No Resignations From ITR Yet Today, Whew!

No, I’m not joking.  As of this posting today, there have not been any public resignations from employees of Iowans For Tax Relief.  This would be the first business day since last Friday where not a single resignation was announced by the Muscatine based conservative group.  It may be a numbers issue as there are only a couple of low level peeps working in the printing department and a secretary (Andrea Failor) to ITR Founder and Chairman of the Board, David Stanley.

I half expected them to issue a press release announcing that by the fact nobody was resigning today (yet) that this was a sign they were moving forward without the black eye of their organization, Ed Failure, Jr.  The night is young I suppose.  Stay tuned.

Right On Cue, Jesse Jackson Plays Race Card on Trump’s Birther Stance

Well that didn’t take long.  You just knew it was bound to happen sooner or later and leave it to perrenial attention whore, the Rev. Jesse Jackson to crawl out of the shadows and into yet another media story that has nothing to do with him or his feigned racial outrage schemes. 

This time, the good reverend is all up in arms (that’s up in arms, not put your hands up and you have the right to remain silent) over the political media storm of President Obama’s birth certificate.  Now said media storm was a whopping 3% of news stories yesterday by the lamestream media.  Hardly a whirlwind media extravaganza issue that warranted a presidential presser.  Nonetheless, The Big O spoke to the press today about releasing his birth certificate and made a brief statement. 

 “We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do. We’ve got big problems to solve. I’m confident we can solve them but we’re going to focus on them. Not this.”

At which point the President exited the press conference and headed to Andrews Air Force Base to board Air Force One bound for Chicago to tape an episode of Oprah.  So long as its nothing resembling silliness.

Speaking of silliness, back to Jesse Jackasson.  Not wanting to be forgotten nor merely remembered for his bastard children he fathered out of wedlock with his Rainbow PUSH subordinate and then used tax exempt dollars to pay her hush money, got his mug in front of the cameras on the birther presser and directed his manufactured anger at Donald Trump:

“Any discussion of his birthplace is a code word.  It calls upon ancient racial fears.” And what would those be Jesse?  How ancient are we talking?  Further back than your corporate racial shakedowns to pad your pockets?  That far back?  Jackson continues,

“Trump has trumpeted this cause. For him to go down this low is a bit surprising, he is now tapping into code-word fears that go far beyond a rational discourse.” 

Really?  I can’t get over how you got Trump and trumpeted in the same sentence.  That is some serious snark if you ask me.  Advantage, JJ.  And then this:

“This is the most personal attacks on any president ever,” said Jackson.  Oh no you didn’t,  girlfriend!   

Ok, Jesse… It’s just too easy:

“See, Barack’s been talking down to black people on this faith-based…  I want to cut his nuts off.” —Jesse Jackson, caught on an open mic whispering to a colleague about Barack Obama, whom he was criticizing for lecturing African Americans about taking more responsibility for raising children, July 6, 2008.

And who can forget the most personally hateful attack ever spoken by a presidential candidate:

‘Hymies.’ ‘Hymietown.’ — Jesse Jackson’s description of New York City while on the 1984 presidential campaign trail.

Santorum, Harkin, Union Hooligans and ITR Pours The Kool-Aid

Former Pennsylvania Senator, Rick Santorum is garnering my attention and not in a good way.  He seems like a bright, “clean and articulate” solid conservative who I could vote for.  However, if that is ever going to be the case he needs an intervention.  Every time I see him on a Sunday morning talking head show or speaking at a GOP event, he is apologizing for a mistake.  Seriously, his first trip to Iowa was spent apologizing for endorsing Arlen Spector.  Now on Fox News Sunday he spent an entire segment apologizing for his vote on the Medicare prescription drug benefit.  Stop apologizing!  Okay, before you stop, you owe all of us watching C-Span in the middle of the night an apology for wearing this in public.  Shame.

Tommy Bahama is at it again.  This time he is attempting to have a building named after himself at his alma mater Iowa State, while still a sitting United States Senator.  If that wasn’t ethically challenging enough, his wife Ruth Harkin is currently a member of the State Board of Regents who will decide on this below the radar naming. 

Now I recognize that he is a long time serving public servant and all that, but he is still in elected office and is the JUNIOR senator from Iowa.   I’ll make you a deal.  If Tom Harkin retires and allows Iowa to recover from the devastation his voting record has wrecked upon it, I’ll be okay with his name on a state building.  Not before.  Not for a Democrat and not for a Republican.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) just pulled an Ed Failure, Jr. on their president, Bruce Raynor over accusations of misconduct in spending $2,300 of union dollars on meals.  A union thug involved in misspending union dues?!?!?!? What has the world come to?  I have to tell you, this little spat for me is like watching the Iranian and Venuzuelan soccer teams play each other and you just hope nobody wins and for lots of injuries.  Come on SEIU hooligans, let’s get a riot started!

