...has moved! You can now find me at my new blog over here.
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Best regards,
Kyle Stanley
Tonight, America has lost an icon.
Walter Cronkite, the former CBS newsman and one-time Houstonian that was once billed "the most trusted man in America", passed away this evening at the age of 92.
A native of St. Joseph, Missouri, Cronkite -- the son of a dentist of remote Dutch ancestry, hence the original surname "Krankheyt" -- grew up in Kansas City and later moved to Houston at the age of ten, where he worked for student newspapers attending San Jacinto High School in Houston and the University of Texas at Austin. While Cronkite eventually dropped out of college, his career continued to march on.
After stints in Oklahoma City and Kansas City -- where he met his future wife, the former Betsy Maxwell, Cronkite joined the United Press in 1937 covering World War II battles, the Nuremberg trials, and the Soviet Union while serving as the organization's main reporter in Moscow for two years. Cronkite was recruited by Edward R. Murrow to join CBS News in 1950, and for the next three decades served in a number of roles for the network, including news presenter, documentary host and even game show host (It's News to Me). In one of his earlier roles at CBS, his presence at the Democratic and Republican conventions in the 1952 presidential election that elected Dwight Eisenhower led to the coinage of the term "anchor".
The term "anchor" came in handy on April 16, 1962, when Cronkite took over Douglas Edwards' chair on the CBS Evening News. Despite the wealth of experience Cronkite brought to the table, throughout the 1960s his newscast was often surpassed by The Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC. As CBS developed a reputation of being more accurate in its presentation of the news, fortunes changed and as the 1960s drew to a close, the CBS Evening News surpassed The Huntley-Brinkley Report in viewership.
Many of America's most enduring and breathtaking moments of the 20th Century came during his tenure at CBS. Some of the more noteworthy news stories included space missions including Apollo 11 and Apollo 13, full-blown scandals by the likes of Watergate, foreign policy adventures including the Cuban missile crisis and the Vietnam War, and one of America's darkest events that unfolded on November 22, 1963, when Cronkite uttered these words:
"From Dallas, Texas, the flash, apparently official: "President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time." 2 o'clock Eastern Standard Time, some 38 minutes ago."- Walter Cronkite, November 22, 1963
"Old anchormen, you see, don't fade away; they just keep coming back for more. And that's the way it is: Friday, March 6, 1981."- Walter Cronkite
Sorry for the constant delay, but I have been noticeably busy on a wealth of considerable research that will serve as material for future musings as well as a coming revamp with this site (yes, this blog does need fixing). When all is well with my work, I will jump back into this one-man band.
One of the more prominent Republicans of the Reagan era has now joined the Gipper in the giant political arena in the sky. Former football star, Republican congressman, presidential candidate, HUD secretary and 1996 vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp passed away on Saturday at the age of 73 after a bout with cancer.
Jack Kemp's life began on July 13, 1935 in Los Angeles, the son of a trucking company owner and a Spanish teacher. Growing up as part of a Christian Science family in the predominantly Jewish Wilshire district, Kemp attended the then-heavily Jewish Fairfax High School and preferred to read books on history and philosophy in his spare time. After graduating in 1953, Kemp chose to attend Occidental College -- which used formations common in professional football -- having considered himself too small (5-10/175) for the football programs at USC and UCLA. A 1957 graduate of Occidental who later married his college sweetheart (the former Joanne Main), Kemp set records in javelin and played a number of football positions, most prominently at quarterback.
Jack Kemp's pro football career began in 1957, as a 17th-round NFL Draft pick of the Detroit Lions, only to be cut from the team before the start of the season. After brief stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers -- the latter two as part of taxi squads, as well as additional stints as an Army Reservist and a CFL player (the Calgary Stampeders), Kemp was signed in 1960 as a free agent with the AFL's Los Angeles Chargers. That year, Kemp led the Chargers to the AFL Championship (losing to the Houston Oilers), presiding over a high-scoring offense. After the Chargers moved to San Diego the following year, Kemp led his team to an AFL Championship rematch with the Oilers (who again defeated the Chargers).
But that wasn't the last of Jack Kemp the quarterback. In 1962, the Buffalo Bills claimed Kemp on a spectacular waiver fee of $100. While he solved a much-needed deficiency for the Bills at quarterback, Kemp was not particularly thrilled with the move to western New York. After injuries bogged him down early on, he helped the Bills win three of their last four games of the 1962 season. Beginning in 1963, Kemp and newly acquired former Notre Dame quarterback Daryle Lamonica began a battle for starting quarterback that culminated in two AFL championships for the Bills in 1964 and 1965 (Lamonica later left after four seasons for the Oakland Raiders). Kemp ended his career in 1969, having compiled 114 touchdowns and 183 interceptions for 21,218 yards and a QB rating of 57.3 throughout his career.
