This is Viewpoints for Saturday, May 7, 2016

Lies and damn lies

Propagandist Joseph Goebbals told Hitler that if you tell the people a lie often enough they will begin to believe it. Over Hillary Clinton’s public life she has been called “untrustworthy” by her opponents often enough that many people believe it. In the last year the 17 initial Republican presidential candidates continually attacked her credibility.

In l994 Vince Foster, one of Hillary and Bill’s closest aides, committed suicide. The Republican propaganda machine soon said Bill and Hillary had Vince murdered because he “knew where the bodies were buried.” Pastor Jerry Falwell sold copies of tapes purporting to show that Hillary and Bill were murderers. There seems to be no limit to the lies and charges against the Clintons.

Republican-dominated congressional hearings have found nothing to charge her with on Benghazi. Mike Smith of Warner Robins accuses her of treason without explaining which foreign power she is trying to help with her emails and why she would do such a thing.

What would motivate a secretary of state to sell out her country? She held the highest Cabinet office and according to polls was one of the most admired women in the world.

Greed

All the talk about a $15 minimum wage and I learn today a director was given $1 million options for zero dollars and sold them for $46 million the very same day. Greed and ethics by boards throughout the world are unquestionably counter productive.

Surprise me

As a former office holder and county GOP chair, I have been generally critical of where my party is headed on social issues. So, it was a pleasant surprise when Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed the campus carry bill.

I am a gun owner and I love to go to shooting ranges. And, I do not believe that taking away guns will ever be politically feasible in the U.S.A., no matter how many mass shootings occur. But, when I was county commission chair, I would not have wanted someone to carry an Uzi or Glock into our courthouse. Evidently, I am not alone. The Georgia Legislature prohibits firearms in its chamber. It is inconceivable that our hypocritical state Legislature decided that campus carry is a wonderful idea.

On the surface, it would appear that the governor sincerely believes, as do I, that guns have no place on a campus. As a lame duck, he can act on his convictions, which leads me to my other point.

Governor, it is about time to accept federal money to expand Medicaid to the working poor. I understand why you punted on this issue (endorsing legislation that moved the decision into the Legislature) when you were up for election. It plays well with the base to say that you will not endorse Obamacare. However, the law is here to stay. All of the blue states, and an increasing number of red states, are using our federal tax dollars to expand Medicaid. We should as well.

Governor, you have to show leadership and push the Legislature to act. You surprised me on guns. Please surprise me on health care.

Wake up

The wailing and gnashing of teeth by some Republican leaders regarding Donald Trump is laughable. No one really knows what kind of president “The Donald” might be, but we do know Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney and a host of others have offered nothing but lip service for the past six years.

Republicans won the mid-term in 2010, they won the Senate in 2014, their are 31 of 50 states governed by Republicans. The approval of Congress is 11 percent and still our worn out do nothing elected Republicans are concerned about Donald Trump’s negatives. It is time to look through the glass darkly, grow up, act like men and women and put away childish things. These people we elected have to accept the fact that Trump is the presumptive nominee because of them. His popularity is a direct reflection on the lack of action and statesmanship by a majority our current crew of senators and representatives.

I place the blame for the second election of Obama directly on Romney and Ryan. Romney totally gave up during the last couple of weeks of campaigning and Joe Biden made Ryan look like a school boy in the principal’s office in the debate,

Wake up you so called establishment Republicans and try to be statesmen instead of politicians.

Great move

Thank you to the Bibb County Board of Elections for using the Terminal Station as an early voting location. Friendly staff, ample parking, and short lines. Good job.

New pledge

The new left pledge of allegiance: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of American and to the republic for which it stands. One bathroom under God with liberty and accessibility to all.

Likes new format

The Telegraph’s new format is outstanding. The reader sees bold, good type and you have kept familiar columnist. Thanks.

Liberal members leave

The May 5 front page article in The Telegraph titled, “Trump causing agony in GOP” should be a signal for all those liberal Republicans to leave the party. Perhaps that departure might be led by former pretenders — Republican candidates Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney. America needs a true American Republican Party.

Missing souls

When I was in the ninth grade, during the Cold War against the Soviet Union, I asked my mother what would result if they won and took command in America. She explained that, with the influx of socialism, America would be changed fundamentally, and government would begin to seize control of more and more parts of our lives, and eventually it would control everything.

Now it is happening from within. President Barack Obama has said so often, “the only thing we all belong to is the government.” But when the state consumes the people, they have lost their souls and the full use of themselves.

Fact check

In a recent letter, Mike Smith was concerned that “in the U.S., approximately 46 cents of every dollar we (federal government) spend is borrowed money. We have a terrible spending problem.” He will be happy to learn that the correct figure is 14 cents, as shown on page 85 of the federal income tax instruction booklet.

The bad news is that only 9 cents of every dollar of federal income is from corporate income tax. Although the corporate income tax is very high, most corporations do not pay that rate. This is due to various tax loopholes, foreign accounts, corporate welfare, etc. It has been reported that General Electric does not pay any income tax at all. In some large corporations, a single employee pays more income tax than the corporation. It has also been reported that about 40 percent of Americans do not pay any individual income tax for various reasons.

We may have a spending problem, but our huge national debt is the result of our revenue problem as well. Of course I don’t expect Congress to fix this any time soon. I don’t expect them to vote on the Supreme Court nominee either. They haven’t done anything in seven years, why should they start now?

