Here we go again! House Speaker John Boehner has announced the formation of another House Select Committee.  This one will “focus on the grisly practices of big abortion providers,” (wink, wink, Planned Parenthood). You have to hand it to House Republicans; they sure know how to waste time and money.

Pandering to their base through the use of taxpayer money, House Republicans are setting themselves up for another debacle akin to their Benghazi probe. It appears Jindal’s “party of stupid” just doesn’t learn. (The Party Of Stupid Just Can’t Help Itself)

Having had three other House committees investigate “abortion providers,” Boehner explained, “At my request, three House committees have been investigating the abortion business, but we still don’t have the full truth.” You have to give Boehner some credit. This new Select Committee was setup after only three prior investigations, unlike the Benghazi Select Committee that was setup after seven prior inquisitions.

The House committee will be lead by none other than Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican and fellow graduate of Batsh*t University along with Michelle Bachmann. It should be noted that she and her other seven committee appointees have 100 percent ratings from the National Right to Life Committee.

Like its Benghazi predecessor, Democrats have called the new committee just another overly politicized panel that wastes taxpayer dollars. Their hope is that this new exercise in futility will yield the same negative results for Republicans as the Hillary witch-hunt, otherwise known as the Benghazi investigation.

I cannot think of a better way to show the American public that Republicans are not engaged in a war on woman than to go after a health service provider that is more popular than the National Rifle Association, the Supreme Court, both political parties, every presidential candidate and President Barack Obama! (NBC News/ Wall Street Journal).

Pandering to an ever-shrinking base is no way to win elections.

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Jeb Bush just cut his campaign payroll by 40 percent in order to spend more money on ads in the early primary states. According to Bush, this will allow his campaign to operate more “lean and mean” going forward. When asked if the changes signaled trouble for his presidential bid, he said, “It means I have the ability to adapt.”

Campaign officials have said they will be directing more resources into early voting states such as Iowa, South Carolina and, most importantly, New Hampshire. “We are moving our resources into the states to ensure that voters in primary states and caucus states are introduced to his record and vision of the future, “ Bush spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said.

Jeb and company may want to rethink their new campaign strategy. His campaign recently spent $5 million on ads in New Hampshire and his poll numbers increased by a paltry .03%. At that rate, Bush may need a few of Donald Trump’s billions to see any meaningful upward tick.

The Republican establishment is getting desperate. No one figured Donald Trump and Ben Carson would have the staying power that they’ve had. According to the most current New Hampshire poll (Bloomberg), Bush is in third place (10%) behind Trump (24%) and Carson (17%).

What Bush’s backers are refusing to see (or admit) is that Republican primary voters do not need to be “introduced” to Jeb and his “vision of the future.” They simply do not want him as their candidate.

With all the early money behind him, Jeb has proven himself to be a poor candidate (excuse the pun). It has been one continuous string of gaffes for the bumbling candidate. But most importantly, he is being weighed down by an anchor around his neck that cannot be removed. It is his family name.

It is only a matter of time before Jeb’s generous donors see the writing on the wall. Oh, how Mama Bush was right! (What’s Wrong With Jeb!)

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After 17 months of investigating and over $4.5 million spent, it’s finally show time! So get out your popcorn, boys and girls, this should be a doozy!

Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton will give her much anticipated testimony to the House Select Committee on Benghazi. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the former Secretary of State and leading Democratic presidential candidate. Coming off her commanding performance in the first Democratic presidential debate, a similar achievement at the hearing could all but nail down the Democratic nomination … and finally convince Joe Biden to stop teasing the American public about a presidential bid.

For Rep. Trey Gowdy, committee chairman, it’s a make or break moment. After House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said what everyone including your aunt Mary suspected, namely that the Benghazi hearing was a setup to bring down Clinton, Gowdy understands that the hearing can either revive the committee’s credibility or see it more widely discredited.

My money is on Hillary coming out smelling like a rose. Gowdy, the boyish-looking former prosecutor and three term South Carolina Republican, and his committee members, will be playing JV to Clinton’s varsity. With Democrats, and even some Republicans, labeling the House Benghazi investigation a “witch hunt,” expect Hillary to play the aggrieved victim like the pro that she is.

It should be noted that Gowdy had offered Clinton to come in for a private interview. But Clinton, with her extensive experience testifying in front of committees, seems confident the hearing will devolve into a circus, showing the American public the Benghazi committee is nothing more than a “partisan charade.”

My guess is Clinton will give Gowdy a buzz cut even shorter than the one he sports.

Oh, I forgot to mention… the spectacle will be televised on C-Span. Talk about must see TV!

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I am old enough to remember when being educated was considered a desirable thing. Believe it or not, there was a time when words had meaning and facts mattered. Oh, those were the days!

In seventh grade social studies, I remember learning about different types of world political and economic systems. We were taught the differences between capitalism, socialism and communism.

Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, recently called Democratic candidate, Bernie Sanders, a “socialist-slash-communist.” Now I know that can’t be true; that those labels have different meanings; that Sanders is not a communist. But it doesn’t seem to matter. The Republican base that Trump is pandering too just loves it! The moniker has two scary words side by side!

To Bernie’s credit, he calls himself a democratic socialist.

“What democratic socialism means to me,” Sanders said during a recent speech in New Hampshire, “is having a government which represents all people, rather than just the wealthiest people, which is most often the case right now in this country.”

