You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Ryan’s Republican Budget’ category.
Tonight opens the Republican Convention in Cleveland… The agenda for the convention is as follows…
Before you read through this, I would like you to keep something in mind I once saw on Mom blog somewhere deep back in my past….
It described an elementary school concert….
It described the wincing over sour notes, awkward silences, and unplayed stanzas…. it describes the torture taking place inside, as you felt embarrassment over all the miscues. It described the cacophony of instruments almost going off on their own.
Then at some point you realize: these musicians are only 8 years old… they don’t know how bad they are, they are just learning everything about music and bravely, they are attempting their first concert in public…
At that realization, one relaxes. Realizing it wasn’t supposed to be something worthy of recording but was instead, something far greater; we were seeing the unadulterated love of music or more so, the seeds to a future love of music being sown… And then, sitting back , the wincing stopped, and you could capture their spirit, and actually begin to enjoy the music…….
I was reminded of that while reading the below agenda for the next 4 days… These are amateurs we will be watching. It will be their first time pulling something like this off and of course there will be miscues. But look instead at the spirit of America, the spirit of politics, and realized there is something uniquely American in our political process that drives us forward, even as amateurs. It is driven by a love of country… Those are trying their best up there…Bashing them for any mistakes is like bashing an 8 year old for playing his violin….
Enjoy the mistakes; but realize they are just learning and don’t drag their miscues through the dirt as they go onward.. Like little children, they are doing the best they can and it is not easy to run a convention without any experience…..
I will hereby turn you over to their concert program:
Monday: Make America Safe Again
From attacks on our own soil and overseas to the tragedy in Benghazi, the policies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have left us vulnerable. Our immigration system is broken, leaving our country open to security threats and the negative consequences of illegal immigration. A Donald Trump administration will listen to and learn from our nation’s heroes who have put themselves in harm’s way and pursue a national security strategy and foreign policy that will strengthen our military and make America safe again.
Prime-Time Speakers
Please note: The speakers below are part of the prime-time program, which will follow Monday afternoon’s Convention Business Session.
Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander, star of Duck Dynasty
The star of A&E’s hit series Duck Dynasty, Willie Robertson, is the CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander, a New York Times bestselling author, traveling speaker, father of five, and an avid outdoorsman.
Governor Rick Perry, Former Governor of Texas
A fifth-generation Texan, Perry grew up in Haskell County. His parents were cotton farmers, and Perry was among the first in his family to attend college. Perry served as Texas’ lieutenant governor from 1999 to 2000. In 2000, he was elected governor and remains the longest-serving governor in Texas history.
Marcus Luttrell, U.S. Navy SEAL
Marcus Luttrell is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL and author of the book Lone Survivor, in which he tells the harrowing tale of a fierce battle in eastern Afghanistan in 2005. Since returning from war, Luttrell has started the Lone Survivor Foundation and become involved with The Boot Campaign. He also has written a second book, Service, which honors and praises all members of the military.
Scott Baio, Actor and Television Producer
Scott Baio is an actor and television producer. He landed his first starring role in the 1976 movie Bugsy Malone and is known for portraying memorable characters on several hit television shows, including Happy Days, Joanie Loves Chachi, and Charles In Charge. More recently, he has appeared in the Emmy Award-winning show Arrested Development and the Nick at Nite comedy See Dad Run, which he also produces. When he was young, Baio campaigned for Ronald Reagan, and in the 2016 GOP primary, he endorsed presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
Pat Smith, Mother of Benghazi victim, Sean Smith
Patricia (Pat) Smith is the mother of Sean Smith, who was killed during the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. Ever since that night, Smith has sought to learn the truth behind the events that led to the death of four Americans, including her only child.
Mark Geist, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Fought in Battle of Benghazi
Mark “Oz” Geist was a member of the Annex Security Team that fought the Battle of Benghazi in Libya from September 11 to September 12, 2012. A Colorado native, Geist joined the United States Marine Corps in 1984 and served for 12 years.
John Tiegen, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Fought in Battle of Benghazi
John “Tig” Tiegen was a member of the Annex Security Team that fought during the attack in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. He is responsible for saving many lives and has been recognized for his bravery. He has since co-authored the New York Times best-selling book 13 Hours, the harrowing tale of what really happened in Benghazi.
Kent Terry and Kelly Terry-Willis, The Brian Terry Foundation
Brian Terry was a Border Patrol agent who died tragically while protecting our nation’s border with Mexico. His death was a result of Operation Fast and Furious, a gun-walking operation gone wrong that put assault weapons into the hands of Mexican narco-terrorists. Kent Terry and Kelly Terry-Willis, Brian’s siblings, carry on his legacy through the Brian Terry Foundation.
Antonio Sabato, Jr., Actor
Daytime television viewers know actor Antonio Sabato Jr. for his roles on General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Mary Ann Mendoza, Immigration Reform Advocate
Mary Ann Mendoza is a passionate advocate for immigration reform because she has experienced the consequences of our failed system. This May marked the second anniversary of her son Brandon’s death. Brandon, a Mesa Police Sergeant, was 32 when a drunk driver traveling on the wrong side of the highway crashed head-on into the car he was driving. The drunk driver was in the United States illegally, and despite being convicted of crimes years earlier, he was not deported.
