Washington, DC – (9/17/12) – Generation Opportunity, the largest non-profit, non-partisan organization in the United States engaging and mobilizing young Americans (18-29 years old) on the important economic issues facing the nation, released new polling data today on Millennials on the one-year anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Since its launch in June of 2011, Generation Opportunity has amassed a following of over 4 million fans on Facebook and is actively organizing Millennials across the country through grassroots tactics, voter registration, and voter turnout efforts.

“Young adults have been negatively impacted by the poor economy, high unemployment, and the lack of jobs both in their daily lives and in their long-term career plans and dreams. Amidst their frustrations and disappointments, the overwhelming majority of Millennials view the poor economy and lack of leadership by elected officials as the true sources of their problems – not fellow Americans who work on Wall Street. Young Americans reject the cynicism and angry theatrics aimed at those who can create more full-time jobs; instead, they simply want positive solutions that grow the economy and create more opportunity for all Americans,” said Paul T. Conway, president of Generation Opportunity and former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor. “Young adults believe elected officials fail to represent their concerns and best interests, are clearly fed up with the status quo, and plan on making their voices heard in November.”

The ineffectiveness of Occupy Wall Street to capture the enthusiasm of or inspire activism among a wide number of young adults across America was documented by the Harvard Institute of Politics (IOP) at the end of last year. According to a December 2011 IOP study, just 2% of 18-29 year olds had participated in Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, and only 11% knew someone personally who participated in the effort (http://www.iop.harvard.edu/sites/default/files_new/fall_poll_11_M_topline.pdf).

The lack of full-time jobs and economic opportunity due to the poor economy continue to impact young Americans on a daily basis, jeopardizing their careers and dreams. Earlier this month, Generation Opportunity released the non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) unemployment data for Millennials for August 2012. The youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds specifically for August 2012 is 12.7 percent (NSA). The youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans for August 2012 is 22.4 percent (NSA); the youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics for August 2012 is 13.7 percent (NSA); and the youth unemployment rate for 18–29 year old women for August 2012 is 12.6 percent (NSA). The declining labor participation rate has created an additional 1.7 million young adults that are not counted as “unemployed” by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs. If the labor force participation rate were factored into the 18-29 youth unemployment calculation, the actual 18-29-unemployment rate would rise to 16.7 percent (NSA).

For Generation Opportunity, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend conducted a nationwide online survey of 1,003 adults ages 18-29 between July 27 and July 31, 2012. Randomly selected online opt-in panel participants were sent an invitation to the survey via email which included a secure link to the online questionnaire. Quotas were used to ensure the survey was representative of the larger 18-29 year old nationwide population with regard to race, region, and gender. The data were NOT weighted. The overall sampling margin of error for the survey is ±3.1% at a 95% confidence interval, meaning that the data obtained would not differ more than 3.1 percentage points in 95 out of 100 similar samples obtained.

• 47% of Millennials would rather be employed by Wall Street than protest Wall Street.

• Only 26% would prefer protesting Wall Street over working on Wall Street.

• 76% believe that the lack of job opportunities is shrinking the American middle class.

• Just 38% believe that today’s political leaders reflect the interests of young Americans.

• 76% of Millennials plan to vote in the election for President this year.

• 89% of young people ages 18-29 say the current state of the economy is impacting their day-to-day lives (Accepted multiple responses) (Randomized):
• 51% reduced their entertainment budget;
• 43% reduced their grocery/food budget;
• 43% cut back on gifts for friends and family;
• 40% skipped a vacation;
• 38% driven less;
• 36% taken active steps to reduce home energy costs;
• 32% tried to find an additional job;
• 27% sold personal items or property (cars, electronic appliances, or other possessions);
• 26% changed their living situation (moved in with family, taken extra roommates, downgraded apartment or home);
• 17% skipped a wedding, family reunion, or other significant social event;
• 1% other;
• 8% none of the above (accepted only this response);
• 3% do not know/cannot judge (accepted only this response).

• 84% of young people ages 18-29 had planned to but now might delay or not make at all a major life change or move forward on a major purchase due to the current state of the economy (Accepted multiple responses) (Randomized):
• 38% buy their own place;
• 32% go back to school/getting more education or training;
• 31% start a family;
• 27% change jobs/cities;
• 26% pay off student loans or other debt;
• 25% save for retirement;
• 23% get married;
• 12% none of the above (accepted only this response);
• 4% do not know/cannot judge (accepted only this response).

