Would Newt's baggage fly for free on Jet Blue?

The Left by Y.I. Wearblack


"Thank you for flying Jet Blue today, Mr. Gingrich. How   many bags will you be traveling with?"
"Five."
"You know that there is a surcharge for additional bags, as well as a surcharge if each bag is over fifty pounds."
"No problem, I'll just charge it to my campaign. Traveling is a legitimate campaign expense."
"Great sir, place that first bag on the scale."
"It's kind of heavy"
"Well let's just see, sir. Wow, its over 200 pounds. What's in it?
"Well, that holds my expulsion from the House of Representatives."
"You were expelled sir?, Why?"
"I'm still not sure. I transferred some of the money from my campaign accounts to establish my teaching course and I forgot to report that to the IRS."
"You evaded paying taxes?"
"It's a gray area."
"But isn't that a crime, sir?"
"It was forgiven if I gave up my seat and admitted to it. So, it wasn't a problem."
"I am sorry, sir, but I'm going to have to charge you for that bag."
"No problem."
"The second bag, sir."
"Here we go young man..."
"Wow, it is over 500 pounds. What's in it?"
"Well, my divorces are in there."
"But sir, I thought you were a Christian Conservative espousing family values."
"Let me remind you young man, divorce is not a capital crime."
"I know sir, but didn't you lie to your ex-wives multiple times and then leave them?"
"Divorce can happen to anyone."
"But you did it twice, sir."
"I can pay my bills, young man, so let's get on with it."
"Yes sir, the third bag, please."
"It's also pretty hefty."
"What's in that one?"
"Well, I have my educational materials and lobbying career in that one."
"And why is that so heavy?"
"I'll tell you. I have written a lot of books, as has my current wife. Then there are tapes, pamphlets etc. And of course my business career. After leaving Congress I offered my "consulting" services  to the highest bidders for my historical perspective--I am an historian you know. It came to millions."
"I see sir. I didn't know companies paid historians that well." 
"They do if you know the right people in Washington."
"And the fourth bag sir?"
"Well, my age and weight are in that one. I'm 68 years old and I weigh over 250 pounds."
"Yes, sir, that's a big load for a man who wants to be President. But I know, just charge it. And the last bag, what's in that?"
"It's my character."
"That one is the heaviest of all. Well over a ton. But I understand why. A President needs strong character to do his job as he never knows what crises he will face."
"You are so right my boy."
"Mr. Gingrich, I'm afraid we will have to scrub you off of this flight."
"And why would you do that?"
"Just too much baggage, Mr. Gingrich. The plane won't fly."


The Center by Jerry Morgan


Newt is a mixed blessing for the Republicans. On the positive side of the ledger he is a veteran politician who knows first-hand the ins and outs of Congress. On the negative side of the ledger, he is a veteran politician who is a Washington insider. On the positive side he has proven that he could work with the other party to  get important legislation passed in both houses and by the executive. On the negative side, he has shown a willingness to meet the Democrats half way, to compromise, to be reasonable, traits not admired by those on the right which will hamper him in states like Iowa. On the positive side, he is a reasoned intellectual who is capable of analyzing a problem and coming up with alternative solutions which may or may not be mainstream. On the negative side, he is an independent thinker---a radical concept these days.
On the positive side, he has had business experience since leaving Washington. On the negative side, he has  had business experience since leaving Washington. On the positive side, he has known many women serially, including two failed marriages. On the negative side, there was some parallelism. On the  positive side he consulted for Fanny and Freddie. On the negative side, he consulted for Fanny and Freddie, entities he now claims to despise. On the positive side Newt is not afraid to speak his mind. On the negative side sometimes what he has to say should not be on his mind. 
Does Newt have too much baggage to fly for free on Jet Blue? Definitely, but name one politician who doesn't.


