Egomaniac, Socialist Senator Robert Byrd dies

Senator Robert Byrd died yesterday at 92 years old.

He was an egomaniac who abused his position of power for five decades.

Shockingly, the voters in West Virginia kept returning him to power.

His death made me think of this quote from history...

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.

Alexis de Tocqueville

And that is what Byrd did best.... bribing the voters with other peoples money.

Byrd abused his seniority in Congress to steer record amounts of Government money to the citizens of his generally poor State of West Virginia. His abuses were so outrageous, that the Coast Guard was given branch offices in West Virginia... even though the State is landlocked!

Byrd was also an unrepentant egomaniac who had no qualms about naming everything after himself.

There are literally hundreds of roads, school, bridges, libraries, and government offices named specifically after Robert Byrd.

There are other countries in the world where leaders name everything after themselves... Libya, Cuba, North Korea, Iraq...but they are generally not places that you would want to live.

None of them make the Fortune magazine list of "Most Desirable Places To Live".

Robert Byrd was the opposite of the type of leader our founding fathers wanted for our country.

He was a corrupt bureaucrat who wielded the government position he held like a sledgehammer.

He used his power to reward loyalists and to punish opponents.

To his voters in West Virginia, he was just like a Communist dictator.

Oppose him, and he could cut off the mothers milk of government money.

He ended up making West Virginians fearful, and servile to his demands, and long-term dependents on a Nanny-state government.

Democrats will spend the next few days with speeches and lengthy tributes, but almost all of them will overlook the inconvenient fact that Robert Byrd had long ago been a member of the Ku Klux Klan and had opposed Civil Rights legislation in the 1960's.

I take no pleasure in his death, in fact I feel badly for his friends and family. It is a sad moment for them.

However, I am pleased that Robert Byrd will no longer be abusing taxpayer funds to build monuments to himself. Byrd was the reason that Congress had to come up with a special legislative effort titled "No Monuments To Me."

When Congress has to take special measures to counteract you personally, you are failing your duties as a public servant.

A Strong New Candidate for 2012

While most of the talk about 2012 has focused on the Republican options to take down Barack Obama, there has been very little press given to options that are not as well known.

Sure, anyone and everyone can cover Sarah Palin, or Mitt Romney... as they are the top 2 favorites heading into 2012.

But there is a strong possibility that the candidate who defeats Obama will be someone who is not well known right now. Could it be Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin? Or Governor Rick Perry of Texas?

One of my most interesting moments at CPAC 2010 was when a friend of mine literally dragged me down the hall to see Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana. I didn't know much about Pence before this, but I quickly realized that he has the potential for greatness in him.

I know most of you don't have time to watch this speech, but Pence has some great lines.

"You proved Thomas Jefferson right... "the people are the ultimate guardians of their own liberty"

"When it comes to more borrowing, the answer is no!

When it comes to more spending, the answer is no!

When it comes to more bailouts, the answer is no!"

"There is nothing that ails this country that couldn't be fixed by paying more careful attention to the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America."

"To win back America, we have to offer the American people real solutions to the challenges facing this country at home and abroad."

I came away from this speech very convinced that Pence is a player in 2012 and that he has what it takes.

There are only about 10 people who can be the next President...one is Barack Obama and the other 9 are the top Republicans running for the GOP nomination.

Pence should be near the top of that list.

I would be proud to have a man like this be our next President.

My comment to Jill Stewart

If you haven't seen it yet, crusader Jill Stewart does good job of breaking down Mayor Villaraigosas ticket scandal in her new piece at LA Weekly.

Here is my comment to her in the comments section:

Jill Stewart,

The title of the article is incorrect. The free tickets end up being worth millions in special treatment for the people who give them to the Mayor.

Lakers, Dodgers, AIG, etc...

They all get special breaks and favors when it comes to financial transactions between them and the City.

Los Angeles is one of the most corrupt cities in America because of the one-party rule in our City Council. Villaraigosa is totally corrupt -- morally AND ethically. There is nothing he won't do to benefit himself.

His behavior in his personal life speaks volumes.

