LOSER

For many people the appeal of Donald Trump as a presidential candidate is his success as a businessman.  This “successful businessman” had four business bankruptcies in 1991 and 1992. His leaked income tax form shows that he lost almost $1 billion in 1995. He lost all that money because of mismanagement of his Atlantic City casinos and bad investments in an airline and the Plaza Hotel in New York.

People who worked for him lost their jobs. Scores of contractors were never paid for their work. Investors in Trump’s enterprises saw their shares go from $35.50 in value to 17 cents. Yet Trump continued to enjoy a lavish lifestyle and was able to use the tax loss to shield himself from paying taxes for years to come.

Trump said an ability to avoid paying taxes makes him smart. The two stooges, Rudy and Chris, both referred to Donald’s tax avoidance as “genius.” If losing $915 million is genius, I’d hate to see how much money stupidity can lose.

Donald Trump has called lots of people losers, but he is way ahead of them as the biggest loser of them all.

ON TO IOWA

Mitt Romney has spent millions of dollars in Iowa. Hillary Clinton and her husband have been crisscrossing the state trying to sell her as a warm human being. Christopher Dodd has gone so far as to move his family temporarily to Iowa. John Edwards has been campaigning in the state since 2004. Iowa newspapers have endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain.

And what has Democrat Dr. Carl Perrin done to win votes in Iowa? Nothing. Perrin has done nothing to win votes in the Hawkeye State. And that will be to his advantage. With all their campaigning and political ads and speeches, the front-running candidates are giving the voters of Iowa too much to chose from. And all of those people carry heavy negatives. Clinton is too robotic. Obama lacks experience. Edwards is too anti-business. Giuliani favors loyalty in his supporters over competence. (We already have someone in the White House who matches that description.) Romney flip flops all over the place. McCain has the wrong position on Iraq for most voters. Huckabee doesn’t accept the scientific concept of evolution. (We already have an anti-science inhabitant in the White House.)

When Iowa voters consider the drawbacks of all these candidates, they will naturally think of Dr. Carl Perrin. But what about Perrin? Does he have any liabilities? Frankly, we can’t think of any negatives in Dr. Perrin’s impressive background. We are confident that when Iowa voters go to their caucuses on January 3, they will say, Dr. Carl Perrin loud and clear.

REPUBLICAN DEBATES

At last night’s debate, Republican candidates didn’t have much to say about Hillary Clinton. They were too busy attacking each other. Romney and Guiliani were at it again, each charging the other with being soft on illegal immigration. While he was in the attack mode, Romney criticized Mike Huckabee for having proposed a tuition break for children of illegal immigrants when he was governor of Arkansas. Romney argued with John McCain over waterboarding. Romney thought it was okay. McCain charged that the failure to condemn waterboarding was a failure to understand American principles.
Fred Thompson made a couple of good points: Mitt Romney was for abortion rights before he was against them, and he was for an immigration bill before he was against a similar one.

Few of the candidates looked very good, but Romney wins the award as the most wishy-washy, waffling candidate among the Republicans.

MITT AND RUDY ARE AT IT AGAIN!

Mitt Romney took a vicious swipe at Rudy Guiliani. He said that the mayor had said nice things about Hillary Clinton’s health plan when it first came out. What a cruel blow! He said something nice about a Democrat!

Guiliani came right back and accused Romney of throwing stones from inside a glass house. Rudy’s spokeswoman asserted that the former Massachusetts governor’s health plan was just like Hillarycare. Take that, Mitt! Romney charged Guiliani with being loose with the facts, charging that the mayor just makes up his own facts.

Both of these men change their positions more often than some people change their socks. If you’re looking for a candidate that is always the same, take a look at Democrat Dr. Carl Perrin, a man of the people, and the people’s choice.

