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Mark Caserta: The Trump factor is starting to take effect

10 Dec

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Mark Caserta: FSP editor

  • Dec 9, 2016

I’ve heard it said more than once that it took the devitalizing policies of Jimmy Carter to give us Ronald Reagan. Perhaps it took the socialistic policies of Barack Obama to give us Donald Trump.

Throughout history, “hopelessness” seems to have been an unfortunate catalyst for change.

But to the delight of millions, while Donald J. Trump hasn’t even taken the presidential oath of office, he’s already putting his empathy and understanding of business to work for the American people.

Despite naysayers attempting to depreciate the probability that President-elect Trump will indeed live up to his campaign promises, the successful businessman is already leveraging his candor and forthrightness that served him so well during his candidacy toward keeping businesses in the United States.

As expected, business leaders responsible for a healthy bottom-line are proactively assessing Trump’s plan to remove strangling taxation and debilitating regulation imposed by previous administrations and adjusting their business plans accordingly.

I find it amusing how quickly liberal Democrats attempted to downplay Trump’s influence in Carrier’s announcement last Tuesday it was reversing plans to close an Indiana factory and keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indianapolis after telling workers earlier this year it would be moving production to Mexico.

But a few hundred Carrier employees are quite thankful.

“I would like to tell (Trump), ‘Thank you for going out of your way and taking your holiday away from your family and working on Carrier employees and sticking to your word and going to bat for all of us and keeping our jobs here,” Robin Maynard, a tenured 24-year Carrier employee, told “Fox and Friends” last Wednesday.

I predict this trend in businesses re-thinking their strategies will heighten. Frankly business leaders have been “starving” for an administration that understood their challenges and placed American jobs over progressive ideology.

Shortly after Trump’s historic victory, Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford called Trump to announce the auto maker would not be moving production of Lincolns out of Kentucky, indicating he planned to work with the new administration on protecting American manufacturing jobs.

In a statement, Ford said the company “confirmed with the president-elect” that it would continue producing Lincoln MKCs at the Louisville plant and added it was “encouraged that President-elect Trump and the new Congress will pursue policies that will improve U.S. competitiveness and make it possible to keep production of this vehicle here in the United States.”

Now, you can call it “trickle-down” or “voo-doo” economics all you want. It’s Economics 101.

A sound business model, when executed properly, results in increased sales activity. This increase in activity results in an increase in demand for product and/or services. And even a liberal should be able to understand that an increase in demand for product or services results in more jobs!

The “Trump factor” is beginning to take effect. Business leaders now see light at the end of this eight-year-long tunnel. The entrepreneurial spirit is being rekindled and projected profitability is being revised to the black.

Folks, it’s going to be an exciting four years.

 

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/30/trump-effect-after-carrier-pledge-to-keep-jobs-in-us-more-companies-may-follow.html

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2016/11/18/ford-chairman-tells-trump-lincoln-suv-production-to-remain-at-kentucky-plant.html

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Doug Smith: “A Day which will live in infamy”

7 Dec

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Doug Smith:  Author, historian, lead contributor to FSP and a Navy Chief Electronics Technician Submarine Qualified.

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75 years ago, right now, it was a Saturday evening, in early December. It is 14 years before my birth. An idyllic American outpost crammed with sailors is enjoying their liberty with little drinks full of fruit, pretty Hawaiian girls, and a pleasant tropical sunset. Aboard the USS Oklahoma, and USS West Virginia, and USS Arizona, the duty section was on watch, grumbling no doubt, about having the duty on such a promising night. But at least, they would get relieved in the morning and hit the beach Sunday, December 7, 1941.

Except, of course, they never would be relieved. Many of them would go ashore, later, burned, disfigured, torn to pieces, and gently carried by their shipmates to rest covered by American Flags in a temporary morgue. Many more would begin the painful journey of recovering from battle wounds. Yet for many, their final journey had begun when they took the duty Saturday morning, December 6, 1941. The last day of peace. And for sailors aboard Arizona and Oklahoma, their last day of life.

