Rational Nation USA

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Senator Cruz, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate ramping up the volume and hyperbole. Another of the saber rattling pro war republicans. Sound bites lacking substance sells. Particularly among the attention challenged rightwing nationalist war hawks. Remember co president Big Dick Cheney and the ensuing Iraq fiasco? You're seeing his reflection. THE HILL - Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday hit fellow Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, doubling down on his criticism of the nuclear deal with Iran. Cruz maintained Thursday that if world powers lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for the country curbing its nuclear program, members of the Obama administration "will be the leading global financiers" of terrorism. "When you send billions of dollars to jihadists trying to kill Americans, you bear responsibility for the murder they carry out with the money you have given them,"

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth As GOP presidential candidate and ex Arkansas governor takes it completely off the rails. CJOnline.com - Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee indicated Thursday that if elected, he wouldn’t rule out employing federal troops or the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stop abortion from taking place in the United States. Though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against bans on abortion, Huckabee said past presidents have defied Supreme Court rulings. The comments came at two public speaking stops on a tour of Iowa. In response to a question from the audience at the Pizza Ranch in Jefferson, Iowa, Huckabee said he would “invoke the 5th and 14th amendments for the protection of every human being.” Both amendments contain due process protections against depriving people of life without due process of law. “Would that be a huge controversy?” the former Arkansas governor asked. “Yes.” But he argued that scientific advancements ha

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Next week ten GOP presidential candidates will face each other in the opening debate of the 2016 presidential campaign. Donald Trump, the bombastic, narcissistic braggart is presently leading the GOP field in all major polls. He has accomplished this through controlling media focus and by his tough guy talk on immigration. Trump has touch a chord that resonates with a significant segment of the American electorate. Playing on Americans fears and by pumping up the volume on his rhetoric and bromides he has managed overshadow other more qualified and serious candidates. THE HILL - GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Thursday he has “no idea” how he will perform in next week’s Republican 2016 debate. Trump argued that he is a man of action rather than words during a news conference in Turnberry, Scotland, that afternoon. Perhaps Mr. Trump is a man of action rather than words, but as a candidate for the presidency of the United

   By (O)CT(O)PUS If this title caught your attention, you have come to right place. The art of headline writing is a lesson learned in Journalism 101 and a convention of 'yellow journalism' born in the Gilded Age. Yellow journalism is a derisive term that has become synonymous with sensationalism, pandering, and journalistic misconduct. When discussing the failings of contemporary journalism, the era of the yellow press is likely to be invoked. The criticisms are valid because the conventions of yellow journalism continue to live and thrive in the age of cable TV news. My purpose in writing this post is to critique a column by Paul Janensch that appeared in the pages of our local newspaper: "Trump understands how to feed media to his advantage" [July 22, 2015]. Everyday we witness examples of cringe worthy headlines turned into newsworthy events. We understand how charlatans and shameless hacks play the media; but how many journalists ask the more pertinent qu

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth This is a dangerous man. Another the neo con right loves to idolize.

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth “Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know what no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Given the GOP's position on many issues important to the American people it is understandable why they are viewed as unfavorably as they are. If the Grand Old Party (which is really no longer all that Grand)doesn't address the issues the American electorate is concerned about and put forward clear, honest, and realistic solutions the current negative trajectory will continue on it's present course. The Republican Party’s image has grown more negative over the first half of this year. Currently, 32% have a favorable impression of the Republican Party, while 60% have an unfavorable view. Favorable views of the GOP have fallen nine percentage points since January. The Democratic Party continues to have mixed ratings (48% favorable, 47% unfavorable). The Democratic Party has often held an edge over the GOP in favorability in recent years, but its advantage had narrowed following the Republicans’ midterm victory last fall. Today, t

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth The Donald - The latest polls are out, and just as I predicted, I’m leading the Republican presidential race by a wide margin. You might be wondering how that could be. After all, it’s hardly been a month since I entered the field and I’ve already alienated America’s largest immigrant population, seen dozens of my high-profile business deals implode one after the other, and publicly insulted a national hero’s military service, all while not offering a single viable policy idea. But none of that matters at all, and my candidacy continues to surge forward, because none of you—not a single one of you—can look away. Not even for a second. Admit it: You people want to see just how far this goes, don’t you? My campaign’s just barely begun and I’ve already got you begging for more. Sure, you can say you oppose me or that you don’t even take me seriously. But let me ask you: How many articles have you read about Ted Cruz lately? How many news s

