Just about the time Grandma P and I were planning to leave on vacation, (Grandpa T’s Rule Number 3 – Retiring is tiring!) someone else stepped up to trample all over the concept of common sense. Egads and gadzooks! Don’t these people realize that is the reason I write this blog?
James George Janos
One recent violator of the common sense belief is none other than James George Janos. James has taken it upon himself to criticize the late Chris Kyle of American Sniper fame by saying, “You can’t have honor if you’re a liar.” He has gone on to say that he will never watch the movie American Sniper, as he calls it war propaganda. Apparently, James George Janos has never lied in his life, so that should make him the ‘paragon of truth.’
But wait. You don’t know who James George Janos is? I am shocked! After all, he now goes by the name of Jessie (The Body) Ventura. Now do you know about whom I’m speaking?
Yes, the man who successfully sued and won a libel case against the widow and estate of the late Chris Kyle, has said publicly that Chris Kyle is no hero. That is quite an accusation coming from a man who has lived most of his life using an alias. Isn’t an alias really a lie about who you really are?
Jessie has had quite a career. He was a member of a Navy Seal Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) during the time of the Vietnam war, thus his association with Chris Kyle and the Seals. After that, he did some acting. Of course, he made most of his fame and fortune as a wrestler. Now there is a profession worth discussing. Professional wrestling, a profession that rings with thoughts of honesty and integrity. I’ve always wondered how there could be about a dozen ‘world titles’ at any one time. I’ve always wondered how someone could take an elbow to the throat, get their head pile-driven into the mat, get hit over the head with a chair and still come back to win the match! It all had to be real, right?
After his wrestling days were over, Jessie ran as an Independent and was elected Governor for the state of Minnesota in 1998. He was elected primarily because the electorate was tired of the gridlock of the traditional two party system. He was also elected because, during three pre-election debates, he outshined his two ‘party entrenched’ opponents by offering, and I can’t believe I am writing this, common sense solutions to problems presented at the debates. His answers were much of what the average voter wanted to hear, as they were devoid of the normal political line. He struck a clear chord for personal responsibility.
So, after a stunning upset in that election, James, oops, Jessie Ventura was now Governor of Minnesota. And……….within weeks of being elected, with the voter exuberance and expectations at fever pitch, James, err, Jessie did what Jessie did best…….he once again became a ‘rassler’. He, as Governor, refereed a WWF title match in Minneapolis for a reported $1 million! He received much publicity as a result of his ‘photo ops’ with Vince McMahon and with two Amazon ‘rassler’ women. He took a job as a color commentator for the now defunct Extreme Football League (XFL) while he was in office! He told the press that his job as Governor was a Monday to Friday job, and what he did on the weekend was his business. He did not run for re-election. That was an excellent decision, considering his approval ratings were lower than the temperature in Minnesota on a January morning.
So now, James, the class act that he is, has said that the late Chris Kyle is no hero. Let me be perfectly clear to all of the Chris Kyle critics. Chris Kyle volunteered to become a Navy Seal. He then became a sniper, and from all military accounts, he was a very, very good sniper. He was trained and tasked to do a job….. a very necessary, oftentimes gruesome job. What was that job? He was to protect American soldiers and Marines from getting killed. Let me put this in simple terms, so it is easier to comprehend. Without Chris Kyle (or any other sniper), more letters from the Department of Defense would be notifying parents/spouses of the loss of their loved ones. Argue the politics about being in Iraq all you want, but never, ever be so small-minded and petty as to criticize those who are willing to serve. James, er, Jessie’s whole life has been fabricated, including his name; and yet, knowing no limits, he has the audacity to call the deceased Chris Kyle a liar. That ‘rassler” sure has balls, if not brains.
Benghazi
There has been a House of Representatives special committee appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Benghazi attack that resulted in the death of the US Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. This committee is being chaired by Representative Try Gowdy (R-SC). Mr. Gowdy has promised to ‘ratchet up’ this investigation. This 12-member panel was created last May.
Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the panel’s senior Democrat, complained that the committee’s investigation was moving at a ‘glacial’ pace and said that he and other Democrats, “have grave concerns about the partisan path this committee has taken over the past year.”
