In light of the fact that President Obama is set to deliver a State of the Union Address tonight that most believe will focus on continuing the progressive narrative and 2012 re-election slogan that “rich people don’t pay their fair share of taxes”; I thought it was a wonderful moment to share a few words about a book I’ve just finished reading that explores this “have-nots versus haves” mindset from a rather unique perspective.

In A Nation of Moochers: America’s Addiction to Getting Something for Nothing (St. Martin’s Press), author Charles J. Sykes asks the threshold question “Have we reached the tipping point where more Americans depend on the efforts of others than on their own?  Are we becoming a nation of moochers?”

To answer that question, Sykes explores the current political and cultural environment – everything from Wall Street bailouts and entitlement programs to government-run health care and corporate tax exemptions.  The book, while an urgent plea for a return to personal responsibility and self-determination, is anything but a work that completely dismisses the need for “compassion” and a safety net for those less fortunate.  It simply suggests that any effort to address those concerns should be based on “needs” rather than “wants.”  The author aptly states that “some” may very well find themselves in “need” of assistance; but things like government-paid-for electric vehicles are anything but “needs.”

The highlight of the book for me was a very simply stated but absolutely brilliant “Abbreviated History of Mooching.”  Therein, the author describes the devolution of personal property that has resulted and continues to be threatened at the hands of government and those who aim to take from the haves and redistribute to the have-nots.  Using the story of the “farmer” who harvests his crop to feed his family and sells the excess at market – thereby further contributing to society through commerce, the author explains how the strategies of moochers have evolved over time – ever increasing their grip on a share of the farmer’s property.  Detailing the encroachments of the “early moocher”, the “feudal moocher”, and the “modern moocher”, the author charts a sobering path to a day when the “farmer” simply disappears and gives up on his labor; rather than watching the fruit of said labor be taken away and distributed between his neighbors and the government that purports to serve him.

As most of you probably know, I don’t endorse or even review very many books.  There is just so little time and usually by the time I get around to reading them, a review is anything but timely or appropriate.  A Nation of Moochers finds itself in that rare class for a number of reasons but none more influential than the fact that it was written in both an academic and comfortingly conversational tone.  Accordingly, it is a fantastic read for the political scholar in search of a new perspective on the age-old problem of socio-economic leveling; or the causal reader frustrated with the entitlement culture in this country and fed up with working to earn an honest living while “moochers” sit idly by and collect government handouts on their dime – or dollar.

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About the author:  Charles J. Sykes is a radio talk show host at WTMJ radio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; a columnist who has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today and the CNI Newspaper chain; and a senior fellow at the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.  He is the author of five previous books: A Nation of Victims, Dumbing Down Our Kids, Profscam, The End of Privacy, and 50 Rules Kids Won’t Learn in School.

You can read more about Mr. Sykes here at his blog; or here for info on his radio program..

His two latest posts…

Big Labor’s Revenge Binge

Stop Bankrupting America

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A Nation of Moochers: America’s Addiction to Getting Something for Nothing can be purchased here… or here…

Morning Joe Scarborough made a rare appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday morning and pulled no punches discussing Former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s victory in South Carolina saying “Newt’s not a conservative.”

“He uses this resentment – the politics of grievance – to actually hide a record that you can really identify very quickly on Google.  The remarkable thing – and this is why Republicans are panicked in Washington, D.C. for good reason – yeah Mitt Romney supported an individual mandate… Newt Gingrich supported an individual mandate.  Newt Gingrich supported Cap and Trade at one point.  So, did Mitt Romney.  You can go down the list.”

“On this program just a year ago you had Newt Gingrich calling Paul Ryan a right wing radical who was engaged in social engineering.  It is a mess out there.  I think you are going to hear more people… talking about a brokered convention.  If Newt Gingrich wins Florida, everything’s up for grabs.”

So, you’re saying you’re not a Gingrich fan?  Not a Romney fan either?

