Baby Marco Shoots for the Ultimate Playpen: A Real Floridian Exposes Rubio.

Marco Rubio.

I don't get it.

I just saw an online article in the New York Times saying Hillary is afraid of Marco Rubio. Wouldn't let me read the article. Had to subscribe first. I guess I wasted all my free views sneering at David Brooks and Tom Friedman (as well as admiring Paul Krugman). Which of course begs the question: Why should I spend money on a newspaper that takes Marco Rubio seriously? Or take my hometown paper, the Tampa Bay Times, gleefully pushing coverage of "Jebio" ignoring the fact that Rubio has absolutely no qualifications to be President. I guess I'm supposed to cheer out of some blind loyalty for my fellow Floridian.

Or maybe I missed something. Is there really something great and hidden in Marco Rubio's past? I thought I'd start on his Wikipedia Page, which I'm sure his minions are monitoring. We start out with the fact that Rubio lied about his parents being refugees from Castro, as they came here from Cuba in 1956, three years before the revolution. He graduated from the University of Florida and University of Miami School of Law, where he interned for Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen. He was elected City Commissioner in the Town of West Miami. He got himself elected to the Florida House in a 1999 special election.

Now here's where it helps to be a Floridian to read between the lines and cut through all the bullshit. Wikipedia says that he was selected to be House Majority by House Speaker Johnnie Byrd. Sounds impressive, unless you understand that Johnnie Byrd was a typical right wing extremist.  who spent most of his time trying to jam through a hospital for Alzheimer's disease named after his father. He succeeded.

Again it helps to be a Floridian to understand how the Florida House operates. It has 120 members. these members can only serve 4 terms for a total of 8 years. As a result, it is a gaggle of ambitious politicians with very little experience in running a complex state like Florida. Lobbyists, who are not term limited, run the joint. If a new House member is not to get lost in the shuffle, he must do 2 things: 1. Kiss the asses of the lobbyists who are the real power brokers and 2.Find the right ass to kiss within the House power structure. Marco Rubio did both. Thanks to the above mentioned Johnnie Byrd, Our Marco was plucked out of obscurity and sent on a rocket ride to Republican Saviorhood. Peachy.

Once Majority Leader, Rubio automatically became Speaker next term. Why? Because that's how they do things here in Florida. The future Speaker is known years in advance. Helps the lobbyists keep control. The Florida Legislature is known to be bought and paid for by the special interests. Lobbyists are notorious for writing bills. Legislators are notorious for not READING bills, especially during the chaotic last days of a session, when lobbyists sneak in budgetary items that nobody finds  out about until the budget is signed by the governor, where they explode like little bombs. After all, legislators are not their to serve the public, or God-forbid, THINK. They are there to do what they are told, and to just cash the lobbyists checks. So this is the House that Marco Rubio presided over. Florida Legislature? Florida Whorehouse is more like it.

So, did our Marco Clean Up The Mess in Tallahassee? Not quite. In fact Rubio added a sizable turd to an already stinking punch bowl.  While Speaker, Rubio had access to an American Express card provided by the Florida Republican Party, He used this to pay for thousands of dollars of purely personal expenses, including groceries, vacation expenses, and payments to a personal property manager among other things, which the party duly paid off. After these charges came to light, Rubio reimbursed the party of about $16,000. Estimates of improper usage range as high as $100,000. Rubio apologists blame all this on "clerical errors" and claim that the fact he made restitution gets him off the hook. Here's the problem we should have with this. Using campaign contributions for personal use is a CRIME. If Rubio used  funds from his own campaign coffers to pay for groceries at Publix, for example, he would have been subject to CRIMINAL charges. How is this any different? Rubio used the card to pay for totally personal expenses, knowing full well that the Republican Party would pay for them with contributions that the party raised. That's exactly what happened. Thanks to a nifty bit of laundering the money through the Party credit card, Rubio avoids criminal prosecution. And don't give me the line that Rubio's restitution after the fact gets him off the hook. Any prosecutor worth his salt can tell you that restitution is part of the PUNISHMENT for the crime. It does NOT get you off the hook. Rubio is quite fond of pointing out the moral failings of other people for political gain. He does not deserve to get off the hook for his quasi criminal behavior. As any observer of the political scene can tell you, its the legal corruption that is killing us.