Never mind that the government-managed bankruptcy violated hundreds of years of precedent by stealing equity from secured investors and redistributing it to the United Auto Workers, staunch “progressive” Democratic supporters.  Forget that a majority of the auto dealerships that were closed as a result of “progressive” business mismanagement were owned by Conservative Republican small business owners.

Speaking of business, jobless claims rose again.  For the week ended July 28^th, initial jobless claims increased by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 365,000.  In a now familiar pattern that has persisted since the current administration assumed stewardship over the economy, July 21 week ended claims were revised upwards from the initially reported 353,000 to 357,000.

According to the White House and their “progressive” co-operatives, underperforming jobless numbers would vastly improve if only those selfish small business owners would “pay their fair share”.  Never mind that small businesses are under assault from government mandated regulatory obligations imposed by unaccountable bureaucracies.  Big government “progressive” control freaks will never comprehend how small businesses are far less likely to hire new workers when a disproportionate amount of their limited funds are tied up in accounting and legal fees forced upon them by regulatory dictates.

Not surprisingly, poor economic reports caused stocks on Wall Street to drop, with the Dow and S&P averages showing the biggest single-day drops since late June.  Reports showed both the Dow and S&P down by nearly one percent.

But not to worry, a growing “progressive” big government has determined that for America the best way to solve all of these economic problems is to have said “progressive” big government take over one sixth of the economy by seizing control of the national healthcare system.  A tax that “progressives” refuse to call a tax imposed on “free” individual American citizens for refusing to comply with a “progressive” big government mandate to buy a commodity will be enforced by an IRS that has paid out billions of dollars in fraudulent refunds.  In a report issued on Thursday, the IRS inspector general said that identity thieves are filing bogus returns and could collect $21 billion over the next five years.

Having the government in control of their healthcare system should be of minor concern to American voters.  With trillions of dollars being tossed around more freely than Frisbees on a French Riviera beach, knowledge that 7,000 healthcare providers already paid over $6 billion by Medicaid not paying federal taxes to the tune of nearly $800 million should be considered nothing more than a small accounting error.  What’s a mere $800 million among friends?

It isn’t like partisan politics could interfere with making sound judgments.

That is unless “progressives” are making those decisions.

Early in his presidential campaign back in July 2007, then candidate Barrack Hussein Obama said: “The least employers can do when they’re anticipating layoffs is to let workers know they’re going to be out of a job and a paycheck with enough time to plan for their future.”  Of course, now that having certain key employers do exactly that would threaten his re-election aspirations, he is against it.

Since passage of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, employers with one hundred or more workers are required to give employees a sixty day notice of pending mass layoffs or plant closings.  With the jobs of up to one million U.S. defense contractor workers threatened by looming budget cuts at the Defense Department, those contractors should be sending layoff notices to their workers just a few days before the upcoming Nov. 6 election.  The administration said that those federal contractors do not need to warn their employees about pending mass layoffs or plant closings because the budget cuts slated to begin Jan. 2 are “still speculative.”

Can you say John Kerry?  He was for it before he was against it too, right?

But Americans really should not sweat the small stuff.  Should it matter that thanks to business hostile policies of “progressive” politicians, those self-imagined self-appointed members of the intellectual elite, the American economy is crumbling before their eyes?  After all, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to make statements like: “Anyone who loves freedom and justice must strive for the annihilation of the Zionist regime in order to pave the way for world justice and freedom”?

Think about it.  What difference will the state of the economy make if a nuclear armed Iran starts a nuclear world war that annihilates the entire planet?

Is there any truth to the rumor that George Soros is speculating untold billions of his ill-gotten gains on cockroach futures?

Is this the way Americans wants their country governed?

http://mjfellright.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/is-this-any-way-to-govern/

I know that everything Gen. Boykin says is true. I was trained in counter insurgency techniques, including how they operate, what military and psychological tactics they use, and how they subvert the social system of a country to take over and enslave the people. I was also taught how to overcome those tactics and to present a way of life that highlights freedom and self-determination.

