Burt-

I have to say this piece is superb. So spot on and funny.

My comments:

Stick a fork in Newt, he's done.

Farrakhan is only joking about the marraige bit cause doze momma's be losing der checks if dey did.

I now know exactly why Alan Colmes is so annoying. I'm used to the vileness from the left but it's his smirking skull that puts him right up there with Madeline Albright on revolting meter.

Alan Colmes, the man who riminds me of a flat tire. That`s right, three perfectly, good firm round tires on your vehical, but one soft, semi round tire that is always flat on the bottom. As a driver there are places to go to, but there is that one tire, flat on the bottom, soft elsewhere, totally useless of itself and to the vehical.

Alan is so compassionate, he would take a fish from one who has fished all day for he and his, to give to another whom has not, rather than cruelly teach said other the art of fishing, allowing him the means to stand on his own two feet for himself and his. What a guy. He truely is a liberal, one of the beautiful people.

Newt also seems to have this trait of the beautiful people. More obnoxious though is his academician, limosine liberal, air of superiority and self rightousness. To me, his lifestyle and weltangschuung, place Newt as the only left of center, conservative republican.

Once again the liberal MSM has done their hatchet job on the republican candidates. The most conservative of the candidates Backmann, Santorum and Perry have been smeared in the media accounts I have read. Worse, we the republican voters have allowed the liberal MSM to influence our vote, we have picked those whom are the least conservative.

If this were a fair country, we conservatives would be allowed to do the same to them. This would have translated in `08 to the removal of both Hillary and Barac from democrat candidacy.

Conservative republicans need some wealthy fat cat conservatives to begin a new media service. New tv stations and the like, doing for conservative America what the liberal media does for them.

If the same media brush that painted Backmann had painted Barac, he would not be President.

Nobama 2012, vote republican. Thank you.

The despicable Colmes, embodiment of all that is wrong with liberalism, is a piece of meat so rancid that he makes his own skin crawl – in living color, no less. One would think that the poster child for induced late term abortion by regurgitation should have empathy for the Santorum family. I’m gonna call his Mommy.

If the "nutty" ideas that Ron Paul has were not in line with what this Country was originally Founded upon I would say this would be funny. What you are is a true "Conservative" that is for maintaining the status quo instead of a "Classical Liberal" for returning to and maintaining Liberty. The sad part is all the people you have "hood winked" into believing such drivel. My demographics and those of the majority supporting Ron Paul are nowhere near the demographics you want those reading this article to believe. Yes there are young people involved with supporting Ron Paul because they see the dangers of big Government, what you’re not mentioning is the larger older support base. From what I see the majority of youth are “Occupiers” out for a handout with a small support base of adults. The reverse is true of those that support Ron Paul.

Here we go with the Ron Paul zealots again....

I haven't heard any good reason for Paul's blaming us for 9/11 because there simply isn't one.

The Ron Paul zealots are almost as scary as the delusional old man himself. Anybody delusional enough to seek friendship with Islam should seek treatment instead. The Paul folk site the Constitution and state he is not an isolationist. I watched the man himself in a debate state he would bring all troops home and end most of government. The man is neither of the above. He is an anachist who would gut the military and invite attack from jihadis. What Ron Paul needs to do is find a nice rocking chair, and place it on the porch of his favorite abode, and leave governance to the sane.

Bruce, FWIW,(for what its worth), I like the Amish. I`m not one of them but they seem decent and do not bother or tyrannize others, as say Islam.

However, the plain fact of the matter is, they could not live the life they live, or the way they live it, if it were not for America. As a matter of fact no one in America could/would enjoy their life, liberty and their pursuit of happiness if American military power evaporated.

The only part of America that needs evaporation is the liberal mindset and the democrat party. This primarily because the two have a symbiotic relationship predicated on parasitism. For the liberal mindset says "I want something for nothing at somebody elses expense, for that will make me happy for a while". The democrat party says "you have been cheated by others, so I will take from those others and give to you if you will vote for me".

The parasite that sucks to much out of the host proceeds to kill the host.

Smaller government, yes, smaller military no. Isolationism is the cowards way, Islam has thrown down the guantlet not we. Further the Cinese and Russian governments would like very much to knock us off and become the number one world power. They are still tyranny, poverty and misery.