The Democrats are already crying foul and are accusing the committee of being involved with ‘partisan politics’. In other words, it is apparently a partisan ‘witch hunt’ if any Democrat’s reputation is being besmirched. How could this not be the case? Common sense tells me that if the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the President are all Democrats with a Congress that was Democratically controlled at the time of the incident (9/11/2012), then most likely any indication of malfeasance would fall on the shoulders of some Democrat. No foolin’?
The committee has been moving at a snail’s pace because of the lack of cooperation from the State Department, under the leadership of Hilary Clinton at the time, and from other agencies. One of those agencies is the CIA. It appears that Mrs. Clinton has now agreed to appear before this committee. No doubt this change in attitude has arisen because of her presidential aspirations.
Common sense tells me that the Democrats can create smoke screens, scream ‘partisan politics’, and stonewall the investigation until the cows come home. However, most likely a Democrat will be at fault for this fiasco if malfeasance is determined because they were the party totally in power at the time. Personally, I want to know if the rumor about the military launching a rescue operation, only to have it called back by a ‘high office’ is true. So much for protecting the Americans (soldiers/marines/ambassador) on the ground! Someone in power needed a dose of the ‘sniper mentality’ that Chris Kyle possessed in supporting his people on the ground.
Lois Lerner
I, like most Americans, would like a well-oiled, accountable, functioning federal government. I would like to see both political parties make a bipartisan effort to work together to legislate what is best for both America and for Americans.
Having said that, I want a partisan, conservative, Grandpa T-endorsed ‘witch hunt’ to take place concerning Lois Lerner and her use of the IRS prior to the 2010 midterm elections. This woman, as head of the IRS, used her office to stifle the political process by stonewalling the creation of conservative groups opposed to her and the government’s liberal agenda. In particular, they targeted the Tea Party movement.
Let me be clear. I have never attended a Tea Party seminar, meeting, beer party or any other event that they held. (Though I have had tea once at Harrod’s in London, but I digress.) I have never researched what they really represented. What I take a very strong exception to, is that a governmental agency would deliberately impose its power to stifle the political process in our country. Don’t these yahoos work for us? Are they not being paid by our taxes?
The plot has thickened concerning this obvious abuse of power since it occurred. Ms. Lerner resigned her position. She has been called before investigative committees and, as a former government employee, pleaded the 5th amendment to very direct questioning. Really? Someone on the government payroll (and now retirement payroll!) is able to plead the 5th amendment about her duties while serving the people?
During these investigations, emails and other documentation were requested. These requests were greeted with the response that all of this material has been ‘deleted’ and is therefore unavailable. Well guess what?! Through the miracle of modern technology and the help of a bunch of independent ‘computer nerds,’ these deleted documents have now become available!
And guess what those ‘unavailable’ documents indicate? The recovered emails Lois Lerner attempted to delete – those concerning the allegations against the IRS and their supposed targeting of conservative groups – show that the Department of Justice was helping the IRS! Great! We have a frickin’ conspiracy between the IRS and the Election Crime Division of the Department of Justice! There are over 800 pages of documents concerning Lerner’s visits with the DOJ just prior to the 2010 midterm elections, and the DOJ is refusing to provide those documents! Some documents were recovered, which show that Lerner had discussed the possibility of prosecuting tax-exempt entities with the assistance of the DOJ. Lerner provided the DOJ with a 1.1 million-page database of information from tax exempt organizations.
The plot thickens further. There is an independent organization called Judicial Watch. The president of Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton, said it is outrageous that the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, which is supposed to be investigating such abuses of power and authority, was shown to be involved in the IRS scandal as well. Holy crap! Isn’t the DOJ under the auspices of the Attorney General? That would be Eric Holder.
So here is my common sense inquiry. Why are Lois Lerner and possibly Eric Holder walking the streets, collecting government salaries and retirements? Holder wants to step down as soon as a replacement can be confirmed. I can see why. I see a deliberate abuse of power like no other during my lifetime. Isn’t that treason?
Common sense tells me that some prison time might be appropriate, but then again, the Democrats would just scream ‘partisan politics’.
Yeah, with all this going on, Grandma P and I are determined to have a good time on vacation. Rest assured, I will make a valiant effort at having fun. First thing – shut off the TV.