CONSERVATIVES DISH ON CAIN, RACE: My Interview Below
| This is article appeared Sunday, June 13, 2011, in the Philadelphia Tribune and is written by Zack Burgess |
For more than two weeks now, and especially since Herman Cain was hit with allegations of sexual harassment, several talk show hosts have rallied around him, using race and his conservatism as a way to ex:plain why he has encountered some of his recent troubles.
First there was Rush Limbaugh, who recently said on his show: that the article in Politico is part of a process to tear down a Black Republican. Then there was Ann Coulter.
“Liberals detest, detest, detest conservative Blacks,” Coulter said. “…This is now the second time a conservative Black has had outrageous, and what appear to be false, allegations leveled against him.”
The first, in her view, was Clarence Thomas.
She didn’t stop there, inferring that a cadre of women, who were quick to forgive Bill Clinton for his sexual transgressions, was now attacking Herman Cain. “If you are a conservative Black, they will believe the most horrible sexualized fantasies of these uptight white feminists,” she said.
This prompted radio host Sean Hannity to wonder why liberals were, in his words, so “threatened” by Cain. Needless to say, Coulter was blunt in her response.
“Our Blacks are so much better than their Blacks,” she said, speaking of Democrats. “To become a Black Republican, you don’t just roll into it. You’re not going with the flow… and that’s why we have very impressive Blacks in the Republican Party.”
There has been a collective response to the Politico.com report that GOP front-runner Cain had settled two sexual harassment lawsuits when he headed the National Restaurant Association, a lobbying group for the food industry, in the 1990s.
And given that Cain gave inconsistent answers to questions raised by the article and has refused to acknowledge his latest accuser, Sharon Bialek — he has only been his own worst enemy.
“People refer to Herman Cain as a “Black conservative” as if he is some alien species,” said political analyst Mitch Baroody. “While the NAACP means well in protecting civil rights, I find them to be very quick on the trigger in pulling the race card and setting up divides. By talking about whites and Blacks like they are so different, it effectively makes them different. It allows people to use race as an excuse not to perform or an excuse as a defense to criticism.”
Coulter evoked the Thomas parallel when she dredged up the famous phrase from his nomination hearings 20 years ago.
At that time it was Thomas who made the statement that effectively neutralized questions about inappropriate sexual conduct raised by attorney Anita Hill.
Keep in mind, Coulter has called the Rev. Al Sharpton a “fat, race-baiting Black man” and has defended the white supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens as being unfairly accused of racism.
“The rendering of Black people as the ornaments of diversity, rather than incarnations of it, is one of the essential reasons why Blacks clash with conservatism,” said Political analyst Yvette Carnell.
Cain’s rise to the top of the GOP presidential pool has set off a furor among conservatives who saw Cain and other conservative minorities as victims of the so-called-liberal media. Limbaugh compared Cain’s problems to those of Marco Rubio, the U.S. senator from Florida who frequently told the story of his family fleeing Castro, which turned out to be untrue. Apparently the Rubios left Cuba several years before Castro came to power.
In a 12-minute exposition on the subject, Limbaugh called the reporting on Cain a “hit job.” “Anything good that happens to any Black or Hispanic in American politics can only happen via the Democrat Party. If it happens elsewhere, we’re going to destroy those people a la Clarence Thomas,” he said.
Speaking of Blacks’ place in America, MSNBC contributor, author and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan said in his just-released book, “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?”: “The European and Christian core of our country is shrinking.”
He says that “Old heroes like Columbus and Robert E. Lee may be replaced on calendars by Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez.” He goes on to write: “The End of White America. Those who believe the rise to power of an Obama rainbow coalition of peoples of color means the whites who helped to engineer it will steer it are deluding themselves. The whites may discover what it is like to ride in the back of the bus.”
For 21 consecutive months now, MSNBC has been No. 1 among African-American viewers in prime time. So it’s no surprise that Buchanan, hasn’t appeared on the network since his comments.
The Huffington Post’s reported that Buchanan hasn’t shown up on MSNBC since Oct. 22, while doing the rounds on other stations to promote his new book.
