I’ve been talking about the problem of entitlement for a long time, and this video is a perfect explanation of why today’s ’20 somethings’ are protesting in the streets, inciting class warfare, and touting more social programs. They are used to getting everthing they want, but they are not used to working hard to get it. If something doesn’t go their way, then they cry and scream until the tide changes. Case in point: the occupiers.

I’ll go a step farther than Bill Whittle. I say we ship them all off to a small village in Africa so they can see what poor really is.  99.9% of POOR Americans have a refrigerator, and 98.7 have a color television. 98.5% have a stove and oven. (Heritage Foundation: Air Conditioning, Cable TV, and an Xbox: What is Poverty in the United States Today?)  While I haven’t personally visited poor villages in Africa, I’m going to venture a guess that many have NONE of these things. So my message to the occupiers? Quit bitching about being poor, because you don’t know what poor is.

If you haven’t heard about Herman Cain’s Libya gaffe yet, you are probably living under a rock.  Its the latest in a series of missteps that Cain will probably not be able to recover from.  Forget the sexual harassment accusations, Cain is taking himself down with the issues.  Watch this latest video on Libya:



The thing Conservatives like about Cain, is, ironically, the thing that concerns them the most: Cain’s lack of political experience.  Throw in a displayed lack of foreign policy experience, and the supporters drop like flies. There is no doubt he is a intelligent and accomplished business man and his straight talk is more than appealing. Of the frontrunners, he most closely falls into the mold of the Conservative we are looking for in 2012, except for that pesky political and foreign policy experience thing we all keep trying to forget.

I hate to say it, but I think Cain’s days are numbered unless he can flash those pearly whites and somehow convince us otherwise.  But, I’m not holding my breath.

From Bloomberg:

Anthony Hardwick says he resents working at Target Corp. (TGT) on Thanksgiving and has garnered more than 37,000 signatures on an online protest petition.

Hardwick, 29, who says he has been a Target parking attendant in Omaha, Nebraska, for three years, began the petition two weeks ago on the website Change.org after learning that he and his coworkers would be required to start at 11 p.m. Nov. 24 for a 10-hour shift.

The nerve. Expecting a retail worker to work at 11 p.m. on a holiday. What would this guy do if he was in the restaurant industry? (Then he’d be starting at 4pm to serve dinner to patrons. Can you imagine? The horror.)

“I was so disappointed the day I found out about this because I did the math in my head and I was going to have to go to bed in the early afternoon on Thanksgiving to go in and work 10 hours,” Hardwick said in a telephone interview. “Everyone at work was resigned because the economy is bad and so our employer has us over a barrel.”

From The Consumerist:

As of now, more than 9,000 75,520 (as of 10:24 p.m.) people have signed the petition asking Target HQ to wait until 5 a.m. on Black Friday to open the stores.

Reads the petition: “A midnight opening robs the hourly and in-store salary workers of time off with their families on Thanksgiving Day. By opening the doors at midnight, Target is requiring team members to be in the store by 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. A full holiday with family is not just for the elite of this nation — all Americans should be able to break bread with loved ones and get a good night’s rest on Thanksgiving!”

Don’t doctors and nurses have to work on Thanksgiving? What about police officers and firefighters? A holiday with family is just for the “elite?” Are you kidding me? I guess we can’t miss an opportunity to play the class warfare card, however ridiculous.

Do these people wonder why its hard to find a job? Note to the Millenials who think this guy has a valid complaint: When you take a job, you accept a list of responsibilities. Don’t complain when someone asks you to do your job, because there are thousands of people out there who would be happy to switch places with you and work at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving to get the first paycheck they’ve seen in months. The world does not revolve around you and your Turkey dinner.

A manager of a Michigan Target tell CBS Detroit, “We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve… I don’t like the fact I have to come in on Thanskgiving, but when you work in retail it’s the nature of the beast.”

Finally, some sanity.

I’ve never wanted a Minnesota winter to arrive so badly in my life.  Bring it.

Today we got what many have been asking for: A real, live person who would actually go public with allegations again Herman Cain and be brave enough to endure the scrutiny. Her name is Sharon Bialek, and she is a past employee of the National Restaurant Association’s Education Foundation.

