVERISHED HOMELAND

2011-10-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

In the pages of The Washington Post there is a story that is most disturbing, because it exposed the inefficiency of our Immigrations system and the liberties that foreign countries are taking with Diplomatic immunity.

Do you know what a kleptocrat is? I didn’t until I read this article. Take a couple of minutes to read about the tin-horn President of Equatorial Guinea’s son residing in a $30 million estate in Malibu with ill-gotten items while the citizens of his native country live in poverty. Here is the link with the unbelievable details:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-trying-to-seize-more-than-70m-from-dictators-son-over-alleged-corruption/2011/10/25/gIQAYknmIM_print.html

When I read this disgusting article I immediately asked myself why is Teodoro Nguema Obliang Mangue permitted to reside for an extended period of time in California or is he abusing Diplomatic immunity? I also wonder how many other crooks from foreign countries like this one are residing here “living large” using money his/her country received from our overly generous fast and loose foreign aid program and entities like the United Nations.

When will insanity like this stop?

COMMANDER GRANGER

PITTING US AGAINST EACH OTHER

2011-10-26T12:25:00.001-07:00

We are presently living in a media environment slanted in favor of the current administration, because for over three years we have heard only the stories promoting the Obama story-line.

While I have noted an increase in critical commentary by some voices that had been blowing the Democrat Party horn, the majority of the media still run in lock-step. One of the outlets that consistently takes the opposite side or the conservative position is Townhall.com, and it is from that source I found the attached article by Dr. Walter E. Williams about the distinct initiative by the Obama administration to divide his opposition. Please take a look:

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2011/10/19/pitting_us_against_each_other/print

Don’t you find it interesting that our current president, who ran on a campaign agenda that called for unity, civility, transparency and change, reverted, once elected, to an obvious policy of class warfare and demonizing people who have opinions that are different from his progressive theories?

Remember, Dr. Williams rose up from the inner-city projects to be a strong voice of unity and clarity during a time of divisive political hysteria. Hopefully Williams’ voice will not be silenced, but shared with a growing audience, especially within the minority communities of this country.

COMMANDER GRANGER

THOUGHTS ON THE MIDDLE EAST

2011-10-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

“KARZAI: AFGHANISTAN WOULD SUPPORT PAKISTAN IN A WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES”

When I read that headline in an article on Townhall.com I was shocked, but not totally surprised. When you sleep with snakes it is to be expected that you will be bitten. For the past ten years American military has protected Hamid Karzai and supported his Presidency with the lives of our very best young men and women and his statement is the thanks he extends in return. I believe without an American military presence, Karzai will not last two months.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/danieldoherty/2011/10/23/karzai_afghanistan_would_support_pakistan_in_a_war_with_us

When is this country going to learn that you cannot and should not attempt to buy friends with hand-outs of money to recipients who have unclean hands? We have been doing that for years all around the world and you and I know what we have gotten in return.

On a related note, while I am glad to hear our military personnel will be leaving Iraq by December 31, 2011, I am convinced that we are departing before the mission is any where near accomplished. I also fear we may have to return.

In the meantime our President and Secretary of State blame President Bush for forcing our departure in order to provide Obama with political cover from failed negotiations with the Iraqi government regarding the legal safety of our troops. The administration’s statements that all American troops will leave are pure political rubbish, because in the next breath they talk about a robust American presence to protect our Embassy in Baghdad. We either have troops there or we do not.

This is the same double-talk when they said we did not have troops on the ground in Libya. We did and everyone knows we had Special Operations personnel calling in target coordinates for air support attacks. We had American military flying daily over Libya and we spent one hell of a lot of money in support of NATO. Lies are lies!

The free people of Libya have clearly spoken now that their ex-Dictator Colonel Gaddafi is dead. The Washington Post is reporting that Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the Transitional National Council, is pledging to replace the dictatorship with a more democratic BUT a more strictly Islamic system.

Isn’t that just great? After years of financial involvement, civilian deaths, loss of American military lives, and untold billions or maybe trillions of dollars we will be faced with a new Libyan government that will likely not be friendly to our interests and in fact work against us.

Back to Afghanistan – I repeat my call to get the hell out of there ASAP. We have not, and probably cannot, achieve our goals. The leaders (Karzai, tribal heads and others) are not supporting our interests now and will no doubt turn against us when we leave. Thus, why endanger our troops to further death and destruction?

Our government for the last two administrations has failed to achieve its reported goals in the Middle East. We should let the Islamic forces destroy themselves with their internal regional fights. If, and when they pose a direct threat to our country we have the capabilities to effectively return them to the dark ages and the sand mounds that have been there for centuries.

