This is Not a Cherry: Painting on the Night George Zimmerman Was Declared Not Guilty

I'm struck and saddened by how out of touch with reality the left has become in our country. The absurd idea that Zimmerman hunted down Trayvon Martin is the latest urban myth that the low-information voter seems to be buying into. I find this quite creepy.

The inability of the truth to impact the consciousness of so many people seems to be causing grave damage to our nation. We live in a world were people honestly believe that Obama was never a Marxist socialist, that our current economic woes are due to the Bush administration, or that Trayvon Martin did nothing to make his killing legally okay.

Somehow, eventually, people will wake up to the reality of their senses and the guidance of their common sense. In the meantime, I think it is up to those of us in the Tea Party Movement to speak the truth and remind others that the truth is real and it has long-term consequences. As they say, "This is not a cherry."

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist. He applies his skills as a grant writing consultant in the Southern Calfornia area. His website is at the following link: http://drdrewguaranteedgrants.com/about-us/

Mimi Walters Formally Enters Congressional Race - She Should Be Looking for a Larger Irvine Apartment

Mimi Walters, circled in yellow, at a special birthday
celebration for her chief-of-staff, standing above her.

As you may know, a career politician, State Senator Mimi Walters has announced that she is a candidate for the Congressional seat currently held by Rep. John Campbell. Rep. Campbell, as far as I can tell, was forced into retirement by those of us in the district disgusted by his RINO status and his relative disinterest in actually meeting with and talking to his constituents. In the picture above, you can see Mimi Walters celebrating the birthday of her chief-of-staff - the fellow who is bending over her in the picture. Below, Walters declines to answer a question about her residency in a video published by the Sacramento Bee on March 28, 2014.

Walters ran poorly in her recent race for state Treasurer. She is termed out of her current office. Her family business is in trouble with the state of California and with its former employees who now assert she has not been paying them on-time for their work. Sadly, she still received endorsements from Representatives Ed Royce, Supervisors Pat Bates, Shawn Nelson and Janet Nguyen and Assemblywoman Diane Harkey. I guess not paying your employees and living largely off money you earn from the State of California is not a big sin in some circles. (The Harkey family also has questionable business practices.)

Personally, I have found Walters to be one of Orange County’s least friendly public servants. I guess, in this sense, she will be a representative much along the lines established by John Campbell

Mimi possesses a B.A. degree from UCLA. She has a minor background in business, finance and local government. Her professional career only lasted for seven years when she served as an investment executive. Her credentials seem less than spectacular and she strikes me as something of an affirmative action candidate.

Ironically, she has won all three awards that are issued by the Orange County Republican Party, being named Local Elected Official of the Year in 1997, Volunteer of the Year in 1998 and Legislator of the Year in 2005. Of course, this is the same group that fought hard to promote Sheriff Carona despite the fact that he was cheating on his wife or supported Rep. Campbell despite his vote for TARP and his bizarre support for gays in the military. Most recently, Walters was in the news for claiming that she lived in Irvine in a one bedroom apartment that lacks a dishwasher. As a recent lawsuit noted: 

The suit goes on to say that from 2008 until earlier this year, Walters' official State Senate website said, "She and her husband, David, live in Laguna Niguel with their four children." In May 2012, the suit says the site was changed to say, "She and her husband, David, live in Irvine with their four children."

"If the present language on the website is truthful," the suit says, "5 adults and 1 child reside in (a) 570 square foot studio apartment. If the present language on the website is truthful, David Walters voted illegally when he cast a ballot in the latest election using the Laguna Niguel Residence as his place of residence."

Personally, I find this sort of lying to be deeply offensive. It is not the sort of behavior that reflects well on Republicans in our community. Sadly, it looks to me like telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is not a Walters family value.  

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist. He applies his skills as a grant writing consultant in the Southern Calfornia area. His website is at the following link: http://drdrewguaranteedgrants.com/about-us/

Breaking News from Dr. Drew: Obama's Worst Nightmare to Run for John Campbell's Congressional Seat

I just heard that Rep. John Campbell is not going to be running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. I am extremely happy to hear this news. I was part of a small, but loyal group of Tea Party folks who fought awfully hard to throw Campbell out during the primary last time out. I was a big supporter of John Webb. We outworked Campbell and denied him the nomination of the local OCGOP.

