I Don’t Know

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says healthcare.gov has never crashed, “it just operates slowly.” Right, just like my car runs slow when I push it…Unbelievable!

The Top 5 Eats in the Capital City

1. Saluda’s

Tucked away above the coffee houses and bars along Saluda Avenue in 5 Points sits one of the finest dining experiences Columbia has to offer.  Opened in 1996 by current owner Steve Cook, Saluda’s offers a unique variety of Southern cuisine, with French and Italian influences.  From steak, seafood, and pasta, Saluda’s has something for every pallet, but it’s their famous shrimp and grits that keeps folks coming back again and again!

2. Blue Marlin

On the other side of town, the Blue Marlin located in the heart of the Vista, is where you’ll find the best Lowcountry cuisine, without the two hour ride to Charleston!  While patrons have frequented this fine dining establishment since 1994 for its own legendary shrimp and grits, a certified Angus cut steak will leave you feeling quite satisfied without ordering from their large variety of fried, bake, broiled or blackened fish.

 3. Yesterday’s Restaurant and Tavern

USC students, Columbia residents, and visiting fans of the SEC can all agree that Yesterday’s home cooking and fun atmosphere is the best for all budgets.  ESPN college football analyst Todd Blackledge agrees as well, picking the restaurant and tavern in his “Taste of the Town” feature during a 2007 trip to Columbia.  While everything on the menu is good and greasy, the Southern Fried Chicken—a boneless breast of juicy chicken, covered in white gravy, along with two sides of your choice—have had visitors coming back for more since 1976!

4. The Gourmet Shop, Inc.

Located right around the corner from Yesterday’s in 5 points, The Gourmet Shop is the perfect place to spend your Sunday afternoon recovering from a long night out or Sunday service with the family.  Open for a delicious breakfast and lunch, this bistro that is famous for its chicken salad also serves fine foods, unique kitchenware and a wide variety of wines throughout the world for purchase.

5. Hunter Gatherer Brewery and Ale House

Located only a block away from USC’s historic Horseshoe, Hunter Gatherer may be the best kept secret in Columbia. Known for their own variety of handcrafted English-style ales, the brewery is also home to a wide array of fresh dishes.  From their Carolina Crab Cakes, to the Beer Battered Chicken Thighs, there’s something for everyone while enjoying a homemade brew!

Oblundercare

As we begin to close in on the first month of the Obamacare roll-out, millions of Americans are finally realizing that the law will, if not already has, affected them in a negative way. Not only is the website (healthcare.gov) a complete and utter failure, but nearly everything the President promised the public back in 2009–when it was rammed through Congress–has turned out to be false.

These Aren’t Your Daddy’s Democrats

Frequently we hear the main stream media label today’s Republican leadership as continually moving further right than their predecessors.  On the second day into the “partial” government shutdown, well known political columnist Karl Bernstein told the panel on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that “Eric Cantor and his Republican Party are the most dangerous demagogic force in American politics since Joe McCarthy.”

However when you actually compare recent GOP leaders like Cantor, and Speaker of the House John Boehner, any Republican strategist or political historian would easily agree that the current Republican leadership is the furthest thing from right wing radicals.  The real shift in political leadership that the media fails to address is that of the Democratic Party.

With leaders such as Pelosi, Reid, and Obama the country has not seen a more Progressive leadership since the days of Woodrow Wilson, and the beginning of the Progressive era itself! You only have to go as far back as the Reagan years to easily see how far apart today’s leadership has moved, on both sides of the aisle. 

Throughout the majority of his two terms as president, Ronald Reagan—a staunch conservative—was remarkably able to form a special relationship with then Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil, which was the key for Reagan being able to accomplish many of the goals he had set out for the country when elected in 1980.

In fact O’Neil and Reagan’s relationship was so close that in 1986 after Reagan was shot while leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel, O’Neil was one of the first to greet the president after surgery at George Washington hospital, where O’Neil took the president’s hand and began reciting the 23^rd Psalm. 

Today, it would be hard to imagine John Boehner or Eric Cantor taking the hand of President Obama or Speaker Reid in a tragic moment and offering kind words—however Boehner is known to get a little emotional now and then—vice versa it would be even harder to see Obama and Reid rushing to the bedside of Boehner or Cantor.

Now there is no argument that the disdain for each other’s party is equal, but the fact that the Democratic base has shifted so far left in recent years has a lot to do with the continuing stalemate in Washington, ultimately leading to a government shutdown. 

With the continuing outrageous rhetoric from Democratic leadership, comparing the GOP to anarchist, terrorist, and those on a “Jihad” to shut down government, goes to show that they are only in business for themselves—their way or no way.

It seems that long gone are the days when Republicans and Democrats—like Tip and “The Gipper”—could both sit down and do what’s right for the country, while at the same time leaving the negotiating table feeling like they both came away a winner through a give and take approach.  Sadly the only way to advance any sort of reasonable conservative policy in Washington, and or block President Obama’s dangerous liberal agenda will have to come at the ballot box next November. 