So, did our hero just shamefully ride off into the political sunset? Hell No! This is Florida. You run for the Senate!  Here's where Marco gets a double dose of good luck. First, Charlie Crist commits political suicide my switching from the Governor to Senate race. Second, Marco picks 2010 to run. The Great Tea Party Wave Year. Give Marco credit, the dude sure can ride a wave. So in the primary, Marco becomes the Tea Party Darling and scares Crist into running as an Independent. Then he crushes Bill McCollum in the primary, well, because the Tea Partiers were mad, mad, MAD. Mindlessly mad. Totally Mad. Mad at McCollum despite 30 years of a perfectly conservative record. So lets dump him! Marco's our guy! Or at least the flavor of the day at exactly the right time. Off to the general election where the opposition is split because of Crist's hissy fit. Final Score: Marco 50 percent , Crist 30%, Meek 20%. A one time perfect storm, and Marco Rubio is in the Senate.

Then another piece of good luck. Obama beats Romney in 2012. Changing demographics get part of the blame. The Hispanic vote is soaring and they all are voting Democratic! What are we to do? The party desperately searches for a Hispanic face, and look who's there? Marco Rubio goes from being the Accidental Senator to the Republican Savior! Marco immediately starts running for Prez and earns the worst attendance record in the Senate. So what? Saviors don't have to be there for stupid quorum calls.

On and on it goes, like some bad episode of  Being There.  Because he is The Republican Savior, the Very Important People who decide these things put him into the "First Tier". Then Jeb! crashes into an iceberg on Iraq. Scott Walker increasingly looks like a hothouse flower that can't exist outside Wisconsin. The GOP Clown Car  starts looking like a mobile insane asylum. Who's left? Just ask The Paper Of Record. Hillary is scared!!

Pardon me if I don't get excited. If there is one thread running through Marco Rubio's career and thought pattern,  it is childishness. Take his recent foreign policy speech. If Teddy Roosevelt told us to speak softly and carry a big stick, Marco Rubio wants to scream like a baby and swing the stick wildly. Use force anywhere and any time you feel like it ! We are still the world's badasses and we will attack and invade any time we want! USA! USA! USA!.  War wimps like Rubio have no problem sending other people's kids into battle and then look the other way when they come home broken or in a box. Act like you are the biggest bully in the junior high locker room. Then act surprised when your victims are sick of getting picked on and actually fire back. Then you can blame it on "bad intelligence" or something. Anything but you own childish incompetence. Again and again we follow these two bit charlatans into war, Again and again we waste trillions of dollars. Again and again the butchers bill is heartbreaking. Again and again, the world is left a more dangerous place. If Marco Rubio is elected president, you can probably guarantee three things. One , many young lives will be ruined and none of them will be named Marco Rubio. Two, when it comes time to man up for the mistakes, Baby Marco will be blaming someone else. Three, the skids for America's decline will continue to be greased.

Marco Rubio exhibits the same childishness when it comes to matters of religion. He states that legalizing gay marriage persecutes Christians. This is nothing more than pandering to people who feel that faith in Jesus should relieve you of your suffering. That faith in Jesus is nothing more then to get what you want on earth. Never mind that the gays that have been the victims of Rubio-style ignorance are the ones doing the suffering. Never mind that what Rubio is really moaning about is the loss of power to treat the whole world like the halls of some demented high school.  Jesus did not come to earth to relieve mankind, and especially Republican primary voters, of their suffering. No, His presence on Earth is to give Christians the strength to transcend suffering so you can love your neighbor and bring Christ's kingdom to Earth. Yep, Marco knows his audience. Mature Christianity goes right over their heads. No, Marco panders to a childish Christianity that says you do not have to suffer at all. The Rapture is coming and you can avoid tribulation! All that suffering will be left to Obama and the gays and all the other icky people Left Behind.  In Rubio-land Christianity is not about a Suffering Servant who died on the Cross for the sins of mankind. It is merely a club that you join to avoid adult responsibilities to your fellow man.

At least Marco Rubio learned first hand the benefits of immigration. At least he could show some adult leadership here, right? Uh, wrong. Turns out them Tea Partiers don't like all them brown people heading to "Murica. A perfect opportunity for Marco Rubio to stand up on principle on something near and dear to his heart, right? Instead , Little Marco caves in to the schoolyard bullies in his party. I guess the trip to the Ultimate Playpen in Washington requires Little Marco to desperately try to hide who he is. What a man.

