Guffman & Godot

Presidential Election Predictions

2011-10-11T17:59:00.003-04:00

If Chris Christie is preparing to endorse Romney, then here's how I see the 2012 GOP field panning out:

Christie will be the Romney VP choice for the ticket. I believe they cut a deal. Here's why: Christie doesn't want to run for President right now. It means stopping his work in New Jersey which he truly seems to love in order to head to places like Iowa and Nevada and South Carolina which doesn't interest him. Skipping the Presidential primaries, he is "off" until the GOP Convention in July of 2012. That's 9 months of his life.

He can campaign July - November and will raise Romney a ton of money because the conservatives will be totally jazzed he's on the tickets. Hey- trust me on this. I worked McCain 2008. And forget what you think of Sarah Palin NOW. But in July and August of 2008 she gave that campaign energy, life, and voters. Christie can do the same thing for Romney. though I think it will be less important to Romney than it was for McCain. Meaning- Romney can win on his won. Christie just ensures it.

Christie will guarantee New Jersey and possible Pennsylvania, too. He will be popular in places like Arizona, Nevada and Florida where millions of Jerseyites have relocated. A Romney/Christie ticket will lock up Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Now- 8 years of Romney/Christie and the Veep is a shoe in for Christie 2020. He'll still be young enough to run for his own White House and have had the best possible training for the job.

That's a pretty attractive offer...

The Christie endorsement hurts Perry, though not as much as Perry hurts Perry. Bachmann, Gingrich and Huntsman will eventually putter out leaving Santorum to battle Paul, Romney, Perry and Cain to fight it out. But Romney will prevail.

Here's my prediction knowing what I know now... Romney / Christie 2012 will win in a landslide. Unemployment has no chance at improving, Solyndra and "Fast and Furious" are just starting to gather steam, and the stalemate in the Congress will be laid at the feet of the great orator who can't talk his own party into voting for his jobs bill.

Romney / Christie and an electoral landslide.

On Drones, Prisons and Principles

2011-10-04T22:55:00.003-04:00

President Obama has proven to be the biggest supporter of President Bush's War on Terror protocols and policies. So much so, that recently former VP Cheney asked for an apology. President Obama has no need to apologize. But Candidate Obama does. Too bad they are not the same person.

Candidate Obama had many names for the War on Terror: illegitimate, over reaction, shredding the constitution, illegal, etc etc. He blasted the policies of rendition, military tribunals, enhanced interrogation, predator drones, and the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. On his first day in office he signed an executive order to look into closing the prison within the year. And he would pull all troops out of Iraq and Afganistan immediately. Global War on Terror became Overseas Contingency Operations.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize based on his rhetoric. Or branding effort.

And here we are just a few short years (and several dozen rounds of golf) later, and we've escalated war in Afghanistan, continued Bush's time table in Iraq, carried out drone attacks (and one targeted assassination) in Pakistan, bombed Libya with additional troops on the ground, and now killed an American citizen in Yemen for his preaching. Guantanamo is still open and functioning and the military tribunals are ongoing. New Coke was not such a hit.

I wonder if Candidate Obama and President Obama have ever met.

3 years ago the interrogation of KSM was a war crime. Obama claimed he was due a civilian trial in Manhattan with full protection of the rights granted by the U.S. Constitution. By today Al-Awlaki can be blown to pieces in Yemen by a drone.

Confused yet?

So you can't put enemy combatants captured in Afghanistan in Guantanamo because of the Geneva Convention. But if you are an American citizens preaching anti-American rhetoric in Yemen... watch out!!

Candidate Obama's rhetoric of the "good" war and "Bush's" war or "war of choice"- phrases he preached in Berlin and Cairo... it's all so much more meaningless and so much more insulting now. It shows what little principle he has. And just how clueless he was as a candidate.

We are no more safe now than we were under the Bush Administration. But we are much less respected. Makes me wonder if that was the plan all along.

The liberal tautology

2011-10-03T19:11:00.004-04:00

I loved logic. My professor was a true aristotelian and we learned all the order of syllogism (hello, Barbara) and symbolic logic with absolute precision. Disecting a logical problem was not whimsy or emotion- it was pure science and mastery.

Liberals lack logic. (I know you appreciate the alliteration).

Two years ago Jeanne Garafolo told us that the tea party's opposition to the Obama agenda was based on racism. They conjured up a story of tea party members spitting at Congressman Cleaver and called him the n-word. Andrew Breitbart offered $100,000 for anyone who could provide video or phot evidence of this. Alas, none was found.

So the tea party is racist.

But the fact that the party candidate is Herman Cain? Racist.

No matter what they do, it's because they are racist. And the definition of pedantic is pedantic.

I anticipate a lot more racism charges as 2012 heats up. Especially if the racist tea party's black candidate is the nominee to defeat the racists tea party's black president.

Not Surprised

2011-08-11T11:55:00.021-04:00

Lot of talk on the blogs and in the media about the new cover of Newsweek Magazine.

Get it? Michele Bachmann is crazy!! She's the "Queen of Rage"... according to the lefty editors at the bankrupt tabloid.

This, the same magazine, that gave us this cover two years ago. How convenient that the prelude to the White House's 2010 theme of "recovery summer" was a favorable seed planted by this rag magazine.

By the way- how did that recovery summer go? Did the "God" Obama command the seasons to bloom economic growth and jobs? Or did that seed just die in the dust?

I don't dub Obama "God". No- that would be the editor in chief of said rag magazine, Evan Thomas, who in 2009 reminded us of his inordinate affection for Barry.

My favorite part of this interview is Chris Matthew's hard-hitting retort "yeah". Here is the editor in chief of a rag magazine, a theoretically non-partisan magazine, who just compared the President to GOD and the journalist in Matthews responds with "yeah". Wow... talk about kool-aid drinking. OH YEAH!!!

So- as I mentioned in the title- I'm not surprised by the current cover of the rag magazine. I'm sure Bachmann isn't either.

Can't wait to see what Newsweek has in store for Rick Perry. Or if Evan Thomas has chosen a new religion.

The Shifty Left

2011-06-06T17:51:00.003-04:00

The left's biggest weapon in the battle of ideas is their plasticity. The left is anything it wants to be- and anything they want you to be.

Think of "hope" and "change" from the 2008 campaign. It meant... nothing. And everything. It was every desire you held and squashed every fear in your heart. For the greens it meant lowering the tides and healing the planet. For the pro-choice it meant unrestricted rights to abortion on demand. For the big government socialists it meant single payer healthcare. Cindy Sheehan took it as an immediate withdrawal of troops and race mongers took it as enhanced affirmative actions policies.

The left is plastic. If the polls say X, they become X. They are were against the war before they were for it. They embody any whim, any policy, any idea when it is convenient and when it could lead to further political power gains.

Where is Cindy Sheehan these days? We've all read of NATO ground troops getting ready to deploy after almost 4 months of air strikes in Libya. I've yet to see a protest on the Mall- and trust me, I live right there. In fact the only Code Pink protester to interrupt the House was a young pinky shouting down Benjamin Natanyahu. No one has interrupted hearings. No one has painted and blood red and waived them in front of Secretary Clinton.

General "Betray-us" was just picked to head the CIA. Where's that "willing suspension of disbelief"? I guess it too was plastic.

What prompts my ponderings is today's press conference by Anthony Weiner. He came clean. Those cries of hacks and right wingers framing him? All lies. All untrue. All... plastic.

Where are the women's groups? Where are the mother's groups? Where is the outrage about internet preying and sexual abuse by men in power on young college coeds?

Plastic.

Plastic outrage. Plastic indignation. Plastic protests. Plastic beliefs. The left stands for nothing but themselves. They believe in nothing but power. They want nothing but political gains.

How else to explain the fact that our President spent 2 years fighting for a healthcare bill while watching the dollar plunge, inflation rise, food prices soar, home prices plummet... they don't care. Plastic.

If Anthony Weiner was comfortable lying for days- blaming others- accusing others, what else is he comfortable doing? What other cover-ups are so cavalier? What else is convenient to lie about?

Congressmen Weiner will sit down again, behind a microphone, leading discussions about serious issues that will compel and force us to live certain laws he deigns to pass. How anyone can take him serious, I don't know. How anyone can listen to his opinion again, I don't know.

But then again- who cares? It's just plastic. I'll feel different tomorrow.

The 11th Commandment

2011-05-16T21:07:00.003-04:00

The vast and ever changing field of 2012 GOP Presidential Candidates loves to quote Reagan but, so far, the emulation ends there.

Reagan attributed this rule to the head of the California GOP, Gaylor Parkinson, the year he ran for the Governor's seat, 1966. Reagan wrote: "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican. It's a rule I followed during that campaign and have ever since."

Reagan looked at the state of California, and indeed the nation, in 1966, and knew that he need not attack his colleagues but rather run on the facts of their principles and positions. Their ideas contrasted to his own were losing ideas. His truth would win per ipsum. It needed only telling. And what a master teller the Great Communicator was.

Looking at the halflings of his legacy, we see Santorum attacking Romney, Newt attacking Paul Ryan's budget (Ryan must be wondering why he's suddenly the enemy...), Ron Paul attacking everybody who is not shrugging with Atlas, and a whole slew of trolls, goblins and circus freaks attacking Michelle Bachman and Sarah Palin. They would all gang up on Tim Pawlenty if it seemed worth it.

Why few are taking the position that the attacks will and should come from we the people is beyond me. We will, in good time, destroy them all in turn for that is what Americans love to do in politics. Bush, Clinton, Bush and even Obama have felt the love turned rage that is the sceptical and fickle American voter.

So my advice to the candidates- not that they would take it because, of course, they know better, is to shut up. Tell your story, stake your claim in the ground and let us decide. 2012 is so winnable. Barack Obama is so beatable- he knows it, the media knows it, the people know it. Why waste energy and resources attacking each other when even the worst candidate amongst you, yes even Gary Johnson the baby killing pot smoking hippie would still be better than the liberation theologian, marxist who currently sits at the Resolute desk, feet up and coat off.

Reagan never took his coat off in the Oval. He thought the room and the Office were both worthy of such etiquette. That's another lesson any President could learn from Reagan.

Big Numbers

2011-04-11T21:50:00.002-04:00

Republicans claim victory over some odd $38 billion in spending cuts for the remainder of FY '11. And relatively speaking, $38 billion is a lot of money. In Congressional terms, especially the way the GOP elephants spend money, $38 billion is peanuts.

I'm looking at my expenses for this month. My budget for rent, food, restaurants, concerts, expenses, etc. is $4,200. I realized that was a bit steep... so I looked for ways to cut out some of the fat. Did I really need to eat out as much? Do I need to go to 930 Club again?

So I stayed up all night looking at the details of my $4,200 monthly budget... and at the end of dramatic, detailed study and statements to the press, I managed to cut out $38 dollars. I'm down to $4,162. Who's patting me on the back for the great work...eh? Who's the man?!?!

And this juvenile analogy doesn't even include the debt. Nor does it mention that I only make about $3,300 a month and that I'm still going in the hole for this month. "Savings"?? Can I really talk about saving anything?

Seriously? How can we look honestly at Republicans for savings or at Democrats for complaining about these cuts? The whole thing is a joke.

Show me $400 billion for FY '11 and $1.3 trillion for FY '12... then I'll cheer. Until then it's all a joke and lies. And I don't see anyone honest enough to tell the truth.

Except Michelle Bachman and Jim Jordan. And I thank them for their honesty.

What's the difference between a "shut down" and a "snow day"?

2011-04-06T14:13:00.004-04:00

A paycheck.

It's not supposed to be funny because it's not a joke. Last year when DC was walloped by "snowmageddon", the Federal Government shut down for 4 consecutive days. I wrote about it here.

Yet, satellites did not fall from the sky. Doctors delivered babies. Chickens laid eggs. We survived. Despite the fact that millions of people did nothing for 4 straight days, we survived. (I'd even argue that we prospered! 4 days of a bunch of morons not sticking their noses into our business or watching online porn).

So now we face this looming "shut down" of the government and everyone, left, right and Obama, is blaming someone else for the impending doom. What's going to happen?

Nothing. Except they will not get paid for doing nothing- unlike the snowstorms of yesteryear. Well... unlike most days of the year. This time the bloated federal government, union protected, step increase assured, pension guaranteed with health benefits for life loafers... this time they don't get paid.

That's probably not a bad thing.

My Cognitive Ethnic Pachyderm

2011-03-24T21:11:00.009-04:00

I have the memory of a sicilian elephant.

The relentless, scathing attacks on President Bush have lingered like the taste of bile after a night of vomiting. I admit- I haven't moved on. For 8 years President Bush was attacked without thought or reason. It was an emotional and illogical motivation, a frenzy whipped up without much substance.

Substance never really mattered. What ruled was passion and rage.

I remember the disrespect they showed in the 2005 inaugural parade. There was no desire to "come together as Americans". There was no unity. It was too much fun to be righteously opposed.

From 2005 - 2008 endless parades of protests marched up and down DC's main Avenues- aged hippies and self proclaimed activists with signs and masks and American flags emblazoned with the swastika over the blue field of stars.

I remember the blood stained hands waved in Condi Rice's face as she tried to testify on the Hill.

Code Pink. Cindy Sheehan. Farenheit 9-11. Cries of war criminals, illigimatcy, Bush's War, war of choice. It become a ringtone.

The 2008 Democrat candidates capitalized on this mood. I was more against the war than you were. Why Barack Obama was always opposed to the war... as a community organizer. He voted against it... in his head. But that's how he ran.

Patriot Act. Renditions. Predator drones. Wire tapping. These were all evils of a shameful Presidency and needed to be abolished. AQI was using Gunatanamo as a recruiting tool... it all needed to go "to restore our image around the world".

I remember all these speeches and promises and subtle (and not so subtle) condescensions towards the then sitting President.- and the way the media whipped this frenzy till it overflowed with sanctimony and feigned indignation. My sicilian elephant remembers it all.

And here we are. Here we friggin are... in what should be an end of innocence for the once gushing lefties, there is silence. In what should be hilighted contradiction after broken promise after hypocracy the media is quiet. In what should be a Code Pink frenzy of war crime photos there is a collection head-in-sand.

Where have the activists and hippies gone? Where is the anger? Where is the cry over an open guantanamo and an expanded Patriot Act? The withdrawl deadlines predicated with surges, the coalition of unwilling now attacking Libya... it's as if Oscar Wilde and Christopher Buckley teamed up to write a satire.

Cindy Sheehan must not have cared THAT much about the war. Or her son. And the peace activists who hated war must now be too busy with underwater mortgages to read the newspaper. That must be the reason for the painful silence the last few weeks have wrought on my sicilian elephant in search of equanimity of outrage.

Surely those activists believed in their cause from 2005 - 2008. Surely their cause lives on.

It does. In my memory alone.

Middle East Mess

2011-03-02T20:31:00.002-05:00

A middle east dictator with a history of persecuting his own people has been faced with protests and uproar. The response of the dictator has been one of unmeasured violence, open murder and genocide. The world community knows this dictator has mustard gas, sarin gas and a heavily enforced military.

The result of this uproar and choas is mass migration of peoples to the borders looking to flee the reign of terror and fear. Because it's an oil rich nation and supply chains have been directly hit and adversely impacted, the international oil market is in constant flux and prices are reaching over $100 a barrel.

The U.N. has condemned these actions but lacks the political will and authority to impose any order or control. Stern warnings and resolutions do not stop the bleeding and killings. On the contrary, the more the U.N. and the world community condemns the actions of the dictator, the more erratic his behavior has become.

What is the President to do? Does he committ U.S. troops to a mission of removing a dictator and helping to restore peace? Does it engage in nation building? Does it attack from afar as the 5th Fleet moves into the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal?

We could go to the U.N. for support and written confirmation of the humanitarian nature of the mission. We could unleash out diplomats around the world engaging our allies to become involved knowing the rogue regimes likes Russia and Iran and North Korea and Venezuela will likely profit from our actions.

Boy oh boy.... does this Libyian situation sound a lot like Iraq. I just wonder if code pink will march with red stained hands and "No Blood for Oil" signs. Will the peace movement disrupt Congressional Hearings and live events with their screaming and chanting...

Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for not being President Bush. Now, faced with a problem that threatens international stability and economies, he must make a decision. And his decision today was "I'll take a few questions on this tomorrow".

The 3AM phone call came in. And Obama pretended he left his phone in his coat pocket.

A Call for Civility

2011-02-17T21:43:00.003-05:00

Praise to the Wisconsin GOP for their quick turn around of one of the most telling videos I've seen in years.

Notice how the media has yet to talk about the violent rhetoric coming from these union protestors. Obama has called the Governor's actions an "assault" on their liberties. Obama has harsher words for Governor Walker than he does for Ahmadinejad.

He's one odd man...

Let's hope it doesn't turn physically violent. If so, just like Tuscon, we'll have to pin the violence on Bill Maher and Eugene Robinson and Keith Olbermann...

Capital Stupidity

2011-02-14T19:43:00.004-05:00

The Washington, DC City Council has finally given permission to Wal-Mart allowing the retail behemoth to do business within the city. Funny that someone like Marion Barry can stop economic growth and expansion- but that's the joy of urban liberalism. Look at cities like Detroit, Cleveland, New York and Baltimore for further evidence of liberals with power destroying economies...

But that's not my point. What got my attention was this hysterical article in the Washington Post where local yokels express their concerns about Wal-Mart's impending arrival. Let's looks at some of what keeps Washingtonians up at night:

1. "would a new Wal-Mart there really stock the same quality of food and products as its stores do in better-off, suburban communities? "I'll believe it when I see it," Mya Harris, 24, said skeptically. "Sure, you can put the store here, but what are they going to put inside it?"

Ah, yes Ms. Harris. I can see you are not a business major. Just tell me- in your 24 years of life and some, say, 14 of buying products: what store have you ever seen that puts things on their shelves that people don't want to buy? Maybe YOU don't buy those things. But someone does. Or... guess what, Ms. Harris? You know what happens? That store goes out of business (or gets a government bailout, depending on what President Obama's magic ball says).

What does she think will be on the shelves? Saddles? Microscopes? or things that people need. I think, one can safely say, that Wal-mart has a pretty good reputation on stocking their shelves with things that people buy. You know, success didn't come because of a government subsidy. This isn't General Motors.

2. "Brenda Speaks, a Ward 4 ANC commissioner, actually urged blocking construction of the planned store in her ward at Georgia and Missouri avenues NW partly because of that risk. Addressing a small, anti-Wal-Mart rally at City Hall on Monday, Speaks said young people would get criminal records when they couldn't resist the temptation to steal."

I have no words for this gibberish. I only suffer knowing that my tax dollars pay for this woman's salary.

3. "the Respect DC coalition of nonprofit groups, unions and churches that organized the demonstration... demand was that the company sign a citywide Community Benefits Agreement that would promise in writing to do things such as invest in local communities and treat its workers well."

What gaul. What absolute gaul. A company that hasn't even arrived yet but plans to bring retail, low prices, enormous tax revenue and hundreds of full time job being issued a list of demands by a "coalition". I'd love to know what the hell this coalition has done for DC, what jobs they have created, what revenue they have contributed to the city coffers. They risk no capital, they invest no time nor treasure into this venture. It's not their money, their vision, their entrepreneurship yet they want to issue demands.

You know how Wal-Mart can "invest in local communities"? By BUILDING A FRIGGIN WAL-MART IN THE COMMUNITY. You know how Wal-Mart can "treat its workers well"? By giving them jobs. Jobs that DO NOT exist now. I don't know, Hippie Coalition, I think that's a pretty nice way to treat someone.

I'm always amazed groups that have no background, experience or knowledge in business feel entitled to dictate business rules to corporations that are taking enormous financial risks. This isn't rewarding entrepreneurship- it is stifling it.

Typical of my beloved Washington. A city where old men in wingback, leather chairs want to dictate rules on baseball, foreign policy in Iran, oil policy, transfats and automotive futures. Knowledge and experience and vested interest account for nothing.

An SNL Boycott

2011-02-09T21:07:00.003-05:00

I have few personal boycotts. Sean Penn movies mostly... but this weekend I am going to add to the list.

This Saturday the musical guest on Saturday Night Live is Chris Brown. Chris Brown the guy who sent his girlfriend Rihanna to the hospital with black eyes he beat her so bad... you can still see the pictures of her bruised face online.

In 1990 Andrew Dice Clay was supposed to host SNL and cast member Nora Dunn and musical guest Sinead O'Connor boycotted the show because of Dice's language against women. As far as I know- Dice never was arrested or accused of hitting anyone. Still, people boycotted.

Yet here we are 21 years later with a legitimate abuser.. and I don't see any outcry. He sent his girlfriend to the hospital he beat her so bad... no outcry. What if Mel Gibson were to host next week? Would he get a pass?? Where is NOW??? Where is Maureen Dowd??

Make smoking illegal

2011-02-08T20:50:00.003-05:00

Mayor Bloomberg is a champion of the nanny state's duty to care for its people. The government has your best interest at heart and knows better. It started with those pesky crimes like sitting on milk crates. Then car idling. Transfats. Salt. Smoking has always been on the radar screen as the most egregiously unhealthy activity and once he got rid of smoking section for total smoking bans, one would think he would stop.

But no. He need to levy stiff taxes against smokers with $2 and now almost $4 taxes per pack (wasn't the increased tax revenue to go to education or children's healthcare or something?) Estimates run in the $20's of millions in lost tax revenue due to a thriving black market. But that wasn't enough for Mayor Mike.

New York City Council with Mike's enthusiastic support has determined you can't smoke in certain outdoors sections like... the outdoors. And this is good... because smoking is bad. So bad we need to tax and deter and punish and inconvenience smokers into submission. (you reading this Obama?) Congrats, New York. Your 8 million children are safe. Will you wipe their chins and feed them their bottle next?

I suggest being truly radical. If we are going to care for the health of the citizenry... if we really want to protect them... we will just make smoking illegal. Drugs are illegal. Why not smoking?

Just ask the smoking Nazis about the "dangers of second hand smoke". Scientific evidence shows that anyone breathing within 1000 feet of a smoker will die instantly. Each year millions of people die from second hand smoke... just ask the Nazis.

So why not just make it illegal- completely and utterly illegal? Is it because thousands of people are employed in the tobacco industry? Is it because we export billions in cigarette sales around the world and need the money? Is it because New York needs the tax revenue? What could be more noble than just eliminating the entire industry once and for all?

We stopped slavery. We prohibit prostitution. Mayor Mike- if smoking is so dangerous and deadly- just make it completely illegal. It's the right thing to do for your people. It will be a moral victory and make New York a leader in world health. It will be your victory- Mayor Mike- the healthiest mayor in America. No, in the world. What a victory!

And we'll celebrate that victory with fine Cuban cigars. We can still smoke cigars, right?

We did trains already

2011-02-08T20:18:00.004-05:00

Today President Obama announced his plan to spend $53 billion on high speed rail. Nate Taggart he is not.

As luck would have it, whenever the folly of the administration needs further emphasis Joe Biden is not far behind. His being an Amtrak alumnus someone makes him an expert in the railroad industry. Just ask him. He will tell you about logging some 7,900+ trips between Wilmington, Delaware and Union State on Acela Express as if sitting in business class reading Highlights Magazine somehow imparted industry knowledge.

