The Bob Davis Podcast

Podcast 365

Protecting Your Rights. One example of how the government protects your rights (which is what it is supposed to do) and one example of how government tramples your rights. Ok, maybe more than one example of government trampling your rights. In Garland, Texas, extra security and police at a ‘Draw Muhammed’ contest protected the rights of Americans to think and express what they feel so well, two knuckleheads who called themselves ‘terrorists’  and warriors’ are dead. The mother of one of the dead ‘terrorists’ said, “He wasn’t violent” and, “He wasn’t a terrorist”. Unfortunately mom, he was. Good riddance. God’s work. The officer who took on the two ‘terrorists’ with rifles, with his pistol has not been identified. The Islamic State has ‘claimed’ the bungled attempt at a mass shooting. Beware though, these kinds of attacks may become common. IS claims to have 71 ‘warriors’ ready to go in the US. All the more reason businesses in Minnesota should remove those stupid, so and so “bans guns in these premises” signs. They should say, “Carry Permit holders welcome”. In the case of Garland, Texas … the government protected our rights. The Trans Pacific Fast Track Trade authority republicans want to grant the President is another thing entirely. It is reported that only members of Congress can read the trade agreement, and at that a page or two at a time, in the basement of the Capitol and that it is being considered in secret. No republican or democrat should support anything congress is asked to pass without the American people being able to see and read what it is beforehand. Mitch McConnell should be ashamed. No one likes the IRS these days, but we can all stop beating this dead horse, or so the alternatively whiny and arrogant IRS Head John Koskinen says. Nothing to see here, people. New measures have been put in place to see to it that the agency will not be used as a political cudgel against groups, um, someone we will not name, doesn’t like. This is not an admission we did such things before, you understand. Or is it? Is it a coincidence they found a bunch more emails from Lois Lerner? Why weren’t these kinds of controls put in place decades ago? The answer is, the IRS has been used as a kind of political praetorian guard for the White House since God was a boy. It’s time for a simple, flat tax with no loopholes for individuals and corporations, so simple that John Koskinen and a coffee maker can collect taxes and that’s all they do. Finally, do you like Christmas? Apparently the federal government is very concerned that your crazy uncle, who puts Santa and the Reindeer up on the roof of the house in Saint Louis Park every December could hurt himself and we wouldn’t want that would we? Well, now Christmas decorations will be regulated by the Consumer Protection Agency, since there have been two hundred some deaths from such things since 1980. What about Roller Coasters and Power Drills, or for that matter, treadmills? Yet another example of how the government does not protect our rights. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

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Podcast 316

Midweek Updates. Live from the newsroom at the Bob Davis Podcasts. Bruce Jenner allegedly kills someone and everyone is talking about Brian Williams. Go figure. NBC News still doesn’t know what to do with the news anchor who embellished stories about Iraq, and now apparently Katrina, and whether he saved puppies or not when he ‘was a fireman’. If Williams is forced to leave, NBC will have to write him a check for fifty million dollars. Williams just signed a five year contract with the network for ten million dollars a year, so he might NOT be singing ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’. Alas, the news media IS crying for Williams. The New York Times says Williams is a victim of ‘false memory’, which apparently a lot of us have. The Minneapolis Star Tribune suggests this is a time for forgiveness. Why are they apologizing for Williams when real reporters – not to mention American servicemen and women – are actually dying when they cover the news, or being beheaded, or something like that. Even more sad news than the fall of a ‘hero’ television presenter is the sad story of Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown. The Brown family says they’ll remove Bobby from life support today, February 11th, the same day her mother passed. Bobby always said when Whitney died, she lost more than her mom, she lost her best friend. Yet more sad? IRS head John Koskinen says ILLEGAL aliens will be able to receive back earned income tax credit payments for as long as they have been in the US. Millions of illegals could receive millions of dollars in payouts, financed by American Taxpayers. It seems President Obama executive memoranda which amnestied these people neglected to exempt them from such payments, so Koskinen wants to be on the ‘safe side’. Enough to make us want to remove ourselves from life support. A town in Pennsylvania is placing signs at the edge of town that say, “This is NOT a Gun free Zone”, which is driving the gun control zealots into a frenzy. One of them says the signs will mean criminals will shoot first, and that Conoy Township ‘will be like the wild west’. The town says they’ll take that bet. Minnesota Governor Dayton’s struggle with the House over huge pay raises for his commissioners has descended into a battle over whether the Governor will testify. He says he’ll meet with legislators but won’t testify. He also offered to do what he can to increase the pay of legislators! Meanwhile it appears the Republican House has a little  ‘splainin’ to do as well, since GOP operative and House employee Ben Golnick was also given a huge raise and makes over six figures. Sigh. In Michigan legislators are considering a bill which would outlaw subsidies to businesses. It seems Michigan is on the hook for 6 billion dollars in subsidies to auto companies. And you wonder why Detroit is a wasteland. Great idea, by the way. And eggs are good for you! Sponsored by Depotstar. 

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Podcast 289

Terror Attack In France. In the aftermath of the attack on the offices of French satire magazine, Charlie Hebdo, standout questions. France bans semi automatic rifles, what they call ‘weapons of war’, but somehow the attackers used AK-47’s. How is that possible? Second, is Sharia law at the center of this attack? Acceptance of Sharia Law started in Europe at the end of World War II, and has reportedly progressed to the point where now there are ‘sharia enclaves’ where it can be said that the ‘secular’ law of the country in question isn’t recognized. The US does not recognize Sharia law, but some places have begun to recognize certain elements of Sharia law. Minneapolis, Minnesota for instance, allows Sharia compliant banking. Does the US face ‘creeping’ Sharia law acceptance? Writing just after the attacks in France, a Muslim Cleric claimed dishonoring ‘The Prophet Muhammed’ which carries capital punishment administered by an ‘Islamic State’. Was the attack a sentence allowed through Sharia law, carried out by the Islamic State? If so, what do we intend to do about it? Third, The President’s response to the attack was muted, and President Obama refused to attend a unity march in Paris in the present time frame. His refusal is the biggest story in the third week of January 2015. What’s more, the US sent the Ambassador to France, not the Secretary of State, Vice President, or Attorney General, in lieu of the President. Events may have taken place so quickly the President’s usual, plodding method of decision making was overtaken. This is a pattern with President Obama. Prepare for the explanations, apologies, articles about competence, and eventual subject changing executive orders, or fights with congress until things stabilize. At the root of the problem is a chief executive who cannot or will not, act decisively to do the right thing … which in this case is to support an ally who is suffering in spirit, word and deed. Given the economic situation in Europe, Asia, diplomatic tensions with Russia, an ongoing war in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan one must question whether The President’s policies are making things worse … dangerously worse. Is America ready for random, single or multiple shooter events on our soil? Are American citizens prepared, aware and able to defend themselves in our public places. And, for the future, what is the policy mix that solves this problem? Can ‘The Clash of Civilizations’ be avoided? Because if it can’t … it will be the clash of the century. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul, and by Depotstar. 

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