MUTH'S TRUTHS 07/19/2013

THE GOP EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Nevada Republicans have now come full circle. 

In 2008 it was the GOP establishment in Nevada that generally treated the Ron Paul people like lepers.  But the lepers got organized and fought back, gaining operational control of the party in the 2012 election cycle.  Now, after a very brief absence, the establishment is well on its way to regaining full power.

The short Clark County GOP chairmanship of Cindy Lake - a principled conservative and Paul supporter - came to an end on July 17 when the establishment wing of the party hoisted Dave McKeon, a relatively unknown, transplanted son of a California congressman, upon the throne as their new Grand Imperial Pooh-Bah.

So intent was the establishment in regaining power that they would have supported a pedophile priest as long as long as it meant getting rid of Lake.  But remember the old saying about being careful what you wish for.

McKeon made a lot of grandiose promises to get elected; promises he’s unlikely to fulfill.  Like raising a ton of money, registering a ton of voters and winning the hearts and minds of Hispanics everywhere. What’s going to happen if/when he comes up short?

But even if McKeon is successful beyond everyone’s wildest LSD-induced dreams operationally and organizationally, a philosophical drift back to the mushy-middle will now take place.  And that’s nothing to cheer about if you’re a conservative, especially if it spreads up to the state party level.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 07/17/2013

MCKEON MADNESS ALMOST OVER...MAYBE

In a last-minute effort to salvage his campaign for Clark County GOP chairman, Dave McKeon sent out an email Tuesday night addressing the domestic violence allegations made against him by his former wife. 

“I did not do the things they say that I did,” McKeon wrote.

Except…

The Superior Court of California disagreed, ruling that he was, in fact, a “domestic violence perpetrator.”  I didn’t say that.  A court of law said that.

When given a chance two weeks ago to address the allegations on Alan Stock’s radio program after he kept them secret from supporters for six whole months, McKeon was forced to admit the documents were, in fact, authentic and that he did, in fact, sign the documents admitting to the allegations.

His excuse on the Stock show was that he admitted to the domestic violence allegations just to get the divorce proceedings over with.  So, as Stock pointed out, either McKeon lied to a court of law back then, or he’s lying to his supporters now.  Either way…

McKeon then went on to accuse Stock of “setting him up,” even though McKeon voluntarily agreed to come on the program to address the allegations.  That claim was just bizarre.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 07/14/2013

SELL-OUT!

No, no, no. This is a GOOD Republican sell-out for a change!

The Southern Nevada Republican Women’s PAC gala at the Venetian Saturday night was a sell-out and enormously successful despite (because of?) MSNBC cackler Rachel Maddow’s 15-minute on-air rant against the event earlier in the week. 

Congratulations to event organizer Daryll Ann Carter and her team for pulling off such a great event!

Kudos also to the Nevada Republican Party which featured U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) at a fundraising event earlier in the afternoon at the Golden Nugget.  I was only able to attend the VIP reception before the public rally, but the room was packed with folks who paid $1,000 or $250 for the opportunity to meet Sen. Paul and have their photo taken with him.

It seems “establishment” efforts to bleed the party dry have been less than successful.  Not that the party’s flush with cash now, but it’s not standing on street corners with “Will Register Voters for Food” signs either.

Congratulations to Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald, National Committeeman James Smack and National Committeewoman Diana Orrock for pulling off such a great event!

MUTH'S TRUTHS 07/13/2013

FIRST FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR EXTRAORDAIRE!

If you missed last night’s SRO First Friday Happy Hour at Bahama Breeze, you missed a truly star-studded, action-packed, fun-filled get-together!

We had Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Dean Heller, Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, national talk-show host Rusty Humphries, John Aglialoro and Harmon Kaslow, the producers of the “Atlas Shrugged” movies, New Hampshire State Rep. Mark Warden, and Marita Noon of Energy Makes America Great.

Also joining us from Elko was conservative Assemblyman John Ellison, and from Douglas County, Assemblyman Jim Wheeler.  Also in the house were conservative Assemblyman John Hambrick and Assemblywoman Michele Fiore of Las Vegas, along with Las Vegas City Councilman Stavros Anthony.

Plus Nevada Republican Party Chairman Mike McDonald and Clark County Republican Party Chairwoman Cindy Lake, along with Nevada GOP Finance Chairman Dan Schwartz, former Clark County GOP Chairmen Richard Scotti and George Harris, former Clark County GOP Treasurer Swadeep Nigam, Melody Howard, candidate for CCRP Precinct Director, and Kelly Hurst, candidate for CCRP Political Director.

Also got to chat with newly-arrived Greg Campbell of TeaParty.net, Leo Bletnitsky of the Las Vegas Shooting and Cigar Club, Clark County GOP Volunteers of the Year Dan & Rita Hickey, and former Assembly candidates Victoria Seaman and Tom Blanchard.