The Right by Dwight Cameron


Why I, an ardent fiscal and social conservative am for Newt:

First, I do not trust Romney.  He seems to have big government instincts--not my cup of tea.  The last thing we need is another W.  Newt knows how Washington works and knows how to compromise; he and Bill Clinton had a plan to save Social Security until Bubba scuttled it.  He is an excellent debater.  He has good ideas, expresses them well and can think on his feet.  Four years ago he wrote Real Change, a book where he outlined his ideas which, he claimed, may garner support among the majority of Americans. I agree. For instance, we obviously have a great many energy resources which could be developed to make us less dependent on Middle Eastern oil.  The Republican slogan of  "drill, baby, drill" was one of Newt's ideas that he outlined in his book.  The other Republicans have either flamed out or could not get the support of the main-stream of the Party. I believe Newt is a small government conservative at heart and like the Manchester Union Leader, he has my endorsement. For the endorsement itself:http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111127/NEWS/711279999

Sure,  Newt has heavy baggage but not sooo heavy. Go Newt!

9-9-9 Should Cain Stay or Get Out?

The Center by Jerry Morgan

Herman Cain may not be the most astute politician and in fact he isn't a politician. That is the lure. His 9-9-9 proposal is simplistic but has some merit. It will simplify the tax code and reduce corporate taxes which in turn should stimulate business investment and hiring. However, one can argue that it is inherently unfair for the lower class to pay what could amount to up to 18% (when you take into account local and state taxes) sales tax on essential items.

As far as the accusations of women who are coming out of the closet, they are still only accusations and I respect Mr. Cain for his staying in the campaign. After all, unless he is guilty of a criminal act or found guilty of sexual crimes, he is to be admired for standing up for what he believes under extreme emotional duress. Now the media seems to have ganged up on him from the right and from the left.

It is this centrists opinion that while Mr. Cain may be a flawed candidate, he makes some valuable contributions to the Republican platform and should remain, at least until he no longer is a viable candidate.

The Left by Y. I. Wearblack       

Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan is a lost leader for Tea Party Conservatives. It could never be enacted because it is a totally unsustainable economic model for America. It is a slogan without substance. Like everything else he peddles it is a sound bite of pop culture, drawn in this case, from the video game Sim City.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that Herman Cain’s candidacy is nothing more than an animated billboard to deflect attention from the real intent of those who have financed his candidacy, namely to extract more revenue from the middle class and the poor and less from the rich. It is a business model in which the poor pay more, get less while the rich pay less and get more.  His popularity is derived from a sense of entitlement that accompanies the Conservative heart, which repeats and repeats, I have a natural advantage and I wish to use it by exploiting the less fortunate. Ask Herman Cain a question about foreign policy or economics and he tells you that he doesn’t know nor does he need to know. One slogan is sufficient because his form of government is tyranny.

We are a country that has come of age. Unfettered free enterprise is fine to lay the foundation of democracy, but a balance of free enterprise and social equality is the way to sustain it. What we are experiencing in America is a coming of age, a realization that we cannot return to the past or wallow in the present. We must move forward accepting the full mantle of civilization, meaning we must take into consideration the needs of very large constituencies in our population; the young, the aged, the unemployed and the sick, providing a social infrastructure that supports them all. Herman Cain and those like him are icons that we need to reject in the name of progress. The choice must be made soon, and the choruses of protesters are heralding that moment. Herman Cain, get out of the race! 

The Right by James Daly Jr.

Herman Cain knows what the American Dream is--in fact, he is a personification of it. He not only espouses the virtues of laissez-faire economics, he built an empire despite the barricades of over-regulation of small businesses by government. 

Now he wishes to give something back to society. He is a very wealthy self-made man who owes a debt to the American people, to free market capitalism and the American way. He is a true patriot with Judeo-Christian values who has been maligned by the far left media who are paying women to make heinous accusations against him--accusations that he has proclaimed to be false and we, his apostles, believe him one thousand percent.

No one is claiming that Mr. Cain should be knighted or nominated for sainthood, but he speaks from the heart, and is an honest politician--no, it is not an oxymoron because Herman Cain has not been tainted by the inadequacies of the current Congress and Executive branch of government. 

He is exactly what we need in the White House. A fresh face, with new ideas who is not afraid to go where no one else has dared.