Daily Grit by Wes Thorp

Detroit News columnist Nolan Finley raises questions about how much control we should give government

Tomorrow I will probably stop at our neighborhood Biggby's coffeeshop for my usual two dollar coffee before I go to help lead a class in East Lansing.  I wish they would have a discussion question for the day.

I'd love to see the folks who stop in there react to Detroit News columnist Nolan Finley's offering today about how government programs are being bungled in the Motor City.  He points to what he says are daily stories about misspent funds, cheating and audits which raise big, big question marks.

His question for our local coffeeshop:  How much control over private institutions and our personal lives do we want to give a government who can't manage the money it has now?

Jack Hunter says, The future of the Republican Party belongs to Ron Paul and his movement

Maybe I ate too much bran cereal for breakfast this morning, but Jack Hunter, the Southern Avenger, makes some serious points about the Republican Party and its future.  It's the young who are behind Paul and his ideas and not behind the others.  I wish we had a few more at our dinner table tonight, I'd love to talk about this.

 

Check out this interview with Rick Santorum's wife

Are you trying to decide who you are going to support as a Republican candidate for president?  I am.  It would be easy to ignore all the babble coming from all sides, including both parties.

I'm tired of all the carping, the meaninglless rhetoric and the seeming phoniness coming from the political and media camps.  On television, give a choice between watching a debate among the candidates and reruns of Army Wives or the Good Wife, I'd probably go with the latter.

Then I saw this CBS interview with Rick Santorum's wife.  I see a sincerity and an openness that you don't see with the other candidates.  She gives a revealing look into her husband and to their family life.  She provides a snapshot of her husband's values as seen through her eyes.  I'm impressed.  I want to learn more.

 

Would Jesus voter for President Obama, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul?

When I get to our neighborhood coffeeshop in a few minutes, I'll have to throw this question out kind of like a hand grenade with the pin removed.  Just who would Jesus vote for?  And Barry Goldwater is not a choice.

Check out this post from the CNN religion blog where the head of a NGO answers that question. Remember that Jesus was not oblivious to politics.  Was he conservative or liberal?  Was he pushing for inward or outward transformation of individuals?

Michigan says it is getting a grip on child abuse and neglect

I just spotted a link to this story about Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley announcing a state hotline to report child abuse.  This is being billed as evidence that our state is really on top of this heinous problem.  This deserves a read and discussion. I getting close to going out the door.  I'll come back to this.

Can somebody who disagrees with me politically be my friend and not my enemy?

I remember when I had dinner with Peggy Noonan here in mid-Michigan along with three or four hundred other people.  She was the guest speaker at a local Republican event and I was smitten with how she made me think more clearly about what I believe.  That had to be more than a decade ago.

She does the same with her column in the Wall Street Journal.  In her latest offering which was published Friday, she writes about conservative journalist Andrew Breitbart who recently died.  

Noonan recounted his passionate battle with any liberaal politician or any so-called progressive.  He was in a full-time holy war and never took his foot off the throttle.  Liberals were considered by enemies by him.

Noonan comments about this attitude

But in their fight against liberalism and its demands, too many conservatives have unconsciously come to ape the left. They too became all politics all the time. Friendships were based on it, friendships were lost over it. "You agree with me? You're in. You don't? You're out." They became as good at ousting, excluding and anathematizing as Mensheviks and Bolsheviks, as Jacobins. As self-righteous, too, and as adept at dehumanizing the enemy.

It is not progress when you become what you hate, when you take on its sickest aspect.

The result is continued polarization and balkanazation of this country.  How do we swing this back in a productive way?  Is it too late?

 

Meet The Press Interview with Newt Gingrich today deserves a look

This interview with Newt Gingrich on Meet The Press today deserves a look.  Newt provides a good, solid answer to David Gregory's question about the whole contraception hullaballoo over a statement by talk radio's Rush Limbaugh.  Nobody's being denied access to contraception.  Everybody agree?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Just saw Pete Hoekstra Super Bowl ad for his U.S. Senate race

Did Pete Hoekstra do this Super Bowl television commercial for his U.S. Senate race as a result of polling Michigan voters? Is this what they see as the issue with voters in our state? Does it work? Does he set a hook into Stabenow about this issue? Click here for the website to go with the tv spot. Check it out:

 

What are the consequences for us when politicians don't tell the truth?

How many of you just assume that a politician is going to lie and not tell you the truth at some point?

It's just assumed that politics and lying go hand in hand.  The two words seem to be synonyms.  Their efforts at untruth will run the continuum from just shading a fact to their favor to an outright lie.  Does anybody who is not in politics disagree with this statement?

What are the consequences for us as citizens when politicians and their statements are allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged?

 

There's a new book--How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think by Andy Andrews--that raises these questions for us during a transition time in our history where politicians dominate everything we do.  Their unchecked and unchallenged words have never had more potential for good or for harm.

 

In this small book, Andrews points to the Jewish Holacaust where more than 11 million were murdered where Germans refused to believe or acknowledge the truth of what was happening.  They were misled and they refused to acknowledge the truth as it was unwrapped for them.

As you watch CNN today or read news on the web and see what our political leaders are saying, ask yourself how you know what they are saying is the truth?  What can you do when you're not sure or when you know it's an outright lie or it's a fact that's shaded and turned?

Both parties and their partisans engage in these actions where the truth is played with or ignored.  

Why do we let it happen?  Would you rather be lied to or would you rather know the truth?

Politicians should be required to wear patches like race car drivers showing their sponsors

What if members of the Michigan Legislature and other politicians were required dress like race car drivers with big patches sewed on their jackets showing where they get their financial support?

What companies and organizations in our state would be the most visible?  Michigan Chamber of Commerce?  United Auto Workers?  Michigan Education Association?  I draw a blank?  Who are the big political givers?