So the cat is out of the bag. The GOP Clown Car is just a Kiddie Car and Marco Rubio is just one of the kids. Will Americans call him out on this, even if the Lamestream Media won't? The answer will depend on if we in America have degenerated into nothing but a giant playpen, or if we still have the gumption to act like adults.       

Some quick thoughts on War and Peace and Our Soldiers.

     My wife and I were at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Pinellas County FL  to attend a special Memorial Day mass to honor all those who sacrificed so we can live free. Interned there is my Father, Harry C. Stark (Navy, WWII) who was wounded in that war. We  also honored Gerard Diener, my father in law (Navy, Korea) who is buried at Florida National Cemetery in Webster FL. My mother Dolores and my brother Rick are also interned at Calvary. I would like to express some thoughts on matters of war and peace and freedom.

     - I truly believe that there are times when you must fight and die for your country. However, they do NOT occur as often as the politicians tell us they do. It is OUR responsibility as citizens, being informed of the issues involved and being in touch with our Higher Power, to decide the difficult questions of war and peace. We should decide when to fight and the politicians should follow OUR wishes. Too often this proper order has been reversed. Is it because our all-volunteer military has dumped these terrible responsibilities on a precious few? Do our politicians make it too easy to dump all the sacrifice on them? We must do better. The young men and women we put in harm's way deserve it.

     - I believe it is improper to call them our soldiers "troops".  Troops are an abstraction. Solders are human beings who bleed and die when they are wounded. I support my soldiers. I don't support abstractions. Was the switch to the usage of "Troops" an attempt to dehumanize and sanitize the consequences of war? I think so.

     - The purpose of sending soldiers  in harms way is to secure the future freedom of the citizens of the United States of America. It is NOT to make profits for corporations. It is NOT to bring high ratings to childish and spastic news organizations, with their special logos and martial music. It is NOT to give thrills to bored elites who think war is a giant game of Risk. It is the responsibility of citizens to make sure our  soldiers are sent in harms way for the right reasons.

     - It is the Responsibility of Christians, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to make sure all wars are just. We must make sure that war is the absolute LAST resort. I bring this up because the majority of American Christians have been slacking on their sacred duties in this regard.

     - Blindly following warmongering politicians does not automatically make you a patriot. Sometimes it just makes you a fool. To oppose a war does not necessarily make you a wimp. Sometimes its just being wise.

     - and finally , a final shout out to our brave men and women....THANK YOU for your sacrifice.

The Real Meaning of Christian Foregiveness

     Well, it turns out that Josh Dugger of the famous Dugger Clan of "19 Kids and Counting" is guilty of molesting at least 5 of his sisters. I, along with many other people, have expressed their disgust with a person who would spend so much of his life's energy attacking gays being guilty of monstrous sex crimes himself. Dugger is justly scorned for his terrible hypocrisy. Yet, I have been accused by some fellow Christians of being a hypocrite myself by not expressing Christian forgiveness myself. Who is right? The answer can be found in the true meaning of Christian forgiveness and the darkest meaning of suffering.
     Does God forgive Josh Dugger? Does God still love Josh Dugger? Yes and Yes. If Josh Dugger wants God's forgiveness, he just has to repent for his sins and ask for it and it will be granted. This is true for you, it is true for me, it will be true for the worst sinner that ever lived. Because Jesus Christ Died for everybody's sins. Heaven is a choice. We either accept God's forgiveness or we don't. That alone gets us into Heaven. It is easy to see how a lot of secular people would have a problem with this. Seems way too easy. Seems to be a license to hurt people. You mean it is possible that God forgave Hitler? Stalin? Mob bosses? The fact that I am a Christian means I have to say yes. And a lot of good people are disgusted by that answer.
     But, do not misunderstand. Just because God forgives our sins does NOT mean we do not have to pay a price for our sins on Earth. A loving God allows us to suffer the consequences of our sins here and now. God does NOT allow us to escape these consequences. Would not a loving parent  discipline their children after they misbehaved? Is it not the job of a loving parent to teach their children right and wrong? Of course it is. This is why that the people who say the critics of Dugger lack Christian Forgiveness are so wrong. Dugger must face the just and proper repercussions for his actions just as the Catholic pedophile priests did. Just like we all do for our sins. God is not a "Get out of Jail Free" card. God is a just and loving father who wants the best for us. Who wants us to grow into souls worthy to join him in Heaven for all eternity. The Suffering Servant who died on the Cross for the sins of the whole world does not allow us to weasel out of suffering. It is part of the price we pay for our fallen world and the contributions we all make to its suffering.
      Besides, who should be the ultimate beneficiaries of Christian forgiveness in this case? Josh's VICTIMS. That's right. They need to forgive their brother, not for him but for THEMSELVES. They need the grace to give up THEIR pain and THEIR anger so they do not lose THEIR souls. It is my prayer that they allow Jesus into this horrible situation, for THEIR benefit to free themselves. Hatred and bitterness is a prison much worse that the one Josh Dugger needs to be headed to. Christian forgiveness grants them THEIR freedom.
      So Josh, I pray to see you in Heaven. After you get out of jail.