Phil Jennerjahn

Michael Jackson : Not "The Greatest"

Tomorrow will be a sad anniversary for pop music fans. It will be one year since the death of music superstar Michael Jackson.

I was actually working that day and was in the area, so I drove by 100 Carolwood to see what was up. It was only 2 hours or so since they had announced his death, and police had sealed off the street, there were media vehicles out in front of his house, and there were news helicopters hovering overhead.

Of course, there were countless accolades piled on the man who revolutionized the recording industry by taking it to heights it hadn't seen before. Some even went so far as to call him the "Greatest Entertainer of All Time".

Although I liked Michael Jackson and enjoyed his music, I think that title would be incorrect.

The Beatles and Elvis Presley sold more records than Michael Jackson did.

Michael had the highest selling single album of all time, Thriller, but he didn't beat these others in overall totals. Elvis still sells a decent amount of records even though he has been dead for 33 years. In comparison, will buyers still be purchasing Michael Jacksons music in 2042? Maybe. Only time will tell.

When discussing the rankings of the greatest entertainers of all time... and certainly the Beatles and Elvis Presley would be in the top 10, one has to consider the depth of the persons talent.

There are 10 people in the world, including Mel Brooks and Barbara Streisand, who have won an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Tony and a Grammy. To me, this displays a diverse range of talent in many areas.

Even singer/actress Cher sold millions of records and still won an Oscar for her acting. Michael Jackson was a talented singer and dancer, but he wasn't ever going to win Oscars or Emmys for his acting.

In these rankings, I think you have to consider non-traditional people also.

Muhammad Ali was a boxer, but what he really did was entertain people with his skills.

Same thing with Tiger Woods, or Tom Brady, or Kobe Bryant.

They entertain people with their talent.

With that line of reasoning established, I think for my money I have to state that the greatest entertainer of all time is probably movie director Steven Spielberg. Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Close Encounters, Saving Private Ryan, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Is there a movie on that list that you haven't seen? If you are like most people, you have spent over 20 hours of your life being entertained by the talented vision of Steven Spielberg.

The box office totals for his movies surpasses $8 Billion dollars, dwarfing anything the music industry can produce on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

I think there are more homes around the world that have a Steven Spielberg movie on DVD in their house than there are homes with Michael Jackson records.

"Ticketgate" starting to gain traction

Of all the things that I thought might ever take down our crook of a Mayor, the least thing I was ever concerned about was the little freebies he gets as Mayor.

Free concert tickets, sporting events, Oscars, Grammys...etc.

No, I was more concerned about devastating things like DWP rates hikes, hidden taxes, and Socialistic City policies that destroy jobs and the economy.

However, it seems as though Antonio Villaraigosas technical infractions of the law might be the thing that takes him down. I've always said that I want to see him in jail. I think the CRA and LACERS scandals are more than enough to warrant jail time for Villaraigosa.

But a free ticket scandal?

Well ... it wasn't how I planned it, but I'll take it.

Anything to remove him from power.

We are living in dangerous times

When a thug like President Obama can demand $20 billion from British Petroleum without any due process of law.....

When the Socialist Democrats in the U.S. Congress vote that YOU have to buy a health care plan ... but it will be the type of plan they will not submit themselves to....

When an arrogant Los Angeles City Council feels that they have the right to meddle in the interior politics of another State......

When an incompetent LAUSD decides that educating children in Los Angeles needs to become a secondary issue to their joining in on meddling in Arizona politics .....

We are not far from the brink.

We are living in dangerous times.

President Zero to lose Congress in November

Over 60 days into the BP oil spill and President Zero has done nothing to stop it.

A lot of whining and complaining, but no action.

He's turning out to be worse than Jimmy Carter.

Maybe the media will start a running clock on every newscast saying "68 days since the spill and no answers from the White House". It will be just like the Iranian hostage situation all over again.

Good news for Conservatives! President Zero is going to cause an election night rout in November.

Nancy Pelosi will lose her job as Speaker and "Dingy" Harry Reid will be voted out of office.

LAPD surprised by minimal rioting as Lakers win title

Yeah, that's right. Expectations are that low here in Los Angeles.

Read all about it ... here.