When will we ever learn to tend to our own business and leave foreign enemies to destroy themselves from within their own borders? All those Ivy-league liberal intellectuals who work in the White House and at the State Department do not have a very successful track record, and it is clearly time to clean house and get some sound, honest, patriotic leadership to bring order and sanity to the front.

COMMANDER GRANGER

NOTRE DAME COACH IS A DISAPPOINTING BULLY

2011-10-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Let’s get something clear from the beginning. I am not and have never been an accomplished athlete, but I am a fan who has great respect for the performances of amateur and professional athletics. Currently as a resident of north-central Indiana all the talk is about the loss of the Notre Dame football game to their biggest rival, the University of Southern California.

For those of you who attended or watched the much heralded night game, it was a disaster from beginning to end for the Fighting Irish. They had appeared to be an improving and unified team, but that all fell apart on a brisk autumn night with fumbles, turnovers and penalties at the worst possible times.

After the game Coach Brian Kelly was asked by a member of the media if he was concerned about Quarterback Dayne Crist’s mental state after the backup quarterback’s fumbled snap on the USC one yard line that USC returned for a devastating touchdown. Mr. Macho Coach Kelly’s response was, “No, I don’t have to worry about it,” Kelly snapped. “He does."

Some may think that was a good answer, but I think it stinks and represents the true colors of a Coach who should have taken greater responsibility for his team’s poor play. Let’s face the facts. Crist came into the game when the starter had been injured. He has not played since the first game of the season, when he played poorly. He seemed to be doing well Saturday night when he fumbled the ball either due to a poor snap or his failure to grasp the ball. Yes, it was a very serious mistake. But, let’s remember we are talking about a game and not a surgical error during a heart transplant.

When it comes to football at Notre Dame there is only winning not losing. If you lose there is plenty of criticism dropped on the offender, which is usually well beyond all rhyme or reason. I thought a Coach was a teacher, but Notre Dame has a BULLY who is paid an excessive amount of money to deliver winning games. He did not and he should not destroy a young man, because a mistake was made which may in fact not have been his fault.

Kelly has lost me as a supportive fan. He sets a very poor example for leadership and when the going gets tough he points his finger at his team, instead of pointing his accusatory finger at himself. Admittedly, Notre Dame played a poor game. The team just came off a bye-week and was not properly prepared. USC, the underdog, on the other hand seemed ready from the opening kick-off.

Dayne Crist is a good young man and a good football player who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he does not deserve to be berated by Kelly in such a crude fashion. It is time for Coach Kelly to “man-up” and do what good teachers do when the going gets tough … TEACH … don’t blame the student.

The record books will always say that USC beat Notre Dame in the first night-game in 21 years, and the coach of Notre Dame was Coach Brian Kelly and Dayne Crist’s name will not even be mentioned. The game was Kelly’s to win or lose and he lost big-time.

COMMANDER GRANGER

WILL RELIGION DOOM ROMNEY?

2011-10-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

There was a very interesting article on Time.com that carried a similar title. I found the article to be very sympathetic to the interests of President Obama and biased against Mitt Romney. Take a look for yourself. I believe an attempt is being made to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the electorate.

http://swampland.time.com/2011/10/14/will-evangelicals-doom-romney/

I think this is an effort to divide and conquer the Republican candidates leading up to the 2012 election. Let’s be clear, I do not have any idea at this time as to who I will vote for in the Indiana primary or the next General Election, but I do know I will NOT vote for Obama. Our current president promised one thing to get elected, and then executed a totally different agenda.

I thought this country was founded on the belief that people should not be persecuted for their religious persuasions; apparently not. We now have Mr. Obama, who is ½ Caucasian, was raised by his Caucasian grandparents, only refers to himself as black, and spent a few years at an Islamic grade school, and often very subtlety plays the race-card.

Politics is obviously a dirty game, and it has been such for decades dating back to the foundation of this country. We have elected Christian presidents drawing from many Protestant religions and even Catholicism when we were told that would never happen. We have a president who is perceived as a man of color, with an exposure to Islam in his formative years. Now the Liberal Left is suggesting we cannot or should not elect a Mormon. Are you kidding me?

I find that totally against what this nation’s founders believed. That thought represents religious and racial bigotry. My wife and I have had the experience of living for a several years in communities where a fair number of local citizens were Mormons. I hired some excellent people who I happened to learn later were Mormon. We were treated with personal and religious respect. Their religion was never once pressed upon us.