HARD HEADED HARRY REID - MUTH'S TRUTHS 04/12/2012

HARRY REID’S JUDICIAL HYPOCRISY
So here’s the story: Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) nominated a liberal judge, Elissa Cadish - who once wrote that she didn’t believe there was an individual right to keep and bear arms (by definition, a liberal) - for a judicial vacancy on the federal bench.

However, per Senate tradition, unless both home-state senators agree to allow the nomination to move forward, the nomination doesn’t move forward.  And Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nevada) has objected to Cadish’s nomination.

So unless Heller changes his mind, which he says he won’t do, the nomination is dead.  Which means Cadish should withdraw.  Or Reid should tell her to withdraw.  But instead, Reid released a statement on Tuesday doubling down on the Cadish nomination.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 03/30/2012

DIS-INFORMATION ON TAX HIKE AS HIGH AS A KITE
Republican Assemblyman Kelly Kite represents one of the most conservative/most Republican districts in the state, covering Douglas County, south of Carson City.  Meaning you could be to the right of Attila the Hun and still be elected in District 39.  Without a doubt, unlike some districts in Las Vegas, you do not have to be a mushy moderate squish to win in this district.

Any yet…that’s exactly what Assemblyman Kite is.  He chalked up an anemic 60% conservative score in Citizen Outreach’s ratings for the 2011 Legislature and a 53% rating from NPRI.

Worse, not only did Kite refuse to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in his 2010 race, but he, unsurprisingly though disappointingly, ended up voting FOR the $620 million hike in the “temporary” taxes that were re-imposed on Nevada’s citizens and small businesses last July 1.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 03/25/2012

THE GREAT SANDOVAL-ROBERSON TAX HIKE OF 2013
This just amazes me.

Reader’s Digest version of history: Brian Sandoval ran for governor in 2010 promising to roll back the state’s general fund budget to the 2007 pre-recession level of around $5.2 billion.  Once elected, however, he proposed in January 2010 a general fund budget of about $5.8 billion.  But no tax hikes…including no extension of the “temporary” tax hikes passed in 2009.

With me so far?

Now…in the beginning of May 2010, the unelected cardinals on the Economic Forum convened and determined that an improving economy would result in an unexpected $300 million windfall surplus of tax revenue for the upcoming biennium.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 03/10/2012

ROSS MILLER’S ROYAL SCREW-JOB

Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller kept up his war on small business owners and entrepreneurs on Thursday, persuading the four Democrats – who out-voted the two Republicans – on the Nevada Legislative Subcommittee on Regulations to repeal the exemption from the state’s $200-a-year fine/penalty/fee for home-based businesses who dared protect themselves legally by forming a corporation and make less than $27,000 a year.
 
“An estimated 60,000 Nevada businesses will now be assessed a $200 annual fee,” reported the Las Vegas Sun.  “The fee will be imposed immediately on those who file for new businesses licenses and on those that renew existing licenses, a spokeswoman said.”

MUTH'S TRUTHS 03/01/2012

Nevada’s Animal Farm, Where some are More Equal than Others                   
I am still absolutely astounded at how unglued Nevada’s political establishment has become over a simple little lawsuit - which my organization, Citizen Outreach has joined – asking that the standards of the state’s “single-subject rule” be applied equally to ballot initiatives and legislation.

Back in 2005 the Legislature passed a law, SB 224, tightening the standards for ballot initiatives put forward directly by citizens in the state.  Ironically and arguably, that law itself violated the single-subject rules embedded the state’s Constitution.  Indeed, we point out, SB 224 “addresses 20 different subjects and amends 20 different NRS statutes.”

Seriously, this should not be a complicated or controversial issue.  All our lawsuit does is ask that the same rules apply to everybody:

MUTH'S TRUTHS 02/24/2012

Shouldn’t the Legislature Play by the Same Rules as Citizens?
A simple “good for goose/good for gander” lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Nevada has scared the Shinola out of the state’s power elite.  Here’s the deal.

On January 18, 2012 my organization, Citizen Outreach, joined a lawsuit filed against Ross Miller in his capacity as Nevada’s Secretary of State.  At issue is the fact that despite a constitutional requirement that “Each law enacted by the Legislature shall embrace but one subject,” the Legislature has routinely enacted legislation covering far more than one subject. 

MUTH'S TRUTHS 02/21/2012

How Many of Your Employees Would “Carry a Letter to Garcia”?
Marketing expert Dan Kennedy writes about watching a Sunday morning news debate over unemployment when a young worker posed the following question to management and unions:

“How will YOU help me avoid losing my job in the future?”

Indeed, the very nature of the question tells you what’s wrong in this country today when it comes to employment.