Marxists take control of every aspect of society (Nationalization) under the auspices of making life better for the “downtrodden”. The story sounds good, “some have more than they deserve and others have less than they deserve” (sound familiar?). They will tell the populace how life can be “more fair” for society in general. They gain control of everything and then a very small group of people decide who gets what. Have you heard “a matter of fairness” from Barack Obama and the media?

The Democrat Party, with help from many Republicans, essentially nationalized the auto companies by giving them “stimulus” bailout money. Who benefitted from this, the stockholders? No, the unions benefited in a case of cronyism over law. Obama’s friends came out good; their enemies, We the People, lost.

Look at the situation in the banking industry and Wall Street. The few banks that were “too big to fail” got billions in taxpayer funds while your home value and your stock values plummeted. How many retired people lost 60% or more of their savings, money they had put back for their retirement so they would not have to look to a broken social security system for their golden years? AIG got billions to prop them up, but what happened to that money? If you will do some looking you will find that most of the money wound up in foreign banks in The United Arab Emirates, Oman, and several other countries.

How many Wall Street and “too big to fail” bank executives took a beating when the economy tanked? Have you seen the figures on the bonuses they received? I heard about the proposed 90% tax on those bonuses from “outraged” members of Congress. Was that 90% tax ever implemented or was it bluster over substance to cover political tracks? Cronyism over “fairness” again? We see Socialism/Marxism at its finest in the bank bailouts.

General Boykin mentions the Marxist tactic of discrediting the opposition. The memorandum he refers to is real, not a figment of his imagination or some “out-there” conspiracy theory. Homeland Security actually labeled veterans, those like myself who have served the United States of America honorably, as a terror threat. They also labeled anyone belonging to any gun rights organization, the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, or the National Association for Gun Rights, for instance, as right wing terrorists.

The memorandum Gen. Boykin talks about never mentions the groups that set off a bomb in the parking garage of the World Trade Center in 1993, blew up the USS Cole, the Khobar Towers, the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, flew planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. There isn’t any mention of Flight 93, diverted to a Pennsylvania field thanks to the actions of heroes who gave their lives to save people they didn’t know. The Flight 93 disaster was averted by those who DHS would today call terrorists. I call those brave men heroes and patriots but to Obama, Holder, and Napolitano they are terrorists.

Boykin is correct that most of the media is in the pocket of those who would subjugate us. In the summer of 2010 a Saudi prince bought a substantial piece of FOX News. Have you noticed FOX no longer reports the news the same way they used to? They are no longer what I consider a reliable source of news.

He also nails the “hate crime” issue. Pastor John Hagee is fighting against those who would shut him up; but he has the finances to do so. How many churches can afford to defend the myriad of lawsuits and criminal charges if they speak biblical truth openly and plainly? Pastors have been silenced by the IRS with the threat of losing their tax exempt status, and long prison sentences if they speak out. I believe they should speak out anyway but most won’t. I am not in a pulpit so I can only disagree with tolerating this. Truth is the enemy of Marxism and they will go to any means necessary to stifle the truth. Dietrich Bonheoffer, German a pastor, stood up to Adolf Hitler on the same grounds and died in a Nazi concentration camp.

Let me give you an example of Marxist stealth moves in the name of “crime fighting”. Does Operation Gunrunner/Fast & Furious sound familiar? If not let me clue you in. In 2009 Arizona gun dealers reported suspected “straw purchases” of weapons to BATFE as required by federal law. They were told to let the buyers walk and BATFE would follow the guns to see where they wound up. In December 2009 a border patrol agent, Brian Terry, was killed with one of these guns. And what was the reaction of the Obama administration? Do they express sympathy to Terry’s family? No, they want more gun control laws. When the truth came out so did the spin machine. The Obama machine wants to shut these dealers down for “violating” laws regarding the “non-reporting” of firearm purchases while Eric Holder sits and lies to Congress. A little ironic don’t you think?

Hillary Clinton says 90% of the crime in Mexico is committed with guns illegally purchased in the United States through “the gun show loophole”. This is a total lie but once again they cannot let the truth interfere with the implementation of tyranny. A few months ago I saw a video of weapons captured in Mexico. Included were M-79 grenade launchers, M-60 machine guns, Claymore mines, 60 mm mortars, and more. I often attend gun shows and can guarantee that none of those items are sold at gun shows in Oklahoma.

