Category Archives: 2008 Election

John Kerry, Outsourcing, Benedict Arnold Companies, HJ Heinz

A funny thing happened while unpacking a box of freedom fries the other day.  I was surprised to see that the Ore-Ida french fries I’ve been using were not from Oregon or John Kerry is apparently OK with the concept of outsourcing now.Idaho.  I can vaguely recall the advertising jingle when I was much younger, something like ‘if it’s Ore-Ida, it’s all right-a.’  The Ore-Ida brand became a national favorite.  It’s not national any more.  Today Ore-Ida potatoes are a product of Canada, distributed by a ‘Benedict Arnold’ company (to use John Kerry’s words), HJ Heinz of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Similarly, as American Ore-Ida potatoes were, Heinz’s ketchup was too.  Oh, but not any longer.  Heinz ketchup is a product of Canada also.  I wonder if outsourcing is no longer a democrat platform issue?  Maybe it’s OK for John Kerry’s companies, just not yours?

Outsourcing is OK for John Kerry's companies.  Just not yours.Can’t wait to hear John Kerry say “I was against outsourcing when I was running for president, but now I’m not.” 

ref: Outsourcing and The Left

More pictures like these in the gallery.

UPDATE note: Thanks to Tony @ HJ Heinz (see first comment to this post) for pointing out a factual error in the above post.  That being that neither of the Kerrys have any controlling interest in the company, so the reference to “Maybe it’s OK for John Kerry’s companies, just not yours?” is incorrect.  HJ Heinz is not his or her company.  To say that I was surprised to find that those products are not from the USA was not a mis-statement of fact.  Which begs the question, if Canadians can get fries and ketchup made in Canada, why can’t Americans buy fries and ketchup from the US?

Democrats Have Nothing To Say?

The great issues of today are not being addressed by the new democrats’ ‘new direction.’  Increasing the minimum wage and spending more on education are neither of them.  The obvious ones are winning the war-on-terror, economic policies like making the tax cut permanent, fixing Social Security, educational policies like allowing school choice via the school voucher program (No child left behind), real tort reform, earmark removal just to name a few.   The party has nothing to say about the issues they just ran on.  Oh that’s right, it was ‘Bush sucks.’  What is happening now is the party has nothing to say.  The minimum wage issue is a standard election issue for every election.  The fact that there never was a plan beyond ‘Bush is a liar’ is becoming evident as democrats are being seen as in some state of disarray. 

I don’t know how this ever got passed the editorial board, but this New York Times headline is an example.  After Win, Democrats Revert to Finger-Pointing

Not Exactly Hitting The Ground Running

For post-election democrats, it’s more like just hitting the ground.  The great issues of today are not being addressed by the new democrats’ ‘new direction.’  And increasing the minimum wage and spending more on education are neither of them.  The obvious ones are winning the war-on-terror, economic policies like making the tax cut permanent, fixing Social Security, educational policies like allowing school choice via the school voucher program (No child left behind), real tort reform, earmark removal just to name a few.   The party has nothing to say about the issues they just ran on.  Oh that’s right, it was Bush sucks.  What is happening now is the party has nothing to say.  The minimum wage issue is a standard election issue for every election.  The fact that there never was a plan beyond ‘Bush is a liar’ is becoming evident as democrats are being seen as in some state of disarray. 

I don’t know how this ever got passed the editorial board, but this New York Times headline is an example.  After Win, Democrats Revert to Finger-Pointing

Howard Dean Has Some Racial Issues Of His Own

I hearken back to early last year when DNC Chair Dr. Dean again invoked the race card when he said that republicans don’t have diversity among them unless they include the wait staff.  He was speaking to the Congressional Black Caucus.  Repulsive as that was, it was ignored by the media.  Here’s another one that will be similarly ignored.  Do the dems have a ‘Michael Steele Problem?’

From Michelle Malkin’s blog:

Well, isn’t this rich? Howard Dean is scolding the Maryland state Democratic Party for being too..white:

Dean says Maryland democrats need more color (black) on the top of their tickets to be successful in ’08.  He still doesn’t get that color is not the issue as much as issues are the issue.  Michael Steele got the endorsements of some prominent black (democrat) leaders not because of his color, certainly not because of his party, but because of his message.

McCain Starts Exploratory Committee For 2008

I just don’t see how anybody who thought the gang of fourteen was a brilliant move could expect to win a nomination or a national election.  The weasel surely is not an endangered animal in the republican party.  Will his exploratory committee draw the same conclusion?  The republican party needs to get back to what wins elections and ideas; conservatism.  They have their own cut-and-run politicians which don’t belong at the top of the party hierarchy, and as founder of the gang of fourteen, McCain is one of them.

reference

RNC Needs A New Chair, A Steele One

Ken Mehlman says he’s had enough fun for 6 years and is leaving as RNC chair for the private sector. Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, Maria Cino, a former RNC official and now Deputy Secretary of  Transportation, and Mary Matalin, former communications director for VP Cheney are three names supposedly under consideration.

I would be surprised to see Michael Steele take the job as head of the Republican National Committee.  Not because I don’t think he would be a good one, but because he probably has ambitions higher than that.  Prior to this election, I would have said Michael who? It was his campaign that introduced him to me and most of the rest of the country.  I was impressed, and after he said that he identified more with the party of Lincoln than the party of Bush, I liked him even more. I don’t mean to take away from Bush with that comment.  Rather, like Bush, I see Michael Steele as someone with a vision for a better future. Paul at Power Line thinks that taking that position could hurt his electability in Maryland.  That might be the case in Maryland.  But I think that Steele is ready for a larger stage.  Libertas at HipHopRepublican seems pumped to see Steele as the RNC chair. I know I’d like to see it happen.

Steele would, if he took the position, be making history in more ways than one.  The other is that his vision may be just what the doctor ordered to help the Republican Party get on the right track, get the majority back, and make this country better than where we are today.

Mary Matalin is another excellent choice.  And like Steele, a good communicator.  According to the resumes however, it looks like Maria Cino would be the one.

Whoever becomes the RNC chairman, they better make embracing conservatism their guiding light. We have learned that a compassionate conservative isn’t conservative.  A compassionate conservative is one who embraces entitlement programs regardless of the cost, and not based on need, but rather on age.  (the prescription drug program) Economically speaking, the only difference between a compassionate conservative and a liberal is that the liberal wants to spend even more.