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth POLITICO - As he stepped up efforts to sell the Iran nuclear deal to the American public and skeptics in Congress on Tuesday, President Barack Obama compared critics’ opposition to the agreement with support for the invasion of Iraq. In both a muscular speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Pittsburgh and a taping of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” Obama cast critics of his diplomatic approach as the same kind of misguided warmongers who pushed for an invasion of Iraq during George W. Bush’s presidency. “We’re hearing the echoes of some of the same policies and mindset that we’ve heard in the past,” Obama said. His loudest critics, he added, are “the same folks who were so quick to go to war in Iraq and said it would take a few months.” A few hours later, on the “Daily Show” set in New York City, Obama took another jab at his critics, this time invoking Dick Cheney. He mocked those who he said seem to believe that if “you had br

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth ( CNN )— Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed Saturday that a newly negotiated deal on his country's nuclear program would not alter Iran's policies toward the United States. In a televised address marking the start of Eid al-Fitr, the festival that follows the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Khamenei said the agreement signed Tuesday on the nuclear issue would not affect Iran's stance on other regional or bilateral matters. "Our policies toward the arrogant government of the United States will not be changed at all," he said. Khamenei said the negotiations with the United States and other world powers on Tehran's nuclear program were an exception because they served Iran's national interest. Families query deal Bilateral issues currently at stake between Washington and Tehran include the fate of three Americans of Iranian background who are currently detained in Iran, as well as the

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth As the American neo con's and republican presidential candidates go all goofy over the Historic Nuclear deal with Iran, falling all over themselves declaring how bad it is for America, reasonably intelligent folks will withhold judgment until we actually know the details. It appears based on what we already know this negotiated deal is by far better than the alternative; which is the use of force against Iran. Of course Bibi, the Israeli version of the American neo con, is talking up how catastrophic this deal is be for Israel as well as the USA. No surprise there as the Prime Minister has been sounding the same rhetorical BS for as long as he has been in Israeli politics and government. My prediction; the deal stands, it ultimately improve relations with Iran, and the world will be a safer place for it. Oh, and if by a stroke of unfortunate luck one of the republican candidates should win the 2016 election, they will do absolutely no

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth POLITICO - The ink was barely dry on the nuclear agreement with Iran before Republican presidential candidates began attacking it as a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad deal. On Tuesday morning, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said the historic accord, announced early Tuesday in Vienna, is “akin to declaring war on Israel and the Sunni Arabs.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could have done better, he said. “Hillary Clinton, if you think this is a good deal, then you’re dangerously naive. I think she could negotiate a better deal than this. I think everybody on our side could, except Rand Paul,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “My initial impression is that this deal is far worse than I ever dreamed it could be and will be a nightmare for the region, our national security and eventually the world at large,” Graham said in a separate interview with Bloomberg. Graham said the deal has created “a possible death sentenc

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Mister self righteous himself calling for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a women. Courting the evangelical religious right vote will play well to a minority of the voting public and may even get him a place on the stage. Good luck with the amendment thing Frothy. {Chuckling Out Loud} Bloomberg Politics - Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said Monday he wants a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman in all 50 states, less than three weeks after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. “I believe we need a national standard for marriage. I don't think we can have a standard from one state to another on what marriage is,” Santorum told reporters at a breakfast in Washington hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, adding that he wants “to define marriage the way it was defined for 4,000 years of human history.” The remark

Rational Nation USA Purveyor of Truth Questions asked by Megyn Kelly are legitimate and are not only deserving of answers they must be answered. Division is only increased when the legitimate concerns of people are ignored and treated as if they do not matter. Concern is a two way street, however some apparently fail to acknowledge this simple fact. Read the transcript of remarks .

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth A great 4th of July weekend project. What better way to spend ones time than helping a terrific son put in his rock patio. Oh, and the slow smoked ribs he made for after project completion... Awesomely Outstanding! Henceforth my son; that would be Patrick the big guy, will be known as The Rib Man .

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself.   ~Thomas Paine Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.   ~Thomas Paine     Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty . - John F. Kennedy     So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout M