The Right Opinion
Chasing the News
At the rate at which events take place, there is simply no way to cover everything, even if you wrote a column every day instead of three a week. Still, I do my level best to stay on top of things.
For instance, in spite of all the alleged gaffes the left-wing press accused Mitt Romney of having made during his time abroad, I thought he was terrific. First, he gave the Brits an honest answer when he was asked about the Olympics. Who would have ever guessed that the folks who stood up to the Nazi blitz would fall completely apart over an honest assessment of the Games?
Even better was when Romney said the reason that Israel has a flourishing society and that the Palestinians are stuck in the Dark Ages is because different cultures emphasize different values. If one group of people supports free speech, freedom of religion and the rights of women and, moreover, places a premium on education and hard work, while another fosters ignorance, intolerance and hate, stifles free enterprise and believes that all it takes to achieve Paradise is to blow up a busload of Jewish children, it's not too difficult to guess which society will prosper.
Speaking of Romney, when NBC news anchor Brian Williams asked him if it was true, as an unnamed source had told him, that he was considering an incredibly boring white guy to be his running mate, Romney quipped, "But you told me you weren't available." Reagan couldn't have said it better.
Speaking of unnamed sources, you may have noticed that Obama hasn't called Harry Reid on the carpet for first starting the rumor that Romney didn't pay his taxes for 10 years and then referring to himself as an unnamed source when spreading the lie on the floor of the Senate. This is the same Obama who lectured the rest of us about civil discourse not too long ago.
Now that Obama's hair has begun turning gray, I think the folks at Grecian Formula are missing a good bet by not hiring him to do commercials for their product. It's a natural connection. After all, when it comes to our economy, this goof has spent the past three years employing the Grecian formula as his model. As a result, we're nearly in the same dire financial straits as Greece.
It is also worth noting that, whether it's redistributing wealth or fomenting war between rich and poor, Obama's first priority has been to create a classless society. In one way, he has clearly succeeded. When you consider the likes of Joe Biden, Eric Holder, Valerie Jarrett, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Janet Napolitano, Jay Carney, Robert Gibbs and Kathleen Sebelius, it would be nearly impossible to even imagine an administration so totally class-less.
After he got fired from his job as CFO of Vante, a Tucson-based medical device manufacturer, Adam Smith, who not only bullied a young Chick-fil-A employee, but was so proud of it, he made a video of the event, made a second video in which he apologized. Bill O'Reilly, who sees himself as next in line to be ordained a cardinal, urged Vante to re-hire him because, according to Father O'Reilly, America believes in second chances.
While I agree that some people deserve second chances, I also believe that some people don't. Among the dregs I would include rapists; child molesters; people such as Michael Vick, who made a practice of torturing and killing dogs; and self-righteous bullies such as Mr. Smith.
I have no doubt that Mr. Smith, now that he's lost his good-paying job, is sorry he ever drove up to the young woman's window and screamed at her. I'm equally certain that every criminal who has ever been arrested also regrets his transgressions.
If I were running Vante, I would not give him back his job. As I see it, the only job he truly deserves is at a drive-up window at Chick-fil-A, where he might someday suffer the same verbal abuse he handed out so freely. Let's see how good he is at living up to the motto that the customer is always right.
With Election Day looming in the near-future, I would like to point out to some of my fellow Republicans that they would do well to remove the term "Republicans in Name Only" (RINO) from their lexicon. I understand that they wish that only hardcore, rock-ribbed, conservatives were ever ensconced in the Oval Office or Congress, but one might as well wish that unicorns were prancing in their garden. For not only is America not a conservative nation, but, overall, it is barely right of center. So while it is fortunate that some places can get away with electing true conservatives, most states won't and never will.
But does that mean that we should dismiss and demean the likes of Scott Brown, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe? After all, they didn't defeat people like Jon Kyl, Saxby Chambliss and John Cornyn. They defeated a bunch of nutty left-wingers, such as Martha Coakley, Joe Brennan, Tom Andrews and Jean Bright. And what's more, if they hadn't won those elections in Massachusetts and Maine, the Democrats would have three additional seats in the Senate, and it is highly unlikely that we'd have any chance of unseating Harry Reid as majority leader in November. So the next time you feel like calling someone a RINO, ask yourself who you'd really prefer to see in the U.S. Senate, Scott Brown or Elizabeth Warren.
In conclusion, Kim Jung-un recently reminded people, via North Korea's state-run media, that his father, Kim Jung-il had 11 holes-in-one the first time he played golf.
In related news, the NY Times reported that Barack Obama recently sank 947 consecutive free throws.