Yet Kemp still had not yet reached his 15 minutes of fame. As his career on the gridiron came to a close, Erie County Republican Party officials recruited Kemp, who had previous brushes with politics -- including stints as a volunteer for the campaigns of Barry Goldwater in 1964 (for President) and Ronald Reagan in 1966 (for Governor of California) -- and footed his intellectual attributes in the readings of libertarian and conservative stalwarts such as Goldwater and others, to run for the 39th District in New York, based in a traditionally Democratic suburban portion of the Buffalo area known as the Southtowns. This campaign proved successful, and Kemp served in the district from 1971 to 1989.
While his voting record was generally conservative, it contained a noticeable maverick streak. The "bleeding-heart conservative" championed fiscal policies attributed to supply-side and Chicago economics, including free markets and simplifying of the tax code as well as support for a flat tax, and also expressed support for civil rights legislation, public housing enterprise zones, and the gold standard. In fact, one of the most significant pieces of tax cut legislation linked to President Reagan's legacy is the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, also known as the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut, which passed to the consternation of majority Democrats such as Dan Rostenkowski, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee whose own career ended over a decade later in scandal.
In 1988, Kemp ran for President, and would have become the first member of the House of Representatives to move into the White House since James Garfield. Despite assembling a potpourri of supporters who were drawn to his campaign for various reasons to varying degrees, Kemp ended up losing to the eventual Presidential nominee, Vice President George H.W. Bush, in part due to his relatively libertarian social stances which put Kemp at odds with social conservatives and Religious Right activists who flocked to televangelist Pat Robertson that year. Following the landslide election of Bush 41, Kemp became Secretary of Housing and Urban Development with the promise of implementing the enterprise zones and tenant ownership initiatives that he championed in Congress.
Kemp brought a much needed breath of fresh air to HUD following the controversy surrounding his predecessor Samuel Pierce, as corrupt programs were either restructured or closed entirely and anti-drug and anti-gun measures were enacted. But Kemp faced obstacles that ultimately resulted in his failure to accomplish his intended goals, from the Democratic-controlled Congress restricting his proposed $4 billion tenant ownership proposal to a mere $361 million, to constant battles with the Bush 41 Cabinet and the advent of the Persian Gulf War, which resulted in a disproportionate amount of funding going to defense needs. This, along with Bush 41's reluctance to support such a plan, marked Kemp's tenure at HUD unsuccessful, even though many states created empowerment zones eventually.
Following Bush 41's defeat at the hands of Bill Clinton in 1992, Jack Kemp was viewed as a top candidate of choice for the Presidential nomination in 1996. Despite Republicans gaining control of both houses of Congress for the first time since the Eisenhower Administration, Kemp ultimately decided against such a bid, and it was not surprising given that the selection process by this time had become so controversial that many prominent Republicans such as Colin Powell eventually decided against such a run. Despite this, Kemp eventually became the Vice Presidential running mate to the eventual Republican nominee, Senator Bob Dole, a deficit hawk and proponent of balanced budgets. Many Republican strategists hoped the selection of Kemp would draw conservative and libertarian votes to the more moderate Dole. The ticket proved unsuccessful at the polls, as Clinton was heavily re-elected to a second term.
Since then, Jack Kemp served on a number of political, corporate and advisory boards, chaired an NFL advocacy group promoting amateur football, and founded and chaired Kemp Partners, a consulting firm focused on business and public policy consultancy. Kemp's advocacy following the 1996 election ranged from opposition to abortion and support for immigration reform to health concerns regarding retired NFL veterans, and the Jack F. Kemp Institute of Political Economy at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy was established to house Kemp's papers and fund annual lectures, among other initiatives.
In addition to his wife Joanne, Jack was a father to four children: two sons -- both former pro football quarterbacks -- and two daughters, who combined have also contributed 17 grandchildren.
