Obama Reveals Himself Fully

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

In last Friday’s nationally televised news conference President Barrack Obama did more to offer voters a true point of evaluating him and his philosophy since he told Joe the Plumber in 2008 that he wanted to redistribute wealth. He showed that he is more about big government and supporting union jobs through taxation of the hard-working American people than he is about those same Americans creating their own lives and benefiting from their own labors. He wants more government jobs for people.

As you can see in this video, in which we provide you his entire answer, not just a short juicy clip, Obama says the private sector is doing fine. He says we need more government jobs.

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney wasted no time in pouncing on the President’s revealing words and correctly pointing out how remarkable the statement was.

The Administration quickly moved to damage-control following Obama’s statement. Obama himself saying a day later “Of course the economy is not fine..”. The media portrayed these words as Obama and his minions walking back his “the private sector is doing fine” comment. But did he really? Did he really correct himself? Of course not. He didn’t because he doesn’t want to. His so-called correction just re-emphasized what he’d already said that the economy isn’t doing fine (making certain not to mention “the private sector” again), and that his solution is to provide more government and government-employee-union jobs. And the big bad Republicans are to blame for not wanting to hire more government workers.

Choosing to portray the critical need for our economy as teachers, police and firefighters plays well, because we all (at least most of us) love teachers, cops, and firefighters. We don’t necessarily love their unions, especially the teacher’s. But ask yourself do you really think all our economic problems are because we have too few teachers, cops and fire fighters? The premise is silly on its face.

Government creates nothing. Government doesn’t grow any economy. Private sector jobs grow the economy, which generates more taxes (revenue) for the government because more products are being sold, and more income tax is being paid…which ultimately allows government to do and spend more…for teachers, police and fire fighters. President Obama doesn’t seem to get this simple concept.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

June 12, 2012
Categories: National Politics . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 2 Comments

The Republican I will vote for is…?

Republican presidential candidates are picture...

Who we gonna pick

It’s getting down to crunch time and I haven’t fully determined in my mind who it is I would vote for in the GOP race for President of the United States. By crunch time I mean…weaker ineffectual campaigns are getting crunched and eliminated from even appearing on the ballots of upcoming primaries and caucuses, and they are dropping out. In my case I can’t actually vote for a candidate until March 3rd when Washington State has its caucuses and by then it’s not likely to be a contest at all. But since my decision has never been fully made I thought I would ruminate about the remaining five candidates.

Let’s start with who I won’t vote for.

Ron Paul taking questions in Manchester, NH

Crazy Ron Paul

I won’t vote for Ron Paul. The Congressman from Texas last night during the South Carolina debate looked every bit the crack pot that I’ve maintained he is for four years. His foreign policy is a dangerous joke. And what is really offensive is the fact that his ardent followers have actually compared Paul to Jesus. I’m not making this up. I’ve seen it on Facebook. If by some miraculous disaster Paul actually did win the Republican nomination I would have to vote for Barrack Obama.

When Governor Rick Perrymade his late entrance into the field of Presidential hopefuls I was very enthusiastic and hopeful.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas speaking at the R...

Perry came in too late.

His long record of success in Texas and his strong Christian beliefs had me thinking he could really be something special as President. But unfortunately he got such a late start in the race that he was clearly unprepared and overwhelmed at first. He has clearly improved his debate performances. Last night I thought he was terrific at articulating some strong Conservative ideas, and he didn’t look like a moron when he went after Mitt Romney about release of his tax records. His early gaffes I think I can comfortably say can be attributed to lack of preparedness. And in a way there is something endearing about the fact that Perry hadn’t been thinking he would run for President for years like some (Romney); and as such his entrance to the race, later than any of the candidates we’ve seen these last 7-8 months, left him flat-footed and ill prepared. Alas, it’s all gonna be moot soon. I strongly suspect Perry will drop out of the race following Saturday’s primary in South Carolina; as he probably should for the good of the party and the Conservative movement.

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on Februar...

Mitt Romney

That leaves Senator Rick Santorum, Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Governor Mitt Romney. I could happily vote for any of the three. I think Romney will win the nomination. I don’t believe Santorum can hang on for much longer, perhaps dropping out after Florida at the end of the month. Money being what it is. I think Gingrich will stick around for a good while primarily because he seems to have a multi-billionaire sugar-daddy who will keep feeding his Super PAC money. But by the time March 3rd and Washington’s caucus comes around…Gingrich may be gone at worst or completely ineffectual at best.

So ultimately I don’t think I’ll have to decide. I think the decision for me and most of the rest of the country will be decided no later than the Nevada caucuses on February 4th. Nevada has a strong Mormon population and Romney is expected to win there handily. Certainly we’ll have no doubt come this year’s Super Tuesday elections March 6th when 10 states have primaries or caucuses. And if I’m right, and I am, and Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee and it will be firmly determined that he is by February 4th and at that point only 5 of our fifty states will have voted…how sad is that?