While most of America slept, a tiger crept toward their beds. Thousands of sailors kept watch; unwarned, unprotected, unready for what few knew, but most disbelieved, was about to happen. American sailors stood watch to keep their homes and loved ones safe, not knowing the hammer blow was about to fall on them. Halsey’s carriers patrolled and watched, but in the wrong direction.

Hundreds of miles to the Northeast, the Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Zuikaku, and Shokaku positioned themselves for a predawn attack against our sleeping Navy.

24 hours from now, over 2000 would be dead. Arizona would take her place on the bottom of the harbor, blown 20 feet in the air and sinking in just 9 minutes. There she remains to this day. Oklahoma would capsize, trapping sailors who would die off one by one over the next days and weeks. America would be drawn into a war that would leave half a million Americans dead before it ended, and 10s of millions worldwide.

The world would suffer, bleed, and burn for 4 more years.

But it began with a sneak attack. And it began with American sailors shot, burned, blown up, drowned.

33 years later, on Dec 7, 1974, I would be an American sailor. Those images, and these words: Never forget, were drummed into me.

I never will. I took it personally, what was done to my brothers. I still do. I take any attack on Americans, but in particular on American sailors, very personally.

They were and are my brothers. They will never forget. Nor will I.

Watch. Be alert. Be prepared. Be strong. Those are the lessons of that awful, awful morning 75 years ago.

Get over it? I don’t think so.

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Mark Caserta: Trump prepares his team to make America great again

25 Nov

And conservatives are pleased with the choices!

 

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Mark Caserta: FSP editor

  • 11.25.16

For the first time in a very long time, Americans are going to witness how conservative ideology “trumps” liberal progressivism in our country.

There is little doubt the 2016 election was a referendum on Barack Obama’s failed liberal policies. In fact, Democrat losses over the past few election cycles have been very telling per the Pew Research Center. Liberal Democrats understand this trend could be detrimental to their party for years to come, not to mention Obama’s legacy.

Hence President Obama’s recent international “exit interview” tour designed to sanction his reign as the most liberal president in U.S. history and hopefully create some headwinds for the incoming Trump administration.

Senator Jeff Sessions is the perfect pick for the 48th attorney general of the United States. Sessions has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the U.S. Constitution and served as the former U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Alabama under President Reagan. He certainly has the experience to enforce the rule of law in our country.

Lt. General Mike Flynn is a top choice for national security advisor. Flynn ran the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014 and served as top intelligence advisor to General Stanley McChrystal in Iraq. Flynn is reported to be “less than politically correct” and was, in fact, fired by the Obama administration for reportedly “pushing back” against “censors” displeased with his public declaration the U.S. was losing ground in the war on terror.

Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo is a sound choice to become the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Pompeo graduated number one in his class at West Point and has been very outspoken against Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. Those who know him say he will be an “unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans.”

Retired Marine General James “Mad dog” Mattis is emerging as a leading candidate for the position of Secretary of Defense. A seasoned, “no nonsense” combat commander, Mattis is heralded for his leadership as head of U.S. Central Command having responsibility for all U.S. forces in the Middle East.

President-elect Trump also has placed concern for the nation above his pride by reaching across party lines and even to those who have openly criticized him during his campaign. Despite the national left-wing media’s attempt to portray Donald Trump as erratic and unqualified to be commander-in-chief, he’s brilliantly putting together a high-performing team.

I expect this team will hit the ground running in 2017 and work diligently at repairing eight years of damage by the Obama administration.

And millions of Americans will see conservatism make America great again.

 

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

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Mark Caserta: Trump’s leadership will bridge the divide in the U.S.

18 Nov

And we finally have a president who understands managing people.

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Mark Caserta: FSP editor

The morning following Donald Trump’s victory in last week’s presidential election, my wife looked at me, grinned and said, “We did it.”

Weary-eyed from a long night of election returns, coffee in hand, I smiled and responded, “Yes, yes we did. Thank God.”

As we watched the news, it was obvious our entire nation was stricken with emotion that frankly was difficult to describe and often culminated in tears (albeit for different reasons). But watching our great nation decline over the past eight years has simply been heart-wrenching for conservatives.

For many people, it’s been a long time since we’ve looked to tomorrow with hope and optimism about our future.