What if we don't spend this fortune on railroad? "If we do not, you tell me how America is going to be able to lead the world in the 21st century," asks the Veep. Leadership- especially leadership in the future- is somehow intimately tied to railroads. At least in this Administration's mind.

China plans to spend $500 billion on their railroads in the next 5 years. And you see, that is 10x more than we plan to spend. Which means China's railroads must be 10x something more than us- faster, better, healthier- I don't know. But neither does Obama nor Biden (who in my mind is wearing a blue and white train conductor's hat). So to stay competitive with China, we have to spend more money, too.

I think Biden fails to realize that China is, basically, a third world country with some big cities. The vast majority of China is illiterate and has no running water and electricity. China has no infrastructure- in fact the last infrastructure project in China was the Great Wall. They are building from scratch.

We did trains already. We did trains over 100 years ago- ask the Vanderbilts. Shouldn't Anderson Cooper- when not getting beaten up in Cairo- ask the Veep "Didn't my great grandfather do this already?" We can't compare what China needs to do to be civilized and what America did in the days of Cowboys and Indians. It's silly.

If Joe Biden is so concerned about China spending billions of dollars on it's interiors, maybe he should stop giving them more money. Borrowing $53 billion on trains no one wants to use is typical of this Administration's cluelessness. Maybe next we can borrow $50 billion from China to improve typewriters.

Funny- light bulbs are an old technology America invented and exported, too. And yet now we are forced to buy them from China thanks to this same liberal philosophy. Trains, light bulbs... what's next?

Holding a City Hostage

2011-01-04T21:19:00.002-05:00

I spent an extra three days in New York City for my Christmas vacation. Not willingly, however. My car was snowed in.

As a native New York, I used to laugh at DC’s response to snow. Even the slightest dusting still triggers mass panic, early closures of schools and business and a rush to the local grocery for bottled water, milk and toilet paper. (I guess for Washingtonians, snow necessarily means a desire for hot chocolate, a fear of pipes freezing and chronic diarrhea.) Last year’s major back-to-back blizzards which closed the federal government for 4 days was a national headline and northeasterner’s punch line. But they laughed too soon.

New York was crippled for three days. New York City… not Calcutta, not Mogadishu, not even DC. New York City. And no one could understand why. 24 inches, though certainly a lot of snow, is not unheard of in the City that never sleeps… so why the sudden shut down? Why was New York City suddenly incapable of responding to a snowstorm.

We thought all along it was a union plot. And by “we”, I mean my conservative, politically savvy family with whom I was snowbound sans internet or TV (thanks, Time Warner Cable. Glad Comcast doesn’t have the monopoly on crap cable companies). We witnessed snow plows driving along the streets with plows raised. We saw sanitation trucks parked with engines off and workers sitting inside the truck. For three days, they didn’t pick up garbage and they didn’t plow snow. So what did they do?

They protested.

Sanitation workers make an average of $67k per year. Now starting salary is low- $30 or 31k. But that jumps to over $44 in just one year with some overtime. Managers can make well into 6-figures. And as a protected class, they all retire with full benefits and pension in 20 years. I’ve been working for over 15 years and don’t see retirement in the near future… but high school classmates of mine are only 3 years away from a retired pension of close to $80k… for life. Pick up a few hours working at blockbuster video and you are making over $100k at the ripe old age of 41.

You know… suddenly being a garbage man doesn’t sound so bad.

Sanitation workers union is mad at the Mayor. First off, join the club. Everyone is mad at Bloomberg because he’s a terrible mayor, nanny state leader, bike lane fascist, chronic tax increaser, manipulative big dog who uses his vast fortunes to rule others. But the sanitation union is not mad at any of that. No, they are mad that he is cutting sanitation workers. And this was their revenge.

Sadly, Bloomberg is letting himself take the blame and not holding the union accountable for their deliberately orchestrated show down. Instead, Mayor Mike should “put his boot on the neck” on the union bosses and remind the workers that their loyalty is to the city (whose 8 million residents pay their salaries) and not to the union. He didn’t do this. And the union won.

Unions are holding New York City (and most major cities) hostage. New York transit just announced a series of fare increases. Now the subway is $2.50 per ride up from $2.25. And that additional quarter is going to union pensions. That’s right- not one cent of that is for track improvement, the 2nd Avenue expansion, maintenance, clean-up… no. The entire amount is for retired transit workers, who, like the sanitation union, have retired after 20 years with full benefits and handsome pensions. Another hostage situation.

The snow slow down and financial crippling are direct consequences of unions that have become too powerful and spineless government officials who sign their contracts. Where is their sense of duty to the citizens? Who protects the 8 million from the tyranny of 6300 sanitation workers? It’s shameful and prevalent enough to drive this conservative bonkers. But it is also reflective in the 2010 U.S. census results. Those union-rich states are losing population and the red states, right to work states are growing. New York will lose 2 districts. Texas will gain 4. That’s voting with your feet.

I love New York. I love DC. And I don’t feel like I have to move to escape the tyranny of the unions and their death grip on city services, schools, roads and construction. And I’m sure Utah and Wyoming are great states but I want to live here. Changing a city as liberal as New York or DC is near impossible. But the solution to the union power is simple. And, I think, inevitable: Bankruptcy.

New York will be forced to declare bankruptcy. Not just the city but the entire state (as will California and several others.) To sound awfully cliché it’s not a matter of “if” but “when”. The math is as certain and unstoppable as the Titanic’s sinking. The city is overpaying its underperforming employees and allowing them to retire extremely young. Ironically, the Nation considers raising the retirement age to 67… a good 26 later than the first retirees of New York’s stellar sanitation department. People and business are migrating out of New York- not in waves but in a constant drip drip drip of exodus. Once declared bankrupt, the city can cancel every one of their hoodwinked union contracts and renegotiate sane, sound ones that don’t exploit the taxpayers. Novel concepts like work performance and accountability can be addressed and the blanket “get paid no matter what you do/don’t do” approach (that has, surprisingly, not worked) can be abolished.

It does start with the people and the elections. On the one hand, New York did just vote in another Cuomo who will undoubtedly take the unions into his bedroom for some intimate moments. And we here in DC did elect Vince Grey who was endorsed by Marion Barry. So I guess, we both get what we vote for.

Maybe, then, Utah is my only option. Because being held hostage by half retired, unqualified, unskilled, heavily compensated, glorified bus boys cannot be my reality. Not if I want to stay sane and keep my wallet out of the union’s reach.

We are All Suspects

2010-11-22T21:42:00.005-05:00

There's a part of me that feels somewhat guilty for returning to the blogosphere with a rant of such obvious and overexposed nature. Pat downs have been talked, written and debated to a numbing degree. But what interests me is not the sudden affection of the TSA and the media storm that has followed (and fueled) it. Rather, I haven't found anyone who raises two points.

1) The pat down assumes we are all guilty

When political correctness meets power, you get the TSA screening. Everyone is considered a potential threat, everyone is a potential terrorist: old, young, children, nuns, war veterans- we are all equally guilty. In biblical terms, it's an original sin on all mankind. In PC terms, it's a the belief that everyone is capable of hijacking a plane or smuggling a bomb onboard.

In college I was the only student in a feminist phlosophy class. I thought that as a philosophy major it would open my perspective to new theories and ideas. Instead, what I found was an angry aged lesbian manhater who taught that all men are potential rapists. Patricia Schroder would have fallen in love.

In that same vein, the Obama administration thinks all Americans are potential terrorists. History is not needed. Perspective is not wanted. Reagan once said that the solutions to our problems are not complex; they are just hard. The solution to the terrorist problem and the TSA screening process is not complex. It just needs a real leader to implement it because it is hard.

2) The pat down is a consequence of the Obama Administration's policy towards the middle east

The Obama administration has consistently dealt with terrorism as a crime. The recent unsuccessful civilian trial of Ahmed Ghailani is only the latest in a series of appeasements and misunderestimations of who and what militant islam is. When Obama announced the Freedom of the Press Act in 2009 in honor of the peaceful religion's beheading victim, he spoke of "the loss of Daniel Pearl". The loss- a magnificent use of the passive voice. Only, Daniel Pearl wasn't lost... he didn't die of cancer. He was murdered.

I thought of Mrs. Pearl who heard the President utter those words and wondered what she thought.

This is the attitude of the Obama administration since day 1. When terrorism became "man made disasters" and war on terror became "overseas contingency operations". When islam was credited with the arch and math. When the ground zero mosque is defended and Kahlid Sheikh mohammad is tried in NYC (maybe he will be found guilty of a crime other than conspiracy...)

And how has islam responded? With underwear bombers and Times Square attempts. With renewed efforts to detroy us. With Germany and England under highest security alerts in recent years. Where is the peace? Where is the understanding? Wasn't Obama supposed to wave his hand, lower the seas and restore the world order?

No- islam is in anti-American overdrive. So TSA is tapping everyone's crotch because everyone is guilty and islam hasn't backed down. Despite Obama's embarrassing behavior and nonsensical policies

When I go home on Thursday and get my pat down at Reagan Airport... I'll remember how the place's namesake dealt with evil: we win, they lose.

If only the current President could learn that lesson.

The Islam Problem

2010-10-18T23:04:00.006-04:00

I don't watch The View.

I have a job.

But I guess the other day on The View, Bill O'Reilly caused Whoopi and Joy to walk off the set because of his comments on the Ground Zero mosque and the fact that islam killed 3000 Americans on 9/11.

Truth can be a very divisive thing.

I was watching the news last week as 10 European Airports raised their threat level due to credible evidence that members of a certain religious persuasion were planning attacks. Rome remembers those attacks well and many died at Fiumicino Airport in 1986 when a certain faith no different than any other faith launched an attack on tourists.

While these airports were going to defcon 5... Geert Wilders stood trial for "hate speech" in Holland. See- his words made people sad. Like Whoopi and Joy. And that's not allowed in Holland.

Fort Hood bomber Major Hassan is also on trial for his crimes. I wrote about that crime here and here. He and underwear bomber Umar Faruk Abdulmutallab, who also stands trial for his attempt to bring down a plane, are more recent examples of people not at war with us because of religion.

(And I use the word "crime" above facetiously. Only the left think terrorism is a crime.)

I'm forgetting the Times Square bomber who luckily knew more about cologne and gold chains than wiring and fertilizer. Religion was not a factor in his efforts, either.

I'm waiting for this anti-muslim backlash in America. One would think it would have happened right after 9/11. Or after the first world trade center bombing. Or after the dozens of muslim terrorist attacks on Americans here and abroad. It just hasn't happened. America is not anti-muslim. America is not anti-anything.

But America's equality has translated into fairness. And fairness has become relativism. Relativism is dangerous. It is relative to think "any" religion can do what islam is doing to the world. They point to that pastor in Florida who wants to burn the koran as an example of radical Christianity. How that compares to beheading people on the internet, I do not understand.

Guess it's all relative.

The islam problem is real and pervasive. And the problem is not America's treatment of islam or muslim people, but their behavior in the west. Where are the moderate muslim leaders? Where are the moderate muslim people and communities? There is nothing moderate about demanding to build a mosque in a sensitive area. There is nothing moderate about their silence in the face of persistent, frequent attacks around the world and in our country.

The tap dance around political speech and sensitivity has made America very divisive. While Europe goes into protection mode, America's leftist government continues its ostrich positioning.

And that's a problem.

Trent Lott and the Party Crashers: an open letter

2010-09-13T19:47:00.003-04:00

Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott made an unnecessarily obnoxious comment over the summer.

"We don’t need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples. As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them", he told the Washington Post.

Former Senator turned power broker lobbyist... what we don't need is a lot more of you and your lack of ideas. Shut up.

You held the leadership for critical years: years when we held the White House, the House and the Senate and we could have, should have, implemented a strategy to destroy the American leftists. We could have privatized much of government. We could have slashed spending; we could have reduced the size of the federal government by 20-30%; we could have reformed the tax code, social security, healthcare. We could have imploded the Department of Education, the EPA, the NEA. We could have given people back 20% of their hard-earned money, taken burdens off of small business, harnessed our own oil and shale and coal production.

We could have done that with a lot of Jim DeMint disciples. Instead, man who sucked at the teet of Government for 35 years, what did we get? What did we get??

Barack Obama.

Bill Clinton.

How did these candidates emerge? Their ideas are proven fallacies, their beliefs are categorically opposed to the American dreams. But they were seen as an alternative to failed leadership. They filled a vacuum of ideas.

You are that vacuum of ideas. Republicans worked so hard to protect their majorities with the likes of you and Arlen Specter and Olympia Snow that they did nothing with their majorities. Actually- not true. They did a great job at damaging the Republican party.

It took Barack Obama's socialist overreach to bring us back into the spotlight. Now we have the chance to present our ideas to the American people, not just as a counter to Barack Obama's recycled Carter Stagflation, but as a truth. Only dedicated and true-blooded Republicans will present these ideas boldly and without compromise.

Like a Senate full of Jim DeMints.

Tomorrow Mike Castle can win the Delaware primary. He's the GOP favorite. And I bet he's your choice, too. Only problem is that he's not a Republican. Well, maybe your kind of Republican. Christine O'Donnell is winning in the polls and the GOP is trying hard to destroy her because she's a Jim DeMint Republican.

And Lisa Murkowski in Alaska is thinking of running as an Independent. Like Charlie Crist. Two more loser Republicans that the voters were smart enough to reject but who are fighting hard to stay alive. For the party? Ha! Yeah. For the party. Same reason you Trent made those unneeded comments about us "Jim DeMint" Republicans.

Don't forget Reagan's 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Talk Ill About Another Republican. That includes you, Senator. Sorry we aren't welcomed in your big tent, Trent. But your days are over. You had your year... your 35 years. Now it's our time.

Long live the Conservative Movement. To Marco and Joe and Christine: Godspeed.

Overkill

2010-09-12T22:01:00.004-04:00

There's been a lot of talk recently- so I haven't done a lot of writing. We are in overkill.

Ever catch someone by surprise- maybe doing something they shouldn't be doing? Often the respond with words... lots and lots of words. They try to talk their way into control. They try to talk their way into logic.

And it's not possible. What you do is just talk your way into a bigger hole.

Barack Obama hasn't learned that lesson. He thinks his golden tongue (well, his teleprompter and recycled scripts) will be the serpent raised in the desert. The more he talks, it seems the worse it gets. Remember the Cambridge Police who acted "stupidly" accordin to the President? Having admitted ... though he didn't have all the facts, the orator in chief was sure his words would put to rest any need for further discussion about the issue. And rather than placate or alleviate all POTUS did was make it worse.

And so the Ground Zero victory tower...er...mosque. He would not comment on the mosque. It was a local issue. For weeks he skirted the issue until the iftar celebration at the White House when, before the right audience (of his choosing...) he comes out in favor of the mosque... though not the wisdom of the mosque... but it was a local issue... what??

I'm against the mosque because it doesn't have to be THERE. It could be anywhere else- it could be moved. And that is what we do in a tolerant society. We accommodate.

We don't put our nativity scenes out less it "offend" other religions.

We don't allow crosses to be used in monuments less it "offend" other religions.

And we don't put mosques where islam killed 3000 people less is "offend" other religions.

But this has all been said and re-said and said again. And we try to talk ourselves into logic: the Constitution guarantees the rights of religious freedom. Congress shall make no law against it. It seems logical.

But this isn't Congress. And this isn't prohibting anyone's religious freedom. It's protecting a pluarlistic society where religious sentiments need to coexist. So why wouldn't the Christmas tree scrooges be more sympathetic to those who want the mosque moved.

They try to talk themselves into logic. And instead they make the reasoning more difficult and the understanding more muddled.

As for koran burning... just as insensitive as the mosque. Funny how it stings both ways.

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche

2010-08-05T20:52:00.009-04:00

Charlie Rangel, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, writes the tax law that rule our land. Yet this leader did not pay his own taxes on NYC apartments and villas.

Neither did Timothy Geithner pay his taxes on time or in full. He now heads the IRS.

Several other administration officials pay their taxes- men and women who reign over the bureaucracies that rule our lives were not subject to the same laws as the ordinary folk.

Us.

Recently John Kerry tried to dock his $7 million toy in Rhode Island to avoid tens of thousands of dollars in taxes. These would be the same taxes that he we have to pay, but that he and Tim and Charlie et al want to avoid. Did avoid.

John Kerry also served in Vietnam, in case you forgot.

Then there are the hypocrites.

Al Gore. Al Gore has made a fortune- literally a fortune- dictating how we should live, how much gas and paper we should use, how big our "carbon footprint" should be. I'm assuming it should be smaller than his new $10million mansion in Malibu...

John "two-Americas" Edwards. Here is a man who made himself immensely rich by duping individuals into suing major corporations because of their own individual negligence and stupidity. Mr. Edwards owns the largest house in North Carolina yet decries the plight of the poor and wants government to bring about equitable redistributive process. Maybe we should all sue to government.

Bill and Hillary threw a multi-million dollar wedding for former first daughter Chelsea. I wish Chelsea and her husband Mark the best yet marvel that two parents who are civil servants have made so much money.

Barack Obama- spread the wealth around "there comes a time when you've made enough money" loves to vacation in $40k a week beach compounds and exclusive resorts around the nation (except the gulf coast). Barack talked a nice campaign about us not being able to drive the cars we want and keep the thermostat where we want... notice he said nothing about vacationing where we want...

And finally Michelle and her voyage to Spain where rooms cost $2500 per night according to news sources. A fun trip with 40 of her closest friends (plus about 100 secret service agents).

And all this has happened in the midst of a terrible, government made recession. This frivolity, the opulence, this esprit de versailles while Americans close business, stand in lines for food stamps and struggle. The image, the callous image sent by all of the aforementioned but most especially the first lady and the President is one of total disconnect, indifference and pure disgust for the average Americans.

Remember the arugula comments during the campaign. Remember the Hyde Park, the Harvard Yard, the Upper West Side. The Obamas hate flyover country. They despise Americans who cling bitterly to their guns and religion. They look with disdain on Joe the plumbers. "How much do they make!" Barack once snidely joked. Sure, the Obamas play the part. But when you wear $400 sneakers to ladle out food in a soup kitchen, you are telling people who you really are. Your are Sidwell Friends. You are Martha's Vineyard. You are elite.

You are the type of person the shut down traffic and airspace for hours spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to go see an August Wilson play.

And call it a "date night".

In the late 18th century, in her clueless and frivolous world, Marie Antoinette commissioned the "hameau de la reine" at enormous expense to the french treasury. There in her hamlet of rolling pastures, ponds, wildflowers, mills and barns, she donned a simple dress and played the part of a peasant. It was her retreat, her escape from the world where she could pretend she was a regular person. But she didn't clean the stalls, she didn't empty the bed pans, didn't shovel horse manure or skim the scum off the pond... she didn't do any real work. She produced nothing. She neither sewed nor reaped nor harvested. She didn't plant or till or fertilize or irrigate. She didn't sweat or blister.

She just pretended.

And the public- mired in poverty and depression hated her for pretending to be like them. Because their toil was real. Their sweat smelled bad and their blisters hurt. And their bellies ached and they longed for liberation. And this monster of a queen spent fortunes- more fortunes then their entire villages could amasse- to pretend.

Go to the Gulf Shore said Obama. Yet he vacationed in Maine. It's all just pretend.

Charlie, Tim, Bill & Hillary, Kerry, Edwards, Barack and Michelle all pretend. They pretend to be public servants, they pretend to be regular Americans. But they are the extreme powerful leaders that typify a corrupt democrat party. The are the oppressors of the very people they claim to champion.

Who can tell them apart from the court of Versailles or the guests at the Winter Palace? Are they us, or are they something other than us? Did we not chose them to represent us yet... who have they become? They demand we pay taxes and live soberly, conscientiously, efficiently while they live in realities of couture and private jets, often times at our expense.

"Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

My un-Christian thoughts for the Day

2010-08-01T20:48:00.002-04:00

I took July off- not intentionally but too many things either disinterested me or were talked/blogged to death and I was bored...

I'm waiting for Mad Men to start and there is nothing on TV. I got stuck watch "Extreme Makeover" and tonight's episode angered me. It was about the something family and they are poor and struggling because they run a soup kitchen and make no money. So ABC swoops in and builds a house, pays their mortgage and finds 5 18-wheelers full of food for their "work".

Sounds nice, right?

It's my belief that these actions are to a certain extent "un-Christian" and I know that's a tough stand to defend. But here goes:

1. Regarding the soup kitchen these people run. What love for mankind is there in fostering dependency? Does that respect their dignity? Does it treat them as equals? Often times charity makes us feel good but doesn't really DO any good. It may relieve a temporary problem but it has no long-term viability.

The thousands of people (that's what they claim) who go to this food pantry have been robbed of their adulthood. Of their maturity. It treats them as perpetual children and dependents.

That is un-Christian.

2. This family has brought misery to itself. And now there is nothing inherantly Christian about that... one may feel a sense of martyrdom, but I can also cut myself and cry to the Lord that I am bleeding for Him. Makes no sense.

Charity is important and necessary. And no doubt people fall on hard time and need temporary assistance. But temporary. If your career is feeding people, you just perpetuate a cycle of poverty that will not end.

This administration acts in a similar manner. By creating a government benevolence that encompasses education, housing bailouts, credit card debt relief, food stamps, etc etc etc... they create a class of dependents. A class of children who must nurse at the government's teet for sustainance.

And there is nothing noble about that. Nor Christian. Nor dignified.

The people tonight on ABC are misguided, but probably good intentioned. The Obama administration is not misguided and has nefarious intentions. They know what they are doing and do it willfully because a class of people dependent on their government will keep them in power forever. And that is always the goal of the left: power.

We need to learn self-sufficiency. A mother bird throws its chick out of the nest. If only we would do the same.

The President Responds to the World Cup Finale for Team USA

2010-06-26T17:30:00.003-04:00

The White House
Washington, DC

Good Afternoon (Look sad and concerned. Scratch face)

Earlier my administration watched the United States end its hope (and change!) for a World Cup victory. As you know, my administration has been active in the promotion of soccer since day one. I believe that by spreading the sports wealth around, all of American sports will prosper. Some will have you believe that America's best sports days are behind us. But I will not give in to the notion that sports are destined to fail.

I inherited an enormous debt of soccer talent. The previous administration, pursuing a course of sports abandonment that only benefited the rich sports, through a series of deregulation, allowed soccer to become subpar, sub standard and inadequate. This is unacceptable. But now is not the time to look backward at the mistakes previous administration made. Now is the time to look ahead.

We must act now. We must act swiftly and with determination. The time for talking is over. Now is the time to act. I am not one to believe that it is impossible to improve America's sports talent. I will not give in to the notion that America's sport's future is grim. Today I am announcing a Soccer Czar. This person, appointed by me, will serve my administration by ensuring that proper and adequate soccer attention is provided in sports television, sports radio and sports newscasting. With this new focused attention on the matter, my Soccer Czar will inform my administration about steps I can take that will address this challenge.

