Political Issues Forum: Carson berates the media over his phony West Point...

Political Issues Forum: Carson berates the media over his phony West Point...: On the heels of his controversial statement that transgender people should have to use a separate bathroom, presidential candidate Ben Carso...

Carson berates the media over his phony West Point scholarship

On the heels of his controversial statement that transgender people should have to use a separate bathroom, presidential candidate Ben Carson misrepresented his so-called West Point scholarship in his book Gifted Hands, according to ABC News on Friday.

Carson claimed in the book that he was offered a full four-year scholarship to West Point as a young man. He claimed that he met with General William Westmoreland and later was offered the scholarship to the U.S. Military Academy.

Carson claims that he told the officials at West Point that his heart was set on pursuing a medical career instead. Carson stated that he was not going to let anything divert him or stand in the way of his medical career. West Point spokespersons are saying that they cannot verify if a person ever was offered a scholarship because they only keep records of potential candidates for three years.

Carson took it upon himself to attack the media for uncovering this story. Carson called the probe into his past "pathetic" and "garbage."

The media also has been unable to verify Carson's claim to have had a violent adolescence. Carson said that as a 14 year-old boy, he tried to stab another boy. Carson clammed that the victim's belt buckle prevented him from hurting the boy.

This story has not been corroborated by anybody, including sources to Carson. It appears to this observer that at least one part of Carson's adolescence still is in play: his search for himself, his search for his identity and his search for his footing in the world.

It appears to this observer that Carson has multiple personal identities: Violent adolescent, promising West Point candidate, medical student, medical doctor, presidential candidate and Trump rival.

It appears that Carson is much too busy struggling to find his identity in his continuing adolescence to address the challenges of the presidency of the United States. That job has its own multiple identities: Commander in Chief, chief of party, political leader, moral leader, and leader of the Democratic free world.

And of course there is the job of awarding medals and Purple Hearts

to soldiers at the White House, some of whom are real West Point graduates. Of course, it does not appear at all likely that Carson will have to worry about being the one awarding military medals and Purple Hearts anytime soon.

="keywords"=Ben Carson,West Point, adolescence,General William Westmoreland,Purple Heart

Ted Cruz remains loyal to GW Bush despite tough criticism

GOP Presidential candidate Ted Cruz, (Texas), is remaining loyal to former President George W. Bush despite highly critical comments that Bush has made about him, according to ABC News on Tuesday. Cruz, who once worked in Bush's 2000 Presidential campaign, says that he is grateful to Bush because he met his wife, Heidi while working for him. Cruz also said that Bush was a man of his convictions "even in the face of daunting odds."

Cruz was one of the attorneys who worked on the voting recount in Florida in 2000, the year of the controversy swirling around "hanging chads." The United States Supreme Court's refusal to hear a case challenging a Florida court's ruling that did not recognize thousands of ballots with "hanging chads" is what gave the 2000 election victory to George W. Bush. This was despite the fact that Vice-President Al Gore won the popular vote in both Florida and the United States.

Despite Cruz's obvious role in the promotion of Bush's legal case that eventually lead to his 2000 election victory, George W. Bush has issued some critical statements about Cruz. Bush told donors: "I just don't like the guy."

Furthermore, the former President has described Cruz as "opportunistic." This is in sharp contrast to the nickname that Bush had for Cruz when he was working for him in his campaign: "Theodore." Reportedly Bush gave him that name because like Theodore Roosevelt, Cruz, was "serious" all the time.

Despite unfavorable comments from George W. Bush, Cruz has remained philosophical, attributing most of it to the fact that Bush supports his brother Jeb's candidacy for President:

Paul Ryan will run for Speaker for his kids

GOP Majority Leader Paul Ryan has promised to run for Speaker of the House so that his kids will be proud of him, provided he receives widespread support from within the GOP, according to ABC News on Tuesday. Feeling a little apprehensive about running in the wake of the forced resignation of John Boehner as Speaker and the withdraw from the race by Kevin McCarthy, Ryan wants to be sure that he is not the third victim of conservative, Tea Party Republicans who feel that he is not conservative enough.

Ryan expressed the importance of living up to his children's expectations, too. He stated that he did not want to have to face his kids someday and tell them that he was not there for the Republican Party when he was needed. Ryan stated that he also would be willing to run for Speaker for his kids as well as for his GOP colleagues in the House.

Even Ryan's GOP colleagues who were contemplating running for Speaker themselves expressed their support for Ryan. GOP Reps. Jason Chaffetz, Utah and Ryan Zinke, Mo. were among the perspective candidates for Speaker who expressed support for Ryan.

Trump and Carson request Secret Service protection

GOP Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson both have requested Secret Service protection, according to ABC News on Monday. The Office of Homeland Security Reports that the requests from the two candidates are part of the "statutorily required process." ABC News reported that this is the time of year that most high-profile Presidential candidates request Secret Service protection.

