David Ratowitz recently won the Republican primary in Illinois’ 5th Congressional District. A former U.S. Army Ranger and 82nd Airborne Paratrooper (he deployed with the 82nd to Haiti after President Aristide was overthrown in 1995), Ratowitz is a crusader for small government and individual freedom. If elected, he will bring a wealth of small business, legal and military experience with him to Washington.

More importantly, Ratowitz pledges to restore dignity to the 5th District’s seat – previously held by Dan Rostenkowski (taken down and imprisoned for corruption by then U.S. Attorney Eric Holder and later pardoned by President Clinton), Rod Blogojevich (who went on to be impeached as Governor) and, most recently, Rahm Emanuel (current White House Chief of Staff).

Ratowitz and his family were among Hurricane Katrina’s hardest hit victims in 2005. From his official campaign website:

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina profoundly impacted David on both personal and professional levels. In the aftermath of the devastation, after losing the roof off of his own family home, David worked on the ground to rebuild his business and community…It was during this time that David gained a more complete appreciation of the power of the individual and voluntary cooperation among citizens, versus centralized planning, in overcoming hardships and building successful communities and enterprises.

I recently spoke to him about his positions on the major issues – the economy and the war on terror.

FULL DISCLOSURE: David and I were paratroopers together in the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, NC, where we worked closely.

Comments and criticism are welcome.

Michael Shermer is the founder of Skeptic Magazine and the Skeptics Society.

He is also the successful author of 9 books, including bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Mind of the Market: How Biology and Psychology Shape Our Economic Lives. In addition, he has appeared on “The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Larry King Live, Tom Snyder, Donahue, Oprah, Leeza, Unsolved Mysteries (but, proudly, never Jerry Springer!), and other shows as a skeptic of weird and extraordinary claims, as well as interviews in countless documentaries aired on PBS, A&E, Discovery, The History Channel, The Science Channel, and The Learning Channel. Shermer was the co-host and co-producer of the 13-hour Family Channel television series, Exploring the Unknown.”

Shermer’s mission (and that of the Skeptics Society) is to “serve as an educational tool for those seeking clarification and viewpoints on those controversial ideas and claims.” In doing so, he tends to ruffle a lot of feathers. Not intentionally, as you’ll see in my interview, he’s anything but confrontational. However, when you aggressively question the claims of religion, pseudoscience, cults, psychics, holocaust deniers and UFO believers, you’re bound to encounter some resistance.

The Skeptics Society seeks to follow the example of Spinoza:

I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them.

—Baruch Spinoza

I recently asked Shermer if that was easier said than done. Below is his answer to that question as well as some other parts of our conversation.

Below is Shermer’s 2006 “TED Talk.” It’s well worth your time if you want to see what Mother Theresa, the Virgin Mary and Led Zeppelin have in common.

Here’s a bonus video Shermer made for The Richard Dawkins foundation. It’s a useful guide to analyzing outrageous claims – a common sense check. Michael also reveals the “mystery” of the pyramids at the 4:20 mark.

Don’t forget to become a fan of Michael Shermer on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

When most people get discharged from the emergency room after slipping on the ice, smashing their face and lying unconscious until being found, their immediate instinct is to go home and rest. But today’s post is not about “most people.” It’s about native Massachusetts business man and Republican candidate for Governor, Christy Mihos, and that’s exactly what happened to him on December 22nd. What did he do instead? He called me from his cell phone while getting into his car in the hospital parking lot and, get this, apologized for being “late” for our interview.

This gesture alone distinguishes him from just about every other Massachusetts politician but, then again, he’s not really a politician. He’s a self-made, extremely successful, life-long resident of the Bay State who, as one of its wealthiest citizens, has nothing to gain from a stint in the Governor’s Mansion. Then what drives him? Well, after watching him from afar over the years and now having the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one, I’d suggest he’s driven by a nagging desire to fix things that so obviously need fixing but nobody else seems to have the political will (i.e. balls) to do. And he doesn’t really care whose feathers he ruffles along the way. In fact, I think that’s the part he may enjoy most.

Abbreviated Bio

Talking to Mihos is like talking to your next door neighbor, assuming your next door neighbor is a colorful multimillionaire with a penchant for one-liners and complete irreverence for the commonwealth’s political establishment (dominated by the Democratic Party). Mihos’ wealth comes from Christy’s Markets – a chain of convenient stores that covered all of New England before he and his brother sold them to 7-Eleven in 1998. However, he’s most famous for his tenure on the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority where, after being appointed by Governor Cellucci in 1999, he was eventually fired by Acting Governor Swift for his cantankerous criticism of the now infamous Big Dig. Watch the 30 second video below to see how that one ended up.

Showtime!