Now is the time to act. Now is the time to come together as Americans and say, yes we can. We can kick the ball and not use our hands. Let us use our heads and direct the momentum in our favor. We can score that soccer goal. Now is the time and this is the moment when my administration headed by me will make sports history for all Americans.

Thank you.

Thank you for closing 395, Barry

2010-06-26T14:42:00.002-04:00

Early on in the administration of our "clean and articulate" President, the page sixers of journalism wrote with orgasmic joy of his coolness, his love of food and his desire to be out and about. Remember the "date night" which shut down part of the West Side highway so he and Michelle could see Raisin in the Sun?

Well, that's continued. The Obama's like to go out. And it's annoying.

Bush was a dullard who liked to spend time on his ranch. He also entertained in Crawford (or Camp David) and held many meetings there- away from the press, the limelight and the inconvenience it would cause the average Joe.

Not Barry.

Some months ago he held that nuclear summit which did as much to reduce nuclear proliferation as what I am about to do: NO MORE NUCS. And now- SHAZAAM! PRESTO CHANGE-O! Done, right? It worked? No? Crap. Well- the intention was to reduce nuclear threats... and when you are a lefty, intention is ALL that matters... but I'm getting off point... my point is that Obama held said nuclear magic show in the DC Convention center- right smack in the middle of the city- and shut down blocks and blocks of city streets, creating a traffic nightmare and causing those who live around that area to live in a version of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Bush would have held it at Crawford. But past Presidents cared about the results. Obama only cares about the show. After all- that's all he's got. That's how he ran his campaign and won: show. Appearances. Perception. Impression. Illusion...

So Russian Czar Medvedev comes to DC and after Obama bows before him (I'm sure he did...) he went to a burger joint in Arlington. And to get there, Secret Service shut down I-395 for hours.

Thanks.

Thanks for causing untold numbers of people headed to Dulles and Reagan to miss flights. Thanks for causing thousands of us to be stuck in traffic, engines idling with AC blaring in 95 degree temperatures (so much for global warming theory, eh Barry??). Thanks for backing up 14th Street, 4th Street, South Capitol Street, I-295, Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Rt. 50, the GW Parkway, the Beltway...

But hey - you LOOKED really cool. "Hey I may be President but I know a great little burger joint if you want to grab lunch". Funny how he only had 20 minutes for the CEO of BP (how's that leak going?) but he had time to take an impromptu trip to grab a burger with the premiere of the Soviet Union.

Substance doesn't matter. It's all about impressions. It's about telling the muslims in Cairo how bad America has been and how great islam is. It's about telling ex-pats and Germans how bad Bush is and how great he will be as President. It's about telling Americans how wrong they are on race and how he remains uncontaminated of Rev. Wright's hatred. The purpose is not to win, but to tie. To make all things equal. To "spread the wealth around" as he told Joe the Plumber. To ensure fairness.

I bet Obama loves Soccer.

Hype and Hope

2010-06-08T19:42:00.004-04:00

Did Barack Obama really say he is looking for an ass to kick?

Really?

The President of the United States... spoke like a Tony Soprano. If Tony Soprano had a son with Urkle.

The time for looking for an ass to kick, Mr. Hopey Changey, was 50 days ago when this happened. You know, before your two vacations, your White House concerts, a few rounds of golf and some graduations speeches. Maybe instead of retaliation and "keeping your boot on their neck" you could SOLVE the problem.

Funny- all talk and no action. This is the guy, as Sarah Palin reminded us at the GOP convention almost 2 years ago, who authored two memoirs and not one piece of legislation. This from the guy who used his own campaign as an example of executive experience.

Now we see what a lack of experience means. President Obama is not making decisions because he is both incapable and incompetent. There is no one to turn to, no one to correct his mistake, no media to hide the millions of gallons of oil, no Tony rezko to funnel his money, no guilty white Harvard or Columbia University professor to grade him on a curve.

Steven Strasburg is making his debut right now and for those of us who couldn't get tickets (or wouldn't spend the money) for this debut are stuck watching it on MASN2 which is not in HD (what century is this?). Three great innings. Six strike outs with a change-up averaging 90mph. Now in the top of the 4th, this young phenom gave up back to back hits and it's first and second with no outs. Hang on... now after a double play, a two run hommer.

Will Strasburg be hype or hope for the Nats? We are excited, turned out in record numbers to watch his inauguration into the Majors. What's he going to do? Yes, baseball is a team sport. Pitching is not (as much). What's he going to do? Will he blame the stadium, the fans, the team, the previous pitcher, the manager, the umpire? Will he bluster and blather in the locker room and pontificate on his greatness and ability without delivering the goods?

Barack Obama was a lot of hope. In the last 17 months he's proven to be nothing more than hype. Words, tomes and volumes of words, thesauraus and dictionary, erudite and eloquent words.

So no one should be afraid of an Obama ass kicking. It's just words. Again.

It's Official: Anti-semitism is OK in the Obama White House

2010-06-07T21:05:00.003-04:00

Helen Thomas' disgusting departure from her career as front-and-center member of the White House Press Corp illustrates a certain tolerance of anti-semitism. Don't get me wrong- I'm glad to see her go. Her vile and angry banter has been tolerated for too long. But I'm surprised she was allowed to resign.

Rand Paul's comments (what did he even say?) was front page fodder for feign indignation and a catalyst for more "tea bagging" jokes by the left. Despite the fact that the NYTimes blatantly lied (OK- creatively edited) about his comments, Rand Paul is still demonized by the media.

And let's not even talk about Don Imus. Too bad Helen didn't call the Jews nappy-headed. Maybe then she would have to apologize to... someone.

Had a comment been made about Hispanics or Blacks or Gays or muslims, Helen Thomas would have been immediately fired by the White House Press Corp, forbidden access to compound and probably shunned. Instead, CNN today talked about her as a pioneer of women journalists and a praised her tenacity and courage.

It's so courageous to be on the far left. I'm often amazed at Michael Moore's gut. Errr guts.

So I'm glad to see Helen go. Took too many a year for this to happen. But I'm sad that Jew-hating is somehow acceptable in Barack Hussein Obama's White House. I'm sad that he didn't come out against Helen's hatred and ask her to step aside. I'm side they let her resign on her own terms, as if she merrited compassion after advocating ethnic clenseing.

Yes, I'm sad. But not surprised.

Humanitarian Aid with knives guns and clubs

2010-06-02T20:23:00.002-04:00

In the earliest stages of this Administration, Obama made it clear that Islam would be treated with kid gloves. He delivered a speech in Cairo lauding Islam for accomplishments they never achieved in mathematics and architecture. He praised Islam for its contributions to mankind and apologized for the west's treatment.

Terrorism became "man made disasters" and war became "overseas contingency operations". And he waited for them to love him.

But they didn't. In fact, the Taliban upped the ante and increased their aggression. Huh? Disasters were made by men in Fort Hood, on Christmas Day and in Times Square. What?

This was all supposed to cease. Radical Islam was supposed to like us now. And rainbows and ponies would fill the earth...

Israel has been left alone. And I didn't think I could cheer for a foreign country over my own, but twice now Benjamin Netanyahu has declined invitations to the White House after being royally snubbed in his first visit, and I find myself saying GO BEN!

Seven million Israelis, surrounded by 350 million muslims, are defending their land and their lives. What is this "humanitarian" boat of goods steered by "activists"? And why is it? Why is it needed? What has happened in Gaza that suddenly an entire barge of "aid" is needed? Was there an earthquake? Did the muslim world send a barge to Haiti or Peru? I didn't notice...

Good for Israel- stopping this boat of weapons and arms from Hammas for Hammas. And while the tolerant left gasps at such brazen self defense, Israel is safe. Maybe if we took such bold steps in our airports and in our general homeland security, we would be safe, too.

Instead grandma is shuffling barefoot through the terminal holding her belt and ticket to see the grandkids in Santa Fe while TSA agents scream at her for touching the conveyor belt.

Shit, Piss and Mohammad

2010-04-28T18:50:00.005-04:00

Chris Ofili, the award winning British artist painted a picture of the Virgin Mary covered in elephant dung.

Beautiful, right? It is in the eye of the beholder I guess. Some think Raphael's images of the Virgin Mary were beautiful. Pish posh. He is so 16th century. Besides, defenders of the arts proclaimed, "It's not the Virgin Mary. It's a painting". Touche.

I guess Ofili was trying to out-controversy the feisty Piss Christ by Andres Serrano. In this artistic masterpiece, Serrano photographed a white crucifix submerged in the artist's own urine.

Pretty awesome, right? I mean step aside Goya and Picasso. This is real Spanish art.

So what's the big problem with South Park's images of mohammad?

Is your sacred image in feces? Is he being burnt and used as toilet paper as Torahs were during the Nazi era?

yes- you are offended. As am I by the images I placed above. And people should have more common sense and sensibility. But the call to anger, the threats of death show a level of ignorance and quite frankly evil that is not tolerable in democracy.

So if muslims demand to live in a society that conforms to their laws, then by all means they should return to Saudi Arabia. Just like Mexicans demanding Arizona provide them with free education and health care should return to Mexico.

This is America. Is can be so free that it offends your deepest held beliefs. And I'd have it no other way.

To you Comedy Central, TV Station that has offended me hundreds of times over with anti-Catholic humor, I say way to go! You have proven you humor is truly gutless and your courage is only skin deep.

Yes, this time the terrorists won. And that is no laughing matter.

Arizona and Federalism

2010-04-28T18:11:00.003-04:00

Arizona has made a stand. And I stand with it.

And in out federalist nation- if you do not like Arizona's laws, your choice is clear. Do not live in Arizona.

The over-powerful federal government has stripped states of rights that the Founding Fathers envisioned they would have. If Florida chooses to have no income tax and South Carolina still allows you to smoke in a bar (gasp!) then why can't Nebraska be pro-life state and Arizona a state for legals only? In California you must recycle under penalty of death. In New York, school children learn about lesbian orgies in pre-school. Why can't Arizona kick out illegals?

In the issue and emotion of this new law, federalism is being lost and, I fear, will once again be the victim. President Obama will step in as the all-knowing, all-caring, all-powerful federal government again and determine from Washington, DC what is best for the people of a State he knows is somewhere west of Chicago and south of San Fran.

Arizona has made it illegal to be illegal. And that has sparked the outrage of the left who is promising demonstrations on May 1st.

Are you as curious as I am to see how the media shows these "demonstrations"? I wonder if they will show the flag burning (American flag) and the vulgar pictures of the President. And the nazi symbols and the gazillion Mexican flags.

Illegal aliens are fleeing Arizona. Just wait till a few hundred thousand descend on Texas and New Mexico and California. Pretty soon Arizona's law will be adopted by ever border state. Just imagine if it were adopted by America, too...

On cars and Scotland

2010-04-17T16:11:00.004-04:00

A friend sent me this op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal by Penn Jilette- the talking half of Penn and Teller. Penn writes about hummers, and more importantly, freedom. Freedom to drive a stupid car that guzzles gas and sucks down cash faster than a stripper in Vegas. Freedom to be stupid, as Penn puts it.

Seamus Hasson from the gutsy Becket Fund wrote a book called The Right to Be Wrong and it too follows this line of libertarian independence though in a religious context. Freedom is the right to believe the wrong things about God, about redemption, about sin and also about money, about wealth and savings and overall values. Freedom from a government that claims to care but intervenes with its own values system and mandates that which it deems to be your best interest.

Remember the Voltaire quote "I may disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it". Obviously Voltaire hasn't stepped foot on a college campus recently. That notion of the right to be wrong, of the right to be stupid, is dying a slow death. More accurately is being put to death by a caring government.

President Obama and his socialist ideology care about people. About their health, about their education, about their general "well being". How often do we hear terms like "adequate" healthcare and "affordable" housing... his love for mankind may even be genuine but it is shortsighted. In creating a government that provides for the people he really is robbing the people of what makes them truly human: their freedom.

And in healthcare and education it all seems well and good. But it is spreading into more obtrusive areas that is shocking the American people into awakening. Certain cars are "better" that others in Obama's mind and so he will pass policies that punish those cars he does not like. Or, like in the case of Hummer, he will just not allow them to be made. That is how he will force us to adopt his values. He will declare it so.

Yesterday Goldman Sachs was brought up on fraud charges and I'm sure some executives will get summoned before the wing backed chairs of a Congressional Committee so the braintrust of elected leaders can wag fingers and read from staff-written scripts of feigned indignation. Of course no one from Fannie or Freddie has been brought up on charges. We'll save that juicy morsel for another time...

Obama-imposed values. Imposed on us and on our lifestyles. Didn't it start with seat belts 20 years ago and, indeed, seemed like a good idea at the time. Until the fines and tickets followed. Then we got bike helmets. Then smoking. Then water meters. Then 5 cent returns on cans. Now it includes plastic bags, cars, healthcare, non-hydrogenated oil, salt and while we sit in our non-lead based painted homes and don't water our lawns at certain hours... I wonder if we are free. We certainly aren't happy.

As Obama and his caring Congress outlaw more and more things, the nation gets fatter, angrier and mobilized. So more laws, more banned foods and sugar drinks and all encompassing values on lifestyles. Interesting that the new tax being floated by the administration, modeled after Europe is called just that: a VALUE added tax. For it is the government, you see, that will put their values on what you buy, on how you live. Their values. Not yours.

Obama mocked the tea partiers at a speech in Florida. His disdain for the American people oozes out of a carefully sewn patchwork costume of patriotism and superman. He mocked the people who cling to guns and religion. He mocked the people who don't eat arugula and shop at Wholefoods. And while he cranks up the heat so he can sit in an 85 degree Oval Office, he reminds us that we cannot live as he does. Do as Obama says and don't ask how we lives. It's as if all the vegetables in his garden were for show only.

Braveheart was on again- it's always on TBS or TNT or AMC. And Williams Wallace has a wonderful line to the "noble" leader Robert the Bruce:

“You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it”.

We do not need nor will there be a violent revolution (did you hear that Secret Service? I'm not advocating violence). But we do need a ballot box revolution- and one is coming. Obama knows it. Reid sure as hell knows it. Americans want their hummers. They want their cigarettes and guns and religion. They want, more than anything else in the world, their freedom.

A great man I worked for knew that. The press never grew tired of mocking Bush. And Obama brings up Bush's name in spite and anger with petty banter and trite jabs. Obama in his smallness wants to be great and his way of claiming greatness will be through imposition and mandate robbing Americans of freedom and liberty guaranteed through us by God and Constitution.

Freedom is worth the fight. Obama will lose in the end. Freedom will endure.

This Makes It Official

2010-04-15T21:04:00.004-04:00

Newsweek magazine must have a crystal ball. The front cover of it's next issue boldly proclaims:

So, there you go. Newsweek has declared the recession over and the economy "back". And this is truly, to use their headline, "remarkable".

And I, the narrator of guffmanandgodot, declare cancer eradicated. Hurrah! Hurrah!

This is the same Newsweek, who's editor in chief, Evan Thomas, while being interviewed on Hardball with Chris Matthew stated "We stand for something – I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God."

To which Chris Matthews responded "Yeah". That's some hard hitting journalism!! Maybe they all sat around after the interview, when they were done solving the world's problems, and wondered if Jesus was as smart as themselves...

It only makes sense that if Newsweek can deify Obama, then it can also declare the economy sound. "Let there be prosperity! And there was prosperity. Newsweek saw that the prosperity was good. Thus evening came and morning followed, the second day."

Media bias is one of those themes beaten to a pulp and yet we've barely scratched the surface. Today an editorial in the New York Times supported military tribunals for terrorists. Funny, Bush didn't get that editorial. And the Obama Justice Department is pressuring Google and Yahoo to release emails without a warrant... yet I've heard no Rachel Maddow screed about "shredding the constitution".

So if you can scrape together $2 and need a good laugh, go buy the newest Newsweek magazine and rejoice in America's return and celebrate the great god who stands above us all, Obama.

Millions can do this because they don't have jobs. Can you use foodstamps to buy a magazine? Eh, just call it toilet paper. Same difference.

Just Kidding!

2010-04-11T15:40:00.002-04:00

We all need a good laugh. Maybe that was Mohammed al Modadi's intention when he made a light-hearted joke about lighting his shoes on fire during his flight to Denver. The 27 year old Qatari "diplomat" was sneaking a smoke in the bathroom and when airline officials saw the smoke and alarms go off, he decided to make a joke about it.

That would be like Cardinal Egan making a joke about Catholic priests needing to spend more time with children.

Muslims have gotten a bad rap in this country- do doubt. And I am all-too aware of my own bias and distrust of the islamic cult...er...religion (see- another joke!). But muslims have something to prove- making jokes about blowing up planes is not great diplomacy... or very smart. Not all Italians are in the mafia; not all muslims are terrorists. But if the shoe fits.... light it. I didn't have much sympathy for Lillo Branacto when acting the part of a mafioso got him arrested.

So what is the sentence for Mr. al Modadi? Oh- it's pretty stiff. Prepare yourself: he is being sent home.

I grew up in NYC and now live in DC. My whole life has been surrounded by idiots with diplomatic license plates and diplomatic egos. It is insulting when our own laws protect those who abuse them and punish those who obey them.

But we see this all the time. Freedom of religion means don't do anything religious because that might insult someone. So hide that damn Christmas tree and put away that Crucifix. But if you are offended by Act II "My Pussy is Angry" in The Vagina Monologues.... well then you are just ignorant and intolerant.

Someday that will all make sense.

Illegals cross our border, steal American identities, rape welfare, medicare and social programs, birth bastard children who become de facto Americans and then claim they can't be deported for some family values reasons... welcome to lawlessness. When a nation's laws are used against that same nation, something is gone awry.

Obama likes this type of lawlessness- especially when it comes to his love of muslim countries. How else does one explain his hyperbolic examples of islamic contributions and historical accomplishments, his bowing to Saudi king, his constant apology for America and Americanism.

I'll tell you what is great about America- that we didn't slit the throat of the Qatari child diplomat. Had an American made such a joke overseas, I'd be curious to see if such measure would be employed. Joke about Chechnyan terrorist in Moscow and see if Putin yucks it up as tongue-in-cheek humor.

There's another issue at stake- and that is American autonomy. We will always interact and trade with world community. But we've hit a level of dependency that is uncomfortable. That is why Qatar feels no remorse. If America got uppity, Qatar would withhold oil or deny us bases for CENTCOM staging operations.

Our allies in the islamic world have the upper hand. Sometimes they are so bold as to even joke about islamic terrorism. A 27 year old from Qatar laughs at us. Something is wrong.

Democrats can do what rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail could not

2010-03-25T23:28:00.003-04:00

According to an article I read today in the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Post Office took it's first steps to 5 day service in order to close a $7 billion budget gap.

In other words, there will be "mail rationing". Of course, this will not happen with healthcare. So don't even worry...

The Post Office employees over 650,000 people. I don't know if any of them will be let go. Or will salaries be frozen, raises suspended, benefits cut... what am I saying... this is government. And they are a protected class. After all, the Postmaster General, Mr. John Potter (or is it The Honorable John Potter??) earned a salary of $800k last year (not including benefits). And why wouldn't he? It's not like he's a greedy Wall Street fat cat. He's a noble civil servant and we should pay off his student loans, too (just assuming you remember the SOTU).

It's interesting to watch the Post Office's operational and financial struggles in light of our pending healthcare panacea. See- the Post Office provides a service- and rather than cut overhead or personnel, they cut the very service they provide.

Odd, isn't it. I wonder who'd continue to go to a restaurant if the prices went up but the portions shrunk. Or if the only ironed half your suit. Normally when services are cut, a free society changes service providers. Of course we can't do this in places where government allows monopolies like energy, phone, cable TV or transportation. Some ingenious people tried to do this with education- a little thing called vouchers- but Democrats try their hardest to keep that monopoly too.

The Post Office debacle is a prelude to Obamacare. It will run out of money. It will become exhausted, overrun, over burdened and perpetually under financed. Because Congress does not appropriate enough money? No one could appropriate enough money. ever bring free donuts to an office meeting? You always run out. Trolls and goons you've never seen emerge from hidden cubicles to partake of the free donut. Wait till it's free dental, free MRI, free everything... suddenly everyone needs a CAT scan.

So what will happen when Obamacare runs out of money, i.e., the inevitable future? It will cut service. It will ration care. It has to; it is inevitable. Elective surgery will be denied. Voluntary procedures will not be allowed. And a sliding scale of priorities established by a committee will be determined.

LASIK surgery costs about $4000 out of pocket. Insurance providers do not cover it. It is a "preexisting condition". Under Obamacare, it will be covered. It is, indeed, a RIGHT. Suddenly everyone will want the expensive procedure. But the $4000 will no escalate to $12,000. And a bureaucrat in an office in DC will make the decision who does and who does not get LASIK.

Remember that when you look for your mail on Saturday morning.

And get LASIK before the year's end.

218

2010-03-21T23:24:00.002-04:00

Well there is life still in the President and his Marxist philosophies. Tonight they scored a big win.

I'd like to tap the Democrats on the shoulder in 5, 10, 15, 20 years and say "I told you so". No one thinks this will work- for what has government done that works? Medicare? Medicaid? Social Security? Education? Every big social agenda they stick their collective noses into only turns into a larger boondoggle that hemorrhages money and exacerbates the very ill it tries to cure.

Well except poverty of course. After LBJ's "War on Poverty" we've eradicated it. Right?

I was listening to CSPAN and, yes, trying to call in. Everyone in favor had the same argument: FREE STUFF. It's like the ice cream cake someone brings in at the office. Suddenly everyone is in the break room on time. Free cake? Oh yeah I can be there at noon.

I propose HR 3222010: a free pony for everyone in America.

Who wants a pony!?! Why not just pass a law giving everyone free milk? Isn't it a RIGHT to have free milk? And bacon! Free bacon!

You laugh? Ha- look at french subsidies on farm products. You don't think they can afford camembert at $18 a pound do you? No- someone else pays. Always.

Tonight was a vote for free stuff. Everything free but freedom.

And to you- our beloved democrats who scored your victory tonight- congrats. Healthcare is now yours. When med school numbers plummet, when costs skyrocket- and mark my words both will- you can rest assured that all 218 votes that passed this disastrous piece of unconstitutional, unamerican, eurotrash socialism- were all yours.

And Barack Obama's.

Playing the Nazi Card

2010-03-16T19:06:00.002-04:00

Lot's of "cards" in politics. There's the race card, the minority card, the woman card, the fascist card. Jim McGreevy tried his hand at the gay card. I don't know which is trump, depends on which game we are playing I guess. When I was in college it seems that the date rape card was huge. Guys were scared. That's like the left bower.

The nazi card has been played a lot in the last few months. (I never know whether or not to capitalize nazi...). Recently Glen Beck must have been playing war with the Washington Post and they played that card against him. In years past it might have worked but now the nazi Nazi card has lost some of its potency. When you play the Nazi card against the Pope, well you kill it.

So Beck is now a Nazi, at least according to Anthony Stevens-Arroyo. For most Catholics... well, I shouldn't say that, for THIS Catholic, Stevens-Arroyo is like nails on a chalk board. He's as great a Catholic figure as Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden or the late Ted Kennedy. He is to the Catholic Church was good ole Link Chaffee was to the GOP. So for ASA to judge Glen Beck as a Catholic basher is like Chuck Schumer to decry Mitch McConnell as anti-Israel. The ones who hate themselves hate the most.

