Tag Archives: GOP

#Thinkwing Radio: Weds, MAR. 25, 2015, 10PM, @KPFTFM 90.1 (Houston). TOPIC(s): OPEN FORUM (Suggested: The Young Future Disabled, E-Textbooks, Ted Cruz, Conservative Principles, & more. GUESTS: Peter Hughes (Host, Technology Bytes) and CALLERS! [AUDIO]

SHOW AUDIO: kpft_2015-03-25_2200, BACKPACK INJURY, E-TEXTS, EDUCATION, PRINCIPLES

Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

Welcome to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show (every Wednesday night from 10-11PM CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer and discussion partner is Egberto Willies (@EgbertoWillies).

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

GUESTS: (More complete biographical info on my guests are below Source links.)

Peter Hughes, Host, Technology Bytes (Tentative)
CALLERS

POSSIBLE TOPICS: Ted Cruz for President?, Principles Over Results?, Rightwing (Apparent) Cognitive Dissonance, Ted Cruz vs. NASA Climate Science, ‘Activist’ Investors, Kids Courting Disability, and more

NOTE: This post is subject to update before and after the show. ______________________________________________________________________
Some of the links used for this show are BELOW the break: SOURCES (Below the break) Not all topics discussed on tonight’s show: Continue reading →

#Thinkwing Radio: Weds, MAR. 18, 2015, 10PM, @KPFTFM 90.1 (Houston). TOPIC(s): OPEN FORUM (Suggested: Cheney on Obama, Rightwing (Apparent) Cognitive Dissonance, Ted Cruz vs. NASA Climate Science, & more. GUESTS: CALLERS! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO: kpft_2015-03-18_2200, SHADOWS OF LIBERTY, CHENEY INTERVIEW, CRUZ v NASA, THE CONSERVATIVE MIND, THE MANN ACT

Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

GUESTS: (More complete biographical info on my guests are below Source links.) CALLERS

POSSIBLE TOPICS: Cheney on Obama, Rightwing (Apparent) Cognitive Dissonance, Ted Cruz vs. NASA Climate Science, Putin’s Back, Ukraine and Eastern Europe vs. Russia, Quotations

#Thinkwing Radio: Weds, MAR. 11, 2015, 10PM, @KPFTFM 90.1 (Houston). TOPIC(s): OPEN FORUM (Suggested: The IRAN47: Are the Republicans now certifiably the “Party of Nixon” rather than the “Party of Lincoln?” GUESTS: CALLERS! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO: kpft_2015-03-11_2200, GOP47, Party of Nixon, Racism vs Prejudice

Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

GUESTS: (More complete biographical info on my guests are below Source links.) CALLERS

POSSIBLE TOPICS:

What can we do to make our electorate ‘wiser’?

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“Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch-A-Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all of over again. But I will say, if you look at the exit polling data in Illinois, you’ll see that Mitt Romney is broadly acceptable to most of the factions in the party. You have to do that in order to become the nominee…” ~ Eric Fehrnstrom, Mitt Romney 2012 Campaign Communications Director, as quoted here.

Democrats should be proud. Many of their core positions won over voters this past election day. Unfortunately, their candidates didn’t. What’s wrong with this picture?

The problem in our elections, aside from abysmal turnout, is this:

20% of Dem voters would vote for a yellow dog
20% of GOP voters would vote for Charlton Heston, even though he’s dead.
40% of Dem or GOP voters would vote for almost any candidate of their party, which usually means that about 80% of the electorate is usually not in play.

This leaves the 20% of voters (so-called “Undecideds”, sometimes known as “Low Information Voters”) who only start to pay attention to what politicians are saying and doing for 4-8 weeks before election day. This is why Romney’s campaign manager talked about the “Etch-a-sketch” strategy: Just start the campaign over, because no one who matters (the 20% who are ‘swing voters’) will know or recall any of the contradictory stuff you’ve been saying or doing for years prior.

