THEY MAY BE LOSING ELECTIONS BUT THEY ARE WINNING THE WAR

A movement, a silent movement that has been waged for over a decade, is now being fought in earnest out in the open and it's an effort to takeover this great nation from the hands of the people.
Now wait....this is not a  nonsensical conspiracy theory.....except that it is. The conservatives have fought to set up districts to heavily favor conservatives through gerrymandering, they set up voter ID laws to insure that a large swath  of people could not vote (heavily dominated by the poor and elderly.......and liberal), they set up the Supreme court to tip overwhelmingly right- then used it to empower corporations to flood the election process with unlimited amounts of cash, and now they are moving towards a radical change to the electoral college to make liberal strongholds like Virginia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania less punitive (and less powerful) to the conservatives at election time.
I can certainly understand their frustration, these are states with republican legislatures yet voted their states to Obama in 2012.  This latest movement would, instead of awarding all of the state’s electoral college votes to the presidential candidate getting the most votes in each of these states, under the proposed plans most of the Electoral College votes would be awarded to the winner in each congressional district—and thanks to Republican gerrymandering of those districts, such a scheme would be a windfall for Republicans.
The movement rages on while most are sleeping...or focusing on cosmetic issues that will never be fixed by legislation...gun control, immigration and the like.
It's time to wake up people, before it is all way too late because this movements victory is just outside of their grasps. The same hands that have established super-majority requirements that guarantee congressional stagnation and a filibuster rule that keeps good legislation from even receiving an up or down vote. And they now want to control the election process, in effect changing our two party system down to one.
Wake up America!
And that's the world....the "World According to Kimba."
Thanks for reading.

HEARINGS A POLITICAL BULLFIGHT

I have been silent about the terrorist attack at Bengazi and the horrific loss of American lives that ensued. I have been keeping current on the events and as such, have drawn three conclusions....
1. Immediately after the surprise attack, the State Department for some inexplicable reason tried to call it anything but what it was; a heavily armed, heavily planned act of terrorism....they blamed a demonstration, a spur of the moment action motivated by a movie that just happened to coincide with the events of 9/11....what are you kidding me? They were in shock, they were in disarray and looked amateurish.
2. Considering the cache of weapons used, I am not sure any of our embassies could within a full scale attack the likes of what they experienced in Bangazi. This was an act of war on our embassy the likes of which we haven't experienced in modern American history. Could they anticipate trouble? Yes. They blew it. But considering the amount of people you would need to hold back an insurgency this size, is it fair to expect the State Department to proactively arm the embassy to this extent? Should the Ambassador been ordered to evacuate the embassy just in case there would be a problem? You be the judge...I say these are not fair expectations, and unfortunately our Ambassador and others paid the ultimate price. They were heroes, to be sure. But they knew the risk, they were well aware of the daily possibility for an attack, but they volunteered anyway and served despite the risk. God bless their souls.
3. Hillary Clinton is one incredible woman. She took complete blame and responsibility for the whole mess. Yes, it is part of her job title, but there is plenty of blame to go around. And so when she went up to the hill and testified she knew she was about to be excoriated. Publicly disemboweled by foaming at the mouth Republicans who couldn't wait to get their hooks into the Democratic presidential candidate in three short years. Couldn't wait to take her to the woodshed. Matadors waiting to put their banderillas into an admittedly wounded bull.
But she went, and she held her own...she showed a competency and a strength rarely seen in modern politics. She is the real deal...the stuff of legends. She continues to serve her country well in a huge job...an impossible job. A job so complex, so enormous in scope....and all at a time when many parts of the globe are in upheaval...so many parts of the world a powder keg waiting to ignite.
Interrogated by Senators incapable of assuming the all encompassing position of Secretary of State, and certainly incapable of performing to the level of Hillary Clinton...we will miss her in the role...but I am very glad she is about to get a very well deserved rest.
And that's the world...the World According to Kimba. Thanks for reading.

COINING PHRASES

Plato once said that 
"rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men." 

I'm thinking that this is especially true of our government and the American voter. It is as if we are trying to force programs into onomatopoeic status...naming programs in order to shape their definition in the mind of voters.

Take for example the way we describe Social Security as an"entitlement." Clearly it's not...just look at your pay stub...this is merely a fund you pay to with the promise that when you reach your retirement years,money...your money, will be laying in wait in order to support you when you stop working. Unfortunately, politicians see this as an "entitlement"....meaning they feel entitled to change the qualifying age and benefits as they see fit. This is my money...I give you this money with the knowledge...the agreement that it will be held for me when I need it most. Entitlement? More like an earned retirement fund.

One more example, the use of the phrase "government spending"....it should be called "Congressional investments." They take our money and invest it for us...our nation, for the public good. Wasting money on pork barrel projects and ridiculous programs is spending.  Taking our money and repairing the infrastructure, or educating our children...these are investments....we expect to benefit from the expenditure.....with an anticipated return on the investment which can be quantified. We need to mandate a section on the end of each  proposed congressional spending bill specifically stating the expected return on the investment. Maybe this rhetoric would "rules the minds of men" and get them to think each time they consider spending our money.....what's in it for us?"

And that's my world...the World According to Kimba. Thanks for reading.

FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS

While many may see last nights Senate vote on the "fiscal cliff" as a presidential victory, one must consider the substantial concessions he made in order to get this done. And while any basking in the afterglow may stroke his ego (witness his speech from the White House yesterday), he must realize the fight...the real fight will take place next month when he will go back to the well (no pun intended) and ask for a vote to raise the  debt ceiling.
That's when the GOP are going to dig in their heels and insist on true and substantial spending decreases,especially in terms of entitlement spending.
In light of these upcoming negotiations, his speech yesterday taking the GOP leaders out to the woodshed may not have been his finest hour...it certainly had little upside, politically speaking.
Yes, he will be "the man" for four more, but in order to get things done, he needs to work with Congress and be a little more magnanimous. Be a little more respectful, and stop trying his case(s) in the media. 
Congress has not shown the propensity, either in ability or attitude, to be able to negotiate a trip to the mens room, let alone any significant measure. His speech yesterday did little or nothing to stop this trend...in fact, he angered GOP leadership to no end, and you can bet your bottom dollar (again no pun intended) that they will remember this come February.
Congress has pressing issues on their agendas....important issues to take up and negotiate, and the presidentt can / should take a leading role in their negotiations. Leadership will be required from a man whose leadership skills are solely lacking at times.
They have a lot of  issues to consider....immigration reform, tax reform, medical tort reform, job creation and unemployment, gun control, filibuster reform, gerrymandering, prescription drugs, healthcare, offshore tax havens, carbon taxes and raising the debt limit yet another time.
This is the time for Obama to show some leadership, to summon the ghosts of presidents past (especially the ones he claims to idolize...Lincoln and Kennedy) and get Congress to follow his lead.
Because when it comes to being a leader, show me a man who can't get people to follow him and I'll show you a man just taking a walk.
Now is  time the time, Mr.President...to shape your presidential legacy. It's time to lead, or just take a walk.
And that is the world...."the World According to Kimba."
Thanks for reading.