Wonder if Mayor Tony V. will try to sneak on Kobe Bryants parade vehicle and attempt to bogart his public goodwill like he did last year? Stay tuned.....

Alarcon gives voters the middle finger

Today is the day that a group of hysterically shrieking NIMBYs (including Joe Barrett) will descend upon room 350 of Los Angeles City Hall to try and stop criminal mastermind Richard Alarcon in his latest devious scheme. Alarcon wants to turn a country-like area in the City called "Lopez Canyon" into a payola goldmine for his political supporters and today he will vote to allow them to build a truck driving school and to continue to feed at the public trough of tax dollars.

Alarcon is a career criminal, and has been doing this type of thing for a long time. The payoffs have been made, the votes have been counted in advance, and it seems highly unlikely that residents in that area will be able to do anything about it. They will try, but like most things in Los Angeles, fighting the corruption in City Hall doesn't seem to work out so well. Maybe Mayor Sam blogger Petra Fried can write another ten page opus about how Alarcon screwed everyone. (Big surprise there...)

Residents in Alarcons Seventh Council District have no one to blame but themselves.

There are 90,000 registered voters in the 7th District. If even 10% of them had gotten off their asses to vote for someone else, Alarcon wouldn't even be in power right now.

But they didn't do that, because they are dumb.

They had a chance to vote him out in 2007 and another chance in 2009.

Now they are going to pay the price.

It's like the ancient fable about the scorpion and the frog.

You knew what Alarcon was like when you voted for him.

Elections have consequences, and now voters in the 7th District have to pay the price for their terrible decisions.

Career criminal Alarcon will continue to do what he does best.

Packing City positions with incompetent, unqualified supporters.... including his own children.

Cutting backroom deals for megabucks that have nothing to do with common sense or City progress, but have everything to do with making Richard Alarcon and his supporters filthy rich at taxpayers expense.

He's the worst our City has to offer. He should be in jail, not in City Council.

But today, he will be giving the big middle finger salute to the citizens who voted him into power.

And he'll probably be laughing about it.

Recall effort to aggressively pursue Arizona

RecallCityHall.org has developed plans to aggressively seek influence from Arizona citizens for the Recall of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The Recall is crafting press releases to distribute in Arizona, along with a campaign of calling in to popular radio stations.

The facts of the situation are very clear.

Mayor Villaraigosa has no support. Less than 10% of voters went to the polls to vote for him in March 2009.

And that is after 4 years of his "stellar" leadership, which led Los Angeles into a 400 million dollar budget deficit.

RecallCityHall.org has developed a plan to do a direct mail campaign and to get hundreds of thousands of Recall Petitions into the hands of registered voters at their homes. This will cost around $200,000 to $300,000 to achieve.

The losses from the City Council boycott are estimated to cost Arizona about 26 million dollars in the future.

For about 1% of that money, we can launch a Recall effort that would remove most of these crooked politicians from their jobs.

Mosque at WTC site = McVeigh part 2

I am one of those Americans who is loudly saying "No" to the concept of building a Mosque at the former site of the World Trade Center in New York City. Even though the planned new Mosque is not being built directly on top of the former site --- it is planned for two blocks away -- it is still close enough to rile the sensibilities of the families of those who died there at the hands of Muslim fanatics on September 11, 2001.

As a Conservative, I always support freedom. Even though I am not a fan of Islam, I respect the rights and freedoms of others to practice this religion if they so desire. However, freedom to worship this religion doesn't mean they have the freedom to infringe on the rights of others.

I have been in Muslim countries, and I can tell you that the 5-times-daily call to prayer that blasts out from their minarets is somewhat annoying, and would not be allowed here in America because it interferes with the rights of others. When I was in Turkey and in Israel, I found the 4:30 a.m. call the most annoying. Most people are still in bed at that time. Of course, in Muslim countries, they don't have democracy -- so infringing on the rights of the individual is something that doesn't even enter their minds.

I'm not saying they can't worship Islam, even though I find that religion offensive.

I'm not saying they can't build a Mosque somewhere in New York City.

I just think a Mosque at the former WTC site is a bad idea.

Doesn't anyone remember Timothy McVeigh? The guy who blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City?

I think a Mosque at the WTC site might provoke another Timothy McVeigh.