President-elect Donald J. Trump will no doubt have his hands full “righting the ship” that conservatives feel has been on a wayward course for some time. Currently, the Trump “Ironclad” has a full head of steam as he begins the process of choosing members of his administration.

I fully expect to see Trump surrogates such as Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Jeff Sessions and Kellyanne Conway to be asked to join the team and submitted for Senate confirmation in the 115th U.S. Congress.

Certainly, Trump is no stranger to identifying talent.

But beyond the rhetoric, allow me to explain why Americans should have additional confidence heading into the Trump presidency.

Besides tremendous business acumen, Trump understands managing people.

We’ve all experienced a boss or a department leader who simply “did not get it” when it came to managing people. They had knowledge, but lacked the competencies necessary to lead.

The skill to effectively manage people has been dreadfully lacking on Capitol Hill. It’s my opinion this void in leadership has caused Washington’s gridlock.

But nothing short of tyranny will ever take the place of effective leadership!

Frankly, Donald J. Trump may be the most qualified management individual our nation has ever elected to the office of president. His proven leadership instincts, along with his energy and perseverance, will not allow him to fail.

Trump understands he doesn’t need to possess the aggregate skills of his cabinet members. He also understands the concept of collaboration to achieve a common goal, laser-specific delegation and the art of performance management.

As the new leader of the free world, Trump will spend plenty of time building a high-performing team of individuals, highly qualified in their respective areas, who will also possess strong management skills.

And Americans will be very surprised at how quickly we’ll begin seeing results. Corporate leaders around the world will find themselves aligning with Trump’s strategies, which will involve the crucial negotiating tool of “win-win” scenarios.

So, prepare to get back in the game. And prepare to work hard and win. We must all work together in our nation’s resurgence and return to greatness.

Trump’s leadership will bridge the divide in America.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

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Mark Caserta: Americans begin a new journey with President Trump!

14 Nov

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Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor

WE THE PEOPLE 1

The word “Republic” is a special word and quite different from a “Democracy.”

A Republic is a form of government in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in and exercised by the people, either directly or through representatives chosen by the people. Democracy is simply “majority rule.”

Our founding fathers had a vision for a republic, one in which every individual controlled their own destiny without interference from government or any oppressive entity.

The first time I ever heard the word and gained a real grasp of its meaning was from the 1960 epic war film “The Alamo,” starring screen giants like John Wayne as Davy Crockett, Richard Boone as Sam Houston and Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie.

The film depicts the “Battle of the Alamo” and the events leading up to it. Facing the insurmountable odds of defeating the Mexican forces, led by General Santa Anna, Sam Houston challenges Col. William B. Travis, played by Laurence Harvey, to buy him time by holding a position at the Alamo mission while he prepared an army capable of fighting for Texas’ independence.

In an early scene, Travis attempts a conversation with Crockett to convince him of the nobility of the fight and to persuade his Tennesseans to join the battle in pursuit of a Republic.

In the movie, Crockett quickly sets aside his “country-bumpkin” demeanor and speaks eloquently about the term “republic.”

“Republic is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat – the same tightness a man gets when his baby takes his first step or his first baby shaves and makes his first sound as a man,” Crockett said. “Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words.”

While Travis, Crockett and Bowie were badly defeated at the Alamo in 1836, Houston’s army won against the Mexican forces and gained independence for Texas. The phrase “Remember the Alamo” aptly immortalizes this brave sacrifice as well as our nation’s fervor for freedom.

Following the founding of our U.S. Constitution at convention in 1787, it’s recorded that a bystander inquired of Ben Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a Republic or a Monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Since then, there have been a total of 27 constitutional amendments designed to further the premise of having three distinct branches of government, along with a system of checks and balances, to ensure no single branch would have too much power and that voters have the final word.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, Americans once again had the final word. Americans once again arose above the fray and persevered against tyranny and oppression.

I submit, Donald Trump’s decisive victory is best described by a posthumous response to Dr. Franklin’s challenge he posed following that immortal day in Philadelphia over 200 years ago.

“We shall, Mr. Franklin. We shall protect our Republic.”

