The Second date.

Susan Estrich has a wonderful sidebar commentary in the most recent issue of Newsmax. It's entitled "Oprah Boosts Obama, But Not Enough" and appears on page 45.

Susan describes Oprah as a great promoter for women's issues, novels, movies, food and even Dr. Phil! Oprah is and will continue to be, a "force" in many social & cultural arenas, and on many varied stages. Susan quickly points out that because of Oprah's far ranging appeal, even if Barack "had a few warts," like a lack of charisma, or if his personality was too "cool" for the electorate, Oprah could fix those problems. But, Susan says, those aren't problems Barack has. And I agree.

I'll admit that I like listening to Obama speak, he's a good speaker, but that's as far as it goes for me. In my estimation, Barack Obama can only be a Vice Presidential candidate, because at this point in his career he lacks both a breath & depth of experience. Even more important than his lack of the right kind of experience, Barack has been making a lot of careless mistakes. A few weeks ago he said he wasn't going to wear a flag pin. OK. I thought it was a mistake, but not everyone wants to wear a flag pin in their lapel. However, recently he was photographed at a campaign stop with other candidates not covering his heart during the playing of the National Anthem. Reports also said that he remained silent with his hands at his side during the "Pledge of Allegiance" as well! People are wondering what's with this guy is he ashamed that he's an American? Now, I'm sure this could have been a careless oversight on his part, or maybe it's even being reported incorrectly - but as the potential U.S. President - you can't make mistakes like this! Certainly if you're going to be Commander In Chief and our country's got troops in harms way, you have to show your patriotism! Here's the picture, (hope it comes through). If not, it's easy enough to find via Google.

Susan describes her feelings about Barack this way, "You go home from your first date with Obama knowing you have met someone who could change your life. And then what? You wait for the second date that will build on the first, that will prove that this guy is actually ready, now, up to the job, burning with the fire in his belly, willing to stand up and do what it takes, to fight with every bit of energy and intelligence he has for what only he can do for the country and the world."

She finishes by saying that these traits - that so many Democrats are looking for in Barack - aren't something that Oprah can come up with. They are things that must come from deep within the candidate - and Susan is still looking for them in Barack!

Susan Estrich sure doesn't need me to agree with her to make a credible point, but I do agree with her! If I were asked to put a finger on a central issue I'm having with this entire campaign, it would be that I don't see those magical characteristics from any of the other 14 candidates either - Democrat or Republican!

Nobody has "thrilled me" enough to make me want to "give up my Saturday night" to go on a second date with any one of them! Frankly, the new Republican guy Fred Thompson already strikes me as "old & tired." Unfortunately, for a different reason, so does John McCain! (I just think John is tired out after 2004). In fact, when I see the 2008 Republican candidates standing up there on the debate stage, I forget who I'm looking at...all I see is Alf Landon, Wendell Willkee, Thomas E. Dewey, Barry Goldwater and Bob Dole! All nice guys, but none of them could win a national election! As far as I'm concerned, none of today's candidates exude enough strength and personality to inspire allegiance in the international arena either! And that includes Rudy!

The Democrats are no better! I once described them as "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs" and unfortunately the appellation still holds! I just can't figure out which one's "Sneezy," "Grumpy," "Sleazy," "Dopey," "Bashful," "Drippy," or "Droopy!" And to be perfectly honest, Snow White's "shrill-'o-meter" is climbing into the red zone frequently enough that she's vying for the part of "The Evil Queen" in more ways than one!

Who'd have thought that "wondering what the second date will be like" would be an appropriate illustration of the 2008 Presidential campaign!? But it is! And so far I'm "all dressed up with no place to go!"

"All alone, by the telephone / Waiting for a ring, a ting-a-ling." - Irving Berlin

WARNING the United States against regime change in Cuba! Uh-oh!!!

Yesterday in NYC, Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Rogue warned the United States against Regime Change in Cuba, saying that his country is prepared to defend itself if the United States tries to force regime change there. In a speech at the United Nations (where else!) he added that the conflict would jeopardize U.S. stability!

In fiery words intended to show strength, resolve and I'm sure not a little bit of that famous Cuban 'machismo,' Rogue shouted, "We are not threatening, and we never bluff. We respect the United States, but we demand respect for ourselves, and we would defend our country from an attempt to have foreign aggression."

I guess Mr. Rogue was feeling pretty "froggy" yesterday after the UN passed its 18th consecutive annual resolution pleading with the United States to end the 46 year old trade embargo with Cuba, started after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1960.

Let me make sure I've got your comedy routine right Felipe.....standing on our soil in NYC (screw this international organization crap), after your socialist Presidente stands shoulder to shoulder with the communist Dictator of Venezuela, "Ego" Chavez, calling us the great Satan and praying for our defeat by the Islamo fascists....you address the world press with Mussolini-like puffery and strutting, shake your finger at us and WARN us -- IN OUR OWN HOME?

(One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.......deep cleansing breath. OK!)

Here's a "shout out" to Mr. Rogue.

Sir,

You really need to go look at a World Map there at the United Nations. Run your finger completely across the Atlantic Ocean, go between Spain and North Africa and continue all the way to the right hand side of the Mediterranean Sea, got it? Good! Now 'stick a pin' in places labeled Israel, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. You may have heard of them - they comprise a large part of what's known as "the Middle East." And they're kind of important right now. On an "importance scale" of 1 to 10; with them being a "10," we figure that (no disrespect intended) you guys & gals in Cuba are about a "- 6." Sorry to burst that bubble for ya Felipe!

As far as America forcing regime change on Cuba is concerned, there you go with wishful thinking again! Why would we want to waste our efforts on something that's collapsing on itself anyway? Fidel? Raul? Ancient history. A few more years and the people of Cuba will say "enough is enough" and handle things by themselves, just fine. We're just sorry they waited so long! When they're ready and fight for their own liberty, when the time comes, America will be here - ready to help. We're not going anywhere. As our President says, we love the Cuban people!

Regarding our lifting of the embargo....yeah, sorry, once again that's not gonna happen Felipe. Nice try though! Given your actions with Russia in the past and your poorly timed "floor show" with Chavez recently, I'm sorry, you just have to learn that there's consequences when you keep pulling on the Lion's tail!! But don't loose hope, I figure you'll have to wait about 10 minutes after Hillary's inauguration for the embargo to "officially" go away. But who knows, maybe we'll get real lucky up here and your socialist sister won't get elected!

Well, one can always pray though, ain't that right?

Best regards Felipe!
"That thriving democracy to your North"

Dum Spiro Spero!
Viva Cuba Libre!

I thought I'd grown as a person!

After everything.......I thought I had grown. I thought I'd become "enlightened" enough. I figured I'd become a bigger, more open-minded person! That I could handle sudden psychological shocks.....

This morning over coffee I opened my November '07 issue of Newsmax - the one with former President Bill Clinton "gracing" the cover - with the promise of 10 pages of rampant "Clinton-oganda" on the inside. A few deep breathes later I was OK ... and able to continue.

Got all the way to page 4, where Newsmax prints a Letters to the Editor section, they call "Sound Off." The second letter entitled "Hillary Unleashed" caught my eye. (Small involuntary twitching around my eye started!) The letter appears in its entirety below;

Hillary Unleashed
Concerning "Presidential Contenders Fight for Superdelegates" in the September issue, your blatant unfairness, pettiness, low-stooping cruelty, and outright prejudice characterize your portrayal of the one person - Hillary Clinton - who could bring America back to world respectability after the worst presidency in the history of our country.
(Signed by J. M.)
Honokaa, Hawaii

20 minutes later I was still shaking, while carefully cleaning up "spilt" coffee and the broken shards of my coffee mug, that went flying after I threw my new edition of Newsmax down on the kitchen table while screaming at the Hawaiian letter writer!

(Hillary Clinton!? The only person who can bring America back to world respectability?! Dear God, the twitching is starting again! Make it STOP!!!!)

I really liked that mug!

"Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better!" - Emile Coue (Fr. psychotherapist, 1920) & (inspirationally) Chief Inspector Dreyfus in "The Pink Panther Strikes Again."

ATTENTION ALL I.C.E. AGENTS!

This weekend we watched as NY Governor Eliot Spitzer announced that "undocumented immigrants" in the State of New York will be able to get NY State Drivers Licenses. While the Governor for the State of New York gleefully managed to "steam-roll" his legislation through, it does afford some interesting benefits for law enforcement personnel - both at the State, Municipal and Federal level.

NOTICE TO ALL United States I.C.E. AGENTS: EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
The mission of the Immigration and Customs enforcement agency is to protect America and uphold public safety by targeting the people, money and materials that support terrorist and criminal activities. ICE enforces the nation's customs and immigration laws and provides security for federal buildings. *

Having a drivers license does not change a person's immigration status relative to the laws of our country. We still have immigration laws - which must be upheld. These people have broken our laws, and admitted it! Below are some important points;

1. Holders of this type of license have broken United States law.
2. County Clerks will be able to generate a list of individuals who have been granted these licenses.
3. These "new" licenses bear the photo of the individual who it has been awarded to. This now becomes a legal form of identification for that individual.
4. Please locate any person carrying one of these new NY State licenses.
5. Match the picture on the license to the person you are looking at. If they match, arrest the person you are speaking to. The "charge" is entering the country illegally. The verdict is "guilty by admission" for requesting this license.
6. Detain the newly "licensed illegal alien" (LIA) and begin deportation action.
7. Arrange transport of LIA back to home country. Confiscate NY State Drivers License (since it is only valid for driving in the State of New York), and release them in an unpopulated area, either alone or in groups. Do not notify home country of their "repatriation."
8. Return to NY state or 3 other states having similar LIA licensing procedures and repeat process - quickly - and repeatedly.

In the spirit of clear communications and cross-agency support, all law enforcement personnel at the State & Municipal level, as well as all County Clerks, are encouraged to notify ICE agents as quickly as possible, when they become aware of the identity and residence of undocumented immigrants, who might require the "protection" of ICE agents from nefarious individuals trying to steal their new drivers licenses.

* taken directly from U.S. I.C.E "Careers" page.

Dum Spiro Spero!

Really frustrated with Republicans!

It's bad enough that for most of the week I fight pulling my hair out, because of something the Democrats have done or tried to do.....trying to slip the "Dream Act" through again this week is a good example. But these days I get just as "nuts" listening to Republicans. Especially our Republican candidates for President. It's getting so bad, that this week I noticed that for the most part, I don't hear words anymore....I just see their lips moving and all I hear is a droning duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

What drives me crazy about the cast of Republican posers is that there is no real staunch conservative out there. There's no Reagan - hell, it's not even close! I see a bunch of "centrists" at best. (Just listen to Ron Paul whine for 5 minutes and you'll go deaf!)

And don't let anyone kid you - Rudy is not a Reagan republican. He's a tough mayor from a large democratic city, who was the best in this country's time of crisis, who also happened to be a law and order guy when the city needed a strong prosecuting attorney. Would I vote for him instead of a liberal candidate? Absolutely! But I'm not kidding myself, I know what I'd be getting. He wears the label of Republican, with a lot of northeast liberal "salted" in there.

To varying degrees all the other Republican candidates are the same. Each offers a Republican facade, with a "spongy centrist core." By that I mean that when push comes to shove, I believe they'd all be very willing to give into liberal ideals in order to garner support, or at the very best would need to be prodded and reminded what a strong conservative position would be. That doesn't make me feel confident about our field of candidates. I thought that maybe Fred Thompson was going to "come out swinging" and really charge up the campaign, but so far I'm just listening to a guy with a "down home" accent getting his feet underneath him, and giving me homilies!

I was hoping we'd get to hear a debate of conservative ideals versus liberal ideals - Reagan against anybody the Democrats could field. My dream was that Miz Clinton would debate Newt Gingrich - or just as savory, Al Gore debating Newt Gingrich! Say what you will about Newt Gingrich's personality, he is one impressive speaker and a true Reagan Republican. Electable? I thought so. But I guess we'll never know now. Seems like the two best candidates from either party, are going to sit this one out and let the lesser celebrities carry the water for their respective parties. A pity that the best we can do is water-boys and water-girls!