Sabine Durden, Immigration Reform Advocate
Sabine Durden is an advocate for immigration reform. In 2012, her son Dominic died in a motorcycle accident when he was a hit by a truck driven by an unlicensed, uninsured, and unregistered driver who was in the United States illegally. In the wake of losing her only son, Sabine has been a vocal critic of our immigration system and has lobbied the federal government to defund sanctuary cities that do not actively search, prosecute, or detain unauthorized immigrants.
Jamiel Shaw, Immigration Reform Advocate
On March 2, 2008, Jamiel Shaw’s son, Jamiel Andre’ Shaw, II (Jas), was murdered while returning home from the Beverly Center Mall in Los Angeles, California. The shooter was a gang member in the United States illegally. He had been released from jail less than 24 hours before he killed Jas, even though there was a deportation hold on him. In honor of Jas’s life, Jamiel Sr. has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about our broken immigration system.
U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (TX-10)
U.S. Rep. Michael T. McCaul is currently serving his sixth term representing Texas’ 10th District in the United States House of Representatives. During his tenure, McCaul has developed a strong track record of fighting for lower taxes and less government spending. He serves as Chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee.
David Clarke, Sheriff of Milwaukee County
David Clarke is the sheriff of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He began his career in law enforcement with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). In 1992, he was promoted to lieutenant of detectives, and in 1996, he earned a promotion to captain of police and became part of the department’s command staff. As captain, Clarke was responsible for the department’s First Division, and in 1999, he became commanding officer of the MPD’s Intelligence Division.
U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-7)
U.S. Representative Sean Duffy serves Wisconsin’s 7th District. Duffy is married to Rachel Campos-Duffy, whom he met while appearing on MTV’s hit television show The Real World, and the couple now has eight children. In Congress, Duffy is working to reduce government spending, lower taxes, promote individual freedom, and limit government intrusion.
Rachel Campos Duffy, The LIBRE Initiative
Rachel Campos-Duffy is the national spokeswoman for The LIBRE Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of the Hispanic community through conservative ideals. Campos-Duffy is also a commentator and television personality; she began her television career on MTV’s iconic reality television show, The Real World.
Darryl Glenn, El Paso County Commissioner
County Commissioner Darryl Glenn is the current Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Colorado, running to defeat incumbent U.S. Senator Michael Bennet in the general election this fall. Glenn won the Republican nomination with 37.5% of the vote in a crowded primary field.
U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas)
For nearly five years, Cotton served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He completed two combat tours, serving in Iraq with the 101st Airborne and in Afghanistan. Upon returning home, Cotton worked for McKinsey & Co. and served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2015, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he represents the state of Arkansas.
Karen Vaughn, Mother of fallen U.S. Navy SEAL
Karen Vaughn is the mother of fallen U.S. Navy SEAL Aaron Carson Vaughn (SEAL Team VI). On August 6, 2011, Aaron was killed in action in the Tangi River Valley of Afghanistan when a chopper (call sign Extortion 17) carrying thirty Americans was shot from the sky while rushing into battle. Over the past four years, Karen has emerged as a powerful spokeswoman for American forces fighting on foreign soil and securing peace across the globe.
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama)
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions is serving his third term representing the people of Alabama. A senior member of the Armed Services Committee and the Budget Committee, he is also a member of the Judiciary Committee and chairman of its subcommittee on Immigration and National Interest. A strong advocate for securing the border, Sessions was the first U.S. Senator to endorse Donald Trump and has acted as a liaison between the Trump campaign and Capitol Hill.
Rudy Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City
Giuliani was wrapping up his second term in office when New York City was attacked on September 11, 2001. Immediately following the attack, Giuliani coordinated rescue operations that saved as many as 20,000 lives. Because of his strong leadership in the aftermath of September 11th, Americans came to see him as a voice of reassurance and consolation during an uncertain time.
Melania Trump, Businesswoman and Wife of Donald Trump
Melania married Donald Trump in January 2005. In March 2006 they had their first child, Barron William Trump. Born on April 26, 1970 in Slovenia, Melania Knauss began her modeling career at the age of sixteen. At the age of eighteen, she signed with a modeling agency in Milan. After obtaining a degree in design and architecture at University in Slovenia, Melania was jetting between photo shoots in Paris and Milan, finally settling in New York in 1996. Melania is dedicated to helping others, and her generosity has been noted. She was Honorary Chairwoman for Martha Graham Dance Company in April 2005; is an active member of the Police Athletic League which honored her with Woman of the Year 2006; has been an Honorary Chairwoman for The Boy’s Club of New York for five consecutive years; and in 2005, the American Red Cross awarded her with Goodwill Ambassador, which she has proudly served for four years. In April of 2008, Melania was asked by Love Our Children USA and NASDAQ to participate in the Fifth Annual National Love Our Children Day and the beginning of National Child Abuse Prevention month by ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ.
Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, U.S. Army (ret.)
Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn has spent his entire life and career serving his country. He served in various command and staff positions in the U.S. Army and as Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Partner Engagement before becoming Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency on July 24, 2012. During his time in the Army, Lieutenant General Flynn held high-ranking leadership posts at the Joint Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command. He served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst has dedicated her life to Iowa and her country, having served in the military for over 23 years and now in the United States Senate. In November 2014, Ernst was elected as the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and also became the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate.
Jason Beardsley, Concerned Veterans for America
Jason Beardsley serves as Special Operations Advisor for Concerned Veterans for America and is the co-founder and CEO of The Underground Movement, a company that designs custom graphic t-shirts inspired by well-known and forgotten American heroes. Jason is a decorated military veteran with a combined 22 years of experience in the Army and Navy.
U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke (MT)
Congressman Ryan Zinke is currently serving the state of Montana’s at-large district in the United States House of Representatives. A former Navy SEAL, Zinke spent 23 years serving our country and fighting for America before entering public office. Continuously focused on giving back to the community that he grew up in, Zinke has used his time in office to push for improving the VA, reforming management of federal lands, preserving the future of family farming and ranching, and defending the Constitution.
Tuesday: Make America Work Again
The Obama years have delivered anemic economic growth, the lowest labor-force participation rate in 38 years, and job-killing regulations and legislation like Obamacare. These policies are crushing middle-class families, and a Hillary Clinton presidency would merely be an Obama third term that would deliver the same poor results. Donald Trump is a successful businessman with a solid record of creating jobs and the experience we need to get America’s economy up and running … and get Americans working again.
Prime-Time Speakers
Please note: The speakers below are part of the prime-time program, which will follow Tuesday’s Nomination Process.
Sharon Day, Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee
Sharon Day was elected Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee on January 14, 2011, and was re-elected on January 25, 2013. From 2009-2011, she served as RNC Secretary. She has served the Republican Party at the local, state, and national levels for more than 20 years.
Dana White, President, UFC
Dana White is the president and business visionary behind the success of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A self-described political independent, White has expressed his gratitude to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for helping the UFC succeed. Trump hosted the once-controversial mixed martial arts competitions at his Trump Taj Mahal casino property when other venues shunned the sport.
Governor Asa Hutchison, Governor of Arkansas
Asa Hutchinson is serving his first term as Governor of Arkansas. His main priority is bringing more jobs and economic growth to his native state, and he is working hard to make Arkansas an attractive place to locate a business.
Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas Attorney General
Rutledge’s election in 2014 was the first time a woman or a Republican had been elected Arkansas Attorney General. Rutledge has joined Arkansas with Texas and other states in challenging the constitutionality of the Obama Administration’s executive orders on immigration and in filing to protect personal property rights.
Michael B, Mukasey, Former Attorney General
Michael Mukasey served as Attorney General of the United States from November 2007 to January 2009. Prior to serving as Attorney General, Mukasey served as a judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, becoming Chief Judge in 2000.
Andy Wist, Businessman
Andy Wist founded the Standard Waterproofing Company in 1979. Beginning in his mom’s basement in Brooklyn, Andy grew the company into one of the largest roofing, waterproofing, and landmark restoration companies in New York City, that today counts more than 180 employees and is headquartered in the Bronx.
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin)
Elected in 2010, Johnson has been fighting to get the country’s fiscal house in order. He is focused on reining in government spending and bringing jobs back to the people of Wisconsin. Before being elected to office, Johnson started a polyester and plastics manufacturing business, PACUR, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Running this small business, Johnson did everything from operating the equipment to keeping the company books.
Chris Cox, Executive Director of NRA Institute for Legislative Action
Chris Cox directs NRA’s nationwide legislative and political efforts. As a champion of the right to bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Cox has directed NRA’s electoral efforts at every level. He has been at the forefront of efforts resisting Obama administration gun control initiatives as well as abuses of power including the Justice Department’s Operation Fast and Furious effort that knowingly allowed guns to “walk” to Mexican drug cartels.
Natalie Gulbis, Golfer, LPGA
Natalie Gulbis is a professional golfer playing on the U.S.-based LPGA tour. The California native has played golf since the age of four and earned second place in Rookie of the Year points during her first year on tour in 2002. Gulbis starred in the 2005 and 2006 reality show, The Natalie Gulbis Show, which aired on The Golf Channel. Gulbis wrote a much-talked about piece on golf.com entitled “The Donald Trump I Know” in which she voiced her strong support for Donald Trump to become President of the United States.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell has represented the state of Kentucky since 1985, making him the state’s longest-serving senator. McConnell also serves in the Senate leadership; he is currently the Senate Majority Leader, and before assuming that role, he served an eight-year term as Senate Minority Leader.
U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (WI-1)
U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is the permanent chairman of the 2016 Republican National Convention. Born and raised in Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan has spent his life advocating for real solutions that help increase opportunities for all Americans. He first won election to the U.S. House in 1999, and during his tenure, he has become known for his leadership on budget and fiscal matters.
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23)
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has represented California in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2007. A fourth-generation resident of Kern County, California, he grew up in a working-class family and ran a small business, Kevin O’s Deli. He has applied this background to his work on behalf of small businesses and positions on burdensome taxes and regulations.