So one of the big challenges Dems have (aside from turning out their base) is how to get as many of those “20 per centers” as possible realize that politics affects their daily lives, and to pay attention most of the time between elections.

If your positions are going to win on ballots (like raising the minimum wage, Kentucky’s ACA/Obamacare medical insurance exchange, fighting voter suppression, etc.), then your candidates should also win.

If there is a disconnect between winning positions and winning candidates, you’re doing something seriously wrong.

___________________________________________________________

Watch Howard Dean slam Democrats ‘Where the hell is the Democratic Party’ (VIDEO), by Egberto Willies
‘Etch A Sketch’: Romney Aide Suggests Campaign Reset After Primary, by Devin Dwyer (@devindwyer), ABCNews.com

#PARTISANGRIDLOCK w/GUEST HOSTS MIKE HONIG & EGBERTO WILLIES: OCTOBER 10, 2014, 10PM, @KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). GUESTS: YOU! TOPIC(s): OPEN FORUM (+ Voting, Ebola, Hong Kong, & More)

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SHOW AUDIO: kpft_2014-10-10_1500, PARTISAN GRIDLOCK, with Mike Honig & Egberto Willies (subbing for Geoff Berg)

Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

ELECTION DAY IS COMING! Register AND Vote!: VOTER & Political Info And Resources

“If your vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t try so hard to suppress it!”

I was flattered to be asked to guest co-host, with Egberto Willies, Geoff Berg’s show, Partisan Gridlock. Geoff does a great show, and it obviously took two of us to try to replace him. Egberto and I had a great time, and we hope we’ll be invited back when needed.

You can listen to almost any show I’ve ever done (going back to May 2010) by going to the archive tab.

I also do Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show (every Wednesday night from 10-11PM CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer and discussion partner is Egberto Willies (@EgbertoWillies). Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.) For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

POSSIBLE TOPICS: Voting, Hong Kong Occupy, Ebola in the US, ISIS

GUEST(S): (See Event Announcement with links below the break)

OPEN FORUM

NOTE: This post is subject to update before and after the show. ______________________________________________________________________ Some of the links used for this show are BELOW the break: SOURCES (Below the break) Not all topics discussed on tonight’s show: Continue reading →

ThinkwingRadio: July 2, 2014, 10-11PM, @KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). GUEST: Callers. TOPIC: Obama worse than GW Bush? Cheney Worst VPOTUS ever? ‘McDaniel Republicans? Anything else that comes up! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO: kpft_2014-07-02_2200, Obama ‘Worst Prez’ Poll, Obamacare

Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig is usually a call-in show. Whether you’re listening live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world, when the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

GUEST(S): Open Forum. The CALLERS are the guests!

TOPIC(s):

Is Obama one of the worst presidents ever?
Was Dick Cheney a worse VP Than Aaron Burr?
Boehner v. Obama,
Exporting Oil or Energy Independence?
Anything else that comes up!

Continue reading →

ThinkwingRadio: June 25, 2014, 10-11PM, @KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). GUEST: Callers. TOPIC: Immigration Reform & States’ Rights, , ISIS or ISIL, Boehner v. Obama, & anything else that comes up!

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SHOW AUDIO: kpft_2014-06-25_2200, ISIS or ISIL, BOEHNER v. OBAMA, OCCUPIED MOVEMENT

Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

GUEST(S): Open Forum

TOPIC(s):

Immigration Reform & States’ Rights,
ISIS or ISIL,
Boehner v. Obama, &,
Exporting Oil or Energy Independence?
Anything else that comes up!

Continue reading →

Rep. Anthony Weiner: Great Video Moments On The House Floor [VIDEO]

1 Reply

I’m re-posting (from June 6, 2011) this short video compilation of some of Anthony Weiner’s best moments in the U.S. House of Representatives. At a time when he’s being seen by some (many? most?) as a pathetic laughingstock who should drop out of the race for mayor of New York City, it may be worth looking again at the passion he brought to the House, the good that he fought for for America, and his total unwillingness to be intimidated or shouted down.