You never want to make plans based on the fear of something, however in this situation I think a compromise might be the best idea.

Too many people are offended by the idea, and too many family members are still suffering from the pain of losing loved ones on 9/11. A Mosque at the WTC site would be a provocation. A slap in the face.

Build it somewhere else.

Welcome to the Big 10!

As a Wisconsin Alumni, I would like to welcome the Nebraska Cornhuskers to the Big Ten Conference.

I think the decision was a great one for both parties.

Instead of traveling to small towns like Stillwater, Oklahoma and Lawrence, Kansas -- the Nebraska Cornhusker supporters will now visit major cities for their football.

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Madison, Wisconsin. Columbus, Ohio. Chicago, Illinois.

Nebraska supporters travel well, and this will give them exposure to a whole new circuit of college football stadiums across the Midwest. I can only imagine the excitement the first time that Nebraska comes to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Or the first trip to "The Big House" in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

I think Nebraskas first trip to "The Horseshoe" in Columbus, Ohio will be a very tough ticket to obtain.

And that is not even to mention all these majors schools traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to visit Memorial Stadium. Great experiences for everyone.

The Big Ten conference is having its decision schedule accelerated because of the Pac 10 Conference threatening to swallow up half of the Big 12 and become the first 16 team "Super Conference" that many in the media have been discussing.

The Big Ten will probably invite several other schools in the next few months.

The Big Ten has always wanted Notre Dame because their national following in football makes them a cable television draw for the Big Ten Network. The massive income from the Big Ten Network is what accelerated all these moves in the college football world.

Colorado left the Big 12 for the Pac 10... a much better Conference.

My preference would be to see the Big 10 invite Missouri, Kansas, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and and my own unusual choice... Boston College.

Most media is obsessed with talking about Rutgers, but there is nothing I like about Rutgers.

New York market? Eh. Rutgers is in New Jersey and there are more Notre Dame fans in New York than there are Rutgers fans.

West Virginia is another choice, but I don't think their academics are up to the Big Tens standards.

I could see the Big Ten at 18 or 20 teams, with two divisions and a Championship game.

However, the Big Ten tends to move slowly and methodically.

They might only add one or two teams by next year.

Jennerjahn for City Council - District 4

Today I am announcing my intentions to seek the City Council seat in District 4. The seat is currently held by City Council Member Tom La Bonge.

I do not underestimate his skills as a politician.

I have been at local events where Mr. La Bonge has spoken.

I have seen him turn a somewhat hostile crowd into a passive, subdued, and sympathetic one.

There is a reason he has been hanging around at City Hall for 20 years in one capacity or another.

Unlike some of the other Council Members, I do not dislike him personally.

He is a friendly and gregarious man. He works well in crowds.

When I ran for Mayor in 2009, he actually gave me five minutes of time to listen to my views.

While I appreciate his abilities, I am not without criticism.

I consider him to be the "Al Bundy" of local politics.

He spends far too much time talking about his glory days as a football player at Marshall High School.

That time would be better spent fixing the City.

Instead, he votes right along with the other Big Government Socialists on the City Council for spending program after spending program. Eventually, they have come to put this City in dire jeopardy of bankruptcy.

Mr. La Bonge, like several other Council Members, is facing term limits after this election.

I fear that the City Council Members, if given four more years with no repercussions from voters, would embark on a path that would make their current level of destruction look amateurish by comparison.

Someone has to stop them.

I'm hoping the voters will choose me for the job.

Recall City Hall .Org Progress Report

Spent the night delivering hundreds of Recall business cards out in the Valley. We had a meeting with people who want to work as fundraisers. Set up a plan to contact hundreds of businesses in Arizona and asking them to donate to oust the Mayor.

Developing the budget for the bulk mail program to get the petitions into the hands of hundreds of thousands of voters. Also planning on going on local media some more to talk about the Recall.

We also came up with a concept that is far bigger than the Recall, but not sharing those details until after the Recall campaign is finished. This new concept extends outside of Los Angeles.

Election Night Catastrophe!!

