Congratulations Rush!

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh

There are many people I'd like to blog about, namely Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and that pompous ass Darrell Issa, but today I'm going to shine the spotlight on Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh has the distinction of being voted America's least favorite news personality. To call him a news personality is a stretch because nothing that man talks about is news. If you're looking for exaggerated observations, tall tales and racist rantings about President Obama and the First Lady, he's your man. He garnered 46% of the vote with Bill O'Reilly and Nancy Grace ranking second and third. This is no surprise but if they had asked me, Bill O'Reilly and Nancy Grace would have tied for second on my list. Unlike his devoted fans, the people who participated in this poll identified themselves as Republicans, Democrats and independents. Limbaugh is universally disliked.

Source: Think Progress

What You Won't See on Fox News

This man perfectly articulates what the Occupy movement is about. It's no surprise this was not aired on Fox News.

Occupy Nashville Saves Home from Foreclosure

Nashville, TN

Good news from the Occupy movement. This story was taken from Change.org:

Occupy Nashville created this campaign calling on Chase Bank to stop the foreclosure on the home of a local 78-year-old grandmother, Helen Bailey. While moving forward with foreclosure on Ms. Bailey, who marched for civil rights, JP Morgan Chase also launched a new website and marketing campaign aligning itself with the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ms. Bailey won the support of prominent civil rights leaders including Cornel West who said: "I strongly support my dear sister Helen Bailey. Her struggle for justice is legendary. I stand with her."

After receiving attention from media outlets like MSNBC, the Huffington Post, Business Insider, the Associated Press and The Tennessean, Chase Bank announced that it would postpone Ms. Bailey's foreclosure. After negotiations with Ms. Bailey's lawyer, Ms. Bailey and Chase Bank reached an agreement that will allow her to stay in her home until she dies.

Ms. Bailey said: “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I love my home and my community and I am so blessed to be able to stay here. I am thankful for the support of my neighbors and the nation." Occupy Nashville said that they thank Change.org for "providing a platform to make social change possible."

RIP Whitney Houston 1963-2012

Much Ado About Nothing

CNN's Roland Martin

CNN commentator Roland Martin had taken to Twitter during the Superbowl to share his thoughts with his followers but it got him in trouble. Martin has been suspended by CNN indefinitely for tweeting the following:

 "real bruhs" would not purchase underwear advertised by Beckham, and that people should "smack the ish out" of a male supporter of the ad"

and this:

"Who the hell was the New England Patriot they showed in a head to toe pink jumpsuit? Oh he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass"

Though I don't know what Martin's intentions were when he tweeted these comments but I know that what a public figure puts out on Twitter can get them into a lot of trouble.  The gay and lesbian watchdog group GLAAD raised a whole lot of fuss about Martin's tweets which they called homophobic and anti-gay.

Of course Martin has to apologize because he wants to go back to CNN but I've heard worse things said about gay men and lesbians and have not heard a word from GLAAD. I don't think Martin's comments were homophobic at all.

First of all, I watched the Superbowl with a male friend and happened to see the David Beckham underwear ad. Jokingly I asked my friend "Are you going to buy some of those?" He gave me the side eye. He wasn't impressed with the Beckham ad either. The fact that my friend dismissed Beckham's underwear ad doesn't mean he is homophobic, he just doesn't like David Beckham. There isn't much more to it than that.

Secondly, pink isn't one of those colors that men can wear. It looks fine on pubescent girls but not so much on grown-ass men of any age.  Nothing homophobic about that. You couldn't get any man I know, okay maybe one, into pink let alone a pink jumpsuit. Just because I believe this doesn't make me homophobic or anti-gay either.

Sometimes I think people read too much into what other people say  especially when it comes to race, gender and sexual orientation. Sometimes we just need to step back. I'd like to see the GLAAD folks channel their energy into what they do best, being a watchdog and advocate for gay men and lesbians. I think they made a mountain out of a molehill with Roland Martin's Twitter comments.  If you don't like what someone says you always have the opportunity to turn the channel, turn the page or hit the off button. I hope Roland Martin gets to go back to CNN soon.