More Guns, Less Crime: Why “Gun Free Zones” are Invitations for Criminals

I don’t mean to politicize a tragedy, but when our elected officials–Senator Dianne Feinstein–waste no time to make Monday’s Navy Yard shootings a stage to push policy in our nation’s capitol, I feel its only necessary to reply to the gun grabbers.

Details are still sketchy, but what we do know is that 34 year-old, Aaron Alexis of Fort Worth, Texas took the lives of 12 innocent Navy Yard contract workers, as well as injuring 13 others, on what seems to be a planned shooting spree that started just after 8:00am EST this morning.

This is the second military base shooting during President Obama’s administration, the first coming back in 2009, at the Foot Hood military base in Texas.

You would think the last place a mass murderer would pick to take out whatever anger or revenge, would be a military base–where our military soldiers are trained and equipped to defend our country against any threat.  But Alexis had two things going for him–first, Alexis had a security clearance that granted him access to the Navy Yard from a military contractor he’d recently been hired by.

Second, is that fact that all military personnel are by law are unable to carry a sidearm on base for their own protection, due to the 1993 gun bill signed by President Bill Clinton.

Even though the 12 victims were civilians, the fact that half of the entire base which employees nearly 3,000 individuals could have been armed–the other half civilians–could have been enough to deter Alexis from his actions and or help to defend against him as well.

The scary reality we must face is that criminals know “gun free zones” are areas where they are able to follow through with these senseless acts of violence, with help often arriving before it is too late, and too many lives lost.

Talk Loudly and Carry a Limp Stick

Main stream media will have you believe that the foreign policy strategy and execution of the Obama administration since 2009 has been quite a success.  Osama Bin Laden is dead, al- Qaeda is on the run and our brilliant diplomatic leader is close to making a deal with a ruthless dictator in Syria to hand over his chemical weapons to the U.N. because (Assad) is terrified of what President Obama may do.

However when one reads the details, the Obama administration’s handling of foreign affairs has been one of the worst since fellow Democrat Jimmy Carter in the late 1970’s.

First let’s asses the Bin Laden raid in Pakistan back in May of 2011.  Now there’s no denying this was a success by finally bringing justice to the man who was responsible for killing nearly 3,000 innocent Americans on 9/11/01.

However it was the administrations’ actions after the raid that raises many eyebrows such as the releasing of classified information about the raid, which ultimately led to the deaths of multiple members of Seal team 6.   Also, the Obama administration has done nothing to help the jailed Pakistani doctor, Shakeel Afridi, who helped lead CIA operatives to the Bin Laden compound.

The second misconception the Obama administration would like American’s to believe is that since Bin-Laden is dead, Al-Qaeda is on the retreat.  This is far from true and the attacks on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya—coming on the eve of last year’s presidential election—on 9/11/12 are just one example. 

The attack, which was first labeled as a spontaneous demonstration over a YouTube video—that no one in the Muslim world even saw—led to the deaths of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.  It took the State Department as well as the White House weeks to fully acknowledge that the attack was terrorism and preplanned, however further details and those held accountable are still unknown to this day. 

Lastly is the nearly two and a half year long civil war ongoing in Syria.  On August 21, video out of the country spread around the world showing hundreds of men, women and children suffering at the hands of chemical weapons, which was presumed to be used by the Assad regime on his own people.

Going back to April of 2012, President Obama was asked about Syrian intervention—and going off the teleprompter—Obama drew a “red line” if Assad were to use chemical weapons on his own countrymen.

This put President Obama in a pickle, and immediately—after returning from a weeklong vacation in Martha’s Vineyard—without any studies, or congressional dialogue announced that America should take action!  This put Congress on both sides of the aisle—on vacation as well—calling on the President to think before acting, and that Congressional approval should come first.

After deliberating with his “brain trust” Obama then called on Congress to vote on military action in Syria, beginning his nonstop campaign as president, this time urging Republicans and Democrats to go to war—something he had been very critical of his predecessor doing.

Finally, after Secretary of State John Kerry made the biggest foreign policy gaffe in recent memory by telling the media that if Syria gave up all their chemical weapons, they could avoid war.  Thus set the stage for Vladimir Putin to save the day, and negotiate a deal with his Syrian ally to do just that.

After this negotiation, Congress has delayed the vote to go to war, waiting to see what will come of the Russia, Syria agreement.  Already though one thing is clear, Obama has lost respect among the international world, with Putin going to as many lengths as to have an op-ed published in Wednesday’s New York Times, mocking America and subliminally giving his stamp as the new world leader.  

A Big Bite of Conservatism hits the Big Apple

This week The Heritage Foundation pulled out all the stops in their latest effort to persuade the American public that Obamacare  is not what it was promised to be, and that defunding it in next month’s Continuing Resolution to fund the government, is what’s best for all Americans.