This story had legs.  Iowans For Tax Relief is pouring the Kool-Aid following the forced resignation of their president, Ed Failure, Jr.  Taking a play right out of the 2008 McCain Iowa primary campaign playbook, Ed seems to be followed out the door by virtually everybody.  This is unfortunate.  Resignations are flying so fast out of Muscatine that ITR no longer lists their employees on their website, but rather just the board of governors.  Damn, first the Fat Boys break up.  Now this.

Ed Failure, Jr “Resigns” From Iowans for Tax Relief

Today, Ed Failor, Jr. confirmed when pressed by the media that he “resigned” last Friday as President of Iowans For Tax Relief.  Its not a resignation if you are told to resign or you will be shitcanned and humiliated publicly.  Well, sort of like what he is going through now actually since he gave no reason for the secret resignation a day after getting into a nasty fight with Governor Branstad.  And that is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Jeff Boeyink

My tip jar runneth over today with insight on why he was pushed out the door much the same way he pushed former ITR Executive Director and current Chief of Staff to Governor Branstad, Jeff Boeyink out the door almost two years ago.  Calling out Gov. Terry Branstad who he and his organization went to great lengths to endorse and make governor and then trash in the media, both paid and earned, can’t be a wise career move.  Did I mention that his Director of Development at ITR is none other than fellow lucky sperm club member, Eric Branstad?  I would think that makes it kind of hard to make a believable pitch to raise money when your boss is at war with your dad. 

In addition, the rumors of capitol rotunda behavior that would make Tiger Woods and John Edwards blush have been rampant for years and whispered more often than, “What is Christie Vilsack thinking?”  So my sources tell me that the reasons for the Muscatine excommunication are plentiful.  They range from competence and picking a fight with the Governor to the most personal of family values tragedies.  That reminds me of a speech I saw Ed make to the Scott County central committee or maybe it was Muscatine County, during the infancy moments of the Monica Lewinsky scandal back in the Clinton years, “Its been my experience that when there is smoke, there is fire.”  I’m paraphrasing but that was the gist of his point.   Karma, Ed.  Karma.

So what does he do now?  He has tried to cover his tracks now that the word is out and his favorite excuse is that he is moving on to a new opportunity.  Well, his options are limited at this point.  Gov. Pataki and Sen. McCain may have paid him 10k a month to endorse them in 2008, but the phone calls are not going to be coming this time around since the Iowa caucus has been dominated by social conservatives as of late.   No worries, we all know what is going to happen.  You guessed it, T-Paw!  We know he has no problem whatsoever with moral indiscretions when it comes to those on his campaign payroll http://tinyurl.com/3hp2ehk.  Welcome to camp T-Paw and you better hurry before he looks at his traction in Iowa and pulls a Haley Barbour. 

In unrelated news, Mr. Clean is looking for a new spokesperson.

Garden Weasel Awards!

Ok, after a forgettable stint with a pint of Guiness prompted by the saddest of days each year for me, Tax Day, I am back fully recharged.  And what better what way to celebrate as Iowa Democrat Party Chair”person” Sue Dvorsky no doubt did yesterday than to present the first series of Garden Weasel Awards which are presented to the biggest dumbasses in Iowa and national political news curently.

First up, Christie Vilsack.  The Fmr. First Lady plans to learn the hard way who is King of NW Iowa.  Really?  Vilsack thinks she has a snowball’s chance in hell of defeating America’s Congressman, Steve King?  I’m convinced that she is not so dumb as to think she can compete with King and is actually looking past the unavoidable defeat to what the party will owe her down the road for taking one for the team by not challenging Boswell or Loebsack in a primary.  Perhaps it is her hubby who will cash in the political capital that he is in dire need of given his public relations embarrassment for Obama as U.S. Ag Secretary http://tinyurl.com/27mkfyf.

Christie, here is your Garden Weasel Award.  Sorry its not golden, that shit is expensive.

Public health officials in New York thought they could issue a ban on childhood games like freeze-tag, red rover, kickball, dodgeball etc. unless a new imposed fee for injuries is paid and medical staff is in attendance.  Well that was short lived.  The policy has already been rescinded once word got out of their nanny-state liberalism.   If the state of New York was so concerned about the safety of children, they would not make NYC a sanctuary city for illegal aliens.  Get real.