Obama also wants his own private army, pledging allegiance to him not the Constitution. He has made provisions for that army in the obamacare bill, passed by bribery and arm twisting. Is anyone aware of Hitler’s Brown Shirts or the terror brought by the Gestapo?
Please watch and listen to the video very carefully. Our very freedom is teetering on the brink of extinction. We the People, and our nation, are not finished yet but will be if we don’t turn things around very soon. Our children and grandchildren, the future generations, are depending on us to act now to save them from tyranny. The “Greatest Generation” suffered a great deal, and tens of thousands died, to leave my generation a free nation. I will not sit back and allow my heirs to inherit anything less, will you?

The big question is: What do we do to turn this around? First and foremost we need God, we need to PRAY. Every morning my wife and I pray 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and will turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear them from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. My wife and I pray for our nation, our leaders, our military, their families, our family, and a host of other issues every day.

Attend TEA Party rallies when you can. Meet with your state and federal elected officials when possible. If they have the courage to hold a Townhall type meeting, attend and have your voice heard. Call, write, or fax them on a regular basis to let them know where you stand on issues. Please share this message with others. Many want to wait until violence is the only answer but I see that as a lose/lose option. Those nations who wait that long usually trade one despot for another. Our founding fathers were a unique group at a unique time in history. They gave us the guide for a free and prosperous nation. All we have to do is to take our country back to those principles and stand strong on individual responsibility, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. You have an opportunity now to stand for freedom, will you take that opportunity?

I submit this in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, in faith, with the responsibility given to me by Almighty God to honor His work and not let it die from neglect.

Bob Russell
Claremore, Oklahoma
March 14, 2012

The media tells us how we “deserve” anything and everything we desire, and that whatever we want should be provided for us by someone else. Unfortunately it is working all too well. These people are trampling on the very fabric of our nation and pulling the rug of freedom right out from underneath us while millions sit around and watch the latest rage in “I Got’s Some Talent” nonsense.
Kinchlow quite aptly describes the treatment and even the “labeling” of conservative elements in society today by the media, and the politicians they pay to control us with laws and regulations. Isn’t profiling and labeling wrong according to these very media brainiacs? Everything the founders stood for is ridiculed at the very least. Most of the values of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and the others are totally derided or ignored by the media and the politicians. Anyone espousing anything decent, honest, traditional, or earned is ridiculed and intimidated into silence by bullies and tyrants. And don’t you dare bring any mention or glimpse of anything remotely Christian.

Time Magazine comes out and says Catholic bishops should be put in prison for expressing their outrage at the latest example of dictatorial bullying in the Sebelius rule about abortion and religious facilities (a part of Obamacare no one mentioned in the highlight reels of the campaign). That is some nice “freedom of speech” stance by that veritable Communist rag. “Thank You 3rd Rail” for the staunch defense of freedom of speech for all. Now, back to “I Got’s Some Talent”.

And while America is focused on the latest “talent” show serial, the politicians are flowing with this politically correct nonsense and passing laws and regulations, including involving our very use of language (“Hate Crimes” legislation comes to mind). More “feel good”, “let’s stop bullies” legislation, yeah!!! But it doesn’t stop the bullies, it only encourages them. The bullies are the ones deciding what is bullying and what is “freedom of speech”.

When you see there the money is and where it goes in KInchlow’s article you begin to find a pattern. The unions, and Wall Street / “K” Street tycoons make and spend their money in the same places. Look at the money spent by politicians and their backers to buy media time, some of it even acknowledged as political ads. Go research some more and broaden your horizons. This is one big circle of financial deals that doesn’t include us “commoners”. This benefits the REAL 1%’ers, and it really isn’t that hard to see if you look.

Take a real close look at the Republican candidate debates. The “moderators” can’t find anything more important than who is going to pay for condoms for whom? The candidates all wring their hands and say we have to be “compassionate”, and “we need to be inclusive”, yada yada yada. We are being played by a very elaborate system of bait and switch, and we are being played by professionals. This is what they do, con good hearted people into doing what is desired by the baiters. It is a mob mentality of “attack the one who doesn’t conform”. Isolate, Denigrate, Destroy. Make an example of one to keep millions in line.

