printI thought the CNN/Tea Party Debate in Tampa, Florida, was far and away better than the Republican spat in Des Moines, Iowa, last month. Perhaps the network is desperate for the ratings Tea Party sponsorship affords because Wolf Blitzer worked it—even if the focus was placed on the Big Two, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.
Michelle Bachmann showed that, like her or not, she’s a force of nature. Would that the woman’s eloquence, attractiveness, and the fact that she is seldom fazed could be harnessed in the service of liberty. Like a bulldog, Bachmann latched onto Perry and refused to let go over the governor’s Body Snatcher Program—the forcible invasion of the bodies of little Texan girls. Perry was man enough to apologize for requiring the vaccination of girls as young as 12 against cervical cancer. But a man who would mandate such a thing should never be trusted. Perry is almost as shifty as Bush, although more intelligent than The Shrub.
Jon Huntsman generally came over as the most statist among the Republican contenders. A young man asked him poignantly, “How much of what I earn do you believe I should be able to keep?” Rep. Paul would have replied, “All of it.” Huntsman belabored an incoherent tax plot.
Huntsman managed, however, to brilliantly commandeer Ron Paul’s argument for divesting from Afghanistan. This in response to a question about what he intended to do, as president, for the women and girls of Afghanistan. Nothing, basically, was Huntsman’s retort. Unlike Fox News on whose website there are more images than words, CNN is sure to post debate transcripts by tomorrow, at which time I’ll excerpt Huntsman’s excellent thrust and parry over the need to bring the troops home, look after the homeland, and act as an example to the world by, once again, shining.
However, Huntsman, like most Americans (except for us immigrants), proved that he knows close to nothing about America’s labyrinthine visa programs. He advocated for fixing the immigration system so that the US could import many more brilliant, highly skilled individuals, as if there was a limit on, or an impediment to, such immigration.
THERE are no limits on the number of geniuses American companies can import.
America already has an “Extraordinary Ability” Visa. In exchange for my spouse’s exceptional abilities and qualifications, he was awarded the O-1 visa. And we, in short order, gained green cards.
The primary H-1B hogs—Infosys (and another eight, sister Indian firms), Microsoft, and Intel—are forever claiming that they are desperate for talent. But, in reality, they have unlimited access to individuals with unique abilities through the open-ended O-1 visa program.
I believe that before “Why Aren’t The H-1B Hogs Satisfied With The O-1 ‘Extraordinary Ability’ Visa?” was written, no immigration expert had made the simple point above.
That’s right: The O-1 visa program enables the importation of as many geniuses as a company can find, from every corner of the world. Yet, not even Ron Hira (Ph.D., P.E. Chair, Research & Development Policy Committee The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – United States of America), advocate for local talent, bothers to point this out in the course of his many media appearances.
UPDATE I (Sept. 13): Tom, the criteria for Sean were quite rigorous. As I mentioned in the article, the authorities do make it even easier for guys who’re more gifted than my guy; they are given green cards on the spot. “A one-of-a-kind Afrikaner RF engineer we know, who possesses a PhD, publications galore, patented software programs and products, and a company, was told to hop on a plane, family in tow.” He came and left; he and the family didn’t like the USA.
Super models can also get the O-1 ‘Extraordinary Ability’ Visa, I believe. And if they are wealthy and beautiful, why not? Heidi Klum has a unique talent or two—and has generated an industry for the locals.
UPDATE II: PERRY FEELS YOUR PAIN, NOT. JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: “Rick Perry, the anointed front-runner at least at this hour, would have us believe he is a country boy at heart, a down home country cornpone that can relate to the plight of the ordinary American. There’s another side to the Texas governor. ‘Politico’ reports that for years, Perry, who makes $150,000 a year as governor, has enjoyed additional lavish perks and travel mostly funded by wealthy supporters. Imagine that.”
“Texas donors have paid for the governor and his family to travel around the world sometimes on private jets, paid for them to stay at luxury hotels, resorts, vacation in Colorado ski towns, and attend tons of sporting events and concerts. Rick Perry has also accepted a wide range of very expensive gifts, including 22 pairs of cowboy boots, some of them costing $500 a pair. Somebody else even pays his cable TV Bill. Taxpayers pay his rent, $8,500 a month for Perry’s 4,600 square foot mansion in Austin. The governor and his family have been living in the five bedroom seven bath mansion since 2007 while the governor’s mansion undergoes repair. Four years? What sort of repairs are those, do you imagine?”
“It’s all copacetic down there in the lone star state which has some of the loosest ethics and campaign rules in the country. Nonetheless, it is tough to imagine supporters aren’t buying influence when they lavish those perks on the governor. Of course they are. Some donors have wound up with appointments to state commissions, million dollar state grants to businesses they are involved in.”
Perry’s camp insists it is all on the up and up. A spokeswoman told ‘Politico’ the governor fully discloses all gifts and travel in his financial disclosure statements. But that don’t make it cricket.”
Here’s the question — does Rick Perry’s lavish lifestyle, mostly paid for mostly by taxpayers and wealthy friends and donors, match his downhome, awe shucks country boy image?”
Huntsman and Bachmann (Bachwoman?) were the best of the “mainstream”. Perry struck me as an arrogant A[rear-end]S.
In fairness to Ron Hira, myself, unions, etc. – obviously most business owners would love it if their employees: janitors, lawyers, scientists, nurses worked for free – hence using Mexicans, prisoners, Koreans, robots, Martians etc. is in their economic interest. However, that the US Government need not adopt self-defeating policies (such as free tuition to trespassers Rick Perry style) to accommodate profit maximization of plutocrats any more than the US Government should adopt policies (minimum wages and compulsory unionization) to boost salaries.