Following a lengthy story about her casual interactions with Cain and losing her job with the Foundation because of poor fundraising performance, she reports asking Cain for his help to find her a new job.  In 1997, Bialek traveled to Washington, D.C. to have dinner with Cain.  Following dinner, Bialek claims Cain made unwanted advances.  In her words:

“At that time I had on a black pleated skirt, a suit jacket and a blouse. He had on a suit with his shirt open. But instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over and he put his hand on my leg under my skirt and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and brought it towards his crotch. I was very, very surprised and very shocked. I said, “What are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend. This isn’t what I came here for.”

Mr. Cain said, ‘You want a job, right?’ I asked him to stop, and he did. I asked him to take me back to my hotel, which he did right away.”

Frankly, IF her story is true, this is not sexual harrassment – its assault. She says she did not report what happened because she was embarrassed.

Immediately following the press conference, the Cain campaign issued a statement:

“All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone. Fortunately the American people will not allow Mr. Cain’s bold “9-9-9 Plan”, clear foreign policy vision and plans for energy independence to be overshadowed by these bogus attacks.”

The first thing that needs to be investigated is her claim that Herman Cain surprised her with an upgrade to a large suite at the hotel.  If true, it would certainly lend credibility to her claim.  I’m sure the media is on that one and we’ll know soon.

Only time will tell whether this is credible or a witch hunt.  Regardless, Herman Cain is going to have to do better than his short statement.  I have no doubt he will spend his week reacting to this new accusation, which has far more detail behind it than the others.  If remotely true, he has only one hope, and that is to somehow come clean with a different recollection of the events.  If false, he has a lot of explaining to do to convince Americans otherwise. Either way, this may very well be the end of the “Cain Train.”

Watch the press conference video at Breitbart.tv

“Based upon the information currently available, we can confirm that more than a decade ago, in July 1999, Mr. Bennett’s client filed a formal internal complaint, in accordance with the Association’s existing policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment. Mr. Herman Cain disputed the allegations in the complaint. The Association and Mr. Bennett’s client subsequently entered into an agreement to resolve the matter, without any admission of liability. Mr. Cain was not a party to that agreement. The agreement contains mutual confidentiality obligations. Notwithstanding the Association’s ongoing policy of maintaining the privacy of all personnel matters, we have advised Mr. Bennett that we are willing to waive the confidentiality of this matter and permit Mr. Bennett’s client to comment. As indicated in Mr. Bennett’s statement, his client prefers not to be further involved with this matter and we will respect her decision.

Read the full Press Release at News Release | National Restaurant Association.

Here are my opinions on what the candidates need to do tonight:

Herman Cain needs to gain some refinement tonight.  He should tone down the humor a bit, and show he is serious about the job.  He needs prove he’s got more depth in areas other than the economy.  He’s also going to have to do more than say 9-9-9 all night long.

Mitt Romney needs to keep doing what he’s been doing, as much as it makes me crazy.  He is the most Presidential one on the stage, and he’s strategy is working.  If he doesn’t screw up he’ll come out just fine.   Look for the candidates to take him to task on the article that came out last week linking Romneycare to Obamacare.

Rick Perry needs to wake up.  He cannot afford another sleepy debate performance.  We all know it is not his strong suit, but he needs to caffeinate.  Badly.

Michele Bachmann needs to bring her fire, and get into the details.  Her talking points are getting old…she needs to show some depth and make people think twice.  Avoid the following phrases: foster parent, tax lawyer, titanium spine and one-term President.

Newt Gingrich needs to keep slinging his zingers, and keep reminding us all that he’s the smartest on the stage.  Debates wouldn’t be the same without him.  Its almost like he is the Professor and the rest of the candidates are Freshman.  If it weren’t for all the baggage…

Rick Santorum just isn’t developing into a good candidate.  It has nothing to do with his stance on issues, but more with his personality.  He comes off as unlikeable and rigid.  Sorry.

Ron Paul…well, he’s just Paul.  Whatever he does won’t change a thing.

And, Jon Huntsman…well since he’s doing SO well in the polls, he didn’t need to come.

Well, there is my pre-game analysis of tonight’s CNN debate.  I’ll be live tweeting the debate starting at 7PM Central Time, using the #CNNDebate hashtag.  I serve wine.  Be there.