Alan Grayson: A Leader Florida Wants?

As a political junkie, I observe what goes on in other states around the country and one such I have concentrated on in the past is Florida. I'm going to look at it again with the recent behavior of Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson.

I know Grayson's district well, having traveled to Orlando and Central Florida many times in my life. The district is not as liberal as he is and knowing it's not a year for the Democrats, along with his outlandish comments I've recently covered, he's finding himself in trouble, as proven by his behavior in this campaign.

This week, Grayson aired an attack ad against his opponent, Daniel Webster, aligning him with the Taliban:



Grayson has been excoriated by numerous media outlets in Central Florida and stands by his ad, where he took Webster out of context as the following video proves:



Another group, mocking Grayson's lies and questionable character proves how easy it is to take Grayson's comments out of context.



There is now a charge of plagiarism floating around as a Grayson ad (really creepy, if you ask me) nearly copies an ad from Eliot "Client #9" Spitzer's Gubernatorial Campaign.

We have seen Alan Grayson's outlandish comments and questionable character traits that proves he is not a positive leader that voters of the 8th District need. Daniel Webster has amassed a Conservative voting record in the Florida House and Senate, has business experience and is more in line with the voters of Florida's 8th. I admire Webster's stand of trying to keep the campaign positive, but he needs to take the gloves off against this bully and go "Iron Man" (offensive and defensive). Alan Grayson belongs on MSNBC more than he does in Congress...and he'll likely be their new hire after Congress.

Tom Coughlin on the Hot Seat?

After the 3rd week, it looks as if there is trouble brewing at the Meadowlands. The Giants just lost their 2nd straight game, and the loss was ugly; filled with personal fouls, turnovers and lackadaisical play where they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the Tennessee Titans. Last week, the loss against the Indianapolis Colts was equally as ugly, however, the Colts are a far better team than the Giants this season. Fans and sportswriters are wondering what the heck is going on. Vultures are already starting to circulate around the New Meadowlands Stadium and many are predicting that this will be Tom Coughlin's last season with the Giants (after this season, he has one more year on his contract), as a result of this season and last season's implosion.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a huge fan of Tom Coughlin. He comes from the Bill Parcells school of coaching, which contributed to bringing the Giants two Lombardi Trophies after Super Bowls XXI and XXV. Coughlin made sure his players were disciplined and with that discipline, the team was rebuilt, which was left a mess in the final years of Jim Fassel's tenure with the Giants. The media piled on Tom Coughlin because of his authoritarian ways as they did in Jacksonville (which was the most successful NFL Expansion franchise), Tiki Barber tried to get the guy fired while crying from the sidelines, "He was mean and made me retire," but in the end, it was Tom Coughlin who led that team and brought the best out of them so they brought home the Lombardi Trophy after the 2007 season, in a season where they were playing the undefeated New England Patriots, who were gunning for football immortality in Super Bowl XLII. I was very happy to see Michael Strahan has weighed in, defending his former coach and talking how he transitioned from an authoritarian to a positive reinforcer, which helped them to win the Super Bowl. Has he become too loose since? Considering his rebuke of Hakeem Nicks, I wouldn't call him a full-on players' coach yet. Steve Politi at the Star-Ledger also agrees that the Giants' slump doesn't stem from Tom Coughlin's coaching, although he does implicate GM Jerry Reese, to which I agree in his lack of success in the draft, sans Hakeem Nicks, and priorities in building the team. But back to Tom Coughlin. He is not only a strong leader and good leader on the field, but off the field as well, with his founding and active participation in the charity, the Jay Fund.

I know there are some Giants fans asking would we be better off with Bill Cowher and while he has done amazing things as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Giants would be wise to stand by Tom Coughlin. As I had previously stated, I believe loyalty must be practiced, as opposed to the "what have you done for me lately" attitude that exists in the NFL these days. Giants fans must remember that it is Tom Coughlin who coached the Giants to a Super Bowl Championship, cured Tiki Barber of his fumble issues and mentored Eli Manning into a star quarterback.

If we remember, the 2007 Season got off to a rocky start. Coughlin then started the player's forum where the leaders of the team acted as the ambassadors between the coaches and the younger guys on the team. They started to win and the rest was history! The veterans on the team, as Strahan stated, need to step up and be a force in the locker room that will set the example. Maybe this will save the season...and Tom Coughlin's tenure with the Giants.

Is This Poll Foreshadowing???

I always tell friends, colleagues and family, "Never Count Out the Clintons!" They rebound like nobody else and this poll proves it. Bill Clinton has the highest of "positive feelings" of political figures. This tells me two things:

1) Americans forgot or forgave him about his 8 year record in the White House, namely his finger-wagging denial.

2) Obama should be nervous as there is someone waiting in the wings:


That's right! Where Bill goes, Hillary also goes and she will benefit from Bill's rebound. (Who passionately supported her 2008 campaign, and will do the same in 2012.) Hillary will be back, standing on her own, and likely challenge Obama in 2012. I do not think she ever got over 2008 (nor has Bill) and has been brewing since, even though she is serving as his Secretary of State. After reading the Halperin/Heilemann book Game Change, earlier in the year, I was taken aback at how the Obama-Clinton rift was deeper than any of us had ever imagined! The authors also discussed how, in the interest of not being perceived a racist, the Clinton campaign held back on much of Obama's past that the media, outside of Fox News, refused to cover. Come 2012, Obama will have a political record on which to run, and in Clinton's view, he'll have to defend that record, along with his past, as everything with Hillary Clinton this time around will be fair game.