Ron Paul for secratary of the treasury, not the Presidency.

Nobama 2012, vote republican. Thank you.

As long as the People have weapons in their homes the Country does not need a "strong Military". Yamamoto's own words testify to that, loosely translated, “the Americans will have a gun through every window and behind every door I will not put my Soldiers through that". Our Founding Fathers had many decisions about the need for a standing Military and came to the conclusion that it would be more of a nuisance than it would help. Paul is a moderate, compared to them, in that he accepts that times have changed enough that some sort of standing Military is needed, just keep it from meddling where it does not belong.

Bruce: The majority of American youth is not with the Occupiers. The majority of our youth can't even spell Occupiers. Most of them are happy to applaud Obama for making their parents responsible for their health insurance until they're 26! As for Ron Paul's older groupies, nobody ever said that wisdom always comes with age, just as it's nice when it does.

Furthermore, Yamamoto wasn't the brightest guy in the world. Otherwise, he wouldn't have attacked the U.S. Besides, in the 1940s it wasn't all those muskets that did in Japan, it was the A-Bomb. And in 2012, it's not Japan we're concerned about or even the Redcoats for that matter; it's a billion people who prefer the Koran to the Old and New Testament and who believe that blowing up school buses and dropping a nuclear bomb on people who are not at war with them is the ticket to Paradise.

For the record, I prefer wjm's suggestion to PDK's, and I don't want Ron Paul's rocking chair anywhere near the U.S. Treasury.

Burt

Those pulling for Ron Paul (Ron Quixote?) are correct in their assertions that he is probably the straightest arrow in the race. While many of the others seem to say whatever they think will gain them a few points in the next primary (even anti-capitalist statements that undercut their supposed basic philosophies), Ron Paul is nothing if not sincere. And he is the only one properly sounding the alarm about the perilous state of the economy to which so much constitutionally-unauthorized spending has brought us.

But so much of what he says (about subjects other than the economy) is rightly perceived by many on both the left and the right as frikkin' nuts: the 9-11 Truther sentiments, the "who are we to oppose an Iranian nuke?" question, the "legalize all drugs immediately" position, just to name three.

The problem is not that anyone thinks Ron Paul doesn't means what he says; it's that we're afraid he DOES.

mmcrindle - To your list of vilees' names you can add Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Certainly there are others but their vileness escapes me at the moment.

Bruce R. Pierce - I think it interesting that you mention drivel while speaking of Dr. Paul, because that is what much of what his philosophy. I do agree with much of his fiscal philosophy, but his philosophy on the military is nutty.

My question to you is, if the founding fathers thought a standing army so problematic, why did they establish one?

Also, I am a proud veteran of the United States Coast Guard, the fifth branch of the military. Apparently, the founding fathers decided in 1790 that it was so big a "nuisance" that the country needed it. So much for your argument.

Finally, which situation would you rather be involved with - a standing military fighting radical islam over there, in your behalf, or having to defend Islamists yourself by shooting at them from behind the door of your own house.

Patheric...

Paul's domestic policy revolves around liberty, and starts by cutting $1 trillion in his first budget - nutty, indeed; we'd still run a deficit in the hundreds of billions! Regarding foreign policy, even Senator DeMint agrees with Paul that we can't afford our empire. We will either crumble under its weight or we can scale it back voluntarily. I'd prefer the latter.

Regarding drugs: do you really think it's acceptable for me to force your daughter into a cage because I don't like what she puts in her own body? THAT sounds like something out of the Quran.

I will always be for the war on drugs. The most efficient enterprize we could undertake right now to further the success of this enterprize would be sealing the border. Sealing the border has other positives, but here I am focusing on illicit drugs.

Living in Phoenix from 89 till 09 I saw the effects of the Mexican super meth labs as their targeted customers were American youth.

If it angers you thinking about the cop who tells you your daughter is incarcerated for drug use, think how you will feel about the cop who informs you your daughter just died in the emergency room of drug overdose.

In the 1950s, Olds and Milner implanted electrodes into the septal area, site of mammalian pleasure cells, of a rats brain. The rats so implanted prefered pressing the bar that stimulated the septal area over eating, drinking, comradeship and if I remember correctly life itself.