Never ever ever have I been more in agreement with Joe Scarborough.  That said, I think we’re coming at this from decidedly different starting points – my loathing wishy-washy Republicans and self-described conservatives who are only conservatives when it’s convenient for political gain; and his serving as the token disgruntled republican on the most liberal network in television.

Brokered convention?  Could we really be headed in that direction?

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If anyone out there is looking for a contrast between and among candidates in the current Republican field for the Party’s nomination, you need only look to Congressman Ron Paul and former Senator Rick Santorum if you need a shining example.  Frankly, I can’t think of two more different political figures in the Republican Party – let alone the in the current presidential field.  Thursday night, their differences were on full display when the South Carolina debate turned to the topic of Abortion.

Just as a bit of background to the video posted below.  Gingrich, Romney, and Santorum were each given a chance to share their “Right to Life” bona fides.  When King tried to move on without giving Paul a chance to do the same, the audience began booing and shouting for Paul to have the opportunity.  He seized that opportunity to remind the audience that he was the only doctor in the field – also reminding the audience how ridiculous it was for King to casually pass him over.  Somewhere in his spiel, he said something that led Senator Santorum to believe he was being singled out.  The following back-and-forth ensued peaking with Congressman Paul saying “I wasn’t even thinking about you… so you are overly sensitive.”

I’m not sure if I’ve shared this here before or not; but I was in my first year of Law School in New York City during the Bush v. Kerry presidential contest, and was surrounded by an overwhelming majority of liberals for the first time in my life as a product of Tennessee.  Had it not been for a new friend I “met” shortly after arriving in the Big Apple, I’m not sure I could have made it through that semester without going to jail for punching a liberal – or twelve.  That “friend” was a voice on AM radio – none other than Mark Levin.  While I was always a fan of conservative talk radio, Levin’s program (at the time) had not yet reached Nashville airwaves.  Accordingly, he was a new voice to me and one that resonated unlike any I’d come across in a long history of listening to similar programs.

Levin is a Constitutional scholar and a deeply committed defender of Liberty and Founding Principles.  His take on conservatism is unimpeachable and his delivery in sharing that message is – from where I sit – without equal.  Whether behind a microphone or putting pen to paper, Levin is the preeminent “voice” of conservatism in this generation, period.

But enough of that.  As you can see in this interview, he’s not one for hearing that kind of lofty praise.  He broadcasts from a “bunker” because he’s anything but comfortable in front of a camera.  That said, he ventures out from time-to-time for brief appearances such as this to share his work and to promote the fundamental principles promoted therein.  If you’ve never picked up one of his books, you’ll no doubt be surprised by how effortless he makes the undertaking of reading what could amount to a political treatise.  He covers heady topics with a conversational style that can appeal to anyone from any walk of life.  Whether you’re a casual observer of all things political or a 24/7 political junkie, you are destined to be entertained and educated with every turn of the page.

As to “Ameritopia”, I’ve yet to read the book.  I actually plan to purchase a copy this weekend and read it along with another book I recently received “A Nation of Moochers: America’s Addiction to Getting Something for Nothing” by Charles J Sykes.  I’ll be sure to report back to you on both once I have completed them.

But until then, you can purchase Mr. Levin’s book or Mr. Sykes book here…

And here’s the interview with Hannity…

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum made an appearance on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace and weighed in on everything from super PAC’s to social issues.  I’ve posted the video below; and if you’re still not that familiar with Santorum or his campaign, I’d very much encourage you to watch it.

As you may already know, Santorum received the endorsement of a group of “social conservatives” that gathered in Texas over the weekend in an attempt to join forces in support of one of the non-Romney candidates.  While I’m certain he was more than pleased to receive the endorsement, he’s quick to remind Wallace that his appeal extends well beyond the “social conservative” wing of the Republican Party.

