I said before the show, it was the iconoclast edition of Pundit Review Radio. Michael Fumento is one of our favorites, a true original. A contrarian, a skeptic, lawyer, genius.
He had A LOT to say about the Toyota investigation and other hysteria’s like SARS, H1N1 and autism/vaccines.
He’s moving to Columbia soon. Not South Carolina, as he noted. Columbia. If this was his swan song on Pundit Review Radio, he sure made it interesting. we’ll continue to follow him at Fumento.com, you should too.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us the story of U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua R. Labbe.
Labbe, from Stonington, Conn., an infantry squad leader with 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, is credited with saving the life of one soldier and protecting numerous soldiers during a complex attack which lasted more than six hours.
“We are here to recognize the sacrifice and courage of the soldiers and leaders in Shafi Khel on Oct. 6,” Lt. Col. Russell Lewis, 1-87 commander, said during the (Silver Star) ceremony. “Sgt. Labbe is a hero, he didn’t go out on Oct. 6 to earn an award; he just did his job. Except his job that day called for extraordinary actions and he stepped up and helped his comrades.”
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The SYSK archive can be found here and the Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
The push and pull between pork and priorities was on display in a major way this week. There has been an epidemic, a pundit and politician pandemic in fact, of happy horse shit talk about difficult decisions, priorities, debts and deficits. The fact remains, that when the rubber meets the road, elected officials are more likely than not to side with local jobs over national priorities. That is especially true when leaders don’t lead.
For weeks on the radio show, I’ve been using the example of the Joint Strike Fighter back-up engine battle as an example of that contradiction, and our problem going forward. This week the House took a stand and the results were illuminating.
From Wednesday’s New York Times, House Votes to End Alternate Jet Engine Program
In a sign that more than half the Republican freshmen are willing to cut military spending, the House voted 233 to 198 on Wednesday to cancel an alternate fighter jet engine that the Bush and Obama administrations had tried to kill for the last five years.
The vote was another instance in which some of the new legislators, including several affiliated with the Tea Party, broke ranks with the House speaker, John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, where the engine provided more than 1,000 jobs.
Also from Wednesday’s New York Times, Boehner in His Element as Spending Cuts Elicit Free-Flowing House Debate
By CARL HULSE
WASHINGTON — For Speaker John A. Boehner, the budget-cutting frenzy taking place on the House floor merges two of his animating political passions — the need to shrink federal spending and the willingness to risk a free-flowing debate.Throw in a new conservative Republican majority and Mr. Boehner is confident of the outcome.
“I have no doubts in the coming weeks and months that people will see our resolve around solving our deficit problem,†Mr. Boehner said in an interview. “We are going to cut spending. There aren’t any ifs, ands or buts about it.â€
What Speaker Boehner means is that he is passionate about cutting spending in other peoples districts. Instead, this week he voted in favor of $3 billion in new spending to save 1000 jobs in his district. On a project described by the Secretary of Defense as “an unnecessary and extravagant expense” and one that has been opposed by the last two administrations.
He should have asked himself WWCCD?
What a missed opportunity to lead. I would expect a back bench congressman, like John Tierney, to support the pork and protect jobs in his district. It goes against a politicians natural instincts to vote against jobs in their district, we all understand that. Even though the Tea Party candidates acquitted themselves well on this vote, the Times went on to note,
But in some ways, the votes of the Republican freshmen also broke down just like those of veteran members in both parties, with jobs in their states a primary concern.
For instance, all nine of the Republican freshmen from Ohio and Indiana voted to save the alternate engine. It is being developed by General Electric and Rolls-Royce in those states, while Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies, is building the other engine in Connecticut.
Many will say, that’s what they are supposed to do. It is, to a point. The way I look at it is this, we are either in dire fiscal straights that require all hands on deck, or we are not. The defense budget is not out of bounds, not at $600+ billion annually. There is plenty to cut without cutting effectiveness. The JSF back-up engine is a tailor made example. Boehner is the Speaker, the alleged leader of this new era of fiscal austerity and he just voted present. Actually, worse. He voted status quo. What these congressman need to make the right decisions is leadership by example. Imagine the message Boehner could have sent on spending by leading, and voting no. Could have been a seminal moment. Instead, by exempting his own district, Speaker Boehner has shown me he is not much of a leader and still part of the problem.
Gov. Chris Christie has become the most important politician in America. What makes him so important? Simple, leadership. He’s taking on the toughest issues, the most entrenched special interests, and winning.
A new Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday shows 52 percent of New Jerseyans approve of Christie’s job performance, and 54 percent say his first year in office was a success.
It’s not just taking on the big fights, it’s the style with which he does it. He doesn’t make a decision and hide. He stands up and takes on all comers. He gives as good as he gets. His blunt, direct, unapologetic style is such a breath of fresh air after decades of poll-tested, say nothing, politically correct bullshit from politicians at all levels of government. Christie is a direct communicator who meshes policy understanding with straight talk and a dash of good humor and personality. Does that description remind you of anyone?
Chris Christie’s leadership in New Jersey is being felt, certainly in Washington DC, especially tonight, watch these clips below for confirmation. He is also showing the way forward for other politicians across the country, at all levels, facing the same issues of unsustainable structural deficits. The public is starving for this kind of honest talk and bold, unapologetic leadership.
Another important part of Christie’s appeal is his refusal to give into the temptation and run for president. I believe him when he says he’s not running. For me, its part of his appeal, as much as I LOVE the idea. It shows a tremendous self-awareness, he talks openly about not being ready, and having a lot of work still to do in NJ. Didn’t conservatives just spend two years whaling against a certain presidential candidate who brought little to the table beyond fawning press coverage? Also, it gives his decisions in New Jersey extra credibility when they are being debated without presidential election considerations hanging over his every move.
The GOP has shown ZERO willingness to tackle the issues at the heart of our fiscal problems. The Democrats? Forget about it. The president? Looking at his laughable budget, I think he’s just plain given up. With apologies to Glenn Reynolds, what America needs most is An Army of Chris Christie’s.
Chris Christie, on success
Chris Christie, takes third rail of American politics, chews on it, spits it out
Social Security Reform is Up Next
It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce to went to the wayback machine to tell us an amazing story from Vietnam, some 45 years in the making.
ARLINGTON, Va. — “Working in pitch darkness with only the occasional flickering illumination from aircraft dropped flares above and suffering a leg and hand wound from mortar fire, Lance Cpl. Seath expertly crafted an operational M-60 machine gun from the pieces of two disabled weapons. Immediately and with devastating effects, he directed deadly accurate fire at the onrushing enemy, ultimately repelling the enemy’s assault.†– Navy Cross citation.
Former active-duty Marine Ned E. Seath’s fellow Marines said the citation is almost a mere understatement of what the man did in his deployment to the Vietnam War. By eliminating countless enemy threats, he saved almost an entire company of fellow Marines.Lance Cpl. Seath was serving as a machine gun team leader with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, when he halted an assault of North Vietnamese soldiers July 16, 1966, from using an M-60 he reassembled from spare parts. Like most memories from Vietnam, his story of heroism was tucked away when his service in the Marine Corps ended.
Seven years ago, his story resurfaced during a battalion reunion celebration and the movement, started by Bill Hutton who served with Seath, to be recognized and awarded for his actions that day began.
Seath was awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor in the Marine Corps, in a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Feb. 11, nearly 45 years after the battle during Operation Hastings ended. He was presented the award by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Last night I got to speak with Thomas Woods, author of Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse.
The book goes far beyond repealing the monstrosity that is Obamacare, taking a close look across the entire government and the numerous ways Big Government is not just part of the problem, but the problem itself.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.