Exit, Stage Right

Big day at the RNC today, as they have elected themselves a new chairman. In the early hours, the common reaction among some of my Republican friends and the blogosphere is "Who?"

To answer their question, Reince Priebus is an attorney, the former head of the Wisconsin GOP and the former lead counsel of the RNC. He also is the youngest RNC Chair and has strong TEA Party Backing. To become chair, Priebus prevailed against current Chairman Michael Steele (who pulled out when it seemed like he would not win out in the votes), Maria Cino, who had the backing of John Boehner and many "ruling class Republicans," Saul Anuzis and Ann Wagner.

In the Republican Party, there is mixed reaction on Michael Steele. Even though Republicans won the House (with a net gain of 63) and a bulk of the Governorships, his critics believe Steele's leadership should have also netted the Senate. They have also accused him of/been bothered by his acts of self-promotion/profiteering and his spending at the RNC. Conservatives were annoyed that he and the RNC didn't readily and immediately back the more conservative candidate during the Midterm Elections of 2010 and as a result, held back financially, giving directly to the candidates. I have met Chairman Steele on a couple of occasions and found him to be honest, energetic, down to earth and passionate about why Republicans should be leading the nation. He has also been successful at recruiting young people to be tomorrow's leaders in the Republican Party. Furthermore, under his leadership, the House had its biggest net gains in years! Because of the good things he has done at the helm of the RNC, "The 'Right' Solutions" would like to give a big thank you and tip of the cap to Michael Steele.

Now that he is the new chairman, Reince Priebus has a challenging road ahead. As the chairman, he needs to head up the RNC's fundraising effort and also recoup the party's debt. With Obama and the Democrats in 2012 wanting to raise and spend spend $1 billion on the 2012 campaign, there can be one and only one solution to this quandary: consistently back and support the candidate who best articulates and espouses the tenets of Conservatism! When we look back in history at the modern presidential races, candidates such as Nixon, Reagan, George HW Bush in 1988, and George W. Bush have defined themselves as conservatives and as a result, have won; sometimes by a couple of touchdowns! Ford, George HW Bush in 1992, and McCain have defined themselves as more moderate, and therefore, lost.

This is a given and sadly, the RNC has missed the boat over the years. It is for this reason that Americans who consider themselves "Conservative" have closed their wallets to the RNC. If Reiner Preibus follows through on his promises to Conservatives and the TEA Party, in the same way Chris Christie did to New Jersey Conservatives in 2009, this could mean good things for the two years ahead in the Republican National Committee!

Sarah Palin Responds

Sarah Palin has commented on the shooting in Arizona and responded to those who have defamed her, attempting to connect her to to Jared Lee Loughner.



Again, Sarah Palin rises above the petty and morally repugnant rhetoric of those who want to harm her. With class and grace, she denounces the act of this lone nutcase, while responding to the attacks and exposing their hypocrisy by reminding Americans those detractors are doing exactly what they preach against!

She also cites the enduring strength of America, the importance of the First Amendment in our history, how it has and should be used for peaceful dissent and how we must protect it for generations to come. The most memorable quote of the speech, one that I think should be notable for those who study Palin, is as follows:

"It is the hour of when our values were challenged that we must remain resolve to protect those values."

In an examination of her response, Sarah Palin was articulate and sounded very "presidential." Her words invoked the memory of Ronald Reagan, his eternal optimism, embracing of American exceptionalism and the ode to John Wintrhrop that America is a "shining city on a hill." I'm sure those on the left will hate the speech and her, as a result that they are threatened by her, but again, Sarah Palin prevails, and good for her!

UPDATE 1/12/11: And they didn't wait. Apparently, some out there don't like Sarah's use of the phrase "Blood Libel" and are trying to make the insinuation she is either anti-Semitic or stupid. Surprise, surprise, attorney Alan Derschwitz, who is heavily left leaning, defends her use of the term "Blood Libel." The leftists and anti-Palinites are sure getting desperate!

Rush Turns 60!

He is admired, quoted and is one of the most consistent Conservatives in the United States. He is reviled, despised and and wished evil upon by those on the left. Rush is not afraid to speak his mind, as we well learned leading up to January 20, 2009. Despite those detractors, he keeps going and is not swayed by their negativity. On this day, "The 'Right' Solutions" would like to take this moment to wish Rush Limbaugh a Happy 60th Birthday! Thank you for what you do, Rush, and keep on keeping on!