A brief side note for what it’s worth… I think the endorsement mentioned above and in the clip is absolutely worthless.  Yes, absolutely worthless.  A super-majority of religious and social leaders gathering in Texas to decide which candidate is the most socially conservative?  Spare me.  I’d be angry and frustrated by the arrogance of such an endeavor if I thought for a moment that even a fraction of the folks that were pulling for Perry or Gingrich will actually live up to their promise(s).  I don’t know who dreamed up that little exercise, but I’m certain it wasn’t someone I’ll be taking my cues from.

Newt Gingrich took his campaign to NBC and Meet the Press Sunday morning for some free air time as the race for the Republican nomination heats up in the conservative bastion that is South Carolina.  As you might expect, there was much discussion of “dirty politics”, super PAC’s, and Bain friggin Capital; but the highlight of the interview came when Newt was asked what a Romney victory in South Carolina would mean for his campaign and the race for the nomination, generally.

GREGORY: What if you lose?

GINGRICH:  ”You would certainly have to reassess.”

GREGORY: If Romney does win, is it over?

GINGRICH:  ”If Romney wins here, he has an enormous advantage going forward.  Which is why I think it’s important for every conservative who wants to have a conservative nominee to rally around – and I am the one person who has a realistic chance of defeating him here… I hope every conservative will reach the conclusion that to vote for anybody but Gingrich is to help Romney win the nomination and to help him with the primary in South Carolina.”

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Mark my word.  Newt is telling us exactly how he plans to play things this week – in the debates and while stumping across South Carolina.  He knows that as a product of a neighboring state, this is his best chance to make a final push.  He knows that and he knows that the only chance he (or anyone else in the field) has is to unite the conservative base around one candidate to oppose Mitt Romney.  Divided – they (Gingrich, Santorum, and Perry) will each claim a percentage of the vote that if combined would be greater than that which Romney will rake in.  Such a result would leave all three campaigns dead in the water moving to Florida for Romney’s coronation.

So, here’s what Gingrich will do.  He will use the debates to once again remind the base why he was able to vault to the front of the pack before Iowa.  He’s the “grownup” in the field and not the child he’s been playing since getting run out of Iowa.  This time, though, he’ll use a hybrid of the “Unite Behind the Republican Banner” strategy changing it slightly by replacing Republican with Conservative.  Now whether Newt is sufficiently “conservative” enough to head that platform is a debate for another day; but what Newt will do is make the case that voters must choose Romney v. Obama or Conservative v. Obama – a choice that would ultimately mean more of the same versus a drastic transformation and a return to Founding Principles.

Is he up to the task?  Truthfully, I really can’t begin to tell.  Every time I’ve been ready to count the Former Speaker out, he manages to surprise me.  My brain says he’s not going to be able to get away from the Bain/Super PAC mud-slinging; but my gut says he may be able to pull it off.  If we were talking about a week of nothing but retail politicking, I’d say he’s toast.  But we’re not.  We’re talking about a week that boasts a Gingrich wild card – debates.

We will know by the end of the first debate Monday night which Newt will be competing in Iowa – the grownup or the whiny little child that thinks bashing venture capitalism is somehow conservative.  I’m hoping for the former and not the latter.

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

While I’m willing to bet you tuned in for the Broncos-Patriots Game on CBS to see Tim Tebow and Tom Brady going head-to-head, if you’re like me, you probably lost interest somewhere on or around the first quarter and began wondering how bad the beating could be before the final whistle blew.  While my mind drifted off to other things whilst watching said beatdown, I pulled up Google Trends to see how much of the top 20 was dominated by Tebow, Brady, Denver Broncos, NFL, playoffs, etc.  And just as I expected, the list was overrun with Tebow-Mania and topics related to the NFL and the last-minute finish between the 49ers and the Saints… save for one.

An ad by Focus on the Family.

Look for this adorable lil girl right after the lil boy powerfully and poignantly utters the word that brings the entire commercial full-circle… “LIFE!”  Her response was equally game-stopping.

I don’t know Mr. Tebow, but I’m fairly certain he would agree.