Cut teen pregnancy rates

Teen pregnancy poses as a prominent issue in this area as Bibb County has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Georgia. Teen pregnancy could be prevented if the school administrators of Bibb County commit themselves to combating it. The school administrators will not be able to stop every student from having sex, but they can implement measures that will make their students more knowledgeable about the consequences as well as decrease the amount of time teens have to engage in sexual activities.

For example, the Bibb County school administrators could implement mandatory extracurricular activities, provide sexually-active students in these schools with condoms, and/or reform the county’s sexual education program so that it influences teens more. There will most likely be negative backlash from parents of teens because they will not want the schools to have so much influence over their childrens lives, but if the rate of teen pregnancy is to ever decrease, parents must allow the Bibb County school administrators to take action. The measures these school administrators could take would only benefit their children. Since teens are more often at school than at home, Bibb school administrators could use their authority to positively influence the teenagers away from behaviors that could result in pregnancy.

Terrible ending coming

My comment on the letter “What’s the deal” by Roy Nicholson. I argee, but I have formed an opinion. The judicial branch is appointed by the executive branch who controls their strings. The legislative branch is nothing more than an arm extending from the executive branch creating, for lack of better words, “the establishment.” There are no Republicans or Democrats. They are all liberals created by the elimination of true conservatives. If we maintained true conservative values, thousands of babies wouldn’t be aborted, the benefits of a holy marriage through the eyes of God would not be tainted by same sex government allowed marriage, people would understand what bathrooms to use and why and stomping on the United States flag would not be considered a part of free speech.

Could it be that we are returning to the days of Noah? Satan has all the time he wishes. Look what he has accomplished since 1961. Our forefathers founded this country on God’s principles, and our new fathers have ripped it apart. Those famous words on our U.S. Constitution, “We the people,” the “we” part has stood by and allowed all this to happen. It’s amazing how one book describes everything that’s happening. Each of you should pick it up and discover how it all ends how to avoid being a part of that terrible ending. It’s easy if it’s in your heart

Wrong picks by the team

Trump supporters now see their candidate as the apparent Republican presidential nominee. However, their buoyant hearts were likely laid low when the vice presidential selection began. I heard that former candidate, Ben Carson, is a part of this running mate search team and, frankly, I would have expected better suggestions from the esteemed doctor. Carson, respectfully, should return to his drawing board if he had anything at all to do with the suggestions of John Kasich and Nikki Haley.

It was Kasich who once told a New Hampshire audience member that he would just have to “get over” cuts to Social Security payments as a result of a proposed Kasich reform plan. “We can’t balance a budget without entitlement reform. What are we, kidding?” Kasich said.

Is Kasich kidding? Entitlement — the word makes you want to spit. Social Security is not an entitlement, like welfare, but rather money (the leftovers after federal government pillaging) trustingly invested by a hard working, lied-to America.

And Haley — did anyone ever have a more blatant disregard for the heritage of Southern people and the emblems of their valor? What genius seeks to team her up with the same Donald Trump whose $25,000 went for the post-Katrina restoration of Jefferson Davis’s “Beauvoir.”

Trump and his campaign staff may soon celebrate the GOP nomination but they are oblivious to the voters who got him there.

No debate necessary

In relation to D.A. King’s “Georgia conservatives lose again under Gold Dome”: I do not believe there is one governor, one member of Congress, one U.S. president or local politician to be found in these United States of America that honors laws. It seems self-promotion, seeking political power trumps U.S. laws, states’ constitutions and the U.S. Constitution.

Once again we have train loads of illegals from countries south of the U.S. border entering our country. As reported by Pew Research Center in 2012, 8.1 million illegals were working in the U.S. and FAIR reported 8.5 million working in 2013. Where is the politician working for unemployed U.S. citizens?

As for my home state, I was hoping Gov. Deal would be the one who was different. However, politicking for E-Verify, he immediately sided with big-time farmers. Now I see where Sen. Tommie Williams who owns a restaurant wants to protect his illegal chef. Not to mention Georgia House Speaker David Ralston bows down to orders from the powerful Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Listen, under federal law, any non-U.S. citizen who enters the United States without permission or violates the terms of their admission are identified under the law as illegal aliens. That is a fact, not an issue for debate.

RINO’s on parade

The Republican Party, which advertises itself as conservative, should be the ideological opposite of the Democratic Party. But Charles Krauthammer says he cannot vote for Trump. Eric Erickson, Macon’s contribution to RINO (Republicans In Name Only) World, will not vote for Trump.

Ben Shapiro, Glen Beck, dozens of Republican state and federal elected officials, as well as dozens of GOP insiders, vow not to vote for Trump. Their reasoning is in absolute disagreement with their membership.

Most of these are the same ones who urged the membership to get behind party candidates like Mitt Romney and John McCain in the past. Not surprisingly, those candidates had management’s seal of approval. But Trump is a candidate not of their choosing and the Republican authority is showing the world it’s lack of conviction. Trump’s populist ascent is what happens when leadership doesn’t carry the party banner. Right before our eyes, the GOP is being cleansed of the pretenders whose beliefs actually belong in the Democratic Party.

With the Democrats nominating their most polarizing and flawed candidate in a generation, this Republican cleansing might just have the substance and the energy to make even more progress than it already has.

This story was originally published May 7, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Saturday, May 7, 2016."