1. News media blackout

National media outlets continue to ignore Ron Paul, despite the fact that he has demonstrated significant appeal to a cross section of America. The anti-America candidates Romany and Gingrich enjoy wall-to-wall coverage, suggesting that the media have decided for us who is worthy of consideration.

Keep in mind one important thing: The media’s #1 job is to win re-election for Barack Obama. Therefore, they will always promote the candidates whom Barack Obama can defeat.

That by itself should tell primary voters that Ron Paul is the best nominee.

 2. Establishment Bias

A CNS News story reported that more than half of primary voters rate have an unfavorable opinion of Ron Paul. Why?

The Republican establishment fears Ron Paul. He is different from all other candidates in that (1) he doesn’t bow to lobbyists, (2) he does not change his message for his audience, (3) he believes in reducing the size of government, (4) he believes in cutting real spending rather than pretending to cut spending, (5) he believes in the Constitution of the United States of America.

3. Pseudo Conservatives

During the past few months, we have learned that U.S. conservatives are mostly CINOs (Conservatives in Name Only). They complain about liberals like McCain, Bush, Romney, Gingrich and Obama, etc., but they are equally bad. Like liberals, they want to use Big Government to impose their will on the nation and on the world. In doing so, they flippantly reject the Constitution and its associated morality and mandates.

Our financial system is illegal and immoral. Our tax system is illegal and immoral. Our foreign policy of nation-building and intervention and illegal preemptive wars is  also illegal. Ron Paul is the ONLY conservative running for the presidency; he wants to make the government conform to the Constitution. He wants to do what’s right for the nation, not what’s best for lobbyists, corporate interests and the Power Elite.

4. Fear of the Truth

I believe Americans fear the truth. They have been indoctrinated for so long, they think that someone who believes in the Constitution is crazy.

Here’s what your average so-called conservative thinks is nuts:

• The government should stop printing money (aka taking money from the poor and giving it to the rich).
•  Limit government spending by its revenue.
• Fair and legal taxation.
• Stop paying for the defense of other nations who can afford to defend themselves (Korea, Germany, Japan, etc.).
• Only go to war with a Declaration of War from Congress and a will to win.
• Accept the autonomy of Israel.
• Stop overthrowing legitimate leaders in places like Iran, Iraq and Egypt only to beat .
• Defend life (i.e. vigorously oppose abortion).
• Strong national defense.
• Strong illegal immigration policy.
• Personal privacy.
• FREEDOM.

Hope Remains

Although it’s clear that many supposed conservatives now fulfill Jesus’ prophecy saying that people would call good evil and evil good, the primary is not yet over.

While Romney and Gingrich fight for their privilege to lose to Obama in November, Ron Paul’s campaign rolls on. His support has snowballed since last election and as more people get to hear his message of freedom, responsible government and economic solutions; he has a good chance of winning in the end.

Better Hope Paul Wins

We all should hope Paul wins because:

• Obama specializes in taking out people with marital problems.
• Gingrich’s ethics, morals and liberal leanings will make him easy fodder for Obama.
• Romney is a liberal. He changes what he says to get votes. Obama knows that and will destroy him as a hypocrite.
• Romney supports and defends Romneycare, the foundation of Obamacare. Obama will destroy Romney based on Romneycare alone.
• Romney’s offshore bank accounts, tax returns, and habit of paying almost no taxes are all liabilities.
• Santorum is a loser. He couldn’t even get elected in his own state.
• Santorum was one of the most corrupt members of Congress while there.
• Santorum supported Arlen Specter, the anti-American RINO turned Democrat.
• Santorum voted in favor of every chance to raise the national debt limit.
• Santorum has a history of sacrificing principle for expedience.
• Santorum’s record of defeat, flip flopping and hypocrisy guarantees Obama will easily defeat him.

Ron Paul is the only Conservative running for President and the only candidate who can beat Barack Obama.

After closely following all the GOP candidates, South Carolina's Bruce Tyson has announced his support for Ron Paul in the Republican primary.

Ron Paul is the only true Conservative running for the Republican presidential nomination and has therefore earned my support.