Governor Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was a candidate for president in the 2016 Republican primary. First elected governor in 2010, he was re-elected to his second term in 2013. The governor’s top priorities include balancing the state’s budget, education reform, and changing the national conversation about drug addiction and treatment.
Tiffany Trump, Daughter of Donald Trump
Tiffany Trump was born October 13, 1993 to Donald Trump and Marla Maples. Raised in California, she is the second-youngest of Donald Trump’s children. Tiffany graduated from University of Pennsylvania this spring with a double major in sociology and urban studies. She is a fashion model, singer, and influential presence on social media.
Kerry Woolard, General Manager, Trump Winery
Kerry Woolard is the General Manager at Trump Winery, a 1,300-acre estate located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Kerry has 15 years of winery management experience and has contributed to wine columns for the Wine Gazette and USA Today. In her role at Trump Winery, Kerry oversees all operations and has worked with Donald Trump to make the business a huge success.
Donald Trump, Jr., Son of Donald Trump and EVP, The Trump Organization
Donald J. Trump, Jr. is an innovator and leader in today’s business world. As an Executive Vice President at The Trump Organization, Donald Jr. works in tandem with his siblings Ivanka and Eric to expand the company’s real estate, retail, commercial, hotel and golf interests nationally and internationally. His extensive real estate development experience, rigorous education and inherent business sense add a level of detail and depth to the management of all current and future Trump projects.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia)
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in West Virginia’s history. In 1996, Capito was elected to the 31st District of the West Virginia House of Delegates, where she served two terms and was the minority chairman on the Health and Human Resources Committee and a member of the Judiciary and Banking and Insurance Committees.
Dr. Ben Carson, Neurosurgeon
A candidate for the presidency in this year’s Republican primary, Ben Carson grew up in a poor, single-parent household in Detroit, Michigan. Initially a student earning mediocre grades, his mother encouraged him to read and cultivated his love of learning. Between his degrees, Carson worked as an X-ray technician, a bank teller, a school bus driver, a supervisor for highway cleanup crews, and a crane operator in a steel factory.
Kimberlin Brown, Actor
An actress best known for her roles in the television dramas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, Kimberlin Brown is also a California avocado farmer, host of The Design Network’s interior designer show Dramatic Design, and a small business owner.
Wednesday: Make America First Again
America has always been an exceptional nation. Our Founding Fathers created a system of government that has protected our liberty, allowed American ingenuity to flourish, and lifted people out of poverty by creating the conditions for opportunity and prosperity. Unfortunately, years of bad policies and poor leadership have weakened our position in the world. Under a Trump administration, America will once again be a beacon of progress and opportunity.
Primetime Program, 7 P.M.
Laura Ingraham, Radio Host
A former white-collar defense attorney and Supreme Court law clerk, Laura Ingraham is the most-listened-to woman on political talk radio. The Laura Ingraham Show is ranked in radio’s Top 10, and heard coast-to-coast in 225 markets.
Phil Ruffin, Businessman
Ruffin is an American businessman with diverse interests in real estate, lodging, manufacturing, energy, and retail enterprises. Ruffin started his business in 1959 with a single convenience store and quickly grew to own 65 stores in four states. He currently holds 12 hotels in Kansas, Maryland, California, Oklahoma, Texas, and Alabama.
Pam Bondi, Attorney General of Florida
Pam Bondi is currently serving as Florida’s 37th Attorney General. Since being sworn into office on January 4, 2011, Bondi has worked tirelessly to protect the people of Florida and uphold the state’s laws and the Constitution. During her tenure, she has focused on defending Florida’s constitutional rights against the federal health care law.
Eileen Collins, Astronaut (retired)
Eileen Collins is an astronaut and veteran of four Space Shuttle missions. She was the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission and logged over 537 hours in space during her tenure at NASA.
Michelle Van Etten, Small Business Owner
Michelle Van Etten is a small business owner who was recently featured in The Greatest Networkers in the World second edition. Michelle employs over 100,000 people and is a strong supporter of Donald Trump, knowing his policies will support businesses all across America.
Kentucky State Senator Ralph Alvarado, Jr.
Ralph Alvarado is currently serving as a Kentucky State Senator. Trained as a physician specializing in internal medicine and pediatrics, Alvarado worked as President of Winchester Medical Associates before joining KentuckyOne Medical Group. Alvarado’s experience as a small business owner gave him firsthand knowledge of how tough business ownership can be.
Darrell Scott, Pastor
Dr. Darrell C. Scott, Senior Pastor and Co-Founder of New Spirit Revival Center Ministries, has given his life to spreading the word of God and helping those in need. Scott started the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio on February 14, 1994, with just four members in attendance. His ministry has since grown to numbers in the thousands and has focused on reviving its Cleveland Community.