And as Republicans, instead of once again capturing the glory of the Reagan era, instead we're going to "shrink" away from the focus on national strength, the Constitution, and family/moral values that Reagan reminded us of in the 80's, and return to "feel-good social Republicanism." How sad.

Maybe we are only RINO's (republicans in name only).

Dum Spiro Spero!

October 24th: United Nations Day

How many of us remembered that today was United Nations day? No matter.

In all truthfulness, I probably forgot that "tid bit" 10 minutes after learning it in the 6th grade! It's sad really....what the UN has become - or hasn't become, dependant on how you look at it!

I can remember what a "big deal" it was to go on a class trip to the United Nations. How "cool" it seemed to us kids to eat in the cafeteria and see all the dignitaries in their native dress. I know I still have the wooden chess set I bought for $13.00 during that visit, and how my friend Eric Rosenthal taught me how to play the game.

Organized in 1945 to replace the League of Nations, the intent of the United Nations was to improve communications between all nations, and intervene in conflicts with the hopes of avoiding war. Yes, well....we all know how that's worked out!

The first time I remember any negativism about the UN was in 1961 when Dag Hammarskjöld, the Secretary General of the United Nations was killed in a plane crash in Africa. As a Swede, Hammarskjöld was a national hero and my Swedish parents were monumentally proud of this man who "haled" from close to where they had both grown up in southern Sweden. They both cried when he was killed - and there were many conversations centering around "who was responsible for Dag's murder" for a number of years in our house - whenever Swede's got together.

During the intervening years, and certainly during my adulthood, I've come to view the United Nations as an example of everything slovenly bureaucratic and broken, in international relations and politics. It is vice-ridden, openly corrupt, and in my estimation driven by overt anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism. The "topper" was inviting terrorist Yasser "I'll bring my Uzi" Arafat to address the General Assembly in November 1974. (Last year's Chavez, and this years Ahmadinejad speeches have become "annual anti-American clown concerts").

Aside from allowing us to keep a relative close-eye on most of our enemies, I can see no positive result for the United States to play "host" to this modern-day "den of thieves." We gain nearly nothing from it - and succeed only in depleting our national treasury by continuing to fund it. (Certainly the NYPD would be relieved by the removal of the diplomats and their limo's.)

In as much as both the United Nations and the United States Congress, exist and have become constipated by committee, I must agree with Sir Barnett Cocks, who served as Clerk of the House of Commons from 1962 until 1974. He once spoke about committees using a phrase which describes both organizations perfectly...to their infamy. He said, ..."A cul-de-sac to which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled." How perfectly accurate.

United Nations day.....disgraceful......a stain on our country.

Frighteningly "Normal" Behavior for our American Judiciary!

Last Saturday, a New York law firm representing two convicted death row inmates in Kentucky, won a delay in the execution of its two defendants because (as their brief indicates) ..........

• lethal injection procedures used by Kentucky...the inmates say, creates the risk of pain severe enough to be cruel and unusual punishment, banned by the Eighth Amendment.

This latest of victory in the "ban capital punishment" debate, virtually guarantees than no other convicted death row inmates in the country will be executed, until the United States Supreme Court rules on the challenge.

[In 1589 or 1590 Shakespeare wrote "Henry VI," in which is said, "First, let's kill all the lawyers!" ]

So many "exclamations" leap to mind, I don't know where to begin!

• Let me try the Tom Cruise "glib" approach first......."It's an EXECUTION stupid! We're not putting the boys down for "nappy-time!" (If that's not glib - I don't care).
• When someone is being "put to death" for crimes against society - should we really be concerned about their "risk of pain?"
• Millions of beloved family pets are "humanely" euthanized each year..... being "put to sleep" is probably the most humane 'remedy' these miscreants deserve. Ask Dr. Jack!
• Did they once worry about the pain and suffering of their victims as they were M-U-R-D-E-R-I-N-G them?
• Have they worried about their victims' families during all this time, as the years and appeals grind by?

So society's "punishment" for "maintaining our civility" is that we must house, clothe, feed, ward, and minister, to the needs & wants of these savages for the rest of their lives? Hmmm???

Obviously this is just my opinion but... this entire argument (in deference to those august legal minds who have pondered it), is so preposterously incongruous, so contrary to the general tenets of society, I find it beyond comprehension! That society, (which include the victim's loved ones), should be made to relinquish one iota - one iota - of ANYTHING to convicted murderers, is simply beyond comprehension, and unfairly asks too much from society! Society must speak for the victims!

In medicine if you have a "boil," you lance it - if you have a tumor you excise it - you cut it out, you remove it from the body. Murderers are a malignancy on the body of society, they need to be cut out. There is no emotion attached to a surgeon's cutting out of a tumor - it simply must be done to save the patient!

If you feel that's too harsh, if you have no heart to take their lives - even though they have taken the lives of others' - then "mark" them (to protect other parts of society), and set them adrift in the middle of the ocean - put them in a small round "coracle" with one oar, a pair of shorts and a gallon of water. That's more than they did for their victims.

Then turn away from them - society has spoken.

Dum Spiro Spero!

Is this Comedy or Reality?

Am I looking at things differently for some reason, or is there just a lot of strange and humorous news floating around? These are just from the last few days - good for a chuckle!

• NewsMax - Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and other impotence drugs are about to bear new warnings that users may experience sudden hearing loss. WHAT? (couldn't resist!)

• Hillary believes she'll be a strong Commander-in-Chief. (This is too bizarre to even joke about!) WHAT?

• Mark Penn, Clinton's senior adviser and pollster, told reporters that private surveys suggested about 24 percent of Republican women would vote for Clinton "because of the emotional element of having a woman nominee." (Conversely public surveys indicate, 76% of Republican women stand ready to "slap sense" into any of their friends suffering from this condition!)