The history of China teaches alot on this topic. After GB force opium upon the Chinese, the Chinese became addicted in great numbers and their great civilization crumbled. They had the best economic system in the world at the time. Eventually to erradicate the problem, addicts were simply murdered by the government.

BTW, one of the means the socialists of communism intended to conquer America was to rot America out from the inside. One avenue here was drug addiction.

If you think the war on drugs is expensive think of the cost of a nation full of addicts. From Medical to penal, to death of the individual and even to the death of the country.

Liberty is humanity at its best. However liberty is conjoined to responsibility. Liberty without responsibility will soon be conquered or ruined, but either way, gone.

Nobama 2012, vote republican. Thank you.

PDK and Burt

You are my heroes!! You write what I would but being on the left coast, I am way behind and you already have it done. Keep up the good work, "I'm loving it"!!

Burt: You brought me out of my personal mourning to object to your attacks on Ron Paul and equating we supporters to screwballs that backed Louis Farrakhan, Mussolini and Jane Fonda.

Somehow that alerts me to the possibility that you are becoming more and more concerned that Ron Paul has a whole lot more people in his corner that you thought. You are becoming almost paranoid with fear that he could be the Last Man Standing. For those who believe in Puls's version of Liberty and adherence to the Constitution, I say, hang in there .. the best is yet to come.

Those of you arguing with the Paul supporters, you might as well save your breath. There`s no way to fix stupid. My daddy once told me, "never argue with a pig.You`re just wasting your time, and it irritates the pig". Plain old common senses is wasted on people like Paul supporters. They`re really not that different from liberals.

Richard Ryan

Lamar,Missouri - Birthplace of Harry S Truman

Burt, you are correct the A-Bomb ended the war; weapons in the hands of Civilians kept us from being invaded and are plenty capable of continuing the tradition even against terrorist chickens.

Ragweed, they established the "militia" to be organized when needed, otherwise to go home and enjoy their Liberty.

PDK, you sound like those that wanted to keep Prohibition with all its evils worse than the scourge of the drugs themselves. How many thousands of people that have never touched an illegal drug in their lives must be killed in a war that has been proven to not be winnable?

BTW Richard we are for the most part "Classical Liberals", not to be confused with “Modern day Liberals”, Look up Liberty in the dictionary and you will find Liberal, Libertarian and Libertine all have the same root word meaning Liberty.

Another "screwball"

http://youtu.be/SzHhLmeZ89c

Bruce: Surprise, surprise. I actually knew the meaning of Classical Liberal, having been educated in a time when education meant education, not indoctrination. I meant the modern day liberal. I stand by my statement concerning Paul supporters.

Richard Ryan

Lamar,Missouri - Birthplace of Harry S Truman

Well, Burt, perhaps there is someone nearby who doesn't understand the subtle nuances of the NewtMittRick "I'm gonna do the same thing"

Republican message, but it ain't me. And when it all crashes, we can sit around the campfire listening to the radio playing a rousing chorus of "It's not my fault".

"Alan Colmes" is the rejoinder I always think about first when some twit complains how "conservative" Fox News is.

It's only "conservative" in that some of the people are not liberals and it is not liberal-dominated like all the rest.

Burt, Bruce, wait a minute.

The atomic bombs were merely the last thing we deployed in a truly awesome production of military hardware. (At Leyte Gulf, we had more =ships= than the Japanese had =airplanes=.) More than anything, it gave them an excuse (ie., "saved face") for them to quit. They (the bombs) saved millions of lives by getting them to quit without our invading their "home islands."

Further, anyone who thinks you can defend this country with =militia= is woefully ignorant of both history and the modern world. Even in the Revolutionary War, milita did not defeat the British - Washington in the north, Green in the south, and their =armies= did the job, along with the French navy at Yorktown. In the modern world, what do you have in your house that can stand up to a tank or a helicopter, not to mention stand-off capabilities? Do you really want to have battles =here=? You think our =small arms= are a deterrent to people who attack the finest military in the world?

Burt: You are great at coming up with descriptive names for these idiots! I still love "Chicago Cockroach" for Obozo. I was at a loss to decide what to call that knee-jerk left wing scum Alan Colmes, but your "morally rancid, smirking skull" is right on the money!

pssst Burt, Yamamoto was a smart guy.