In the heart of Times Square now sits a Hollywood style billboard plainly stating “Waning: Obamacare may be hazardous to your health.”

The sign will remain in the heart of the Times Square “Bowtie” for the rest of the month, which on its busiest days is host to over 460,000 pedestrians, and what Heritage President Jim DeMint hopes will stir up debate around this unpopular law.

This is one of the most initiative, but yet simple ways (besides the money) to relay the message to the majority of Americans who do not think Obamacare effects them, when in fact it effects us all!  Employee mandates are already killing jobs, and the 20,000 pages of regulations have cost premium rates to skyrocket in almost every state.

But the most important thing that every American should understand is that we must make sure medical decisions are left up to the individual and doctor.  Destroying this relationship, and leaving medical decisions in the hands of D.C. bureaucrats will no longer give the quality health care that millions of Americans have come to rely on.

Little Barry & The Limbaugh Theorem

Well he’s at it again! Today in Sweden, President Barack Obama once again pushed the blame on someone else–this time “the world”–when he stated that he was not the one that set the red line for action in Syria, but rather the world set it a long time ago. This is the definition of what Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh calls “The Limbaugh Theorem” meaning that the President constantly separates himself from the distraction at hand to make it look as if he had or has nothing to do with it.

Yes, We Have Missed You President Bush!

At the end of President George W. Bush’s eight years in the White House, his popularity had dropped to nearly 29%. Now, a little over five years removed from the Oval Office–and a current president you lacks any sort of credibility–President Bush is seen in a more positive light, with 47% of Americans approving of his leadership. As for the anointed on, just last week a Fox News Poll showed Americans are continually giving up on the President with a Obama 43% approval rating. George W. Bush may not have been a Ronald Reagan, but through tough times he kept our country safe, and proud to be Americans–something we seem to be losing everyday under Barack Obama.

The NAACP’s Rejection of Tim Scott is Their Loss

When’s the last time you’ve heard a positive story related to the NAACP?  You’d probably have to go all the way back to the civil rights era, when leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks stood up to segregation and helped to create positive change in their communities—giving their children an equal chance under the law to purse the American Dream.

Today, the NAACP continually wraps itself into political controversies—which do nothing at all for the advancement of African Americans—ignoring the jaw dropping statistics that have left blacks continually at the bottom of the unemployment and wealth ladder for decades. 

Their leaders choose to ignore these facts and figures like the disproportionately high percentage of African Americans that make up today’s federal and state prison systems—coming in at nearly 40%, when only 13% of blacks make up the entire U.S. population.

And instead of addressing these painful facts with real solutions they continue to ignore the number one problem at hand—the fact that 73% of black children are born out of wedlock—the main reason Fox News host Bill O’Reilly believes brings down the African American community in every socioeconomic category.

But when black leaders decide to bring up these real issues facing the black community, they are quickly cast aside, or labeled an “Uncle Tom” for pandering to the right.  So why is that?  It is because the NAACP is worried more about politics than its people—and its politics are in bed with the Democrat party.  Take for example the story of conservative newcomer Senator Tim Scott (R) of South Carolina.

In January Scott became the U.S. Senate’s only African American representative—and first African American Senator from the South since reconstruction.  Now you would think that this would be viewed as progress among the black community—finally witnessing the dream of their forefathers  a reality—however the NAACP not only ignored celebrating the historic event but added insult to injure by giving Scott—a U.S. House Representative for South Carolina before his appointment—an F on his annual congressional scorecard.

NAACP President Ben Jealous backed up the scorecard grade by claiming “We have Republicans who believe in civil rights. Unfortunately he isn’t one of them.” But when reviewing the scorecard itself we see that what the NAACP definitions as “civil rights” issues have nothing to do with civil rights whatsoever!

The scorecard grades representatives on votes related to big government issues like protection labor unions and support for further regulations to curb global warming.  So this makes perfect sense that Scott would receive a failing grade because as a Tea Party conservative—and now Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint’s replacement—Scott sides far away from these issues.

This is such a disappointment because Sen. Scott’s background and life story is truly inspiring—and one Dr. King would be proud to have witnessed.  Growing up in a single parent home, Scott had the odds against him growing up in the rural neck of South Carolina’s Lowcountry—like many of today’s young African Americans. 

But when he began working at a Chick-Fil-a at the age of 16, he was taken under the wing of his boss—a conservative republican by the name of John Moniz—who instilled in Scott the teaching tools of capitalism, and that having a job is a good thing!

In his 2013 CPAC speech Scott says he knows that today’s successes are “because he [John Moniz] taught me how to think my way out of poverty, and my mother taught me discipline.”

These two principles are the issues that the NAACP should worry about, and by ignoring black conservatives like Scott, they’re missing a valuable opportunity to really advance their people.