It would certainly make disclosure of political contributions more visible.  I first heard of this from a friend on Facebook.  Have you seen this before:

How would this Newt Gingrich television commercial play in Michigan?

Newt Gingrich apparently is really amping up his campaign in Iowa to win the Republican presidential caucuses there on Jan. 3.  Check out this new tv commercial released just this morning.  

He's reassuring about the future and about bringing people together.  Does it work?  Would it work in Michigan?  How would our state respond?

Michigan should have presidential selection caucuses like Iowa

I just read the story linked on the Drudge Report about how Newt Gingrich is ahead in the Iowa polls leading up to that state's partisan caucuses where delegates to the Republican National Convention are ultimately picked.

How many of you are familiar with how that process works?

It sounds like fun and much more participatory to meet with other Republicans from my precinct, listen to each candidate's pitch and then put my selection of a blank piece of paper.  It would feel more engaging to get together with neighbors to hear their thoughts and to ask questions.

How does it work in Iowa?  I found this piece from Wikipedia which provides a lot of details about the process and how successful caucus-goers have been in picking ultmate winners at the national convention

Why hasn't Michigan tried this?  Would this be a state party decision?  

Jack Abramoff, disgraced former Washington, D.C. lobbyist has a Facebook page

Don't go to this link for Jack Abramoff's Facebook page if you've just eaten.  Remember him?  He's the Washington D.C. lobbyist who showed that you could buy members of the U.S. Congress with gifts of money and trips.  He has a website too.  He's out promoting his book explaining how he did it.  His fingers reached into a lot of states through his paid advocacy for certain Indian casinos.  

Question: Is Chris Christie too liberal for the average conservative Republican?

Christie has broken with traditional conservative views on some issues. He has voiced support for some gun control, has said being in the country without proper documentation is not a crime, and has called climate change real and partially manmade.

via news.yahoo.com

How well do we know New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who's being pushed to run for the Republican nomination for president?

Herman Cain, a second-tier candidate for the nomination, says Christie is too liberal for many conservatives.

The issues: gun control and global warming. What about abortion?

If Christie decides this week to run, will he be flash in the pan? Will he be hot this week and then flame out?

Would Michigan vote for a fat president in 2012 like Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey?

My interest in any of the Republican candidates for president this time around is very flaccid.  I can't get excited about any of them.  But what about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie?

Would my state go for him?  He's a real blunt-talking East Coast type and appears willing to get in somebody's face if they cross him.  Christie appears to have taken a rough and tumble political state like his and turned it back to fiscal solvency.  In the process, he seem to have gained the respect of his opponents.

It's time that I educate myself about him.  But what about his size?  This dude's big.  He looks like he made one too many return trips to the food line at Old Country Buffet.  Would that be an obstacle?

Check out this column by Frank Bruni of the New York Times who addresses this question.  He faces that question head-on in a thoughtful way.  He describes Christie as being truculent.

But some trucluence might be what this country needs if it brings people together.

Check out this new Rick Perry television commercial

I can't decide if Rick Perry sounds more like George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan.  After looking at this commercial from his campaign, I feel like cancelling cable television during the heavy campaign months.   It might be time to lighten up on tv watching and time to refire my Kindle.

Do you have the right to record video of a political townhall?

Check this story and the video of a public citizen townhall held by U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio. Citizens were using their cellphones and small video cameras to record the congressman's presentation. And then the Cincinatti police swooped in and confiscated the phones/cameras.  What do you think? Can they do this?  Were any rights violated?

Has this happened here in Michigan?  Anybody have details?  What was the outcome?

Click here for the UPI story about what happened.

Wall Street Journal raises question about conservatives giving next year's election to Obama

Just got this from Mike Allen's Politico newsletter which quotes the Wall Street Journal about whether conservative Republicans in Washington, D.C. are giving next year's election to President Obama. There's a time to compromise and this seems to be it for conservatives.  Here's the Wall Street Journal excerpt:

--WSJ lead editorial, "The GOP's Reality Test: Republicans who oppose Boehner's debt deal are playing into Obama's hands": "[T]hanks to the President's overreaching on taxes, Mr. Boehner now has the GOP positioned in sight of a political and policy victory. If his plan or something close to it becomes law, Democrats will have conceded more spending cuts than they thought possible, and without getting the GOP to raise taxes and without being able to blame Republicans for a debt-limit crackup or economic damage. If conservatives defeat the Boehner plan, they'll not only undermine their House majority. They'll go far to re-electing Mr. Obama and making the entitlement state that much harder to reform."

Is Michigan's Republican leader Saul Anuzis thinking right about raising the federal debt limit?

Today's going to be a big day on the national level with the efforts to find agreement on raising the federal debt limit and cutting federal spending.  Michigan Republican National Committeeman Saul Anuzis shared this quote in his weekly e-newsletter which I received this morning:

“Raising the Debt Ceiling is kind of like increasing Blood Alcohol Levels to Solve Drunk Driving.”

My pick for politician of the day: Illinois U.S. Rep. Timothy V. Johnson for personally calling each of his constituents

It would be fun to sit down with U.S. Rep. Timothy V. Johnson of Illinois and ask him what he's learned from personally telephoning each of his 300,000 constituents at least once if not twice.  This Washington Post story has the details. 

He apparently works real hard at doing this and has made it a significant part of his life.  Think of the huge cellphone bills, but think of the possibilities its represents.  He knows his constituents from personal contact.

What would happen here in Michigan if each city council member, township board member, county commissioner, state legislator and member of Congress did this?  What if they just asked what was on your mind and how's stuff?  Would it make a difference?

Check this blog post from the National Conference of State Legislatures about this practice by U.S. Rep. Johnson.