Christie Vs Paul- What's the Real Problem?

The Real Problem is the growing split in the Republican Party between the liberatarians and Republicans.  Highlighting this growing fraction one need not look much further than the national security policy dispute between, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Sen. Rand Paul (L- Ky). This feud comes just two days after the US House rejected an amendment proposed by Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash that would have halted the NSA’s domestic surveillance program by withholding funding for the agency.  Amash’s measure, which failed by only a few votes, revealed a schism in both parties over U.S. spying practices.    In the Senate, Paul has been one of the most vocal critics of the program, and in March led a 13-hour filibuster on the floor in protest of John Brennan’s nomination to direct the CIA to draw attention to the use of U.S. drone strikes overseas.  Just last week,  Paul led a broad, although ultimately unsuccessful, lobbying effort in the House of Representatives against NSA surveillance programs.    Paul’s lobbying actions have received mixed reviews from Republicans.  New York Republican Rep. Peter King went after the Kentucky lawmaker, last week, by saying that he did not think Republicans like Paul should represent “the face” of the party.   

 

 

On Thursday, at a forum of Republican governors in Aspen, Colorado Governor Christie criticized libertarians when he said “This strain of libertarianism  that’s going through parties right now and making big headlines I think is a very dangerous thought. “  When questioned if he was referring to Senator Paul, Governor Christie said “You can name any number of people and he [Mr. Paul] is one of them.”   Governor Christie, a possible 2016 presidential contender. Criticized what he called “esoteric, intellectual debates” that Mr. Paul and fellow libertarians such as Sen. Mike Lee of Utah have been conducting over the constitutional limits on unreasonable search and seizure and warrantless government surveillance.  Governor Christie, appearing with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, told the Aspen forum that critics like Mr. Paul should “come to New Jersey and sit across from the widows and the orphans of 9/11 and have that conversation,” Governor Christie said. “And they won’t, because that’s a much tougher conversation to have.” Christie warned, "The next attack that comes that kills thousands of Americans as a result, people are going to be looking back on the people having this intellectual debate."

 

 

Of course Senator Rand Paul and his fellow libertarians have escalated the feud in true libertarian style.   All in the name of liberty and protecting their constitutional rights they have come out swinging. On Friday morning , Senator Paul fired back at Governor Christie on his official Senate Twitter feed, claiming that the governor “worries about the dangers of freedom. I worry about the danger of losing that freedom. Spying without warrants is unconstitutional.”  Doug Stafford, Paul’s closest adviser, told The Washington Times that “the senator’s opposition to government drone policies and surveillance programs are designed to protect the freedoms that make America exceptional.”    He went on to say “If Governor Christie believes the constitutional rights and the privacy of all Americans are ‘esoteric,’ he either needs a new dictionary or he needs to talk to more Americans, because a great number of them are concerned about the dramatic overreach of our government.   Defending America and fighting terrorism is the concern of all Americans, especially Senator Paul.  But it can and must be done in keeping with our Constitution and while protecting the freedoms that make America exceptional.”

 

 

In true libertarian form, Paul and his followers were not going to let this opportunity pass with out screaming their libertarian rhetoric from the mountain tops so they had Paul continue his response on Sunday by going after Christie on federal spending, and what he called Christie’s "gimme, gimme, gimme" attitude when it came to Superstorm Sandy aid. Paul, a Kentucky Senator, escalated his attacks on the New Jersey governor on Monday, saying on Fox News that it is "kind of sad and cheap" that his fellow Republican is using "the cloak of 9/11 victims" to criticize him on national security.  Paul then continued his attack on Governor Christie by saying that the Republican Party in the Northeast is "on life support" and that "it's not real smart for Republicans to be attacking Republicans."   Governor Christie is a Republican attacking a libertarian (Paul) and the two parties, their beliefs and platforms are very different.