Why I support Ron Paul

I consider a presidential candidate worthy of my support when he or she meets basic criteria. My criteria is not much different than what supposed Conservatives used to believe (up until the current Republican primary). Among those criteria are:

• Unwaveringly pro life
• No flip-flopping based on political aspirations
• Genuine alignment with the Tea Party
• Committed to reducing the size of government
• Committed to reducing government spending (not just reducing the rate of spending increases)
• Strong on national defense
• Big on border security
• Supports eliminating the income tax
• Will veto any bill that is unconstitutional (practically all of them)
• Supports the Constitution of the United States of America
• Support for individual liberties, human rights and privacy.
• Constitutional, legal and sensible foreign policy
• Demands unwavering congressional support for any wars (i.e. declaration of war)
• Not the candidate of the Republican – RINO – McCain Big Government establishment
• Not influenced by lobbyists
• Different from Obama, different from the loser RINO establishment (e.g. McCain, Lindsey Graham, Boehner, McConnel, Romney, Gingrich, Santorum and the rest of the status quo.

As you can see, there is only one candidate who can even come close to holding the conservative bona fides needed to earn my support and respect: Ron Paul.

Media Blackout

Perhaps nothing tells the story of Ron Paul’s strength than the media blackout that has attempted to stifle Paul’s message of liberty and freedom.  Despite his high placement in the polls, media outlets including Fox News, rush Limbaugh and others either mock Ron Paul or pretend he doesn’t exist.

Ron Paul does exist. He wants to free the United States from tyranny and restore it to its Constitution. You can’t get any more Conservative than that.

A website dedicated to overcoming the Democrat-Republican media blackout of Ron Paul is available where voters can learn for themselves what Ron Paul is really about. Anyone who takes the time to see what Ron Paul really believes will quickly agree with me when I say that Ron Paul is the best Republican candidate and the only one who can soundly defeat Barack Hussein Obama mmm mmmmmmmm MMMMMMMMM.

Extended warranties are nice, but they are not always a good deal.

Whether you buy a new or used vehicle, chances are the dealer will offer you the chance to buy an extended warranty.

These warranties are intended to either cover repairs not included under the factory warranty or pick up the cost for major repairs after the factory warranty runs out on a car.

Although the extra coverage might sound good to a car buyer like you, take some time to think about it before you buy.

A Golden Egg

As an auto shopper, you should realize that car dealers want to earn a huge profit by selling an extended warranty to you. A dealer earning money from a sale isn’t necessarily bad (why else would they be in business?), but can suggest that the dealer isn’t purely altruistic in offering you extra protection.

Normal sales pitches will warn buyers of the perils of being stranded out of town on vacation or being in a financial bind should the air conditioner or transmission need replacement after the manufacturer’s warranty expires.

Statistics Suggest Caution

Almost two-thirds of extended warranty owners who responded to a survey conducted by Consumer Reports Magazine said they spent more on the warranty than the actual cost of covered repairs. More than 40 percent of the respondents said they never used their extended warranty at all.

A very small minority said their extended warranty actually saved them money. The survey did not seem to establish how many extended warranty buyers regretted their purchase.

Financing an Extended Warranty

If you like the idea of having extended warranty coverage available, you can usually choose to include its cost with your auto loan when you buy a car. Doing this helps you keep your upfront cost low, but also can obscure the actual cost of the warranty.

Another problem is that the extra dollar amount on the loan could make your auto purchase upside down, meaning you owe more on your loan than the car is worth. Financing your warranty purchase can also increase the amount of interest you pay. Fortunately, other options are available.

Exploring Options

Car buyers who want to buy extended warranty coverage can benefit from knowing they have options available. Car owners can purchase extended warranties with cash to keep their financing cost low.

Car owners can choose from manufacturer-endorsed extended warranty options or from various aftermarket warranty providers. Buyers should thoroughly investigate any aftermarket provider before they buy coverage.

• Extended warranties can include bumper-to-bumper coverage or cover only major repairs. They can also add other benefits such as trip-interruption coverage, gap coverage.
• Consider buying extended warranty coverage from another dealer.
• Extended warranty prices vary by dealer, including those from out of state.

Make your own warranty

Rather than spending money on an extended warranty, vehicle owners should consider depositing the money in a savings or investment account. This way the money grows over time and will be available to help with repairs as needed. If unused, the money will still be there when the owner changes cars.

Extended warranties are often not worth the money from a cost-savings perspective, but the added assurance they offer justifies the cost for many buyers. Carefully weigh all your options and then decide which choice makes you feel most comfortable.

John Ludwig's impunity ran out Friday in court. He now goes to prison for 3 years after judge revokes his probation.

Upstate South Carolina residents couldn’t believe their eyes and ears when they found out John Ludwig finally went to jail.

The ultra-wealthy man who drove a Maserati through a house, killing a man in 2009.