The Road to Super Tuesday

Republican Mitt Romney
photo from vizfact.com

The Republican race for president is by no means over. Not so favorite son Mitt Romney got swept in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado. That's not so good for him.  I guess getting that endorsement from Donald Trump was politically useless. Adding insult to injury, Romney finished third in Minnesota behind Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. Remember after the Florida primaries how the news media were declaring Romney the Republican candidate for president in 2012?  They've been proven wrong again. What the media may think is a sure thing doesn't always materialize, sort of like those polls they take about fictional 2012 presidential match-ups. Never believe the hype!

There is something about Mitt Romney that people don't like. The man has been running for president since 2008 and if the momentum and people were behind his candidacy, these primary races wouldn't be so hard for him. Sure he can out spend Gingrich, Santorum and Paul but that's about it. The man is an empty suit. There is no there there. No one knows what he stands for because he has changed his position so often. Sure he has been a CEO before and likes firing people but he should be smart enough to know that the government is not a business and should not be run that way. A look at how Mitt did as governor of Massachusetts is worth looking into.

For Mitt it's about getting votes and support, even if he has to change his position to do it. As governor of Massachusetts, he signed a health care reform law into effect but then criticizes President Obama's health care reform even though it is nearly identical to the one he signed into law as governor. Mitt has now joined the chorus of Republican detractors who feel health care is a privilege and not a right.  He was for universal health care before he was against it. He's only distancing himself from it because it is unpopular with Republicans and the majority of the American people polled have an unfavorable view of it.

I don't know about you, but I like my candidates to stand for something not flail about with no real positions or goals.  I think that's why people aren't so eager to embrace Mitt. He may like French Fries today, but if he finds out that people prefer Tater Tots, Mitt will be right there, french fries be damned!Where does he stand on the issues? Mitt is a rich guy so I don't expect him to have any empathy for the poor and working class people.  He wasn't lying when he told CNN's Soledad O'Brien that the didn't care about poor people. I don't care how he tries to backpedal or say he misspoke; he was being honest. You can't expect a man who has inherited wealth to understand the plight of the poor and working class. He doesn't strike me as someone who understands hard work or who has ever had to work hard for anything.

What kind of platform is Mitt running on?  Who knows? You can only Obama bash for so long, but that won't get you anything but applause. What plans does he have to put Americans back to work? I can't say I've heard him say anything about it. He has no one to blame for his defeat but himself, money can't buy you everything, certainly not the Republican presidential race. Romney leans forward while everyone else is leaning back looking elsewhere. It's going to be a rough road to Super Tuesday.

I Heard You the First Time, Mitt

Huckster Donald Trump shaking hands with Republican Mitt Romney

It should be no surprise that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is backtracking on that comment he made about the poor. If you missed it, Mitt said he doesn't care about poor people because they have a safety net. Even after CNN's Soledad O'Brien checked him on it, but he refused to retract his statement. And up until yesterday, he didn't see anything wrong with what he said.

In typical Republican fashion, Romney commenced to chiding reporters for taking his words out of context and misunderstanding what he said.  The camera does not lie, Mitt.  You looked straight back at Soledad O'Brien and doubled down on your comments about the poor.  You can't really blame reporters for something that you said.  We are lucky during those candid moments that Romney lets us see what kind of person he really is and what he really thinks.  He doesn't care about rich people either because he knows they are doing fine, he's one of them.

Snagging an endorsement from Republican do-nothing and huckster Donald Trump doesn't help improve Romney's image either.  He is still the out-of-touch rich guy desperately trying to be every man.  An endorsement from Donald Trump means nothing because it's just one rich guy co-signing for another rich guy.  I have absolutely nothing in common with Mitt Romney and Donald Trump nor do they have anything in common with me.

All I can tell you about Romney is that he's been running for president since 2008, I can't tell you anything about what he stands for or what his campaign is about other than getting him elected President. I couldn't tell you where he stands on any substantive issue because he changes his mind often and always makes the most politically expedient choice. He isn't called Flipper for nothing.

I don't live in a world where I can make $10,000 bets or say that $400,000 is not very much money.  I am one of those poor people Mitt Romney cares nothing about.