Mihos ran for Governor unsuccessfully in 2006 as an Independent candidate which, in my humble opinion, fits his no-nonsense personality much more than the modern day GOP that he now calls home. However, I imagine he learned that while it’s definitely tough to gain traction as a Republican in Massachusetts, it’s even tougher for a candidate without a party.

RHM: Now that you’re running as a Republican, do you regret running as an Independent in 2006?

Christy Mihos: Not at all. It was the right move at the time and it’s not so much that I left the party, it’s that the party left me. I wasn’t happy with a number of things and made the decision to go for it alone.

RHM: What do you make of your competition at this point within the party, Charlie Baker?

Christy Mihos: I’ll tell you, Randall, Charlie Baker hit the public servant lottery when he left his $90,000 a year job with the state for a $1.7 million salary. Now he takes credit for a “turn around” during his time with Harvard Pilgrim when premiums went up every year for a total of 131%. That’s like raising taxes. He’s also responsible for the Big Dig highway financing plan which we’ll be paying out through 2038.

RHM: You’ve pledged not to raise taxes, but what else will you do to balance the state’s checkbook? What are you willing to cut immediately upon entering office, regardless of the fallout?

Christy Mihos: First, rolling back the state sales tax has to be done by a ballot initiative and we’ve got more than 70,000 signatures so far. And it’s not to roll it back to 5%, it’s to roll it back to 3%. But, also, Randall, anyone who serves in my administration will have to waive their pension. We made promises to past state employees that we have to honor, but anybody who comes in with my administration will have to forfeit it. We will ask everybody to sign a waiver.

RHM: Do you think you’ll have trouble finding people willing to do that?

Christy Mihos: No, there are enough people in the state who are aware of our crisis and willing to work under those circumstances. I don’t think it will be a problem. It’s just the way things have to be. I’ll also do away with the Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), that’s about $30 million. That, plus fewer state employees, in general, and new employees without pensions will do a lot for the commonwealth. It’s just not fair that when private companies are forced to cut back, that our government continues to grow at a cost to everyone. We’ve got to stop feeding the beast.

RHM: As a businessman, it’s a bit easier to make changes to your organization – people either abide by your decisions or they go away. Dealing with a legislature dominated by the opposition will not be as easy. As Governor, how will you bridge this gap and try to win these folks over to your side?

Christy Mihos: You’ll recall that Bill Weld was in the same predicament in 1990. The political atmosphere was terrible, but he made an effort to meet with the leadership every Monday morning to talk about the issues. These regular meetings and a willingness to listen and work with anyone – as long as they’re interested interested in finding solutions – goes a long way. And we just can’t keep going like we are. We have to find solutions and get things back on the right track. Also, I do whatever I can to support candidates from any party who are committed to fiscal responsibility. I cut their campaign a $500 check right there when I meet them.

RHM: Massachusetts is known for its progressive judges and willingness to bend over backwards for defendants and convicted felons (furloughs, bail when it shouldn’t be granted, etc.), but local police chiefs are notorious for making things very difficult for law-abiding citizens to obtain gun permits and they are the sole authority when it comes to licensing. As Governor, what will you do (if anything) to remedy this?

Christy Mihos: I believe that people have the right to protect themselves and their loved ones, especially in their own homes. And I would set up a central authority to grant licenses in the Department of Public Safety. I also find it reprehensible that there are guns manufactured in Massachusetts by Massachusetts based companies, with Massachusetts tax payers as workers, and you can’t buy these guys in Massachusetts. It boggles the mind. We’re doing everything to restrict what is granted to us as a right, to bear arms and to protect ourselves. And I think that if the economy spirals down and more cities and towns are caught with less local aid, laying off police and public safety people, that we’re going to have to protect ourselves. It’s something granted to us and I’m going to work hard to change it.

RHM: I don’t know where that law started, but we have to be one of the only states where the local chief of police is the sole authority on whether or not law-abiding citizens get a license.

Christy Mihos: I hope there aren’t any other states that are as neanderthal as we are on this one.

RHM: Thanks for your time, Christy.

Christy Mihos: My pleasure, Randall, any time. You have a nice Holiday.

Note: Christy is matching 10% of all campaign contributions with a personal donation to the Fisher House. The Fisher House helps provide housing and other expenses so military family members can be close to our servicemen and women during hospitalization for illness, disease or injury. You can contribute right here.

Today’s post was written by my father, Dick Miller. Dick was raised a Republican, steered by good math grades and financial necessity to a career in engineering and high-tech software. He is now a born-again anthropologist/historian (it was always in him) and wants JFK (and Jackie) to return to the White House. – RHM

Maybe it’s the 10 degree temperature, 50 mph winds, and -10 chill factor, but I feel grumpy and pissed off tonight after several days of “analysis” of the underwear bomber and Homeland Security.

And the results are predictable (see Christopher Hitchens).