We are electing the president of a country founded on religious freedom with a very sound Christian footing. Stop the divisiveness and let us judge the individuals upon their ability and qualifications to be our leader.

I do not believe for one minute that if Mitt Romney were elected as our president he would impose his religious beliefs upon any citizen of this country. I believe him to be an honest individual of high business and political achievement and qualified along with many other individuals in the race to be president, such as Herman Cain, who happens to be a 100% American of African decent.

Apparently the Democrat Party is really worried about the strength of Mitt Romney when the likes of liberal comedian Bill Mahr and New York Times flame-thrower Maureen Dowd attack him with vicious commentaries. Politics is not for the weak of heart.

It is time to elect a President and remember we are not appointing a Pope. Stop this foolishness and divisive distraction of vicious opposition Party rumor–mongers and religious bigots.

COMMANDER GRANGER

THE SCAPEGOAT STRATEGY

2011-10-23T14:32:00.001-07:00

As we journey through troubled times from an economic standpoint and find our government in a virtual dysfunctional stand-off, we all need voices of clarity to see through the fog and view light at the end of the tunnel. I have suggested on several previous occasions that Dr. Charles Krauthammer is that clarion voice.

Please take the time to read a recent opinion piece that appeared in newspapers across the country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-scapegoat-strategy/2011/10/13/gIQArNWViL_print.html

Hopefully we will all remember Krauthammer’s words of wisdom and objectivity when we enter the voting booth come November 2012. I pray we will not be too late in returning sanity and patriotic leadership to governance of this great country.

COMMANDER GRANGER

STIMULUS FIASCO CONTINUES

2011-10-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

I ran across another disturbing article on the Townhall.com web site that drew my attention to a new fiasco emanating from the Obama stimulus bill. $529 million dollars was awarded by the Energy Department to Fisker Karma to manufacture electric automobiles. It has now been determined that the company plans to assemble the cars in Finland and not in the USA.

The purpose of the stimulus bill was to create jobs in this country and now Fisker Karma reports that there are no contract manufacturers in the US that can produce their vehicles, and they say that none of the money loaned will be spent in Finland. I say…pay back the loan immediately!

Apparently there was little or no due diligence conducted by the Energy Department just as was the case in the Solyndra deal that was revealed a month or so ago.

What is interesting in this latest debacle is that Al Gore is an investor in the Fisker Automotive venture, and thus political connections seem to have influenced this huge financial grant. Here is a link to the details:

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katehicks/2011/10/20/not_again_stimulus_money_went_to_car_companyin_finland

It took a day or two before major news outlets finally picked up the story. Does that surprise you?

For a president, who promised total transparency and ethical change in his administration, to have these “business as usual” deals is disappointing to say the least. Obama should hang his head in shame because more of his political corruption, lies to America, and “Chicago ways” are revealed daily.

COMMANDER GRANGER

PROF. CORNEL WEST - TENURED DISRUPTER

2011-10-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Recently I was viewing one of the cable news talk programs and who appears but Professor Cornel West to render his “expert” opinion relative to the demonstrations surrounding Occupy Wall Street. If you do not recognize the name he is a black, gap-toothed, wild-haired, tenured activist, and professor at Princeton University who appears increasingly on television programs to vent his venom stirring civil disobedience across the country.

Personally I get quite suspicious when any media outlet invites this wack-job self-appointed authority on the world as he sees it from his myopic point of view. It is my suspicion that he is one of the reasons it is so expensive to send our children to earn a university education, because liberal divisive individuals such as Conel West are drawing inflated salaries while hiding behind their corrupting security-blanket of academic tenure.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/10/22/cornel-west-arrested-again-at-occupy-protest/

Your Commander places West along side professional disorganizers and race-baiters like the Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson. It would not surprise me to learn that one of West’s official duties at Princeton University is to protect the embargoed private papers of ex-Princeton student First Lady Michelle Obama.

Hopefully, a judge with a proper understanding and application of existing laws will incarcerate this disrupter and permit him to fester behind bars for an extended period of time. West’s purpose is to profit financially and draw attention to himself while disrupting civil order.

Just compare the constant negativity of the work of Prof. Cornel West, and the contributions rendered to improve relations between all men by Prof. Walter E. Williams and my point is clearly established. Remove this creep’s publicity and he will likely fade away.

COMMANDER GRANGER

GOOD BYE IRAQ?