Although charged with murder, Ludwig was let off the hook and convicted of a lesser charge and sentenced to probation. Meanwhile, Ludwig skated away on charges that included DUI, burglary and domestic violence. Ludwig even rewrote the terms of his release to the chagrin of a judge who let those changes stand.

It was a domestic violence charge this past November that finally caused Ludwig’s luck to unravel. The judge said he believes Ludwig has anger management issues.

Read more about John Ludwig goes to jail at WYFF.

Despite a surge in sales at the end of 2011, Mercedes lost the U.S. luxury title by just a couple thousand cars.

Two top-tier European automakers now vie for the number-one spot in the U.S. luxury auto market after Japan’s Toyota Lexus brand dropped out of the running due to problems stemming from the earthquake and tsunami that hit that nation in 2011.

Both headquartered in Germany, Mercedes and BMW have long contended for supremacy in their overseas markets. For 2011, the pair of car companies ended the year in a photo finish for supremacy, a nail-biting close to a year that saw many ups and downs.

Although Mercedes sales surged by about 40 percent in November, BMW still held its lead entering into December. According to figures provided by your local Mercedes Chicago dealer, Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park, Mercedes will close out the year a little more than 1,000 sales short of BMW’s number for 2011. The excitement of the close finish for the year means that the New Year could bring out great deals on new Mercedes cars.

The title of holding the number-one position in the American luxury market brings with it a lot of publicity that can influence thy buying decisions of some. This could mean that the two companies could engage in a price war, giving customers incentives to choose one over the other. Mercedes’ U.S. boss, Steve Cannon, suggested that his company would not pursue the title by offering added incentives to auto shoppers. In his case, the company may not need to.

Mercedes now sports an overhauled product line that is sure to stoke excitement among analysts and consumers alike. Fresh designs for popular choices like the M-Class and the C-Class are expected to continue November’s surges straight through 2012. Despite Mr. Cannon’s public words, however, Mercedes has joined BMW by increasing its spending on incentives, meaning Mercedes luxury could be more affordable this year than ever.

Luxury car shoppers should visit Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park to learn more about the exciting neck-and-neck competition between Mercedes and BMW and why Mercedes is so confident it can claim the top spot in 2012.

BMW beat Mercedes in luxury sales for 2011, but still performed well.

Mercedes lost a hard-fought battle for the number-one spot in the U.S. luxury market, but the company still has its head held high. The company is proud that it still ranks among the elite automakers and enjoys growing demand in North America.

Your local Mercedes Chicago dealer, Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park is excited about its role in helping Mercedes have a great year. The dealer is even more excited about the all-new Mercedes lineup that will keep sales momentum increasing through the year.

A Close Second-Place Finish

Although the sales of Mercedes spiked at the end of 2011, the company didn’t quite overcome some sluggish spots earlier in the calendar year. BMW, a venerable competitor, earned the top slot in the luxury market, but by a very slim margin.

Both Mercedes and BMW saw sales rise by 13 percent, but BMW eked out a first-place victory by outselling Mercedes by 2,676 units sold. The two companies surged past Toyota’s Lexus brand which has been the top seller in the USA for more than a decade. Analysts attribute the lackluster Lexus number to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that rocked Japan early in the year.

Toyota, not as proud of its numbers as Mercedes is proud of its numbers, says that Lexus sales should increase by one-fifth during 2012 and will soon return to its leadership position in the United States. Mercedes may disagree with that optimism. After all, it has some secret weapons rolling into dealers’ lots.

New for 2012

With all new 2012 Mercedes models arriving at Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park, the landscape for 2012 seems to clearly favor Mercedes. Many new features and elegant styles will likely attract more buyers than ever to the showroom. Auto shoppers should stop by today to see what the excitement of Mercedes is all about. After test-driving their favorite 2012 model, new and existing Mercedes Chicago owners will quickly understand why Mercedes luxury has a good chance of winning the 2012 luxury race.

Engine work involves many challenges when replacing parts.

Do-it-yourself mechanics can save money on car repairs, often while doing a better job and using better parts than a professional. Although they might have good self-esteem (and a strained shoulder from patting themselves on the back) from successfully changing their car’s oil, headlights and brake pads; they might not be receiving the accolades they deserve from their friends and loved ones.

Now is a great time for amateur mechanics to set their sights high and attempt things they’ve never tried before. They will learn a lot, and – if successful – they might receive the recognition they crave. The following 5 most difficult parts to replace in your car should help you choose a repair that will offer a sufficient challenge.