I don't like the Nazi card for either party because no one want to take over the world and hates Jews. Except Obama. And when you see video footage like this below, you wonder who the real "Hitler youth" tactician is....

Divisive Racial Agenda

2010-03-05T17:42:00.002-05:00

Tavis Smiley is calling for a summit.

"Black leaders" will unite to discuss the "black agenda" and what President Obama has done for the black community. The sense is that he has not done enough. Black issues have not been addressed. Or maybe Tavis et al wanted them solved by now.

If Obama really is a messiah, then he could have solved those ills by now. Alas, concerns that Obama did not have enough "negrotude" have been verified and, as Harry Reid suspected, our President really has no negro dialect for he has not spoken black enough. At least not black enough for Tavis Smiley.

Tavis Smiley has a show on PBS. PBS is 50% subsidized by the government and has been since LBJ. They do not need to compete for viewership, they do not need to put out a product that can win prime time ratings. Let Tavis Smiley go on a real network and not hide behind the non-profit status of PBS. But that's another story. What Tavis is advocating is my concern. And who he is gathering to advocate it...

Louis Farrakhan is genuinly hate filled. If being a hate filled man is what qualifies you a leader, than he is a leader is in style of Hitler- a valid analogy since they both blame "the Jews" for almost everyting from war and peace to lumpy mashed potatoes and mushy apples. But unlike Hitler, Farrakhan was abducted by aliens. Oh yeah, just ask him.

Louis Farrakhan, the raging anti-semite, hate filled alien abductee will be there.

As will Al Sharpton. Al has charmed the pants off some conservatives who take the "hate the sin, love the sinner approach". That's fine for Church, not for politics. I remember Tawana Brawley and grew up near Howard Beach. I know what Al Sharpton does when opportunities arise and how Al thrives on racial violence. And when there is no racial vilence, he incites it. Or creates it. Ask the boys in the still falsly named "Duke Rape Case" about Al Sharpton. So I for one will never excuse Al Sharpton.

These are two of the fine men who will be at the summit to discuss the "black agenda". And what is this agenda? And more importantly, how is it different than the "American agenda"? What issue is so isolated, so separate, so self contained that it does not effect society as a whole? Education? Jobs? Iran? The Dollar?

So much of what Tavis and Al and "take me to your leader" Lou say sound like good ole Marxist screeds. Black nationalism has at its core the very principles of socialism. The state (now Barack Obama) has an obligation to do stuff for us, to deliver goods for us, to respond to our needs.

Race relations are not progressing in America. They are getting worse. And so long as every group gets its own agenda and expects unique treatment, the race relations will continue to digress.

There exists no black agenda that is not America's agenda. There are no black issues that are not America's issues. And if these self anointed black leaders" think that all they needed was the right color President to change society, then they are the racist minds and hearts that poison our country.

Sadly they will have a sympathetic ear in our victimist President.

Colorless American Olympians

2010-02-17T20:01:00.004-05:00

I'm an Olympics nerd.

But my whole family is too. When we were kids, our parents, especially my mom would make us watch both Olympics from opening to closing ceremony with every event, competition, game, routine and match-up in between. She insisted that we needed to appreciate the athletes and out country.

One winter Olympics I remember was 22 years ago: Calgary 1988. The star of those games was an ice skater and her name was Debbie Thomas. She was the first American woman to be a gold medal contender in years bringing athleticism and power to a sport that had been heretofore dancy, flippy, dramatic and almost silly. To make it more exciting, she had an archrival in Katarine Witt, the product of the evil communist East German sports machine.

Debbie Thomas is black. I didn't realize that at the time. Not that I didn't know. I just didn't care. It just didn't matter. She was American. She was ours.

OK- don't get me wrong I don't hold myself up as a model of racial harmony. My sentiment is not a reflection of me but rather the times. No one made a big deal out of Debbie Thomas being black or minority or African American. No one profiled her from that angle. Dick Button didn't ask about the additional pressure of being black and a skater... it just didn't matter.

This Olympics, 22 years later, every time NBC shows Shani Davis the speed skater, Bob Costas and crew comment on his color. For them, it is not enough that he is a top American athlete representing our nation. No, for NBC, Shani is an African American athlete. And for some reason that's different. At least in their eyes.

I think in 22 years we've gone backwards and we are worse off than before. When Chris Matthews remarked after President Obama's State of the Union "I forgot he was black tonight", he revealed a much deeper, divisive and rather sinister undercurrent of thought. Does that mean that on a regular day he always sees President Obama as black? Odd... because I think most people just see him as President. Sure I see him as a bad, bad President but... not because he's black. Neither was Carter.

I will be routing for Shani tonight in his 1500 meter event and hope he gets another gold. But not because he's black. Because he's an American Olympian. I think that's reason enough.

NBC: Proud as a Peacock and Arrogant, too

2010-02-14T11:00:00.004-05:00

"There's a huge responsibility to be the person who holds people accountable but who also helps people understand what's really happening. It's who I am."
-David Gregory

"We've been given a grave responsbility. We have to explain these very complex issues and we have to make sense of it all."
-Brian Williams

I'll be watching a lot of NBC for the next couple of days because I am an Olympics junkie. Sports that I know nothing about, sports that are really inferior and kind of stupid like the broom shuffleboard and ski/shoot/do a shot of yeager biathalon suddenly captivate me.

The downfall to Olympic fever is late nights, newfound dislike of China and Russia and NBC commentary. What I wouldn't give to have Scott Van Pelt rather than Bob Costas and crew. At least they have Chris Berman.

In between events, NBC bombards us with promos and one such ad caught my attention: NBCs self love of their news. I kept hitting rewind on my TIVO to capture the quotes correctly and transcribe them accurately. Who wrote those lines and how damn arrogant are they? What do they think about the average viewer?

We don't need Brian Williams and especially David Gregory to EXPLAIN things to us. Nor is that their job. Aren't they supposed to BROADCAST the news and let us make up our own minds? HA! Not in their worldview. Leave it to THEM to explain and that way we all think the same way... their way.

(Sarcastic voice over) And these issues are SOOOOOOO complex. I mean really, really complex you can't expect to understand them alone! But fear not- they see the gravity of their responsibility- a huge responsibility. To explain it all to you. You dumbasses at home.

In the election of 1988, SNL did a skit about HW Bush and Michael Dukakis in which Jon Lovitz playing the Massachusetts governor talked about his parents as "little people. Little swarthy people". It's the same sentiment- funny, the same network too except SNL is satire and Williams and Gregory are supposed to be serious.

Who can take this network seriously? So thanks, Brian Williams and David Gregory for looking out for us people, us little people. Little dumb people who need your explanation. Now shut up. You too Matt Lauer and Tom Brokaw.

Thank you Lord for the mute button...

Million Man (Snow) March

2010-02-13T17:50:00.003-05:00

DC was some interesting last week. Covered in snow, food shortages, a city utterly incapable of maintaining services from snow removal to public transit. Government ineptitude was on display as like Hurricane Katrina but without the same level of drama and a Republican President to blame.

But what strikes me the most is not Mayor Fenty's inefficiency or total lack of planning. No, it was the 4 days of federal government closure.

Two million people did not work for four days. That's 64 million manhours of unrealized work, of non-productivity. And no one noticed. Satellites orbited the earth. Planes stayed in the sky. China did not invade, Russia did not have it's Red Dawn moment.

So the question: what do these people do all day? If the entire federal government bureaucracy was M.I.A. for four consecutive days and nothing changed at all- well I think it goes without saying that a level of superfluousness exists.

We are $1.7 trillion over budget this year. I know a place to make some cuts. Recently an audit of the Transportation Department stated that over 1600 people make over $170,000. Wow. Just think of that- 1600+ people who do not produce, manufacture, sell, create or market anything. They regulate your life. And that's Transportation.

Wouldn't you love to see audits of Labor and Energy and Commerce and State and Interior and Agriculture and Treasury and EPA and FTC and SEC and FEC and Defense and CIA and FBI and Education... want me to go on?

And all these people, these 6-figure regulators stayed home for 4 days because of the snow. You didn't notice, did you? Yeah, me neither.

But I did notice when I got my paycheck.

Hope you enjoyed the vacation, federal workers. Your welcome.

Thanks Al Gore

2010-02-06T11:14:00.002-05:00

As I weather through the second major snowstorm, not counting 3 minor snow falls that didn't cripple but only annoyed the nation's capital, my thoughts go to Al Gore and his Global Warming...er... climate change profiteers.

I guess the earth is so hot (how hot is it?!?) that we have had record snowfalls in our city. Maybe such accumulation is atypical for Washington DC. Maybe the climate really is in constant flux- something that we used to call WEATHER.

So as Al and his buddies at East Anglia U continue to hide the decline- as Tom Friedman pushes his book about the earth being hot and overcrowded, I'm hoping one of them will shovel my walk. I mean they are in this field because of societal commitment, right? They aren't in it for the money. As Dennis Miller once joked "beware of the prophet making a profit".

So Al- get your shovel and remove my 20+ inches of snow. And don't forget the salt.

The Lords of the Senate

2010-01-30T12:55:00.006-05:00

In 1913 the U.S. Constitution was amended for the 17th time to allow for the direct election of Senators.

Sounded like a good idea at the time. After all, who isn't in favor of democratic elections?

in this case, well, me.

The original Article I, Section iii of the Constitution provided for each State Legislature to choose their Senator, thus fostering an even greater link between State and Federal Governments with higher authority being held by the former. You know, Federalism. This modern system has turned the U.S. Senate from a chamber acting on behalf of their State, the State that sent them to Washington D.C., into a an American version of the House of Lords.

And this is a bi-partisan bastardization of Federalism. From Ted Stevens (found innocent) to Ted Kennedy (never found guilty) and every Biden, Dodd, Thurmond and KKK member Byrd in between, the Senate has morphed into an Upper House dedicated to self-preservation and nation priorities and even hereditary rule.

When Bobby Kennedy decided he wanted into politics, after LBJ fired him from the DOJ, he moved to a State with an open seat and a democrat/Catholic population that would sympathetically vote for him despite being underqualified. Some 40+ years later First Lady Hillary Clinton did the same thing. Neither cared about New York. Neither were New Yorkers. I'm sure they loved the City and even though Bobby enjoyed schtuping Marilyn Monroe at The Plaza on 5th Avenue and Hillary loved her Fundraisers in East Hampton, neither extra-curricular activities should constitute residency. A State Legislature would not pick such carpet baggers who would use and abuse 1/100 of the Senate while mounting a Presidential bid.

After Senator Clinton was named Secretary of State (remember how Senator Obama attacked her foreign policy credentials as nothing more than tea time with first ladies? After he won the primary I guess she became qualified. Funny how that works. Obama, after all, had more foreign policy experience. He was born in Indonesia. But that's another story) Caroline Kennedy decided she wanted to job. And in the American House of Lords, that should be enough. Family name and personal wealth are sufficient credentials.

John Corzine also desired to be a Lord. So he bankrolled a few million dollars into a campaign to buy his dutchy of New Jersey. Then headed to Washington to tell people in other dutchies what their education program should look like.

Recently Beau Biden decided to renounce his father's seat, kept warm for him by a temp appointment. At least one Biden is smart. Scott Brown's victory over the witless, gutless, clueless Martha Coakley is a step in the democratic direction. Baroness Coakley assumed that little effort would be needed to assume her position as a Lady of the Senate. After all, should she "stand out in the cold at Fenway?" to greet the peasants on her Feudal Manor? Hell no! She was the successor of Sir Edward Kennedy, Duke of Hyannisport, Lord of Chappaquiddick Bridge and Jamison Fine Irish Whiskey. Martha would not, should not need to "work" for this position like a candidate to The Commons. Martha by right, by inheritance, was above such efforts.

Damn that green truck and its 200,000 miles.

Lord Robert Byrd has hung in the throws of death for about 15 years. He has been a Senator since the battle of Bull Run (he calls it Manassas Junction and still laments the war's outcome.) Sir Christopher Dodd is finally stepping down. And Sir Arlen Specter may too be ousted from his, yes HIS, seat.

Scott Brown taught us a good lesson. It is not Ted Kennedy's seat- or anyone's seat. All true Senators should know that they are classic interlopers. May the people, the rabble commoners, now called "tea baggers" by some Lords return the Senate to its purpose and intent: defending the rights of the States from the crown, er, President.

A Dead President

2010-01-19T22:19:00.002-05:00

Tonight, President Obama's political power officially died.

So too died the atrocious Obamacare, Obama's Cap and Trade, Obama's immigration reform- basically Obama's whole legislative agenda.

In effect, it's the best thing that could happen to him. It saved his legacy. Just ask Bill Clinton what Newt Gingrich's House did for his Presidency.

To recap- in the past year Obama went to Copenhagen to win the Olympics. And Failed. He headed to Virginia to campaign for Creigh Deeds (I got stuck in the traffic in McLean) and failed. And he went to New Jersey to support John Corzine. Failed again. Then, in a scramble amidst the Haiti crisis, Obama went to Massachusetts to woo the Chowdah Heads with his non-negro dialect.

And failed.

Remember- this is the the man who is a "a honey-tongued Frankenfusion of Lincoln, Gandhi, Cicero, Jesus, and all our most cherished national acronyms (MLK, JFK, RFK, FDR)" according to New York Magazine. Evan Thomas was awed at how he stood above us "like a god".

Not a very strong god. Or at least, not a long lasting god. I mean it's only been 364 days... and the "god" cannot deliver a win in Teddy Kennedy's hometown?

I hope you had a good year, President god. Welcome back to earth.

And mortality.

"The System Worked"

2010-01-09T13:31:00.002-05:00

Much has been written and said about this poorly uttered phrase of DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. Surely it has been added to the lexicon of political gaffes along with "Where is the 'O'" and "I did not have sexual encounter with that woman".

But I disagree with most conservative writers and commentators who assert that said phrase was not just incorrect but highlighted the incompetence inherent in the Obama White House. The system did indeed work.

For the muslim terrorists.

Since the birth and life of mohammad the false prophet in the 7th century, his followers have used violence, fear, terror to spread their religion. Let's not forget: "islam" means "submission". The muhammadans began their campaign in northern Africa and moved into Persia, stopping of course in the Holy City of Jerusalem where mohammed died, conveniently adding a third religious group to Jerusalem's already crowded streets. Where was Titus when you needed him...

The advance of the muhammadans continued into Byzantium along the Adriatic coast in the eastern edge of Caesar's mare nostrum and across Gibraltar into the Iberian Peninsula in the western edge of Christendom. Opposition was few and far between. A chaotic dark ages of civilization had plunged Europe into disorganized feuding fiefdoms and collectives without army, defense and structure.

But leaders did indeed emerge from the ashes of Rome's greatness. Charles the hammer Martel and his progeny Charles the Great, Charles-le-magne. Muhammadans, people of a certain religious faith that spread their belief through the sword, had been stopped along the Pyrenees. And Christians from Covedunga began their southward crusade pushing the muhhamadans back into Africa over the next 500 years. When the House of Aragon and Castilla united in marriage in the late 15th century, their combined forces finished the job.

"Spain" is the only region once held by muhammadans that has been restored to the west. Iberia is a phrase the Ayatollah invokes as a war cry. When I lived in Spain I remember an imam in Madrid saying something about "reconquering Spain without firing one shot". Well- all it took was a bomb on a train and the rage in Spain falls mainly on... cowardice.

For homework, look up the Battle of Lepanto of 1571 and Pope Pius V. Then, read about Jan Sobieski and the Battle of Vienna of 1683. History shows us that the west has been in FUNDAMENTAL CONFLICT with the muhammadans for 1400 years. We have never lived peacefully side by side. We have never experienced mutual collaboration and fraternity.

There has been prelude to war, war, defeat, and muhammadans defeat. The last defeat gave us a few hundred years of quiet. We are quiet no longer. Since 1979 the west has been at war again. Our president can bow to Saudi kings and pronounce islamic terms with an islamic accent and call the koran "holy". He can falsely exaggerate islam's achievements (the arch? geometry? really? who wrote that Cairo speech and had he ever heard of Pythagoras or Euclid or the ancient Romans?). He can, and probably will, make many more overtures of appeasement. But that will not bring peace or coexistence.

Look at history.

So when Janet Napolitano says "the system worked" she is speaking a truth. The system as intended by post-W Obama is a roaring success. It keeps his head firmly in the sand while terrorists make gains. It forces tens of thousands of American travelers to take off their belt and shoes and dance through scanners in security kabuki instead of pulling asides 18-35 year old men named Akhed who checked in without luggage. It grants civilian trials to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and permits Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab miranda privileges while forcing us all to "hold it in" during the last hour on a plane so as not to detonate our briefs.

The system works. It suspects all equally while appeasing the enemy in the hopes that he stop killing us. Obviously our President does not understand our enemy. If he thinks Lepanto is like Waterloo, then he is sadly ignorant of facts. Those stubborn facts.

In this age of darkness when the west is once again plagued by failing economies, dispair and fear have become commonplace. Muhammadans take this opportunity to advance their cause as they have always done in history. But I am certain our Hammer, our le-magne or Sobieski will rise up again and drive them back. And like Scippio, may he salt their fields of religious evil so that nothing may grow again.

Then we won't need a system.

Calling Cardinal Rigali

2009-12-21T23:09:00.002-05:00

Emmenence,
As a member of the College of Cardinals, you wear the red of the martyers to remember those who have died for the faith.

At this Christmas time, be willing to die for the faith. And by that I mean die in public opinion, media scrutiny and political consequence.

Excommunicate Bob Casey.

For his faith and morals are less important than Health Care and Barack Obama. He treasures praise from the Huffington Post more than the praise of Angels. And he fears Harry Reid more than he fears The Lord.

Invite him to become a Methodist, a Lutheran, a Wichan. Anything other than a member of the Catholic Church.

Take a stand Cardinal.
-GuffmanandGodot

Oh, those pesky campaign promises!

2009-12-03T18:59:00.002-05:00

"This blanket notion that you can't subpoena White House aids where there is evidence of genuine wrong doing, I think, is completely misguided".
-Candidate Obama

Senator Obama was shocked- shocked and horrified- that the Bush Administration had evoked Executive Privilege and Separation of Powers and prohibited the testimony of Harriet Meyers, Karl Rove and others. Now, President Obama invokes it... for a social secretary. To cover up an embarrassment.

Once again- Obama has shown that campaigning is so much easier- SO MUCH EASIER- than governing.

The White House Party Crashers

2009-12-03T18:57:00.002-05:00

I've been to the White House for social functions.

Getting an invitation to the White House is the most exciting piece of mail you can receive. After blocking out the date and calling your family to brag, you sit and basque in the honor. It's easier for us guys- we know we are wearing a tux. For women it's more of a fashion quandry. Then there is the transportation question: are there parking lots near the White House? Should we take a cab?

But one thing that is systematic: follow the instructions. Bring the invitation, enter through the correct and specified gate at the specified time and have government issued identification,

The very first checkpoint is a White House staffer with uniformed police officers who ask to see your invitation. This is a quickie step- it weeds out those who were invited from those who were not. FAILURE #1.

The second check point is 2 or 3 staffers with headsets (who ask for your invitation again) with uniformed secret service that check your ID. Once cleared, your names is crossed off the list and the staffers radio ahead to the master list announcing your arrival. This keeps the Master List accurate. FAILURE #2.

Now comes the job of the Secret Service though at this stage they are still uniformed and not the guys we think of with earpieces and sunglasses. They check you through the magnotometers, pat you down, open your purse, etc. It is not their job to check if you are on the list. They check that you have no weapons and pose no threat. It is the White House's job to keep the guest list. CHECK!

Last check point- you enter the White House and the social secretary's staff greets you (they are expecting you- remember their colleagues radioed ahead when you arrived). They confirm your names and the table where you are seated. Then you are announced to the press corp waiting in the lobby who snaps your photo and loggs your name. FAILURE #3.

That is how, at least under the Bush Administration, you got into the White House.

It makes me mad that the Obama White House is throwing Secret Service Agents under the bus when they are clearly not at fault. It is the responsibility of the White House, usually the social secretary's office, to do this. But because some 22 year old former Obama campaign aid didn't do his job and check the list, because at no other checkpoints was the White House present... a gate crashing couple got through. And now, some well trained, exceptionally talented secret service men and women are going to get canned.

White House detail- Presidential detail- it the pinnacle of the Secret Service. And the Obama Administration begins the defenestration of the Secret Service rather than admit their own blame. Or worse: incompetence.

On Being the President

2009-11-24T20:02:00.003-05:00

President Obama was never qualified to be sworn in as President of the United States. Sadly, the only test he had to pass was the popularity test- and he did that with flying colors. Congratulations to him for that.

But the greater test- the test of character, the test of achievement and record- those tests he failed miserably. And now it shows.

Let's look at a few issues: Afghanistan, jobs, immigration, cap and trade, government bailouts of automakers and banks, Iraq, Iran, China... oh yeah... healthcare too. Maybe President Obama, in his mind, thinks that he didn't sign up for so much. The issues aren't chronological- they are concurrent. And he is clearly, clearly lost.

So he hosts parties and goes to Copenhagen asking for the Olympics. He goes to Cairo and falsely praises islam. He watches as the Lockerbie Bomber is released from Scotland and he brings the 9/11 masterminds to New York for a civilian trial.

Oh yeah... and he had a black man and a white man drink a pilsner in the rose garden.

Unemployement has risen sharply. So has the debt. So has the price of gold. The dollar has sunk. So have Obama's favorable numbers. And they will continue to sink. America fell in love with the sizzle- but there is no steak. And I hate that phrase but it is so poignant in this context. So too is the expression "there is no there there". Obama lacks the there.

I've been to numerous tea parties and it is a movement that is growing. Why? Because it is made up of regular joes. Regular people. Regular Americans. It is not comprised of full time, professional protestors.

Speaking of protestors- where is Code Pink these days? Isn't Obama scheduled to make his Afghanistan "surge" speech next week (in prime time of course... after all it's been a week since his last one). Do you think the Pinkers will be out in force?

Prediction? No. You won't even see them. And if some stalwarts DO protest no one will cover it. If a protestors screams on the Mall and no press is around to film it, does it make a difference?

Poor Obama- you almost feel sorry for him. In so far over his head and still 3+ years to go...

Fort Hood Wordplay and the Unfeeling President

2009-11-10T20:05:00.004-05:00

A white supremacist and known advocate of "white power" went on a shooting rampage in Fort Hood, Texas killing 13 African-American soldiers and wounding 40 other African-Americans in what could be one of the greatest racial crimes since the 1960s. Witness heard him scream "death to the n*gg*ers" as he repeatedly fired and reloaded his assault weapon on the minority crowd.