Jack Kemp's own life story carries a lot of similiarities to my own personal life story. He was a person whose father worked hard to make a name for himself as a trucking company entrepreneur, read a variety of books on many topics, charted an unusual voting record in Congress, and put his constituents' needs and the future of America ahead of himself. I have never worked for anyone other than my own family, have sophisticated intellectual and cultural tastes, and if I were to be elected to Congress one of these days, I would chart a voting record highly reminiscent of what Jack Kemp compiled, and put the needs of constituents and the country at large -- as well as my shining vision of the future of America -- ahead of myself. This coming from yours truly, a person who does not put balanced budgets ahead of tax cuts or tax cuts ahead of balanced budgets -- but rather balanced budgets with pro-growth tax measures (a flat tax is one example), zero deficit spending, and restrictions of spending to what unites us as Americans (you will have to ask me what I mean by that).
Given that I hail from Fort Bend, a place noted for its wealthy master-planned communities, relatively conservative economic bent, significant base of families with children, and presence of a wide variety of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, this would have been the kind of place that Jack Kemp would have been proud to represent - a true reflection of 21st Century America and the kind of place that should be representative of where the Republican Party wants to go if it wants to win back the hearts of the average American. At a time when the Republican Party is in its seemingly darkest hours, the passing of Kemp should serve as a reminder of how far the party has strayed from reality.
Jack Kemp may have gone home to a better place, but his athletic prowess, political savvy and commitment to a better America will forever live on and will never be forgotten.
As you probably know by now, Arlen Specter (more on the odd color later) is facing the fight of his life. After all, the Republican Senator from Pennsylvania has been the target of party conservatives for quite some time. Polls even showed Specter losing a primary to conservative former Congressman Pat Toomey.
Now Specter has gotten a break, though not the break I expected.
He's switching to the Democratic Party.
Now, before I get ahead of myself, I will be honest about Specter. While he served as an example of moderation in a party that has become more known for self-serving grandstanders than for promoting efficient, fiscally responsible government -- and I felt a tad disappointed in his decision, Specter was well past his prime and I personally expected him to announce his retirement, as Ohio's George Voinovich and Florida's Mel Martinez among others, have already done. Well before Specter's decision, I have considered supporting Toomey, even though he is rather iffy given his recent service as president of the Club for Growth, which became known under Toomey less for its commitment to limited government and more for its challenges of candidates who fit their districts in favor of ideological purity, which explains the GOP's current abysmal state that has now given the Democrats one of their dream goals: a 60-seat, filibuster-proof Senate majority including Specter and Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken, whose victory remains tied up in a myriad of controversy that provides the perfect cannon fodder for a blockbuster motion picture.
Rebuilding a Republican majority will not happen overnight, and given how badly maligned the party has become, a lot of painful decisions will have to be made over the course of four years. Breaking from hardcore religious right conservatives will be especially tough, as it will not come without the threat of a mass revolt from such organizations as Focus on the Family. These groups are amongst a number of such groups who claim the GOP has lost by not being "conservative enough" when in fact the GOP has lost ground by siding with such groups who in actuality put themselves out of touch with the average American by straying from the principles of fiscal responsibility, limited government, and sound foreign policy, not to mention the fact because of such "conservatives" the party is standing to lose the business vote, Ron Paul libertarians, and environmental conservatives among others.
And while social conservatives do have a role in the party, the religious right exhibits a holier-than-thou militia mentality which not only turns off many voters who are young, pro-business or representative of a moderate or libertarian bent, but such a mentality would drive away even younger evangelicals and even go as far as resorting to personal attacks on certain religious groups. Mitt Romney, for instance, took heat from evangelicals over his Mormon faith which many regarded as a 'cult'. If this portrayal of Mormons became the party consensus, it would end up costing Republicans the votes of Mormons, a group of people that are committed to fiscal prudence, competence and commitment to service beyond their communities. Catholics, Muslims and Jews -- among others -- have also been unfairly targeted as well to varying degrees, and this combined with a tendency by some organizations which claim to be Christian to embrace money and fame as oppose to ministry and service -- not to mention creating the distorted perception that people of faith are bigoted, mean-spirited and one-sided -- will end up resulting in the Republican Party becoming a permanent minority.
As I go on, where do I stand in the Republican Party? Does the future of the Party of Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Reagan have to go through me? Will the future of the GOP in my home base of Fort Bend (which barely went for John McCain) be dependent upon what I say? Now, I keep putting my blogging on and off for a number of reasons -- not the least of which is personal family business that I will not discuss (if you ask me what specific "family business" I am doing, I will IGNORE you). But there are a host of other reasons why it is simply so hard to post: too many things to think about, not confident of what to say, trying to make a good blog look marvelous, darting off into other subjects, csaba, csaba, csaba.