Weiner has his personal problems, but he may also be the kind of combative, gutsy mayor that the 99% of New Yorkers need. ~ Mike

_______________________________________

In my opinion, some of the great and courageous moments ever seen in House debate.

A total of 3 4 videos [Last video added 10-Aug-2013]:

7m 08s

Continue reading →

Show Announcement for Friday 6/15/12: “You watch, we decide what (Harris County, TX Edition)”, Reprise

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On Friday’s 6/15 show (KPFT 90.1 FM, 9-9:30AM CDT), I want to discuss this incident which I reported in an earlier post, duplicated below. I think it’s important on several levels.

Is government office space now part of a ‘media spoils system’ where ‘winners’ can inflict their ideologically-based programming on a captive audience?
How many complaints about this media infliction of the winner’s ideology on innocent citizens should it take to make a change?
If the intent of this arrangement between Fox News and Don Sumners’ Tax Assessor-Collector’s office os so innocent, why not CNN or MSNBC, or ABC World News Now? Why not a mix of Public Service Announcements?
Or, heaven forbid, why not run helpful government information and pointers on accomplishing bureaucratic objectives more easily? Or even the Game Show Channel?

No, this is unquestionably an effort at propagandistic indoctrination foisted upon a public doing government business in a government office, with no other options. Imagine the uproar if a Democratic Tax Assessor-Collector was running MSNBC and/or KPFT as entertainment for the ‘customers’.

While this original blog post was written on November 17, 2011, I visited the Griggs Road office today (June 14, 2012) and confirmed that nothing has changed. It’s despicable, and we need to talk about how to embarrass Don Sumners and his office into changing their policy.

I urge you to call and complain. Write and complain. Post comments on this article and tell me if you’ve taken action, what sort, and what if any response was obtained.

You can reach Don Sumners or Fred King by calling the main office and asking for them.

Main Telephone Number:
713-368-2000

Physical Address Downtown:
1001 Preston
Houston, Texas 77002

Office Hours:
Downtown and Branch Offices normal hours,
Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM thru 4:30 PM

This article was revised 6/11/2012: Contact information for the Harris County Tax Office was added at the bottom. ~ Mike

====================

Back in February of 2011, I posted this tidbit about the Ohio Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters televisions suddenly becoming Fox News-centric after John Kasich was elected governor. You can read that bit here: “You watch, we decide what” (Cleveland.com, Posted on February 4, 2011)

Don Sumners, Houston Tax Assessor-Collector

Apparently, similar affliction of Fox News on innocent (and helpless) government office patrons has now come to Harris County, Texas.
Continue reading →

GOP: The Party of Hate (originally written on March 11, 2007)

2 Replies

This essay was originally written on March 11, 2007. It was published around that time in MugsysRapSheet.com (and I’ve added a couple of the links included from that posting). I could update it, but I think it still applies, even 5 years after I originally composed it. ~ Mike

_____________________________________

GOP: The Party of Hate

By Michael R. Honig

It’s no longer a joking matter; no longer something that we should avoid saying because it’s ‘impolitic’ or disrespectful of others’ views or opinions. No longer something that we should fear saying because it might be seen as hysterical hyperbole.

What do we call a political party or movement that consistently works to aggrandize the rich and powerful; marginalizes the poor and weak; ignores the political oppositions’ legitimate objections and concerns; derogates anyone who disagrees with them or with whom they disagree; ignores inconvenient laws and creates new, Constitutionally questionable laws and policies as it suits their needs; ignores world public opinion; moves military forces anywhere they want at any time they want without regard to domestic political process or international law; puts words that were never said into the mouths of their opponents and then criticizes or ridicules those opponents for those things they never said (aka, ‘the Straw Man’ Strategy); creates and widely disseminates lies and distortions with many coordinated voices in many powerful media outlets in order to gain emotionally charged political advantage; engages in character assassination; reveals national security secrets in order to gain domestic political advantage or hurt their domestic political opposition; find or create questionable legal grounds to export people for torture and interrogation that would otherwise be illegal; find questionable legal grounds for indefinite detention of their enemies? Continue reading →

OCCUPY THE BALLOT! FINAL DAYS!! Run-off Elections For Houston City Council. VOTE!