The only way she will not run is if Obama's approval rating rebounds, something I do not believe will occur. Once the Midterm Elections pass, keep an eye on when and if she resigns her post as Secretary of State. If Hillary Clinton is out by March, she will likely be challenging the incumbent president in 2012, something we haven't seen since 1980 when Ted Kennedy challenged Jimmy Carter. And if this does happen, I suggest to my fellow Conservatives and Republicans to have your popcorn ready, as this will be more entertaining than going to the movies!

The Trenton Thunder

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is in the news again. Today, he announced more reforms in education, in the area of tenure and pay based on merit and not seniority. The reform also gives new requirements for elementary teacher testing in reading and math. It remains to be seen how this will progress, considering there is a Democrat Legislature with which he must contend, who will certainly be influenced by the NJEA leading up to the 2011 New Jersey Midterms. I was not expecting him to announce these reforms this early, but I give him credit for it and as I said earlier, he leads and governs confidently and acts as though he is a one-termer, something so seldom seen in politics.

I would like to offer the Governor some advice: In these reforms, make sure administrators' personnel decisions are based on the facts laid out in front of them; whether evaluations, student test scores or parental input, and not politics or a personal agenda. Despite the NJEA's (and AFT's) claims, I have observed many incidences how they do not consistently protect and defend their teachers against the dirty politics in education and it is my hope these new reforms do what the union refuses to do. I do believe these reforms have the potential to make sure good teachers are in the profession and the classroom, and the bad teachers are either retired or in another profession.

I will closely be watching how this plays out as I guarantee we'll be hearing the NJEA react to Christie very soon. Early predictions are this will not be a quick process, but again, I'll be watching closely.

Another Recommended Read on Leadership (and how not to lead)

Just finished reading David Limbaugh's Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama today. Limbaugh (younger brother of Rush Limbaugh), an attorney and columnist, goes through point by point where he believes Obama's lack of leadership and embracing of a big government, socialist and corrupt ideology has failed the American people. And this book isn't just an overview, it describes in depth and cites many sources, whether applying the psychological definition of narcissism to the president's demeanor, or the many examples of the president not leading and ignoring the will of the American people. Furthermore, Limbaugh described questionable actions that were not painstakingly covered by the media such as the firing of Gerald Walpin and the application of political payback and revenge when deciding which Chrysler dealerships to close. The footnotes section alone is 100 pages for those who question Limbaugh's sources.

For anyone not following politics or the Midterm Election cycle closely, I highly recommend reading David Limaugh's book, as it is an appropriate reference point to catching up and assisting the voter to learn how Obama and the Democrats who have supported him have turned their back on the Constitution in leading the country. With this education that Limbaugh provides in this excellent read, Americans can vote appropriately.

The Journey, Part VII-Tom Kean: the Man, the Myth, the Legend

A little more about the background behind The Calling to Lead.

Growing up in New Jersey in the 1980s, I, like everyone else who lived here during that time, came to know Governor Thomas H. Kean very well. A former educator, Assemblyman, Assembly Speaker and Minority Leader, he was elected Governor in the closest election in New Jersey history and won re-election by the largest plurality in New Jersey history. During his time in Trenton, he successfully reformed education, cut taxes and encouraged investment and tourism in New Jersey. (Who didn't love New Jersey & You-Perfect Together!!!) After leaving Trenton, Governor Kean became the President of Drew University and in his time there, he raised the notoriety of Drew, inspired his students and became involved in their lives, unlike most university presidents. His leadership is a big reason why Drew is known outside of the Northeast as one of the best Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States. I remember during my time at Drew he was not only a major reason why I chose Drew, but he was a mentor in the fields I decided to pursue after I earned my BA. He expected the best and positively mentored not only me, but his other students and advisees so they may achieve the best. The faith he had in me in my writing opinion pieces in The Acorn, to reviving Drew's College Republicans, to politically speaking out, was memorable as it allowed me to hone the skills for the real world that my parents taught me prior to college. Governor Kean was not only my mentor at Drew, but he was my professor and one of my academic advisors. He is a big reason why Drew University was such a memorable time of my life. The picture you see above is of the Governor embracing me (I cropped myself out) on the Porch of Mead Hall on Commencement Day, 2001.

When I began planning and writing The Calling to Lead, I wished to include Governor Kean and not allowing him to 'play himself' would be unfair, as readers should know his true colors as a mentor and statesman. Therefore, when reading The Calling to Lead, readers will observe his interactions with Michael during his years as a student at Drew University and how their relationship allowed Governor Kean to be a mentor in Michael Buonocore's life. Similar to myself, Michael Buonocore may not be 100% aligned in political beliefs with the Governor, (Like Michael, I consider myself more Conservative than the Governor) but he stays loyal as he understands the significant role Governor Kean played in his intellectual development at Drew University.

I will end this entry with a quote from the Governor that I always remember in everything I do in life:

"Give back to those who have given to you."

This quote also plays a role in The Calling to Lead in how Michael leads his life after his undergraduate years at Drew University.

Working for a Title? No, Ma'am, working for the people!

Carly Fiorina, who is running against incumbent Barbara Boxer, came out with the following ad today:



This ad talks about a moment in which Boxer refused to be called ma'am, by a General, and takes him to task for it. Apparently, Boxer has a pattern of this, as her exchange with Harry Alford, the National Black Chamber of Commerce Chair, demonstrates, noted in one of my favorite Glenn Beck moments. This moment was so shocking and abrasive that it inspired author Vince Flynn to include it in his 2009 novel, Pursuit of Honor. (which I highly recommend)

Carly Fiorina's ads have been somewhat strange, but humorous, now they have transitioned to being effective! I am not counting out Carly as this woman proved in her professional life in the business world, especially at HP, and personal life, in successfully battling breast cancer, she is a fighter!

We'll see if she (and Meg Whitman in her campaign for governor) can be effective in making California red this November.