VAST RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY SEEKS TO PROTECT GIULIANI

Former book publisher Judith Regan sued New Corporation yesterday, She charged that the right-wing media giant , her former employer, encouraged her to lie to federal investigators. In 2004 Bernard Kerik had been nominated to head the Homeland Security Administration. Earlier Ms. Regan had had an affair with Kerik, a married man. They carried on their romance in an apartment that was intended as a resting place for ground zero workers. As a nominee to a high federal post, Kerik would be thoroughly investigated. News Corporation, according to the suit, wanted Regan to lie about her dalliance with the former New York City police commissioner.

Kerik had been recommended for the Homeland Security post by Rudy Giulani, the man who had named him to position of police commissioner. News Corporation had been promoting Giuliani’s political career, and they didn’t want a scandal about Rudy’s protegé to embarrass the man who is now the Republican front runner. As it turned out, a little thing like an extra-marital fling was small potatoes for Kerik. He was recently indicted for income tax fraud.

Yes, Virginia, there is a vast right-wing conspiracy, and they’re willing to lie to get what they want.

IS RUDY ON THE WAY OUT?

Rudy Guiliani has been the Republican front runner for a while now, but things may be about to change. He is in favor of gay rights and abortion rights and gun control. When more Republicans discover his stand on these issues, they will have second thoughts about supporting him. In his campaigning, he doesn’t talk about these liberal issues. He focuses on his position on national defense. He is the one who can beat Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton. To bolster his national defense stance, he has signed on neocon Norman Podheretz.

The problem with that strategy is that the country is fed up with the neocons and the damage they have already done. Then there is Guiliani’s pretegé Bernie Kerek who has been indicted on various charges. Does Rudy have the judgment to be entrusted with running the country?

The event that is really going to throw the monkey wrench into Guiliani’s campaign is the endorsement by super kook Pat Robertson. Why would Robertson endorse a thrice-married candidate whose positions on social issues are so far from his own? Why wouldn’t Robertson endorse fellow-evangelical Mike Huckabee? Maybe he offered to endorse Huckabee, and the former Baptist minister said, “Thanks, Pat, but no thanks.” Maybe Huckabee knew that an endorsement by Robertson would be the kiss of death. And somehow he persuaded Robertson to endorse that closet Democrat Rudy Guiliani. Any sane people who had been thinking about supporting Rudy would wonder, What is wrong with him that Pat Robertson thinks he is the best candidate?

THE GOP’s FAVORITE DEMOCRAT

Hillary Clinton has been under attack by her closest rivals in the campaign for the Democratic nomination, but you don’t hear Republicans trying to tear her down. Republicans want Hillary to get the nomination because they believe she will be the easiest to beat in the general election. Why do they think that? People don’t trust her. If you google “Stop Hillary,” you get 99,100 hits. Some people don’t like Rudy Guiliani either, but if you google “Stop Rudy,” you get only 8,790 hits.

Yes, Republicans want Hillary to be the Democratic nominee because she has more negatives than any other candidate. They believe that even a flawed opponent like Rudy Guiliani can beat her in the general election, and that should give pause to all Democrats.

Compare general perception of Hillary Clinton to that of Democratic candidate Dr. Carl Perrin. It is hard to imagine a movement to stop Perrin’s candidacy or to conceive of legions of people coming out to vote for “anyone but Perrin.” If the Democrats want to win the general election, they have to choose a candidate like Carl Perrin, a man of the people and the people’s choice.

WHERE DOES HE GET THEM?

Rudy Guiliani already is getting advice from “Let’s bomb Iran” Norman Podheretz. Now he has an endorsement from “Let’s assassinate Hugo Chavez” Pat Robertson. Guiliani may be grateful to have the endorsement of Evangelical Christian Pat Robertson because conservatives have reservations about the thrice-married New Yorker, who was in favor of abortion and gay rights until he began running for president, but we wonder how many rational people will be swayed by the Robertson endorsement.

According to Robertson, he was able to pray several hurricanes away from his Virginia Beach, Virginia, headquarters. He also agreed with Jerry Falwell when the latter stated that 9/11 was caused by “pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians, the ACLU, and People for the American Way.” Robertson stated at one point that it might be a good idea to assassinate Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Then he charged that the people of Dover, Pennsylvania, had rejected God by voting out of office the school board that supported the teaching of intelligent design in public schools.