1 Reply

Below is a modified re-post about run-off elections in Houston.

If you live outside of Houston, be sure to check for any current or approaching run-off elections in your area.

As is obvious to anyone who follows this blog, I support the #Occupy movement. But the most important thing IS to Occupy is the Ballot.

Statistically, more Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans (Republicanians?). However, GOP voters are more likely to show up at the actual polls on election days.

Change begins at the ballot box. #OccupyTheBallot. Don’t let a majority of less than 10% of the electorate choose your Council members!

I received an email … which has most of the information that a Houston resident will need. (I have slightly revised it.) It is posted below the jump. Continue reading →

ELECTION News: Run-off Elections For Houston City Council. VOTE!

4 Replies

As is obvious to anyone who follows this blog, I support the #Occupy movement. But the most important thing to Occupy is the Ballot.

Statistically, more Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans (Republicanians?). However, GOP voters are more likely to show up at the actual polls on election days.

Change begins at the ballot box. #OccupyTheBallot. Don’t let a majority of less than 10% of the electorate choose your Council members!

I received and email today which has most of the information that a Houston resident will need. (I have slightly revised it.) It is posted below the jump.
Continue reading →

And the GOP 2012 Nominee Will Be ….. [Drum Roll!]

3 Replies

If I turn out to be right on this, remember you probably read it here first.

I’m beginning to suspect that the GOP nominee for the 2012 general election may well be, “None of the above“. I.e., some dark horse candidate who’s either at the margins (like a Huntsman or a Roemer), or someone totally out of left field.

It involves two words which we haven’t used in about 70 years: “Brokered Convention“. Continue reading →

You watch, we decide what (Harris County, TX Edition)

3 Replies

This article was revised 6/11/2012: Contact information for the Harris County Tax Office was added at the bottom. ~ Mike

====================

Don Sumners, Houston Tax Assessor-Collector

Apparently, similar affliction of Fox News on innocent (and helpless) government office patrons has now come to Harris County, Texas.
Continue reading →

Top Progressive Heroes AND Villains

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The Republican side these days is such a villain-rich environment, you just want to vote for all of them, Unfortunately, you must choose.

Democratic heroes are tougher. There’s aren’t nearly enough high-profile Democratic heroes, which may describe the Party’s biggest problem in a nutshell.

It would also be nice to be able to vote for heroes and villains across party lines. (Mary Landrieu? Ben Nelson?) Maybe next time.

Vote!

POLITICAL HUMOR: Libertarian? Conservative? Blue State? Red State? Some truthy humor. [VIDEO]

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Libertarian Vs. Tea Party

RD40 – Libertarian vs. Republican

Libertarian vs NeoConservative at a Tea Party Rally
Okay, granted the neo-conservative character is unfairly represented by a zombie avatar, but the arguments are interesting.

The Diffrence. Democrat vs. Republican [sic]
Forgive the typo in the title, and consider the context of the video itself. I think it accurately frames the difference between rightwing expression of views and leftwing expression of views, in spirit at least. Also, the stats in the map at the end, if accurate, are intriguing. (I have not done the research, but let me know if you do.)

The Speech Obama SHOULD Give: Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Speech at Madison Square Garden (October 31, 1936)

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Last night (September 1, 2011), Lawrence O’Donnell’s The Last Word ran part of a speech given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt just before the 1936 election. The most striking thing about his speech was the political fearlessness of it. One line in particular could be lifted by President Obama and cited in his speech to Congress: “Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred.”

If only he would…

Below is the link to the page with the transcript, and the introduction written there.
Continue reading →

John Cleese: The Joys of Extremism!