Harold Hamm, Continental Resources
Harold Hamm is an American entrepreneur and played a key role in the development of the technologies behind the United States’ recent renaissance in oil and natural gas production. Born in Lexington, Oklahoma, Hamm was the youngest of 13 children. With just a high-school education, Hamm started his own business at the age of 21. This grassroots startup, Continental Resources, soon became a NYSE-traded, Top 10 oil producer in the United States Lower 48.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker
A candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Scott Walker is the 45th governor of Wisconsin. He was first elected in 2010 and re-elected to a second term in 2014. Upon taking office, Walker proposed bold reforms that eliminated Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion budget deficit without raising taxes. During his tenure in office, Walker has taken on public-sector labor unions, signing a bill to limit public employee collective bargaining and winning a recall election over the issue.
Lynne Patton, The Eric Trump Foundation
Lynne Patton is Vice President of The Eric Trump Foundation and Senior Assistant to Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump, Jr. As VP, Lynne works in tandem with the Executive Director/President of the Foundation to oversee all operations, volunteers, events, outreach, social media, vendors, and corporate partnerships. She assists with the planning of all major fundraising events for the Foundation. She also works to identify and develop viable partnerships and research projects for the Foundation in conjunction with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida)
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. The son of Cuban immigrants who came to America in 1956, Rubio has spent most of his life in West Miami, Florida, leaving only for a six-year period when his parents moved their family to Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2010, Rubio ran for the U.S. Senate. During his term, he has championed efforts to restore the American Dream: Social Security and Medicare reform, greater access to affordable higher education, the revitalization of America’s military, efforts to grow the economy, and the empowerment of states and their citizens in the fight against poverty.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, won election to the United States Senate in 2012, where he represents the state of Texas. During his tenure in office, Cruz has led the fight to repeal Obamacare, to stop President Obama’s executive amnesty, and to defend life, marriage, and the U.S. Constitution.
Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization
Eric Trump currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions for The Trump Organization. Alongside his father, Donald Trump, Eric works on new project acquisition, development and construction around the world. He has also spearheaded the rapid growth of the Trump Golf Collection. Eric attended Georgetown University where he earned a degree in finance and management. In 2006, he founded the Eric Trump Foundation to help raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Newt & Callista Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House and his wife
A candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, Newt Gingrich is best known as the architect of the Contract with America, the document that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Callista Gingrich is the president of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production company based in Washington, D.C. She and her husband host and produce historical and public policy documentaries.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Presumptive candidate for Vice President
Mike Pence was elected the 50th Governor of the State of Indiana in 2012. Since taking office, Pence has achieved the largest state tax cut in Indiana history while also lowering the business personal property tax and corporate income tax to attract new investment and bring more jobs to Indiana. He is the presumptive candidate for Vice President for Donald Trump.
Thursday: Make America One Again
America faces serious challenges at home and threats from abroad. In order to turn our challenges into opportunities and keep America secure, we need leadership that will focus on what unites us, not what divides us. Donald Trump will move our country beyond the divisive identity politics that have been holding us back by restoring leadership, building trust, and focusing on our shared love of country and our common goal of making America great again..
Primetime Program, 7:30 P.M.
Brock Mealer, Motivational Speaker
Brock Mealer is a walking miracle. After suffering a spinal cord injury on Christmas Eve of 2007, he was told he had a one percent chance he would ever walk again. Mealer’s story struck the hearts of millions of Americans. He sustained his injury in a car crash just five minutes away from his home. While his brother, an offensive lineman headed to the University of Michigan to play football, was able to free Brock from the wreckage, the two brothers lost their father, David, and Elliot’s girlfriend, Hollis Richer, in the crash. Today, Brock has conquered the odds and is able to walk again. He now shares his story with many, inspiring those he meets to join the one percent.
U.S Representative Marsha Blackburn (TN-7)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn was first elected to Congress from the 7th Congressional District of Tennessee in 2002. As a small business woman, author, mother, grandmother and Member of Congress, she has dedicated her service to making America a more prosperous place to live. No stranger to adversity and hard work, Marsha went to college on a 4-H scholarship and worked her way through school selling books for the Southwestern Company. She was one of their first female sales associates and one of their first female sales managers, assisting the company in establishing a division focused on women.
Governor Mary Fallin, Governor of Oklahoma
Mary Fallin is the current Governor of Oklahoma. The first woman elected to the job, Fallin earned the position through years of service to the people and the state of Oklahoma. Fallin started her career in politics serving two terms as a state representative. She then went on to serve as Lieutenant Governor, Congresswoman from the 5th District, and finally as Governor. Her tenure is also marked by the work she did when serving as the chairman of the National Governors Association, where she led a nationwide initiative to help better align education with the needs of a modern day workforce.
Dr. Lisa Shin, National Diversity Coalition for Trump
Dr. Lisa Shin, OD, is the owner of Los Alamos Family Eyecare, P.C. in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She is known and trusted as an authority on eye care and vision protection. Dr. Shin is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump. As a member of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump as well as a Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention, she has worked to support Donald Trump’s candidacy from New Mexico all the way to Cleveland, Ohio.
Reince Priebus, RNC Chairman
Reince Priebus’ three terms make him the longest-serving chairman in modern history. During his first term as chairman, Priebus oversaw a dramatic turnaround of the RNC, rescuing its finances, rebuilding the operations, and implementing the best ground game effort the committee had ever organized. Priebus dedicated his second term to taking the party’s message of freedom and economic opportunity to all states and all communities. By welcoming new voices and voters and harnessing the power of new technology, he led the RNC in building the infrastructure needed for a landslide GOP victory in the midterm elections. Now in his third term, Priebus is working to deliver victories in races across the country in the 2016 campaign.