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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January 17, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 2 Comments

What would Martin Luther King say and do?

President Lyndon B. Johnson and Rev. Dr. Marti...

Martin Luther King at White House meet with President Lydon Johnson

On this day when we commemorate the life of the great Martin Luther King Jr. I wonder what he would think of the actions of today’s leaders and of society as a whole. I am conflicted about how I would answer that.

I think its odd how two people can listen to the same thing and hear two different things. There is no question MLK wanted economic equality for all and for aid and assistance being provided for all of the most disadvantaged. “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

In my case the life and speeches of Doctor King left me with one resonating theme, self-reliance and self-determination. Sure he wanted whites to quit oppressing black people, and beating and murdering them as well, by the way. But he mostly wanted to get them out of the way. He wanted black people to have the same economic opportunities of white people and to strive and struggle for their own level of success. “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” – MLK

So what would Dr. King think of the Tea Party movement and it’s message of responsible government spending, and individual liberty? Would he embrace the Occupy movement and steer their seemingly rudderless ship? What would he think of Barrack Obama, our nations first black President?

What I’m certain of is that he would be heard and he would not be happy about much of what happens today. I’m sure that the intractable positions taken by Democrats and Republicans in Congress would disgust him and he would urge mutual compromise. I am absolutely certain he would reject Obama’s constant, unrelenting class warfare. And while supporting the Occupy movement I’m sure he would sharpen their message so that they didn’t sound and look like the dirty, ungrateful, whiny sons and daughters of privilege that so many of them appear to be.

What do you think. What would King say and do today. Tell me and let’s make this a discussion in which Martin would be proud.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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January 16, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Uncategorized . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 5 Comments

Predictions for 2012

With the dawn of a new year upon us I feel compelled to offer my 2-cents on issues and event of which I have an interest. Here are my, and mine alone, predictions for 2012.

Personal:

I expect to be successful in losing 15-20 pounds. 2011 was the first time in my life that I made any kind of effort at losing weight. I wasn’t successful in losing my goal weight. But I was successful in losing weight. I learned how hard it can be. But now that I consider it more important and I know how to do it I expect greater success. I was mostly fit and 210 pounds when I married in 1987 at age 23. If I can drop below 220 lbs, I’ll consider myself successful. To help with this effort I just shelled out the bucks to join my new LA Fitness center. It’s just 5 minutes from my house. It opens, brand new, tomorrow.

LA Fitness

LA Fitness

I will be there.

Business:

My company Total Broadcasting Service will begin its eight year of operation in 2012. 2011 was far better than either 2009 or 2010; both of which sucked. 2011 was just 3% below our best year ever in 2008 in Gross revenue. But now that we have completed the arduous process of getting a new website designed and launched; now that we’ve forged several working relationships we expect to grow further; and candidly now that we know better what we’re doing in the video production industry I expect 2012 to be our best year ever. I also expect to hire 2-3 professional salespeople in the coming year. These will be people interested in a career and a long-term business relationship. I’m very excited.

Sports:

The San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl XXIX troph...

Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy

Green Bay and New England will meet in the Super Bowl with the two best quarterbacks in the league putting on quite a show. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady will have the scoreboard lights spinning like a slot machine. But the Packers prevail in this one 48-44.

My beloved Seattle Seahawks will acquire a new quarterback to replace Tavares Jackson. But it may not be via the NFL Draft. Picking 11th in the draft we might see Pete Carroll select a big, fast passing rushing end. With an ever improving defense and a new QB the Hawks will improve to 10-6 and make the playoffs, but also make a quick exit…next season.

NBA:

Don’t care. Until David Stern is gone and Seattle has a team again…screw the NBA.

NHL:

Canucks return to make up for their collapse in the Stanley Cup Finals last year. They’ll prevail over Philadelphia. But anyone who knows me knows this is pure guess and wishful thinking.

MBL:

My Seattle Mariners fail in signing any significant free agents and are left to again struggle through a mostly boring season with the same youngsters who could only squeeze out 65 wins in 2011. My pick? 3rd in the AL West, 76-86. Grrrrr….

WSU:

Cougar basketball manages a .500 season but fails to make any post season tourney.

Mike Leach leads the Pirate Cougars to a 9-3 record and a trip to the Holiday Bowl.

Politics:

Maria Cantwell wins re-election to the U.S. Senate against a weak unknown GOP opponent.

English: Rob McKenna

Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna

Rob McKenna wins election to the Governors office, becoming the first Republican Governor in Washington State since John Spellman.