Haiti: One Year Later

As someone who has traveled around the world and had the wonderful opportunity to learn about the cultures of the countries I visit, I like to take it all in. There have been times there were stark differences than what I've become used to in the United States and one particular trip was when I went to the Dominican Republic, the country that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. When being transported from the airport to the beachfront hotel, I was taken aback by the extreme poverty: people living in one room tin shacks, children playing stickball with a ratty, dirty ball, children playing with makeshift toys and a definite lack of sewage. On the western side of Hispaniola, the citizens of Haiti endure an even more extreme level of poverty; the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. And sadly, this country was brought into the world spotlight one year ago.

One year ago tomorrow, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 earthquake that while only lasting 10-20 seconds, devastated this already impoverished country. Infrastructure already substandard and shoddy building materials were a recipe for disaster for urban areas such as Port-au-Prince, a city that had problems way before this earthquake. We all saw the pictures on the news and they were devastating!

Many friends of mine and one former student were touched by and/or acted as a result of this disaster in some form or another. There are three that come to mind. The former student was an at-large member of the Lynn University community, the Florida college where six of its students were killed in the collapsing Hotel Montana during the earthquake (surviving family members have now founded relief-related charities that will do work in Haiti). One friend has volunteered her time with organizations who have shipped food and medical supplies. Another friend has gone to Haiti on two relief trips with GCOM (God's One Chosen Ministry)

One year later, as these pictures show, the recovery effort is continuing, however it is slow. Governments and organizations have pledged nearly $6 billion, but all the money has not been delivered. Between hurricanes, the cholera outbreak and questions surrounding the stability, legitimacy of the Haitian Government, as well as concerns about its response.

In looking at the relief effort in Haiti, it is very unfortunate the governmental situation has hindered progress. Knowing the challenges and knowing their government's reputation, some, after the earthquake, have suggested donations should come from private citizens to charitable organizations, as opposed to from the American Government to the Haitian Government. This way, there will be a greater chance the money will get where it needs to go; to the Haitian people. What is happening with with Haiti greatly reminds me of the situation in many countries in Africa over the years: the American government gives money to the various African governments and those governments squander/steal/redirect the money that it does not get where it needs to go.

The various relief organizations have done yeoman's work and they have made sure the work they do goes directly to the people. Sadly, there is only so much that can be done by these organizations. Haiti, like the other impoverished nations around the world, must improve its governmental situation for the earthquake recovery to continue and be successful. Governments willing to give must hold the Haitian Government accountable through the aid they give, so that they can best reform in the interest of their people. This fairly elected government must provide a stable backbone to the country and work in the interest of the Haitian people. Finding that capable and stable government will be the primary factor that will determine the path Haiti will take in the earthquake recovery and in years to come.

A Tale of Two Coaches

Two New York football teams, two coaches; both of whom have been in the news much in the past weeks.

Let's start with Rex. I previously stated that while I think there is much potential for success, there is also the potential for a hard fall. With Saturday's game, Rex and his Jets prevailed, defeating the Indianapolis Colts in the final seconds, 17-16, in their home stadium! He finally got his defeat of Peyton Manning! Rex Ryan and his coaching staff had a great game plan and the players implemented it well, especially in the second half, with some spectacular catches and great kicks along the way. Also, Rex was able to snag another YouTube moment in the postgame locker room speech. As they prepare to play the Patriots in Foxborough next weekend, I really wish he'd focus on the preparation and not on himself. While there are some that may think his bulletin board material provides incentives to his players to back up his bravado, I'm still hesitant to join in, as he needs to win the big games. We'll see this Saturday if he'll be on his way to doing just that.

On to the other coach...


I'm late on this, but here we go anyway. Sadly, the Giants did not make the playoffs, and yes it's their own fault (Still very happy I missed that 2nd game against the Eagles, but not happy I saw the game they played against the Packers), but Tom Coughlin came under fire by the sports media, who were salivating for his firing. I am very happy the powers that be at the Giants did the smart thing and retained him. For a mild-mannered guy when not on the field, it was surprising to see his reaction toward this criticism in the postgame locker room speech on Showtime's Inside the NFL.

"If the priest weren't in here, I'd say a few more things!"

That will go down in history as a great line!