Governor Christie followed up on Tuesday in his signature candor saying “obviously he has an issue with my bluntness” and that he [Christie] has got "nothing personal" against the senator, but said Paul's words seem as though "he has something personal against me, but that's OK. He can just get in line on that front."   As for the accusations Senator Paul spouted off about New Jersey’s federal spending, Christie noted that “New Jersey gets back 61 cents for every dollar sent to Washington while Kentucky receives $1.51. Maybe he [Paul] should start cutting the pork-barrel spending that he brings home to Kentucky."

 

Christie and Paul have both been mentioned as potential Republican presidential candidates in 2016.    Their dispute about national security and federal spending exposes the fissures within the GOP that will likely be played out in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina during the presidential primaries.  Sounds to me like the Senator from Kentucky should clean around his own back door before criticizing others for their state’s federal spending.

Paul's Senior Campaign Aide Arrested

Adam Kokesh, Libertarian leader and senior Ron Paul campaign aide has been charged with illegal gun possession in D.C. Superior Court and also faces felony drug charges in Fairfax, Virginia.  Kokesh is best known for being thrown out of the 2008 GOP Convention for rudely disrupting John McCain's convention acceptance speech.  In his outburst he screamed "it is time to toss the foreign policy hawks out of the GOP. . . . Ron Paulers won't support Obama, Romney, Santorum, or Gingrich because we can see there is no significant difference between them."

 Since the 2008 GOP Convention, Kokesh has actively kept himself in trouble.  He held a prominent role in the group "Iraq Veterans Against the War" and he marched with an upside down American flag.   As a Marine, he was demoted in rank from USMC Sergeant to Corporal and received a less than honorable discharge from the military for violating a number of rules.   Michelle Malkin has been known to call him "an anti-war smear merchant in GOP clothing."

In 2010 he ran for congress, calling himself an anarchist.   He was proudly endorsed by Ron and Rand Paul and the Republican Liberty Caucus. Both Ron and Rand Paul were in Kokesh's campaign promotional videos saying "I am very happy Adam has decided to run for Congress and wholeheartedly endorse him.”

 When he didn't win his congressional bid in 2010, Kokesh traveled to Germany to urge soldiers to abandon their posts through a paid position with Moscow’s propaganda channel, Russia Today.    Congressman Ron Paul appeared on Kokesh program's called "Adam and the Man" where he suggested the abolishment of NATO, and called U.S. sanctions on Iran "acts of war."   The program was terminated in August 2011 when the U.S. Federal Election Commission received a complaint that Kokesh was violating U.S. law by using the Russia Today television to raise money for Paul’s presidential campaign. It is illegal for foreign corporations to interfere in U.S. elections.

Upon returning to the states, Kokesh helped found "Veterans for Ron Paul" and campaigned for the Congressman in several 2012 primary states.  Kokesh was often known for calling the other GOP candidates "enemies of the Constitution". Kokesh describes himself as a leader of "the peace movement," but yet he has been arrested a number of times at anti-war demonstrations. 

On July 4^th, 2013 Adam Kokesh, uploaded a YouTube video of himself in Freedom Plaza, a park in downtown Washington D.C., loading a shotgun.  For obvious reasons, it is against the law to have loaded weapons in Washington, DC.  

When being investigated on the illegal gun charges, authorities also found a gun and a full paper bag of hallucinogenic mushrooms.  Kokesh was charged with possessing Schedule I and II drugs while also having a firearm.   Schedule I drugs include heroin and LSD have a high potential for abuse.  Schedule II drugs include: PCP, cocaine and meth-amphetamines. None of these drugs are legal and none have accepted medical use and are all highly addictive.

My mother always says "You are known by the company you keep. "  Here's a short poem I reference when I think of this situation.

"Judged By The Company One Keeps"

One night in late October,

When I was far from sober,

Returning with my load with manly pride,

My feet began to stutter,

So I lay down in the gutter,

And a pig came near and lay down by my side;

A lady passing by was heard to say;

"You can tell a man who boozes,

By the company he chooses,"

And the pig got up and slowly walked away.

