Sarah Palin
Palin hasn't stolen the spotlight from John McCain as some suggest. She is shielding McCain from the spotlight. She is doing exactly what the Republicans wanted. We are not focused on problems & issues; but Palin's eyeglasses, hairstyle and inexperience. What a strategy ... or was that a tactic?
With Wall Street CEO's and other banking and insurance executives being paid millions for their "hard work", the $150K spent to spruce up Palin is chump change. Do I really care if the RNC spent $150K on Palin? NO, I don't care. Is the fact that the alleged Walmart Mom got a new wardrobe from Neiman Marcus hypocritical -- of course; but so much of what the McCain/Palin road show says and does is hypocrital.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. In less than 2 weeks this exceedingly long, tedious, monotonous, yet at times, humorous mini series will soon be over. And then we can focus our attention on some real issues rather than the cost of Palin's wardrobe.
The Economy
To finance our efforts in WW II the US government sold War Bonds or maybe they were called Liberty Bonds. It was the patriotic thing to do (buy bonds) for everyday citizens to support the war effort. Maybe it is time for another round of bond sales. As opposed to the current "solution" at least with bonds the common citizen got something back. With depositors withdrawing money in the billions from banks and S&L's there is money out there. Would this work?
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper is an entertainer not a reporter. He would be better suited with FOX news. He likes to make news or work on stories, certainly not report the news. It was entertaining to see him standing in the middle of a flooded street in Texas with water up to his waist holding a wired mic. Isn't he Geraldo Rivera in disguise ?
John McCain
As a senior member of the Senate John McCain was respected. His choice (or was it his advisors choice) of Palin for VP shows serious flaws in decision making. Of course the Republicans have a history of strange VP candidates: Nixon, Agnew, Quayle and of course Cheney. Scarier still is that all four of these candidates became VP and one actually became President. Could it happen again?
CNN
For the Presidential Debates viewers were able to watch the reactions of Democrats, Republicans and Independents as McCain and Obama spoke. For the VP debate the reaction graph was tied to gender. Would it have been better to keep the reaction groups similar so comparisons could be made between the presidential debate and the VP debate? Was CNN reporting news or attempting to make news?
The Big Spenders
We keep hearing that the leaders of the US Senate had to add (earmarks)$150 billion to the $700 billion dollar bail out/rescue (merit pay?) plan in order to achieve passage. It would be most interesting to have the names of individual Senators listed and publicized as the individuals responsible for this additional $150 billion. Basically, the list would show what each Senator's "YES" vote costs. Since 74 Senators voted "YES", then it is obvious that some of these "YES" votes were very, very, very expensive. But hey, its not their money.
Colin Powell
Colin Powell is an honorable man. During his tenure as Secretary of State he basically took orders from Bush (The Commander-in-Chief) who was greatly influenced by the super hawk, Rumsfeld, then Secretary of Defense. Powell believed the twisted, doctored and distorted information from Bush and Rumsfeld and provided by both NSA and The CIA that "proved" Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He took the Bush/Rumsfeld lie to the UN to convince the world of the presence of WMD.
Later, when Powell finally realized that Bush had used him to sell the WMD story to the world he resigned. Now, watching the McCain-Obama battle for the Presidency and realizing that McCain believes we belong in Iraq Powell chose to endorse Obama. Call it pay back or getting even for being used by the Bush administration, none-the-less Powell's eloquent denunciation of McCain and support for Obama was a stunning and well deserved blow to the Republicans.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
"What's Going On ... What's Happening Brother"
Marvin Gaye released this song in 1971 and it is worth listening to. Just Google the song title and you can watch and listen to Marvin sing. It was calming to hear the nine minute version tonight after watching the last Obama/McCain Debate. Considering recent events the song title is very appropriate. However; I would change the wording to "What the Hell is Going On / Just What the Hell is Happening".
The daily events play out like a poorly written mini series. We have President Bush doing his imitation of a ground hog as he steps outside the safety of The White House to tell us the sky is not falling and then quickly run back inside lest he get hit on the head. Yesterday, the stock market was up over 700 points and today it was down over 700. Anderson Cooper continues to identify the Culprits responsible for the Collapse and we have been treated each night to these culprits explaining their innocence or justifying their mega million salaries and bonuses. Watching these crooks is enough to gag a maggot.
In his inaugural Address in 1961 John Kennedy stated, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." How things have changed. Wall Street Executives and Bank Officials have followed instead the Gordon Gekko business model in that "Greed is Good". Their problem is now our problem and must be fixed with our money not their money. We have a rogues gallery of characters offering and explaining the latest version of the bail out/recovery plan. The problem is that for most middle class Americans we are still not sure exactly who or what is being bailed out. Home buyers can not buy, home sellers can not sell, 401K's are tanking, and cost for the basics is climbing.
The candidates' answer to this mess is to buy our vote. Both Obama and McCain are offering how they would implement the federal bail out plan and what additional perks Americans would receive if one or the other is elected. We are being tempted with Medical Premium help, college tuition assistance, reduced capital gains tax, reduced 401 early withdraw penalty, foreclosure moratorium, and much more. We don't have to ask what our country will do for us -- they are telling us. All we have to do is vote.