Bernie Sanders believes “democratic socialism” is just an extension of the New Deal and the Great Society, both of which defined the Democratic Party in the 20th century.

But can any candidate in the United States win an election with the word “socialist” attached to their name? Or was Bill Maher right when he told Sanders on his cable show, “They hear ‘socialist,’ and they think ‘herpes,’ Bernie.”

In a recent Gallup poll, Americans say they are more likely to support an atheist than a socialist for president next year. Just 47 percent of Americans would vote for a socialist if their party nominated one, while 50 percent said they would not, while 58 percent said they would have no problem voting for an atheist in their party.

Bernie Sanders is not a communist nor a true socialist, as Trump has accused him of being. But perhaps Bernie needs to lay off the socialist label, even if he tones it down with the “democratic” modifier. He may be overestimating the average voter’s knowledge of different political systems and underestimating their gut hatred of the dreaded “s” word.

Bill Maher could be right. No one likes herpes. And very few Americans know the differences between socialism, capitalism and communism anyway!

Poor John Ellis (Jeb) Bush. No matter what you think of him as a politician, you have to like him as a man. The comparatively moderate Republican, who many have labeled a good son and family man, was unfortunately cast into the bind of his life by the vagaries of fate.

Pressed to run for the presidency by a Republican establishment fearful of the rising power of the Party’s radical right but advised not to do so by a wise mother who thought the American people had had enough Bushes in the White house, the former Florida governor reluctantly chose party loyalty over wise maternal counseling. (What’s Wrong With Jeb?).

From day one, Jeb’s family name was both his biggest liability and his biggest asset. Many Americans associate the Bush name with the disastrous presidency of big brother George W. But, at the same time, a large group of conservative Republicans, mostly Evangelicals, still have a favorable view of the former president.

Very early into Jeb’s presidential run, it became clear he was not ready for prime time. It was one gaffe after another. Jeb had been out of politics for over 8 years and the rust showed.

The biggest dilemma facing Jeb was how to handle his older brother and the legacy of his miserable presidency. Did he throw W under the bus or embrace W’s policies?

It appears Jeb’s handlers thought distancing him from the brother sharing the same last name was best. Hence, the “Jeb!” campaign logo. While it was ridiculed at the time, leaving out the family name was a wise move.

Jeb Bush began his campaign by telling the world he was “his own man.” He even hinted that his brother’s decision to invade Iraq was a blunder. In February, he made it clear “there were mistakes in Iraq for sure.” But the closest he has ever gotten to a direct criticism of W is when he jokingly says that he’s “younger” and “better looking” than W

The war issue came to a head when Megyn Kelly of Fox News asked Jeb the very predictable question about the wisdom of going to war with Iraq. Proving that blood is thicker than water, Jeb told Kelly he would have done the same… even knowing what we know now! Of course he tried to walk back that statement. But it was too late.

So much for distancing himself from W! Now, in response to heavy criticism from Donald Trump about W’s responsibility for 9-11, Jeb has doubled down on his absurd statement that his brother “kept us safe.”

It appears the circle has been closed. Jeb is now incredibly defending his brother at ever turn.

While other candidates move up in the polls, the depth of Jeb Bush’s campaign incompetence just keeps marching on. But to be fair, Jeb was put in an untenable situation by the Party establishment that convinced him he could be the Party’s savior. (R.I.P GOP – The Slow Death Of The Grand Old Party.)

John Ellis (Jeb) Bush … a decent man but not presidential material for the rabid base of today’s GOP.

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Occasionally this page features guest posts. Here is one from Earl Anthony Scruggs, Sioux, Iowa:

My name is Earl Anthony Scruggs and I is a pig farmer here in Sioux, Iowa. For some reason, all kinds a folk want to tell me how to vote. Hell, I mighten not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but I knows how to vote.

You see, I been a life long Republican and am damn proud of it. I ain’t never voted for no pinko liberal … never! My Pappy taught me right. He said, “Son don’t be fooled by those weak-bellied liberal commies. All they wants is to take away your guns, your Bible and your money.”

I work hard here on the farm and is proud of it. I earns an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. I don’t want some stinkin Demacrat to take my money and give it to a lazy bum like my cousin Billy Bob. The man don’t work a lick! He’s got his welfare, his Medicaid, his disability, his food stamps. Why should he work when he gets all that free stuff?

I don’t believes in taxing the rich too much because one day I is gonna be rich. I keep hearin if ya work hard, there ain’t no stoppin ya. I sure as heck don’t want my taxes going to all those sponges like Billy Bob. I wants to keep money I works hard for. It’s mines, not the gubment’s.

Some people say I is dumb because I vote against my economicky interest. Truth is, I don’t know what the heck they mean by that. But I can tell ya I vote for peoples I is interested in, like I voted for Dubya twice.

In a few months I is givin my vote to the one man that cares about a little guy like me. A man who gives a hoot about his country: Donald Trump. The man ain’t like those others beholdin to big money. The man has his own money and can’t be bought. He tells it like it is. Trump understands what its like to own a business like mines.

Trump says he wants to make America great agin. And after eight years of that Kenyan Muslim doing everything he can to destroy the good old U.S. of A., I believes him. Now if Trump picks that true patriot Sarah Palin to runs with him, like McCain does, they can’t lose.

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