May God bless America as we begin this new journey.  And may God bless Donald Trump as he takes the helm during tumultuous seas in the U.S.

 

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

 

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Mark Caserta: Christians, stand up and be heard!

8 Nov

voter booth

There was a very anointed prayer vigil for our country last night at churches all across America.

Tears were being shed out of concern for our nation and our children’s future as people cried out to God for HIs direction.

My prayer is that Christians turn out as never before. …

I pray that they will have an unrest in their spirits and a conviction in their hearts that will not allow them to stay home, but do the right thing, the Christian thing, and vote for Godly values.

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Mark Caserta: Hillary’s October surprises may cost her the election

4 Nov

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Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor

Last week may well have been the “perfect political storm” that will be credited for costing Hillary Clinton the presidency.

While presumptuous reporting from multiple news sources seemingly had Hillary picking out drapes for the White House East Wing and speech writers preparing her inaugural address, the last act in this political theater had not yet closed.

There would be two final October surprises.

“I will sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family’s premium by up to $2,500 a year.”

But this was just more Obama hyperbole about his signature healthcare plan simply to get elected.

As enrollment is set to begin Nov. 1, the Obama administration announced last Monday that premiums are expected to rise an average of 25 percent across 39 states served by the federal exchanges. Some states, such as Arizona, will see premiums jump by as much as 116 percent!

Now, it doesn’t matter how the administration and the liberal media attempt to spin this revelation, this is a far cry from what we were promised. And while progressive pundits claim government subsidies will help ease the pain, the taxpayer will surely be left holding the tab.

And then there’s the never-ending-story of Hillary’s “emailgate.”

Also, last week, much to the chagrin of the Clinton campaign, the liberal media and even Attorney General Loretta Lynch, FBI Director James Comey announced he was reopening the investigation into Hillary’s jaded tenure as Secretary of State and her apparent misuse of classified information.

Apparently, as the FBI was conducting what they thought was an unrelated investigation, they uncovered more Clinton emails.

While investigating the 2013 “sexting” scandal of disgraced New York Congressman, Anthony Weiner, the department discovered emails “tethered” to Hillary Clinton’s private email server via Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, one of Clinton’s top aides, with whom he is separated.

You may recall the scandal in which Weiner, aka “Carlos Danger,” allegedly sent lewd pictures to women, ruining his political career. Apparently during the FBI probe, investigators discovered Weiner’s wife had used the same laptop to send emails to her boss, Hillary.

In the wake of Director Comey’s prior decision not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary for her mishandling of classified information, one can only speculate as to what the FBI uncovered in these emails. But it must have been enough for Comey to eat “humble pie” and reopen the investigation.

So, with just four days to go before the election, one must wonder if voters are willing to take a chance on a candidate who may be spending her first term under investigation, or worse, under indictment.

Or if they’re prepared to “Make America Great Again.”

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

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Mark Caserta: Trump’s contract with America offers nation hope and justice

29 Oct

What have you got to lose?

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Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor

  • Oct 28, 2016

trump-contract

It may well be referenced as the modern-day “Great Awakening,” a movement that swept the country and revitalized our nation’s government in an unprecedented manner.

On Oct. 22, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Donald J. Trump delivered his revolutionary “contract with America” in which he laid out his first 100-day plan as president to “Make America Great Again!”

“Change has to come from outside this broken system,” Trump declared. “The fact that the Washington establishment has tried so hard to stop our campaign is only more proof that our campaign represents the kind of change that only arrives once in a lifetime.”

Here are a few of the key elements of Trump’s contract with America.

On Trump’s first day in office, he’ll “propose a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.”

Conservatives agree we have to rid Washington of politicians who place career ahead of representing the American people as designed by our Founding Fathers.

Also, on his first day, Trump will “cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama” and “restore security and the constitutional rule of law.”

This measure will have a sweeping effect in returning our nation to saneness by subverting measures taken by this president bypassing our representation and propagating his own personal, socialist ideology.

Additionally, Trump will “begin the process of selecting a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia from one of the 20 judges” on his list “who will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Protecting the Supreme Court from becoming unhinged with liberal judges who legislate from the bench is paramount to our nation’s future. Remember, this is a lifetime appointment and carries tremendous responsibility.

