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by Thomas Keister

I guess this is the kind of shit we get from our elected federal officials until we know they are either unhinged enough or disconnected far enough away from reality to warrant a White House run. If that's the case, then allow me to introduce a congressman who should be an early favorite in 2016 based on his current track record.

Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) has introduced the Cents and Sensibility Act, along with a companion bill, the STEEL bill. The aim of these two bills are to get the U.S. government to use different metals to mint our currency, namely steel. Currently, a penny is only 2.5% copper, and a nickel is only comprised of one-fourth nickel. It currently cost $0.0241 per penny and $0.1118 per nickel to produce.

The two bills are similar to legislation that passed the House in 2008 but crapped out in the Senate, even though proponents said it could save the taxpayers an estimated $100 million a year. At the time, U.S. Mint Director Edmund Moy expressed concern that legislation would eliminate any consideration of other alternatives that may prove cost effective. Yeah, this phrase "cost effective," I do not think Moy quite understands what he thinks it does. To simplify for him; the United States should not be wasting money just by the sheer act of printing money. I wonder what financial shape this country would be in if that (and God knows 98% of the rest of it) if we could at least figure that out. This is not the same as bailing out a car company or an airline.

Why is it so damned hard to figure out we do not need pennies or nickels? I mean, we do without things today that would have sent a simpler world to the brink of absolute panic, and we never even give it a second thought. For every joker screaming about making coins cheaper to produce, I want to sit them down and show them a set of lawn darts, a polaroid picture, and a typewriter ribbon.

All three things are prime examples of staying power through nostalgia than continued successful sales. We all know what those items are, and remember when we thought we had hit the pinnacle, and are now left with neat little knick-knacks, and the penny and nickel should be no different. Hell, while we are at it, can we see about killing off the dime as well?

Not that I entirely disagree with Rep. Stivers. If we are going to eat it raw with a little stink left on it and produce billions of dollars a year in unpopular or obsolete currency, then why in the name of what the hell are we not at least using our own resources to come up with the materials? Yeah, I know I once again answered my own question. You get used to it, editorializing on politics.

Maybe if a congressmen or senator was feeling bold enough, they could advance a bill to simply do away with the penny, the nickel, and the dime. While it may seem like a non-issue to most voters (the ones who are stupid enough to label themselves "undecided" with the phone polls starting hitting the home phone), it will save money, the ultimate name of the game at present, and it would actually send the message that at least one elected official anywhere within the contiguous 48 states, Hawaii, Alaska, and the other seven we've been cracking jokes about, is serious about trimming out the waste.

The bill is currently in the House financial service subcommittee on domestic monetary policy and technology.
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by Thomas Keister

Ah yes, the 2012 Presidential pre-season is well underway. At the Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) won the presidential straw poll, with a handy 30 percent of the vote. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the 2007 winner, came in second with 23 percent of the vote.
The 2012 CPAC straw poll:
1. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) - 30%
2. Mitt Romney (former Masschusetts Gov.) - 23%
3. (tie) Gary Johnson (former New Mexico Gov.) - 6%
    Gov. Chris Christie (R-New Jersey)
4. Newt Gingrich (former Speaker of the U.S. House) - 5%
5. (tie) Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota) - 4%
    Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minnesota)
    Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-Indiana)
6. Sarah Palin (former Alaska Gov.) - 3%
7. (tie) Mike Huckabee (former Arkansas Gov.) - 2%
    Rick Santorum (former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania)
    Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota)
    Herman Cain (former head, National Restaurant Association)
8. (tie) John Huntsman (former Utah Gov.) - 1%
    Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Mississippi)

Can't help but think that Paul's victory shows the continued influence the tea party factions are having on the conservative side of the aisle. Whether or not that translates into the nomination is doubtful. While Paul has a large Internet following, I think it'll boil down to his age when it comes time for the convention. Too bad this tea party phenomenon didn't come around about 15 years earlier.

Mitt Romney? Why is this guy's name still being brought up?

I also find it interesting that Gary Johnson finished third, given his stances on marijuana. Does this mean more and more conservatives are willing to have more than the token lip service or B.S. committee hearing on the subject of legalization or decriminalization? I can't help but think yes.

