As most of you know, I am no fan of Mitt Romney. The only constant in Mitt’s history seems to be moving his political career forward. So, I haven’t exactly been disappointed in the recent disruption of Mitt’s coronation plans. Moreover, I’ve got to admit that I’ve enjoyed watching the Establishment’s hyperventilation over Newt Gingrich’s upstart candidacy.
I’ve always been amazed by Newt’s intellect and his capacity to generate almost unlimited schemes to make government better. He’s a big idea guy, maybe a bit of a technocrat. So it didn’t surprise me when today, he announced a big idea to make America proud again: a permanently manned lunar base by 2020. But this scheme directly confirmed my fears of what Newt’s presidency could become.
What this boils down to is little connection to reality. Reality is that this nation is nearly bankrupt. To get us even close to solvent requires radical, significant cuts, similar to what Ron Paul has proposed. If the Speaker wants to combine his space plan with fundamental reforms of the entitlement state, perhaps it would be worthy of discussion.
For those of you who see this as something to help America dream again, creating new found patriotism, keep in mind what our last major space project was: the International Space Station. I’m not exactly a fan of creating “patriotism” in international efforts. And Gingrich hasn’t guaranteed an exclusively sovereign US effort, something we’re unlikely to see given his internationalist tendencies and modern multinational space efforts. Nor have I heard him call for serious reform of NASA, an agency dominated by failure and alien hunters.
In any event, the real problem is that we’re well over $100 trillion in debt, including future unfunded liabilities, and until that is radically attacked, there’s no way we can spend hundreds of billions on a moon base.
Newt has called for downsizing the federal government, getting rid of deficit spending and returning power to the states. But now he’s calling for more spending, making me wonder whether he really comprehends that the federal government is the problem. Its debt threatens to drag us into oblivion. Dreams are nice, especially while Rome is burning, but they don’t put out the fire.
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Bob Barnwell says,
This leaves us with Rick Santorum or Dr. Ron Paul. As for me, its Rick Santorum all the way.
on 26 January 2012 / 5:17 AM
Diane Winkler says,
Please don’t get your panties in a bunch because of his vision for outer space. He is only sharing a vision. He knows our priorities. He can see this happening when we get the debt and deficits in control.
I appreciate Joe’s opinion on Mitt, but a vision of Mr. Santorum, although conservative, shows Obama’s Chicago machine demoralizing Rick.
on 26 January 2012 / 1:32 PM
Barbara J Struble says,
Newt G voted to raise debt ceiling 9 times and wants individual mandate – force all to buy health insurance and is member of one world govt org CFR, Rich S voted to raise debt ceiling 5 times, Mitt R instituted Obamacare in Massachusetts.
They are all RINOS – big government -throw away the constitution people.
Dr. Ronald Paul is the only constitutional conservative – no Fed, gold standard, limit feds to constitution, power and money back to the states and people. No one is free unless we all are free. Liberty and justice for all is Dr. Paul.
Peace,
on 26 January 2012 / 5:38 PM
R Hill says,
If Joe and Republicans are serious about replacing Obama, then you better get realistic as Romney is the only republican candidate who can beat Obama. Yes, maybe Santorum is a little more conservative, but he cannot win so why do we continue to hurt ourselves by continually bashing everyone? It is time to support Romney. He is a really good guy. He has faith and is conservative and he is a successful businessman. He also loves his wife and is faithful to his wife and is a good husband and father. What the hell is wrong with this story?
on 26 January 2012 / 8:52 PM
D Bishop says,
As Ms. Struble has pointed out very clearly, the only true conservative in the race is Dr. Paul. The rest are RINOs. AND if we keep saying that Dr. Paul is not electable, cannot beat Obama, then we will make it so. NO, Dr. Paul is not a great orator, but he is the ONLY principled politician in the running. And, the fact that he has come as far as he has – despite months of media blackout and other disrespect – is a strong indication that when intelligent, thinking people are able to hear his message they realize he is 100% right.
on 26 January 2012 / 10:39 PM
Hank Dralle says,
Joe, Concentrate your criticism on the real problem – Barack Obama and cronies. I’m sure Newt fully understands the proper priorities.