• Report: Despite Efforts, Illegal Immigration Still Increasing (You mean, prohibiting Police Officers from asking about immigration status isn't working? Wow - there's a shocker!)

• Posted on October 18, 2007, A.P. reports, "After an outbreak of pregnancies among middle school girls, education officials in this city [Portland, Maine] have decided to allow a school health center to make birth control pills available to girls as young as 11." (Yeah, I'm thinkin' somebody should "swing" for this one. Could I get a vote on holding a "special public flogging" in Portland for the "dunce" that approved this fiasco? Parents, where are you - hello!??)

• Reported in NewsMax: HEADLINE WASHINGTON --

  Clinton Health Plan for Americans Only

  Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that immigrants living in the U.S. illegally would not be covered by her proposed universal health care plan.

  The New York senator said she supports basic health services for illegal immigrants, including hospitalization and treatment of acute conditions. But she said the magnitude of the nation's health care challenge means her universal coverage proposal would not cover the 12 million people living in the country illegally.

(Read this one carefully.....the first sentence says illegals won't be covered. The second sentence says, Hillary wants to cover illegal immigrants for basic health services and the most expensive stuff-hospitalization and acute care . "Wait a minute Senator, explain how you can have it both ways on this? How is this not covering them??)

[ I think I've been spending too much time down the rabbit hole - alternate reality is clicking in! ......... "Yeah, that's right! I'll show 'em - try and sneak into MY country will ya! My name's Hillary Clinton and my universal healthcare plan is for American's only - except for those basic services, acute treatments and hospitalizations - for everything else you're on your own dammit! I'm tough - don't anyone say I'm not tough on illegal immigrants! I'll make 'em pay, you just watch me! They're gonna have to pay for those non-basic services, those non-acute treatments and stuff they're not hospitalized for. That's right, you heard me, you undocumented American aliens! You're gonna suffer under my administration, my universal medical plan is only for Americans!" (tough Hillary growl) ]

Re: The Family Leave Act and "7 Questions"

Ken,

You are obviously under a misconception of how
politics works. Let me digress.

There is a web site out there in cyberland, that helps
you find out what presidential candidate is most in
line with your thinking. You answer a few questions
about your thoughts, beliefs, and desires for some of
those same issues you list in your last tirade. Then,
this magic site lists the candidates that best reflect
your views. Lo and behold, three democrats came up as
the bests fits for my vote next year. Well,imagine my
outrage and surprise. I ran to the mirror to see if I
was morphing into a Democrat par excellonce. Then it
occurred to me what the answer was and it fits what my
experience has taught me over the years:

T-H-E-Y A-R-E A-L-L L-Y-I-N-G T-O U-S

So you see Kenny my boy, the misconception your under
is that you think that these candidates want you to
know what they are REALLY going to do. They don't.
An if you think Hillary is ONLY going to spend $30
billion on children's insurance or $1 billion on
family leave, your oh, so mistaken. Remember her
husband pushed through a tax increase and made it
retroactive to the year BEFORE he was elected. Right
now they are trying to figure out how to get back all
the taxes they missed in the last 7 years. You heard
it here first.

Frank

The Family Leave Act and "7 Questions"

Geez! Now Hillary wants to extend the Family Leave Act still further! And it'll ONLY cost a billion!

It's getting to the point where no matter where she's speaking or what group she's speaking to, Hillary's going to promise somebody something that's going end up costing another billion dollars! (You know - a billion here, a billion there - pretty soon you're talking about real money!) Is anybody keeping a "tally" of what's being promised?

This morning, it was extending the Family Leave Act (FLA) which currently effects businesses with as few as 50 employees - Hillary now wants to expand it to companies employing as few as 25 employees! OUCH! Her expansion would cost small employers at least a billion dollars a year, and cover an additional 13 million workers nationwide. Currently the FLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, in order to care for a newborn or ill family member.

In addition, Mrs. Clinton wants to make it mandatory for all employers to grant employees seven sick days a year to take care of their children or themselves. Well geez, someone should pull Mrs. C aside and tell her that most companies already grant sick days or personal days of some number to their employees. Certainly when I was in Human Resources, it was part of every union negotiation I ever had, and a benefit most companies offered even in non-union environments. Explain to me how it's going to make the country better to have the federal government dictating the minutia of employment practices? Seems to me the government does a "shitty enough job," (that's a technical term), with its own employees, that it shouldn't be offering anyone else advice!

I hate to think that Presidential candidates are just pandering for votes here. And it's not just Hillary - they're all just as bad - Republican as well as Democrats. It's getting to be like the elections we had for high school class officers! "If you vote for me I promise to have free ice cream at lunch every Friday - and the elimination of the dress code!!" (Yeah, they had a dress code when I went to school!)

Seriously, all I hear these days from Presidential candidates and other politico's is how they're going to give things to people. The Governor of NY, Elliott Spitzer wants to enact a program by December 1st. whereby illegal aliens will be given a NY State driver's license's. How stupid is this? (He's been threatened with a lawsuit by the Assembly if he keeps pushing that one!) Last week Hillary wanted to give $5000 to people for something, but she pulled that back. This week she wants to give everyone $1000 for a 401K fund, and she wants small small companies to grant employees extensive -3 months- unpaid leave, but guarantee them a job at the end of that period. (Doesn't she understand what a burden this is on companies?) Congress wants to cover "poor children" (whose family's make upward of $60,000.00) with benefits - oh, and by the way 68% of those poor children are already covered in private health care programs that they'd have to drop out of!

Instead of this insanely protracted campaigning of almost two years, instead of this hedonistic promising of everything to everybody, how about telling me how you're going to solve the problems we already have? If you need a short list, here are "7 Questions" that I bet 99% of Americans would like simple answers for;

• how are you going to "win" the war on terror? How are you going to improve our military?

• how you going to fix Social Security which I've paid into now for 40 years, so I don't have to break out into a cold sweat thinking about it?

• how are you going to secure both our southern & northern borders & fix the current illegal immigration problem; (amnesty shouldn't be part of this effort)

• how are you going to fix our tax code? Because frankly I shouldn't have to work until June before I start making money for my family?