The Clutch

After completing their first clutch repair, most mechanics will send their entire family to driving school to learn how to properly drive a stick shift vehicle. If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle, you can easily get to the clutch housing after removing the drive shaft, transmission and bell housing. Just take out the clutch, resurface the flywheel and put it all back together using a new bearing.

Timing Belt

Failure to change a car’s timing belt could result in cataclysmic engine damage without warning. Changing this part is among the hardest in most cars. In some engines, the timing belt is relatively accessible; in others, the job requires major disassembly. Difficult is in the eyes of the beholder, and the eyes that behold a timing belt in most cars sees a significant task lying ahead of them regardless of their engine type. If the belt isn’t put on properly, the engine may not run.

Transmission

If you want to test your mettle, try replacing the transmission in your car. If you pull off this repair, you’ll bask in the glory for months. Despite what anyone you know says, you’re looking at an expensive and tedious task. However, AOL Auto estimates that this job costs an average of nearly $3,700, so you will save a lot of money if you can do it yourself. The directions may sound simple, but even if you get the mechanical work done, you still must reprogram the car’s computer modules, a daunting task in its own right.

Oil Pump

You’ve changed the oil, so how much harder could it be to change the oil pump? Granted, many of your cohorts may never have even heard of an oil pump, but they will be enlightened as soon as they learn of your successful repair job. You’ll probably need to remove the oil pan and some other major parts to get to it, so buy a repair manual so you can do the job right. Don’t forget to put in a new gasket or else you’ll be working on your car again very soon.

The Engine

According to some websites, you can change an engine in 24 steps or less. In reality, replacing an entire engine could be one of the toughest jobs a mechanic can face. The process is very time consuming because all the wires, hoses and accessories must be removed from the engine before you take it out.

Mechanics who do not carefully record and label ever minute detail of the process may never get the job done right. A label machine, a camera and a camcorder can all be essential tools for documenting how everything was disassembled, so reassembly can go smoothly. If the new engine fits right and there aren’t any extra screws when the job is finished, your car might start. Keep your fingers crossed.

After a good Mutts BBQ sandwich, Bruce Tyson met Newt Gingrich at Furman University in Greenville,SC

Newt Gingrich appeared at a lunchtime barbecue rally on the campus of Furman University today. On a cool, but comfortable fall day, supporters from the college and the community gathered around a meal catered by Mutts Barbecue before shaking hands with the candidate. Gingrich made himself very accessible to the crowd, signing autographs and posing for photos before mounting the stage to give his stump speech. Gingrich gave his entire address without the aid of a teleprompter.

Newt 2012 Campaign Office

Newt began by announcing the opening of his office on Woodruff Road in Greenville, inviting the crowd to stop by. He also alluded to his latest surge in the polls and presented himself as the best canditdate to change Washington.

Change or Manage Washington?

Gingrich drew a distinction between himself, someone unhappy with Washington in its present form, and Mitt Romney who might do well managing the status quo. Responding to people who want Newt to take the gloves off versus Romney, Gingrich said that he’s after the 85% of the vote that has not gone for Romney.

Pro Innovation and Growth

The former Speaker of the House mentioned the congressional super committee concerns Newt who said he believes it’s a dangerous idea to address economic issues through austerity and pain. He favors innovation and growth instead. Newt particularly emphasized the need to access American energy resources, including the wealth of natural gas reserves known to exist off the coast of South Carolina.

Social Security

Newt’s speech hammered home three other main points. First he emphasized the need to take social security off the federal budget. This would undo the gimmick instituted by the Lyndon Johnson regime who first used social security money to cover up the excesses of federal spending.

Now we have a President who recently threatened to hold back social security paychecks as a political tool, a threat Newt believes was uncalled for. Also, seniors are unfairly left to hope in a stockpile of IOUs, something that is also unfair. He says that Social Security and the budget should be solved separately and kept separate from now on.

Immigration Enforcement

Newt also emphasized the dysfunction of the federal government regarding immigration and the unconstitutional actions of the President in suing South Carolina, Arizona and other states together with the government of Mexico. Newt says the federal government should work to fix the border problem rather than letting it get so out of hand the states must try to act.

Challenge to Debate the Teleprompter

To culminate his speech Newt highlighted his invitation to Obama to debate him in a series of 7 Lincoln-Douglas-style debates. Newt promised that as Lincoln followed Douglas about, responding to each Douglas speech, Newt would follow every Obama speech with answers to Obama until Obama would accept the debate invitation.

