Super Tuesday Results

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Tuesday's race for delegates produced the following results. Mitt Romney won Alaska, Idaho, Massachusetts, Ohio, Virginia and Vermont; Rick Santorum took Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Dakota; and.Newt Gingrich has Georgia, the state with the most delegates, in his column. Ron Paul trailed behind in all 10 states.

With a total of 1,144 delegates. Romney leads with 361 delegates. Santorum in second place trails Romney with a total of 112 delegates; Gingrich has garnered 80 and Ron Paul 24. Just under half the delegates still remain in the race for the Republican nomination, and Ron Paul has little chance of a victory.

Ham on Wry wrote an earlier post about Ron Paul and believes he is the only one of the four that has stated his position clearly without wavering.  He might gain traction by running as an independent because it's clear that none of the Republican hopefuls have overwhelming support. This blog predicts that Paul will drop out of the race by tomorrow.

None of the nominees seem to grasp the importance that global issues should take on the political stage, instead opting for attacks on one another and spending time on social issues that have no place on their platforms. What a disappointing lot!  If this is the best the Republicans have to offer, it clearly illustrates a party divided and in disarray. All the better for President Obama.

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Newt Gingrich Needs a Gag

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 President Barack Obama apologized Thursday morning for the accidental burning of Qurans by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Today marked the third straight day of protests, which have increased in number with each successive day. Newt Gingrich slammed Obama for writing the letter to Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the same day that two US soldiers were killed by a protester dressed as an Afghan soldier.








Ham on Wry has two words for Newt, "Shut up!" Obama's apology was sent to give emphasis to the those already issued by other U.S. officials over the incident.

Gingrich is politicizing something that has enraged Afghan citizens, and his criticism could serve to escalate the violence further. Now is the time to pull together in a united front rather than making it a stage for political battles. Any smart person would have kept silent with so much riding in the balance.

Despite the presence of Afghan security forces deployed to quell the unrest, hundreds of demonstrators defied the order for calm. Reportedly, some members of the Afghan Parliament have encouraged the violence and call for death to American soldiers. Taliban leaders have joined the chorus, and fear mounts that protesters will follow the calls to beat Americans as well as kill U.S. soldiers.

So. put a sock in it, Newt! Allow President Obama and the Joint Chiefs to handle this without your interference. Personally, I think it's long past time to remove our soldiers and allow Afghanistan to determine its own future without interference from other countries.

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Gingrich and Romney Stoop to New Low

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Here we go again! Gingrich and Romney continue hurling accusations at one another in the fight for Florida's pledged delegates. Florida is a winner-takes-all state, so the stakes are high in this race for the Republican nomination. Ham on Wry expresses its disgust at the over-the-top ads that permeate the airwaves and will whoop for joy after January 31st when the primary election is over. Floridians will have some reprieve until after the August Republican National Convention held in Tampa. Hurrah! I can't wait for the political deluge of drivel that will arrive then.

Okay, boys. Since you've chosen to point out the worst in your opponents, Ham on Wry joins the fray. One of the biggest roadblocks to an effective government occurs in the gridlock of negative actions against opponents, be it in a race for a party nomination or voting on legislation. Gingrich has labeled Romney a liberal, changing his earlier categorization of moderate. Only someone who is entrenched in extremism would think Romney is a liberal. Liberals tend to populate the independent category more than those of Democrat or Republican. Hey, Newt, have you forgotten your record as a member of the House of Representatives? If Romney is a liberal, you would fall into the uber-liberal category. You claim that you'll educate poor people and teach them how to get a job. What held you back over the last 13 years? Perhaps you were too busy capitalizing on your grasp of history, since you claim Freddie Mac hired you as a historian. Right! I'm certain your acceptance had nothing to do with the lucrative compensation.