The media, trying to rationalize how this could happen and downplay any racial angle of the tragedy, had this to say:

"Apparently he tried to contact The Klan. Is that the point at which you say 'this guy is dangerous'. That's not a crime to call up The Klan. Is it? Is it? I mean where do you stop the guy?"
-Chris Matthews, MSNBC

"It's looking more and more like he was just sort of a race nut. And, and you know whites doesn't have a majority or .. the black race has its full, you know, helping of nuts too."
-Bob Schieffer, CBS

"I cringe that he was a white supremacist. I mean because it just inflames all the fears.... I think he's probably just a nutcase. But with that label attached to him it will get the right wing going. I mean these things are tragic but that makes it much worse."
-Evan Thomas, Newsweek

"Nothing is perfect in this life and it really is tragic that he was a white supremacist."
-Nina Tottenberg, NPR

"When a white supremacist enlists in the military...I have heard many stories that they have been harassed that a lot of pressure has been put on them, that they are just not made to feel welcomed."
-John Roberts, CNN

Some shocking statements, right? Could anyone imagine anyone excusing these actions or finding some explanation if this were a matter of RACE??? Is this was white guy who opened fired on black soldiers... would there not be protests in the street? Would there not be rioting in urban America, rallys on The Mall, mass chaos in the city?

But religion... is excusable. There is not anger in our Churches. There is no livid indignation in our Bible Classes. There is no gathering of the Jews or the Christians.

Instead, Janet Napolitano seeks to quell anti-muslim "backlash". And Obama cautions us against to "jump to any conclusions". You know, the way he has always remained neutral in race issues. Just ask the Cambridge PD.

In Obama's mind, this is partly our fault. America's. And therefore, understandable. Did he not say today at the memorial service "It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy".

Hard to comprehend? What? Huh? MAY BE hard to comprehend? You know who says something like this- someone who comprehends it.

And that is our President.

Random thoughts on Fort Hood

2009-11-09T20:17:00.002-05:00

I hope I am not becoming insane.

Fort Hood bothers me unnaturally. Maybe it's because it was so preventable- if only men had courage and integrity. Watching Hassan spew his anti-American venom to our wounded vets and doing nothing? Like watching Hitler build a navy and convince yourself, Neville, its just a fleet of fishing vessels.

I have a real beef with Janet Napolitano. Homeland secure? My ass.

And Eric Shinseki. Care for our vets? My ass again.

And you, President Obama. And your PC, America blaming vocabulary, attitude and philosophy. You asked us not to jump to conclusions...

Hmmmm....

the way you remained neutral when asked about the Cambridge Police Department? or maybe the Special Olympians? or maybe the rural Pennsylvanians? or the pediatricians? or Republicans? Shall I continue with my examples of your abstention of judgment?

And I wonder where the House is. Those members lost no opportunity to turn every situation into political hay. I see no House statements. I see no call for special investigations.

That's right- they are too busy preparing to shove a 1200 page healthcare bill up our asses. No time to think about Fort Hood. Obviously, it isn't even a priority for the President who sandwiched comments in between Indian Chiefs and shout outs.

Fort Hood makes me crazy because it is indicative of things to come and a salient, tragic, mortal example of the children, spoiled, immature, children we have running this country.

Oh for the days of leaders and leadership.

Thank you, Mr. President

2009-11-09T20:11:00.003-05:00

Ronald Wilson Reagan
1911-2004

Your unyielding courage and unquenchable desire for freedom, truth and justice did indeed set a people free.

500 million.

More slaves freed than ever before in human history.

This 20th anniversary of the toppling of an oppressive wall built by an evil empire is your victory. With invaluable assistance from Maggie and Karol.

We miss you, Mr. President. I miss you. Leadership is just hallow without a leader.

Enjoy heaven.

Tired old analogy

2009-11-08T18:23:00.002-05:00

How many more times am I going to say this during the next 39 months, I don't know.

But...

If W were still President right now, the media's commentary regarding the terrorist attack in Fort Hood would read something like

"Worst terrorist attack since 9/11 again on America's soil"
"Is President Bush doing enough to keep America safe?"
"Even in his own state, Bush is ineffective in protecting America"

Instead, we are told to refrain from passing judgment, from understanding the strain on our armed forces, from looking inward and asking "what did we do wrong".

Obama has shown us that he is unwilling to take the necessary steps to keep us safe. The protocols and policies, governed by political correctness, that he and his flock of ostriches have put into effect are making us targets.

This is the first of many attacks to come. And Obama, too busy with his healthcare and cap-and-trade nightmares, has taken his eye off the terrorism ball.

Just ask the armed forces in Afghanistan.

And those at Fort Hood.

Useless Napolitano and the Good Ole Boys

2009-11-08T16:33:00.003-05:00

Janet Napolitano, who's Department of Homeland Security (aka the mickey mouse club of rainbows and butterflies) instituted protocols and policies that directly allowed the jihad on Fort Hood to occur, has now expressed concerns for... the army? Americans? Recruiting Stations?

No. The muslims.

Surprise, surprise.

Madam Secretary, if I may remove the wool from your eyes to show you the jihad score:

3300 - 0.

They are winning. I don't think you need to worry. You add up 9/11 and the USS Cole and Kobart Towers and Kenya and Tanzania and Black Hawk Down and now Fort Hood and the dozens of other attacks by the religion of peace... and I don't think you need to worry. They are doing fine.

This sort of talk is directly from the Obama Administration's PC playbook and it should scare the crap out of us all. The Secretary is worried that the members of the religion who swear violence upon us, who chant for our death and revel in our blood, who danced in the street when the Towers Fell and call for our destruction... that this group may experience a VIOLENT BACKLASH??

Jesus Christmas Janet- what about US??? You know, the ones you are supposed to SECURE in our HOMELAND??? Are you worried that murders may experience hate speech or that rapists may get dirty looks from the cleaning staff? Are you worried that drug dealers may be told a "your mama" joke or that child molesters be made to feel unwelcome?

What the hell is going on in this Administration...

President Obama thew out a few superfluous comments in which he offered shout outs to non Congressional Medal of Honor winners and Indian Chiefs. Janet Napolitano is afraid muslims may get a sideways glance.

I don't condone violence. I don't endorse it. But I will say this- during the American Revolution, if neighbors knew that a certain family was taking information to His Majesty's army, information that would hurt the cause and hurt our American soldiers... that family got a visit one evening from some local "good ole boys". If our muslim Americans do not come forward and denounce this violence, if they do not begin to show loyalty to America and American way of life... that good ole boy spirit is alive and well. And those mosques and madrassas may get a visit some day.

And that will not be a backlash.

Shame shame shame all around us. Shame on this Administration for their ostrich attitudes and dismissal of real threats. Shame on the Va, DHS and DOJ for ignoring real threats. Shame on the Army and the PC mentality that pervades it.

The good ole boys will be back. Amen to that.

Man-made Disaster

2009-11-06T17:51:00.002-05:00

In her Senate confirmation hearings, Janet Napolitano refused to employ the word "terrorism" but opted for "man-made disaster". Softer. Less harsh. Terror instills fear. In the age of Obama, all will be peace and love. Seeking to avoid any semblance of insult or offense, the Obama team adopted a whole vocabulary of soft words. And this new PC dictionary triggered, at least in this realist's mind, a dangerous worldview that could surely lead to a real tragedy.

Yesterday it happened.

What occurred at Fort Hood, Texas yesterday was man-made. And it was a disaster. But it was also an act of terrorism. Yet this Administration with its PC dominant philosophy will never call is that. Nor will their accomplices in the media.

I will.

When an "allahu akbar" screaming man with premeditated plot opens fire on Americans with the sole intent of pleasing his god, that is terrorism. It is not PTSD. It is not a rage resulting from years of persecution or societal rejection. It is not the muslim equivalent of Colin Ferguson's "black rage". It is sheer terrorism.

But,

When this same man advocated suicide bombs and likened it to diving on a grenade in a foxhole, when he posts on anti-American muslim chat rooms and favors killing soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, when he is questioned by authorities and reported to his superiors for using his position as Army psychiatrist to indoctrinate anti-American beliefs in wounded vets, when he is allowed to continue with advanced firearms courses and given access to weapons while no one monitors his movement...

the guilt lies beyond him. It also lies with Janet Napolitano. and President Obama. They have, indeed, set up protocols and established a mindset within our governing systems that precludes the possibility of questioning, monitoring, dismissing such individuals. For how dare we ASSUME he is a terrorist because of the aforementioned activities??

How could we not?

When a laptop went missing from the VA, Secretary Nicholson was forced to resign. Congressman had grandiose hearings on the Hill for suddenly only they were concerned about our vets. Representative Phil Hare called for "a veteran's veteran who will put the needs of our fighting men and women above any political ideology".

Sir- where are you now? This VA allowed Maj. Hassan to treat our vets. After being questioned. After complaints. After concerns were expressed. But there will be no outcry- not from Phil Hare, not from Pelosi or Reid. And, since we tend not to make political hay out of tragedies, not from the GOP.

This entire administration and their appeasement of terrorists, their coddling of dictators, their concern for muslim acceptance, is partly guilty for Fort Hood. This would not have happened in a Bush Administration.

Proving that Obama cannot keep us safe. Not even on a military base. He has asked us not to jump to conclusions. No need to jump, Sir, when the evidence hits you in the face.

But it's hard to see said evidence with your head in the sand.

A man-made disaster- this one on your watch Mr. President and Madam Secretary. Avoidable, stoppable- but only with will and the courage.

God help us.

The bloom is off this rose

2009-11-03T22:56:00.002-05:00

One year ago...

In New Jersey: Obama beat McCain by 14.1%

Today...

Christie beats incumbent Corzine by 5%

That's a 20% swing in one year.

One year ago...

In Virginia, Obama beat McCain by 6.3%

Today...

McDonnell beat Deeds by 18%

That's a 24.3% swing in one year.

Reminder that Obama, the One, was in New Jersey just two days (for the 5th time) stumping for Corzine and giving hugs before enthralled, prescreened audiences. Now, Deeds was already chastised for not embracing Obama ENOUGH.... yet Corzine, would couldn't embrace Obama enough... also thrown out of office.

Gibbs, Wasserman-Schultz, Warner- let them try to spin this away. But it is clear: Obamaism has been rejected. In liberal Jersey and Conservative Virginia... Obamaism is beginning to die.

And to you Dede Scozzafava, Newt Gingrich and Michael Steel who lost us a house seat and NY23... pay attention. We are coming for you next.

Christie, Hoffman and McDonnell

2009-10-25T13:55:00.002-04:00

I'd add Marco Rubio to that list but we've got a year still...

Three races- all in states that Obama won- and comfortably so. NY and NJ are understandable- solid blue states with little chance of ever turning red again in a presidential election. NY because the city offsets any chance that the upstate has in voting red. Those upper east side millionaires invented the phrase limousine liberal. Jersey is a "whole nother" situation. Highest in taxes in the nation, for some reason they keep voting tax hikers into office. Multi-millionaire Corzine has enjoyed his oppressive reign- he can afford the taxes he imposes on the citizens to continue to pay for the virtual enslavement of Camden, Trenton, Jersey City and Newark.

NY23 and the threeway race of Owens, Scozzafava and the impressive Hoffman just adds to the fun of this unique election year.

Since he won in November '08, Senator/Candidate/President-elect Obama has transmogrified from Clinton-esque moderate to Carter 2.0. The electorate, especially the independents, have noticed and rejected his about face as can be seen by the steady increase in his disapprovals. And there's no reason to list the myriad reasons explaining this- we all know why. I tend to think that should he continue on his current path, while up keeping the lavish White House parties and expensive "date night" excursions, America will continue to become disenchanted with Obama and his court of Versailles. Don't the policies of his reign thus far just decry "l'etate c'est moi"?

Hence the interest- and extreme anxiety- over these 3 races. His Majesty's comms team, when not playing "I'm rubber you're glue" with Roger Ailes, already anticipates a Virgina loss. (Makes Governor Kaine's decision look really unfortunate- for him).

Governor Corzine has poured tens of millions into his own campaign only to be down in the polls. (We can thank John McCain for the self-funding millionaire edge- Corzine can write himself a $10 million check but Christie can't ask 10 guys to write him $1 million checks. Explain that one to me in a free America....) New Jersey has to be exhausted with the Robin Hood governments- bad enough when it was local but now federal too?? How much more blood can you squeeze from the rock?

Then there is RINO Dede Scozzafava, the pro-bailout, pro-amnesty, anti-life, anti-marriage "Republican" that has all the beltway support she needs to almost fool the electorate. Local interest is in Hoffman- but he's a tough win unless Dede does the noble thing and drop out- yea, right. So much talk recently about "big tent" GOP and Newt scolding the conservatives for splitting the ticket, ideological purity and all those catch phrases. Basically- Newt is telling the conservatives to be wishy-washy. After all, mediocrity is a good thing.

With just days left before these elections are decided, it will be interesting to see how they play out and how the media reacts. Should the GOP win 2 or 3 out of the 3, will racism be the factor? I'm sure Maddow and Olbermann are already crafting their talking points to protect the sovereign from us hordes gathering on Place d'Armes.

Quick and slow

2009-10-20T15:15:00.002-04:00

Obama needs a few more weeks to determine the proper strategy for Afghanistan. Thus says his White House communications shop- you know, when they are not bashing FOXNews or reading up on Chairman Mao's playbook.

A few more weeks... now, I'm not one to make hasty decisions- especially when it involves human life. Sending armed forces into combat is the most difficult decision a commander-in-chief can make. President Obama should weigh his decisions carefully.

But what did he announce in March? Wasn't her reversing the "failed" and "unfocused" policies of his predecessor? Speaking of predecessor- you know he left us the worst economy since the great depression? Politics of fear and division... wait, wrong speech, sorry...

Yes, in March... let's count backwards, September, August, July, June, May, April, March... 7 months ago... Obama announced a new Afghanistan Strategy. Now, he is announcing vis a vis the spoiled children of the Communications Team that he needs weeks still... weeks... determine a new, NEW policy for Afghanistan.

As SNL reminded us, this is the man who needed 4 months to choose a dog... so we really shouldn't be surprised. Speaking of SNL- congrats on finally doing a skit on Obama. It only took you 9 months. I asked about that many posts ago.

So- Afghanistan slow. OK- fine. Take the time you need. Just don't announce as fait accompli what is actually an ongoing dilemma... you know, like Guantanamo. Which you announced on day 2 of your reign was being closed... and 9 months later is still well open. Sounded good, right? Felt good too... big strong chest pounding "I won" Obama... so much for governing.

Quick- slow. If you are so eager to take time and peruse your options on Afghanistan and Gitmo... why not HEALTHCARE??? Why is it all a rush? Hmmmm...

The Obama Foreign Policy

2009-10-09T20:14:00.003-04:00

Since before he was elected, Obama circled the globe complaining about America.

We remember his famous speeches in Germany and Jordan during the campaign. Jordan, right? I think it was Jordan.

And the speech on Islam in Cairo.

He goes around the nation and apologizes. He did so in France. Was that before or after he gave Her Majesty and I-pod?

Then he has his speech at the United Nations where he blasted America's unilateralism. I wrote about that here. Go ahead, read it.

Resetting the button with Russia, ignoring the freedom-lacking protesters in Tehran, throwing Honduras under the democracy bus, calling Chavez "mi amigo" and warming up to Cuba.... did I mention the Queen's I-pod? What does it all add up to?

Nobel Prizes. Yeah!!!

It's the belief that, in order to achieve piece, true equality must be achieved around the world. And that means knocking America down to the world's level.

I've been around the world... I don't want to be at their level....

If America is excellent, if America is THE BEST, that would imply a sense of unfairness. Unfair must mean unjust. Unjust is illegal. This is the world of socialistly-sympathetic Obama. But rather than achieve equality by raising up the others, socialism seeks the lowest common denominator and attempts equality by crushing the leaders. It's like punishing the fastest kid by not allowing him to race because the fat kid will inevitably lose. It's like eliminating the honors courses and putting the smart kids in with the dummies so that no one feels stupid. If we are all stupid- then no one is stupid- then we are all smart.

Yeah!!!!

This is a mindset- it's a philosophical outlook that transcends and permeates economics and politics and foreign affairs and monetary policy and issues of crime, immigration, healthcare and taxes.... everything. Probably most salient is the academic world where no one wins, pass/fail grades are awarded, valedictorians are replaced with elected class representatives, etc etc...

I congratulate President Obama on his award. It is a most prestigious recognition. But I would like to revisit it on October 9, 2010- one year from now- and see if this preemptive acknowledgement has accomplished anything significant in "world peace":

-Iran nuclear ambitions
-Palestinians launching rockets into Israel
-Syria interfering in Lebanon
-Chavez suppressing freedom and building bases around South America
-North Korea disarming its arsenal
-Russia meddling in Georgia and Ukraine
etc, etc, etc...

One year- I would like to see what the preemptive Nobel Laureate will do with this "call to action". See you next year.

Words and Prizes

2009-10-09T19:55:00.002-04:00

Jake Heaps, the 17 year old from Washington State and #1 High School draft choice, has won the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Said the selection committee: "Very rarely has a person to the same extent as Heaps captured the world's attention and given its people hope for greater football". Heaps, who signed with BYU and plans to start classes in 9 months, was also preemptively given a B.A. in communications from the University in anticipation of his outstanding senior thesis "Crisis Communications in Change Management Structures".

In other news, Stephen Strasburg, the highly recruited #1 draft choice signed by the Washington Nationals was given the 2010 Cy Young Award. And his girlfriend, supermodel Julia Klein, has broken up with him in anticipation of Strasburg cheating on her at Ryan Zimmerman's Christmas Party in 2011.

Also- Lebron James was named MVP for the 2009 - 2010 season.

And Andy Garcia won the Oscar for Best Actor for a movie he is currently filming.

And Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Remember the phrase "actions speak louder than words"? Apparently not in Norway.

UNbelievable

2009-09-23T20:24:00.003-04:00

Obama at the UN has been a silly showing. If I have to hear another "the time for action is now" and "this is our moment" line, I might throw up in my soup.

"But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2009 — more than at any point in human history — the interests of nations and peoples are shared."

Really? Who shares Ahmadinejad's desire for a second, more successful, holocaust of the Jewish race? Raise your hands if you want to wipe Israel off the face of the map!

Who shares Putin's interest in controlling all resources in Georgia, the Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, The Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia etc etc?? (yet later on in the speech Obama mentions a "long-gone cold war". Looks like global warming is over and things are cooling down again...)

Who shares Chavez's desire to turn Latin America into a Nazi-style, ethnically uniform republic? Yes Bolivia- we've got you down. Honduras- you tried to fight? Bad, bad Honduras. We are revoking your visas.

"America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others."

Where? When? In the takeover of banks and industry? In demands Credit Suisse and Deutschebank follow Obama's laws? In the nationalization of the mortgage industry? Certainly not in Iraq after 2 UN Security Council resolutions and a coalition of more than 25 countries including UK, Spain, Canada, Japan, India, Australia...

Where is this unilateralism? Is it in the UN's handling of Rwandan genocide? Or the Sudanese genocide? Or the Burmese genocide? Or the Tibetan genocide? Where was the UN Human Right Council, replete with esteemed member nations like North Korea and Syria, when it came to the Iranian protests?

"...because the time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and our work must begin now."

Ugh. Shoot me. I could go on. But there is more manure in these speech, this sorry excuse for the POTUS' address to the world, than I care to mention.

More and more I am not only disappointed and angered by this community organizer neophyte, I am quite embarrassed.

And afraid.

Moore, Greed and a Genius

2009-09-21T22:41:00.002-04:00

Michale Moore thinks he's touched on a new subject. His newest "movie", a take on "America's funniest home videos" and "Jackass" really hasn't departed much since "Roger and Me" debuted sometime in the 80's. I had to watch that film in High School English class. What it had to do with English I have no idea... but it's never too early to start liberal indoctrination.

So Michael Moore is on Jay Leno's program talking about the evils of capitalism. I guess he walked to the studio.

I don't know how much money Mr. Moore has made off of his films. Or how much he has spent to produce them. Or promote them. I guess the cameramen and crew all show up for free, unvetted (is that a word?) without need of resume, experience or skill. Mr. Moore must choose his editors, both video and sound, based on benevolence, generosity and zodiac signs.

See- the problem for Mr. Moore is that 1% of Americans have more wealth than 95% of the rest of America. And somehow that is...is what? wrong? unfair? unjust?

Yeah- I wish I were in that 1%. But so long as that 1% didn't steal it from me, didn't build their wealth on my back, didn't oppress me into poverty... what complaint do I have? Those 1%, odds are, provide a service, produce something better than anyone else. And I want it. Be it Berkshire-Hathaway shares, a Dell, a night at the Waldorf Astoria or an Ipod.

Mr. Moore contends that capitalism is "legalized greed". Greed does not give back. Capitalism does. It gives a product, a service, a good- something. How is this unfair or bad I don't know. Mr. Moore certainly makes left-wing documentaries better than anyone else... should he stop? Or maybe just start distributing his own wealth.

How Michael Moore uses the tools of capitalism to then bash capitalism is a little naive. And insulting. He should watch this video and learn:

Class

2009-09-14T16:51:00.002-04:00

Breaking from politics- Beyonce, you're a real rock star in the highest sense. You did Hollywood proud. It was nice to see an act of redemption from within the entertainment community.

Kanye- maybe now you understand the South Park episode from last season. Yes, you were the only one who didn't "get it". And as a result, you are a gay fish.

Between Serena Williams threatening to kill the line judge at the US Open and Kanye's drunken stupidity at the VMAs... at least youth, especially black youth, got one good example in Beyonce this weekend.

What media outlets are saying

2009-09-12T13:27:00.002-04:00

OK- maybe I'm a bad protester. I left the mall after about an hour to watch college football. Sorry. Hey- I used to do politics and rallies for a living and for REAL conservatives. I'm taking one day off.

So during a commercial break I decided to flip channels and see the "coverage". It's 1:30.

The networks have sports- NCAA Football and Tennis. Understandable.

MSNBC is covering Obama's rally in Minnesota. You know- that spontaneous, pre-screened, pre-selected, invitation only, planted questions "rally".

FOX has Glen Beck live.

CNN has "Your Money" where they talked about the 'turning point' of the American economy. That same economy that Obama stated he brought 'back from the brink'. I still don't understand that at all...

MSNBC.com "top Republican strategists and many party observers also worry about the impact that the most extreme protesters might have on the party's image, including those who carry swastika signs or obsess over the veracity of Obama's Hawaiian birth". I don't know what protest they went to... I didn't see one "birther". Just silly.

So there you go- don't cover it (like Van Jones) and then it doesn't exist. If a tree falls in the woods....

The day after 9/11

2009-09-12T13:14:00.003-04:00

I walked down to the 9/12 project for the march on the mall.

And before you ask any questions, yes I also walked down to the anti-war, ANSWER protests of the past. (They stopped all of a sudden... is the war over? Is Cindy Sheehan's son back from the dead? Is Code Pink suddenly out of business? Hmmmm...)

I found some funny signs: "Hey Obama! If you like aliens send them to uranus". Crass, yes- but funny. A lot of "Socialist" posters, a lot of Ayn Rand (I had to text my friend and ask who John Gault was... sorry for the ignorance).

I didn't see violence, arrests or the black bloc breaking any windows.

My principle hope is that these protesters, thousands- perhaps hundreds of thousands- also turn out in election season. We need community organizing- but organizing for freedom, not government control of anything else.