--Unknown

From "Best Loved Poems of the American People"

Urge Congress to VOTE NO on the deceptive amendment to the Horse Protection Act H.R. 1518

World Champion Free Spirit I and Stephanie McLaughlin (Rawlinson)
at the Tennessee Walking Horse World Championships

One of my first outings as a baby was to a horse show in Middle Tennessee.  My family owned, showed and bred Tennessee Walking Horses my entire life at Wildwood Farms here in Florence, SC and at our farm in Shelbyville, Tennessee called Cedar Hill. Most weekends, until I had my second child, were spent at a horse show somewhere in the USA.   Tennessee Walking Horses were my first loves and I was good at it. I loved my horses more than I loved politics and that's a whole lot. 

With the current costly regulations imposed by the USDA, it was no longer profitable to keep our family horse business open.   About 6 years ago we closed the farms to horses.   My brother, a professional horse trainer, is now working in another industry and we sold all 125 of the horses.  The barn now sits empty and the pastures have grown up. Six employees were let go, the vets, farriers, hay production and grain production companies services were no longer needed.  
Because of the costly regulations, the horses were no longer selling and thus the farm was not making money.   Horse trainers, and their families all over the country are closing their barns and farms due to the USDA regulations.  Many of these families have worked in this occupation for 4 or 5 generations.  All of these good people are unemployed and now dependent on the state.  Many are too old to find work while others are hunting for jobs to feed their families.   

The USDA has just about closed down entire towns in middle Tennessee.  Most horse shows are non-profits, their proceeds benefit local charities.  These charities are also going under and suffering because trainers can not afford to take horses to the shows anymore. I ask you to encourage your congressional members to vote NO on HR 1518.  This will completely end the Tennessee Walking Horse industry in our state and country.

• H.R. 1518, was written and sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, an animal rights organization that seeks to destroy all animal ownership

•H.R. 1518 vastly expands the jurisdiction of federal inspectors and calls for oversight without funding.  

• H.R. 1518 does NOTHING to address the problem of unethical participants who are already in violation of existing laws. H.R. 1518 amends the Horse Protection Act which already imposes strong rules and regulations on the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry. 

• Issues penalties based on the standards of the animal rights groups.

• The economic impact of H.R. 1518 would be detrimental to farriers, veterinarians, feed and tack companies, restaurants, motels, retail stores, trailer/truck dealers, and many more businesses.

• If passed, H.R. 1518  will remove  all pads, weighted shoes, and all action devices from show horses of three specified breeds—Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse, and Spotted Saddle Horse. 

In a year when Congress is looking for every possible way to create jobs and stimulate the economy, this misguided and deceptive bill would destroy what is left of the walking horse industry and do NOTHING to stop cruelty!  Let's enforce the laws we already have -- we don't need NEW laws!

Please act now and urge Congress to VOTE NO on H.R. 1518!

Below are some photos of some of our horses from years gone by.  I beg you not to be a part of ending this industry...these are my friends who are losing their livelihoods and something that I love that you will be ending!

 World Champion Free Spirit I  with Celia, Stephanie and Sam Rowland McLaughlin

Stars and Bars and Future Generation (foals bred and raised by Wildwood Farms)
with
Celia, Sam Rowland and Stephanie Rawlinson 

World Champion Free Spirit I
and
SC Junior Horsewoman of the Year Stephanie McLaughlin

The Foals of Wildwood
Laurie, Stephanie, Celia and Sam Rowland McLaughlin

World Champion Star of the Future

North Carolina State Champion Star of the Future

World Champion Free Spirit I
and
Stephanie McLaughlin

Reserve World Grand Champion Star of the Future

Autumn Pork Chops

Last week, Kevin and I decided  we were going to try a new recipe at least once per week.  Our goal in this adventure in cooking is two fold.  First, we want to teach the girls to try new things and Second, we are sick of our regular standard recipes and we want to expand our list of regular weekly "go to" dishes.   This week's choice was a success with everyone so we decided to share it.   

