Republican Presidental Debate - South Carolina, May 5th, 2011

Just finished watching the first of many Republican Presidential debates. The surprising news is which Republican candidates or presumed candidates did not show up, and of the five who did, which one won.

Those of us watching on Television or sitting in the auditorium in South Carolina watched Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorium and Gary Johnson answer questions.

Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump skipped this debate for various reasons. What they learned is that skipping this debate was a mistake.

The focus group as well as several political observers almost unanimously said that this debate winner was Herman Cain (my winner as well) and that Romney, Huckabee, Bachmann, etc. now have to work extra hard to prove they belong in the field. In fact, the Fox News focus group of 29 people had about 22 supporting Herman Cain, a overwhelming majority and especially significant when most of the people did not know him prior to this debate. By my count Rick Santorium came in second. 

While again I had Herman Cain coming out on top, I think Rick Santorium made the case for his conservatives creds and record as a Senator from Pennsylvania. Ron Paul, while having the Tea Party support (from which I count myself a member) comes across as too whiny and weak on foreign policy....but I do like his unrelenting State Rights positions. I could support former Minnesota Governor Pawlenty if he is the candidate. And I think we should all hope that former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson skips town.

Herman Cain, Businessman

Rick Santorium, former Senator (R-PA)

Tim Pawlenty, former Governor (R-MN)

Ron Paul, Congressman (R-TX)

Gary Johnson, former Governor (R-NM)

Mexico - Wanting to Blame the U.S. ......Again

Received from the National Rifle Association Legislative Alerts. Mexico - another example, this time of a Nation and not individuals, who are failing to take responsibility for their own actions or in-actions Calderon is sitting down there in the opulent Mexican Presidential Palace while thousands of his people kill each other and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, scramble to live each and every day.

In another chapter in the ongoing attempt to blame the American gun community for Mexico's internal strife, CBS News reports that the Mexican government has retained the New York City-based law firm of Reid Collins & Tsai to examine its options for suing U.S. gun manufacturers and distributors. This report describes Mexico's actions as a "novel approach," in reality, such lawsuits have been used for decades as a tactic by anti-gun groups and governments in their attempts to bankrupt gun manufacturers and circumvent the political process.

That's why Congress passed the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" in 2005. This act protects firearms manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers from suits brought about as a result of "the harm solely caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearm products or ammunition products by others when the product functioned as designed and intended." The outlook for a Mexican government suit looks dim; since the PLCAA was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Oct. 26, 2005, no federal court has allowed such a suit by a government plaintiff to go forward against a U.S. firearms manufacturer.

Osama bin Laden? No, Osama bin Dead for four days now

Shot in the head after his "secret" compound was taken down in a exceptional well crafted and executed raid by 40 members of SEAL Team 6, Obama bin Laden - the master planner behind Al Qaeda's campaign to wage war on America is now dead and buried at sea where he'll be feeding fishes.

Some say that it took guts for President Obama to authorize a strike into Pakistan to get this sucker, but from the all the heat former President Clinton took when he fired missiles into Al Qaeda training camps over a decade ago in a failed attempt to kill bin Laden, I say he had no choice but for a ground strike.

Obama said that "Osama's death was the single biggest blow ever to Al Qaeda". Boy do I sure disagree. I think the liberation of Afghanistan putting Al Qaeda on the run into the Hindu Kush was the single biggest blow. Osama at the time of this death was a virtual prisoner and could only communicate via messenger which made his command and control of a world wide terrorist group sketchy at best.

A big "Hoo-rah" to SEAL Team 6.