Meanwhile, Rick Santorum makes a very strong candidate in my eyes.
on 27 January 2012 / 7:16 PM
siteunseen says,
Newt Gingrich speaks with forked tongue. Don’t believe his lies about reducing Deficit Spending, etc. He called “Paul Ryans” Budget Plan “Right Wing Social Engineering”. Here is a Video which describes who he is and it’s not put out by Mitt Romney, but by the “John Birch Society”, who are Constitutional Conservatives. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq4lde9wghI It comes down to Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, but Santorum has voted the way Gingrich told him to vote in many instances, and thus was easily swayed by his mentor. Ron Paul isn’t the scarey guy everyone points him out to be. Bring the Troops home, and fight in declared wars is in our Constitution of Non-Interventionism. The first time the US intervened in another war was the Spanish/American war fought in The Philippines. The Second time in World War I, but by World War I the Federal Reserve Bankrupters had taken over our monetary policy, and things were not good for America. What is happening as we speak is that a Globalist Agenda is on its way to a City near you, and you’ve got your hands tied, because it’s going to happen no matter what, and only if we the people don’t get wise, and figure out that the Agenda is to Depopulate the World of “Useless Eaters” and devoid the World of the Middle Class. They’ve skewed results on these Caucuses and are going to do the same on this major Presidential Election, unless we get to it and stop them. DON’T VOTE MITT ROMNEY OR NEWT GINGRICH!
on 28 January 2012 / 1:23 PM
siteunseen says,
I understand why people would say Mitt Romney is a good family man, but his policy is not a conservative nor a non-Globalist Agenda. He’s a member of the CFR, and is one of the elitists. He wants to invade foreign lands, and would go into another Iraq-type war with Iran, as well as take away our freedoms and our right to buy our own insurance policy with Romneycare. He defends his disastrous Romneycare to this day. He was hand picked by the RINO Republican establishment. Yes, he seems like a nice guy, good manners, polished good looks, nice kids, faithful wife and was a faithful husband, but his Agenda is the Globalist Agenda. That is the evil we’re trying to overcome. Rick Santorum is easily swayed and voted against: “Right to Work Act”, and to increase the “Debt Ceiling”, and his mentor was Newt Gingrich. He says: “I love Newt Gingrich”. That’s all you need to hear. Go to: Ron Paul 2012 and read what he stands for. He’s older and wiser, and his son Rand Paul will probably be his Vice-Presidential running mate. The two combined equal Sanity in the White House and the end of a Globalist Agenda.
on 28 January 2012 / 1:33 PM
wager says,
As the comments reflect, this primary is accentuating differences when unity is needed.
Only the primary voters can determine the best candidate.
I too was knocked off my chair when I heard Newt talk about a space colony. It reinforced my fear he is forgets he is not longer in a classroom but on the national stage with all eyes on him.
Yes Ron Paul’s budgetary proposals are necessary, but as the last election taught us, being frank and open does not get the majority behind you when the RINOS are blocking you as well.
I am saddened by Newt’s shot at his own feet. But if Romney does get the nod from voters, we are going to have to unite if Obummer is ever going to be thrown out of office.
Today, Obummer is leading both Romney and Newt. We have to turn the number on its head, whomever the winner in the primary is.
on 28 January 2012 / 2:28 PM
wager says,
Greata interviewed Newt tonight on his bus.His explanation was not looney. He stated he was taking the lead of visionaries like JFK who declared he would put men on the moon in nine years and delivered.
Newt said that like JFK his plan was derided. But that was post sputnick during the cold war when we worried the Russkies would rush ahead of us in technology. Who is going to beat us to a moon base now? Aliens?
On its face, the explanation was inspiring and visionary. But was it just Newt spinning or is it a good thing to spend 200 billion on a moon base for, as he stated, melting water for the Mars mission. Yes he said that too.
Everytime I want to believe in Newt and I look closely at what he says, I get disappointed. Cain endorsed Newt today. He is going to have to hit some home runs to get to home now.
on 29 January 2012 / 1:21 AM
siteunseen says,
Grandiose ideas for a country on the verge of total bankruptcy and collapse. Who is going to save the Republic? Ron Paul 2012. I’m afraid he’s the only one who will do it. You don’t have to love everything he says, but we’re up against Stalin and Hitler here, and Ron Paul is closer to Thomas Paine, father of the American Revolutionary ideals.
on 30 January 2012 / 7:28 PM