Autumn Pork Chops

This recipe is for those nights when you need to get dinner on the table fast.  30 minutes from start to finish.  It features browned pork chops simmered in tangy, sweet sauce that's been seasoned with mustard, apple juice and honey.

Ingredients Needed: (4 Servings)

1 TBS Vegetable Oil

4 Pork Chops (1/2 inch thick)

1 (10.75 oz) Can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Celery Soup

3/4 cup apple juice or water

2 TBS Spicy-Brown Mustard

1 TBS Honey

Generous Dash Ground Black Pepper

1. Heat oil in skillet. Cook chops 10 minutes or until browned. Take chops out and and put them aside
2. Add soup, apple juice, mustard, honey and black pepper. Heat to a boil.  Put the chops back in the skillet.  Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until chops are done.   Serve with noodles or Rice

• 
  

Graham Says No Bailouts

Earlier today when asked if the federal government should bail out Detroit? Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said “No way. No how. There is no doubt Detroit has huge problems, but they are facing problems of their own making. Detroit and other municipalities facing these issues need to get their own financial houses in order.” Senator Graham took his objection a few steps further by introducing an amendment to prevent the federal government from bailing out Detroit or any other municipalities facing bankruptcy. According to a release, the amendment comes as a part of the Fiscal Year 2014 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.  The Graham amendment prohibits using federal funds to purchase or guarantee any asset from a municipal, local or county government facing default as well as forbidding the federal government from issuing lines of credit or giving any financial aid to prevent bankruptcy.  According to Senator Graham, “The federal government is beyond broke and the last thing we need is the broke bailing out the broke. Taking on financial obligations which can be handled at the state and local level is a very bad idea.” The Senator's Statement and amendment comes on the heels of Detroit becoming the largest U.S. city to ever file for bankruptcy.  According to the White House's statement issued last week "President Barack Obama is monitoring the situation in Detroit but has not committed federal funds yet."

Royal Baby Update: GEORGE

Kensington Palace just released the name of Prince William and Kate's newborn son. Royal Baby Cambridge's name is George Alexander Louis.   The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. 

Happy National Cousins Day!

July 24, 2013 is National Cousins Day!

Today is dedicated to the special people who helped us endure all our family get-togethers and holidays. They were there to keep us company at the “kids table,” and for some they were the siblings we never had.   Most of my life my first cousins lived with in a mile from us so our house was always full of cousins.  We did everything together from play our own version of  Charlie's Angels, write plays, build club houses, play store, crab off the dock, play on the beach to playing our own version of Beep Beep the School Bus on golf carts.  One of my cousins even explained to me what "PG" meant when we snuck in the movies to see Grease.   We were a creative bunch and we came up with our own games with our own rules.    While we were competitive as kids, I never remember us fighting or fussing,  we all had our special unique talents and we anxiously supported each other in our quest for success. 

 

 I know I am still confused by all the different types of cousins there are.  I remember my Dad and Mom telling me about first cousins, first cousins once or twice removed, second cousins, second cousins once or twice removed, and on and on! I found this great handy cousins tree graph showing all of the different relationships.  Hope it helps you figure out what kind of cousins yours are!

While my cousins and I now live miles apart and we no longer see or talk to each other everyday, not a day goes by that I don't think of them or the impact they had on my life.  I was so blessed to have my cousins to love, learn from and to share with.  Facebook, Twitter and texting has allowed our relationships to continue to grow at long distances.  These days my cousins and I have a different kind of relationship where we share our own families and their lives and experiences via technology. While we see each other at random points every year, I always know we will meet on December 23rd for our annual Christmas Ornament exchange.  The best part of the event is seeing our children play together today like we did when we were their age.  It is magical!

 

Cousins Day is the perfect opportunity to thank your cousins for all that they do and have done for you. To celebrate the occasion,  I am shouting out to my cousins and telling them all how much I love  each of them, how special they are to me and how much I appreciate them being a part of my life.   In honor of cousin's day my girls are spending time with their cousins making new memories for the future. Call, facebook, or email your cousins today!

Can You Really Teach An Old Dog New Tricks???