Your freedoms are being spirited away right under your noses. Anyone who stands up and speaks out against this activity is pounced on by the wolves in an instant. Look at the treatment given “Joe the Plumber”, Sarah Palin, Sharon Angle, Christine O’Donnell, and countless others who have had the audacity to stand in defiance of the media and their left-wing politicians (both parties included here).

And notice how few of the “staunch conservatives” in the Senate stand with Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn when it comes time to start giving some semblance of control back to the citizens. The House of Representatives is even worse. Leadership of both parties in both houses of Congress is corrupt and playing us every day by cheap talk and actions opposite of what they promised us to get elected.
Once again the Republican Party trots out a bunch of current or former politicians, the same lame ones who have had a hand in ruining our nation, and tells us we better “pick one of them or our nation is lost”. “Anyone but Obama, as long as it is one of these guys”. Go back as far as Gerald Ford and see if I am right (guess who didn’t want Ronald Reagan). And then all the “conservative” talking heads come on and tear anyone who does not fit their agenda to pieces, i.e., Herman Cain. “Conservatives need not apply” is the message from those running the Republican Party and its propaganda arm in the media. Of course, the Democrat Party and their large propaganda subsidies are more than happy to assist in the character assassination of anyone remotely conservative in any value. Oh, by the way, “truth need not apply” either.

Each candidate is the “only one” that can solve our nation’s woes and “if we don’t vote for him we are doomed” We the People are also told, by the same media people mentioned earlier, that Republicans better nominate Mitt Romney, not so affectionately known here as Mitty the Poo, or “all is lost”. What a line of crap; but out trots John McCain to endorse Mitty. “He lost to me last time so it is his turn for the limelight”. “Mitty is my ‘Jimmy Carter’ moment”. “Thanks, Mitty”. “He will lose worse than I did and I will be off the hook as the worst candidate ever”.

Now, back to “I Got’s SomeTalent”. In the meanwhile politicians are busy tightening controls on internet information. We saw what they did to the TV broadcasts a few months back. They haven’t quite managed to totally control the internet yet but they are very close, watch for March 8th. Those intent on taking total control of everything in America are dependant that citizens continue to be enamored with the latest cutsey talent show while they destroy your very way of life.

Are you aware of how society used to be in Cuba, pre-Castro? Not the way it is portrayed in the media, but the REAL society of Cuba. There were rich, there were poor, and there was the middle class. After Che Guevara and Fidel Castro were finished there were only very rich and very poor. The ultra wealthy paid Castro for protection, or left the island. Those without the assets to pick up and move to America had everything they owned taken by the government. Homeowners were pushed out of their homes and business owners were pushed out of their businesses by bureaucrats. Those who worked to earn the wages for a decent income were forced to become slaves because the “benevolent rulers” decided that poverty was a good lifestyle, it was equal for everyone. Of course, that “everyone” didn’t include the Castro brothers and their friends.

Ladies and Gentlemen of America, you are being played for suckers by people with evil intent. Once you have frittered all of your rights away you will be cannon fodder for tyrants. These tyrants are in both political parties. When “I Got’s Talent” is no longer needed to distract you it will go away and you will be left with a situation you really don’t want. But by then it will be too late to do anything about it, the barn door will have been shut, the trap door will have come down.

We don’t have to fall for this and lose the republic our founding fathers forged with their courage and their blood. There is time, there are solutions but it is up to We the People to implement those solutions. I have some thoughts, Next!!!!!

I submit this in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, in faith, with the responsibility given to me by Almighty God to honor his work and not let it die from neglect.

Bob Russell
Claremore, Oklahoma
March 6, 2012

Many people on both sides of the spectrum have a lot of opinions on this story.  What are yours?  We’d love to hear on Facebook or in the comments below.

What are your thoughts on this?  Have we gone too far when we target CHILDREN?  And have we really gone too far when we target children who are escorted BY POLICE?  I’m at a loss for this.  How do you hit children in front of their parents and in front of police?  …in broad day light, no less.  How crazed do you have to be to do this?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.  Or on Facebook.

Do you believe these people?  I wonder what they have in store for November 17th?

What do you think?  Am I overreacting?  Is he just some harmless kid having fun?  Or is he just another bat sh*t crazy example of what’s wrong with these protestors?

Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to leave as many responses as you want.  This month we’re running a special that’s half off.  And half off of “nothing” is nothing, so as always, you can comment for free.  Start typing.

This is the difference between North and South Korea on a given night.  The South, a shining example of prosperity.  The North, a comparative wasteland.  Maybe “wasteland” is a harsh choice of wording, but which one would you rather live in?  The country with companies that (successfully) compete with America, or the country that shoots you for trying to leave?

So many “Occupy” protestors and members of the Left talk about doing away with Capitalism, that I wonder if they’ve seen pictures like this.  I wonder if they’ve seen more of what goes on in Cuba than what Michael Moore tells them.  And I also wonder why they don’t just move to their non-captialism “paradises”, if they don’t like the United States.  Last time I checked, people risk their lives to move to the U.S. and South Korea, not Cuba and North Korea.

What do you think?  Is Capitalism overrated?  Should we replace it with some sort of pseudo-socialist utopia?  Or should we put pictures like this on billboards across North America until people get the point?  Let us know in the comments below.

Jon Corzine’s Troubles

Former New Jersey senator and governor Jon Corzine, former Goldman Sachs CEO and MF Global CEO, finds himself now in a heap of trouble. Here is a (partial) list of Corzine’s troubles.

• MF Global, headed by Jon Corzine, has filed for bankruptcy protection, apparently because of holdings of European debt. This bankruptcy will likely be one of the ten largest bankruptcies ever.
• Regulators are investigating whether hundreds of millions of dollars are missingfrom MF Global client accounts.
• Corzine is the target of an FBI investigationinto the handling of hundreds of millions of dollars invested in his securities firm.
• When Corzine returned to the securities business, he did so without requalifying or registering, as required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), who apparently waived the requirement.
• Months before MF Global went bankrupt, federal regulators sought to reduce the types of risky trades that contributed to the firm’s collapse, but they faced opposition from Jon Corzine.
• MF Global urged a federal agencyto allow futures firms to invest funds from their customer segregated accounts in foreign sovereign debt.
• MF Global’s comment letter (to the Commodities Future Trading Commission [CFTC]) is just one of several communications it had with federal agencies over implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.
• CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler says he withdrew from an investigation of Jon Corzine’s collapsed securities firm to avoid being a “distraction.” Gensler worked for Corzine when they were both at Goldman Sachs. A former Corzine staffer, Steven Adamske, currently serves as the CFTC public affairs director.
• When Corzine ran for New Jersey Governor, Gary Gensler gave $10,000 to the N.J. State Democrat Party that was trying to get Corzine elected.

Corzine’s and MF Global’s Political Contributions

MF Global employees, since 2007, contributed $408,000 to federal candidates and political parties, including $38,000 to President Barack Obama, the largest recipient of MF Global employee contributions. During the 2008 election, Democrats received 68 percent of MF Global employees’ contributions. But after Corzine joined in 2010, employees contributed 97 percent of MF Global-related campaign contributions to Democrats. Democrats maintained that advantage, with about 94 percent of MF Global employee donations through June, 2011. Jon Corzine and his spouses have given more than $917,000 to Democrat federal campaigns and state political parties during the last two decades. A supporter of Obama, Corzine fund-raised for Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign, and has leaned on his moneyed friends and connections to bundle about $500,000 so far for Obama’s 2012 run.

What Do Corzine’s Financial and Legal Troubles Mean To Obama?

President Obama referred to Corzine as ‘our guy on Wall Street’ at a meeting of Democrat governors in Chicago in 2008. Corzine has also played a “Central Role” in Obama’s Wall Street fundraising efforts, but that role is now threatened by his financial troubles. A list of top “bundlers” put Corzine in the highest category, reporting that he had raised more than $500,000 for the Obama campaign, with a big part coming from a $35,800 per ticket fundraiser that Corzine hosted at his wife’s Fifth Avenue apartment. The event was advertised as part of an effort by Obama’s campaign team to reach out to rich Wall Street donors who had been put off by some of his policies and comments. A few months after that fund-raiser MF Global surprised many Wall Street investors by issuing securities notes that highlighted Corzine’s close relationship with the White House. The notes, which promised to pay an extra 1% if Corzine departed, suggested that the former New Jersey governor might be in line for a top administration post should the president get re-elected. Corzine was one of the leading Wall Street fundraisers for President Obama’s campaign.