Cheney with Guts

2009-08-31T19:39:00.002-04:00

Dick Cheney is not afraid.

He has nothing to gain. He has no political ambitions, no need for money, no need for a job. And he is not going away.

Thank God.

Obama's foreign policy has been found wanting. It lacks strategy, vision, direction and even experience. So much for the genius of the Veep. From the silence during the Iran protests to the gushing support of socialist president Zelaya to the all-too-telling gaffe of Medvedev- Obama has been a foreign policy freshman stuffed in a shorter, weaker junior's locker. Her Majesty's shoulder rub and bowing to a Wahabi prince are not his biggest blunders.

His misunderestimating of radical Islam is.

Cheney has called him out on it. The CIA investigations (that both AG Holder and POTUS are on record as "against" yet for some reason are still proceeding) and the neutering of the intelligence community are dangerous steps. They will weaken the country and leave us frightfully vulnerable.

Press Secretary Gibbs had this to say: "I’m not entirely sure that Dick Cheney’s predictions on foreign policy have born a whole lot of fruit over the last 8 years in a way that have been either positive or to the best of my recollection very correct".

I'm not sure how that applies to the conversation. Did Cheney purport to be a svengali of foreign affairs? Did the Bush Administration claim clayrevoyance?

What I do know and what is completely inarguable is that the Bush Administration kept us safe for 8 years when Al Qaeda was at its prime. And the countries that started off cold towards Bush eventually elected leaders who were admitedly pro-American. Zarkozy defeated Chiroc. Merkel defeated Schroeder. Berlusconi defeated Prodi. We never lost the UK or Japan or Australia. Our relationship with India and China had never been stronger and our alliances with most African countries were at their best.

What was not "correct"? Our weak relationship with Cuba?

I can criticize the Bush Administration on several things. No one logical or intellectually mature would claim the Administration was flawless. But it is hard to argue that our foreign policy is "incorrect". One of the biggest flaws of Bush Administration was that it allowed this mantra to continue: our foreign policy was weakened, Bush harmed out "reputation around the world", etc. Republicans let that one stick and never pushed back. Stupid move.

So with 7 months done of hope and change we have record deficits, CIA investigations, government takeover of industry, an attempt to socialize healthcare and making fun of retard people.

Is it 2012 yet?

In Support of Whole Foods

2009-08-26T21:25:00.004-04:00

I don't regularly shop at Whole Foods. It's too expensive. Sure they have great cheeses and wines and cuts of meat. And I have bought their shushi before. Their desserts... eh. Not enough flavor. But most of all the place is grossly overpriced. But hey- you go there if you want. Free country, right?

Wrong.

See, in the new post-racial, post-partisan Age of Obama, your opinion can cost you your job. Or your Whole Foods. That is what John Mackey, the CEO and co-founder of WF found out when he dared, DARED author an opinion that differed from King Barry. And in the Wall Street Journal of all places!!! And we KNOW that Wall Street is responsible for the mess we are in- them and their greed...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html

Anyway- Mackey's first mistake: quoting Margaret Thatcher. Though your average liberal cannot tell you why they dislike Dame Thatcher, they know she is bad. Very bad. Like Reagan. And the Pope. Yuck. (They also cannot tell you why the revere Che Guevara... but his tee shirts are so fashionable, does it really matter?)

So the Logan Circle Whole Foods had some protestors. Just play the clip and listen to the "sultans of smart" as they issue their reasons for the picket lines. Main reason: they are being paid? No. Of course not! It's because Mr. Mackey disagrees with Obama and the DNC party line. Dissenters will not be tolerated.

It used to be the highest form of patriotism. I guess that's only if you speak it and not publish it...

An Italian Mistake

2009-08-25T20:08:00.008-04:00

This post should be read with the accompanying music. "izz-a mo' fun-nah. you hitta da play."

The bad news: White House Budget office announced it made a mistake. The deficit is off by a smidge- just a bit.

$2,000,000,000,000.

The good news: I might get a vacation villa in Amalfi.

Per che?

The GDP of Italy is $1.85 trillion. So here's what we do to overcome our Italian sized budget....

We blayma da Bush-a! Managia la miseria... iss-a da falta di Bush e delle neocons. Poor Italia...

And then- we invade Italy again. Claim it as America's 51st State. We name it "Obamitalia" and give it to the taxpayers. We did it once- we can do it again.

And this time we don't rebuild Montecassino!!!

(On another note, Michelle wore a sleaveless sun dress from J-Crew and Barry played golf with his buddies).

Now- off to invade Italy! Bon appetito!!!

A Hero's Welcome

2009-08-21T18:53:00.003-04:00

Abdelbaset Ali Mohammad Al Megrahi, AKA evil incarnate, was released by a Scottish judge so he could go home to die in his own country.

This was the man who was responsible for Pan Am Flight 103 which was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. I was just a kid but I remember it vividly.

270 people died that day. But mister evil has cancer. And we need to show compassion.

Obama said "we thought it was a mistake". Clinton, our impotent Secretary of State, said she was "deeply concerned".

Then, Obama took off for Martha's Vineyard for his vacation. I hope he has fun.

Mark Rubin did the math- mister evil spent 11.5 days in jail for every person he killed. Not much of a sentence.

Since when do our allies act with such utter disdain for our relationships? I thought that Mr. Obama was going to hit a reset button on foreign policy and rebuild our relationship with the world?

There is an easy way to prevent this- call Scotland, call the Queen and remind them of our relationship- remind them of WW2 if necessary. But this was a preventable atrocity. And yes, it is an atrocity.

So mister evil got a hero's welcome for killing 270 people 21 years ago. What a sick religion.

What an embarrassing President. And what a sad future we all face.

Free money- costly servitude

2009-08-12T20:14:00.003-04:00

Today my birth state, the formerly great New York implemented a free money program. Of course this pig's lipstick shade is called "Back to School Assistance". But it still goes "oink oink" and rolls around in feces.

All the parents of "needy" kids were given $200 assistance from big brother government to prepare for back-to-school. That's $200 per child. The assistance did not come in the form of a $200 staples card. Nor did it come in $200 of credit for Macys kids section. Nor did it come in $200 voucher at a bookstore. No. It came in cash.

Cash.

So let me get this straight... we just handed out $200 cash to every "needy" kid and said "now make sure you spend this on books!". Will it have the same success as the $2000 per Katrina victim debit card?

From the NY Daily News: "It's free money!" said Alecia Rumph, 26, who waited in a Morris Park, Bronx, line 300 people deep for the cash to buy uniforms and book bags for her two kids. "Thank God for Obama. He's looking out for us."

Well, there you go.

And that is, of course, the job of the President. To give us free money. Fact is- we've been printing money like mad and the only ones it benefits are the communist chinese.

This is being billed as an education program. Want to talk education? Let's look at education spending.

In New York it started with buses. See, kids could not do well in school because they couldn't get there. Too far, too cold, too rainy, too hot- we need to drive the kids to school. So the government brain trust started (in cahoots with the unions and organized crime) a busing system that currently spends over $1billion annually in busing kids. Bus these kids there. Bus those kids here. Drive them around in circles- who cares? Just drive them.

Ready to learn?

No. Food. Sure, they are driven to school. But they are HUNGRY! Free lunch. What about in the morning? Free breakfast.

Satisfied?

No. What about after school?? See the kids are driven, yes, and fed, yes, but what about help with their homework? Mom and dad are busy at work and the children need help with homework. OK- let's start an after school program.

What about before school? What about the kids who's parents have to be at works soooo early that they need to drop off their kids before 7? Enter the morning program.

Hang on- see you are just assuming that the kids are prepared for school when they start in kindergarten. What about a program to prepare the kids? Headstart was born from that need.

Now- let's recap- we will pick you up, early too if need be, and give you breakfast and lunch. Then we give you after-school program for homework and drive you home too. And we will even take the wee little ones to prepare for school. On top of that we just gave you $200 for school supplies (a.k.a. mom's new rosette tattoos for her breasts and dad's new iphone). Are we done?

ARE WE FREAKING DONE NOW??? Will test scores NOW go up?? Will school crime NOW go down?? Will kids NOW learn to read and write and speak and study?

No.

So we will offer a jobs training program for those graduates that cannot find work. Then we will offer you free housing, free food stamps, OF COURSE free healthcare.

And bury you in your free grave. And you will thank Obama for "looking out for you".

Know what lady? Thank God for ME damn it. Where's my thank you?

The left, the White House, the media are still perplexed at the anger in the healthcare town halls. The revolution is coming. People like me are tired of being raped by a government that then takes my money and doles it out to people who do nothing but take and take and take and then complain that what they have stole is not good enough. They have not amassed any wealth with their sweat. They have not earned the livelihood through their efforts. They have not worked, have not sacrificed, have not produced, have not been taxed, have not contributed and yet they take and take and take and DARE to complain that what they receive from my wallet is not up to snuff.

The revolution is coming. And I am proud to join it.

"Unamerican" Debate

2009-08-10T17:10:00.005-04:00

Just when you think you've seen it all. Or read it all. Or heard it all.

A few months ago the Tea Bag movement was called "teabaggers". CNN thought that was funny. Keith Olberman loved the term. White House said nothing.

Now, as the number of protesters has grown and as the Fuhrer's poll numbers has dropped 17 points, Speaker Pelosi has called the them "un-American". Secretary Sebelius has called the protesters "terrorists".

Is this America?

Where were Madam Speaker's sentiments when this happened?

Or this?

Surely she must have agreed with this?:

Protest is a right, Madam Speaker. And heated protest, organized, planned and "orchestrated" protests are a tactic of your left. And violent protest birthed our nation when "a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

President Obama comments on a black man being arrested in Cambridge. But he has no words for a black man being beaten in St. Louis. And the difference between these two men is politics: one agrees with the leader and one doesn't. So one deserves White House commentary, one is deemed unworthy. Heil Fuhrer.

Orwell, Huxley, Didion all wrapped up into one opus magnum that we don't read but live.

Luxury travel for our elected elite

2009-08-09T21:00:00.006-04:00

So Speaker Pelosi has appropriated $550 million to buy 8 new jets for "senior officials". These are the same senior officials who derided the Big 3 CEOs for having the gumption of flying their companies' private jets to the Hill for a dog and pony show.

Anyway- how much is $550 million? Doesn't seem like a lot- especially in the absurd economics of the Obama era where trillion is all the rage. Let's put it like this- $550 million buys EVERY member of Congress a $1000 round trip airline ticket EVERY DAY for one thousand days. And then some.

Where are they all going?

I've worked in lobbying, worked on the Hill- I know how the game is played. They make a call to some center in New Zealand about some study concerning the green frog and decide it is necessary to fly there and see the results themselves. We pay for the ticket and the hotel, they bring their spouse (who has to pay his/her own meals) and make a 7 day trip out of it. It is STANDARD.

In my day we took corporate jets. But now such gifts are illegal under the campaign finance rules. Congress grew accustomed to the joys of luxury travel and in response decided to buy its own planes.

But Madam, the masses are starving. They are unemployed. They have no jobs. And Madam Pelosi, turning to her aid before boarding her G5, retorts "let them eat cake".

I miss you, W

2009-08-08T18:05:00.005-04:00

My brother sent me this side-by-side. I don't know who its maker is- but I thank you for a good laugh. I know it's a little old but still nonetheless funny.

Bush throwing out the first pitch on September 20, 2001 was one of the greatest moments of Americana in the last 100 years of our country.

No peeking, Justice Sotomayor

2009-08-08T11:06:00.004-04:00

At 11:03 this morning, I heard the following:

I Sonya Sotomayor do solemnly swear that I will administer justice without respect to persons and do equal right to the poor and to the rich and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States under the Constitution and laws of the United States so help me God.

I wish you well, Madam Justice. But you will forgive my scepticism. Your song and dance in the Senate confirmation don't necessarily negate your years of rulings.

And I will always return to thoughts of my mom- born in NYC to immigrant parents. She was not, nor ever called a minority. yet you Madam, born in New York to American parents, are a minority. So... odd.

The Revolution is Coming...

2009-08-07T20:48:00.003-04:00

St. Louis is just the start- and it will get worse. Much worse.

Six people arrested- several landed in hospitals. Earlier this week we saw the scene in Austin. And Tampa, Michigan, Arkansas, Denver...

It is beyond reason that the response coming out of the White House is "we will punch back twice as hard".

Punch back? Welcome to Chicago politics, America. It's in Obama's blood- remember this is a guy who won every election up to 2004 by having his opponents thrown off the ballot or breaking the law and having sealed court documents "leaked" to the press (by the way did anyone get arrested for what they did to Ryan?)

This is a guy who is, in his core, a Saul Alinsky protegee, an Acorn operative, a "community organizer" who made a name for himself by agitating the people into a frenzy. Well Mr. President, you are so good at your job that the are agitated without you even meaning to do it.

And now that the Obama White House clashes with the former "silent majority" taking to the streets and organizing, they need to change tactics. So the organized community is now an "angry mob" and thwarting the democratic process. Shucks, he even said last night in Virginia (and I avoided that traffic like the plague- a President in Tysons corner at rush hour... nice planning) that he "didn't want them to do a lot of talking". Good thing he didn't say "you people".

I'm not advocating violence and I don't want to see people land up in jail nor the hospital. But a revolution is coming to America. When Andrea Mitchell talks of Americans as "they don't know what's good for them", when Arlen Specter admits he doesn't need to read the legislation, when Harry Reid scolds them, when Pelosi infers they are racist (or at the least antisemitic- whatever that has to do with anything...)- it means that our leaders are out of touch with, well, us.

A revolution is coming. It will start in New Jersey and Virginia this fall. And it will continue should this Congress and White House continue to ask for the emails of those who spread misinformation. Couple that with Cap and Trade and the Fairness Doctrine and $500 million for new jets and 10% unemployment....

A revolution is coming. 'Bout friggin time, too.

'Nuff said...

2009-08-04T22:18:00.009-04:00

This image of Obama was made by school children... I wonder if they were the same children who sung that creepy "Obama's gonna change the world" song...

Dictators love to have their images uniquitiously displayed.

How the Obama Administration ruined the automotive industry

2009-08-04T20:07:00.002-04:00

What could be more American than the automobile? As Europe and Asia invested in high speed trains with the intention to move people en masse, America invested in roads and bridges and an entire country interconnected by highways so that the freedom in the American soul could be driven by the automobile.

Since then, the federal government has tried its hardest to kill the car industry. And this week they succeeded.

The "Cash for Clunkers" program has been a disgrace for several reasons. In the spirit of Capitalism and Federalism, it has been the antithesis of the Constitution. But here is what it really did. It convinced (they would use the term "incentivize") thus far 200,000+ people to turn in their "clunkers" for a $3500 or $4500 rebate on the purchase of a new car. Once again, people were incentivized, by government hand outs, to buy something new and shiny. Can they afford it? How much was their monthly payment with their clunkers? How much will their new payment be?

So- there goes the cheap living. I'm curious to see how many of these cars will be repossessed as people bought above their means based on a false government program.

As cars are repossessed, they will be returned to dealers- damaged, worth less than their financing and add to a surplus of cars driving down the cost of cars nationwide.

Plus 200,000 used cars have been taken off the market- not scrapped for parts, not fixed up by some teenage kid who can only afford a $3000 car- scrapped. What about those Americans (we call them "the poor"- Democrats love the poor, don't forget) who depend on the used car markets? Price of used cars are going up...

Too many used expensive cars worth less than their lease, not enough cheap cars, people who spent a few months of financing, got he vehicle repossessed and now have NO car, debt and worse credit scores. This sounds like what other federal government program....hmmm.....

replace "cash for clunkers" with "Fannie and Freddie" and replace "cars" with "house" and you've got...ta da!... the housing market- artificially inflated, artificially deflated, over valued, over stocked and now dragging down the whole economy. Fannie and Freddie "incentivized" people to buy houses with sweet, ARM loans, no doc and 0% down... sounds great right? What is the result? They are in debt, foreclosed, kicked out, then banks bundled the loans and sold them on the market- no one knows what the value, and the whole market tanks. TANKS.

So who gains from this "cash for clunkers"? UAW. That's for starters. Environmentalists who think that better emissions standards will somehow stop us from this massive heat wave during the hottest summer on record (hee hee)... it's a typical democrat "free candy" program where it does tremendous long term damage and makes people dependent on government to get out of their blight.

That's what Obama wants though. You to depend on him.

More to come

2009-08-03T18:15:00.002-04:00

And then there is this one:

This is Democracy. Not the black panthers who wield baseballs bats at the polling stations (licit, in an Obama Administration. Had they worn white hoods and burnt a cross, they would be in jail right now. Welcome to post-racial America).

This is Democracy. I think too many elites- professors, journalists, beltway types, Washington socialites, Congressmen and their ilk, have forgotten the power of the ordinary citizen. Was it not ordinary citizens who fought for this nation in 1776? Was it not ordinary citizens who fought to preserve this nation in 1861?

We are not an angry people. But we are mad. Mad at our false leaders- mad at this Administration. Made that men and women who didn't pay their taxes, who get chauffeured to work in limos, who fly to NYC for a Broadway play- are telling us about sacrifice, fairness, equality and "spreading the wealth".

A revolution is coming. It will be non-violent. But it is coming. It is being forged in the hearts of men and women who see themselves more as Sarah Palins and Joe the Plumbers than arugula eating Barack and $450 sneakered Michelle.

This revolution will be true change. That's my hope.

Apologizing in Chief

2009-07-24T17:32:00.002-04:00

What a neophyte we have in the White House.

During the campaign we were bombarded- bombarded I say- by the media's frequent auto-eroticism at the mere mention of the Obama's rhetorical prowes and sheer genius. Didn't Oprah tell us Obama was "brilliant"? Weren't we constantly reminded of his unique ability to lead?

Wasn't Obama "the one"? Oh Neo- save us from the Matrix.

Today, the master orator, Cato in our time, issued an apology (sort of). He regrets his word choice when he told the WORLD that the Cambridge Police acted stupidly and sided with Prof. Gates after admitting he did not know the fact.

This comes just a few months after he issued an apology making fun of retarded people on The Tonight Show.

Now- correct me if I am wrong- was not President Bush CRUCIFIED at every verbal snafu? Didn't every late night comedian make a living off new-que-lur and "misunderestimate"? Yet I don't recall Bush having to issue an apology for his words.

Words have meaning.

The liberals wanted a retraction of "axis of evil" and "dead or alive". They were shocked and sickened by his "cowboy diplomacy" when he reminded our enemies that he would hunt them down. He did not back down; he did not recant.

Words have meaning.

How sad that our President wants to invite Gates and Crowley- two minor players in a minor misunderstanding- to drink a beer in the White House. The White House! The power home of the world. The building from where we liberated Europe and flew to the moon now playing bit part in Obama's Freudian slip.

Obama didn't make a mistake or choose his words poorly. He let lose the anger he holds in his mind and heart. The same anger he vented at those who cling to their guns and religion, the same anger he used to defend the vile Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers, the same anger with which he continues to bash the former President after 6 months of his own colossal failures shined through in his comments. And he is sorry- sorry you saw that side of him. That side is supposed to be hidden.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry so many Americans were duped into voting for this fraternity pledge.

1/8 of his administration is over. The next 7/8 could drive me to drink. At breakfast.

Stir the racial pot, Barry

2009-07-23T18:11:00.002-04:00

I reminded myself in posting last night that Barry is nothing more than a community organizer and campaigner in chief. He made his name, and his fortune, by stirring the community into a (usually racial) frenzy. This is his tactic, this is his B.O.'s m.o.

When I was still a clueless kid growing up in NYC, the Tawana Brawley case first turned me on to blacks who use race as a means to achieving a career end. Al Sharpton, along with his huge medalion and pompadour hairdo, convinced us that we were all racists because of the way Tawana Brawley was treated. Well- we know how that case turned out. But for some reason Al survived and continues to this very day as the leader of the racists movement in America.

That's party why I thought it so odd he spoke at Michael Jackson's funeral- not as odd as what he said- but odd that he was even there. As a kid, when everone dressed as Michael for Halloween and my mom, bless her, let me wait up until 11:30 to watch Thriller premier on Friday Night Videos, I never thought of MJ as black. Or white. Or anything. I liked his music. Period. Was I colorblind by birth and society made me see black and white? I often wonder.

But anyway- that's not the point. The point is what our Community Organizer In Chief said last night about the Gates arrest in Boston. His comments did what he does best: stir the racial pot.

Obama lives for societal tension- it's where he makes his coin. Poor v. Rich, Black v. White, Gay v. Straight- the community organizer, the Al Sharpton, the activist NEEDS to foster and subsequently exploit these tensions.

Ever hear of "divide and conquer"?

Obama's commetns last night were beyond stupid. They were insulting. And I bet Gates was a pain in the ass prick who deserved to get arrested. Because he was black? No- because he is a Harvard professor who is probably more arrogant than Obama. Is that anti-ivy-ism? Sorry. I'll take a seminar to cure my ignorance.

Obama has passed from arrogant to just plain stupid and his comments about cops and particularly about Officer Crowley are out of line. The office of the President of the United State, the White House pulpit being used to focus on one insignificant incident in Boston.

That is what Obama is good at: nitpicking, making mounts from black and white mole hills, tempests in tea pots, you get the idea. That is his forte. That is his career history. It's just so beneath the role of POTUS.

Al Sharpton will make his way up to Boston, I'm sure. The NAACP and Rainbow Push and Jessee jackson will make their way too. Shame on the professor for starting such a brohahah. Shame on the President for encouraging it.

Campaigner in Chief

2009-07-22T20:14:00.003-04:00

He's been POTUS for 6 months and 2 days and he is holding his fourth- his FOURTH- prime time press conference.

This is the strategy of a man who does not know how to govern but rather excells at public engagement. He was, after all, a community organizer. I guess this is how they operate.

Funny how 2 years in the Senate made Obama an expert on so many things: healthcare, automotive industry, mortgage, environment, banking, small business. It's an amazing hubris of Caesarian proportians. Pompey would be a better example...

I was a few minutes late for this week's press conference but when I tuned in Obama was reminding everyone about "the past 8 years" and how many problems he inherited... yaaaaawn. That line is getting old, Barry. Besides being pretty much a lie, it's also a tired line.

Twice he has reminded the audience of the letters he receives. OK folks- let me be clear about someone who worked in the White House- POTUS does not look at those letters. He doesn't. He makes it sound like he sits at the Resolute Desk with a silver letter opener, cup of coffee on an eagle coaster, looking through the mail along with his comcast bill and pre-qualified credit card offers.

Thomas Sowell had a great piece yesterday about the "uninsured". Why are they uninsured? Are they poor? Well- that's what medicaid does. Who's left? People who opt-out? Not my problem. So who are these 47 million uninsured? Does anyone ask that?

Video no longer available

2009-07-20T21:55:00.003-04:00

This past Thursday a friend sent me the Hulu.com link of the SNL opening skit which parodied the Clarence Thomas hearings. Chris Farley played Heffelin, Dana Carvey impersonated Strom Thurmond. There was Phil Hartman as Kennedy, Kevin Neilon as Biden (he's our VP, right? I'm not dreaming?) and most salient: Al Frankin as bowtied Paul Simon.