“A Conservative does not change because he is a different color,” Baroody said. “A Liberal does not change his philosophy because of his color either. Color should not be a part of this debate. People should lean on the side of conviction and not outward appearance. But because people have put such an emphasis on color, it allows politicos to make excuses like, ‘the media doesn’t like me because I’m a Black Conservative.’ It’s disgusting that we have let our society come to this after the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968.”
ColorofChange.org, a civil rights group, asked its members to sign a petition urging MSNBC to fire Buchanan, rattling off a series of questionable comments he has made over the years.
The Anti-Defamation League also chimed in, labeling Buchanan a racist and anti-Semite. Calderone even spoke with a station executive, who told him that, “the network is taking the concerns seriously.”
He also stressed that the decision to freeze out Buchanan was made long before the groups started rallying against him.
“To me, it’s disgusting,” Baroody said. “Blacks and whites are equals, only different in appearance. In the progressive age we live in today, Blacks and whites should be sticking up for each other more and calling out those that abuse the ‘race card’ as an excuse. Every time someone refers to a candidate as a ‘Black Conservative’ there should be whites and Blacks protesting this type of language because it sets up divides.”
Zack Burgess is the enterprise writer for The Tribune. He is a freelance writer and editor who covers culture, politics and sports. He can be contacted at zackburgess.com.
The Adventures of Jack Bauer and His Brother Andre: No More Shenanigans
South Carolina: Smiling Faces, Beautiful places…as it used to be known. Then, we tried to change the motto to “I Believe.”
Now, South Carolina is quickly garnering a reputation and motto as the “home of America’s most controversial politicians.” 
First, the Governor decides to investigate 2012 rumors and go to South America…instead of finding out the truth behind 2012 and the ancient Indian customs that dominate South America, he found himself a lover, “beautiful Maria.” He may have a promising career as a romance novelist. At least that is a positive aspect from the “expedition.”
Then there is my old friend Rep. Joe Wilson of the beautiful 2nd district of South Carolina. President Obama apparently bumped into Joe in the bathroom before his address to Congress. Joe was washing his hands from South Carolina controversy and of the upcoming healthcare bill that would cripple his constituents.
Obama told Joe in the bathroom that he would 
“mention his name” or give him a “shout out” in the state of the union as a means of “reaching across the aisle for Change.” Joe was upset he didn’t get a “Shout Out” as the President says. So, Joe screamed “YOU LIE!” Okay, maybe this wasn’t the story, but it sounds a heck of a lot better than a random “You Lie” being shouted at the President. Still, you got to love Joe Wilson.
Now a new scandal is on the horizon and has been spun by the National Media. The brother of famed action hero Jack Bauer, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, tried to continue his honorable efforts at defending taxpayers from government waste. In many ways, he is like Jack Bauer off of 24, except Jack Bauer has never compared poor kids to animals.
He only kills the occasional animal and the occasional terrorist kid who gets in the way of national security. If you take out that metaphor, they are virtually the same person: both trying to save the American people from disaster.
In an article from POLITCO Andre Bauer is quoted as saying:
“my grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. “They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31996.html#ixzz0dhSry6J7
Okay so let’s get this straight. Just like one of the most honorable Judges in South Carolina history, Judge Segars-Andrews,
Andre Bauer has never been the favorite of the political elite in South Carolina either. He isn’t beloved by Most activists. No political scientist will even predict him to win an election. In fact, he is the candidate that many love to hate.
At the end of the day, he outworks the competition and ends up winning even if it is a slim margin. I find it to be no surprise that some in South Carolina would jump at the opportunity to eliminate his credibility.
After all, most do not give him credit, but he is tied for first in a hotly contested election for Governor. Get this: He hasn’t even announced! What better way to destroy the integrity of a frontrunner for Governor who hasn’t announced yet, than to take his comments out of context and make something out of them that isn’t true?
Andre said “Government has bred a culture of dependency, and there’s absolutely no one in government with the courage to stand up and say, ‘We need to break that cycle of generational poverty and dependence.’ Well, now there IS someone saying it.” He suggests children on reduced lunch have their parents come into school every now and then for a visit. If we are going to pay for their lunch, the least the parents can do is come to school and support their kids.
After all, Andre knows what it is like to be on reduced lunch. That’s right, he was on this program while growing up. He has the right to talk about it. Unlike many of the political elite, he slaved as a kid and worked his way up to the position he has.