Romney's campaign has aired an ad that captured archival footage from a 1997 NBC New broadcast in which Tom Brokaw discussed Gingrich's ethics violations and an overwhelming vote to impose a hefty fine. No one can dispute the truth of that claim because it's a matter of public record. However, it was chosen in poor taste and Tom Brokaw said that he feels uncomfortable having part of that broadcast used for political purposes. Romney claims a deep faith and yet resorts to the basest form of campaign tactics. Take the high road, Mitt. You have the Republican machine behind you and don't need to go for the jugular. Remove the ad and get on with it!

I'd like to think that people who want to lead our country during a difficult time nationally and internationally would display more statesmanship and behave like adults rather than junior high boys. My advice--grow up and tell voters what you can do, not what someone else can't!

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Republican Candidates Lack Fresh Ideas

Getty Image Chip Somodeville

The two sparring front runners in the Republican nomination process have provided absolutely nothing that could be labeled innovative to move this country forward in the second decade of the 21st century. Instead, they focus on portraying each other and President Obama in a negative light. The word Republican has become synonymous with the word "no".  The President's State of the Union address last night was delivered with optimism and ideas about moving this country in a positive direction. In fact, he included a few ideas that I had suggested in a note to him--ideas that many others had suggested as well, I'm sure. Obama mentioned taxing companies that outsource jobs overseas and rewarding companies that hire and maintain a workforce in this country.

Let's review some facts about where the United States stands today, as compared to what existed when Obama was elected in 2008. The financial meltdown occurred in September 2008, leaving a legacy of economic chaos when Obama took office in 2009. Much of the bailout plan was started under the Bush administration, although the Obama administration provided bailout money to the auto companies after he took office.The financial institutions that received money under Bush continued business as usual and paid large bonuses to executives, despite having borrowed astronomical amounts from taxpayers. I leave it to the reader to draw conclusions, but I place my vote on GM and Chrysler and remind readers that Ford did not take bailout money.

When Obama moved to the White House, al Qaeda was thriving and Osama bin Laden was alive. Today, bin Laden no longer exists and many other al Qaeda leaders have been killed, thus weakening the terrorist organization. During Libya's internal strife in the wake of Arab Spring, Obama chose a measured approach that relied on NATO forces on the ground and did not commit American forces to lead the charge. In January 2009, we still had a huge number of troops in Iraq. Obama ended that in December 2011.

I could wax on with additional information, but I now turn to Romney and Gingrich. Romney worked for the financial establishment, and, as his 2010 taxes show, paid a 13.9% tax rate because much of his income came from investments, which are taxed at a much lower rate than earned income such as many of us pay on our salaries. For particulars, Romney's tax forms can be found online.

Gingrich paid a 31% rate for 2010 income, but that doesn't reflect wealth that he accrued in previous years, and his taxes are a bit involved because of his foundation. Suffice it to say, both candidates are among the 1%. I remind readers that Warren Buffett has repeatedly stated that millionaires should pay a higher tax rate than those earning less than a million, and Patriotic Millionaires group agrees. Most Americans in a similar age bracket to the candidates have not earned $1 million in 10 years, let alone one tax year.

Ham on Wry urges voters to avoid using just one issue to elect a president in 2012. We don't need same ole, same ole mentality when approaching the complexities of modern living and global issues. That admonition applies to Congress  as well. President Obama rightfully chastised them last night for their inaction this session, and voters must remember that at the polls later this year.

Neither  Gingrich and Romney offer inspired leadership.The Republican Party's only hope is an unannounced, dynamic candidate with a track record of accomplishment in the last few years. If the current candidates reflect the best and brightest Republicans have to offer, we're doomed. Gingrich has already failed his leadership test and Romney doesn't appeal to many of the voters looking for a candidate to whom they can relate.

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Republican Presidential Candidates Fail to Impress

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Ham on Wry gave up hope that a qualified, knowledgeable Republican candidate would emerge when Jon Huntsman withdrew from the race for the nomination. Monday night's debate did nothing to provide evidence that a trustworthy candidate still exists on the Republican side.

Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney currently vie for the lead in the race. Neither impresses this blogger. Gingrich has demonstrated a character flaw that runs through much of his life. He married both his second and third wives after having affairs with them while he was still married. That doesn't affect his work necessarily, but it does indicate someone who lacks ethics in personal relationships. Maybe many Republicans who enthusiastically cheered him on his tirade at the debate directly prior to the South Carolina primary forgot that he already served as Speaker of the House in the 90's and resigned in disgrace. Fellow Republicans accused him of a failure to lead. Do we really want to revisit that in a time when so much turmoil exists globally? He also seems a bit fuzzy on what he accomplished during his time in Congress and attempts to distance himself from some of the bills he supported as a representative.

Mitt Romney has shown faithfulness and dedication in his personal relationships, but his success as a businessman comes with mixed reviews. The results of his tenure at Bain Capital show that some companies were created and others destroyed in his efforts. He amassed a great deal of wealth during that time, and he's not the only person to run for President who came from wealth. However, his reluctance to release his taxes until recently defies logic. One is left to wonder whether he truly understand the majority of citizens he wants to govern. He often seems ill at ease at the debate podium and appears out of touch with mainstream America. He accomplished some noteworthy aims as governor of Massachusetts, but now disavows some of the legislation he supported during his term in office.

The Republican Party has lots its way during the past quarter century and bears little resemblance to the party that existed several decades ago. It is characterized by intransigence and obstinance with a heavy dose of a "holier than thou" attitude. Candidates chant the mantra of no new taxes without offering a means of producing much-needed revenue to the federal government. The United States Constitution was not written to protect businesses or corporations; it was established to protect its citizens.

Registered voters have a duty to study all available information about candidates and then vote in the election. That requites more than watching political ads on TV or believing forwarded e-mails that attack a candidate without checking the facts purported in the ad. South Carolina evangelical Christian voters chose Newt Gingrich, a man whose infidelity is public knowledge. That directly conflicts with the marriage vows people often recite at their church weddings and illustrates a variance from stated principles.

Rick Santorum and Ron Paul do not have the background serve as global leaders or hold their own on the G-8 or deal directly with the issues in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, North Korea, and other world hot spots. Do the homework Republicans.

The race for the Republican nomination resembles a wild ride on a roller coaster, and, when it ends, I foresee a no-win outcome.

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Conservative Talk Show Host Wants Gingrich Out and Will Pay $1 Million to Make It Happen

Michael Savage, a popular conservative radio talk show host, says he will pay Newt Gingrich a cool million to end his bid for the nomination of Republican presidential candidate in the 2012 election. Savage believes Gingrich can't win against President Obama, considering his past affairs while still married and forced resignation as Speaker of the House.

On his blog, Savage explains, "In a Presidential debate against Obama, regardless of how well he does, on television, he will come off badly compared to Obama and look like nothing more than what he is: a fat, old, white man."  No punches pulled in that statement.  He concluded the post by writing entirely in caps, "If Newt Gingrich loves this country as much as he says he does, if he really wants what is best for America, he'll set his ego aside, call me, and accept my offer."  His final offer-- "take the offer...and don't run."

Savage gave Gingrich 48 hours to respond to his proposition.  Ham on Wry urges Gingrich to do the right thing and accept, or don't take the offer and withdraw because he sees the flaws in his candidacy.  Either way, the Republican Party wins because it has an opportunity to choose a candidate who isn't so divisive.

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Ham on Wry Award-Will the Real Newt Gingrich Please Stand

Newt Gingrich banks on the belief that American voters have suffered a collective memory loss about his previous political career and failed marriages.  Ham on Wry believes otherwise.  The House of Representatives investigated eighty-four ethics charges filed against him during his tenure as Speaker of the House and disciplined him for ethics violations in 1997.  His twenty-year career ended when Republican colleagues forced his resignation from the House in November 1998.