It looks like I do not have any choice except to throw my hat in the ring as a candidate for this office. I think the district could use a new representatives who listens to the people and who knows what he is talking about in general when it comes to our nation's future.

My agenda will be short and sweet:

1. Use all the power of Congress to stop Obamacare.
2. Use all the power of Congress to open up opportunities for job growth and prosperity.
3. Leverage my take on young Obama's ideological extremism to help clarify why Obama's agenda has been so costly to our nation and remains such a threat to our future. 

I expect that Campbell is leaving, in part, because he knows he would face another bruising primary and because he does not expect to exercise any more power or influence in a new, more conservative House of Representatives. He was already too liberal for the district and seemed to have little interest in doing the normal things expected of members of Congress - like being nice to his constituents.

Something tells me that all of us will be better off when he is out of this Congressional office.

Meanwhile, I suspect it will be good for our country to have Barack Obama know that his worst nightmare is now running for John Campbell's old congressional seat. I live close to one of the IRS offices that discriminated against Tea Party groups. I think it will be significant to make my formal campaign announcement in front of the local IRS building.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist. He applies his skills as a grant writing consultant in the Southern Calfornia area. His website is at the following link: http://drdrewguaranteedgrants.com/about-us/

God Grant Them Many Years: Congratulations to Charles and Bernadette Johnson

I just want to make a quick announcement that one of my favorite writers, Charles Johnson, got married to his sweetheart, Bernadette, at a ceremony in Alaska on June 7, 2013. Here is a photo of this happy event. (I think that is the pastor standing behind them.)


Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnson married at a ceremony
at Eklutna Lake in Alaska on June 7, 2013.

Charles is probably most famous as the author of a new book on Calvin Coolidge called Why Coolidge Matters. I met him while he was a contributor at Breitbart. I have been honored to serve as a source for work he has done on unravelling the reality of the young Marxist Obama.
I am particularly grateful to him for his patient research and his conclusion that I am telling the truth about what I saw and heard from the young Obama in the 1980s. Even if I was a guy trying to beat a traffic ticket, I would still be grateful for a judge like Charles.

By the way, Charles will be speaking at the David Horowitz Freedom Center on June 19, 2003 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Los Angeles. Here is the link. If you are in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, I urge you to come out and hear what Charles has to say at this event. Also, congratulate him and his new bride.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Too Close to Home: More Details Regarding the Rogue IRS Agent(s) in Laguna Niguel

I just saw a new article by Eliana Johnson in National Review On-Line (NRO) which helps explain a little more about why it is so outrageous that the Obama administration is blaming rogue agents in Cincinatti when - in truth - this scandal is much wider than that and spreads all across the country.

You can see Johnson's article by clicking here.

The bottom line is that the new details leaking out of the IRS now show that only one IRS agent here in Laguna Niguel is targetted for further investigation. I assume Elizabeth Marquez is the one under investigation for discriminating against Tea Party groups. She was the person giving the business to the Patriots Educating Concerned Americans Now (PECAN), a Redding, California conservative group.

Apparently, Marquez's letter, dated January 31, 2012, asked 55 questions, including a demand for 'complete copies of the organization's website that is accessible to members only.' This is just an outrage.

As Johnson writes: "The broad sweep of the current investigation indicates that IRS agents nationwide were targeting conservative groups, which belies the explanation initially offered by the inspector general, the IRS, and the Obama administration that the targeting originated with a handful of “rogue” employees in the agency’s Cincinnati office. It also suggests that the orders for that targeting, or the approval for it, may have come from the top lawyer at the agency — an individual appointed by President Obama himself — or from one of his deputies."

For a look at the letter that Elizabeth Marquez sent to the folks at PECAN, click on this link.

As Karl Rove pointed out this weekend: "People sitting in Cincinnati, Laguna Niguel, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., listen to people like Sen. Max Baucus, Sen. Chuck Schumer, President Obama. When President Obama goes out in 2010 and calls these groups ‘a threat to democracy,’ he’s blowing a dog whistle.”