Washington Elites Smeared the Best Man For the Job

     UPDATE: I'm sure now that all you useless liberal, elitist, superdelegate Democrat assholes are all looking forward to the inauguration of President Hillary Clinton., I am here to remind you that I wrote this just after Bernie Announced!! HAHA!
    Now that Bernie Sanders has announced his candidacy for President, you can already hear Official Washington giggling in the background. Too Liberal! A socialist! No chance! Too funny looking! Yep, the Very Important And Serious People have already written Bernie off. Nothing for the Inevitable Hillary to worry about, that's for sure. After all, the last real progressive to run was Dennis Kucinich, and the Very Serious People had no trouble marginalizing him. Never mind that Kucinich was an authentic political hero, saving the people of Cleveland from Enron style gouging when  he was mayor. He was funny looking too. Always shunted off waaaay off to the side during the debates. After being allowed to speak a couple times, the VIP's would smile and then let the Serious Candidates speak. You know, the ones standing in the middle, far away from Dennis. The candidates that Understood How Things Work. The ones that understood what was good for the elites was good for all.
      So, the elites have already started this process on Bernie Sanders. But it's not going to work. First of all, Bernie is tough and fearless advocate for progressive policies. He has been fighting brave and lonely battles in the arena for many years. He will not be pushed around. He will not be shunted off to the side. The Democratic debates will not be a cattle call with 10+ candidates on the stage. Heck, it might be Bernie and Hillary one on one! He will not let Hillary intimidate him. Hillary will have to defend her cozy relationship to Wall Street and special interests and there will nowhere to hide. Hillary might try to paint him as an extremist, a socialist! But that will not work. Bernie has earned the respect and admiration of many progressives. Here's the rub, his economic policies are not extreme in the least. Nothing that Harry S. Truman could not have gotten behind. Almost all are popular when polled on their own merits, away from the label of  socialism!  Bernie will be heard and Hillary will have to respond. And no, money will not protect her. Bernie will be outspent, perhaps greatly. But he will raise enough from small donors to get his message out, especially when his message is so forceful. What's Hillary going to do, run attack ads? " Bernie is too Liberal?".  I don't think so. Hillary will need Sanders supporters to come to the polls in November if she is too win. She must tred carefully here.
     No, Bernie Sanders will probably not be the Democratic nominee. But he is just dangerous enough to derail an overconfident and elitist Hillary. Despite her lip service to progressive causes when she announced her candidacy, Hillary shows few signs of learning anything from the debacle of 2008. She still is excessively cautious. She still shows too much loyalty to too many hacks. Bill and her still seem careless about potential scandals. Finally she seems to be relying too much on her "inevitability". The strategy seems to be: coast to the nomination, and then rely on "emerging Democratic demographics" and the GOP destroying themselves by nominating an extremist.. Hey, it might work. But I wouldn't count on it. Despite all the Tea party moaning about Jeb Bush, I expect the establishment wing of the GOP to prevail as they always do. Then the Tea Party legions will bitch, moan, and then fall into line, like they did for Mitt Romney.  And what if Jeb (or Rubio) is the nominee? A swing of 58 electoral votes from the loss of Florida becomes a real possibility. Also, does Hillary and her team have the skills that Team Obama did to win major battleground states? Very much in the air. Finally, what happens in Iowa or New Hampshire when this flabby Hillary runs into the focused and determined Bernie Sanders? Is 40% plus for Bernie in either state really out of the question? Is victory in these states really out of the questions  Then what happens? This is why the proper comparison to Bernie Sanders is not Dennis Kucinich. It is Eugene McCarthy. Democrats....beware.