The request for protection only will suffice as the very initial stage in the process for both candidates. Each candidate's request still must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security in concert with a congressional advisory committee. The members of the advisory committee include the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader and one additional member that is selected by the committee. Only after all of these approvals been granted will the candidates be provided Secret Service protection.

Ben Carson denied that his campaign requested Secret Service protection and claimed that both the Secret Service and FBI came to him. Carson did state, however, that the need for protection was legitimate because of "lots of threats."

Sheree Lustgarten demands a hearing

This author was fortunate enough to attend the Patterson, CA City Council meeting last night. A number of agenda items were presented and then the meeting focused on an a report from Patterson City Attorney Tom Hallinan regarding the Sheree Lustgarten case. In that report, Hallinan had the statements of two private investigators who had looked into accusations of senior abuse at the Hammon Senior Center, allegedly committed by Council member Sheree Lustgarten. Among other things, Lustgarten is accused of having grabbed a Bingo card from one senior and taken an ice cream from another senior while providing services to the seniors at the Hammon Senior Center. Lustgarten also has been accused of threatening a member of the City Council. From the outset, Lustgarten has denied all of these accusations, claiming, in effect, that she is the victim of a politicized movement to discredit her and to force her to resign from office.

Patterson Mayor Luis Molina stated that he had not received written answers to questions from Lustgarten. Lustgarten responded that she had not received the questionnaire in the mail with the questions that she was expected to answer and that she was seeing the questions for the first time at last night's meeting. Molina then stated that he was giving Lustgarten until the Council's next meeting on October 6 to submit her answers in writing. At that point, Lustgarten pulled out two very large binders that she stated were full of testimony and documentation from seniors at the Hammon Senior Center stating, in effect, that Lustgarten had not ever been abusive to anyone at the center. Lustgarten even referenced a statement from a Catholic nun who is actively involved at the senior center corroborating that Lustgarten never was abusive to anyone.

Lustgarten demanded that Molina provide her with a hearing on the accusations against her. Molina reiterated that he wanted the written response from Lustgarten by October 6. Lustgarten repeated her demands for a hearing, asking Molina several times: "Are you saying that I am not entitled to a hearing?" Lustgarten stated emphatically that a hearing was the "fair" thing to do. Molina repeatedly restated his demand for Lustgarten's written responses to the questions.

Lustgarten brought out the fact that she had tried to play a video proving her innocence of the accusations against her at a previous meeting, but that Molina had ordered the showing of the video stopped after just a couple of minutes. Molina claimed that he had done so because, as he put it, "I don't like surprises." Molina said that Lustgarten should have warned her ahead of time that the video was going to be shown during the City Council meeting. Lustgarten retorted that she should not need the mayor's permission to show a video. Molina stated that it is not a matter of permission, but that he had not been warned ahead of time that "the seniors" would be showing the video and that the the video exceeded the time allowed for citizen comments. Lustgarten reminded Molina that she had shown the video during her allotted time as a council member, which is significantly longer than the three minutes allowed for citizen comments and therefore the video should not have been cut off. Molina restated that he had not been warned ahead of time that the video was going to be shown at the meeting. Lustgarten once again stated that she felt that she should not have to get permission ahead of time from Molina to share a video on an agenda item. Molina once again stated that Lustgarten did not need his permission but that he was not warned about the video ahead of time.

Lustgarten stated that she had called Molina several times and left messages to try to arrange to meet with him and show him the information in the two binders that allegedly clear her of all accusations against her. Molina claimed that he had not received any phone messages from Lustgarten to which she replied that not only had she called and left messages but so had several seniors who supported her. Molina then restated that he had not received any such phone messages. Lustgarten asked Molina if he would be willing to meet with her so she could present the documentation to him to which Molina replied, "Send it to me."

Lustgarten stated that she had statements from numerous seniors to the effect that she had been very supportive of seniors over the years, provided necessary meals, provided services to seniors and been been an invaluable resource for them. Molina then told the City Manager to get that information to him stating that if such information does exist, that it should be provided to him. Molina then addressed Lustgarten, once again demanding that she provide the written answers to him "before" the October 6 meeting. Lustgarten then once again asked, "So you're saying that I am not entitled to a hearing?" Molina then stated that Lustgarten had not been accused of a crime and that she was not entitled to "face her accuser." Lustgarten stated that all she wanted was a hearing and that it was the fair thing to do.

Molina stated that on September 16 (today) that there would be another court hearing on the temporary restraining order that had been issued previously, banning Lustgarten from the Hammon Center and from City Hall except for City Council meetings. Molina stated that the results of that court hearing would have an impact on the entire matter, to which Lustgarten replied, "How is that?" Molina provided no answer, other than to say, "We'll see" what transpires.