• how are you going to fix our educational system that costs us $488 BILLION a year, but doesn't make our students any smarter? While you're at it, how you gonna break up the single biggest money grubbing boondoggle in history - the teacher's union. (And that's not even including our "vaunted" college & university system!)

• how are you going to bring the United States back to its rightful place of prominence in the World arena? (This effort might start with kicking the United Nations squarely in it's lying thieving testicles!)

• in simple English - explain to all of us Americans - where does all that money go every year? And why do you always need more? (Use charts and stuff!)

Now those are questions I want all the candidates to answer!

Dum Spiro Spero!

No-brainer! Al Gore should run.

Of course this is just one dummy's opinion.....

I believe that if Al Gore ever decides he wants to be the Democrat's nominee in 2008, he'd walk away with the nomination hands down! I hate to admit it....he'd probably win the Presidential Election by a pretty good margin over any of the current Republican candidates.

Call it a feeling or intuition, or just an ache in my gut, but I believe the Left would come out in such numbers to support Gore, that November 4, 2008 would look like an "anointing" rather than an election. Think about it.... Hollywood, Academia, all the media outlets.....every communications vehicle would simply trip over themselves to get his message out. Think about it, aside from die-hard Republicans, what group wouldn't support Gore over any other candidate? Be honest! Hillary scares-off (or pisses-off) huge numbers of people. Barack may have Oprah's vote, but how many people really want to have a President with a mere 2 years experience?

I bet there is a good percentage of Liberal Democrats, who if truth-be-told, are more than a little fearful of "another Clinton candidacy." Many who think it's time to cast a vote for someone not named Clinton or Bush, (who frankly wish that both families would just slink off into the background!) Who better to carry the mantle than the guy who many still believe beat President Bush in 2000? He's got the experience, he's got the mein, bearing and presence of a national & international leader - and let's face it - people see him as "the guy something was stolen from!" People of all ages everywhere like Al Gore!

Given his current winning streak, his ease at coming before an audience now, and his "dignity in defeat in 2000" as many saw it, Al Gore has almost limitless charisma! He's become a "media darling" as big a celebrity as anyone! Even internationally he's seen as a hero. Around the world people throng to see him and hear him speak. In Oslo, Norway after winning the Nobel prize, he's been besieged by crowds of adoring people, like a rock star - and these are Norwegians! I'm only surprised his home city hasn't scheduled a ticker-tape parade in his honor......yet!

I could be entirely wrong, but I bet that Al Gore could walk into the Democrat National Convention - unannounced - and he'd be swept into the nomination by acclimation! That would be something to see!

If Gore selected Obama as his VP, you wouldn't be able to count all the votes!

Eh, what do I know! (shoulder shrug)

"You don't know SCHIP!"

Well, I guess you can enter my name onto the list that says, "Hates Children!" Because I agree with The President that the SCHIP Bill sent to him for approval by Nancy Pelosi's "gang 'o thieves" is a bad piece of legislation! The original 1997 SCHIP legislation, was a good piece of legislation, that got "FUBARED" when Congress got their grubby little hands on it this year!

Just let me give you a short summary as to why I think this bill was correctly vetoed.

Here's how WIKIPEDIA describes the program... "The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a national program in the United States which was founded by Senator Ted Kennedy and First Lady (now a senator from New York) Hillary Rodham Clinton.^{[citation needed]} The program provides health insurance for families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, yet cannot afford to buy private insurance. The program was created to address the growing number of children in the United States without health insurance. "

[NOTE: Most of you who know me, know that I'd generally be against anything conceived between the ears of "C.M.G." Hillary Clinton - throw in authorship by a person who should be serving time in jail for manslaughter, and generally you get the feelings I try to hide when thinking about Mary Jo Kopechne's killer, Ted Kennedy.]

However, I was in favor of SCHIP when originally passed in 1997 because there is no reason why there should be poor American children without health care coverage. For those folks at (or a little above) the poverty level, who might earn too much to qualify for Medicare, but still not enough to afford private insurance, SCHIP was a God-send! In my estimation that might even include families making $50,000 or $55,000 annually - Poverty level for purposes of the bill are approximately $20,000.00 .

Unfortunately, because of Congress, even the current SCHIP plan in 11 states covers families earning between $56K and $72.2 K. Now, isn't that stupid? (New Jersey being the highest at $72,250! It figures!)

SCHIP covered nearly 7 million children in 2006 - it was doing the job it was created for. A job that - by the way - cost the American taxpayer $5 BILLION.

Then came the 2007 version of the plan which extended coverage to families who were making two and three times the national poverty level. In some states that meant families earning over $83,000 would be covered by the plan. Simple logic would tell you that folks making $80,000, aren't living in poverty! In addition the price tag for this version of SCHIP jumped to $35 BILLION! President Bush had budgeted for a continuation of SCHIP at the previous level ... it's not like we have $30 BILLION just laying around!

But that wasn't enough, Congress also changed the definition of children to include anyone under the age of 22. The term is "children," not kids in college! How about capping it at 18 or 19?

And, just to make the new version even more ridiculous, Congress didn't even tell you that 77% of the children who's families earn between $40,000.00 and $60,000.00 annually, are already covered under private health care plans and would have to opt out of those plans to join the federal SCHIP program! So, if they are already covered, why would we force them to drop coverage just to pick up federally funded coverage? IF THEY ALREADY HAVE COVERAGE - LEAVE THEM ALONE YOU MEDDLESOME OVER-OFFICIOUS BUREAUCRAT! I thought this was for uninsured poor children who couldn't afford coverage? Why are we doing this?

Oh that's right. It's because by-hook-or-by-crook the Liberals in Congress want to socialize medicine here in the United States, and extend governmental programs to a greater number of people. And once you've gotten people up to age 21, making $80,000 a year dependant on the government for their benefits, it's so much easier to "move" the next incremental step the next time the bill comes up for review. It's government becoming "everything" to all people. It's government answering all our questions, and knowing what's best for us. It's all part of the re-education process. It's not a handout, I deserve this!