No word yet on their feelings regarding the timeless classic game of smear the queer.

Iowans for Tax Relief and in particular their President, Ed Failor Jr. is showing their true colors or color; Green.  After taking much of the credit for electing Branstad,  which is like a rooster taking credit for the sun coming up, ITR is now taking aim at the governor for threatening to raise taxes.   Sounds good right?  Well, ITR is feigning outrage over “their”  Governor Branstad wanting to raise taxes on… wait for it… Casinos.  Yep, they are shilling for the gaming industry.   This is how it works:  Call up the casinos and shake them down for a few hundred grand and say you’ll defend them from having their taxes raised even though Fmr. Gov. Gronstal publicly stated he won’t move it in the Senate.  And we’ll send direct mail and cut radio/tv ads to which we’ll take a 15% cut of the total media buy and call it a day.  There is a word for that and it rhymes with whores.

Not to go a week without an excuse to get in front of a camera, Bob Vander Plaats become fodder for Stephen Colbert last week on The Colbert Report. 

After making the latest socially awkward explanation for why Bob is… well Bob, this time it was too good not to make national news.  BVP stated that since public health officials have the practice of warning students about the harmful health effects of risky lifestyles like exposure to secondhand smoke, the same should be done for homosexual behavior.  Oh boy, literally.  This prompted Colbert to label Vander Plaats’ revelation as “Threat Level: Rainbow.”

Thats all for now, I’m off to Casey’s to score some Fruit Stripe gum.

Democrats Rejoice on Tax Day

Today is the happiest day of the year for Fmr. Governor Gronstal and the Iowa Democrat Party.  That’s right Tax Day!  All of their legislative and partisan tax increases, I mean “revenue increases” have come to fruition in the form of the annual collection of as much of our family budgets as possible.  Why?  Because they know better than we do how to spend our money on that which they see fit.  Important issues to Iowa taxpayers like inflated state union employee salaries, cost over-runs caused by project labor agreements, legal settlements for Touchplay, misspent HAVA (Help America Vote Act) funds, misspent CIETEC funds, etc. etc. etc.

So on this brisk Tax Day let us take a gander at exactly who is paying taxes and who is not:

A whopping 53% of all income taxes in the United States are paid by just the top 5% of wage earners.  That percentage includes guys you have heard of like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump plus alot more that you haven’t heard of who create jobs and create wealth not just for themselves (of which the gov’t takes half) but for others as well.

Add just 5% more to that total and the top 10% of wage earners pay 65% of all income taxes.  Go further and you will see that the top 50% of all wage earners pay 96% of all income taxes.  That percentage includes gnomes like me and most everyone you see at your office that shows up for work.  Really?  That can’t be right can it?  Surely the Democratic party pooh-bahs at the national and state level can see the inequity of this all.  Can’t they?  Oh but they can, only the inequity they see is in the number not listed above.

The number of Americans who pay no income taxes is 47%

Democrats won’t even begin to set the tax increase cruise control until they reach 50% + 1 of all Americans paying zero income taxes or riding in the wagon that the rest of us pull.  That will give them a majority of Americans in their dependency class to keep them in political power indefinately.  Till then its full speed ahead.  What their sad misguided ideology fails to show them is that despite most of their best intentions, they aren’t helping anyone.   As the longest serving Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Marshall stated so eloquently, “The power to tax is the power to destroy.” 

Democrats are destroying America and the state of Iowa, one confiscated taxdollar at a time.

Fmr. Gov. Gronstal Welcomes Internet Gaming Frauds to Iowa

 

Get ready for a Republican majority in the Iowa Senate,  Fmr. Governor Mike Gronstal has done it again.  Democrats in the Senate Ways & Means Committee passed a stripped-down version of a gambling bill that doesn’t include provisions to legalize in-state Internet poker because it was deemed “too controversial”.  Once again the Democrats know better than the 73% of Iowans who oppose the expansion of gambling in the state so instead they did the next best politically cowardly thing as cited in the Des Moines Register:

The panel approved a bill now headed for the Senate floor that asks the Racing and Gaming Commission to prepare a report for the Iowa Legislature by Dec. 1 on creating a framework for state regulation of intrastate Internet poker.

The report would likely set the stage for a debate in the 2012 session on legalizing Internet gambling in Iowa.

The bill, Senate File 458, also includes provisions on:

• Referendums: Counties where voters have twice approved ballot proposals to legalize casino gambling would no longer be required to hold a referendum every eight years. Instead, voters could petition for a referendum in a county eight years after a second referendum.

• Horse wagering: Gamblers would be permitted to make advance deposits to place online or telephone bets on live horse races. This is now legal in 20 other states, lawmakers said.