It’s been a while, so I figured there was no time like the present to share a few links from the best and the brightest of the right-wing universe.  Quite a few new first timers here as well.  One point worth noting on the Republican primary front…  Pretty broad range of support for most of the candidates still remaining in the field.  While I don’t think I’ve included anyone swapping spit with Jon Huntsman, I’m fairly certain the rest of the field has at least one supporter among this distinguished group of right wing patriots.

THE OTHER MCCAIN:

• Governor Zombie Stumbles Relentlessly Toward Humiliation in South Carolina UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh Compares Perry ‘Vulture’ Attack to Fidel Castro
• Rick Santorum Adds Staff, Offices, Money and Key Endorsement in South Carolina
• Rick Santorum Distances Himself From Newt’s Lefty ‘Hit Job’ on Mitt Romney
• Rick Perry Has Replaced Jon Huntsman in the Coveted ‘Gov. Asterisk’ Position

CONSERVATIVE HIDEOUT 2.0:

• The Demographics Still Hold: More Americans are Conservative, but why is the Left so Successful?
• Mental Disorder Reaches Epidemic Status
• The Paulbot Creed

I OWN THE WORLD:

• Traitor-in-Cheif
• Mercedes Bends
• State Sponsored Religion
• The Foremost Constitutional Experts in the World Get Quizzed

ADRIENNE’S CORNER:

• Rick Santorum defies Catholic teaching?…
• Michelle Obama thinks we’re stupid…

JUST A CONSERVATIVE GIRL:

• Tebowing Shot of the Day
• Bob McDonnell’s State of the Commonwealth Address
• What Jay-Z Really Thinks of the 99%

INSTAPUNDIT:

• Pissing on the Taliban

LEFT COAST REBEL:

• Why Are There No ‘True’ Hamiltonian/Federalists Any Longer?
• Romney’s Bain Helped Obama With Auto Bailout
• (VIDEO) Senator Jim DeMint Speaks Truth to Power on the Daily Show

THE WYBLOG:

• Packaging inspector fired for telling co-workers to inspect her package
• Mercedes Benz is now courting the communist mass-murderer luxury vehicle market
• Monday Moonshine, the Chris Christie Schools an Occupod edition

ACE OF SPADES:

• Perry Passes Santorum In South Carolina; Newt Still Leads The Anti-Romneys By A Wide Margin
• Fortune Mostly Clears Romney From Charges Alleged in Newt’s PAC’s Vulture Attack
• Desperate Candidate Makes Left-Wing Attack on Romney’s Position on Corporations

THE LONELY CONSERVATIVE:

• Hey Remember When Obama Called Raising the Debt Ceiling ‘Unpatriotic?’ No, Here’s a Reminder
• Gas Prices Going Up
• Conservatives Outnumber Moderates and Liberals
• Obama the Vulture Socialist

DON SURBER:

• Cartoon of the day
• Mittacular lead in Florida

WEASEL ZIPPERS:

• Obama: “I Want My Daughters Treated The Same Way As My Sons”. . . Wait, He Has Sons?…
• South Carolina DNC Chair Claims GOP Racist For Holding Debate On MLK Day, Demands Romney Condemn It…

REAGANITE REPUBLICAN:

• A Romney Nomination Means Independent Runs from BOTH Trump and Ron Paul? 
• You Bet Your Sweet Bippy!!!
• Gingrich-Palin 2012: Is ‘Cuda Preparing to Endorse Newt . . . On Way To the VP Slot?