John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

It's a Mighty Long Way from Cincinnati: Rogue IRS Agents Active in Laguna Niguel, CA Too

In all the mad rush of the last few weeks, I was not aware that IRS employees right here in Laguna Niguel - where I live and work -  were involved in efforts to harm Tea Party or conservative groups. I thought all of these rogue agents were gathered together far away in Cincinnati, OH. Now, I am expecting some of my neighbors out here to be doing the perp walk.

According to CNN, IRS staff in Laguna Niguel, CA
 participated in the effort to discriminate against
Tea Party and conservative groups.

They were doing so by making it harder for these groups to secure their status as 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) organizations.

According to CNN, Lois Lerner, who was the director of tax-exempt organizations for the IRS, indicated last month that the IRS had targeted these groups because they had those words in their names. She said the activity took place at the IRS office in Cincinnati, which handles applications for 501(c)(4) status.

CNN, however, opened up documents that suggest at least three other IRS offices did the same dirty deed including the one within walking distance from my home in Laguna Niguel. CNN reports that IRS officials in Washington and California contacted conservative groups to demand more information before approving the groups' requests for tax-exempt status.

The American Center for Law and Justice, a legal group representing numerous conservative organizations, provided CNN with four such letters: one each from IRS offices in Washington; Cincinnati; El Monte, California, and Laguna Niguel, California.

The Chet Holifield Federal Building
is something of an eyesore
in Laguna Niguel, CA.

I drive past that building in Laguna Niguel nearly every other day and view it from a distance when I take a walk in the park. It is chilling to know that Obama's re-election in 2012 benefitted, in part, from the intolerable and discriminatory things taking place in this odd looking building.

As you might know, Chet Holifield Federal Building was constructed in Laguna Niguel, California, between 1968 and 1971. William L. Pereira & Associates designed it with an unusual stepped pyramid silhouette. The unusual form references ziggurats, ancient Mesopotamian temples. Here in Laguna Niguel, we usually call in the ziggurat building for short. The parking lot of this building is a total mess. It really is an eyesore in terms of its exterior appearance.

I guess Obama and his crew were never afraid that one of the people working at this IRS office might contact me and share what was actually taking place in terms of harming Tea Party and conservative applicants. Given what I know about young Obama and his ideology - and what I know about his time in Chicago - it is not difficult for me to believe that Obama authorized discrimination against Tea Party and conservative groups. I do not think most people appreciate how much young Obama sincerely hated our American capitalist system.

I do not think most people trully appreciate what it means to be a friend of Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright or Alice Palmer. If they did they would terrified of the Obama administration and demanding that someone go to jail for this abuse of power.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

White Like Me: Thoughts on Young Obama's Prom Photos

TIME published pictures from Barack Obama's prom night in 1979. For me, these photos are more evidence of something I have thought for a long time - young Obama seemed like a white guy.

Greg Orme, Kelli Allman, Barack Obama and
Megan Hughes at Allman’s parents’ house in Honolulu.

Despite the Obama mythology, these new photos show that the young Obama was dating a white girl named Megan Hughes and hanging out with other white people including his basketball teammate Greg Orme and fellow student Kellie Allman. It was Kelli Allman (née McCormack) who provided these new photos to Time. She is pictured second from the left.

One of the most puzzling things to me about contemporary politics is the way so many people seem to think that Barack Obama is a black man. As one of the folks who got to know him while he was at Occidental College, I can report that I thought of Obama as an average white guy in terms of his IQ and his cultural inheritance. This, of course, should not be so surprising since Obama was raised by his white mother and his white grandparents nearly his entire life.

The young Obama that I knew was mainly interested in hanging out with white guys and white girls (like me and my radical girlfriend) or with his radical Muslim friends. I interacted with young Obama on various occasions between 1980-1981 and I can report that I never saw him hanging out with black students. Never.

Obama, of course, has done a lot of work to create a politically and socially advantageous black image for himself. In his autobiography, for example, I have called attention to how Obama converted my white college era girlfriend into a big black woman.