He didn't want to attack the US, but it was his duty and he was a patriot. His prediction that Japan would at most have their way for 6 months after the attack was practically prescient if you look at the dates: Pearl Harbor Dec 7, Coral Sea May 7-8 which was a draw (with some point to USN for stopping the Japanese plan,) and Midway June 4-7 - generally considered the turning point of the Pacific war.

When our codebreakers came up with the information that enabled us to shoot down his aircraft, we did not hesitate.

Think of the loss of Stonewall Jackson for comparison. He was one of their best.

Burt, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 5 give Congress the authority to control currency. Maybe you can tell me which section of the Constitution allows Congress the authority to give this power to a private un-elected group that meets in secret. Where is Andrew Jackson when we need him (think Second Bank of the United States)? We are going the way of the Weimar Republic, where you needed a wheel barrel of money to buy a loaf of bread. Is there any gold in Fort Knox? The only one of the candidates for President that is raising the alarm is Ron Paul. The others are part of the problem.

For those who are interested in reading something worthwhile, as opposed to listening to your own echo chamber, try looking at this:

http://www.newswithviews.com/Yates/steven146.htm

If I remember correctly, it was the Germans that artifically selected out the dachshund. It was bred to chase the European badger out of its hole. If I were President, I would take a shot at sending Ron Paul down the IRS hole to see what he can chase out.

As secretary of the treasury I believe he would have the legal right to do this. The IRS 11,000+ page tomb that is our tax code is hugh, not only could I not read it, I probably could not lift it.

I personally like the Perry/Forbes flat tax of 20%. I was not for Herman, but at least he offered something reasonable.

The IRS, just like the democrat party, has become a near, all consuming leviathan, that in turn threatens the long term stability of the USA.

Nobama 2012, vote republican. Thank you.

Why didn't the Mayans foresee the Conquistadores? Although not eliminated like the Aztecs and the Incas, they still should have stopped them at the waters edge. Yet, they got the world done 400 years later? I think your birthdays will continue and Obama will be golfing more often.

Bruce,

Sorry so late to the party tonight. The imperialist Japanese were not defeated by our "gun behind every blade of grass" but by a strong military. If you think that personal gun ownership is to protect us from invading barbarian hoards, you need to read our founder's writings carefully. (Or Karl Marx's, for that matter). A standing army is what protects us from invasion. The second ammendment is in place to protect us from the tyranny of our OWN GOVERNMENT. Truly, guns can be very handy when burglers, murderers, and child molesters wander too close, but the right is in place to keep us free from those who would rule us from within.

Now for Ron Paul. As a conservative libertarian, I just want Ron to take his tin-foil hat, go away, and stop claiming that he speaks for libertarians. He's a lunatic, and I'm betting he's going to split the Republican vote at the worst possible time in history.

readinglady: PDK gets top billing? You'll hear from my lawyers.

I swear, if I live to be 73 years old, I will never understand the teen idol infatuation that some people have with Ron Paul. If you saw the South Carolina debate tonight, I would think you'd finally tear his photos off your bedroom walls and replace them with something more appropriate, such as Kim Kardashian, Lady GaGa or Jason Bieber. The man not only thinks that a nuclear Iran is no big deal, but suspects that 9/11 was an inside job. He wants every member of the U.S. military brought back to the States? Why is that? To protect us from an imminent invasion from Canada?

Furthermore, I think that quoting what Eisenhower said about the military-industrial complex as he was leaving the White House in 1961 is just plain dumb. I'd be a lot more interested in what he had to say about it on June 6, 1944.

Burt

Burt, I do not get top billing very often. How about once in a while. Is that ok?

I do not get much in life. Will you let me have that sir. Love you bro. ok.

As far as having a dedicated Military it is needed because times have changed as I said earlier on. It's use as "politics by other means" needs to be used as judiciously as possible. While influencing "nation building" is not the ultimate reason the US is hated but it does not help we don't want our Government meddling in our business why should our Government meddle in other governments business. I feel the real reason we are hated is because we still have a semblance of freedom that makes us different and human nature does not want to tolerate people that are different. Reflect on the major causes of strife even in this Country and its root will be the differences that make us who we are. At one time this Country was great because we tolerated and respected each other’s differences. I believe not only must we get back that acceptance amongst ourselves but also extend that same acceptance to other Countries. What we do not need to accept is aggression from others being it people or countries by the same token we don't need to be aggressors. There is no easy answer to the problems of this world but the last answer should be Military intervention. As a final note what I experienced here is the same type reception that the "lefties" use when they are confronted with different ideas; attack and discredit the messenger and his ideas using extreme instances instead of talking about the issues and coming to an understanding.