Gingrich has flip-flopped on political issues more that a caught fish in its final death throes.  In 1986, he backed amnesty for illegal immigrants, and he has now toughened that stance in light of the current anti-immigrant mood of many Republicans.  He takes credit for the budget surpluses that occurred when he was Speaker of the House and cites that as evidence that he can bring profound change to Washington.  Evidently, he forgot about Congress using in excess of $371 billion dollars from social security funds to balance the books and create the surplus.  That should grab the attention of current and future recipients of social security payments.  His current position on borrowing Social Security funds to balance the budget states that he will stop Congress from using Social Security to do so because it will hurt Americans who count on that income to live.  Ham on Wry suggests that readers research other examples of his 180-degree switches in his platform.

Equally as troubling as the drastic changes in political stance, his personal life reveals a man with serious character flaws.  At 19, Gingrich married the first of his three wives, Jackie Battley, 26. Battley taught him high school geometry.  Hmmm--I wonder when the romance began.  Gingrich married his second wife Marianne Ginther in 1981, six months after his divorce from Battley was final. Various accounts of how Gingrich delivered the news that he wanted a divorce exist, but one fact holds true.  Gingrich had an affair with Ginther before the divorce.  If that isn't enough to question his personal integrity, the details of his third marriage should.  In the mid-90's, Gingrich started an affair with Callista Bisek, a House of Representatives staffer twenty-three years his junior.  They carried on the affair during the period when Gingrich became a leader of the investigation of President Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with his alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky.  He certainly had the credentials to recognize that kind of deception.  Gingrich married Bisek in 2000, not long after his divorce from Ginther.  This is the stuff of reality TV, not the kind of actions one expects from someone running for President of the United States.

Ham on Wry implores Republicans to face the fact that this country needs a leader who will represent us effectively in global as well as domestic affairs (no pun intended).  Gingrich now leads the pack, which leads me to believe that some citizens are not handling the due diligence aspect of intelligent voting seriously.  The Republican Party has serious problems in current and proposed leadership for the future.  It holds a majority in the House of Representatives during the most lackluster year for the passage of important legislation I can recall.  Can't the Republican Party find someone better than Newt Gingrich?  If not, it seems the values of our Founding Fathers don't count in choosing the slate of candidates.

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Donald Trump Lacks Credentials to Moderate a Political Debate

Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich-Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Donald just won't give up.  After a meeting with Newt Gingrich earlier today, he announced he will moderate a debate of the Republican presidential candidates December 27th.  In his typical fashion, Trump used hyperbole to trumpet the fanfare about the event.  Ham on Wry questions his credibility as a political debate moderator, when he's more used to spouting, "You're fired," on Celebrity Apprentice.  He can't use that phrase with the candidates.

Trump still believes that President Obama was not born in Hawaii in 1961, despite ample evidence to the contrary.  The State of Hawaii has attested to the authenticity of Obama's Certificate of Live Birth and CNN asked a man who was born shortly after Obama in August 1961 to obtain proof of his birth. He received the same kind of document.  The Honolulu Star Bulletin announced both births, and the Honolulu Advertiser also published an announcement about Obama's birth.  How much evidence does this man need to let this issue go?  He now accuses most Americans of not caring about the truth. Trump looks squarely at truth and identifies it as a lie.  Although he still believes American should have concerns about Obama's citizenship, he has announced that the "birther issue" will not be debated.   How magnanimous of him!

Republican candidates Ron Paul and John Huntsman have declined to participate in the December 27th debate. Trump quickly dismissed their absence as inconsequential.  Those two men present as the two most well-informed, reasoned candidates on the slate.  The others just don't hold up when one studies their backgrounds, their platforms, and their ability to handle international affairs.  I wonder if Trump pouted in his usual way when Paul and Huntsman announced their decision.

Ham on Wry suggests that Trump stick to what he does best--reality TV.  Like other stars of that ilk, he lives his life in a grand manner with actions designed to attract media attention.  He doesn't understand the meaning of decorum and service.  His life is all about The Donald.  Everything else comes in second or less.  I'll skip this debate and do something worthwhile instead.

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