Regarding jobs, Trump pledges to “lift restrictions” on “job-producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal.” He’ll also “lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward.”

This is great news for jobs in our area. Imagine our state economically if the nation begins leveraging the vast energy resources we have available.

Regarding illegal immigration, Trump will begin “removing the more than 2 million criminal illegal immigrants from the country” and “suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur.”

Finally, Donald Trump plans to fully repeal and replace Obamacare with viable health care which will include health savings accounts and “the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines.”

Obamacare has been a wrecking ball to our economy. Trump will succeed where liberals and the feckless GOP establishment have failed.

Hillary Clinton literally offers continued corruption and failure.

And even possible criminal indictment!

Trump’s contract with America lights a path of hope and justice for our nation.

 

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

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Mark Caserta: Savvy leadership can avoid another Cold War

21 Oct

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot Editor

For nearly eight years, the Obama administration has utilized what has become a signature approach of appeasement and contriteness in dealing with world leaders. And Hillary Clinton’s symbolic “reset” with Russia, as secretary of state, has been met with aggression unlike anything we’ve seen since the Cold War of the mid to late 1900s.

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A recent FoxNews.com column by Judith Miller suggests that Putin is executing a “clearly defined strategy” to “undermine the West and liberal democracy.”

The column cites experts’ examples of recent actions such as “sophisticated cyberattacks,” “devastating air strikes on hospitals and relief convoys in Aleppo” (despite a U.S. Russian cease-fire) and Putin’s seemingly systematic attempt to “destroy Europe, divide NATO, and restore Russian power and global influence.”

Frankly, the Obama administration is dangerously outmatched in dealing with tyrannical leaders such as Vladimir Putin. Obama’s nave attempts to “talk” other nation’s leaders into submission has been an embarrassing disaster.

obama-and-putin

In stark contrast, Ronald Reagan understood the concept of achieving peace through strength.

Upon entering office, Reagan determined the U.S. military, under previous administrations, had become worn and antiquated. He saw America as the last stand for Democracy and believed in establishing a position of power to squelch communism.

In March 1983, the “great communicator” spoke on defense and national security and portrayed his vision for protecting the homeland.

“Let me share with you a vision of the future which offers hope,” Reagan said. “It is that we embark on a program to counter the awesome Soviet missile threat with measures that are defensive. Let us turn to the very strengths in technology that spawned our great industrial base and that have given us the quality of life we enjoy today.”

He proceeded to lay out his vision for a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which became known as “Star Wars.” The anti-missile system would be a space and ground-based weapons system designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles launched toward the U.S.

While SDI was never fully implemented, Reagan’s leadership as commander-in-chief and his tenacious approach to defeating communism helped influence the collapse of the Soviet Union and end the Cold War.

The U.S. is a prize target for many rogue nations. Ambitious leaders across the globe have waited for Americans to embrace weak leaders like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. They know they’re strategically challenged and can be easily out-maneuvered.

It’s time for the U.S. to once again take its place as the world leader of democracy. Tyrants must understand that while the U.S. is hopeful for peace, we will be resolute in defending freedom.

When you’re the United States of America, the only way to ensure peace is to have a military strong enough we’ll never have to use it.

But you must also have a savvy leader, like Donald Trump, with the determination and backbone to leverage it.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.

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Mark Caserta: Two liberal lies leading up to the election.

16 Oct

Liberals don’t want you to know this.

me

Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot Editor

hillary and trump

Two quick important points to share:

#1: Don’t pay any attention to the polls. Liberals want you to believe “It’s all over” and Trump will lose in a landslide. All you need to do is look at what just happened in Britain and David Cameron. The polls can and are being manipulated in a variety of ways.

#2: Liberals also want you to believe Russia is behind the cyber attacks on Hillary’s illegal server because they want you to believe Russia wants Trump to win. Really? So ask… yourself, “Who would Vladimir Putin rather negotiate with, Crooked Hillary or Donald Trump?

Just keep moving forward to take back our nation and ignore the crooked liberal media.

We can win this. We must win this.

And I believe we will.  Let’s take this thing to the house!

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