Yes, they missed the playoffs (and the Seahawks got in at 7-9, but to their credit, beat the Super Bowl Champion Saints last weekend), but in the end, the Giants had a 10-6 season, a pretty big deal in the NFL. (let us not forget the outcry when the 11-5 Patriots did not make the playoffs a few years ago). Summing up the 2010 season, the head coach is one of the Giants' major strengths. Tom Coughlin has much football experience and instinct (especially when it comes to challenging incorrect calls), plans for games with such detail, and in the end, he brought home the Lombardi Trophy! Considering he taught Tiki Barber how to avoid fumbles, he must reiterate those fundamentals with Amhad Bradshaw. (assuming he's back next season)

Their biggest problem is recruiting. I am still not impressed with Jerry Reese's job as a GM in recruiting players in recent years. He got lucky with a few, but it's been lackluster and I hope the Maras and Tischs realize this. When planning who will play on the 2011 team, the Giants need the most help in Special Teams (Hixon will be back next year), especially punter (bye-bye, Matt Dodge), may need to get younger players who will take over at Offensive Line and at linebacker. Another question many Giants fans will be asking is will they re-sign Plaxico Burress after he's released from prison?

The Knee 'Jerks'

As the news of the shooting in Tucson was broadcast on the airwaves, I predicted that Rahm Emanuel's words, embedded above, would come into play. I pondered posting this prediction, but again, held back as news was breaking at the moment and faster than I can write and hyperlink a blog entry.

As the weekend progressed, I'm sad to say that I was right. Between Pima County Sheriff Dupnik's irresponsible and partisan speech, the ridiculous Sarah Palin pile-on and the 'holier than thou' attacks of the left wing, the coverage of this shooting has been disgraceful and even worse than I predicted. I use the phrase 'holier than thou' because they write the narrative the way they want Americans to read it, thereby leaving much out. They speak of the incendiary rhetoric on the right, however, they forget to mention some of the left have actively called for violence, some have used rhetoric that one can perceive as stirring up violence, whether from politicians, media pundits or in Hollywood. They also leave out much of the background of Jared Lee Loughner, who acted alone: whether his left-leaning preferences, his reading habits, his sick skull shrine, or the fact that this has been in the planning since 2007!

We're almost sure to see some legislative action in response, in terms of outlawing threats to lawmakers (we hope the term "threat" is specified), or limitations in political speech, a renewal of the "Fairness Doctrine," as well as more entangling gun control laws. Hopefully, Speaker Boehner can bring some sense to the House, as this will be an early test to his leadership.

After hearing Rush's monologue today, it looks like he was right regarding the long term intentions of some in government and the media who have taken advantage of this tragedy. It is my hope that Americans read on their own to find out the omissions left out and hypocrisies put forward, and in turn, respond at the ballot box, with their remote controls and their wallets. Furthermore, I hope that lawmakers can follow the advice of Mr. John Green, whose 9 year old daughter Christina was in the wrong place at the wrong time and one of the six who were killed by Jared Lee Loughner.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

I posted about this earlier today, but took it down as a result of the changing news by the minute and now that we know more, I'm reposting.

Earlier today, Congresswoman Gabrille Giffords, a Democrat representing Arizona's 8th District, was appearing at a meet and greet event in Tucson within her home district that she has been hosting since her election in 2006. At this event, she was shot in the head at point blank range by a gunman, who was later apprehended and found out to be 22 year old Jared Loughner. Others were also shot and killed at this event including US Court of Appeals Judge John Roll and a 9 year old child. In the early hours after the shooting, major news sources reported her to have died, but she ended up surviving surgery and is now listed as critical but stable and responding to doctors. Doctors are optimistic about her recovery.

Having attended meet and greets of various Congressmen/women and Congressional Candidates, one can get up close and meet the individual, as members of Congress and candidates see it as a great opportunity to meet their constituents and get a feel for their needs, wants and desires. Truth be told, they take a chance in doing this, as do all Americans who run for office and don't have Secret Service and/or State Police protection. It is a guarantee that security at meet and greets will definitely be examined as to how to intensify it.

In the hours after the shooting, I am reading stories on the Internet how those on the left are attempting to blame the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords on Sarah Palin, as a result that the Congresswoman was one of SarahPACs "targeted districts," an election which Giffords ended up winning in a very close count. I find it absolutely reprehensible that they are using a personal tragedy to score political points. The graphics and language of targeting districts has been around for a while, and yes, Democrats have targeted. Let us also remember that some on the left have professed violence or have committed a violent act against a member of Congress, namely shooting the district office of Eric Cantor. After hearing those on the left actually call for or commit violent acts, it is absolutely ridiculous for these people to say Sarah Palin has blood on her hands!

As Americans, we need to focus our energy in praying for Congresswoman Giffords and her family in a full recovery, and that this assailant is brought to a proper and swift justice!