So, we’ll raise the color warning a shade (the old color was faded anyway), fondle grandmothers and babies, and declare victory (neither a Democratic or Republican thing – just a bureaucracy that can’t shoot straight.)

Be prepared to sit in your airplane seat like kindergarten used to be and stretch your bladder for the final hour. If a terrorist is on board your plane, think of the discomfort he’ll suffer in the few minutes before he commits suicide.

Don’t fear for any bombs or incendiary devices (unless they’re in someone’s rectum or close to other private parts – we can’t go there.)

As for the full body scan – whoops, too much loss of privacy. We’d rather take a chance on spot-checking every seventh passenger and having a plane explode than finding anything through a thorough scan. Has ANY TERRORIST been caught by the existing “security” measures ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD? Some (bureaucrats) would say that that proves the system is working. I would say that I pray nightly for no elephant stampedes in my house, and so far it has worked.

Loss of privacy? Is there a law that says you HAVE to fly? If you don’t like real security – try a train or bus! When is the last time that a terrorist got by security in Tel Aviv? NEVER??? Why? Because they do thorough searches which, believe it or not, still only take 25 minutes!

Do you want to pretend to have security and then complain of breaches, or do you want to be secure? Chose your poison…

The last I knew, there were about 250,000 people in Homeland Security – probably more, but this number works for me. There are 500,000 people on the “big list” of possible terrorists. Why don’t we assign 2 terrorists to each HS person and have them tracked/investigated? In fact (I’ll say this before some Senator comes up with the idea), why not hire 250,000 more people in HS and make it one-to-one? We could even go all out and make it 2-1 in order to give everyone a potty break. What are another 250,000 government employees going to do, break the bank?

According to Janet Napolitano, “the system worked” after the plane almost reached Detroit. I guess that the Japanese felt good about Hiroshima after the trees started growing again.

Independent of political party, each president at least has a financial person as Secretary of Treasury, someone knowledgeable about the military as Defense Secretary, someone from farm country as Secretary of Agriculture, etc., etc., etc.

EXCEPT — why do we have a career politician who knows NOTHING about SECURITY as head of SECURITY???

Why not have a professional SECURITY person as head???

That is all.

UPDATED 12/30/09: Instead of writing a post about the recent “crotch bomber” and how incompetent our government is at thwarting attacks by people who broadcast their intentions beforehand (regardless of the party in power), just go ahead and change the names and locations yourself. – RHM

Very rarely do people just snap. On the contrary, there are almost always “warning signs.” Sometimes those signs are subtle and only recognizable to those closest to the individual. But other times those signs are about as subtle as a kick to the groin. The case of Nidal Malik Hasan’s recent murder spree at Fort Hood, Texas, is a textbook example of the latter. And we should all be furious.

Now that the dust is somewhat settled we’re learning some very troubling facts surrounding the case:

1. Hasan was an outspoken opponent of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. However, his dissent was not in the same spirit as my own general opposition to intervention and empire – his dissent was based on extreme religious ideology. And when I say “outspoken”, I mean he publicly (and graphically) opposed infidel aggression against Islam.
2. Hasan was an active participant in Jihadist chatrooms and websites – so much so that the federal government had him under surveillance.
3. Hasan is/was the protege of Anwar al Awlaki, a former imam at the Washington D.C. area Dar al Hijra Mosque and militant jihadist, currently preaching and plotting against the United States from Yemen.

The list goes on and on. But the fact that our own government was too inept or timid to take action (for fear of offending God knows who) they decided to “let it go.” Now, 13 innocent people are dead and, according to Chicago based lawyer Tamara Holder , the government can “expect to see the wounded…sue the United States for their failure to investigate this sick and dangerous man when the writing was on the walls.” I hope they do.

When I look at the facts surrounding this incident (as we know them thus far) I see an obvious parallel to the 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre. The shooter, Cho, didn’t just get up one day and decide to kill innocent people. He displayed similar patterns of craziness that went unaddressed. You can read about the similarities in one of my father’s guest posts from April, 2008 – “Political Correctness is Killing Our Country.” I’m all for civil liberties, but individual rights have to be balanced with the general welfare and safety of others.

Fred Burton, Stratfor’s Chief Security Officer, gives a cautious-but-sobering look at the reality of intelligence investigations in the video below (Dated November 7th, 2009). Burton’s the real deal. Read my review of his book “Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent.”

Sidenote: I’m in the process of conducting a short interview with Rob Pincus, Owner of I.C.E. Training and Host of “The Best Defense.” He’s a buddy of mine from back in the day at Norwich University and one of the leading authorities on self-defense and S.W.A.T. tactics. He’ll be discussing how some of our gun laws put law abiding citizens at an inherent disadvantage and how people can take precautions to protect their friends and loved ones. Look for it over the next few days.

Comments and criticism are always welcome.