There is no mention in this article of one of Mitt Romney's so-called "successes". Dominos Pizza.

Dominos Pizza received 12 million dollars in "stimulus funds". That's 12 million dollars in taxpayer money.

That bit of information kind of makes Newt look like a piker with his 1.6 million government fee that was agreed upon by an individual at Freddie Mac. A consultation fee that was AGREED UPON by a member of Freddie Mac. No one is jumping on the guy at Freddie Mac. Why not?

Then Romney lauds his job creation. However, he fails to mention that Sports Authority and Staples jobs created - were overseas jobs. How is this helping America? He talks a sneaky game folks. You should know everything you can find out about this frontrunner. He is as dishonest as the day is long with the sin of omission.

As for the sin of omission, I failed to mention that not all jobs created were overseas by Staples and Sports Authority...no, there were some here in America. But, Romney would have YOU believe that they were all here in this country, by the sin of omission. Don't forget that. Question everything.

AND let me add that back during the time when Newt was sitting with Nancy Pelosi, mostly the whole world believed in global warming. This ad was made BEFORE we had the 20/20 hindsight that the numbers were manipulated. It's easy to criticize someone when you have all that lovely hindsight, isn't it?

What's really pathetic is that we have to vote for one of these "no change" liberal Republican candidates just to get rid of the socialist. In one of the most important elections of our lifetime, look who we have to choose from: the same old political hacks.

Amen brother !

PDK: Okay, this one time, I'll stand aside and let you get top billing. Which is more than Bud Abbott or Stan Laurel ever did.

Daylo: We at the Patriot Post are always jumping all over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, even if we don't necessarily name individuals. So, please don't try to defend Gingrich's deal as free market capitalism in action. As Newt has shown throughout his entire career, he will say anything and go anywhere if he can make a fast buck off it. As for Staple's and the Sports Authority, I'm pretty certain that most of their outlets are here in the States. In fact, here in the San Fernando Valley, you can hardly drive a mile without running into a Staple's. As for global warming, most people knew that Al Gore was running a gigantic con game. In fact, in conservative circles, I would guess that you and Newt were the last holdouts.

Bruce: This is a political arena, not a book club, so you have to be ready for an occasional sharp elbow to the ribs, as I well know. If it's any consolation, it is only your rose-colored glasses that make you believe that political disagreements were ever civil in America. Do you not recall what their political opponents and the media said about Lincoln, Grant, Cleveland, Wilson, FDR, Nixon, Reagan and Clinton? Whether or not the insults were justified pretty much depends on whether or not you agreed with them. The same holds true today when it comes to Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Romney, Gingrich and Paul.

Regards, Burt

Tex: I agree with you, but the alternative is unthinkable. The Chicago Cockroach's presidency is what the Mayans had in mind.

PDK, you're against the IRS code because it's too large and pverwhelming, yet you support our DEA, which imprison and kill more American citizens than any other entity. Your contention that ending prohibition would result in a nation of addicts is no less than moronic. Would you become an addict? Anyone who wants to become an addict is already in the process. The war on our people, which results in more Americans rotting in billion dollar prison systems than anywhere on Earth, will NEVER stop those people who are so inclined from substance abuse. That is an objective fact. For us to continue a "drug war" which neither stops drug use or even has any positive effect is idiocy at its' worst. You should wake up to the FACT that human beings have used mind-altering substances from the beginning of recorded history. That will never change. Alcohol kills more people than all other drugs combined, yet any kid can get it at the corner store. Does that result in a "nation of alcoholics"? NO. By the same token, there's no way that ending a completely useless and negative "drug war" would end up with the U.S. as a "nation of addicts. It is prohibition that makes these drugs so valuable – while giving criminals a monopoly over their supply. History has shown that drug prohibition reduces neither use nor abuse. After a drug dealer is arrested, neither the supply nor the demand for drugs is seriously changed. The arrest merely creates a job opening for an endless stream of drug entrepreneurs who will take huge risks for the sake of the enormous profits created by prohibition. Prohibition costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars every year, yet 40 years and some 40 million arrests later, drugs are cheaper, more potent and far more widely used than at the beginning of this futile crusade. Prohibition merely perpetuates our imprisonment of a large percentage of otherwise nonviolent, productive members of society. It's the drug LAWS that cause the crime. You don't see alcoholics robbing banks to get their next bottle of whiskey. By eliminating prohibition of all drugs for adults and establishing appropriate regulation and standards for distribution and use, law enforcement could focus more on crimes of violence, such as rape, aggravated assault, child abuse and murder, making our communities much safer. Sending parents to prison for non-violent personal drug use destroys families. In a regulated and controlled environment, drugs will be safer for adult use and less accessible to our children. And by placing drug abuse in the hands of medical professionals instead of the criminal justice system, we can reduce rates of addiction and overdose deaths.