Robertson has some background in politics; he ran for the presidency himself in 1988. Perhaps Rudy could choose Robertson as a running mate. Maybe Pat could use his powers to do something about Ahmadinejad. We didn’t think there could be anyone in political life much weirder than Dick Cheney, but clearly we were wrong.

LOOK AT THE COMPETITION

One of Rudy Guiliani’s advisors wants to bomb Iran. Before he resigned, one of Fred Thompson’s chief fund raisers was a convicted drug dealer. Mike Huckabee doesn’t believe in evolution. Dennis Kucinich has seen UFOs. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic front runner, but no one likes her.

With competition like that, it should be clear that the country needs a calm, rational person for the presidency, someone who owes nothing to special interests. In short, a man like Dr. Carl Perrin, a man of the people and the people’s choice.

THE GUILIANI ADMINISTRATION

Rudy Guiliani really knows how to pick them. Still, you’ve got to hand it to him. He likes to give a guy a chance. Even though his friend Berny Kerik was suspected of having mob connections, Rudy didn’t let that stand in the way of appointing Berny New York City police commissioner. Now one of his advisers is “Let’s bomb Iran” Norman Podheretz.

If Rudy is elected president, maybe he could find a job in his administration for Al Gonzalez, something that doesn’t require congressional confirmation. Come to think of it, Dick Cheney will be out of work then. Maybe Rudy could find something for him to do.

CLINTON LEADS IN POLL

But this is not good news for the New York senator. An AP-Ipsos survey asked which of the presidential candidates would be the scariest. Thirty-seven percent chose Hillary Clinton. Rudy Guiliani was next with 14 percent.

We assume that Republicans considered Hillary to be the scariest, while Democrats would give the title to Rudy. We are getting scared of Guiliani since his association with neocon Norman Podhoretz, who thinks it would be a nifty idea to bomb Iran. (Haven’t the neocons done enough damage already?)

But really, it is not the Republicans who should be afraid of Hillary Clinton. The Democrats should really be frightened. There is no denying that Mrs. Clinton is very intelligent and well qualified. The problem is that there are so many people who are in favor of “anyone but Hillary.” Sure, a lot of Democrats are in favor of Clinton now, but when she goes to the election against Guiliani, how many Independents will vote for “anyone but Hillary”? Guiliani with his neocon adviser Norman Podhoretz could be the next president. Now that is really scary?

GUILIANI AND THE RED SOX

Sunday night Rudy Guiliani questioned Hillary Clinton’s loyalty to the New York Yankees because she originally came from Illinois. Now Guiliani himself, campaigning in New England, suddenly becomes a Red Sox fan, stating that his enthusiasm for the Sox comes because he is an American League fan! Is there no limit to pandering for votes by those professional politicians?

If you’re looking for a candidate who has always been a Red Sox fan, look no further than Dr. Carl Perrin. Perrin was born in Massachusetts, grew up in New Hampshire and lived for over a quarter of a century in Maine, all part of Red Sox territory. Even though he now lives in New Jersey, Perrin remains loyal to the Sox. In fact he never watches any other team play.

Perrin remains loyal and sticks to his guns in other areas of national life as well. When he is elected President, Perrin will do something to keep cheap beer available to the American public. You can depend on it.

POLITICAL SNIPING

The Republicans keep sniping at each other. Thompson is off to a disappointing start. At one point he said that he became a father at 17, as though that was a reason to vote for him. Romney used to be in favor of abortion rights and gay rights. Now he is more conservative than thou. Guiliani is trying to appeal to conservatives, but they don’t believe the thrice-married former New York mayor. Ronald Reagan once said that the 11th Commandment for Republicans was not to attack other Republicans. Evidently today’s GOP no longer believes that. Over the next couple of months the Republican field is going to be whittled down. It could well be that in the end the Republican candidate will not be one of the front runners, but a dark horse like Mike Huckabee.