Jerry Falwell, Jr., President of Liberty University and evangelical leader
Jerry Falwell, Jr. is currently serving as the President of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, appointed in 2007 after the death of his father, Jerry Falwell, Sr. Falwell attended Liberty University himself after which he earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. During his career he has worked in private practice and served as General Counsel for his father’s entities. Falwell is an evangelical leader and a proven Republican who stands up for America’s faith and liberties.
Peter Thiel, Venture Capitalist
As a venture capitalist and entrepreneur, he has been involved in some of the most dynamic companies to emerge from Silicon Valley over the past two decades. In 1998, Thiel made e-commerce easier, faster, and more secure by co-founding PayPal, defining a new era of fast and secure online commerce. He was the first outside investor and director at Facebook, and also launched Palantir Technologies, where he serves as chairman of the board of directors. Peter established and funds the Thiel Foundation, which promotes freedom in all its forms while working to advance technological progress and long-term thinking about the future.
Tom Barrack, CEO of Colony Capital
Tom Barrack is a real estate investor and the Founder and Executive Chairman of Colony Capital. Prior to starting his own business, Barrack served in the Reagan administration as Deputy Undersecretary of the Department of the Interior. Barrack and Donald Trump have worked together on many real estate deals during their time in business. They have developed a mutual admiration and respect, leading Barrack to support Trump’s bid to be President of the United States.
Ivanka Trump, Daughter of Donald Trump and EVP at the Trump Organization
Ivanka Trump is a real estate executive, entrepreneur, wife and mother. As Executive Vice President of Acquisitions and Development at the Trump Organization, she is leading some of the company’s most high-profile deals, including the $200-million conversion of the historic Old Post Office in Washington, DC into a luxury hotel and the $250-million renovation of the iconic Doral Golf Resort in Miami. Ivanka is also the founder of the fashion line Ivanka Trump Collection.
Donald J. Trump, Republican presumptive candidate for President of the United States
Kansas elected one of the most conservative people alive as their governor. Sam Brownback. Today, Kansas’s bond rating was dropped a level due to increased income tax cuts. Riding in on the promise that cutting taxes creates prosperity, Brownback has found that isn’t necessarily so. Kansas is lagging in comparison to five nearby states in nearly a dozen key measures associated with employment and business expansion…
Decline comes from cutting taxes and pushing a pro-business agenda. And the answer why is pretty simple. You see, when you just give people money they don’t have to work for, corporate welfare, they become lazy. Why should they open a new plant? They can just buy out a competitor with all the new money they have, pay for it by cutting staff, and increase margins.
Cutting taxes provides incentive to cut jobs, not hire new ones. Business-television salivates when companies buy each other out. (Ok, their stock do prices rise). But once the acquisition takes place, the firings begin; half of the corporate presidents have to go; half of the vice presidents have to go; half of the secretaries have to go; half of the administration, has to go.. So too much money handed to businesses, cost society jobs. Someone gets wealthier, but they don’t spend that wealth, they just park it. And who can blame them. With stocks rising due to the Fed’s free money, If one can make 20-25% per year as in 2013, why would they invest in a plant that only breaks even 10 years from now?
Now, on the other hand, in those states with higher tax rates,.. if you keep your money, you lose it… to taxes. That provides incentive to bury your money inside your own business. Bury it as in making necessary repairs, upgrading, expanding, research and development, all of which increase the worth of your business, should you ever sell it. In other words, businesses do not serve their first role as a primary means to make money, but instead they become the way to hide or bury ones money and shield it from taxation and store it for when you might need it at some later date..
Consequently, when you spend in Research, and hire all bright people, you just might stumble upon a new concept that is also economically viable. Across this past decade of Bush tax cuts, research into cures for diseases have dropped, research into making better products have dropped, and research into developing new ideas, have dropped…. Across America, business costs allocated to research and development have been scaled back.
This hurts all of society for the gain or one or two people at the top. Unless reversed, we too face the prospect of Kansas who elected a Tea Party Governor as did Pennsylvania. In both cases, doing what the Tea Party says should be done, not only did not work, but worked the opposite way than it predicted. Cutting taxes and deregulating businesses, hurts the economy more than it helps…
Kansas, Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Ohio, formerly prosperous, all elected Tea Party Governors… All are growing slower out of the recession than surrounding states who didn’t…
The point is, voters gave several states experimental leeway to try their new approach in the 2010 elections… every one of those states has failed. For those of us who understand the differences between myth and realities, this comes as no surprise. For the rest, you should be asking yourself if we can truly afford another 4 years of pursuing myth followed by finger pointing over the failures each myth-pursuit has caused, or if not,… vote for someone who will simply raise taxes on the rich. Do that, and the boom times return…..
(btw, Delaware Growth was just ranked 13th by Business insider (better than 37 other states)
Exclusive: I accidentally clicked on a link and got sent down this path… It is unlikely you know anything about it. You may remember that at sometime last year, in excavating for a parking garage some bodies were found in Britain. Being a mass grave, the original contention was the corpses came from the time of the Black Plague...