"Baa - Baa" People!

Nancy and the Ottoman's!

With so much "crap" going on in this country, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided that the most important issue the House of Representatives has to deal with - is the passing of a Congressional Bill to condemn the murder of Armenians by Ottoman Turks, 90 years ago???

Does this make sense to anyone?

Talk about your "Do Nothing Congress" there's that "job description" I was talking about last week! What in the name of Warren G. Harding is Speaker Pelosi thinking about? Of what possible importance could bringing this bill before the House and Senate have? (Accept for the fact that I've found out that Speaker Pelosi's congressional district represents a goodly number of Armenians. Nah, that couldn't be it!)

Ah-ha! Maybe this is why? By telling the Turks they committed genocide way back in WWI, Pelosi et al, would basically be slapping our Turkish NATO allies in the "chops," thereby getting the Turks pissed at "us" (read George Bush), and potentially costing the President additional "deficit" in the region. Which will cause the White House and congressional Republicans to have to deal with still another Democrat trifle, delaying anything of substance the House could be working on. So this is just one more obfuscation in the "Democrat Investment in Defeat policy 2007/2008!"

This subversion of government the Democrats call the 109th & 110th Congress is utterly reprehensible!

Need a reason why? Here's one ..... In 1995, two years into President Bill Clinton's 1st term in office, educational spending cost United States taxpayer's $188 BILLION dollars. By 2005, educational spending had risen to $418 BILLION!!! Congress, would have us believe that throwing all this money at our educational woe's would greatly improve our children's intelligence - and yet, test scores in English and math have risen only 1% and 4% respectively during that period. OUCH!!!

So, I would respectfully submit to Speaker Pelosi and the rest of Congress, that at a time when most of our students haven't even heard of Armenia, and probably couldn't find Ankara on a map, let alone spell it, instead of wasting time passing bills concerning 90 year old events, we'd all be much better off if you'd figure out a better way to spend the hundreds of BILLIONS of educational tax dollars you've been given! - 'Cause Sister, you folks in Congress haven't done diddlysquat to improve anything!

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first." Ronald Reagan

The Company President and the Ayatollah

I was going to give everyone an hypothetical situation to think about over the weekend that went something like this.....

• You're the owner of a company that's been around for a fairly long time, who's products & services & frankly support to other company's are really well received by a great number of people and organizations. Even though the industry fights have been tough, your company has endured because of your past reputation, your great products, your bank account and your willingness to spend money with all other company's, your support and mentoring of other less profitable companies, and at times by your willingness to "mix-it-up," (OK - fight!), in a highly competitive arena. In fact, under your leadership and direction, your company's improved steadily for the last 49 straight months - something not even your Father had accomplished! You've done so well that you've gone public and decided that this is the time for you to step down and let someone else run the business as the new President and Chief Executive Officer. So, the question is, do you select.....
• a really charismatic likable candidate whom you're sure all the employees will love because he's really personable and energetic; but who doesn't have experience running any company - let alone a multi-million dollar company in a highly aggressive and competitive market. During your first meeting with him, you really liked the way he handled your questions and he's certainly got a winning personality! You can tell he's very smart - but his naivety was so obvious - and this is a tough business! Still.......
• or do you select an incredibly gifted, well connected and driven female candidate, who could probably "muscle" her way through most hard situations, but who probably half of your employees wouldn't like! And by the way, she too has never run even a small company! When you spent the afternoon with her, it was almost as if she was interviewing you! She chuckled and deftly brushed aside your concerns about her depth of experience - to the point where she started to sound as though she "has the job" already! Is that to show you her confidence, or is she trying to buffalo you? Boy, she's smart, and she's confident...but how's she going to act when faced with market and competitor hostility? Is she going to be a tyrant, or a savior?
• Lastly, there's another candidate, who took over another large company when they were in some big trouble and managed to turn it around quite well - but really "ticked off" allot of employees and some unionized groups in doing so. He's got a great personality, and spearheaded actions that picked the company up and kept it going after a devastating and traumatic explosion a few years ago. You like him - but you can also tell that he's got a mean streak when cornered, and you don't know how the Board or the employees will accept that. In addition, there are a couple question marks about his belief system and his past personal decisions.
• Can you afford to pass him up? Or do you pick one of the lesser experienced candidates?

That situation really didn't work however, because you've just become aware that your company is being "stalked" by at least two, if not more, of your competitor's. These folks don't fool around, they're the kind of groups who either you totally give yourself over to their control, or they'll take as much time as they need to destroy your organization. Rumors on the street have even suggested, that at least one of your competitors already has some "subversives" inside your organization ready to disrupt if not totally sabotage your manufacturing operation in a number of locations! Your security chief has been lucky in foiling at least a half dozen overt attacks, but now things could really get tricky.

What do you do? There are still a lot of unanswered questions - but do you EVER turn over the reigns of a profitable company to someone with no experience running a company???

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I guess you could call this segment, another "Damned if you do - and damned if you don't" moment for the United States.

Seems as though Iran's Grand Ayatollah & Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei (put that on a business card!) made a "call" that NO Muslim nations should attend a United States led, mid-east Peace Conference! (And when the Ayatollah of Rock n' Rolla says "Nobody" - the brother means NO-BODY!! Ali don't play!!!)

Digg.com reported it this way .... "Iran's supreme leader calls U.S. hosted peace conference a 'deception' that Muslims should shun, calling it a detriment to the Palestinian nation."

So, in the past we're "ragged on" because we don't reach out to our Muslim brothers.....and now as we try to reach out we're "ragged" again and accused of deception..... Ya know, this is really getting hard to understand! I'm starting to feel like Lou Costello doing the "Who's on Third" bit with the Ayatollah playing the part of Abbott!

Here's a cartoon I just pulled off of Daryl Cagle's Pro Cartoonist Newsletter that sums things up pretty well. Hope you can all see it! Enjoy!


"Third base! Here we go again!"
Hey Abbott!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strange Bedfellows!

Sooooooooooo.