This ruse needs to end. The young Obama I knew was nothing like the young black people I knew at Occidental College. He did not come from an underprivileged background. He did not have any of the hostility to white people that I sometimes saw among blacks at Occidental College. All the reports we have so far indicate that young Obama was dating white women, hanging out with his white roommate - Phil Boerner - at Columbia, and generally living a white lifestyle imbued with radical, socialist ideology.

I remain amazed that a guy as white as me managed to game the affirmative action system all the way into the White House. I expect future generations, however, will see through this ruse and render judgments that reflect the actual evidence of Obama's life including these new photos.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Looking Forward to My Audit: Dr. Drew Jokes About Strapping Young Muslim Socialist Obama

Thank you, Conan. That was a great intro. Let’s give him a hand. (Applause.) You have come a long way for a guy with no eyebrows.

As an Armenian-American, I know a great deal about roasting things. Oddly enough, I am also half Scottish. This means that I like to cook shish kabobs on a golf stick. By the way, I do not want to hear anything from the press about my being overweight. If you ever need to hold a hot air balloon to the ground, then you will be grateful for my assistance.

Now that the campaign is over, I want to correct some of my earlier comments regarding the young Obama. First, I should never have said your roommate, Hassan Chandoo, was a Muslim. I should have said he was differently Christian.

David Maraniss verified that you and the wealthy Chandoo were in the San Francisco area exactly when I said I first debated you over Christmas break 1980. I should have reported that what I really did that evening was discuss the topic that was closest to my heart – hoops. My radical girlfriend and I were obsessed with basketball. We could not stop talking about it. I do not remember anything you said about hoops, but I am sure we were obsessed about it.

NOT.

In truth, I beat you up intellectually so bad that night that by the time I was done you were like my puppy. You were agreeing with me that there would be no communist revolution in the U.S. You reversed your thinking faster than Bill Ayers fleeing a bomb scene. You fled faster than the original Benghazi talking points.

People always ask me for my first impression of you. I cannot help it that they do not like my answer. Rachel Maddow has attacked me for saying I thought you were in a gay relationship with Chandoo. What I really meant to say is that you were so much better looking than Chandoo that I thought you were in a “pay” relationship.

You two looked so gay together that my radical girlfriend said, “THEY ARE NOT GAY.”

I thought you were gay because you and Chandoo were very close to each other physically. I thought your behavior was unusual because when I am out walking with one of my male friends - I keep a good neighborly distance.

As a young man you were a committed Marxist-Leninist. I have three things to say about that 1) you would have fit in well with an all out Communist like Frank Marshall Davis, 2) you would have been right at home with a socialist politician like Alice Palmer, and 3) a real moderate would share his conversion story with the rest of us.

Now I have made some jokes about Obama, I will repeat what Conan said: “I'm looking forward to my audit.”

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Americans Too Slow to Grasp the Source of Islamic Terrorism: Random Thoughts on the Koran and the Boston Marathon Bombing

I find it deeply disturbing to see how slow our nation has been to recognize the threat of Islamic terrorism. My mother's family fled Armenia. For this and other reasons, I am highly sensitive to the way Muslim adherents murdered my Christian ancestors in one of the most horrible examples of genocide in history. In my mind, it is as if those murders occurred minutes ago.

As an Armenian-American, I understand, better than most, the severe costs of overestimating how safe it is for Christians to have Islamic neighbors. Frankly, it would take generations of new, non-violent behavior by Islamic adherents before I would ever suggest it was safe to have Islamic adherents as neighbors.

I am also an independent sort of person. I have a reputation for speaking my mind so, in a sense, I am not surprised I should be among the first to sound the alarm and to argue that Muslims have not yet proven to the world that they are safe neighbors. As such, I am livid at the coverage provided by the mainstreamm media. After watching MSNBC and the White House's response to this latest act of terrorism in Boston, I am offended that we are not doing more to link Islam to a bombing that wounded more than 170 people and left three dead.

All in all, I am startled about how squeemish and politically correct the media gets as we face down the threats posed by Islamic ideology. For a great look at Al Qaeda ideology, I recommend Dore Gold's book, Hatred's Kingdom.