On the Democratic side Hillary Clinton keeps sniping at her nearest rival, Barack Obama, suggesting that he lacks experience. Edwards in turn keeps implying that Clinton is too cozy with special interests. After the primaries and caucuses of the next few months, the Democrats might find that they too need a dark horse candidate. And what horse could be darker than Dr. Carl Perrin? Of course everyone in his retirement village knows him as well as his wide circle of relatives, friends, and acquaintances. But he is still not well known in political circles. All this is about to change. Don’t be surprised if you see Dr. Carl Perrin at the head of the Democratic ticket in 2008.

CANDIDATES ARE GETTING DESPERATE

The whole campaign field is changing. Senator Brownback has dropped out of the race, citing fundraising shortfalls. He has only $94,000 cash on hand. Former governor Mike Huckabee and Congressman Ron Paul are moving up through the pack. While Rudy Guiliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney are still the front runners, many Republicans consider Guiliani too liberal. Not only that, but he’s from New York. McCain is too old, and Romney is too Mormon.

Underneath the surface on the Democratic side, things are not what they appear to be. Although Hillary Clinton is widening the gap between herself and her nearest rivals, there still remains a strong anti-Hillary movement. If you google “Stop Hillary,” you’ll get over 3 million hits. Are they all Republicans? As the Democrats select the person to head their ticket, they are going to ask, do they want to nominate a candidate with as many negatives as Mrs. Clinton?

A lot of things could change by the time of the New Hampshire primary vote. Do we have to remind you that Democratic candidate Dr. Carl Perrin grew up in New Hampshire? He has degrees from UNH and Rivier College in Nashua, NH. He began his teaching career in Hollis, NH.

Perrin wishes he had Senator Brownback’s problem with “only” $94,000 in his campaign treasury. But funding is not a problem for Perrin. He is not throwing his money around like those other candidates. He is holding onto his money, waiting for the strategic moment to come on strong and blow the competition away.

NEWS ITEMS

GUILIANI AND THE NRA
Rudy Guiliani cozied up to the NRA, telling them that his views on gun control were now similar to theirs. Sure, he admitted, as New York City mayor he had joined a lawsuit against the gun industry, charging that they made it too easy for crooks to get guns. Now he has changed his mind. He thinks that crooks should not have to go through a big hassle when they want to get a gun.

ROMNEY: LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE NRA
Mitt Romney has also converted. As Massachusetts governor, he supported gun control. Now he doesn’t think guns should be controlled. For the past year and a half Romney has been a lifetime member of the NRA. He became a member when he started his run for the presidency.

ROMNEY ON HEALTH CARE
As Massachusetts governor, Romney signed into law a bill to create medical coverage for everyone in the state. The bill had a lot in common with Hillary Clinton’s proposal for medical coverage. Now Romney doesn’t believe that sort of coverage is a good thing. “If people can’t afford medical insurance,” he said, “ the government shouldn’t hand it to them.”

DYING IN MOSCOW
Moscow cemeteries are running out of space to bury their dead. To deal with the problem, it has become illegal to die in Moscow. Anyone who dies in Moscow without permission will be fined 60 rubles ($2.34).

BOOK DEALS

Presidential candidates are picking up a few extra bucks with book deals. Hillary Clinton comes out ahead with an $8 million deal for “Living History.” Barack Obama has earned almost half a million for “The Audacity of Hope.” John Edwards got a half million dollar advance for “Home.” Even Dennis Kucinich earned $1700 for his 2004 book “A Prayer for America.”

John McCain leads the Republicans with book income of $335,000 in the last two years. Mike Huckabee and Rudy Guiliani each made almost $150,000 from their books.

Democratic candidate Dr. Carl Perrin has authored several books. In addition to some textbooks, he wrote “So You Want To Be A Writer,” a book for aspiring authors. That book is available through Amazon.com.

He also wrote “RFD 1, Grangely,” a collection of humorous stories about Maine. “RFD 1, Grangely” is out of print, but a few copies are still available directly from the author. Just email Perrin at grammaticus1@gmail.com

If any publishers want to offer Perrin a nice advance, you can reach him through the gmail address as well.