LIBERTARIAN PATRIOT:

• TLP Quik Hits: Rand Paul Returns $500K To Treasury
• TLP Quik Hits: Homeland Security Watches Twitter, Social Media

THE LAUGHING CONSERVATIVE:

• Barack Obama’s Diary
• Test: Should you vote for Obama?
• $106,000 bus stop shelter — and you’re paying

THE WASHINGTON REBEL:

• The Best Defense is a Good Offense

THE WHITED SEPULCHRE:

• John Galt has left California

MICHELLE MALKIN:

• Obama’s “Razist” Lobbyist Moves Up
• Al Gore: If Global Warming isn’t a Campaign Issue, Civilization is at Risk

PIRATES COVE:

MOTOR CITY TIMES:

• Even China is losing Manufacturing Jobs
• World Economic Forum cite “Severe income inequality” as largest global risk

POLITICAL REALITIES:

• Debbie Wasserman-Schultz On The Lack Of Civility In Congress
• Dog Eat Dog – The GOP Primaries
• Why I Want Romney to Win the Republican Nomination
• Why I Prefer Gary Johnson to Ron Paul

PROOF POSITIVE:

• Debbie Does Daggers

WINTERY KNIGHT:

• Should we legalize drugs and prostitution like Ron Paul wants?

THIS AIN’T HELL (BUT YOU CAN SEE IT FROM HERE):

• Coast Guard to protect grain shipment from Occu-spazes
• Invoking Che to sell cars?

RED STATE:

• Can a Nonexistent Congress Issue $1.2 Trillion in Debt?

STRIDENT CONSERVATIVE:

• Mitt, We Have A Problem

THE CLASSIC LIBERAL BLOG:

• Rick Santorum’s Conservative Delusions
• Did Ron Paul Win Iowa?

THE BLAZE:

• OOPS: MSNBC RE-RECORDS AUDIO AFTER MATTHEWS CLAIMS OBAMA ADDED ONLY ‘13’ FEDERAL JOBS

THE DAILY CALLER:

• Charlotte stadium likely hosting Obama acceptance speech built with all nonunion labor

THE JAWA REPORT:

• Saudi Arabia Lashes Man 75 Times for Blasphemy

RIGHT WING NEWS:

• The Bailout King Of American Politics

PATTERICO’S PONTIFICATIONS:

• The Improbable Gingrich Scenario

AMERICAN GLOB:

• When Will #Occupy Wall Street Qualify As Domestic Terrorism?
• Democrats Still Falsely Blaming The Tea Party For Tucson Shooting

CONSERVATIVE COMMUNE:

• Iran, Straits Of Hormuz And “Armageddon”
• Pissgateaquiddick 

QUESTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS:

• Buffett: bluffs and buffoonery

YID WITH LID:

• NYT Columnist Tom Friedman’s Simplistic View of The Middle East

VERUM SERUM:

IMAO:

JAMMIE WEARING FOOLS:

• Heroes of the 99% Rumored to Be Looking at $28 Million Connecticut Mansion
• Classy: Charles Barkley Calls Tim Tebow A “National Nightmare”…

FIRE ANDREA MITCHELL:

• Shocker! (Not) Jeb Bush to endorse Mitt Romney before the Florida primary
• Obama asks for another $1.2 trillion debt limit increase – how soon before Weeper Boehner caves?

THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS:

• PROFILES IN LEFTIST PRINCIPLES: PISSING ON DEAD TALIBAN JIHADIST ENEMIES IS BAD, BUT CRAPPING ON COP CARS IS GOOD
• BAIN VERSUS OBAMA & GM – OR: WHO WOULD YOU TRUST WITH YOUR LIFE SAVINGS, MITT OR BARACK?

ALTHOUSE:

• The left blogosphere freaks out over its own inability to distinguish between hard to believe and falsifiable.

LEGAL INSURRECTION:

• To the victor of South Carolina goes …
• Consistency in the defense of liberty is no vice

FRUGAL CAFE:

• Bed, Bath & Beyond Stores Yank Radioactive Metal Tissue Holders Containing Cobalt-60
• Shaky Hopenchange: Hostess Brands Files for Bankruptcy, Jobless Claims Jump, December Holiday Retail Sales Missed the Mark

FULL METAL PATRIOT:

• Kid Pan Alley admits to indoctrinating children with song praising the #Occupy movement

GATEWAY PUNDIT:

• Al Gore Said North Polar Cap Would Be Melted This Year… Guess Not, Huh?
• #Occupy Criminal Movement Becomes Latest Terrorist Wing of Democrat Party Replacing KKK

GAY PATRIOT:

• Gallup: conservatism remains dominant American ideology
• “I’d like to see a Republican Party that embraces a lot of the libertarian ideas.”