Believe it or not, those bodies were exhumed, and in the tissue we found the organism responsible. We ran its genetics. The gene code casts serious doubts upon the rat /flee stories we’ve always been told. And with what we know about disease today, it could not have spread as rapidly as it did, had it not been airborne…. it’s deadliness has been unsurpassed in recorded time. Its kill rate was as high as 6 out of 10. … it took Europe 150 more years to catch up again to where it had been when the Black Death arrived….
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Perhaps if health is a concern of yours you may remember the Madagascar outbreak just at the end of 2013?… 60 people died of what they called the Bubonic Plague… It was. There is almost a perfect match between the DNA of the Black Plague organism exhumed, and those found in Madagascar….
Today another plague with a different organism is brewing in Africa. This one is more fearful than the Bubonic plague… The bubonic plague can be cured with antibiotics… For the E.bola outbreak there is not cure known to man… If you breathe it, you die… Today, it was announced that the outbreak is out of control. Beyond all hope of containment… Today, if it were to spread as fast as the Black Plague did person to person, in days, embedded deep within alive, alert healthy people, it would start arriving upon our shores…. Am even greater fear is that someone brings it here on purpose to punish us, and scatters it through New York and Washington’s subways…
So, there is a good chance that this year, we could experience a pestilence that wipes out mankind. We’ve had these scares before. And stories told afterward are that we came close to having a full epidemic, but were lucky in catching the carriers as we did….
So this of course is the year 2014…. The Black Plague begin to seriously infect Europe in 1348….. IF you don’t take this threat seriously, then do the math and figure out the span of time transpiring between the two….
It depends on how much you make.
Bloomberg just published the top income estimates for 2013. It is 1928 all over again….
“the top 300 seeing their collective net worth rise by US$ 524 billion to US $3.7 trillion as 2013 ended,”
Were we to raise taxes on just that increased amount by only 1%…. we’d could cut our deficit by $5 billion dollars. Five billion dollars on the other hand, would pay for 16.7 million weeks of $300 Federal unemployment payments. 1,260,400 are currently waiting on Congress to pass an extension.
Twelve weeks of all their benefits could be covered by a 1% increase of taxes just on 300 people…. How badly will this hurt them? Well, it would be as if you were selling lemonade on the corner for $1 a glass, and some kid only had 99 cents. Sure, you’ll sell it… Point is that $5 billion dollars equals only one penny to these guys…
So why not take 2 pennies? Really? No one pays $1 anymore. Everyone pays 99 cents and discount stores start at 98 cents…
Two pennies would fund unemployment for 24 weeks… Will you take 97 cents for a glass of lemonade? Gee, 36 weeks, Done. Covered… How about 96 cents for an ice cool cup of sweetened Lemonade? Let see, it’s cost is only 16 cents per cup, so.. why not? Done! 48 out of a year’s 52 weeks, covered. Accomplished! Just like that…
And with no bump to deficit either…
===
You are smart enough to figure what to do next.
Courtesy of The Atlantic
This is a good illustration of how compromise works… After the Tea Party’s humiliating defeat, it appears all those left, have thrown their mesh skeletons into the trash can, and to each of their entreaties for redemption…. have given them a collective……
“Forget about it…”
It should hit you hard right now, of just how far back we are from where we’d be if 2010 Tea Party Revolt had never happened………
I’m sorry I couldn’t react to this in a timely fashion. As it is, some time has gone by, but perhaps that is good. It allows minds to focus on it without getting twisted by emotions… As it is, I have tried to strip all partisanship out of the evaluation, and simply look at it as one would two neutral sports antagonists.
Here is the Boehner quote….
“What the president said today was if there’s unconditional surrender by Republicans, he’ll sit down. That’s not the way our government works.” –
That is just wrong. Opening the government back up is now… “unconditional surrender”? From an inpartial viewpoint Boehner just lost the battle of public opinion. For now, anyone out of work is so because in Boehner’s own words, it would amount to unconditional surrender for Republicans.
All the past pointing fingers at the president are in one sentence proven to have no bearing. For if it were the president’s fault that the shutdown were occurring, the “unconditional surrender” would have to be on his side.
But opening the government back up, only hurts the Republican position. It doesn’t weaken the Democrats position one iota. Therefore Boehner just admitted full blame himself for the entire shut-down. By saying it was “unconditional surrender”, Boehner despite all his previous jabs, now implicates only the Republicans. The shutdown is indeed now the Republicans fault and Boehner just proved it….
Why is opening the government an “unconditional surrender” for Republicans? Because they caused it. They benefit from it. And if it goes away, they lose….
This is why the dead can’t be buried and the living can’t earn incomes. This will be why the entire global economy will crash with a drop 50 times more powerful than the Lehmann collapse… This will be why the other nations, China, Russia, North Korea, and the Muslim nations, will take advantage of our incapacity and make changes to geography completely undreamed of by today’s current Republicans. Gee! What a great time to eradicate Israel. Wow! When the USA is too incapacitated to help them…
All because the Republicans might lose if we open up government… Boehner himself let it slip: to open government would be “unconditional surrender.”