Virgil in the Aeneid wrote "Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bear gifts." Of course many of us know the story. The Trojans accepted the gift not knowing that Greek soldiers where hidden inside the huge horse. Under cover of night the Greek soldiers exited the horse and opened the gates of Troy to the Greek Army. Troy was defeated.
We must be wary of the candidates, all politicians, anyone connected with the U.S.Treasury and the Federal Reserve and of course anyone speaking for the current administration. Even bearing gifts these characters are not to be trusted. The gifts being offered come with a price tag. We have been spending money lavishly, foolishly,and carelessly both domestically and on misguided foreign ventures for too long. The result is that we are billions, if not trillions, in debt. Maybe it is time to ask what all of us we can do for our country. And the first group that should respond to this question are those who have profited the most. Wall Street and Bank Executives are you listening?
What's going on ... What has happened here? Who can we trust?
The daily events play out like a poorly written mini series. We have President Bush doing his imitation of a ground hog as he steps outside the safety of The White House to tell us the sky is not falling and then quickly run back inside lest he get hit on the head. Yesterday, the stock market was up over 700 points and today it was down over 700. Anderson Cooper continues to identify the Culprits responsible for the Collapse and we have been treated each night to these culprits explaining their innocence or justifying their mega million salaries and bonuses. Watching these crooks is enough to gag a maggot.
In his inaugural Address in 1961 John Kennedy stated, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." How things have changed. Wall Street Executives and Bank Officials have followed instead the Gordon Gekko business model in that "Greed is Good". Their problem is now our problem and must be fixed with our money not their money. We have a rogues gallery of characters offering and explaining the latest version of the bail out/recovery plan. The problem is that for most middle class Americans we are still not sure exactly who or what is being bailed out. Home buyers can not buy, home sellers can not sell, 401K's are tanking, and cost for the basics is climbing.
The candidates' answer to this mess is to buy our vote. Both Obama and McCain are offering how they would implement the federal bail out plan and what additional perks Americans would receive if one or the other is elected. We are being tempted with Medical Premium help, college tuition assistance, reduced capital gains tax, reduced 401 early withdraw penalty, foreclosure moratorium, and much more. We don't have to ask what our country will do for us -- they are telling us. All we have to do is vote.
Virgil in the Aeneid wrote "Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bear gifts." Of course many of us know the story. The Trojans accepted the gift not knowing that Greek soldiers where hidden inside the huge horse. Under cover of night the Greek soldiers exited the horse and opened the gates of Troy to the Greek Army. Troy was defeated.
We must be wary of the candidates, all politicians, anyone connected with the U.S.Treasury and the Federal Reserve and of course anyone speaking for the current administration. Even bearing gifts these characters are not to be trusted. The gifts being offered come with a price tag. We have been spending money lavishly, foolishly,and carelessly both domestically and on misguided foreign ventures for too long. The result is that we are billions, if not trillions, in debt. Maybe it is time to ask what all of us we can do for our country. And the first group that should respond to this question are those who have profited the most. Wall Street and Bank Executives are you listening?
What's going on ... What has happened here? Who can we trust?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The "PLAN" ........
In September was the Plan.
- And then came the Assumptions.
- And the Assumptions were without form.
- And the Plan was without substance.
- And darkness was upon the face of the citizens.
- And they spoke among themselves, saying, "It is a crock of sh-t, and it stinkith"
- And the citizens went unto their Congressmen and said, "It is a pail of dung, and we cannot abide the smell."
- And the Congressmen went unto their Leaders, saying "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."
- And the Leaders went unto their Senate, saying, "It is a vessel of fertilizer and none may abide its strength."
- And the Senate spoke among themselves, saying to one another, "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."
- And the Senate went to the Candidates, saying unto them, "It promotes growth, and it is very powerful."
- And the Candidates went to the President, saying unto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigor of the company with powerful effects"
- And the President looked upon the Plan and saw that it was good.
- And the Plan became Policy.
- And that, my friends, is how sh-t happens.
- And then came the Assumptions.
- And the Assumptions were without form.
- And the Plan was without substance.
- And darkness was upon the face of the citizens.
- And they spoke among themselves, saying, "It is a crock of sh-t, and it stinkith"
- And the citizens went unto their Congressmen and said, "It is a pail of dung, and we cannot abide the smell."
- And the Congressmen went unto their Leaders, saying "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."
- And the Leaders went unto their Senate, saying, "It is a vessel of fertilizer and none may abide its strength."
- And the Senate spoke among themselves, saying to one another, "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."
- And the Senate went to the Candidates, saying unto them, "It promotes growth, and it is very powerful."
- And the Candidates went to the President, saying unto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigor of the company with powerful effects"
- And the President looked upon the Plan and saw that it was good.
- And the Plan became Policy.
- And that, my friends, is how sh-t happens.
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