Help Wanted-Strong Leaders

To: Topeka Capital Journal: July 26, 2009 - 12:03am
Posted by Richard L MASON at 6:58 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Congresswoman Jenkins' Town Hall Meeting



My thoughts on Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins' Town Hall Meeting last Tuesday.



I was curious to see whether or not the anger observed last summer would continue this summer.



This summer, I think it is fair to say that the audience was not as angry, yielding to more reasoned expressions on various topics.



Border control was an issue shared by many attendees. One speaker observed…”we cannot claim (or define) our borders if we cannot defend our borders”.



Our $13 trillion debt is another concern shared by most of the audience as this is about the amount of our National GDP!



One particularly interesting issue was career politicians. These folks appeared favorable to term limits. Take note politicians of both parties!



A WWII Vet told us that his generation was not happy with the world it sees today and for which they had fought. That they did not go off to fight and die in unknown places so that their children and grandchildren could go off to fight in other unknown places.



I submitted that the fruit of our WWII victory enabled us to help the world recover from its devastation and defeat Communism, and questioned the need for, and wisdom of, continuing our global military super power posture.



Having introduced myself as a Democrat Precinct Volunteer, I must offer my appreciation for the courtesy and friendliness given to me by Congresswoman Jenkins as well as the audience in general.

Posted by Richard L MASON at 11:56 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

From The Editor: Liz Cheney is no Sarah Palin



Liz Cheney Perry, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, will head the next Republican National tickets in 2012 and/or 2016.

Ms. Cheney is by any measure well qualified to run for President.



• Well educated. Law degree from University of Chicago.



• Experience. High level positions both within and outside government.



• Family. Who does not learn aspects of their parent's careers?



• Attractive and well spoken. A blonde, blue eyed Arian!



• Money.



As far as I know, she has never held an elected office, seeking instead opportunities of privilege.

Democratic candidates both now and in 2012 take heed? Study Liz Cheney. Understand her positions and develop arguments as appropriate. Liz will be issuing the talking points for talk radio and other Republican elites.



In addition to her positions, and this is perhaps most important, is HOW your arguments are presented and delivered. Learn from the best--the Republicans. Learn to breathe life into the arguments. Learn to deliver effective quick "buzz words", 10 second sound bites, or full 20 minute speeches as circumstances require. Arguments long on logic, but short on life and animation, will not work.



Brevity in speech is both good style and effective.



For all of her strengths, Liz Cheney's is vulnerable in her support of her dad's disasterous foreign policies. She supports America's attack on Iraq, even though Iraq never attacked America! This belligerent precedent may have decades of negative consequences for our country. It will certainly bolter anti American propaganda.



She, like most right wingers, refers to the progressives as elitists. This from someone whose pedigree is as elitist as it gets!



Cheney knows where Moscow is. She has served in the Middle East.



Condescending questions from an impudent journalist about Cheney's reading habits will likely be met with a volley of examples to the chagrin of that journalist.



In the 2008 race, it was fun to take pokes at Sarah Palin. Compared with Liz Cheney, Sarah Palin is low hanging fruit for political jabing. Time for the progressive pundits to reach higher!





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Posted by Richard L MASON at 6:37 PM 0 comments

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Report on the Tea Party Express bus tour in Topeka



The Tea Party Express bus tour visited Topeka Friday April 2, 2010.



Upon my arrival it was raining steadily. A couple of hundred people had assembled on the State House south lawn by 10th street, but soon the number would grow to between 400 and 500 by my estimate. Not bad, considering the weather and that no first stringers like Sarah Palin were featured for the Topeka stop.







The Tea Party Express rolls in.

GPT Photo

The Tea Party Express is the creation of its Chairman Mark Williams, an entrepreneurial tour operator out of California, self published author, and fill in radio talk show host.





Several concessionaires travel with the show. One from Springfield, MO, Michael Goodart, offered his booklets containing the Constitution with explanatory notes in the margins. The general theme of their wares had to do with voting the Democrats and “Rhino” Republicans out of office in the next mid-term election and familiar themes such as pro gun and anti abortion, low taxes, and fiscal responsibility. Others sold pre Betsy Ross flags and other memorabilia with revolutionary themes.



While waiting for the arrival of the Tea Party Express bus caravan, I spoke with several attendees paraphrased as follows.



A lady from Abilene feels that President Obama’s rhetoric is scary, reminding her of Hitler’s pre WWII speeches. He tells people what they want to hear without specifics. She asks, “How can the government expect citizens to respect the law when the government itself does not.



Another man from Shawnee asserts that the U.S. Constitution does not empower the national government to force people to buy insurance.



The lady from Blue Springs told me that over spending by our national government will crash our country. She is concerned that she might not leave to her children and grand children the same great country she has enjoyed.



A nurse told me she had earned her first car and paid for her own education without help from her parents and that she does not believe in give away programs. She is wary of the Fed taking over student loans and warns that the Fed will eventually dictate what programs students are to pursue.



Finally, as the rain subsided, the crowd cheered as the big custom painted yellow Tea Party Express busses rolled up, and the crew and speakers emerged.