Newt said those who suggest he bypass the middleman and just debate the Teleprompter would be a funny picture, but he would rather debate Obama.

Debate Tonight in Spartanburg

Gingrich was in the Upstate of South Carolina in advance of a Republican Primary debate held later in the day at Wofford College in Spartanburg.

The resentment of the wealthy directed toward the poor, however, is flawed. Understandably, no one either rich or poor likes paying taxes. However, the prevailing attitudes of conservatives / the wealthy to me seems flawed.

Those who seem to have no advocate at all, those in the middle, seem targeted by both the rich and the poor. For example, California recently set out to tax the Amazon Associate program which promptly canceled California accounts (The state eventually put the tax on ice for one year).

So the battle seems to be whether the rich or poor get to pay the least taxes (Hint: the rich are winning).

1. The premise that the “rich” pay most of the taxes is flawed. While from a dollar-wise perspective, this statement could be true, from a percentage-wise perspective it is not. The working classes pay a much higher percentage or their income than the wealthy.

2. The tax code is designed by wealthy people to preserve their wealth as a class. Therefore, the wealthy will never pay their “fair share” percentage-wise. Only the wealthy can afford the intricate loopholes that allow them to live tax-free. Also, many times, tax proposals like those made by Obama are spurious because they only superficially raise taxes on the wealthy. What he doesn’t tell his sucker-supporters is that he wants to raises taxes that do not apply to most wealthy people (eg raising income taxes on people who pay mostly capital gains). To make any progress toward righting the ship, the government must tax wealth, not income. Since the lawmakers, their families and their cronies are among the wealthiest in the nation, they are sure to safeguard their wealth at all costs.

3. Even though they didn’t already pay more than their fair share, raising taxes on the poor is useless (OK, raising taxes on anybody is useless, but that’s not what I’m talking about now). If someone earns $40,000 and pays $XX in income tax, there’s only a small window where their tax could be effectively raised. To make a difference, say we doubled their taxes. That would only result in a net increase of a thousand bucks or two at the most. In exchange, the wage earner could easily be forced into distress. This could lead to (1) cessation of employment or (2) personal and social issues such as hunger, homelessness and health issues. Thus, raising taxes on the poor is largely counterproductive.

4. Raising taxes on the wealthy is also useless because – if a tax increase were imposed that they would actually have to pay – they threaten to reciprocate by laying off employees, shrinking their business and moving overseas. This is because the wealthy have already established their lifestyle and seem largely unwilling to give it up. Who can blame them? Any moeny given the government only fills the coffers of all the elected and unelected unimprisoned criminals who benefit from the MASSIVE fraud, waste and corruption that our government perpetrates.

5. Sure, the wealthy do not pay their fair share, but even if “they” found ways to compel the rich to pay more, doing so would not solve any problem. The unfunded liabilities of the federal government already exceed the annual GDP of the entire world. Even if the income of all Americans were taxed at 100% (without affecting employment or productivity), the government would still not have enough money.

6. The fundamental problem is this: The system sucks. Our government is so corrupt that – even when John Boehnor et al talk about spending “cuts,” they talk about spending increases. They deceive people into thinking that they are reducing spending, while they are only reducing the rate of spending increases in a format that is changeable upon a whim. Furthermore, should the government ever get more money, it would waste it by giving it to the same political donors, union bosses, fraudulent contractors, family members/cronies and corporate sponsors that siphoned off all the rest of the money

The conclusion is obvious: the government should be starved of money. The system must fundamentally be changed to one that will responsibly, fairly and constitutionally manage its money. The public must take drastic measures to remove every legislator, every regulator, every bureaucrat, every lobbyist and every politician and replace them with a government that conforms to the Constitution of the United States of America. Until that happens, it doesn’t matter who pays what because the causes of the problems we face will otherwise never be addressed.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/14/news/economy/class_warfare_taxes/index.htm?iid=Lead

Colorado sources confirm rumors that investigators now suspect that Huffman gave false information in a domestic violence case involving her at around the same time she accused Martinez, a former boyfriend. However, the other participant in the domestic violence charge remains unknown.

The 24 year-old police babe worked for the Colorado Springs force for 3 years and received honors for helping to save a suicidal man.

Huffman, now cooling off in jail awaiting $20,000 bond, highlights the tremendous clout women have in criminal cases. Based on her testimony of alleged assault, another officer was arrested, charged and taken to court. The exoneration of Martinez represents the exception, not the rule. In most cases, men find contesting violent charges brought against them by a woman in a domestic relationship very difficult.