 

 

 

 

When we brought our precious angels home, they were just so small, cute and sweet.  No, I am not talking about the girls, I am talking about the furry children.  As most of you know, I grew up on a farm and always had animals around me.  Our modern day house in the city is like an Ark full of animals.  We have a white rabbit (Lollipop), an adopted Cat (Elizabeth Parham Rawlinson- aka Lizzy) and two absolutely gorgeous chocolate AKC registered cocker spaniels.   Condoleezza Godiva Rice Rawlinson (Condi) is a year old and is a solid chocolate female.  Churchill's Truffle Rawlinson (Churchill) is a three year old parti-color chocolate and white male. 

When the herd arrived they had that precious puppy breath and every time they did anything it was just so very funny and cute.  Now that they are three and some of the things they are doing are no longer cute, funny or precious.  Today, after they almost destroyed my house in less than 30 minutes, I began to ponder why I never crate trained them the day they arrived.  What could I have been thinking?

When Churchill came to be a part of our family, I had just lost my beloved cocker of 15 years Barbara Bush McLaughlin Rawlinson (Babbs).  Babbs  had been kennel trained, was completely house trained, and would ring the bells on our door to let me know she needed to go outside.  She slept with me, traveled with me and basically could run our house with out my help.   I think I was spoiled and had forgotten all of the training I did with Babbs when she was younger to get her to that point.  Needless to say,  Last night  I started the process of training these "older" dogs to kennel so that I can have my house back in one piece and have some peace.

As I reviewed my books on Crate-training, everything I read said it is easiest to kennel train in puppyhood, but at times it’s feasible to train an adult dog.  The experts warn that if the puppy or dog gets the idea that making a fuss will cause you to come to the rescue, you can accidentally create a dog who becomes hysterical when confined to a crate.  Thus it is like a baby, you have to let them cry just a little.   Last night we were in this stage with Churchill who sat in his kennel howling at the top of his lungs for 45 minutes straight.  Condi, on the other hand, hopped right in the kennel, turned herself upside down and is snoring. The dogs personalities are as different as those of my children.   With older dogs who are not chewers, it is advised to put bedding in the crate to make it a cozy place for them to sleep. If you have a chewing pup or young dogs who could chew and swallow bedding it is advised to avoid bedding in the kennel.   We went with a fluffy towel in Condi's kennel and a bed in Churchill's.  In the past the two of them have chewed up everything, but their beds, so we are hoping this behavior will continue and the beds will stay in one piece.   According to everything I read, the goal is for the dog to eventually like the bedding enough that he or she will  go in the kennel for a nap with the door open.  Many suggested giving the dog treats or putting a favorite toy in the crate to make it a positive and pleasant experience for the dog.
 
Remember, it is important that you never overdo the length of time a dog is in a crate.   The length of time to continue work on positive conditioning will depend on the dog.  It is advised to take this process slow.   As the dog gets comfortable with the idea of the crate with the door open, start closing the door briefly.  You should build the time in the crate gradually, staying in the room, then start leaving the room for short periods.   You should only gradually lengthen the periods of time you are gone. Eight hours is the top limit for crating a dog at any one time and a dog who sleeps for 8 hours in a crate may not be able to make it for eight hours at other times.  Remember as soon as you take the dog out of the kennel you should immediately take them outside to restroom. 

During this outside time it is important that the focus initially be on restroom.  Once the dog has taken care of important business, then it is play time.  Always remember dogs often need to take care of business after playing and eating.  I recommend a restroom breaks every 45 minutes to one hour when you have your dog out of the kennel for play time.

Here's hoping I can teach these old dogs some new tricks!

Will The New Prince Ever Be King?

Today when  the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge revealed their child to the world for the very first time, they were presenting the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom but also the heir to the throne of 16 other Commonwealth nations.