• Horse purses: Two percent of purse money designated for Thoroughbred and quarter-horse racing in Iowa would be distributed to horse owners’ groups for the promotion and marketing of Iowa-bred horses.

Only Thoroughbred and quarter-horse racing would be allowed at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona. Purse money designated for Standardbred racing could only be used for Standardbred harness races at county fairs or other tracks approved by state regulators.

The Thoroughbred season at Prairie Meadows would be at least 67 days, and the quarter-horse season would be at least 26 days.

The state commission’s report on Internet poker would be required to consider the current state of unregulated Internet poker play in Iowa, consumer protection, and responsible gaming measures.

The commission could consult with Iowa casinos and potential Internet poker hub operators in making the report.

Sen. William Dotzler, D-Waterloo, the bill’s manager, said the bill will allow a deliberate approach toward examining Internet gambling, recognizing that thousands of Iowans are already gambling online. Other changes recognize the contributions of gambling to Iowa’s communities, he said.

“This is a good bill and it’s a move in the right direction,” Dotzler said.

The bill passed the committee on a 9-6 vote with several lawmakers criticizing the proposal.

Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, said he didn’t support requiring the Internet gambling report, noting a recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll that showed 73 percent are opposed to legalizing Internet gambling.

“We have the opportunity here to slam the door on this,” Zaun said.

Dotzler said there are enough votes to win Senate approval. That would send the bill to the Iowa House, where he said the measure’s odds for success are less certain.

Last week, opponents of greyhound racing appeared to be gaining support to amend the gambling bill to end dog racing at tracks in Council and Bluffs and Dubuque. But Dotzler said Thursday there weren’t enough votes in the committee to pass the greyhound racing provision, and he doesn’t think it could pass the full Senate, either.

Meanwhile outside the state boarders, here is what is going on in the internet poker industry that Fmr. Gov. Gronstal and his minions on the Senate Ways & Means Committee would like to bring to our communities.  From the LA Times:

The founders of the three largest online poker sites were indicted by the FBI on Friday in what could serve as a death blow to the thriving industry.

Eleven executives at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and a number of their affiliates were charged with bank fraud and money laundering in an indictment unsealed in a Manhattan court. Two of the defendants were arrested on Friday morning in Utah and Nevada. Federal agents are searching for the others.

Prosecutors are seeking to immediately shut down the sites and to eventually send the executives to jail and to recover $3 billion from the companies. By Friday afternoon Full Tilt Poker’s site displayed a message explaining that “this domain name has been seized by the F.B.I. pursuant to an Arrest Warrant.”

… “These defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits,” Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement.

Sen. Zaun is exactly right.  This was an opportunity to slam the door on these very gaming entities that would be in our own homes.  These are not the “unscrupulous offshore internet sites” that are unregulated by federal laws that Gov. Branstad refered to as a possible reason to allow them in Iowa.  Remember Touchplay.   Iowans didnt want it, but the legislature and Chet Not Stupid gave it to them anyway and it cost a boatload in legal fees once the state retracted its mistake.   And those fees were paid with taxdollars from the very Iowans who opposed Touchplay in the first place.

The Democrat controlled Senate will pass this and send it over to the House where it will hopefully die, but if it does reach Branstad’s desk, the only responsible option is to veto.  This is Gronstal’s foolish pipedream.  Do you here me Governor Branstad?

 

Dems Fortunate For Sleepy Biden, Avoid Him Speaking

 

You know that President Obama’s dry, monotone, liberal manifesto speech is pretty lack-luster when the highlight is Dan Quayle’s favorite Vice President, Joe Biden getting caught on camera napping through it.  Now as bad as a public relations FUBAR as Vice President Biden has proven himself to be, things could have been much, much worse.  He could have been awake and speaking to the media.  For example let us take a stroll down memory lane:

“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” –Joe Biden, referring to Barack Obama at the beginning of the 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Jan. 31, 2007

“Look, John’s last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs.” –Joe Biden, Athens, Ohio, Oct. 15, 2008

“A successful dump!” –Joe Biden, explaining his whereabouts (dropping deadwood at the dump) to the reporters outside his home, Wilmington, Del., Aug. 20, 2008 

 ”His mom lived in Long Island for ten years or so. God rest her soul. And- although, she’s- wait- your mom’s still- your mom’s still alive. Your dad passed. God bless her soul.” –Joe Biden, on the mother of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, who is very much alive, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2010

“A man I’m proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States — Barack America!” –Joe Biden, at his first campaign rally with Barack Obama after being announced as his running mate, Springfield, Ill., Aug. 23, 2008