One thing is clear, though: if you're a "moderate Republican" who may be disappointed and feel like there is no place for you, you can be assured that I am staying put in the Republican Party, and I am definitely not leaving. I believe that the solutions to America's pressing problems require a center-right perspective that is based not on the views of talk radio or a beltway think tank, but on the sound principles of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, environmental stewardship, individual liberty, practical and pragmatic solutions, and a united American society. While the road to recovery will be very rocky -- and I'm sure the Vocal Fringe will be ready to attack and discredit me -- I see light on the other end of the tunnel, and it is this light that holds the path to overcome the most daunting of challenges.
As I get a grasp of where the party wants to go, I will be focusing on the good works of some of my preferences in the GOP House -- Paul Ryan, Jeff Flake, Mike Pence, Chris Smith, Peter Roskam, Peter King, Ron Paul, Tom McClintock, Mark Kirk, Scott Garrett, Eric Cantor, Walter Jones, Ted Poe, Tom Price, and of course my own local congressman, Pete Olson (you'll have to ask me A: why my list of congressional favorites is so bizarre? and B: which Democrats in the House I have a preference for?) -- the Senate is just plain uninteresting, boring, and stuffy.
As time goes on, I will let you know where I stand. I have seen worse situations before, I have persevered in challenges like these, and this only emboldens the belief that I clearly represent the future of America. For now, I'm offering free tissues and shoulders to cry on to disenchanted women and free beer and tavern nuts to grumpy men.
After all, it's better than having nothing to offer for the moment.
If you thought the Minnesota Senate race between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken was political theater, this will have you even more puzzled...
New York's 20th Congressional District
Democrat Scott Murphy - 77,344 (50%)
Republican Jim Tedisco - 77,285 (50%)
It's not going to vindicate Michael Steele, but it's not going to vindicate Obama either. This has to be a comeback story for the Democrats and a disappointment for the GOP, though as Tedisco was leading by a large margin at the beginning.
At least Republicans have two high-stakes gubernatorial elections to look forward to.
Just to keep this blog current, I'm whipping up something for today...albeit in a timely fashion. And yes, for the fourth straight month, it's at the END of the month (pfft).
In the news around my home base...
The EPA is testing air quality at schools across the country...including four in Greater Houston, none in Fort Bend (we're pretty lucky) but two in Deer Park. This is not surprising as Deer Park is located with striking distance of the Port of Houston where many chemical plants are located. Link here.
KHOU (Channel 11/CBS) is bidding farewell to sports director Giff Nielsen...This decision is surprising, as despite parent company Belo's laying off of scores of employees, I did not expect Nielsen to leave anytime soon. Of course, he was not let go by Channel 11, instead it is Nielsen himself that has decided to hang up the mic. I wish the Giffer the best of luck in his future endeavors (and yes, he has plans with his future). Link here.
Could the Med Center lose its standing because of stem cells?...The state legislature could be an obstacle to stem cell research funding in Texas because of a provision attached to a budget bill in the State Senate that would restrict funding for embryonic stem cell research. Now of course, I believe cures should be found, and we must do our part to find cures that save and prolong lives. I have become more open on stem cells, for I have lost loved ones to ailments such as Alzheimer's and my mother is diabetic and would benefit from such research. There is broad consensus in saving lives, and while I personally believe that all life -- born and unborn -- is sacred, I now believe that finding a cure should take no limits. Link here.
Which flavor do you want your ballot dipped in?...Fort Bend County and the DOJ appear to be reaching an agreement after four long years on bilingual (or rather, multilingual) voting rights in Fort Bend. Now, while it may seem confusing and controversial, and I believe that English should be the official language of the land, we must try to ensure that while some voters may not speak our lingo, we should at least try to offer them the right to vote in the meantime while they learn to speak English. I know of people who came to this country without speaking a word of English and many of them have gone on to successful careers. After all, my Irish and English ancestors had to face the same situation when they came to the States, even though it had little to do with language and more to do with adapting to life in America. Link here.
Finally, an out-of-town -- yet important -- special election to watch over...With Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand now serving in the Senate seat that once beared the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, Republican State Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco and Democratic venture capitalist Scott Murphy are battling it out for the open, usually GOP swing seat and a lot is at stake. As a Republican looking to rebuild the party, I had hopes for Tedisco, who started off with a strong lead -- a strong lead that resulted from Murphy's unknown stock. But Murphy has since pulled even with (and jumped ahead of) Tedisco as Murphy's stock rose while Tedisco's role as the insider in a outsider vs. insider catfight have dragged him down.