HOTAIR:

• Rush audio: Anger — not altruism — motivates Obama
• Gingrich: Gee, maybe my super-PAC should get its facts straight

PJ TATTLER:

• Karl Rove’s Column in the WSJ on Romney’s “History Making” Victories

DA TECH GUY:

• The most important video shot during the New Hampshire Primary…

PROTEIN WISDOM:

• The state of things: GOP presidential nominee edition

THE GRANITE GROK:

• Project Veritas Video: What Manchester And Nashua Officials Say

RECOVERING LIBERAL:

• Grow Cojornes GOP.You Wanted A Fighter,Newt Fights & You Run Away Cowering

MAGGIE’S NOTEBOOK:

• How Cains 9-9-9 Fixes the Ron Paul Problem – almost
• Oklahoma Sharia Law: Appeals Court Upholds Block of Oklahoma Shariah – International Law

THE CAMP OF SAINTS:

• Santorum Defends Mitt’s Work At Bain / Mitt Does Not Defend Mitt’s Work At Bain
• Gunning For Allen West

TRUTH BEFORE DISHONOR:

• Hugo Chavez oops Obama Makes Alleged Recess Appointments

There are few people in the Right-wing political universe with as much clout as conservative talker Mark Levin; so it’s news when he says he’s going to campaign against a fellow right-winger.  When he says he’s going to campaign against a Tea Party darling, it’s more than news.  It’s Armageddon.  And that’s precisely what Levin says he is more than prepared for should Ron Paul decide to abandon the Republican Party and launch a third party run if his bid for the GOP nomination goes begging.

And Levin’s not stopping there.  He says if Ron Paul goes third party, he’ll go after his family, too.

“If Ron Paul decides that he is going to go third-party, which is detrimental to this nation, and pulls a million votes, which is relatively insignificant in the big scheme of things, I will do everything in my power to defeat his son in Kentucky. I will do everything in my power to defeat his son Rand Paul in Kentucky.”

Them are fighting words, folks!! (Full clip here…)

I’ve said it before; and I’ll say it again.  I, with every ounce of my being, believe Ron Paul’s continued pursuit of the Republican nomination to be nothing more than an attempt to mainstream his libertarian ideology.  While that’s commendable on some levels, I do believe the underlying motive beneath the “protecting liberty” mantra is an attempt to pave the way for his son, Rand, to run as a “legitimate” candidate down the road.  Will it work?  Who knows?  I never thought Ron Paul would have made it this far, so I’m the last person you need to turn to for prognostication.

What I do know is this.  Levin’s got the “target” on the right Paul.  The younger Paul’s made some noise in his relatively short time in office, but he’s yet to reveal the full-blown libertarian purist side possessed by his father.  And if I’m right that Ron’s really in it for Rand – and the libertarian political view – a third party run could prove very detrimental to objective.

Game on.

RCP

Rand stumping for his dad.  Ron Paul still won’t rule it out.

Ronald Reagan economist and father of The Laugher Curve Art Laffer has decided to endorse Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and will officially endorse the GOP hopeful Thursday in Iowa.  The supply-side guru had previously supported Herman Cain and his 9-9-9 plan; so the Gingrich camp is no doubt hoping this endorsement will lead to a decidedly different result than that which befell Mr. Cain.

From Newt’s website…

Laffer told National Review;

“It’s nothing against the other candidates,” Laffer said. “But Newt’s plan is right, and therefore endorsing him is the right thing to do.”

Laffer is concerned with the fact that Mitt Romney has no tax-reform plan, and he worries that Romney doesn’t believe in the incentive model of economic growth. “He’s a good man,” Laffer said. “And he would make a good president. But he needs a bold tax plan.”