“That’s the wrong question,” Kennedy responded.  “The unions try hard to protect their turf by answering it, and, as a result, they tell a big lie.  Management tries hard to answer it and, as a result, they lie.  Government even sticks its nose in and tries to answer it and lies.  The only truthful response is to refuse to answer it at all.”

MUTH'S TRUTHS 01/13/2012

Some Harsh Reality for the Unemployed…
From a Legless, One-Armed Iraq Veteran
If we really want to pull our nation out of this economic abyss, perhaps it’s time to stop babying, coddling and wet-nursing the unemployed.

Welcome to Harsh Reality 101!  Your instructor today is Bryan Anderson, author of No Turning Back. (Read it!)

Bryan joined the Army in 2001, just before 9/11.  He then served two tours of duty in Iraq.  On October 23, 2005, the Humvee he was driving was blown up by an IED.  In the attack, Bryan lost both legs above the knee, as well as his left arm.  So when he writes critically about unemployed homeless veterans on the street – perhaps the most sympathetic of figures in all of American society - he’s speaking from a decidedly strong position of moral authority.

“I know this might sound harsh, Anderson writes, “but when I see a veteran wearing filthy rags, sitting on a sidewalk, and begging for change because he’s obviously a drunk or an addict, even if he’s an amputee, I think his situation is his own fault.”

MUTH'S TRUTHS 01/29/2012

Fact checking Romney's attacks on Gingrichby Anthony Martin
Conservative Examiner
January 29, 2012
 
In a series of television ads and speeches in Florida in the run up to the state's Republican primary on Tuesday, Mitt Romney has launched a series of serious attacks against Newt Gingrich that have had a definite impact on the race. Gingrich's nine point lead has evaporated, and Romney is now in the lead by 11 percentage points, according to several polls released over the weekend.

Romney used the very same tactic in Iowa to obliterate Gingrich's lead.an in depth report on the matter in the Washington Examiner. At issue was a college course Gingrich had developed and taught at two Georgia colleges from 1993 to 1995. The course was funded by a tax-exempt organization called the 'Progress and Freedom Foundation.'

Gingrich maintained that the course was a legitimate educational enterprise. Apparently so did the colleges involved, given their approval of adding the courses to their curricula.

But a highly partisan Democrat who had run an unsuccessful campaign against Gingrich in Georgia brought the ethics complaint as soon as he was beaten in 1994, contending that the college course had no educational value and was designed to do nothing more than to spread the Gingrich political propaganda, using a tax-exempt organization to pay the bills.

So hamstrung were Gingrich and House Republicans by the massive amount negative publicity generated by the complaint that Gingrich agreed to admit to limited guilt "just to get the matter over with and move on." But Democrats wanted a criminal investigation as well--an idea that went nowhere. Then, they demanded an IRS investigation.

That investigation took three years. And in spite of the fact that Gingrich had admitted limited guilt in the case, the IRS determined at the completion of its exhaustive investigation that he had done nothing wrong whatsoever. Nothing. The IRS had thoroughly delved into practically everything Gingrich had said in his college course, in addition to interviewing actual students who sat in his classes. Again, the IRS found that the course was a legitimate educational enterprise and that no wrongdoing had been committed.

These findings were announced by the IRS in 1999, the year Gingrich voluntarily resigned, not in disgrace but as an innocent man who had been the victim of highly politically motivated charges--bogus charges.

Second, Romney has repeatedly made the charge that Gingrich was "fined $300,000 for his ethics violations."

The charge is false.

It has already been established that Gingrich committed no ethics violations, as determined by the IRS. The so-called 'fine' of $300,000 was actually a voluntary contribution of Gingrich to the House to cover the costs of the investigation initiated by Democrats who had obvious ulterior political motives. When the Speaker agreed to admit to limited guilt in order to get the matter settled, he also stated that he would cover the costs of the investigation against him out of his own pocket--personal funds and not campaign funds. His $300,000 payment to the House was issued before the IRS concluded that he was not guilty.

That can hardly be considered a 'fine.'

Thus, the fine was not really a fine. The ethics violations turned out to be no violations. The charges at the time, in the 1990s, were false, and the charges presently being made by Mitt Romney are also false.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 01/27/2012

REAGAN, LIMBAUGH BLAST ROMNEY FOR SMEARS    
 

Just received this from NewsMax.com.  Things are REALLY heating up as the proverbial spit hits the spam in Florida.  Looking forward to the show (finally) coming to Nevada next week!

Ronald Reagan’s eldest son Mike Reagan has issued a statement lambasting Mitt Romney and his supporters for claims that Romney’s Republican presidential rival Newt Gingrich was a strong critic of President Reagan.
 
Reagan says such claims are false.