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Thanks to Don Millard (@OTOOLEFAN) for finding this. http://www.tweetdeck.com/twitter/OTOOLEFAN/~hYvxJ

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX): “Washington Needs a Balanced Budget Amendment”. Me: “Not so much.”

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I recently received a typical self-laudatory and self-justifying email from one of my Texas Senators, John Cornyn. (Reproduced at the bottom.) Below is my response, posted to his office via his official web site.

___________________________________________

Dear Senator Cornyn,

We do not need a balanced budget amendment.

We need senators and representatives who can do their jobs. Leaders who know when to raise taxes, and when not to. Leaders who put country ahead of party and politics. Leaders who don’t make defeating their political opposition “the number one priority”, ahead of jobs, the nation’s debt rating, or our country’s future.

I have just one number to say to you: 1937.

You, sir, are among the worst examples of Republican “party first” politics.

You should be ashamed of yourself and your party. Continue reading →

Happy Birthday, Mr. President! It is time for you to dig your heels in and make a stand, by Manolo Garibay

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Happy Birthday, Mr. President,

I hope for nothing but success for you in the years to come.

Coming out of the budget negotiations, the debt ceiling debate, and now with the fight for funding the FAA looming, it is time for you to dig your heels in and make a stand, and tell America that it is the Republicans — NOT Congress — that is standing in the way of getting this economy to recover. “Call them out,” as you have said in the past. Get angry, be aggressive and make demands… Maybe as many as 40% of Americans will not vote for you under any circumstances, so where is the risk? Continue reading →

Obama Swats Fly During CNBC Interview

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Wouldn’t it be nice if this video was a metaphor, and the fly represented the GOP?

The GkOchP/Krauthammer Doctrine: They Want You To Stay Unemployed

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On June 30, Keith Olbermann had NY Senator Charles Schumer on Current TV’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann to talk about the debt ceiling debate, and the Congressional and — specifically — the Republican politics surrounding it. During that interview, Schumer made an unusually blunt and explosive charge: That Republicans are deliberately trying to ‘tank’ the economy for their own political advantage.

To home-based, Monday morning political quarterbackers like me, that is not a surprising statement. It’s one that many political commentators and bloggers have been making for some time.

It’s explosive because it comes from a sitting senator, Continue reading →

A “Tax Holiday” On Repatriation of Foreign Profits Is A Bad Idea. Here’s why.

3 Replies

Foreign profits earned by American companies are not taxed by the United States until the profits are ‘brought home’ (i.e., repatriated).

Republicans have floated the idea of a ‘tax holiday’ on repatriated foreign profits so that companies are given an incentive to bring overseas profits home, so they can reputedly be invested, and thus create jobs here in the States.

Not only is this a bad idea in terms of tax policy, but even discussing it is bad tax policy. Allow me to relate an anecdote to explain, but be patient. It will take a little while to get back to my point. Continue reading →

Jon Huntsman For President? My theory that there’s something else going on here…

1 Reply

Former Utah Governor and former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman has officially announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination for president.

In a time when the Republican litmus test for candidacy admission is how far right you can swing, an apparently relatively moderate Republican doesn’t stand much of a chance for getting the nomination.

Can Huntsman survive this truism? Does he think he can? If not, what other reason could he have for throwing his hat into the mix?

I have a theory: Continue reading →

China Sells Counterfeit Electronics for F-15s, and more

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ThinkWingRadio So why are the damn parts for F-15s made in China?! RT @WILLROGERSUSA Key US senators slam China on military parts probe http://t.co/BaIHzMq

ThinkWingRadio I have a great idea! The Russians can make M-16s, the Chinese can build our military computers, the Iranians can build our rockets. BFFs!!

ThinkWingRadio What the hell has happened to our country? We don’t even make our own military equipment?Now China’s “The Arsenal of Democracy”?! Thanx GOP!

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