 ”You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent…. I’m not joking.” –Joe Biden, in a private remark to an Indian-American man caught on C-SPAN, June, 2006

“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.” –Joe Biden, apparently unaware that FDR wasn’t president when the stock market crashed in 1929 and that only experimental TV sets were in use at that time, interview with Katie Couric, Sept. 22, 2008

“Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me.” –Joe Biden, speaking at a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire, Sept. 10, 2008

“Stand up, Chuck, let ‘em see ya.” –-Joe Biden, to Missouri state Sen. Chuck Graham, who is in a wheelchair, Columbia, Missouri, Sept. 12, 2008

“This is a big fucking deal!” –Joe Biden, caught on an open mic congratulating President Barack Obama during the health care signing ceremony, Washington, D.C., March 23, 2010

Joe Biden, the gift that just keeps on giving.  Thanks from all of us in the Grand Old Party!

Mitt Is In It To Win It

The worst kept secret in presidential politics became official yesterday.  No, not that Donald Trump was running so he could hype a reality tv show based on a run for the presidency (you KNOW its coming).  I’m talking about Fmr. Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney.  He came up just short of John McCain in 2008 and like McCain before him, Mitt has earned himself another at-bat.

Romney raised a ton of money last time around and although his people will tell you they hope to come close to what they raised before, they are going to crush those old numbers.   Iowa Democrats recently held a Thank You Party for Mitt on healthcare reform, claiming Obamacare is a result of what Mitt did in his state.  While its not true, Mitt still has to play defense and explain an issue that doesn’t fit well into a soundbite.  The Dems are scared to death of Romney which is why they are spending so much time in multiple early GOP caucus and primary states bashing him.  The tactic is reminiscent of what Gov. Tom Vilsack did to Doug Gross before the guy even entered the 2002 primary in Iowa.  He successfully wore down Gross before he could even get started and easily defeated him come November.

Which brings me to my brief albeit spot on analysis of the prospects of a 45th POTUS Mitt Willard Romney.  The thing that defeated Mitt in 2008 wasn’t a shadow campaign by Huckabee minions who hate Mormons (although that didnt help) nor was it all of his opponents attacking him daily on a variety of issues.  No, none of that was the silver bullet.  Mitt’s own success and expectations killed Mitt’s campaign.  He had most of the best staff money could buy in Iowa and then just about everybody else too.  He built an impressive organization that was so vast that his main rivals nationally (McCain and Rudy) forfieted the Ames Straw Poll rather than get beat badly.  Mitt won in Ames, but everybody expected him to so no real big whoop. 

This time he won’t make the same mistake and has gone to great lengths to go in the opposite direction and lower expectations.  How low?  He will likely have just one real advisor, David Kochel who was around last time but will be far more hands on this time.  Expect him to have four or five field staffers and call it a day.  Mitt can afford to settle for a 2nd place finish in the evangelically heavy Iowa Caucus to go on and compete in 40 states and not just one like the rest of the pack.  Iowa is not and will not be a make or break for Romney, so dont expect him to act like it.

Branstad Bitchslaps Gronstal With Veto Pen

 

 

 

Today Governor Terry Branstad followed through on a major campaign promise that he made to the voters of Iowa by vetoing a budget that was only for 1 year instead of the 2 year budget that he called for.  Sound fiscal management of the taxpayer’s money was the cornerstone of his campaign given his experience in such matters and the utter fiscal incompetence of the Big Lug and his shadow Gov. Mike Gronstal.  So it doesn’t take a gnome with a PhD in astro physics to figure out that Branstad might actually veto a 1 year budget exactly like he said would at every campaign stop (once he got done blathering on about our next AG Brenna Findley).

When Branstad left office in January 1999, the state of Iowa had a $900 million surplus which was frittered away in a matter of months by Gov. Tom Vilsack and then the Big Lug ceeded all matters of budgetary thought to his shadow Gov. Mike Gronstal eight years later and just look at how bad of shape we are in now.  One term was the Big Lug’s legacy as a result.  Chet Not Stupid’s Papa must be so proud.  Branstad had this to say about today’s fiscally responsible veto:

“When I announced my intention to once again seek the governor’s office I made a pledge to Iowans to end the past budgeting practices that were sending shockwaves throughout our state,” Branstad said. “I promised to restore predictability and stability to the state budgeting process.”

Amen to my Governa from anotha mutha!  Pay attention and take notes Gronstal and maybe then your party will begin to learn to represent the priorities of all hard working Iowans and not just the hard working Iowans with a union card.