The fearful ideology that apparently motivated the Boston Marathon bombers has been a violent threat to its neighbors in Saudi Arabia for years.

The depth of the challenge should be obvious to anyone who reads through the Koran. In a recent article in American Thinker, Victor Sharpe provides a great list of passages from the Koran which should be read and understood by every American. As he reports, the Koran instructs people as follows:

"Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them." Koran 2:191

"Make war on the infidels living in your neighborhood." Koran 9:123

"When opportunity arises, kill the infidels wherever you catch them." Koran 9:5

"Any religion other than Islam is not acceptable." Koran 3:85

"The Jews and the Christians are perverts; fight them."... Koran 9:30

"Maim and crucify the infidels if they criticize Islam" Koran 5:33

"Punish the unbelievers with garments of fire, hooked iron rods, boiling water; melt their skin and bellies." Koran 22:19

"The unbelievers are stupid; urge the Muslims to fight them." Koran 8:65

"Muslims must not take the infidels as friends." Koran 3:28

"Terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur'an." Koran 8:12

"Muslims must muster all weapons to terrorize the infidels." Koran 8:60

When I read these passages in the Koran myself, I was shocked at the way this supposed holy text propogates and justifies violence against, and oppression of, Jews and Christians. It is disturbing to me that otherwise capable mainstream analysts would seek to minimize the extent to which the Koran is not really a religious book at all, but actually a political ideology of fascist-style domination.

I have also seen Islamic contempt for Christians face-to-face. I taught my grant writing workshop at the Bible Society of Egypt in 2008 and got to see how persecuted Christians lived under an Islamic regime. It was not pretty. The Christians we met were reduced to living in and worshipping in a cave above a garbage dump.

I am deeply afraid that we are going to be too slow in catching the next wave of violent Islamic terrorists out of fear of offending Islamic adherents. Frankly, the more I read up on Islam, the worse and more dangerous it looks to me. I expect the bombing in Boston will renew a fresh, courageous conversation regarding Islamic terrorism and the root causes of Islamic violence - the words of the Koran.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Dr. Drew Takes a Look at MiCORE Solutions as an Example of a Successful Consulting Practice

As a consultant to non-profit organizations, I am intrigued by the success stories of other consultants - particularly those who provide services to the corporate or government spheres. One of the most surprising things I learned - just this year - is that business consultants will be the fastest growing job category where I live, here, in Orange County, CA.

I just stumbled over an incredible success story regarding MiCORE Solutions. They are a leading Oracle database support and services, specializing in architecting, optimizing, and managing complex Oracle environments. Part of their success appears to be their location in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C.  This location, I imagine, helps them provide Oracle government solutions.


CEO Blair Tolbard leads
MiCORE’s executive team.

According to the information in their website, they help enterprises solve complex business problems, and strive to enable clients to maximize the value received from their IT investments. One of the most exciting things about MiCORE's is that they are building on their experience in Oracle consulting and adding their experience in applying cloud technologies from Google and Amazon. This enables them, as they say, "...to create a blueprint for tomorrow, leveraging the latest technologies of today."

I was also interested to learn that they have built philanthropy into their business model. They are big supporters of some of my favorite charities including the Wounded Warrior Project.  I was pleased to learn that MiCORE has raised over $15,000 of direct financial support and contributed in excess of $50,000 of ‘in kind’ support for this wonderful charity.

MiCORE's CEO, Blair Tolbard, is clearly an extraordinary leader. He is a U.S. Navy veteran with nearly 30 years of experience in the information technology sector having held executive leadership positions at companies like IBM and Oracle. His specialties include building and nurturing highly effective teams. Prior to his career in the information technology sector, Blair served in the United States Navy from 1975-1979 as a member of the Atlantic Fleet aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher.

In 2012, Tolbard and his wife participated in the annual Armed Forces Freedom Ride where more than 1,000 motorcycles roared through the streets to salute the military. This tradition has raised over $100,000 for local veterans' groups over its six year history. “Sharon and I are moved by the number of people that showed up for the ride this year,” said Tolbard, “it was a beautiful day and an amazing way to honor our military heros and their families.”