Burt: "As Newt has shown throughout his entire career, he will say anything and go anywhere if he can make a fast buck off it."

Daylo: I thought this was called capitalism? I am guessing that Romney has not said anything and gone anywhere that he can make a fast buck off? This is a list of countries, not including our country, which many have multiple Staples locations:

Canada

China

Brazil

Argentina

United Kingdom

Sweden

Spain

Italy

Germany

France

Denmark

Belgium

Austria

Portugal

Netherlands

Poland

Luxembourg

Ireland

Australia

New Zealand

It would be easy to say you create 100,000 to 120,000 jobs overseas for Staples alone if the data is manipulated. That's fine. I hope he makes a bundle, but I am also saying that perhaps he is including this largest office product company worldwide to include in this jobs he has "created". He doesn't clarify. No one asks. They give him a free pass. Such inane questioning of Mitt. He sounds like a broken record. Nothing new and fresh there.

Sorry Burt, I don't like him and think Obama will have him for lunch.

*********************

Burt: As for global warming, most people knew that Al Gore was running a gigantic con game. In fact, in conservative circles, I would guess that you and Newt were the last holdouts.

Daylo: I never saw any data on global warming, but knew in my heart that manmade anything is puny when compared to the maker of heaven and earth. I use an F5 tornado to back up that thinking. Ergo, I personally did not believe in manmade global warming. I never saw the manipulated data, however. But I am guessing it was stunning. Now, Newt at that time, did not have 20/20 hindsight on stunning manipulated data. I believe now and have always believed that the earth is in a cycle, and this too shall pass. :)

Daylo: Romney made his dough in the private sector. Gingrich made his cutting corrupt book deals when he was a congressman and getting $1.6 million from Freddie Mac. Surely you see a difference. The mere fact that he would. as Speaker, make a multi-million dollar book deal with Rupert Murdoch, who was obviously trying to buy influence--not great prose--for his money should make Gingrich persona non grata in your eyes.

Both global warming and global cooling happen with irregular regularity, as you and I would wager Newt are both aware. I can only imagine that Newt was either paid to sit with Pelosi or he felt it was worth it to promote his brand.

Regards, Burt

Burt,

Hard to believe that anyone would still be a Ron Paul fan after watching the Republican debate...

Mike Schuerger Sr., Norge, et.al., I have been gone for a couple of days, so thanks for voicing what I was going to say to Mr. Pierce.

Mr. Pierce, I see that you are not going to accept rational thinking on the subject, so I will not waste my time trying to convince you otherwise. Others, smarter than me, have tried and it hasn't taken. Besides that, anyone who uses terms like "At one time this Country was great because we tolerated and respected each other’s differences," is obviously not educated, but indoctrinated in the liberal cause. Bless you.

I will however agree with you to a certain point. I believe we have overused our military greatly and irresponsibly at times. However, I will also say that sometimes we need to "nation build": to protect our own interests. Unfortunatly, the rules and the lines aren't clear when we should.

Burt and Daylo - cut it out!

And finally, to Billy396. Don't write one, long, rambling paragraph. First, nobody reads it. I didn't. And if I had to guess, I would say that you probably didn't have anything useful to say in it, and you are probably a Paul fan.

Second, it makes my scrolling finger tired going past all of that nothingness.

Sorry, Burt. Didn't mean to hijack your show. I just got carried away.

Ragweed: I accept your apology. But lumping me with Daylo isn't fair. He started it, Dad.

Burt