34 Comments
Howard Last in Wyoming
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 12:46 AM
Burt, two things come to mind when I think of the term RINO. The first is the head RINO Nelson Rockefeller at the 64 convention giving the crowd the one finger salute when they were celebrating the Nomination of Barry Goldwater. Rockefeller then did everything he could to get Goldwater defeated. The second thing is more recent, it was the so called gang of 14. Bush the Younger had a plan to get more conservative judges for the federal courts. Seven RINOs joined with 7 democraps to defeat the plan. They literally cut the legs out from under Bush. Barry and company keeps calling for Romney to produce ten years of tax returns. How come the Republican Big Shots (you still can't call them leaders) are not calling for Barry to produce his real birth certificate, SS card and college transcripts? Or screaming about Barry's unconstitutional actions? Did anyone say when they grow a pair? BTW, there is one senator, John Kyl, who is planning to speak with Sheriff Arpaio about what his posse has found out about Barry's fraudulent birth certificate. Tell me again how we need RINOs?
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:34 AM
Howard: You keep trying to get me to say that RINOs are the same as or maybe even worse than liberals. That's simply not the case, and I have given you all the reasons I don't agree with your contention. Bringing up Nelson Rockefeller or the Gang of 14 doesn't clinch your argument. I'm afraid you can't convince me that having Brown, Collins and Snowe, in the Senate is worse than having the Democrats they defeated sitting there.
Perhaps you should ask Sen. Kyl how he feels about having three fewer Democrats to deal with.
Or, better yet, ask yourself if it's just as easy to overcome a three vote margin in the Senate as a six vote margin.
Burt
Burt
Patrick in Houston
Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 3:23 PM
A while back I looked a the conservative score card for the US Senate. The Republican senator with the lowest rating was Senator Snowe. The Democrat with the highest rating (whose name does not bear recalling) had identically the same rating as Senator Snowe. So Burt, you are correct (and right as well). The Republicans' worst is no worse than the Democrats' best. There are NO good Democrats; and I place "Blue Dog Democrats" in the same class Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Everybody has heard of them but no one can find one.
Connie in California
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:34 AM
There's another RINO we would not like to see holding office anywhere: Arnold Schwarzenhopper. Plays a strongman in the movies, but nothing but a wet disrag when it really matters. Praise God that Paul Ryan isn't boring! Looking forward to a debate between him & Biden!
JJStryder in Realville
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 12:26 PM
Arnold Schwarzenegger had the notion after winning an election that he could guide California out of the mess it was in. The stupid voters here soon disabused him of that notion. He then knew he was outnumbered and no amount of logic or truth was going to turn the misled people of California away from the financial cliff. And he also believed in global warming which further isolated him from his own supporters. California is due for a wake up call.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Connie: As I, too, live in California, I'd never try to defend Schwarzenegger. But the truth is, ego aside, I have no idea why any Republican would ever want to be governor of California. Meg Whitman should be grateful that she lost her election to Jerry Brown and doesn't have to try dealing with an overwhelmingly liberal state legislature and doesn't have to govern a state filled with illegal aliens and welfare recipients.
Burt
Avi - an expatriate in Salvador, Brazil
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 6:31 AM
The Democrats had Blue Dogs, now extinct. Republicans have RINO's - hopefully they too will become extinct after November.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Avi: If it weren't for those you dismiss as RINOs, it's the Republican Party that would be extinct. The sort of presidential candidate you and Howard might actually root for would receive roughly 20% of the vote. I know you will be tempted to point to Reagan, but as governor of California, he raised taxes twice and signed the most liberal abortion bill in America. As president, he signed the amnesty bill that opened the floodgates to our current problem.
Burt
tod-the tool guy in brooklyn N.Y.
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 7:10 AM
Burt, you forgot to mention another class-less Democrap-Kent Conrad of Narth Dakota. He's the little hand puppet of Dingy Harry Reid. No budget yet for Democraps and left-wingers!!Private companies are busy making shale oil and natural gas profits in Narth Dakota-according to Rush Limbaugh-WABC in NYC-12noon to 3P.M. The Doctor of Democracy! 24 years of Conservative talk-Congrats to you Rush.I Also enjoy reading your brother's articles-here!
Normal Guy in Surprise, AZ
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 10:36 AM
NEW T-Shirt!!!!!
"How's that HOPE and"CHAINS" going for you?"
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Normal: I like it.
Burt
Howard Last in Wyoming
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Burt, do you remember when kommandant klinton nominated Ginsburg to be a supreme? She was at the time the head lawyer for the Anti-American Communist Lawyers Union. The republicans (small r) controlled the Senate at the time and could have killed her nomination. Dole the Majority Leader (?) told his gang they should vote for Ginsburg. Approx. 95 senators voted for her. Tell me again how RINO's help us.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Howard: You seem determined to win an argument that makes no sense. For one thing, I believe that Clinton was entitled to get Mrs. Ginsburg on the Court, however much I despise her. Presidential elections have consequences and appointing justices to the Supreme Court is one of them. I see absolutely no reason why an appointee should have to face an inquisition by a bunch of second-rate senators. At least Clinton knew what he was doing when he appointed Ginsburg; G.H.W. Bush had absolutely no idea what he was doing when he seated David Souter.
You have yet to make your case that it is better to elect Democrats than RINOs, which in most parts of America is the choice that people have.