Is it finally time to fork Sarah Palin, at least in the candidate sense? I mean, she only garnered three percent, which placed her behind eight other potential candidates, two of which were Governors who completed their entire terms, and one whom hasn't had enough time to just up and quit yet. To further illustrate, Palin finished just one percent higher than Herman Cain, which begs the question: who the hell is Herman Cain? He's the former head of the National Restaurant Association, which begs the question: what the hell is the National Restaurant Association? Are they the group that says you can have my smoking section when you pry it from my cold dead hands?

Finally, I thought it rather amusing that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour made himself the most visible of the potential candidates over the weekend, and yet just picked up one percent of the vote. He may be in love with the sound of his own voice, but apparently the people who attended CPAC were not impressed with the tune he was squawking.
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by Korah Kay

Well, before the editors of FreeReinMedia.com, who shall remain nameless, start to complain, guess I'd better write something.

I realize that with this post, I'm talking about just what I'm tired of hearing about, but hopefully, this will be the last time by my hand that Sarah Palin and Michael Jackson will draw mention on this website. I mean, I know I'm not the only one sick of hearing about either one of them- one dies, the other quit, so why bother bringing them up in the first place? Get over it already!

On another note, the "trifecta" from Kentucky were all mentioned in the local news today, you know them better as Mitch McConnell, Jim Bunning, and David Williams. A more narrow-minded bunch would be hard to come by, so the voters of Kentucky should be proud that they managed this feat! I did mention to my son, that someone has seemed to somehow shut Bunning up, as he hasn't made any scatterbrained rantings lately. They've fixed the sound, now how about fixing the air quality?

There...that should get them off my back for a week. Now, back to playing Bejeweled on Facebook...

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by Thomas Keister

I thought it had been too quiet lately. I mean, what had it been, a week or more since the gaping maw of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin had sounded out from the Yukon, or wherever it is she sleeps upside down while witch hunters pray around her in a drum circle. Don't get me wrong. If some freshman member of the Junior Douchebag League went on a tv talk show and talked about parking one of my daughters' heels on his shoulders, I'd be understandably pissed off, while waiting for the seven-day waiting period to pass down at the gun shop.

In an episode of Tyra Banks' so-called show, set to air today, Levi Johnston, perhaps the best known high school dropout in America thanks to his one-time relationship and child with Gov. Palin's daughter Bristol, dished it up about railing her while living in Palin's home. "I'm pretty sure she probably knew. Moms are pretty smart," Johnston said during the interview. Fair enough. I'm sure most moms would know if their daughter is front loading her boyfriend, especially if they both live in the mom's home, but Sarah Palin and smart have never exactly been on cordial terms. I guess when it comes to abstinence, what happens in the Palin house stays in the Palin house, or at least until the baby bump's too hard to hide.

Not one prone to letting the other side have the last word, Palin fired up the family yeshole (powered via generator at the Palin's lakeside home) and released the following statement:

"Bristol did not even know Levi was going on the show. We're disappointed that Levi and his family, in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration, and even distortion of their relationship. Bristol's focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and advocating abstinence. It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well being of the child. Bristol realizes now that she made a mistake in her relationship and is the one taking responsibility for their actions."

Uh...okay. Let's take a look at that. The Palins are disappointed that someone is engaging in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune. Would one not wonder, I wonder, if running for Vice-President of the United States would qualify as questing for fame and attention? Disappointed over the use of flat-out lies, gross exaggerations, and distortions? Lady, you're Sarah freakin' Palin. I know you try to read a lot, you made that much clear during your ill-fated bid to be John McCain's right-hand dingbat, but have you ever tried tallying up all the flat-out lies, gross exaggerations, and distortions you have dropped on the public like an overfull pidgeon in afternoon rush hour? Indeed, I thought not.

The statement concludes by informing all of us that Bristol is focusing on raising her kid, completing her education, and advocating abstinence (yeah, as big a hit as OJ Simpson, relationship coach), along with some hot mess yakkety yak about Johnston "exploiting his previous relationship" with Bristol, and how she has realized her mistake in her relationship, freakin' yawn. All I can say at this point is thank the heavens there was no sex tape. That we know of.

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