Now usually when one surrenders unconditionally, it is because he is getting pounded and can’t take it anymore. Although they are taking a pounding in the polls (28%), they aren’t the ones suffering. Federal workers, those businesses dependent upon the government, and those requiring the government to be open and running, are the ones getting pounded…
So it is really as if we launched a first strike against the Soviets, and when they launched back we used telemetry to divert all their missiles to Brazil… “ha, ha” we laughed. “Let all those suckers suffer; we aren’t surrendering… you have to surrender first!”
In this regard, Republicans are no better than Al Qaeda when using Iraqi school children as human shields. To paraphrase a recent phrase from TV and to make fun of Boehner’s orange skin color all at the same time, one could say… “Orange is the New Al Qaeda….”
To save face and stop this, all Boehner has to do, is say. “Every Republican is cut loose; vote your conscious or as your constituents back home would wish”… and put the clean bill on the floor.
There is a reason we don’t negotiate with terrorists. For if you let them go, they will do it all over again…. and keep on doing it, as many times as possible until you stop them.
Economic theory, which is basically bullshit, is often coached in mathmatical terms to disguise the fact that it is pure bull. However there are some very simple concepts which make very good common sense, and if one looks at that, instead of how to use current data to justify one’s action politically, one comes up with obvious surprising results.
Labor Demand < Labor Supply
That is why so many people are out of work. Now here are the players.
- Workforce Market
- Corporations
- Commodity Market
- Foreign Investments
- Financial Markets
- Households
- Government
Government is our last option.
So our workforce if we compare the same counting today as was during the Great Depression, is running at 85% capacity. Meaning 15% are unemployed.
Going down the list then,
Corporations are at their best ever. Corporate profit the highest percent of GDP ever.
Financial Markets also are at their best ever. Dow Jones is at record highs.
Commodities are performing well, all indications are of a long term bull market.
Foreign Investment is at an all time high. Never have we had this much outside money.
Real Household Income is declining. We are headed downwards and are currently tied with 1994 as it rose out of the 91 recession, and prior to that, tied with 1984 as we were coming out of the 1982 Recession.
====
Bottom line with government out our equation, we have the investment side of our economy all doing spectacularly well, and the household side going down.
===
Proof enough that the free market system, or capitalist system does little for the good of any nation, just as little good it did prior to the legislation that became law after the crash of 1929 when Democrats swept the Federal Government.
===
Government is the great equalizer. For a fix, government needs to step up and side with We the people (or households), and as a referee would in any sporting event, make the playing field fair.
It can to it in either of two ways. It can impose necessary restrictions upon businesses which increase their demand for labor at the expense of their corporate profits. For example, pass legislation to imprison CEO’s for malfeasance. Only then in order to keep their heads out of hot water, they hire environmentalists, social engineers, accountants, and other highly trained personnel whose prime function is to make sure the company is not doing anything shady.
It can also split the corporations into multiple smaller ones, each now requiring a new president, several new vice presidents, new HR’s, new financial planners, etc and with one fell swoop, increase the demand for labor. This too, comes at the expense of corporate profits, which are currently huge primarily due to economies of scale.
And it can indirectly create demand by raising taxes. When taxes go up on profit- earned, less profit gets earned by design; less “reported” profit, less money handed over in taxes.. Meaning the bulk of that money is now spent being reinvested into the business just so it can’t be taxed. Building projects, higher wages, more R&D gets spent into the economy, This too, comes at the expense of corporate profits on the books.
But that is why higher tax rates are actually the best alternative. Higher tax rates tend to create less taxes, so government still needs to stay small. The revenue collected is lower for the simple reason that if there was absolutely no tax, all the money earned would belong to me. But if more of what I earn goes to you, then I will figure out a legal way to keep more for myself, and report less. So whereas as tax rates go up, total tax revenue comes down; the net effect is that more money goes into our economy thereby creating more demand.
The demand for labor then gradually rises to equal the supply and if it continues on its upward path, yes, yes, so there are more jobs than workers, then competition begins pushing the individual wage rates higher.
Which adds to the increased demand.
Using tax rates works best for now instead of the government interfering with day to day operations of all businesses, it actually creates an environment where each business can operate independently to its own best interest, and as they do, the demand for labor rises even more…..
====
Anyone who argues for less government input into the economy is in the wrong century and can’t read economic figures that are plain as day. So how does one interpret the cries for less regulations that are hurting corporate profits? Easily. One realizes that sooner or later corporate profits have no choice but to fall, so our household income can increase. Loss of corporate profits is a “good thing”.
One should mention in the same breath, that labor’s percent of wages is deteriorating all across the world. It is a world wide phenomenon. The answer is simply that deference of all governments over the past decade and a quarter, has been given to those in charge of investment.
Policies favoring Investment must now take a back seat to those which put people back to work, which if done, raise the incomes of all of us… Even those of the 1% , though not as much as they have been lately been accustomed. But everyone still benefits.
Raising taxes is where we need to go.
===
Paul Ryan proving Rand Paul right.