Personally, I believe the Tedisco campaign is not what I hoped it would be (anyone who knows me can tell you that I never go for anything less than 110% in everything I do). Better yet, if I ran the GOP in the Empire State, I would have opted for open primaries instead of a closed-door selection process (where both Murphy and Tedisco received their nominations). The Virginia GOP made this mistake with former U.S. Senator John Warner's seat last year, and the seat has since gone Democratic. This congressional race will determine, among other factors, the fates of Governor David Paterson, RNC Chairman Michael Steele, Obamanomics and whatever else may come. A Murphy win vindicates Obama, while a Tedisco win vindicates Steele. As for Paterson, I'm not sure, and I would be more than willing to campaign against Paterson.
Anyway, I'll be banging away on my bongos..literally. Later.
Two months have passed since I last did a real entry (Greetings don't count), so before I write my next musing, I would like to apologize for the delay -- even if I am sick and tired of apologizing on here. Sometimes, trying to make a thoughtful musing can be tedious and consuming, but I also can't just let this puppy sit still for too long a period of time. (I know, I keep forgetting all the time) So, here we go...
2010 is looking to be a year of revenge for Republicans, who look at history -- and tradition -- as a guide. In America, the party not in control of the White House tends to gain seats in midterm elections, largely as a result of controversy and misguided policies involving the White House, such as the tax controversies committed by some members of the Obamastration. For instance, after the election of Jimmy Carter in 1976, the GOP went on to win 15 seats in 1978 and then 34 seats in 1980 as Ronald Reagan knocked Carter out of office. The Democrats later gained back 27 of these seats in 1982.
But not all history goes as planned. In 1928, the GOP gained a net 32 seats as it elected Herbert Hoover to the White House on the basis of a strong economy. Then Hoover's popularity crashed as the nation began to experience the Great Depression, and the Democrats gained a staggering 52 seats in 1930 and 97 seats in 1932 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected -- a total of 149 seats. The Democrats then broke with tradition in 1934, gaining 9 more seats, and then gaining an additional 12 in 1936, reducing the GOP to a paltry 88 seats in the ensuing Congress. But Republicans rebounded in the following election, gaining 81 seats in 1938.
Finally, there's two of the last three midterm elections to look at. In 1998, the Democrats gained five seats despite GOP expectations to gain seats as a result of the six year itch, where the party not in control of the Presidency expects to gain seats in the middle of a president's second term. The GOP was hurt by its attacks on the morality of a then-popular President Bill Clinton, which was largely exacerbated by an infamous sex scandal involving a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. In 2002, tradition failed to materialize again as Democrats lost eight seats in the wake of redistricting and the War on Terror, the result of a combination of increased political power in the South and West and perceptions that Democrats were anti-military and anti-security. The odd election out in this bunch was 2006, when Democrats gained 31 seats and control of the House amidst a Bush Administration and congressional leadership mired in controversy from the War in Iraq to Hurricane Katrina to Terri Schiavo (yes, the person writing this is one Republican that wishes it could have been done without the "heckuva job" mentality).
Now, after losing 21 more seats in 2008, the GOP has regrouped and has begun to amplify its own message of change. One notable example of the winds of change that have transpired are those at the Republican National Committee, where former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele became the first African-American to chair the RNC and whose impact has already been felt in GOP circles. Another example is the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is now chaired by Rep. Pete Sessions of Dallas and whose website has been radically transformed -- albeit in a rather minimalist form reminiscent of a very elaborate cell phone website (supposedly aimed at putting the GOP in tune with young voters -- a demographic lost to Obama by a 2-1 margin).
Generally, Hill committees (of which the NRCC is one such committee) tend to emphasize most efforts on incumbents of the opposing party who amassed 55 percent or less of the vote in the last election. The reason is because candidates who finish at such levels are vulnerable and subject to defeat in the next election. For instance, in 2006 a total of 36 Republicans won with 55 percent or less of the vote. Of those, 20 have not come back for the 111th Congress. 12 of them chose to run for reelection and were defeated, while eight others decided not to seek re-election or seek higher office, and of those eight only four of them remain Republican, leaving 16 Republican survivors of the D-Trip's 2008 dodgeball contest.
For 2010, the number of choice for Democrats now applies to a select class of 35 Republicans:
Tomorrow is the day every football fan in America has been waiting for. Super Bowl XLIII will take place this year in Tampa, Florida and will see Ben Roethlisberger and his Pittsburgh Steelers take on Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. This will be an interesting matchup, and as with every Super Sunday, I will be watching the game.