Corker says Trump went 'far too far' in Obama, ISIS statements

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker today said Trump went 'far too far' in his statements saying Obama founded ISIS and I most certainly agree. Corker said that what Trump probably meant was that the decision to remove troops from Iraq in 2011 and the unrest after Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi was deposed the same year allowed ISIS to flourish in the Middle East. I agree with that.  However, if that constitutes "founding" ISIS, one could with equal justification say George W. Bush founded ISIS by invading and destabilizing Iraq in the first place.

I think the criticism that our premature exit from Iraq created a vacuum that allowed ISIS to flourish is a valid criticism, but that does not equate to "founding" ISIS.  Anyone who knows my political opinions or has read this blog knows I am no fan of President Obama.  I think his administration has been a disaster and made the world a much less safe place but Trump went way over the line with his comment.

Following Trump's comment that Obama "founded ISIS," Trump was interviewed by a conservative talk show host and instead of clarifying that he meant that Obama created the opportune climate for ISIS to flourish, Trump doubled down and said, "No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS." "I do. He was the most valuable player. I give him the most valuable player award. I give her, too, by the way — Hillary Clinton."

Later the same day he blasted the media  for allegedly misunderstanding the sarcasm in his assertion that President Obama founded ISIS.  This is just too much!  Trump is not fit to be president. If anyone said George W. Bush "founded" ISIS I would also think they were unfit to be president.

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Metro Councilman Files a Bill to Greatly Reduce the Fine for Pot Possession

Metro Councilman Dave Rosenberg has introduced a bill, cosponsored by Councilmen Freddie O’Connell and and Russ Pulley, that would substantially decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Davidson County. The bill would reduce the penalty for possession or "casual exchange" of up to  a half-ounce of marijuana to a $50 civil penalty. In addition, the judge would have the leeway to sentence the offender to up to ten hours of community service instead of the $50 fine. The offender would not be arrested but would be issued a citation.  There would be no criminal record.

I applaud this effort and urge the Council to support it. If I were serving in the Council, I would vote for it and cosponsor it.  I wish the nation would end pot prohibition but since that is not happening, I hope the Metro Council passes this bill would make possession of up to half an ounce an offense on par with littering.

Marijuana is a harmless drug. It is absolutely ridiculous that society continues to ruin lives and waste millions of dollars arresting and jailing people for engaging in such a harmless activity. Marijuana is much less harmful than alcohol If we had more marijuana and less alcohol the world would be a better place. Maybe, if marijuana was legal, more people would choose to get high rather than drunk. The worst thing you can say about marijuana is that it makes people have a stupid grin on their face and think that Oreo cookies are the best thing they ever tasted. People stoned on marijuana are not prone to domestic violence or barroom brawls. Stoned people find life amusing and, by and large, are easygoing and peaceful. Marijuana may be a net plus for society.


Pot prohibition has ruined the lives of many people and wasted millions in resources. Pot prohibition has been as much of a failure as alcohol prohibition. The prohibition has disproportionately harmed the Black community. Studies show that white people use pot in about the same proportion as Black people but Blacks suffer more arrest and harsher penalties. When one is born with the disadvantages of being Black anyway, one arrest for pot possession can condemn one to a life of hopelessness. We have destroyed lives and wasted millions, for what?  For letting people use a substance that makes them happy and is relatively harmless.

Like William F. Buckley, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin and tens of millions of other Americans, I have "tried" marijuana. Unlike Bill Clinton, I did inhale. Unlike Sarah Palin, I did enjoy it. Pot prohibition is asinine. It is time to end the hypocrisy. Millions of Americans routinely engage in the harmless activity of smoking pot but yet have to lie about it. If they don't lie about it they may get arrested, or lose their job, or lose visitation rights or custody of their kids. I suspect that a lot of people who hold important jobs and are accomplished and responsible people routinely smoke a little dope. But, they cannot say, "yeah, I like to get stoned every once in a while." They may say that in their youth they "tried" the drug, but they do not admit to currently using it.

Making millions of people liars and hypocrites is the least of the things wrong with pot prohibition. People really do get a police record or go to jail or lose their jobs or lose child visitation rights because of using marijuana. Millions and millions of dollars are spend on law enforcement to prohibit people from engaging in a victim-less crime. Police resources are wasted on enforcing pot prohibition rather than concentrating on real crimes. I also suspect that the prohibition against marijuana weakens the ability to control other really harmful drugs. If you tell a young person that marijuana is harmful and then they discover you lied to them, why should they believe you when you tell them that crack or heroine is harmful?