It went far worse than I could ever have imagined. I'm going to lose my election. Not all the precincts are in, but James Andion has 50% of the vote through 75% of the precincts, so he pretty much has it won. I'm a thousand votes behind. I don't think I can catch up.

I guess the voters prefer a guy who doesn't live in this district. That's fine.

I'm sure he'll take the same amount of time off his job as an attorney (zero ) to campaign as he did for this one.

Andion will get an ass kicking from Karen Bass in the fall.

Almost all the great Conservatives I was supporting got wiped out. Whitman blew Poizner and Naritelli away. Fiorina trashed Chuck DeVore. Even that traitor Abel Maldonado is going to be rewarded for the big tax hikes with a run for Lt. Governor.

I walked into the Anaheim Hilton thinking I would be seeing some Chuck DeVore supporters.... no.

I see Carly Fiorina supporters dancing onstage. Celebrating.

I felt sick. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.

I didn't stick around long.

I said hello to Alexia Deligianni, who was very depressed because she was losing her election for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

One upside of this election is that I don't have to spend the next five months of my life talking about Karen Bass. Too bad, because I had some good strategies worked out.

I can concentrate my time and efforts on the Recall and other things now.

Election Day in California

I hope to be celebrating a victory at the Republican Party get-together in Anaheim tonight.

Hours left until election day.

I am prepared for my results either way.

Hoping for the best. I feel I have made a strong case to the voters.

Also rooting for Chuck DeVore to win the US Senate primary.

And for my friend David Hernandez to get a Central Committee seat.

David Hernandez takes Recall message to Arizona

A defiant David Hernandez -- offended by recent City and County actions to boycott Arizona for enforcing immigration laws -- decided to take things up a notch.

Hernandez, one of the leaders of Recall City Hall.org, was eager to share information with Arizona patriots that not everyone in Los Angeles agrees with the Socialist/Communist-leaning City and County leaders.

Hernandez appeared onstage at the "Phoenix Rising" rally on Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona.

Hernandez was happy to display to the crowd the Los Angeles County flag, which carries the original County seal. Hernandez is well known as a local political activist who sued the County for removing the religious cross symbols from their official emblem.

Hernandez added at the rally "We are a nation that is ruled by laws, not by men!"

Check back for breaking details.

Relaxed and confident, Jennerjahn golfs on Sunday

U.S. Congressional candidate Phil Jennerjahn was feeling relaxed and confident today about his chances for victory in the primary election to be held on Tuesday, June 8th.

In fact, he was feeling so good about his campaign that he decided to go golfing at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena, California.

Jennerjahn believes that he has done what is necessary to achieve a resounding victory on Tuesday.

He knows his detractors and critics will make comments about his not focusing on the Recall or the election.

Jennerjahn assures them that a mail campaign for the Recall is about to hit over 400 businesses with petitions.

No on 14, 15, 16, 17 and Measure E

I'm voting no on all these measures for the following reasons.

"No" on 14 because it is a typical unproven idea.

14 could also lead to smaller political parties being eliminated from competition.

Elections could end up Democrat vs. Democrat... basically no choice at all.

With smaller political parties never making a final ballot, many of them would have no reason to exist.

"No" on 15

Public financing of campaigns could lead to an avalanche of unqualified candidates who are only jumping into an election to get their hands on public money. Bad idea. Bad, bad idea.

If you think you are worthwhile...get your own money to run for office.

Limiting spending is a limit on freedom. It is basically Communism, which is what the left really wants anyway.

No, thank you.

"No" on 16

I don't like the idea of governments injecting themselves into unnecessary situations, but I also don't like the idea that PG&E is the one spending all the money to promote this. Their benefit? It eliminates competition, allowing them to drive rates higher and make bigger profits. If small local governments elect people who unnecessarily get them involved in power projects, they can vote those politicians out and cancel projects.

Like most propositions, it is unnecessary.

We already have Constitutional limits on government power.

These limits are not followed because we have Socialist legislators in office.

"No" on 17

I also don't like the fact that Mercury insurance is selling their position on this as a way for voters to save money. It is also a way for them to crank up the rates on people who don't have an insurance history.

If they are paying to promote it, there is a huge benefit to them somewhere.

More government interference in the marketplace... which always makes things go sour.