How do I explain this to my cortical synapses? "Ya see sometimes, when a former Democrat President nuclear physicist peanut farmer, & an arrogant tempestuous egotistical conservative share the same oxygen source, the two of them are going to sound pretty much like the horses asses they are." Got that?

Here we have a week during which former United States President Jimmy Carter announced to the world that he's positive that this Administration tortures people. When pressed by interviewer Wolf Blitzer, Carter said, "I don't think it, I know it!"

• During the same interview Carter voiced his assuredness that if he'd had just one more helicopter during his botched Iranian rescue attempt, those 52 American Embassy hostages held by Ahmadinejad and his cohorts for 444 days, would have been home much sooner!

REALLY??? Well, I have to give you credit Mr. Former President, your hateful anti-Americanism is at least consistent! ( Geez, somebody pinch me - we really elected this man the Leader of our country? What were we thinking! )

At the very same time we had best selling author and conservative pundit Ann Coulter, pushing her new book while being interviewed by Donny Deutsch on CNBC. During the interview - (don't ask me how they got from political conventions to religion) - Deutsch asked Coulter, "It would be better if we were all Christian?" Coulter said "Yeah."

Here's the next few lines of conversation as reported on CNN.com. (Careful folks! This becomes a train wreck very quickly! It's even painful to read!)

• Deutsch, himself Jewish, continued to press Coulter on her remarks, asking, "We should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians then?"
• "Yeah," Coulter responded, adding "Well, (Christianity) it's a lot easier. It's kind of a fast track."
• "You can't possibly believe that," Deutsch responded. "You can't possibly. You're too educated."

(Everybody hear the train? choo choo choo choo !!) Back and forth it went for a minute or so and then finally Deutsch asked Coulter if she doesn't want any Jews in the world?

• Coulter responded, "No, we think — we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say." (BOOM!! Train wreck!)
• "Wow, you didn't really say that, did you," Deutsch said.
• "Yeah, no," Coulter replied. "That's what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws. We know we're all sinners."
• Deutsch said he was personally offended.
• "No. I'm sorry. It is not intended to be," she said. "I don't think you should take it that way, but that is what Christians consider themselves: perfected Jews. We believe the Old Testament. As you know from the Old Testament, God was constantly getting fed up with humans for not being able to live up to all the laws. What Christians believe — this is just a statement of what the New Testament is — is that that's why Christ came and died for our sins. Christians believe the Old Testament. You don't believe our testament."

Now, I've always thought Ann Coulter was a mostly funny, sometimes haughty, always bitingly sarcastic, uber-conservative. As of this interview with Donny Deutsch she's really given me the creeps! I'm getting that same gut feeling I had when I listened to Mel Gibson trying to explain his drunken anti-Semitic "rant" after being arrested ...... yuck! creepy! Shame on you Ann.

To both Jimmy and Ann - as you pull the bedcovers up over your heads and try to forget this week - I only have one question ...... Do you ever worry that your head will explode after saying something that STUPID?

Have a nice weekend everyone!

East Coast Seismic Event

I was going to write about Hillary this morning.....to finish off the week. It turns out I didn't need to as she was "finished off" by something else!

That something else was a seismic event that occurred around 5 AM - originating in Oslo, Norway and measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale. At that time, the Nobel Committee announced that former Vice President AlGore had been awarded this years' Nobel Peace Prize. (It is rumored that the same time around the world, clocks stopped, rivers ran backward, and there is even a report that the Vatican reported that "for 15 minutes, hell froze over.")

At 5:03 AM EST, an even stronger tremor was felt, measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale and originating at "Castle Clinton" in Chappaqua, NY. First Responders to the residence told reporters that the Chappaqua tremor was caused by the Senator and former President both fainting and hitting the floor at the same time! Paramedics explained that both Clintons will find it difficult to sit down for the next few days - but should suffer no ill effects - unless Al decides to make this a real campaign!

In Oslo, Former United States Vice President - Oscar Winner - and Nobel Laureate Albert Gore ..... (QUICK! Name three "titles" never held before by a United States Vice President!) ... was seen dancing arm-in-arm with his wife Tipper, while singing, "If they could see me now that little gang of mine...."

Dum Spiro Spero! While I breathe I hope! (Ha! Ha! Ha! snigger, snigger, this is just sooo perfect!) Someone better be sure Mz.Hill has many changes of undies for the next few days ..... this could portend a cataclysm of Vesuvian proportions!

Re: "The 535!" Correction needed.

Correction Needed!

Yesterday in my posting about Congress I guess I was getting a little "vexed" as I was writing the following paragraph.(I made a boo boo!) Here's what I wrote............

• What about your medical coverage? Congresspersons after 8 years service, their spouses, significant others, children under the age of 22, are covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefit program. They get to choose from 19 different health care programs. Tax payers pick up about 75% of each member's tab and members get in-hospital super secure VIP treatment at Walter Reed Hospital.
  

The part that needs fixing? Just remove "after 8 years service," because Congresspeople are eligible for medical coverage when they are elected to Congress. (I've underlined it above and changed the color.)

What that paragraph should have said is as follows. . . .

• What about your medical coverage? Congresspersons their spouses, significant others, children under the age of 22, are covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefit program. They get to choose from 19 different health care programs. Tax payers pick up about 75% of each member's tab and members get in-hospital super secure VIP treatment at Walter Reed Hospital. After 8 years of service as a member of Congress, health care benefits are guaranteed for life as a "retiree" from Congress, whenever the member looses their seat.

What I was trying to show was that after as little "employment" in Congress as 8 years, all members and their spouses will continue to get full medical coverage for the remainder of their lives. How many of us can say the same? And of course, retiree benefits are also paid for by tax-payers at the tune of 75%. (Hey it's only fair! They work so hard!)

Sorry for the screw up!

Ken

"The 535!"

I wish this piece could have a heroic theme like the movie "The 300," you know....the valiant Spartan warriors who fought "to the last man" against hundreds of thousands of invading Persian barbarians. But it doesn't.