The video is funny in old-school SNL funny. It poked fun at at left and right, republican and democrat and the Senate as a whole. SNL was an equal opportunity offender.

Just now I went to Hulu to show the skit to my brother. It has been removed.

Is it respect for Sen. Frankin? Or is it, as I suspect, just another example of cowardice. Back in March I noted that Seth Meyers http://guffmanandgodot.blogspot.com/2009/03/dear-seth-myers.html and the SNL crew had yet mocked Obama- sure he was in a few skits but paled in comparison (is that a racist remark?) to the harshness and severity leveled at Sarah Palin and John McCain.

SNL has fallend victim to the same PC BS of so many once great institutions- among them schools, newspapers, Hollywood, etc etc.

So sad that some exec at SNL or NBC or GE feels the need to pull the skit. Maybe they fear that Sen. Frankin might pull the funding on some billion dollar GE defense contract...

American Soldier Rest in Peace

2009-07-15T17:12:00.003-04:00

God bless the American soldier.

"Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the America soldier. And our soldiers don't just preserve liberty abroad but they preserve it for us here at home. For it has been said so truthfull that it is the soldier not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier not the poet that has given us feedom of speech. It is the soldier not the agitator who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, who's coffin is drapped by the flag who gives that protest the freedom he abuses to burn that flag."
-Zell Miller

Words and suits are both empty

2009-06-20T21:01:00.003-04:00

After days of watching the people of Iran protest the tyranny and oppression that rules their country and their lives, our President has decided to make a statement of support. Bold.

Yes, I understand the theory that we don't want to be seen as "meddeling" in a foreign revolution. But when has it been meddeling for the President of the United States to vocally and vociferously support freedom? When does the President sit by the wayside and watch a people clamoring for justice go unaided or unsupported?

I find it so odd, but so typical of this man, that in his remarks of solidarity with the Iranian people, Obama cited his Cairo speech. "As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away." He thinks very highly of himself. And to an extent, I am sure that he remains somewhat confident that his speech is partly the catalyst for this uprising.

And now we couple this with the fact that in his 2010 budget, Obama has stipped all funding for democracy groups in Iran from the State Department's budget. Maybe it's because of the economic crisis... though if that were the sole reason, one must question the other $3.5+ trillion.

Talk about your empty words. Talk about an empty suit. Talk about an empty man. Obama's thought processes are so alien to any executive thinking and presidential acumen. He is still a community organizing looking to run America like a south side Chicago neighborhood.

His Majesty

2009-06-16T18:22:00.000-04:00

The Queen of England does not govern.
She reigns.

Which does Mr. Obama think he should do?

He is striving for both.

Ich bin ein Iranian...

2009-06-16T13:28:00.000-04:00

Just moment ago, our President finally addressed the thousands of protestors in Tehran who are fighting for freedom and justice. Let's see what he said:

"It's not productive given the history of US-Iranian relations to be seen as meddeling, the US President meddeling, in Iranian elections. What I will repeat and what I said yesterday is that when I see violence directed at peaceful protestors, when I see peaceful dissent being supressed, wherever that takes place, it is of concern to me, and it's of concern to the American people".

So, to you thousands of people in the streets of Iran KNOWING that your lives are on the line as you clamor, with whatever hope you have in your hearts, for freedom and justice in your homeland, the President of the USA says to you "can't meddle, Not because of our past relations. If Bush hadn't messed things up, I would be there with you. But I can't. However, I am concerned".

Mr. Gorbechov, tear down this wall. The Axis of Evil. The Evil Empire. Powerful words coupled with powerful actions that did, indeed, free people. And today we have "it's not productive to be seen as meddeling". If he could use the passive voice more often, it would be done.

"This is a corrupt, flawed, shame of an election. The Iranian people have been deprived of their rights and we support them in their struggle against a repressive, oppressive regime and they should not be subjected to 4 more years of Ahmadinejad and the radical muslim clerics" -John McCain

Voice of a leader, and I am no McCainite.

Mr. President, couldn't you even speak about hope and change? You speak worse about the Bush Administration than you do about the Ayatollah.

I'm ashamed of my President.

My Advice to Iranians

2009-06-16T10:21:00.000-04:00

Move.

I know your pride in your Persian heritage and your language is nothing like the Arabic and Pashto spoken by your neighbors. But I've been to your borders and I know that, albeit a difficult journey, it is possible to get out of your country.

And that, sadly, is the best advice I can offer you.

See, the new America, as envisioned and lead by our President, doesn't support your clamor for democracy and freedom.

It's too difficult.

Instead, he is "encouraged" by the robust debate and is eagerly watching the calls for investigation into election fraud allegations. Poor child, he really thinks there will be investigations. He really thinks there is legitimacy and accountability in your theocratic country.

Is he naive or just willfully ignorant. Or afraid. I wonder.

Former President Bush was billed as pedestrian and small minded with his manechistic vision of the world and rogue regimes. President Obama doesn't like "rogue regimes" or even a war on terror. It's nicer to think of the world as an international, diverse community with continuing operations.

So as you protest in the streets rising your life and putting the lives of your family members at risk, know that the government of America does not, repeat, does not stand with you. Unfortunately.

We are faced with a grave moral decision: solidarity with the 70,000,000+ citizens of Iran who seek freedom and justice or angering the Ayatollahs who run the country and actively seek nuclear weapons. President Obama has shown his desire to side with the latter.

Detente, anyone? It worked so well in the late 70's.

When Lech Walesa organized the Solidarity movement in Poland, he knew that he could count on the freedom loving west in the USA and the UK and the truth loving power of the Polish Pope. What empowered their movement and uprising was truth, and how great to have the truth supported with power.

The people of Iran are protesting right now, fighting for a sliver of truth and freedom. They are being shot at. Their faces are being recorded for future interrogations by the Iranian government. And they protest on. How sad that no one else supports them. The worlds super powers are silent. It is a tragedy.

So, dear people of Iran, I apologize. It is pathetic that our President has been painfully silent and decisively apathetic to your cause. Once American Presidents came to the aid of freedom fighters. Today, we apologize for imposing our values.

As I write this, the South Korean President is in the Oval asking President Obama for a form of guarantee that should Kim Jung Il decide to go nuclear, the USA will support the South in their inevitable war.

The answer to that question is no. Ronald Reagan is dead.

Lefty misspeaking

2009-06-12T14:21:00.000-04:00

Hillary Clinton was named after Sir. Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest.

Bill Clinton did not have sex with that woman.

If you know what "is" the definition of "is".

Joe Biden is the only man in the world who knows of TV footage of President Roosevelt addressing the nation after the stock market crashed in 1929. (Many Americans said "who the hell is Franklin Roosevelt and what is a television?".

That's the same Joe Biden who's chopper had to land in the Waziristan region because of gunfire. Or snow. Honestly, does it matter?

Kind of like Hillary's sniper fire in Bosnia. Or was it Kosovo? Eh, who cares.

Hours after winning the election in November, Obama makes a joke about the former first lady: "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any séances.". That was the first indication that the genius orator was teleprompter dependent.

Add that to the joke about "the special olympics or something" on Leno. Those retards sure are funny. Just ask the President.

That brings us to Mr. Letterman, the funny man who makes $30+ million a year and tells jokes about raping 14 year old girls while calling Alaska's governor a slut. Letterman, like the aforementioned Mensa members, "misspoke".

It happens. I often talk of my muslim faithful until Matt Lauer reminds me I'm a Christian. I too misspeak. In fact last week I went to the Synagogue on Friday night before realizing I was not a Jew. I "mis-prayed".

Like I said, it happens.

I think of Les Moonves, the CBS president who 8 days after the "nappy headed ho's" comment fired Don Imus. Imus initially dismissed the comments as "some idiot comment meant to be amusing". Apparently, they were not.

The next day, the next day, the VERY next day, Imus went on Al Sharpton's radio program "Stirring the Pot with Fat Al" (may not be the official title of the program but I couldn't find it online. Eh, who am I kidding, I didn't even look. I remember Tawana Brawley, Al.) Then Imus went to Rutgers to apologize to the players personally.

Les Moonves still fired Don Imus.

Les, what will you do with David Letterman? Will he be reprimanded? Suspended? Or just... ignored. I'm guessing the latter.

Dave retorts that he wasn't joking about Willow Palin (who is 14). He was joking about Bristol Palin who is 18. See, it's not so bad to make rape jokes about 18 year olds, so stop crying. Baby want a cookie now?

No comments about the Sarah Palin "slut" comments, however. That's fair game. Palin is a Republican.

Dave offers a non-apology. He hems and haws that he misspoke and the joke was in poor taste. And honestly, if you were Dave, would you gave a damn? You hate Sarah Palin (reasons unknown) and you know that no executive in CBS will scold you- so why bother?

Dave- wasn't your son the target of a foiled kidnapping plot a few years ago? Too bad it didn't happen because that would have provided late night comedy with TONS of material. Kidnapping kids is funny stuff, Dave. Like rape.

Les, the clock is ticking. You gave Don 8 days. You've given Dave 2. I'm curious to see what happens over the weekend in CBS. But I'm not holding my breath.

Go Connan.

Three shootings

2009-06-11T12:15:00.000-04:00

May 31, 2009
Scott Roeder (allegedly) kills Doctor George Tiller at his church in Kansas.
Google hits on the killer's name: 285,000
Coupled with "right wing": 42,600

June 1, 2009
Abdulhakim Hakim Mujahaid Muhammad (allegedly) kills Private William Long outside a recruiting station in Arkansas.
Google hits on the killer's name: 4070
Coupled with "left wing": 696

June 10, 2009
James von Brunn (allegedly) kills security guard Stephen Johns at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.
Google hits with the killer's name: 33,100
Coupled with "right wing": 9,280

Something is not right. Or fair. Or objective. Just review those numbers again.

There is a deliberate cover-up or selective negligence by the news agencies. How can a domestic terrorist attack on our military go virtually ignored while other, more politically profitable crimes, are reported on the front page.

To be clear- all of these crimes are equally heinous, immoral and vile. All should be equally condemned and measures should be taken to punnish the guilty and ensure repeat crimes do not occur.

But in the words of Rahm Emmanuel, never let a crisis go to waste.

These awful crimes are being exploited by the media, by the left, by the administration to further their political interests. Obama is vehemently pro-abortion. Any chance he has to "criminalize" the pro-life movement, the better.

A case could be made to "criminalize" the pro-peace movement. Cindy Sheehan is as guilty in the death of Private Long as Bill O'Reilly is in the death of George Tiller or Rev. Wright is in the death of Officer Johns. "Dem jews ain't gonna let me talk to Obama" Rev Wright reminds us just a few days ago.

Keep eating the anti-semite sandwich, Revered.

Let's review some things: Letterman, Leno, Stewart, Colbert, 'Lil Bush, SNL, You're Welcome America! with Will Ferrell, Farenheit 9-11, W the movie, et al ALL contributed to the anti-Bush, anti-Republican, partisan angry politics that envelope this nation. Yes, it still envelopes the nation and Obama is only exacerbating it to his advantge (never let a crisis go to waste, right?). Yet how often did the media talk about "left wing" anger and hostility? I can't remember.

The rhetoric coming out of the media these days is comical. Protecting the President and the left and the democrat party, they speak of a "growing trend" of anti-American, anti-Obama, racist behavior. Remember Jeanne Garafolo (who's political credentials include reading from an Aaron Sorkin script on The West Wing) called the Tea Party's "racist". And the CNN reporter who spoke of the tea party's as anti-government? (I wrote about that briefly ).

I don't recall any shock or frustration at the hatred spewed at President Bush. And N.O.W. was virtually silent when Sarah Palin was mocked over and over again. had dave Lettermen made a joke about Sasha Obama as cruel and gross as the joke he made about 14 year old Willow Palin, I bet there would be some reaction from the media. I guess you can make rape jokes about the children of Republicans.

A few years ago, Mrs. Alito left the Senate chamber in tears because of the line of questioning her husband was facing during his confirmation hearings. Yet we are told by the White House to tred lightly on Mrs. Sotomayor because of her hispanic heritage. (BTW- she was born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents who were Americans since birth. My mom was born in Brooklyn to immigrant parents who because naturalized Americans. My mom, however, is not a minority. Go figure.)

I apologize- these comments have been a little all over the place. But I think you understand my point. The left uses every moment, every crime, every crisis to improve their image and bash their opponents. They never silenced the 9-11 conspirators, they never apologized for their treatment of our former President, they never distanced themselves from "General Betray-us" and other such attacks. And they never have to. Because we don't make them.

These three shootings are sad commentaries on our life in America. There are crazy people out there from the Unabomber to Richard Reid. How sad that groups use their evil actions to improve their polling numbers and election chances.

Campaigning in the Middle East

2009-06-04T10:55:00.000-04:00

I can hardly recall a time when a sitting US President spoke ill of his country and his predecessor on foreign soil more often than Obama has done in his first few months in office. And so much of this "hope and change- Obama '08" rhetoric has spilled over into the executive methods of our 44th President that the line between campaigning and governing are mixed into a dizzying and dangerous hodgepodge of weak actions and strong words.

"Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible", said President Obama in his address to muslims this earlier today in Cairo.

I ask, as a follow-up, the sort of follow-up no reporter asked President Obama during the campaign season, a 2-part question that will never be answered"

1. What types of diplomacy were not used before the Iraq war that could have prevented it? Were not the countless UN resolutions and sanction sufficient? Was snubbing the IAEA and international inspectors properly responded to? Have you read resolution 1441?

2. What countries were missing from the international consensus that could have lead credibility and gravitas to the US efforts? To refresh your memory: Canada, UK, Australia, Spain, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Colombia, Poland, etc were just a few of the dozens of nations that formed the "international consensus". Absent, notably, were Russia, France and Germany. Communists, wimps and nazis. I think we did OK.

Obama still talks abot the Iraq war thinking he has to outflank Clinton and Edwards who voted for the War Powers Act. Newsflash Mr. President: you are the President. What you think about the war's inception is now moot- moreso, it is precarious. It is now your war. Will you handle it thus?

"I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings."

The magnificent platitude of a campaign speech. More precisely, a straw man campaign speech. If you seek a "new beginning...based on mutual interest and mutual respect" then you are, indeed, saying that America's past was based on self interest and lack of respect. Now, to be even more precise, is that America's relationship with muslims or muslim nations?

America has no relationships with "people" around the world- be they communities of religion or creed or race. To talk about the "United States and Muslims around the world" means we have policies with "Buddhists" around the world. And "Methodists" around the world. What are those relationships? And where are they defined? In Presidential order of acts of Congress?

The US does not enter into relationships with communities or people. It has relationships with nations, as America is a nation. How can a government have a relationship with a people? Are laws and policies going to be created specifically targeted towards one people?

In Obama's mind, yes, there should be such laws. And more of them. Affirmative action, hate crimes, any form of legislation that favors a minority or victim class is a good and necessary action because it helps achieve "fairness". And fairness, in the mind of a liberal, is tantamount to "equality".

Funny- the US Constitution should prevent such favoritism based on race, religion, ethnicity, etc. But with liberals like Sonia Sotomayor who denies Ricci his promotion because he's white and triumphs her own wisdom because she is latina headed towards to Supreme Court, Obama is ensuring that his beliefs will be upheld at the highest level.

This same logic is what prompts our Campaigner in chief to launch a new beginning with muslims around the world. We elected a Saul Alinsky community organizer as President. His community is now the world. But his methods are the same.

"The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam".

Mr. Obama, you call yourself "a student of history" in this speech. If only your speechwriter and teleprompter were students of history, too. Based on this, tension in muslim countries are derived from:

a. religious wars (medieval Europe)
b. colonialism (modern Europe)
c. the cold war (Reagan)
d. modernity and globalization (Bill Gates)

In summary: tension in muslim countries is, again, our fault. Despite the fact that other parts of the world had "religious wars", all of America was colonized, no one was more a proxy than Poland in the cold war and globalization is global... it is all our fault. Had the Czech responded to the Internet with terrorism, we should have been more empathetic. Had the Latvians responded to SALT talks with suicides bombers in the town square, we should have looked inward at our own culpability.

When you treat everyone as a victim, you need to blame the victimizer. On the world stage, muslims are victims and the President places all the blame on us.

"The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights".

Not all priests are pedophiles. Yet all priests suffer because of the 3% of scum who commit crimes in a roman collar. Until they clean up their own, police their own and turn over their own to criminal prosecutions, there should be a high level of scrutiny and even moderate distrust towards priests. Anything less would be irresponsible.

There is still a man outside the vatican embassy on Observatory Circle with the sign "The Vatican hides criminals".

Cannot the same be said for Islam? Can it not be said about muslims in America? Until they clean up their own, police their own and turn over their own to criminal prosecutions, there should be a high level of scrutiny and even moderate distrust. Anything less would be irresponsible.

Where is the man in NW outside the islamic center with a sign "Iran hides criminals"?

The same goes for muslim nations. Nations that do not police their own, turn over their own, should be dealt with under a premise of scrutiny and moderate distrust. Nations that harbor men who behead journalists, who plant bombs in market places and inflict terror on innocent civilians cannot be trusted. That means Iran. And Syria. And Saudi Arabia.

That is your responsibility, Mr. President. Your job is not one of fostering a new beginning with any peoples- especially not one group over another. Your job is to foster relationships with nations. And in your words, relationships that are "based upon mutual interest and mutual respect".

Go to France and talk to the French people. Typical sentiment: they hate America. They love Americans. Sure they think our culture is disposable and superficial and they mock our cuisine and wine. But they don't shower daily, they dress like the Thompson Twins and and pay 70% in taxes. But all this is pointless because the relationship that the country of US and the country of France has is strong. Whether or nor the people get along is gravy. We don't make relationships with the French people. We build relationships with the French government.

Whether or not muslims and Americans get along will not be decided by President Obama or any politician. But creating a national policy that protects and defends our interests will foster an atmosphere where such niceties can flourish in time.

President Obama has a messiah complex because he wants a messiah complex. We wants to heal the world because he believes he can. Call it confidence or arrogance, the man believes his own press releases and his campaign has not ended. Too bad that in the process he is doing more damage than good and the relationships he hopes to create will only lead to greater international discord and danger.

I wish I were wrong. But I too am a student of history. And I know where we are headed. It is not pretty.

Not briefed on the brief

2009-05-14T12:21:00.001-04:00

There comes a time when lies, rolled in lies, get out of hand.

We've all done it. We told mom we had to work but when dad called your office you said it was a business trip but when sis called you answered the phone at home and the lies compounding the lies get out of hand.

Lying is not easy. It's an art. It requires not just a mischievous nature and willingness to deceive but a real talent for order, logic and miscalculation. And great acting.

Bill Clinton was a triumph in lying. Just recall his visit to Normandy.

Hillary was not as successful. Sniper fire in Bosnia, her own namesake- all proven to be lies. Hillary is not as good as Bill.

Nancy Pelosi is now proven to be a bad liar- which is not necessarily a bad thing. But Madam Speaker does find herself in a career damaging (and potentially a career ending) string of lies. I was at the brief but I wasn't briefed. I was informed about a briefing but was never told of the briefing. There were two briefings. The CIA is lying, not me. Bush did it.

When tricky Dick Nixon got caught in his web of lies finally the press asked the famous "what did the president know and when did he know it?". I am waiting for such bluntness from the press today.

When campaigning Senator Obama was stuck in his lies about Rev. Wright and David Ayers and Tony Rezko (and abortion and Jerusalem and Iran and, well, everything else...) he was able to skirt the issue assisted by an allied press and was never asked to fess up. But that was a campaign- and let's face it- the campaign is a glorified trailer compelling you to buy a ticket and see the movie.

Nancy Pelosi is in campaign mode but not in a campaign. Lambasting the Bush Administration and deriding the CIA may be popular in Merin County and win her support from the left, but this is Congress now and she is tempting fate with her poorly conceived lies.

What did the Speaker know and when did she know it?

The CIA will not bend over and take it. Not when they are claled liars, and not by a politically motivated politician.

nancy is in a pot of water and the gas was just turned up. Careful nancy- it could be boiling pretty quickly.

Fly Over Country

2009-04-29T12:18:00.000-04:00

That's the political phrase for states, cities, peoples who really don't matter in an election. Politicos spend time in St. Louis and Kansas City, but the rest of Missouri is "fly over country".

For President Obama's White House- all of America is fly over country. Not just figuratively, but literally.

I was voluntering on Monday morning when a Priest friend got a frantic call on his cell. A passenger jet was flying low over NYC being chased by fighters. Her building was evacuted.

Then the Priest got another call. Then another. What was going on?

A photo-op.

That's what the Obama White House thinks of America. America is a backdrop. America is a prop. No matter the cost ($385,000 is some cost) and without care for the impact on the environment (what's the "carbon footprint" on that photo?) and where is green-Hollywood to decry this wasteful contribution to global warming?) and without any sensitivity for millions of New Yorkers, someone ordered a photo of Air Obama over flyover country.

I don't have close friends who died on 9-11, but like most New Yorkers I know several people who were killed that awful day. Low flying planes over Manhattan isn't just "reminiscient" of that day. It is that day.

I can't imagine what would have happened should Winston Churchill have wanted to make a documentary in 1948 and, to create the necessary effect, turned on the air raid sirens throught London one night. Imagine the panic as our English friends sitting at home hear those chilling alarms which had been silent for years. Imagine the ANGER when they learn that it was planned, and not as an unannounced drill, but as part of an ad campaign.

This photo shoot is indicative of what Rush Limbaugh called a 9-10 mentality- and should evoke tremendous concern among all Americans. What kind of people go forward with such a plan without even considering the general public?

But worse, not in terms of national security but because of human character, is the utter belief that Americans, their fears, their concerns, their issues, are ancillary to Obama's needs and promotion. Americans are secondary. Americans are expendable.

Monday's photo shoot over New York City is a dangerous window into the Obama White House. If this is what they think of Americans, and the way they plan on using their power and piggy banks to promote themselves, we have much to fear.

Obama the low-self-esteem President

2009-04-18T11:29:00.000-04:00

Perhaps Obama's biggest weakness is his weakness.

Obama reminds me of one of those high school underclassman who wanted desperately to be popular with the seniors.

It's as if his biggest fear in life is to be rejected.

It's not merely a political weakness; it's a psychological weakness. One can observe the vital importance of acceptance in Obama's facial expressions and posture. Recall the election day victory speech in Grant Park on November 7th. For minutes on end, Obama stood before the crowd, not waving, not smiling, not pointing willy nilly to some random person and giving a thumbs-up a la Clinton, not holding his kids like Palin. Obama basked in his glory. A stern countenance, chin slightly upturned, Obama allowed himself to be celebrated. It was an affirmation, and Obama feeds off of affirmation.

Obama's weak psyche is, partially, understandable. Quite frankly, who wants to be another Bush? or Rove? or Rick Santorum??? No one wants to be demonized, parodied, mocked relentlessly by a merciless press and late-night comics. It makes sense that a political personality, elected by the people, should strive to be accepted by a majority of them (especially when he needs the masses one more time in 43 months time...).