I’d like to tell you that this “shortage of scientists” is illusory but my phone keeps ringing off the hook with $400,000/year endowed chair offers from Stanford and Harvard!
While idiotic organizations like the National Science Foundation were moaning in the 1980’s about a Ph.D. – “recruit more African Americans …and … Aleutian Islanders”:
http://www.aps.org/programs/minorities/
Kevin Aylesworth of Naval Research Lab couldn’t find a scientific job and organized the Young Scientists Network with others:
http://www.esrresearch.com/economic.txt
Needless to say, Aylesworth left physics for law but his persistence brought him back so that he himself became a member of the bureaucratic establishment:
http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/prizerecipient.cfm?last_nm=Aylesworth&first_nm=Kevin&year=1996
How was Ron Paul’s performance?
Although I didn’t watch the debate, I did hear that they asked several participants for their view of the Fed…except for Paul. Amazing.
For someone who has written books on the subject and that has devoted much of his political career to exposing this evil institution to be excluded from the discussion is further proof of the media’s attempt to marginalize him.
What a shameful display. If there is justice in the world, CNN will go belly-up and Wolf Blitzer will be looking for work.
I would guess that you and your husband are worthy of that extraordinary ability visa. I don’t know who are the immigration experts that you refer to, but perhaps they and the news media either truly do not know about the unlimited quota extraordinary ability visa, or that they intentionally ignore it because it is contrary to their overall immigration and divisive diversity New World Order agenda? However, how is extraordinary ability legally defined? Extraordinary ability at picking crops, or picking pockets? I recently saw on television a story about a Russian circus performer who received a visa and green card because of his extraordinary ability as a circus performer. A giant immigration loophole?
So many questions. So many answers. Too few hard answers with Constitutionally allowable reasons to act and implement.
But, in the middle of this circus, a situation is quickly developing and a question requires an answer:
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0911/koch091311.php3
What is the legal answer? What is the moral answer? What are the consequences of each answer if different from each other? Do we debate the possible answers or do we act and later debate why that specific answer was taken?
I caught the last thirty or so minutes of the debate and thought the thirty year old in a coma question went horribly wrong for Ron Paul. His cheerleaders in the audience are wearing a little thin even on his fans like myself. You don’t shout “let him die” in the middle of a debate with thousands of american christians (most of whom do not grasp in any way libertarian ideals) watching the debate. In fairness, you could almost see Paul thinking, “shut the hell up” as they blew his moment to explain. Paul, a relatively poor public debater, doesn’t need the Austrian Choir to distract from the message he has to get across to the primary voters. Rein them in Ron!
Tricky Ricky = Obama in a Rootin Tootin All Hat No Cattle Texas Style !
Since the beginning of time, prose and oral history’s all around the world have been concerned with downhome, awe-shucks country boys who gave in to lavish lifestyles, some of which was subsidized by wealthy friends, donors (..Greek gods, a Dickensian benefactor, etc.).
The story goes that young Rick Perry took baths in a galvanized bathtub at his rural home where the nearest post office was miles and miles away. Are those who grow up with modest means obligated to live modest lives? There’s no reason to begrudge him his spoils unless hypocrisy or influence is involved. Is it? Can it be proven? Did he in fact give someone a sweetheart land deal for a pair of cowboy boots? I’m sure intrepid reporters are amply motivated and will find out, and it will merit the same degree of attention that the Tony Rezko deal received.
I’m more interested to know how Rick Perry reconciles calling himself a small, limited government guy while using an executive order to mandate the Gardasil vaccine (with the parental opt out) on girls? How is that limited government behavior, staying out of people’s lives? What’s his thought process on that one? Putting aside how much he **hates** cancer. The real concern should be that as President he’d declare a War on Cancer: SAY NO TO CELL DIVISION!!
(I don’t follow the drunken ramblings of that faux-curmudgeon Jack Cafferty, but I’m sure he’s been all over those man-of-the-people progressives who fly to exotic locales on the public dime for round and after round of golf, while their wives take separate trips with tax subsidized security details in tow. Much of it NOT subsidized by private, wealthy investors. None of which would bother me in the least if we weren’t living in times of austerity where we all needed to sacrifice. And I’d like Cafferty to find out what my rate of return will be on Michelle Obama’s organic garden. I’m paying for their stay in the White House, am I not? Where is my Arugula, Jack Cafferty??)
The “what do you do about the sick kid with no insurance” question is typical socialism….
Before 1965, everyone who got sick just DIED … and then LBJ begat Medicare and said “let there be life” and there was life.
Before 1937, everyone who reached 65 just DROPPED DEAD … and then FDR begat Social Security and there was old age.
Before there was food stamps, everyone starved. Before the Department of Education, no one could read. Before the Department of Transportation, everyone walked or crawled.
We just can’t function without the government doing it all for us!
I am providing a LINK and ask that you read the commentary to which it will lead.
After you have read it once, please re-read and think of: U.S. Federal Government vs State Governments, U.S. Constitution, Rights retained by Citizens, and the fact that the U.S. is a Republic.
http://politicalmavens.com/index.php/2011/09/07/the-nazis-and-fascists-who-founded-the-european-union-and-their-in/
Now, of all the candidate debaters, present and over-looked, which one or ones deserve to be heard and to be elected based on being faithful to the ultimate law of the land?
Heidi Klum is a disgusting mudshark. Bar Rafaeli – who did her reverse-aliya to America just in time to avoid a stint in the IDF – is my kind of girl. Rick Perry? A work-in-progress. Yesterday he was asked about Gun Control. RP replied: “use both hands”.