While the Metro Council can not end the federal "war on drugs," we can do our part to have a rational policy that virtually decriminalizes possession of small amounts.  Apparently this law will not conflict with State law. State law considers possession of small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor punishable by up to a fine of $2,500 and a year in jail. The law does not set a minimum punishment. The Council should pass this bill.

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Emails confirm Clinton pay-for-play racket. Clinton Traded Government Favors for Foundation Donors.

By Tom Hamburger, Washington Post,  August 10 at 9:42 PM -  Newly released State Department emails shed additional light on the relationships Hillary Clinton and her top aides maintained with her family’s foundation during the years she served as secretary of state.

The emails, obtained by the conservative group Judicial Watch as part of a public-records lawsuit, included one in which a longtime aide to Bill Clinton sought a State Department meeting on behalf of a major foundation donor.

The aide, Doug Band, who played a role in expanding the foundation’s reach, wrote to Hillary Clinton’s State Department staff requesting a meeting for a wealthy Ni­ger­ian businessman of Lebanese descent who has given the Clinton Foundation $1 million to $5 million in donations, according to disclosure reports. (link)

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Corker to speak at GOP luncheon in the 'boro, Aug. 18th

Press release - The Republican Party of Rutherford County is proud to announce that the Honorable U.S. Senator Bob Corker will be the featured speaker at our GOP Lunch meeting on Thursday, August 18, 2016 at noon.

In 2012, Tennesseans overwhelmingly elected Bob Corker to his second term in the U.S. Senate, where he serves as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and is an active member of the Banking Committee and the Budget Committee.

Bob was Tennessee’s commissioner of finance and mayor of Chattanooga before being elected to the Senate in 2006, but he spent most of his life in business. At the age of 25, Bob started his own construction company with $8,000 in savings and a pickup truck, eventually expanding operations to 18 states across the country.

“We are proud to have him be the featured speaker for our third luncheon in the GOP Speaker series,” said Donna Barrett, Rutherford County Republican Party Chairman. It’s his results-driven businessman’s perspective that allowed him to make a mark early in his Senate tenure and become a pragmatic thought leader on fiscal and financial issues.

Recognizing the important impact U.S. leadership and diplomacy abroad can have on our economy and national security, Bob also is an active leader on the Foreign Relations Committee. Since taking office in 2007, he has visited more than 70 countries to gain a deeper understanding of the strategic relationships between the U.S. and other nations, and in 2015, his colleagues elected him chairman. As the lead Republican on the committee, Corker works with his colleagues to set the committee agenda and help carry out legislative and oversight responsibilities.

The event will be held at the Doubletree Hotel at 1850 Old Fort Pkwy in Murfreesboro. The charge is $25 (including tax and gratuity) for the lunch meal. There is limited seating and those interested in attending please click here to order tickets. Tickets may also be purchased by contacting the County GOP at 615-893-7219 or email Annie Uselton at director@RutherfordGOP.org. You may also visit the Republican Party office at 111 East Main Street (next to the City Café) in Murfreesboro. The office is open Monday through Wednesday from 10 AM to 2 PM, Thursdays by appointment, Friday from Noon – 5 PM and Saturday 8 am to Noon.

Bob graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1974 with a degree in Industrial Management. He and his wife of 29 years, Elizabeth, live in Chattanooga. They have two daughters, Emily Corker, Julia and her husband Justin Spickard, and one grandchild.

Contact: Annie Uselton, GOP Office Director
Tel:  615-893-7219
Email: director@RutherfordGOP.org

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Corker disagrees with Trump on NATO importance, but still backs GOP nominee

Chattanooga Times Free - Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said today he doesn't agree with everything that ...(link)

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CONVICTED: Democrat Joe Armstrong Found Guilty of a Felony

Press release, NASHVILLE, Tenn.-August 8, 2016—With the news that Democratic Representative Joe Armstrong has been convicted of a felony for falsifying his tax returns, the Tennessee Republican Party released the following statement from the Executive Director of the Party, Brent Leatherwood, about the matter:

"Today's conviction of Representative Armstrong continues the unfortunate legacy of Tennessee Democrats serving in the jailhouse rather than the State House. Armstrong now joins the other infamous members of the Tennessee Democrat hall of shame like Ray Blanton and John Ford. Voters want to have confidence in their elected officials and the actions of Armstrong—and liberals like Knox County Democratic nominee Gloria Johnson who give their unflinching support to him—have shaken that sacred trust.”

Background

In previous statements, the TNGOP has referred to the Democratic Party as “corrupt to the core” citing Armstrong’s indictment as proof of that claim.

Online: http://tngop.org/convicted-democrat-joe-armstrong-found-guilty-of-a-felony/

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