People are getting sick and tired of the same political stories. For instance, I heard a story that kind of went like this. “I’m tired of being in Washington, that makes me the best candidate for Governor.” Then you look at why they are leaving Washington. They leave because they already voted to socialize the federal government, so they want to come back to the state and get it into sync too. Makes sense.
Then there is the story where the narrator paints a picture of a “good hallmark movie themed plot with lots of cannons and horses to tackle the federal government.” Some candidates feel that telling a story makes them most qualified for governor.
Then, there is the person, nice as they can be, who feels left out because of their idealism and inability to work with anyone in their party. They decide to mount a run in order to usher their idealism back into the state picture.
But I tell you what folks, I like the guy that puts aside his fancy political rhetoric, puts aside his idealism accompanied by elaborate stories, and talks about the really difficult issues that burden the taxpayer with solid solutions.
I like a conservative that says what isn’t popular but what is true. Someone who isn’t a common man but sees it as his right to be uncommon and stands up to show it. To be fair, I also owe Attorney General Henry McMaster a high five for standing up against the healthcare bill. He too has recently taken an unpopular stand and spoken with a loud voice against socialist Washington.
While every candidate in the race for South Carolina Governor has a lot to bring to the table and is probably qualified to fill the seat, today I choose to commend the uncommon man, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer. I appreciate the point he was trying to make and not the way in which he said it.
At least he is honest. Furthermore, I think we should all condemn those South Carolinians or “a rival campaign” that took it out of context and spun it. I especially question their integrity and their underlying motives. Finally, someone steps up to the plate and sees the issues for what they are and talks about them. Unfortunately, he is getting unfair lip service for it.
This is the type of Governor South Carolina is going to need to overcome the extreme barriers of the past. In fact, this is an example of the type of leadership Republicans need to groom into all seats across the nation. There wasn’t a political presence from the S.C. delegation helping to elect Scott Brown, spreading the message of new Conservative Republican ideals across the nation. But there was one member that was faithfully campaigning for victory. Lt. Governor Bauer was there, standing beside Brown, ushering in the victorious win over socialized healthcare. Did everyone else in South Carolina get the memo?
While I’m not endorsing Andre, I do find it interesting that he tells the truth, no matter how painful it may appear. He somehow remains in first place, despite not even announcing, for a heated race towards the Governor’s mansion. There is a reason for the Lt. Governor’s high polling…South Carolinians are tired of shenanigans. With that in mind, Andre is no shenanigan.
Could We Soon See the End of ITAR’s Chokehold on Space Exploration?: My Interview Below
Article Written by Daniel Sims, Columbia University, for Universe Today (NASA Endorsed Publication)
Jeff Foust of The Space Review may have said it best when he claimed that ITAR, a set of trade regulations regarding defense-related trade, was “an acronym that has become figuratively and literally a four-letter word in the industry given the costs, delays, and general uncertainty involved in dealing with those regulations.” No matter where you are on the political spectrum or no matter where you stand on the debate about what’s next in space, you will find people who hate the ITAR’s (
International Trade Arms RegulationsInternational Traffic in Arms Regulations) influence on space commerce. Even in this time of great partisanship, Rep. Howard Berman [D-CA28] along with six Democrats and four Republicans have joined forces to craft a sword that, once given to the president will eliminate ITAR’s influence on space commercial enterprise.The Safeguarding United States Satellite Leadership and Security Act of 2011 is the name of the bill. Also named HR 3288, the act removes spacecraft and related components from the United States Munitions List which is a list of items which are controlled by ITAR. China, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, and North Korea have restricted access to US spacecraft merchants, easing fears that US technology would fall into the wrong hands.
HR 3288 has created much excitement in the space industry.
“Congress has the opportunity to dramatically improve the competitiveness of the U.S. satellite and space industries and ensure an innovative and thriving U.S. space industrial base,” said Patricia Cooper, the president of the Satellite Industry Association, in a press release. She added that they would be jumping for joy if it weren’t for the “outmoded and overly-restrictive regulation” they say they are under.
Why so much joy? Mitchell Baroody, law student, political analyst, advocate, speaker and told Universe Today that “while ITAR may have some positive effects on National Security, the detrimental effects of these ‘red tape-laced’ regulations cannot be ignored.”