2011-10-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to hear that all American troops will depart Iraq by December 31, 2011, but do not be deceived by the abundance of political biased reporting in virtually every major newspaper in America this morning. The truth of the matter is that the USA was out-bluffed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki over the issue of total immunity for remaining American military personnel, and, thankfully, President Obama did not have any alternative but to order a total withdrawal to save face.

We surely have not seen or heard the last of conflict in Iraq, because that evil troublemaker Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is likely to side with Iran and all hell will break out again once American troops depart. Al-Maliki may rue the day he forced Obama’s hand, because I would not give one thin dime for his life once he is responsible for the security of his administration and the citizens of his country.

I found it interesting, but not surprising, to see Time Magazine immediately place the blame on the troop departure on President George Bush, because he signed an agreement back in December, 2008 calling for terms of withdrawal, but it was understood to be an interim agreement with diplomacy to follow. However, that does not seem to fit the politically biased agenda of Time to explain. Blame Bush and promote the re-election of their favorite son Obama is Time’s modus operandi.

While every decision coming out of the White House these days is totally based on promoting Obama’s re-election, I believe the entire country will pay a heavy price for Obama’s short-term political motivations. I wonder what the families of all those brave Americans who gave their lives for Iraq’s future and the security of that country and America think of Obama’s actions now.

Only The Wall Street Journal provided its readers with a good analysis of this sad, politically driven development. I do not want our troops in Iraq for one more day than necessary, but leaving now is totally irresponsible per our Generals in the field, and this action may lead to our eventual return, which would only feed the public relations machine of our enemies.

Also remember the phony information expressed by Obama in his press conference following the death this week of Libya’s evil 40+ year dictator Muaamar Qaddifi. Obama said that we accomplished his removal without any American involvement and without boots on the ground.

This is simply another lie flowing easily from his lips these days. American Air Force personnel flew daily over Libya and we had Special Operations military personnel (aka boots on the ground) deep within Libya in support of NATO operations and feeding air strike information. Daily we are being fed the party-line that supports the Obama political base but we must not be swayed by his PR apparatus.

Nobody would be happier than your Commander to be proven wrong, but over the many years I have been fortunate to live in the good old USA, my gut feeling has been correct far more times than wrong. Only time will tell, but if I am right, America will be back in Iraq for a third time and undoubtedly will again pay a terrible price in life, limb, and millions or billions in wasteful financial obligations.

Hopefully, American voters have learned a valuable lesson when a politically inexperienced, and more importantly business inexperienced liberal community organizer was elected as Commander-in-Chief.

COMMANDER GRANGER

TECH WARS - FASCINATING

2011-10-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

The current (November) issue of FAST COMPANY magazine, a publication I had never heard of until it began to mysteriously appear in my mailbox several months ago, has an excellent cover teasing “The Great Tech War of 2012” with a lengthy article titled “The Ones to Watch”.

On a rainy day this week I started turning the pages of the November 2011 issue and was hooked on the article and found it an outstanding analysis of the future of Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon. While I am an amateur in the tech world, it is clearly a significant factor in our daily lives and is only going to become more important with the passage of time and by the inventions and applications yet to be created.

As I stated above, the article is very long (some 9-1/2 pages), but I suggest it is important reading if you want to have an educated peek into the future of these influential companies. The article will certainly interest you as a user or investor at any level. Here is the link:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/160/tech-wars-2012-amazon-apple-google-facebook

I found it easier to read the article on-line, the magazine edition carries a small print font that does not work well with my tired old eyes. It is also important to notice the article’s comments about the significance and importance of author Farhad Manjoo’s insight into the future of the tech world.

Don’t miss an opportunity to look into the future. It will certainly impact you and your family increasingly in the days and perhaps years to come.

COMMANDER GRANGER

WORDS FROM THOMAS EDISON

2011-10-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

When reading today’s page of the American Patriot’s Almanac there was a statement that caught your Commander’s eyes and attention about Thomas A. Edison. As you probably know he was one of America’s greatest inventors and held patents for over one thousand inventions, such as the light bulb, phonograph, and the motion picture machine to name a few.

Edison is reported to have insisted that hard work was the main reason for his success. “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” He also said “Americans have built a great nation by following that rule.”

Recognizing that the world has changed substantially since Edison spoke those profound words, it is my opinion that maybe our current problems are due to the fact that our current administration, government and a growing percentage of our population is operating on 99 percent faulty inspiration, and only 1 percent perspiration.

Our leadership has lots of ideas that are not working and about 50 percent of our fellow Americans are living on welfare hand-outs without conducting productive endeavors or generating any perspiration.

What do you think?

COMMANDER GRANGER