No on Measure E

The LAUSD gets disastrous results with the money they already get. 50% graduation rates?

No, thank you.

Throwing more money at them will only lead to more money being wasted.

They have already shown that they produce an expensive, yet low-quality product.

James Andion sells out

Well, it looks like one of my opponents in the upcoming primary is a total sellout.

A morally "squishy" individual who will help support the enemies of GOP causes.

James Andion paid to get an "endorsement" from one of these cheap fly-by-night political hack mailer companies. Here is the proof in the photo above.

A bizarre mailer in which it says for Attorney General and US Senator "no endorsement".

Really?

That usually means that the mailing company was too low-rent and disreputable to get a check from the big players.

Vote for Abel Maldonado? He's the tax raising traitor who earned a payoff job as Lt. Gov. from Schwarzenegger. He should be in jail, not in Sacramento.

Many Republicans have openly denounced him and are widely supporting his opponents.

And to top it off, this mailer asks voters to support and vote for Propositions 14 and 15 !!

These propositions are so bad that the State Republican Party has expressly urged Republican voters to vote against these horrible measures.

Prop 14 is the nightmare scenario for Republicans, a proposition that would keep many Republican candidates off of a final election day ballot. It would be insane for a party loyalist to support this proposition.

Looks like James Andion didn't get that memo.

He'll put his name on anything, I guess.

Memo to James Andion:

Don't carpetbag into my District with that weak game of yours.

If you can put your name on documents recommending policies that are the antithesis of Conservative ideology, and that directly contravene State Party policy on the issues, then you are not the right candidate for the 33rd.

Most of the votes are going to be absentee ballots, and they voted days and weeks ago.

In my opinion, you are a sellout. Voters can read, and will not be fooled.

I will defeat you on Tuesday.

Meg Whitman

On June 8th I am going to walk down to my polling place and vote in the primaries.

I am going to give Meg Whitman the exact same level of support that she gave to all the other Republican candidates who ran for office here in California over the last 28 years.

I won't be making a mark next to her name.

The way I figure it, she has earned it.

Raising money for the Recall, Hernandez heads to Arizona

For those of you who read this blog, please consider going to the website RecallCityHall.org and donating money to the cause. We have to raise more money to be successful.

We have hundreds of returned petitions and thousands of signatures, but it is not enough.

We need 240,000 qualified signatures to get city-destroying incompetent Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on a Recall ballot for November 2010.

Right now, we are finalizing details for a direct mail campaign. We are going to mail the Recall petitions, along with an instructional letter and a return envelope, to thousands of voter households here in Los Angeles.

Bulk Mail permits and rates can get our numbers for postage more reasonable and clearly within the realm of possibility. If we can raise $50,000 , then we can mail out our Recall package to about 200,000 voting households. From those households, we expect returned petitions and their own donations to fund another wave of the mailings to registered voters. Ideally, we want to send a Recall petition to every single registered voter in Los Angeles. I think this is a goal that can be accomplished. We just need more money.

If we can mail a petition to every voter, the Mayor doesn't have a prayer of avoiding the Recall.

We have already had some generous donors, and I'll be spending the majority of this week raising money from various sources. I'm even going to go to the City union leaders and ask them to at least share their mailing list.

David Hernandez is headed to Arizona this week to meet with J.D. Hayworth. David is going to ask Hayworth to spread the message to his followers, who are strongly pro-SB1070. I sent a message to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to encourage her to tell her citizens to donate to our cause. I'm not sure she will help, but she put a post on Facebook last night telling people to complain to L.A. City leaders about their nonsensical boycott of Arizona. I told her...forget the phone calls...get us some money and we will kick these fools right out of office. I'm going to start calling Arizona radio stations and contacting their newspapers.

If we get the money, the Mayor and all the Council members are in big trouble.

Many voters here don't particularly care for their "philosopher king" attitudes.

While the City is getting crushed by a budget crisis, they take valuable time to stick their big fat noses into the business of a sovereign State.

We need far fewer "philosopher kings" like this in our City government.

If we raise the money...there are going to be several job losses at City Hall.

The Spring Street 15 is one gang that needs to get put out of business.