For instance, according to The Space Review in 2006, U.S. Satellite Manufacturers have estimated losses from ‘$2.5 and $6.0 billion since 1999 due primarily to ITAR regulations.’
“When industries become over-regulated, this is what happens,” Baroody said. “As a result of ITAR, even…‘friendly’ foreign countries are weary of dealing with the U.S.”
This makes it difficult for our allies because spacecraft are listed after deadly toxicological agents and before destructive nuclear weapons with all three under the same trade rules. Despite this hilarious position, spacecraft’s removal is still, according to Space Politics, “an uphill battle, as Congress awaits the administration’s export control reform proposals as well as delivery of a final version of a report looking at the national security implications of moving satellite export control reform.”
This uphill struggle against protectionism might not be so bad because over the overwhelming need to create jobs. Baroody acknowledged that there are “many who are advocating protectionist ideals, like Donald Trump advocating increased trade tariffs of 25% with China in April of 2011.”
However, Baroody said, there are many more who know that in the present American economy, people are looking for any feasible solution to export control that has economic benefits. “Unfortunately, becoming more protectionist could have some very negative economic implications for the American consumer,” he said.
Baroody does not foresee this bill being stopped by the protectionist movement. “HR 3288 does not, in any way, benefit the one country who has been treating us unfairly, China,” he said. “This bill should not face an obstacle, in reference to protectionism.”
To Baroody, the thought “that idealists tendencies, which are not accurate, can dominate and win over more jobs, more freedom for American business, and more money in the pockets of Americans is…sickening.”
Some could counter-claim saying national security is at risk, but Baroody thinks the US government has gone too far.
“Before the satellite industry was given such a devastating blow in 1999, it is fair to say there was not enough oversight. However, putting satellites on the munitions list went way too far,” he said. “Now, American Manufacturers are winning with HR 3288 and American security is being preserved because the malevolent nations are excluded from being sold these satellites and components.”
Drilling down to the mechanics of the law, this is the only route Congress can take to export reform as Baroody explains: “Title 22 USC § 2778 (The ITAR) gives Congress oversight in munitions list removal. The President has to present any removals to Congress and cannot remove anything until 30 days have passed upon notification of the Speaker and specific committees. They specifically authorized the President to have discretion in removal. In HR 3288, Congress authorizes the President to remove the satellites and related components only if this does not cause a threat to National security.” In other words, congress can’t remove the spacecraft from the munitions list themselves.”
The Safeguarding United States Satellite Leadership and Security Act of 2011 is not perfect. “The bill includes risk-mitigating licensing controls, procedures, and safeguards,” Baroody said. “Red-tape and regulations are always going to get in the way of commerce, regardless of whether it involves space or some other category of commerce. If you put aside the risk mitigating licensing controls, procedures, and safeguards and look at America’s tax system, the answer is obvious.”
“The red-tape a company has to go through to get a product to market, like a satellite, can also be just as bad as paying more for it,” Baroody continued. “Having to paddle through the exorbitant amount of regulations to ensure you are legally allowed to sell your product and your buyer is allowed to keep it, is detrimental to every business. We should have regulations, but they should be within reason and should make sense. Government should not babysit our industries but they should keep an eye on them to make sure no one is getting hurt and the American people are being reasonably protected”.
This bill even has international implications. In an interview for The Space Review Dennis Burnett, vice president of trade and export controls for EADS North America expressed that “You cannot build a big sophisticated satellite without US parts and components, you just cannot do it…Those components might comprise no more than five percent of the satellite, but still, it’s a very important five percent.”
Because of this international impact, the bill was referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee on November 1st. This so called ‘Congress of specialists’ will, if they give the bill their time, study the bill then report on it. If the committee doesn’t give the bill their time, it will die there. Only after the committee’s review will there be a vote on the elimination of the ITAR.
11/28/2011 | Categories: Political Thought | Tags: GOP, SCGOP, Mitchell Baroody, Baroody Conservative, Space, HR-3288, Universe Today, Munitions List Bill, U.S. Munitions, China Trade, Trade Tariffs, ITAR, U.S. Space Agency, Space Review, Conservative Commentary, South Carolina Republican, Gingrich Nominee | Leave A Comment »