But this need to be popular, to be loved and celebrated, is carried into a dangerously weak foreign policy. Rather than stand on principles, Obama is ruled by personality. The cordiality with which he greeted Chavez (who called Obama's predecessor "the Devil" and could "smell the sulphur) demonstrates weakness. In Obama's mind, he is the anti-Bush, and therefore his persona will win over Chavez. In the dictator's mind, Obama is just another gringo President, but unlike Bush, this one can be manipulated. What Obama sees as a foreign policy gain is actually an international loss. But he's too naive to tell the difference. After all, he is popular and isn't that all what matters?

Yet look at the comments made by French President Zarkozi. Tempting Obama to walk on the waters of the English Channel is such an immature joke, a rude and crass joke made about the American President... why Zarkozi say it? Because he doesn't take Obama seriously. Obama has become the joke.

Kim Jung Il would not have restarted their nuclear program under Bush. Maybe the 6 party talks weren't wholly successful, but they did retard the crazy Korean's nuclear progress.

Then there is Amadinejad. And Qadafi- the leader who, under the Bush Administration, surrendered his entire arsenal of weapons.

Obama's cavalier attitude towards the Queen coupled with a kowtow to the Saudi King, the outreach to Castro and the snub of Gordon Brown, the relentless America-bashing around the world stages from Europe to Mexico- these are all signs of a weak man who craves popularity.

America doesn't need another weak President. Remember Carter?

As Obama goes about trying to become the most popular Sophomore in high school, what he really does his embarrass himself and degrade the office of the President. I cannot imagine Bush shaking hands with a man who called Clinton "the devil". Nor can I imagine Clinton doing that either... dare I say Clinton had more confidence in himself and in his office.

Obama just looks like a fool. Yeah, sure, the seniors may talk to him more than other sophomores. But they also make fun of him publicly. They will use his house to throw a party, but they will trash the place, break his mom's pearls and drive off in his dad's Rolls Royce with the prom queen.

In his mind, Obama thinks his popularity will lead to success. And for that he is personally happy and feels fulfilled as the world leader. But he leaves a path of destruction that someone will have to clean up.

Pravda

2009-04-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

This CNN reporter should be fired.

When tens of thousands of Americans in hundreds of "Tea Parties" in every one of the 50 States of our great nation gather to complain about the excess of taxes and burden that the government has placed on our shoulders, she has this to say.

Not only is she antagonistic, she is also quite a fabricator. "This is not really family viewing". Do you believe that CRAP?

Promoted by the right-wing FOX (who also beats us in every demographic and poll and whose space we use to advertise out crap CNN shows).

Poor CNN. Your glory days are so far behind you.

Shameful, really.

Party on, tea people.

Piracy: to police or to purge?

2009-04-13T13:57:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to pretend that Obama is 100% wrong all the time. Besides being logically flawed and intellectually immature, it's just untrue. That petty mentality which sees only mistakes and error and flaw is only found on the left. Even Barney Frank can be "right on" sometimes.

So I applaud Obama's decision to authorize the use of force to free Captain Phillips who was being held in the Indian Ocean for the past few days by pirates. I'm proud that our armed forces are so well trained, that our Navy SEALS are truly brave and courageous and that our priorities, taught by Gen. Washington long ago, always value American lives and fight at all costs to save our citizens.

I'm not sad that 3 pirates died in the process. Nor am I sad when I kill the mosquito that bite me and buzzed in my ear all night. A fourth pirate was captured. Too bad waterboarding cannot be used to interrogate him. Maybe our men and women in uniform can invent a new method just for this pirate: something involving electric eels and or mousetraps....alas, some dreams cannot come true.

So President Obama- thank you for acting like a commander in chief and giving the green light. Now go the next step...

The pirates of the Caribbean, romanticized by Disney, Captain Hook, the genius Johnny Depp and uber-hot Kiera Knightly are not accurate depictions of the men (and women) who terrorized the warm Caribbean seas during the 17th and early 18th century. What brought about their demise was not just heroism at sea but the destruction of their bases, their ports, their reloading and restocking places. A ship, constantly at sea, will run out of food and water and die.

The British, Spanish and Dutch, despite being economic and political enemies, formed an alliance against the pirates. Any colony caught aiding and abetting the pirates by allowing them port would be considered an enemy of the other nations subject to war and risking the cargo and commerce of that nation. This alliance forced the pirates to use unclaimed islands as bases- mostly Nassau.

Famous pirates like Blackbeard, another one romanticized but in reality nothing more than a common murderer, thief and rapist, were hunted down and killed. Robert Maynard finally caught up with Blackbeard off the coast of North Carolina where his ship, the Queen Ann's Revenge, had luckily run aground. Did Blackbeard bury his treasure somewhere in the outer banks...? Irrelevant. But enticing.

My point- to clean the Caribbean, make it safe for commerce and travel, the pirates were killed at sea and on land. Obama should do the same.

He needs to order the systematic destruction of all pirate ships in international water. I think our Navy is up to the task. And Obama needs to launch a preemptive (yes, I said it, preemptive) strike on pirate ports in the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia.

Aiding and abetting the pirates is conspiring against the free world. They are complicit and guilty. If Somalia is turned into another Jamaica or Hispaniola of the 1740's, meaning it does not offer port to any rogue pirate ship, then the pirates will be stuck at sea where they will die or we will kill them.

My hope is that Obama takes this to the next level. Otherwise America turns into a navy police- and we run the risk of more pirates being successful and terrorizing the seas forever.

Kill the pirates. Sink them at sea, burn their boats on the land. Kill the pirates. And we will not have to deal with them again.

Let's eradicate this threat completely and not look back at a lost opportunity to purge the world of scum.

The Wagoner and Greenberg Treatment

2009-03-30T13:38:00.000-04:00

Liberals hate private sector leaders.

In their world, a world very much created by Marx and Engels, government (or better said "the state") must have the exclusive and exhaustive leadership role. CEOs, corporate presidents, religious officials (especially bishops and the Pope!) are all seen with skepticism and fear as rivals. In the statist vision of the world, only the state has the true vision and altruism to properly order mankind. All competition must be eliminated.

As Milton Friedman said to Phil Donahue about 30 years ago "Where in the world do you find these angels who are going to organize society for us? I don't even trust you to do that". Here's the clip. It's worth watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A

So because today's American left, liberals, statists, Obamists, socialists, etc hate non-government leaders, they take the necessary steps to destroy them. (There are many ways to do that- read Saul Alinsky for some tips in case you want to play the home version.) One way to destroy these leaders is through direct government attack.

I think of Hank Greenberg the former CEO of AIG. Greenberg was basically told by former N.Y. Attorney General (turned disgraced prostitute loving embezzling Governor) Spitzer to resign "or else". Repeated calls to the AIG Board, threats of indictment, of penalties, of fines, all empty hallow threats caused Greenberg to step aside. Spitzer used his status as AG to hold press conferences aimed at maligning Greenberg. Spitzer ruined his reputation and character. Spitzer behaved like a complete and utter extortionist, mafia thug. Greenberg was forced to step down. He was never charged, indicted, or to my knowledge, even investigated for any misdoings.

So why the need to get rid of him? He was too powerful. He controlled too much money. He had more power than Spitzer, and in Elliott's statist-worldview, that is a bad thing. Only government officials should have such power. (By the way... I am waiting for Elliott to get charged with something).

I forget... after Greenberg stepped down 3 years ago, how has AIG done as a business? Is it still making money for it's shareholders?

And just today, Kaiser Obama had Rick Wagoner step down at General Motors. Now, Obama can "appoint" the right person to restructure GM according to his (Obama's) vision. Obama and his task force can decide the product and the financial make-up of this behemoth and iconic corporation. They can decide what kind of cars are made, how much they cost, how much the employees make, how much Ron Gettelfinger gets paid...

I forget.... how much experience does Obama have running a corporation? Did his years as "community organizer" give him the financial and corporate acumen to overhaul this company? Did his years in the Illinois legislature gift him with automotive know how and experience? Did his 2 years in the Senate provide him with industry vision and labor-relations capabilities?

Rick Wagoner is just the latest victim of a soon-to-be common trend. Obama is a statist. He believes in complete state control of all sectors of society: education, healthcare, employment, production. Any leader who tries to remain free of state control will be subject to death- industry death, power-death, responsibility-death. Not actual "death". Not yet, at least.

What? Am I saying that soon Kaiser Obama will actually KILL people? No. But all totalitarian regimes begin small... go read up on the Reign of Terror in 19th century France, the beginning of Bolshevism in early 20th century Russia, the birth of Fascism in Italy, Communism in China, Hitler in Germany. Totalitarianism doesn't begin with murder. It begins with "the state" taking control of:

industry: banking, mortgage
the private sector: automobiles, healthcare
religion: eliminating conscience clause and tax-exempt status, imminent domain legislation
the press: fairness doctrine, newspaper bailouts

The state does this for your good. They care. But this lust for control grows and grows. Soon, as Orwell reminds us, you cannot tell the men from the pigs as they all look alike.

Do I sound alarmist? Good. I'll keep ringing that alarm bell. Didn't another statist, Lula Da Silva, just blame the global recession on "blue-eyed white people"? Now ask me again if I am going to far in my comments... Hitler did not begin his powergrab with dissimilar attitudes.

Greenberg, Wagoner- who is next? Steve Jobs? Warren Buffett? He criticized Obama recently- maybe Berkshire Hathaway should be under state control. Should the state appoint university professors and deans? All this is coming. Look at which industry is under Kaiser Obama's attack: oil, pharma, healthcare, energy, transportation, banks, "Wall Street" (the guy is so inept he talks about "Wall Street" as if it were a specie and not a genere. Plato would be happy to see his beliefs are being codified into metaphysical legislation.)

Watchout Exxonmobile, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, CSX. Wells Fargo and Ford are being FORCED to take TARP funds. What will Kaiser Obama FORCE upon you, Pfizer?

Maybe AstraZeneca can make a pill to counter the effects of American Fascism.

Where does Football rank on the importance scale?

2009-03-26T13:24:00.001-04:00

What goes on in those hallowed halls? What happens in those vapid heads? Is the current political system such that the most truly narcissistic and haughty interlopers are elected?

Legions of men and women spend their days telling us, the American people, how to live their lives. As Chuck Schumer said upon his election "I was born to legislate".

So now the colossal morons who sit in power chairs on the Hill and rape the public of their resources and trust are now investigating (drum roll please....) College Football.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9759GG00&show_article=1

What the hell is with these people? They passed a $700+ billion stimulus without reading it, allowing 8,000+ earmarks, included corporate bonus clause, denied it, feigned indignation, tried to ex post facto tax it, all while okaying a Treasury Secretary who failed to pay their taxes. And that shit show of a process allows them to move on to another area where they can stick their noses and screw things up beyond repair.

College football? With inflation soaring and the dollar plummeting and North Korea launching weapons... you want to get involved in College Football?

Let me ask you this, bastards, what RIGHT do you think you have to regulate college football? Are you going to regulate what student gets "homecoming queen" and "most likely to succeed"?

I just don't understand what these elected officials do in those offices. There must be some stupid pill they have to take every morning. We've got Mexican drug lords turning Phoenix into another Mogadishu. Russia is sending bombers to Cuba. Yet you focus on... football.

No wonder we are heading in the wrong direction. When the martians land and say "Take me to your leader" I'd be embarrassed to show them who's in charge. The aliens will know their invasion of our planet will be like Hitler's march on France but with better hygiene.

Sexual Dysfunction

2009-03-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

This is a tragic story.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090322/NEWS01/903220312/-1/TODAY

Jessica sent a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend who forwarded it to a friend, so on and so forth, it appeared online and the entire school saw it. Jessica was ridiculed to the point of suicide.

What a tragic end to a young life. Her parents are rightly angered, overcome with grief and looking for an explanation. I am sure they feel that something else- some external force- is to blame. And they are right.

But legislation preventing kids from sending or posting nude photos, or, as it is called "sexting", will not change anything. Sexting is just a symptom of a greater societal problem.

Jessica is of the generation that read "Heather has two mommies" in kindergarten and learned about "the blue dress" by 4th grade. Jessica undoubtedly watched "Sex and the City" since she was 10, saw Tony and his gang at the "Bada Bing" and has seen self-proclaimed "pan-sexual" Madonna grab her crotch every time she gets on a stage.

What happens to a group of children who are told, often times under legally procured rules and methods, that there is no taboo about sex? Nothing is out of question, nothing is private, nothing is even wrong. Condoms and abortions are offered free of charge to minors in schools. Snap bracelets are worn by 8th graders. And sexual conversation is as commonplace as any other topic like sports or the weather.

Recently, at a cocktail party, a woman felt compelled to tell my mom that her son was experimenting with his sexuality. "You have several children. I'm sure you know what that phase is like". My mom didn't know how to respond. I wish I could have seen the look on her face.

In the 1970s a great Italian thinker prophesied in his book "On Human Life" that the overacceptance and overindulgence of sex outside of a committed married relationship would be devastating to mankind. Rather than make us a more tolerant and loving society, it would bring out the selfishness of man, often at the expense of women, and lead to higher abortion rates and more out-of-wedlock births. It would victimize women in domestic violence and rape and the banality of sex and it's proper context would lead to an overall moral decline.

Real prophets are dead-on. Recent studies show that 40% of births in America are out-of-wedlock. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4733330.stm. That is staggering. But back to Jessica and her family.

There are things parents can do to protect their children. Legislation is not the answer.

Don't give your children camera phones. That's a quick, simple start. No one NEEDS a camera phone. Don't give your children phones that can receive photos either. This is not because you don't trust your children- it's because you don't trust other people children. Sorry.

Computers, especially with internet connections, should be in a common room of the house: a home office, a corner in the family room, a hallway. A teenager, alone in his room with unlimited internet access is just not prudent. Same with cable TV or DVD players. Not in a private bedroom- it's just imprudent. When thousands upon millions of predators, sexual, financial, whatever kind you imagine, are out in cyberspace and on TV and cable looking for your kid you've got to take necessary preventative measures.

But that's just not enough. More importantly we as a society need to control what our children are being taught and what is being fed to their minds through social communication. Our kids are bombarded by sex at a very early, very young age and we have become immune to it. How sad is it that my dad, my brothers and our nephews cannot watch the Superbowl or the World Series without Viagra after Levitra after Go-Daddy after God know what other breasts in your face and penis won't work commercial. And 8 year old Peter asks "what's an erection". (Following in the footsteps of thousands of generations before us, we respond "Go ask your mother".)

And where is the modesty of a young boy who receives a nude picture of his "girlfriend" and shares it with the world? Sure guys in locker rooms have always talked about girls and what they did/did not do and what we did/did not do. But usually, rather, always, when conversation switched from "girls" to "my girlfriend" the questions, and the jokes, ceased. Guys will talk smack about girls- but not about their mother or their girlfriends. Some things are sacred. Were sacred.

But here is a young boy who was 8 when he learned about oral sex from a House Committee. Sex was no longer something you talked about (but weren't supposed to) or experienced with a cheerleader (but wasn't supposed to). Now, you are SUPPOSED TO. And if you don't something is wrong with you.

Why is it fun to make fun of the Jonas Brothers who wear their purity rings, but Angelina Jolie, who is in all lay terms a homewrecking whore, is cool? We make fun of Eli Manning who married his High School sweetheart and is faithful to her but Tom Brady who impregnates one, dates another, now a third is some sort of hero?

And that is the switch-a-roo that has me concerned. What is good is stupid; what is bad is cool. What is moral is nerdy; what is immoral is awesome. "And Eve saw the apple was appealing to the eye". What amazing twists in life that turns goodness into wrongness and makes what is bad a necessity.

My heart goes out to Jessica's family. I don't blame them, I don't blame the way they raised their little girl. But they had tremendous opposition since the day she was born. And my fear is that other parents will not learn from this tragedy and see the enemies of their children as real, intentional, coordinated and calculated.

"Boys will be boys". I agree. We always will. But parents should be parents. I hope Jessica's tragic death will remind other parents about the tremendous responsibility they have before them. Maybe we can reverse the prophesy before it becomes fully true.

As stupid as lili ladaga

2009-03-20T16:31:00.000-04:00

That's a new expression I'd like to coin. Acceptable mutations of this expression could include (to your dumb coworker) "stop being a lili ladaga" or "your idea is about as smart as a lili ladaga".

Why my dislike of lili ladaga (who's name I refuse to capitalize)? This article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl267

Read it first- then read my anger over lili ladaga's relativism and broad strokes.

Finished? OK- so what's the difference between Obama's "special education" comments and all the others she references in her article (3 for Bush, 1 each Palin, Quayle, Reagan and Biden. 6 republicans, 1 democrat but that doesn't surprise me as lili ladaga is probably too dumb, too lazy and too biased to research any additional democrat faux pas). The difference is that their errors are GRAMMATICAL. They made mistakes in spelling, in syntax and in pronunciation.

Obama disparaged an entire class of people, and the least fortunate class at that.

Show me the "slip of the tongue" is which Reagan mocked Jews or Bush mocked the Chinese? Did Palin ever make a crack about the blind? Probably not as her son Trigg hopes to participate in those "Special Olympics" which our President finds so comical.

To paint with such a broad stroke, lili ladaga, and to once again excuse Obama with the "everyone does it" justification, is intellectually, journalistically, morally and humanistically SHAMEFUL. For that reason, lili ladaga is now synonymous with dumbass.

Why can't this freaking 4th estate just call him out once? The cabinet appointments, the tax evaders, the AIG debacle, walking through the window, whacking his head on the Marine I door, thanking himself in the teleprompter or even APPEARING on a late-night talk show have not earned Obama the slightest criticism from his adoring journalist fans.

Instead we get more lili ladagas circling the wagons, reminding us that "it's Bush's fault" and telling us to be courageous and take the Obama pledge.

lili ladaga- you are such a lili ladaga.

Obama thanks himself

2009-03-18T16:01:00.000-04:00

He needed a "me" moment.

Yesterday, our popular President welcomed Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen to the White House for Saint Patrick's Day. (For the political neophytes tempted to exclaim "what a cool idea! Obama is AWESOME" calm down- it's an annual tradition). At the welcome reception (Hmm, the Irishman gets one but the Brit does not. Maybe Obama is an O'Bama after all....) the President, known for his amazing rhetorical ability, welcomed the Prime Minister with an eloquent and warm address that he read off the teleprompter.

But the teleprompter made a mistake.

The ever obedient Obama, a master of situational awareness, astute, sharp, brimming with political acumen and, as Oprah decried "A GENIUS!" began reading the Irish leader's speech. And in the opening line of that speech he, Obama, thanked himself, Obama, for inviting himself, Obama, to visit his own house (Obama's).

It was at this point President Obama realized a mistake had been made by the damn teleprompter. Not WHILE he was reading or BEFORE he read the remarks. But AFTER.

Let's hope that Doctor Pepper and Mister Clean never use the same shape bottle.

Now I'm not saying Obama is not allowed to make mistakes. We all remember the multiple oratory errors uttered by our past President. But that's just my point. I wonder... had President Bush thanked himself because he read mindlessly off the teleprompter, when oh when would Keith Olbermann STOP airing that footage? And Mr. Letterman, would this not be in your opening monologue? What about you Chris Matthews, Rachel Madow, and of course JOHN STEWART?

Nothing about President Obama's gaffe. No late night humor, no Toles cartoon, no Colbert Report.

After all, it was the teleprompter's mistake.

I wonder if the teleprompter also wrote the budget bill.

Save the phone booth!

2009-03-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

Phone booths are an icon of American livelihood. Remember the joy of depositing a coin and hearing the "ching-ching" of the bells? Holding the sticky receiver, you could smell the lunch of whomever used the phone before you on the mouthpiece. Oh the joys of finding spare change in the return slot and jiggling the handle after your call to see if Ma Bell would refund any spare cents.

Available on street corners, hotel lobbies and every sort of waiting room, phone booths and their folding glass doors are part of Americana. Think places "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". Remember Michael Corleone and the foreshadowed image of shutting Kay out of the phone booth to call home. And of course, we remember the nerdy Clark Kent who preferred phone booths as his locale for the life saving costume change. Surely Lois would have fallen to her death if there were not a phone booth right outside the Daily Planet.

In recent years, with the advent of cell phones, phone booths are becoming less and less visible.
Despite any market factors or cost/benefit analysis, I call on the Justice Department to save phone booths. Surely, somehow in the bailout or with a study of anti-trust laws, the DOJ can find reasons by which Verizon and other phone providers are obligated to keep phone booths open to the public.

House Speaker Pelosi makes a similar argument in her open letter to the DOJ about saving the newspaper industry.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/16/MNIA16GCBO.DTL

I'm sure that Mrs. Pelosi is deeply concerned about the many constituents who may lose their jobs should the San Fran Chronicle go under. But really, we know that she is dependent on the left-leaning paper's support of her liberal policies and the left-leaning AP and Reuters favorable stories. Saving them is like a lousy basketball team who plays in an empty gym lobbying to save the cheerleaders.

Newspapers are businesses and the success of the business is contingent on the quality of the product. When the value of the product is deemed weak by the public, they discontinue their purchases. Or, when the business is poorly run and managed making the product too expensive, the public discontinues their purchases. Either way, businesses sometimes fail. And we have to let them.

These past 2 months of Obama-mania has lead to a strange belief that government is the guarantor and insurer of American businesses. AIG, banks, cars all deemed by government "too important" and "too big" to let fail. Add newspapers to this list of rescues.

And phone booths. And typewriters. And 8 trak players. And the TV show "Arrested Development". That one was worthy of a bailout.

Finally, the truth about soccer

2009-03-16T12:43:00.000-04:00

A brilliantly funny article about soccer, a most unskilled, noncompetitive and effeminate sport.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123680101041299201.html

In addition to the author's well articulated arguments against this stupid pastime, I'd like to add my own major complaint: offsides.

In contact sports (football, basketball, lacrosse, hockey) the great moment is when one player is bold enough, brave enough, cocky enough to fall into the backfield and hope his defender is unable to keep up or falls for a head fake. In basketball it's the "fast break". In football, it's when a wide receiver loses the corner who is guarding him and makes a catch for extra yards.

It's always a risk. if a basketball player makes a run down the court, and his team loses possession, they opposing team has a 4 on 5 advantage. If the wide receiver goes far, the QB is waiting longer in the pocket putting more pressure on his offensive line to hold off a sack. But the pay offs are tremendous not just in points but in confidence and rattling your opponents. Watch a great wide receiver outrun his corner, make a catch for 20, 30, 40 yards and see the way it rallies the entire team.

Soccer eliminates this potential. "Off-sides". The inability, by rule, of the offense to get ahead of the defender takes away that propulsion of excellence. It punishes risk. It handicaps the brave by containing them. And most of all it prevents the better team for beating the weaker team. In a nutshell, it is unmanly and noncompetitive.

What is the purpose of sport if risk and skill and speed and power are limited by rules?

If soccer would eliminate the offsides rule and allow for fastbreaks and solid offense, it might make the sport more palatable. Might.

In the meantime, I stay in the camp that soccer is an awful sport. Kids need to stand at the plate and strike out or stand at the free throw line and shoot a brick. Eventually, with practice and time and more time, they will get a hit and make a basket. And that is a moment they will never forget.

I didn't.