Unfortunately, it's not even a story about hero's. Rather, it's a list of ridiculousness foisted upon the American people by the feckless men and women who make up Congress. This is the "ridiculousness" we have come to accept as government.

I just get so angry and feel so powerless when I see "them" on television. ANY of them! Don't get me wrong...this is not a piece slamming the Democrats, oh no! I'm not writing this to rail against Liberals - I'm writing this INCLUSIVELY!! Republicans as well as Democrats, Conservatives as well as Liberals, Progressives as well as ...whatever the opposite of progressives are, is. As far as I'm concerned, "they all stink to high Heaven" as my dear Mother used to say!

Frankly I'd call the whole bunch of them "whores," but that would be casting aspersions on a group of folks who actually DO SOMETHING for a living!

What did "Archie" use to call his son-in-law? That's it..."meathead." They're all meatheads...535 of them,"dead from the neck up!"

In 1948, Harry Truman had a wonderful campaign speech against the "Do Nothing Congress." That was the 80th Congress, and although that House of Representatives only met for 108 days, that Congress created the CIA, the AirForce, and the office of the Secretary of Defense. Compare that to our modern 109th Congress that met for only 103 days! And the current 110th Congress, that will meet for even less time than that. Maybe the first thing we should do is declare that "The Do Nothing Congress" is not only a perpetual title - but a job description.

Imagine, being elected to represent all the people of the state you live in. What an honor! And actually performing the duties of your office, for less than a third of that time each year, a little over 100 days. Do you want to hear how "sleazily" they talk about the time they spend governing? When she was elected Speaker, Nancy Pelosi said that she was going to end scheduling abuses and insist that the lower house stay in session five days each week! In truth, House of Representative sessions start at 6:30 PM on Monday and close at 2:00 PM each Friday. So, she's speaking the truth, but is she actually telling the truth?

Let's be clear and honest, and call a spade a spade. Congress "governs" you and I for about a third of each year if we're lucky. If not, it could be as little as 90 or a hundred days, but lets call it 120 days just to make the calculations easier. That's four months a year! How hard do you have to work every week? 40 hours - 60 hours - more? When was the last time you got an 8 month vacation?

So how much do you make a year in salary? Congressmen and women make $165,200 for about 4 months work! (Just so's ya know....Congressfolks have more than doubled their salaries since 1987! Have you?) Leadership makes more...Speaker Pelosi makes $212,100 and Leader Harry Reid makes $183,500.

What about your medical coverage? Congresspersons, their spouses, significant others, children under the age of 22, are covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefit program. They get to choose from 19 different health care programs. Tax payers pick up about 75% of each member's tab and members get in-hospital super secure VIP treatment at Walter Reed Hospital. After 8 years of service as a member of Congress, health care benefits are guaranteed for life as a "retiree" from Congress, whenever the member looses their seat.

And your pension plan has got your retirement covered? Congressional pension benefits are 2-3 times more generous than what a similarly-salaried executive could expect to receive upon retiring from the private sector. And Congressional pensions are fully vested after serving two terms (only 8 years service).

So let's see on pensions that'd be 2 to 3 times more lucrative for about....8 years service at 4 months a year, that's about 24, 25 months total work. Cool! What a deal huh?

Let's summarize.

• Congress folks make about 350% of the U.S. median household income of $48,000. each year - but they do it in a third of the time.



• Congress folks, their spouses/significant others, and minor children are all covered by a laundry list of benefit plans that they can choose from, for which you and I pick up three quarters of the costs, which continues fully during their retirement.



• Congress folks have a fully vested, (2 to 3 times more lucrative pension than you or I will have), after a total of a bit more than 2 years work, and they'll retire on about 80% of their final salary.

Would someone please convince me that we're not going to hell in a handbasket! Look, don't take my word for it, just go online and "search" for any of these major topics I've listed. How in the world can we be aware of this and allow these "scoundrels" to continue to run our government down the tubes? And I haven't even begun to talk about hiring family members, lobbyists and earmarks! (OK, just a little "taste"... in 2006 there were 17 Senators and 17 Representatives - both Democrat and Republican - who received at least $500,000 from lobbyists! "Outrage" pgs: 149 - 150)

How can we even begin to make this a better country for our children and grandchildren, when we "breed" elitist Congresspeople, who don't see anything wrong with accepting money from special interest groups? These are the same people who scream that were ruining the country with CO2 emissions and our dependence on foreign oil, but won't let us tap into huge oil fields in 2% of a small Alaskan Wildlife area or build wind or nuclear power generators anywhere near their families homes. One Congressional group says we have to have "it" the other group says we can't allow them to have "it," so around and around they go blocking each other and our country goes nowhere! You can't govern this way. One side says "White," the other says "Black" - and neither side allows shades of gray! It's just stupid.

Congress is broken! As a country we can't go on like this. We gotta go back to the beginning and start over!

I'd suggest we start with a "national civics lesson." Start with a detailed televised educational program on the Constitution and it's amendments, include the Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers as well. Have it hosted by constitutional experts - not network talking heads! Have round table discussions about what government is and what it is not. Make

the people understand once again what this country was supposed to be - and not what it's become!

Then move on to the country's "needs"....national security, energy resources and production, education, immigration, alternative fuels, global non-warming .... let's get a recogonized and agreed upon panel of experts and for a week or two weeks pre-empt EVERYTHING on television - EVERY channel, EVERY hour, EVERY night and day. And lets get educated about our Republic. Cause this sure as "sh - -" ain't workin!"

If the Congressional or Executive incumbents aren't willing to change afterward, throw the whole lot of them out! Hell, they had a recall in California, why can't we do it anywhere it's necessary? And if the people you next put in there don't govern properly - vote them out and keep doing it until you have the right people in office!

My final thought is that right now as you're reading this, there are 535 pretentious "mandarins" in Washington DC - who are doing what they want - and not what we want! They're getting fat, rich, and feathering their own nests on our "dime!" They've becoming our rulers, rather than people we selected to govern as our representatives.

This is no way to run our Republic!

Dum Spiro Spero!