I think one of the coolest things about being a consultant like Tolbard is it is easier to plan your business and your life to reflect your values, interests, and specific skills. It makes me feel better about America to know that businessmen like Tolbard are growing their practices and making a difference for their clients.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Feeling Blue About Amber Property Management in Mission Viejo

I guess I had an intuition this year that I needed to get more involved in politics at the local level, the extremely local level. I'm running for one of the worst jobs in America - a spot on my HOA board of directors.

I'm running for a position on my HOA's board of directors, in part, because I got fed up with the way that Amber Property Management was picking on me. They have been driving me nuts with their arrogant attitudes, their barely disguised contempt for me and my neighbors, and a level of sloppiness and careless that I find to be both disconcerting and potentially dangerous. A quick Google search reveals I'm not the only one fed up with their bizarre behavior, and their inadequate attention to procedures and details.

One of the most disturbing mistakes occurred this month when I got a letter dated March 13, 2013 asking me to take out the safety lighting sensor on my building. Since this sensor - which controls the building's outdoor lighting - was near my front door, they concluded that it was some sort of spy camera or other device I had installed without their permission. See their letter below:




Letter from the HOA Board of Directors asking me to remove the
building's safety lighting sensor dated March 13, 2013.

I, of course, immediately fired off an indignant complaint daring them to touch even the tiniest cord in this lighting sensor without my express permission. Even so, it took them a couple of days to figure out their foolishness and to send a follow up letter to letting me know that the safety light sensor was safe.



New letter from Jamie Hackwith of Amber Property Management indicating
that my safety light sensor was now safe from destruction at the hands of the HOA.

Sadly, the list of errors caused by Amber Property Management goes on and on. Just this month, they failed to properly notice the board of directors meeting. They put up a sign that indicated the date of the meeting was in the previous month, not the current month.

In 2016, I caught our Amber Property Management representative, Jamie Hackwith, sending out violation letters that violated our own rules. These rules call for the violation letter to indicate the exact rule broken by the homeowner or their tenant. Instead, the letters coming from Amber Property Management made only vague charges against the homeowner or tenant.

One of the most disgusting things about Amber Property Management is that when I have complained about them to the Better Business Bureau or some other agency, they have routinely sent a letter threatening legal action against me. 

Clearly, their aim is to intimidate me into silence. I talked to two homeowners just this month that cannot stand Jamie Hackwith. One called me in tears to report that Jamie insulted her by saying he understood she had an "angle" when she called to get information. Another homeowner just shared with me that when he speaks to Jamie Hackwith, Hackwith makes him feel like the homeowner is working for Amber Property Management rather than the other way around.

Luckily, there are now many avenues available for complaining about your HOA or property management company. I found, for example, that you can read the complaints of others and add your own at www.yelp.com. In addition, Google+ also gives you an opportunity to tell the truth about your HOA services. In my case, I'm lucky enough to have this blog and about 100,000 thousand followers on Twitter. All of this means that consumers have more power to fight back when they are mistreated or, as in my case, mistakenly blamed for an eyesore that was installed two years earlier by their own HOA.

I should probably add in the end of the story. We had a terrifying brush fire on our Del Prado property on June 29, 2017. Personally, I blamed Jamie Hackwith and the landscaping company, Douglas Landscaping. As far as we know, this fire was caused by a spark coming off the mower used to do a fuel reduction project on our western slope. Ideally, this work should have been scheduled a month earlier when the fire danger would have been lower.

At any rate, on-line court records show that Jamie's wife, Tracey, filed for divorce on July 13, 2017. Tracey is the daughter of the owner of Amber Property Management. We got the news that Jamie would no longer be our property manager at Del Prado through an e-mail from Tracey Hackwith that was dated August 14, 2017.

All in all, this experience reminded me of why it is important to avoid smaller companies that are rife with nepotism. Virtually no one knows how to deal with employees who are family members. In general, they are poor performers and difficult to fire. In fact, in this case, they may have been easier to divorce than to fire.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.