Lawmakers have been working all year to change succession laws so that the crown will pass to this child regardless of his or her gender.   Getting this law passed has proven more difficult than  anticipated. The political process in some of the Commonwealth states are complicating the process.  If the changes don’t go though, the line of royal succession could technically bifurcate, leaving two heirs with competing claims to the throne at some point. Or it could force Australia or Canada to break away from the British crown.

This all began with an old English law, predating the imperial expansion, that gives male heirs preference for the throne.  This seeming a bit outdated, the U.K. wants to change the law so that girls have equal succession rights, as many other European monarchies have done. While it seems simple enough, the problems come from the colonies. As the British Empire expanded, it imposed not just its monarchy on far-flung colonies and possessions, but it also ingrained the rules of royal succession into the colonial constitutions. After the empire collapsed, a number of those colonies kept the British monarch but now they have their own independent governments and constitutions. And if the British royal family wants to guarantee that this baby can inherit the throne regardless of gender, it will need to convince all 16 countries in the British Commonwealth to change their constitutions, so that every one has the same succession laws and it is a lot tougher than you might think. There is no guarantee that every country will follow through, and it’s looking very possible that two of the commonwealth’s biggest countries, Canada and Australia, will refuse to change their laws.

It’s not that Canada and Australia think male succession is a great idea and oppose granting royal women equal access to the throne. The issue is actually that a number of Canadians and Australians want nothing to do with the British royals and think their countries should formally break away from the throne. For them – they’re called republicans, as in they want to have a purely representative government with no trace of monarchy – obstructing what would otherwise be a routine constitutional amendment is a way to force a wider debate on whether Australia and Canada should remain jewels in the British crown.

The Australian and Canadian movements to break from the monarchy are very real. Currently, the Australian Labor Party is in power and it's members generally favor dissolving its ties to the monarchy. In Canada, polling found only a small majority of 51 percent support keeping the monarchy. Much of the opposition in Canada comes from Quebec due to it's cultural links to France.   If Canada and Australia refuse to change their laws it will eventually divide the line of succession and establish two different monarchs. The line of succession split once before in 1838 when Queen Victoria was crowned.  Since England and Hanover, Germany had different succession laws Victoria was queen of all other Common Wealth nations but her brother became the King of Hanover. It is  more likely that if the new succession laws do not pass, these countries will just quit the British monarchy altogether.

 

The history and formality of the British Royal family are important.  In today's society, we have lost the formality, pomp and circumstance that makes us appreciate special events.  The royals teach us how to be more polite, refined, classy and mannerly.  I believe the Royal Family plays an important role in history and  the economy of the United Kingdom. The birth of the royal baby had a $400 million dollar impact on the British Economy.

Pee Dee Treasures- Grand Central Station

 

 

While traveling in the Pee Dee, I found a hidden treasure.  When I left Florence, the plan was to have lunch at Table 118 in Lake City. Unfortunately for me,  Table 118 is closed on Mondays.  Option two was the Lake City depot but  they were also closed. As I pulled back on to Highway 52, towards Kingstree, I felt sure I would be skipping lunch all together.  As I pulled into Kingstree something caught my eye,  it was an old depot that looked as if it had been totally updated.  The sign read "Grand Central Station Restaurant".  I admit I had skipped breakfast and was hungry so I was very thankful to just find somewhere open. 

 

Grand Central Station is a charming little restaurant in the old Kingstree depot.  The inside is very clean and modern mixed with gorgeous original hardwood floors and beautiful old beams. The staff was very friendly and helpful.    My meal consisted of a grilled pork chop, rice and green beans.  It was very tasty and well seasoned.  The person I was dining with had the club sandwich.  When they finished their comment was "That was a wonderful sandwich and it was such a big portion, I couldn't eat it all."   

 

The options on the menu were plentiful yet original and the prices were terrific.   When the staff found out I was from Florence, they had to tell me about their special train.  In the afternoons, a train leaves the Florence Amtrak Station at 6pm and stops at Grand Central Station.  You and your friends can have dinner then the return ticket leaves the depot at 10pm.  The cost is only $16 per person for the train ride.   This sounds like a GREAT option for date night!