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule that mandatory purchasing requirements of private insurance for all U.S. citizens included in the Obama Health Care law is unconstitutional. Duh….. I can’t believe Democrats ever thought such government intrusions into our lives would ever pass the smell test.

 

 

 

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on Februar...

Our next President

Mitt Romney wins the Republican Presidential nomination rather handily. Michelle Bachman will drop out after Iowa, and Jon Huntsman will bow out one week later after New Hampshire. The race will be reduced to Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry. Perry will drop out before February 2nd; possibly holding on until Florida. Perry’s supporters will split evenly between Santorum, Gingrich and Paul giving none of them significant enough of a boost to catch Romney.

In as nasty a General Election as has ever been seen Romney will prevail over a President Obama who will only faintly resemble the inspiring marvel of 2008. Because he will be so negative and have no significant domestic accomplishments to in which to point to Obama will be defeated by a relatively significant margin, making Mitt Romney the 45th President of the United States.

The only thing that could derail this prediction is if a third-party candidate emerges. If Ron Paul or Donald Trump decide to run for President they will practically hand a second term to Obama on a silver platter.

Lastly, I will celebrate Christmas 2012 with all my family as I always have, as will all the rest of us. The Mayan Calendar end will prove to be just that. The end of a calendar December 21, 2012. We will not have an Earth ending experience.

So….there ya go. My pics. Have fun with me. Let me see what your picks are.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

 

 

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January 1, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Sports, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 1 Comment

Bank of America is subject to Capitalism.

Bank of America announced yesterday that it would NOT be going ahead with its previously announced $5 debit card use fee. They say they listened to their customers. Damned rights they did. They listened and they watched a lot of them take their money elsewhere.

The news that BofA wasn’t going ahead with the new fee came after the nation’s largest bank JP Morgan Chase as well as Wells Fargo Banks announced last week that they would abandon plans for these fee add-ons. They saw the writing on the wall and didn’t want to further enrage the public (i.e. their customers).

In an Associated Press article from October 7 it was pointed out that Credit Unions were again reaping the benefits of these new bank fees. The country’s largest credit union, the Navy Federal Credit Union, said new account openings over the weekend  following BofA’s new fee announcement were 23 percent higher than normal. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee says roughly 51,000 people have signed up to move their money out of big banks on “National Bank Transfer Day” this Saturday. They also said 21k of those who have signed up will be moving their money from Bank of America.

Of course abandoning this $5 fee doesn’t mean BofA, or Wells or Chase for that matter, won’t be attempting to pick your pocket somewhere else. In fact BofA already raised its fee for its basic checking account from $8.95 to $12 last Spring. They’re hurting. They need the money. Bank of America’s stock price was down to $6.71 at the time of this writing. That’s from a high of $54.77 five years ago this month, and a post-recession high of over $18.00. Their January 2008 purchase of Countrywide Financial Corp looking increasingly like the wrong thing to do. Old Countrywide mortgage loans are STILL exploding on BofA and on our country.

But the obvious good news with this retraction of the proposed fee and for the time being no new replacement fee is that Capitalism works. This is exactly how it is supposed to happen. And guess what no Government intervention was necessary. 18th Century writer, philosopher and economist Adam Smith had it right in his seminal book The Wealth of Nations when he described the invisible hand that guides a country’s economy. Government needs to stay out and things will work out. It’s in each individual company’s and corporation’s best interest to serve the public, their clients, for to do otherwise will only hurt their bottom line. And growing the bottom line is most important of all.

Anyone with eyes wide open will see that Government interference in the form of the Dodd-Frank Banking Finance law forced banks to impose many of these new fees by restricting how much banks could charge merchants for the use of debit and credit cards (I bet a lot of you didn’t know that we, the business owners, also pay the banks every time plastic is used). Banks, as well as other companies will seek revenues and if government takes away one form of income, they’ll just go elsewhere. And the ones who will pay the real price is the consumer. Thank you again Democrats. Every time you try to protect us we get the shaft.

Nonetheless, take homage in the fact that your outrage moved big bad BofA, Chase, Wells Fargo and others from imposing THIS fee. You the consumer do have choices. You can go to a neighborhood bank or Credit Union you can spend your money elsewhere, or choose not to spend at all. Think of the Occupy Wall Street protesters and their claims of big corporations having way too much control. Let this be their lesson that the big corporations only have as much control as we give them. And the one, and possibly the only thing I’ll agree with OWS about, is that its long past time that we stop giving the big corporations so much power. But we don’t need government to do anything. We need to take responsibility for ourselves, our habits, and our spending.

But, of course, this comes from a guy who’s had his money in a credit union for some 15 years.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

November 2, 2011
Categories: National Politics . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on Bank of America is subject to Capitalism.

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