Hat tip to Jihad Watch and blogger, Stranahan, for sharing this one with the world.  An “occupy” protestor who goes by the name “Ralph” said (on camera) that he hopes “9/11 happens again right now”.  The interview seems strange though, because he points at a building that he said the plane could hit, and I’m pretty sure he would perish if such an attack would have happened.  Check out the video below, and be warned… Ralph has a potty mouth. (PROFANITY alert)

What do you guys think?  Did they just catch Ralph on a bad day, or do you think it’s possible that some of these protestors would be okay with another 9/11 happening today?  As proponents of free speech, we can’t take away his right to say it, but words like this sound pretty cold to me.

Let us know in the comments below, or you can catch us on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter too.

What do you guys think?  Is this how a “protest” should be done?  Is it ever okay to use kids as human barricades?  And how many stories like this will it take before the mainstream media ends their romance with the “Occupy” movement?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

In a society frequently more focused on appearance than substance, Obama never disappoints. He is always calm, articulate, even soothing when he talks. He has a pleasing smile and seems to be well prepared for any exchange, however tongue and cheek. He masterfully controls his public space, never offensive, always on key. During the show I noticed that Jay Leno, though certainly not known for his tough questioning, never seemed to be interviewing the president, merely conversing with him.

If you were not one of the thousands occupying Wall Street, one of many business owners uncertain about the economy, or one of the millions of people currently out of work or unemployed, Obama’s performance made you feel good about your country. You might believe that this man, who seems so in control, sincere, and forward looking, is moving us in the right direction. After-all, who would want to believe that someone who embodies all that post 1960s politically correct America has to offer, is leading us on the road to disaster? Answer, not many.

It is time to acknowledge that Obama’sAmerica is crumbling, not just his presidency. College kids who parade around their campuses wearing T shirts that say diversity are immune to the reality that balkanized cities colorAmerica’s landscape, or acknowledge that ethnic wealth inequalities are at thirty year highs despite massive government wealth transfer and affirmative action programs. Those who praise Obama’s financial rescue or hisDetroit bailouts ignore the disserted communities that pervadeDetroit’s city blocks or claim to support Occupy Wall Street without a hint of irony. Meanwhile, Obama travels across the country rallying support for a second enormous stimulus package asWashington teeters on the brink of financial catastrophe.

It may be confusing to people who voted by the millions for “hope and change,” and a post-racialAmerica, and understandably feel let down. Yet, few of them seemed to question exactly what Obama stood for or how he intended to produce the results he promised. For them it was form that mattered, not substance, bringing us to another value celebrated by political correctness. Always be positive and preferably idealistic, even if there is absolutely no justification for it. I don’t think Obama’s optimistic appeal has fully worn thin yet either, just as the 1960’s vision ofAmerica has not yet hollowed out.

For this reason among others, pundits who dismiss Obama’s chances of winning re-election are misguided. Sure his approval ratings are down but people still personally really like the president, a factor that has played a major if not decisive role in virtually every modern presidential election since Nixon. Obama critics simply don’t understand that whoever runs against him is not merely running against a man, but a powerful vision of this country 60 years in the making. Obama’s iconic rise to the presidency was not just a vote against Bush but a vote supportingAmerica’s love affair with its own idealism.

Perhaps that explains why the other party seems so wanting when it comes to their presidential candidates. Notice I don’t use the term Republican because the GOP is on its way out. True Conservatives are finally reclaiming their party, but certainly haven’t retaken it yet. In spite of Tea Party opposition to the establishment, the Grand Old Party maintains control over who will get the nomination, and that means Mitt Romney will probably win.

The GOP likes him and the Tea Party hates him, neatly illuminating the fight between two conflicting views ofAmerica battling it out for control of the party. The GOP likes him because at the moment he is the closest thing the Republicans have to Obama, someone who is un-offensive, handsome, fairly articulate, moderate, and completely vacuous. Romney is all things to all people, just like his friend Obama on the other side of the aisle.

Unfortunately, when it comes to substance and change Romney doesn’t have it either. Like Obama he will say what he has to in order to be elected, but when it comes down to it Romney will dither and equivocate just as the system taught him to do. Intuitively, the Tea Party knows this, which is why they strongly support candidates like Herman Cain and Ron Paul. For all their flaws, Tea Partiers know that Cain and Paul are genuine, they stand for something. They are not part of the politically correct establishment responsible for creatingAmerica’s problems.