Burt
Honest Abe in North Carolina
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 11:07 AM
Burt, Maybe we should redefine the acronym RINO and say it now means Romney In, Not Obama.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:31 PM
Honest Abe: That at least makes sense.
Burt
Murph in Berkeley CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Good on you, Burt. Since I'm nominally represented in Washington by Barbara Lee, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, I wouldn't mind a RINO one bit. Here in the left coast wonderland, wish what I might, it isn't hard to remember that this really isn't a conservative country.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Murph: That's so true. I just don't get why people who are fortunate enough to live in conservative states like Wyoming, Oklahoma and Texas, can't get their heads around the fact that in most places a true conservative couldn't get elected dog catcher, let alone president, senator, congressman or mayor.
Burt
Murph in Berkeley CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 8:30 PM
Fortunate's right. My landlord has a beat up old Jimmy parked next to the door of my shop in Oakland. A bumper strip reads, "Wyoming: What America used to be." Gives me a grin every time I notice it. In these environs, signs of conservatism come in small, precious batches.
Tex Horn in Texas
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 12:32 PM
@ Normal Guy: love the T-shirt idea! I might be tempted to change it to "Dope and Chains" though.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Tex: Well done.
Burt
Howard Last in Wyoming
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 6:10 PM
Burt, I never said we should elect a Democrap over a RINO. In many cases there is only a slight difference and in a few cases none. Case in point Arlen Specter. The entire republican establishment backed him in 2004 and look what they got for their trouble, turned traitor and became a democrap. Actually he was always a democrap at heart. And look at the former senator and governor of Connecticut, Lowell Weicker. Look what he did first thing when he became governor, gave the citizens an income tax. BTW, it was Bill Buckley who lead the charge to get him out as senator.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 6:40 PM
Howard: I never said that every Republican was perfect or that a RINO wouldn't occasionally vote with Democrats. What I have said is that a RINO is ALWAYS preferable to a Democrat if for no other reason than that their noses get counted along with all the other noses when they figure out which party will control the House and Senate. Without those people in the GOP, people like Reid, Schumer and Pelosi, would forever control the legislative agenda and determine committee chairmanships. If you understand all that, why are you forever sniping at those who fail to score 100% on your conservative meter?
We all understand that Wyoming is a nice, underpopulated, conservative state. What you don't seem to get is that the demographics in most of the other 49 states are nothing like Wyoming's.
Burt
Howard Last in Wyoming
Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 1:42 PM
"why are you forever sniping at those who fail to score 100% on your conservative meter? Simple, unless we get rid of the wannabe Democraps our Republic will not survive. During the 1770's only 30% favored separation from the English Crown and look what happened. We relocated to Wyoming from the peoples republik of NY, so I am well aware of the political situation with Rockefeller republicrats. I was on the executive committee of the NYS Conservative Party and we did have some success moving the republicrat party slightly to the right (but not far enough). As for Wyoming, we even have RINO's here. Hopefully Tues, which is primary election day, we will get rid of some of the RINO's.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 11:54 PM
Good luck, Howard. I hope you pull it off. In the 1770s, they were planning a war against England. We are not going to wage a second Civil War in America. At least I hope not. Short of an armed conflict, we all have to accept that there are about 20 states that will never--at least not in my lifetime--vote for a Republican presidential candidate. So if it takes electing RINOs or anyone else who isn't an Obama/Reid/Pelosi supporter, I say welcome to the Party.
Burt
Normal Guy in Surprise, AZ
Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 12:28 AM
Burt, Love your posts, they are the highlights of my day to day hell. Count me as the "Under employed." I work my a$$ off, but misquote Jim Demint, "there is always more month than there is paychecks."
As for my handle... I know I am Normal, since I was born there on Christmas Eve, 1967...in Illinois.
Please keep up the good work!!!!!!! If only more people would listen
Your BIGGEST FAN,
Michael
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Normal: Thanks for the kind words. So you went from Normal to Surprise. I went from Chicago to L.A. I think you got the better of it. I hope that under Romney and Ryan, things turn around for you. I figure, how can they not improve when it would be impossible to get worse?
Burt
Robert in NEW Mexico
Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 3:38 PM
C'mon Burt, If I wishe for unicorns dancing in my garden, you can bet I'd be voting for democrats too.
Burt Prelutsky in North Hills, CA
Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 11:57 PM
Robert: Anyone can wish for dancing unicorns. It takes a Democrat to insist they're in his backyard....and to label anyone who doesn't believe him a racist, a fascist or, my favorite, a homophobe.
Burt
Daylo in Georgia
Monday, August 20, 2012 at 1:11 PM
Father O'Reilly hehehehehahahah! Father O'Reilly is so pompous and self-congratulatory on EVERYTHING he does that he is definitely hard to stomach in my book. My mother always told me that a good dose of humility never hurt anyone. Evidently, Mr. O'Reilly believes it would kill him.
The rest was spot on as well.
Thanks, Burt! Best laugh I have had in a while!