Commentary: It appears to this observer that somebody, somewhere along the line does not want the truth to come out. Why an elected mayor of a city would refuse to examine hundreds of pages of documentation, personal statements and written evidence that the accusations against one of his council members are erroneous and patently false is beyond the scope of everyday logic and reasoning. Doesn't it reason that if someone is accused of something and that person has documentation proving otherwise, that the fair and prudent thing to do would be to examine such documentation before making demands for written answers to the very same accusations? It appears that the logical and prudent thing for Molina to do would have been to promise to review Lustgarten's documentation in her presence, and to have arranged for a public hearing on the accusations against Lustgarten before requesting any written answers from her. It seems that this matter could be resolved relatively quickly with a hearing that would include Lustgarten's written documentation in her binders as well as the showing of the video that allegedly exonerates her as well. This matter has been allowed to fester into a great big blister because somebody is not allowing the truth to come out.

If seniors are supposedly upset over the services that have been provided by Lustgarten and the hundreds of meals that she has prepared for them, then let us hear from the seniors directly. Let us see the video in which numerous seniors attest to the quality of service provided by Lustgarten. Let us see the documentation provided by Lustgarten that to date has never been seen by Molina or by any of the other members of the City Council. Let the hearing take place and allow the truth to emerge once and for all.

Mayor Molina wants Lustgarten to undergo a fitness test to serve on the council. It appears to this observer that this entire matter is one big fitness test for Molina and the rest of the council, and thus far they are not passing. "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" is the only thing that will make a passing grade. So long as there is no hearing for Sheree Lustgarten and no examination of her documentation, the truth will remain an unwilling captive to some people's unfettered ambitions for higher office and other profitable opportunities.

White House says Biden has 'earned the right' to decide on Presidential run

The possible Presidential candidacy of Vice-President Joe Biden, (D), was given a boost by an announcement by a White House staffer that Biden certainly "has more than earned the right" to decide to run for President in Election 2016, according to ABC News on Wednesday. The spokesperson, Josh Earnest, made this statement in response to a question as to whether it would be "easier" for the White House if Biden did not run, considering the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, (D), a former Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. Earnest rebuffed the suggestion, saying that although there are some who have suggested this, that Biden has every right to decide whether or not to run for President. Although the statement was not an outright endorsement of a possible Biden Presidential candidacy, it certainly was not a repudiation of such either.

Biden told fellow Democrats in a conference call that he is in the middle of assessing whether or not he has the "emotional energy" to run for President. Biden and his family have been mired in grief following the untimely death of Beau Biden from cancer, the son of Joe Biden and his late first wife, Neilia. Consequently, Biden is in a position of having to decide between grief and a possible Presidential race. Despite this, Biden met with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D), to discuss a possible Presidential run in 2016.

If Biden does run in 2016, he will face off against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, (I), who both are seeking the Democratic Party nomination for President. Clinton was philosophical about a possible Biden run, saying that she wants him to do what is right for himself and his family, but that in the meantime, she is continuing with her campaign.

“He has to do what he has to do, but I’m just going to continue with my campaign.”

In a conference call with the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Biden defended President Barack Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran. ABC News called into the conference call twice and both times was told that they could not listen to the call.

Group of African-American women kicked off California wine train for laughing

A celebratory group of 11 professional women who had looked forward to this trip since November, was removed from California's famous Napa Valley Wine Train (NVYT) and greeted by police for laughing too much and disturbing other customers, as reported in SFGate on Monday. The women, who were sampling several different varieties of wine on the train, were escorted off the train in front of the other patrons and then taken directly to officers of the Railway Police and St. Helena Police. Although the women were not charged with anything, the whole experience was totally humiliating for them and unlikely to be forgotten for a very long time. According to NVYT officials, the women, who were all wearing matching T-shirts, were "warned" to tone down the laughter before being taken off the train. However, the women believe that the removal was racially motivated. Perhaps the women, who were given a full refund, pictures and a van to pick them up, would have passed the removal off as a some sort of unintentional mix-up, were it not for the NVYT employee who posted malicious information about the women and their removal from the train on Facebook. In that post, the anonymous employee made it appear that the entire episode was the fault of the women who were removed from the train:

“Following verbal and physical abuse toward other guests and staff, it was necessary to get our police involved. Many groups come on board and celebrate. When those celebrations impact our other guests, we do intervene."

The post has been deleted; however, the emotional scar from the totally denigrating, humiliating and abhorrent experience will remain. Lisa Johnson, 47, who was among the women removed from the train, stated that she and the other women would like an apology from the NVYT:

"For the humiliations they caused to us as professional women.”

California is one of the very most progressive and tolerant states in the country, which is why this author is perplexed that something like this could happen in that state. Napa Valley, which is north of San Francisco and on the fringe of the Bay Area, has hosted visitors of all demographics to its infamous wineries for nearly a century. One would hope that with that much of a successful track record, that the Napa Valley wine community would exhibit more expertise in dealing with people. Perhaps Johnson said it best:

“They knew they were out of place."