Even Rush Limbaugh, shocked by the Romney claims, chimed on his Thursday radio broadcast to say "This is obviously a coordinated attack to take Newt out here in Florida."

Rush slammed the Romney-backed smear campaign against Newt.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 01/20/2012

THE OBAMA GANG: TIME FOR NEWT TO WORK UP A NUMBER 6 ON ‘EM!

Last night’s debate.  Game-changer?  Maybe.  Still too early to tell.

But I think last night’s performance by Newt Gingrich - especially in responding to John King’s opening question about his ex-wife’s accusations - is going to take a lot of undecided Republicans and soft Romney supporters and move them from “It’d be great if Gingrich could actually give Mitt a run for his money, but it ain’t gonna happen” to “You know what, the son-of-a-gun might actually be able to pull it off!”

And don’t think Romney’s peeps aren’t sayin’ the same thing this morning.  The smell of fear is in the air.

With that said, let me take this opportunity to disclaim that while I’ve been a Newt supporter for almost 20 years, I am also a paid adviser to the Winning Our Future PAC; a super-PAC supporting the former House Speaker.  Take it for what it’s worth.

MUTH'S TRUTHS 01/19/2012

Nevada Needs More Voices for More School Choices

The purpose of National School Choice Week, January 22-28, is to “to shine a spotlight on the need for effective education options for all children.”  And nowhere is such exposure needed more than right here in Nevada.

Let’s first consider the latest failed experiment our government has performed on our nation’s children in its ongoing efforts to “fix” education – joining other failed fads such as new math, whole language, multiculturalism, block scheduling, cooperative learning and…I absolutely love this one…“brain-based teaching” (duh).

“For decades, the prevailing wisdom in education was that high self-esteem would lead to high achievement,” reported the Washington Post on January 15.  “The theory led to an avalanche of daily affirmations, awards ceremonies and attendance certificates - but few, if any, academic gains.  Now, an increasing number of teachers are weaning themselves from what some call empty praise.”
 

MUTH'S TRUTHS 01/08/2012

DEBATE DOUBLE-HEADER: GAME ONE
The real “epic fail” of this debate season is the GOP allowing liberal media figures to host and moderate REPUBLICAN debates in the first place.  That said, let’s start with Saturday night’s ABC debate.

First, George Stuffin’envelopes, a smug former Clinton water boy, is a major league liberal dick.  Sorry, but I couldn’t think of a more appropriate word.

Banning contraceptions?  Really?  That’s the issue you want to talk about?  Really, George?  Really?

And was Diane Sawyer moderating a debate last night or hosting a political episode of This is Your Life?  “What would you be doing tonight if you weren't debating?”  Really, Diane?  Really?

Seriously.  Why aren’t conservative, non-mainstream media figures asking the questions at these GOP debates? 

MUTH'S TRUTHS 12/05/2012

BLOGGER/ACTIVIST TRAINING SEMINAR IN LAS VEGAS 
The Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity will provide a full day of in-depth training to equip citizens with the tools and skills to become a more effective activist – including a closing workshop that I’ll be doing personally on “How to Use the Internet to Make a HUGE Difference in Politics & Public Policy.”  Not sure yet who Franklin is bringing in to conduct the other workshops.
 
For only $10 per person (the cost of lunch and materials), you will learn:

- How to become an information activist
- How to use investigative reporting tools and skills
- How to impact the state and local government budgeting process
- How to hold elected officials accountable through social media

MUTH'S TRUTHS 01/02/2012

ROSS MILLER’S “HUMPTY DUMPTY” JIHAD AGAINST FREE SPEECH
 
As I noted the other day, Democrat Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller has filed a lawsuit against our organization, Citizen Outreach, over a pair of mailers we sent out criticizing Democrat Assembly Speaker John Oceguera in October 2010.  The mailers noted “Johnny O’s” record of voting for tax hikes over and over again, as well as being a double-dipping government employee.

For the record, the mailers were completely accurate.

And in no way called for the defeat of Assemblyman Oceguera in the 2010 election.  And young Mr. Miller knows it.

Which is what makes his lawsuit even more outrageous!

Get this…

MUTH'S TRUTHS 12/29/2011

WHY GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS ARE HARDER TO KILL THAN VAMPIRES
 
Another reason for taking such a hard line against tax hikes is that it’s always easier to raise taxes than cut even the tiniest of spending on even the stupidest and most useless of programs, thanks to government employees who will defend them to the death.  A recent Las Vegas Sun story provides further proof.
 
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released his list of “The Most Wasteful and Low Priority Government Spending of 2011” last week.  Making the list was $60,000 the city of Henderson, NV received for a “tree survey and inventory.”  I kid you not.  Sixty large of federal “stimulus” taxpayer dollars for a local “tree census.”
 
Would someone please roll Thomas Jefferson back over in his grave?  Thank you.