Debra Shaw, Director of ResistNet’s North Central Region of ResistNet urged supporters to get personally involved at all levels, from precinct activities, local offices, as well as state and federal issues, and not to just sit by and expect someone else to do the work. Their purpose is summarized in an acronym of FLIP THIS HOUSE.



Fix size of government.



Limit taxes.



Impose term limits.



Purge Socialism.



Debra said that health insurance is regulated by State Law, not Federal, and that the Fed has no authority to require citizens to buy insurance. She got a laugh when she mentioned Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent comments about not knowing what was in the health care bill.



Diana Nagy, a pop, country, and contemporary singer, led the group with the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem and urged the crowd to “vote them out”.



Debra Lee, fouder of America's Mighty Warriors, shared with us the experience of losing her Navy Seal son (first Seal to fall in Iraq) and how a base in Iraq had been namd in his honor in recognition for his selfless galantry and sacrifice in the battle.





Debra Lee, Founder, America's Mighty Warriors



Roy Martin of Roy Martin Ministries entertained the group with an interesting “We’re taking back the country” song to the tune of New York, New York. His performance was clever and well done. His ministry serves people and families suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and sex offenses.



Mark Williams, the Chairman and operator of the Tea Party Express bus tour addressed the crowd. Wikipedia shows that Mark is a tour operator and sometime fill in radio talk show host. His speech did not reveal the vitriolic tone one might have expected such as calling Hillary Clinton the Hilda beast, or Jimmy Carter a faggot. He asserted that the purpose of the Constitution was to protect the people, and that the current administration reminded him of Marx, Lenin, or Stalin. He urged the crowd to become educated and engaged in events and to help “take America back one Tea Party at a time”.



Amy Kramer, a Tea Party Express Director, urged the crowd to vet our candidates. She offered a response to “Yes We Can” with “No You Won’t”



U.S. Congressmen Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt, candidates for the U.S. Senate Republican primary nomination, spoke a few words, none of which were very combative toward the other.



Jerry Moran said that the two governmental priorities are to defend the country and protect our freedoms and liberty for the next generation.



Todd Tiahrt defended the much recently criticized “C Street”. He is against bailouts and government taking over industry.



Joe Patton, Republican candidate for the State’s 54th district challenged the crowd to ask themselves, “…years from now when asked what did you do about working to save our country…what will you answer?...”







I believe it was Gulf Star Mom Debra Lee, founder of America’s Mighty Warriors, who began a clever chant of “In November we’ll remember.” Debra’s son was the first Navy Seal to fall in Iraq.





The group certainly supports causes often associated with the Republican Party but make no mistake, they are, in fact, independent. There are opposed to Republican “Rhinos” (I assume these to be moderates) who will incur the wrath of the Tea Party movement, the same as most Democrats, in the Fall elections.



Kansas Republican Senator Pat Robert’s 29 year congressional career escaped notice by the speakers.





Richard Mason

Reporter





Posted by Richard L MASON at 4:41 PM 0 comments

World View Comment



April 8, 2010 Comment on Morning Joe show on MSNBCTV





Mike Barnicle’s observation this morning of the “Cold War Generation” is noteworthy. Senator McCain’s world view, that the U.S. has a responsibility to provide the world’s security and continue its super power status, is that of one well indoctrinated by post WWII events. His failure in adjusting to the modern world might be attributable the fact that he was a POW in 1968, a year that “Changed the World” according to Time.



President Obama’s world view seems to emphasize diplomatic solutions to global conflicts. Never the less, while the President’s view is more enlightened our basic, and very expensive, post WWII military posture remains.



The Cold War was characterized by two enormously successful Truman Doctrine initiatives.



1) The carrot-economic assistance to recover from WWII devastation.



2.) The stick-contain Communism.



Virtually all countries have now recovered from WWII devastation, and Communism was contained. So why does our very expensive post WWII military posture remain?



I am not suggesting a return to pre WWII isolationism. My concern is about the balance and proportion of our foreign and military policy.



Did those brave Americans who fell in the World Wars, Korea, and Viet Nam, sacrifice so much so that their children and grandchildren might continue to make the same sacrifices? I think not. Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara (a WWII veteran) agreed with me in comments he made during a Charlie Rose interview.

Posted by Richard L MASON at 3:23 PM 0 comments

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Help Wanted-Strong Leaders

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Republicans-No Original Thinking

Congresswoman Jenkins' Town Hall Meeting

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From The Editor: Liz Cheney is no Sarah Palin

Report on the Tea Party Express bus tour in Topeka...

World View Comment

About Me



Richard L MASON

Topeka, Kansas, United States

BS Degree Southern Illinois University. U.S. Marines 4 years. Past President Traffic Club Lincoln, NE Charter President Delta Nu Alpha transportation club Lincoln, NE, Past President Topeka, KS Transportation Club. Winner numerous sales and operations awards with Yellow Freight System. Retired trucking executive.

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August 23, 2010 - 8:12pm  My letter to Topeka Capital Journal.


New story, same old self-righteous intolerance.

California's Proposition 8, the law prohibiting same sex marriage, was struck down by a federal judge last week on grounds it violated the 14th Amendment's guarantees of due process and equal treatment under law.

Hooray! A win for the good guys. A win for the Constitution. A win for love and the pursuit of happiness.

A loss for intolerance and ignorance.