So what does all this mean? It means that Americans are in for much harder times until we choose reality over fantasy, substance over style, and honestly face up to our problems. Political leaders who really change things and improve society are not beloved by all because they paint a happy picture. Real leaders stand for something concrete, and oppose specific ideas or policies that are wrong. TheLincoln’s of our day are out there, but we must be receptive to them instead of fawning over a hollow vision of our country.

Cameron Macgregor is a USNA grad and a former Naval Officer. He is writing his first book, The New American Nationalism.

“Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks. If you don’t have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!”   Herman Cain

One (of the several) messages from the Occupy Wall Street gang (or occupy wherever) is that corporate CEOs are making too much money, that they should “share the wealth.” And they decry so-called “golden parachutes” that CEOs receive.

And here is a quote from the OWS Manifesto: “They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.” One of the manifesto’s closing statements is: “Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.”  [both emphases mine]

So, OWS gang, which is it? Even though y’all are trying, y’all can’t have it both ways. CEOs, whether y’all like them or not, are employees.

Corporations attract talent that doesn’t grow on trees by offering “golden parachutes” to potential CEOs, usually in the forms of severance pay and stock options. It is the responsibility of the corporation’s Board of Directors to identify, select, and compensate CEOs. If a CEO doesn’t work out, why blame him (or her) for exercising for what he bargained? Perhaps I am incorrect (and if so, please let me know), but the “blame” for golden parachutes should rest with Boards of Directors. And the Boards of Directors are elected/appointed by stockholders. So, ultimately, who controls CEO compensation and golden parachutes?

The news is replete with recent CEO failures and their golden parachutes. Yet we never hear about successful CEOs, ones who do NOT utilize golden parachutes. Here are five successful CEOs who have not utilized golden parachutes.

• Warren Buffet (Berkshire Hathaway)
• Kenneth Chenault (American Express)
• George David (United Technologies)
• Charlie Ergen (EchoStar)
• Larry Fink (BlackRock)

You can see 25 more by visiting this site.

A recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) of 1110 boards of directors found that compensation committees should pay close attention to three factors. Eighty-three percent of respondents said directors need to (1) make sure a firm’s peer companies (those they compare their CEO pay to) are realistic. Eighty-two percent said boards need to (2) reevaluate compensation benchmarks, and 65 percent said (3) minimum stock ownership guidelines could be a suitable approach to keeping pay issues in check. Interestingly, none of these issues are directly dealt with under the Dodd-Frank legislation.

Many directors also disagree with the usefulness of investor say-on-pay votes, with 82 percent of those surveyed stating they did not believe that investors should have a ‘say on pay.’ “Directors inside a boardroom know how complex it is to structure compensation,” said Catherine Bromilow, partner in PwC’s Center for Board Governance. “In a director’s mind, it is difficult for a shareholder to understand the total elements of a CEO’s pay package.”

Please don’t misunderstand me. I have personally lost money because of failed CEOs. But, I have forfeited my right to vote for boards of directors. By doing so, I also forfeited my right to complain about the failed CEOs. So what do I personally do? I ask the current boards to be more careful when vetting potential CEOs and/or vote to have board members who selected failed CEOs replaced.

But that’s just my opinion.

One thing that I noticed is that these kids were too clean to be living in tents.  They were really friendly too.  If I had to guess, they’re not “true” occupiers, but they’re part time occupiers, or maybe just “occupier sympathizers”.  Still, it was pretty impressive that they were willing to be so cordial with Ezra (a very conservative man with a video camera).

What do you guys think?  Was it refreshing to see some kids admit that corporations aren’t “pure evil”?  It’s not as if they said they “love” corporations, but it could be a step in the right direction.  Or… do you think these kids weren’t even hardcore enough to be considered “real” occupiers, and that this (almost) pleasant exchange doesn’t even count?

Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.  Or you can tell my sister when you pick her up to take her to the movies.  You’re still doing that, right?  My sister is really looking forward to it.  Just make sure she’s home by 10, or my mom will worry.
Ok… Let us know what you think about the protestors in this video.  …and my sister, if you want to, but keep it classy.