Happy New Year

Reasonable requests, hopes, dreams, etc. for 2009

1. Good health for my family and yours
2. To move to Hawaii, it is too cold in AZ
3. Congress doesn't totally give away all the money that they don't even have. Huh?
4. Barack Obama uses his considerable skills to negotiate his way past the inevitable partisan politics and get it done. He will remember that the loud mouths on the far right didn't deliver the votes to McCain in a sufficient quantity.
5. President Obama remembers the Republican party has a vested interest in his failure. Just listen to their spokesperson Rush Limbaugh. They will not be helpful.
6. John McCain will use his voice to stand up for quality Republican standards and ideals.
7. Jets trade Favre back to the Packers.
8. Diamondbacks win their second World Series.
9. A rebounding stock market
10. Every CEO of every company that takes money to be given no golden parachute, bonus, raise, etc.
11. Continued momentum for alternative fuels.
12. Continued movement away from unnecessary trucks and SUVs.
13. U.S. citizens living within their means
14. U.S. soldiers nearly out of Iraq and no where near Iran.
15. Some sort of lasting agreement between Israel and Palestine. I know that is a real long shot at best. Better odds of Favre going back to the Packers.
16. The Yankees continue to miss the playoffs despite buying the best players in all of the world. Creeps.
17. Dallas Cowboys continue to miss the playoffs despite buying the best players in all of the world. Creeps.
18. Recycling continues to grow in importance. Sustainability is the newest buzz word.
19. You will all be safe and have a Happy New Year.

Don't Do Unto Others

You are driving in California (and probably elsewhere as CA stuff usually oozes into the rest of America) and are in an accident. Citizens passing by do just that - pass by. To do anything else would be lunacy based on the unreasonable and ridiculous Supreme Court of California.

They have ruled that a "Good Samaritan" is only protected if they acted in good faith in a medical situation. This comes from an actual case where a citizen helped a woman she actually knew by pulling the injured woman from a wreck. The movement apparently caused further damage to the injured woman's spine.

So now the injured woman can sue the other lady for having done the right thing. Nuts. So when in California, don't get in a wreck because no one will help you. Idiots.

Pretty Cool & Reasonable

www.change.gov

Check it out. Want to know what Obama is planning? Want to participate and make suggestions? This is the place you can do just that!

Very reasonable.

Here We Go Again

This is an interesting paragraph lifted from an article in the NY Times:

Fairfield Greenwich Group, a hedge-fund firm that had $7.5 billion invested with Madoff, has been sued by investors for allegedly failing to protect their assets. A New York woman who says she lost most of her savings is seeking $7 million in damages from the Securities and Exchange Commission for Madoff losses.

Now, lets look at those two sentences. Fairfield has insurance for "malpractice" or whatever it is called in those circles, so they'll be covered and we will all pay higher premiums. The NY woman suing Securities and Exchange Commission should be out of luck. I don't recall my securities, which have lost value, being insured by any one.

The rich get richer even when they make stupid decisions. Totally unreasonable!

Evangelical Minister Rick Warren

This must be a good choice for the inaugural invocation because the far right is unhappy and the far left is unhappy. Good. Since they are the extremes and by this blog's definition, not reasonable, I like the pick.

The right wing is unhappy that the Reverend is hob nobbing with the liberals. I'll bet that the idiot drug abuser Rush is behind that one. God forbid people actually try to work together instead of simply trashing each other.

The left wing is unhappy as the Reverend apparently likens homosexuals to pedophiles. Seems like a stretch to me Reverend Warren but everyone is entitled to their uninformed, divisive opinions. He also has some good things to say about personal responsibility.

In the mean time, he is sharing a stage with a diverse group and that can only be good. Good choice, good decision to say yes to the invitation.

Now, lets get on with things that really matter.

Last Year's Wishes

From this blog - last year (December 24, 2007). Let's see how I did.

"As to Happy New Year - this is what I think would be reasonable and make for a happy new year."

The promise of a new presidency that will come with the elections in November 2008. (Good)
Leave Iraq, stay away from Iran and North Korea. Bring home our troops before too many more die in a needless and aimless "conflict." (Not Good - we are still there-Perhaps B. Obama will get it done.)
Agreement that taking care of the environment, for whatever reason, has to be better than creating a pig sty. It's as simple as that. (Progress being made - if slowly)
An economy that somehow survives the ridiculous home mortgage fiasco. (oops! - "You go George, literally")
I hope the creepy lenders that caused this, along with the homeowners who weren't smart enough to think through these ridiculous loans have to share the burden THEY jointly created. (More oops!)
I hope the government doesn't completely break the bank trying to buy the electorate back over the mortgage fiasco. Some bailout seems inevitable. I hope they don't buy the houses for the people. I am paying for mine - they should pay for theirs. (Darn - even more oops!)
Some sort of immigration reform before I cannot understand the majority of people in my own English speaking country. (Again, oops)
Along these lines, I hope the judicial system in Arizona will uphold the right of voters who said in 2007, "enough already - if the feds can't fix immigration, we will." (Good - despite many efforts, the laws stay on the books)
I hope employers stop hiring illegal immigrants because they get them cheap. Only the employer benefits. Legitimate employers foot the bill in terms of higher taxes and ridiculously high insurance benefits. Oh, and legal immigrants and citizens pay the price as well. (hard to tell)
I hope we keep gun ownership rights, rights for a woman to choose what is correct for her body, freedom to say, "Merry Christmas" and to otherwise celebrate whatever religion (or not) that we want. (Good, almost)
And finally, the Green Bay Packers should win the Superbowl
(oops! ?*&%)

Anything in green I will continue to hope for in 2009.

The Losing Battle

Last year I lamented often about retailers using the phrase Happy Holidays! This year, I gave up the battle - it is a losing battle. I do not personally understand how saying Merry Christmas could offend anyone. I believe diversity is a good thing and still, it has nothing to do with wishing a fellow Christian - Merry Christmas. You can celebrate all people and their religious beliefs and still wish each other Merry Christmas. I will wish my Jewish boss a happy Hanukkah and feel certain he will wish me a Merry Christmas. Simple, diverse.

However, this was sent to me and since it is my blog, I have copied it here.

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings,
the teachers would say December 25th is just a " Holiday".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - nowhere to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Pelosi, Now Obama, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !

Madoff Made Off With the Dough

Bernard L. Madoff, the New York financier, made off with the dough. Get it? May-Doff ...Made off. Now, if we bilked our neighbor and friends out of a hundred K, say, we would be in jail, don't you think?

Not Bernie-I-Made-Off-With-Your-Money-Madoff. He has been hangin' at the mansion on the coast. Sounds cozy.

This guy has apparently robbed his friends, their friends, charities, etc. of billions. Yes, that was billions as in 000,000,000,000. These people who were bilked, charities excluded, are supposedly the financial geniuses of the land. Some of the snobs are now destitute - I know I shouldn't laugh, but........... No wonder we are in trouble.

Put him in jail.

What is it With Shoes?

Times have changed - When Nikita Khrushchev was unhappy with the U.S. President, he pounded his shoe on the podium at the United Nations.

Now, a reporter is unhappy (on behalf of nearly his whole nation) with the U.S. President and he threw his shoe at Bush.

Now, I have made it no secret that I think Bush will go down as one of the worst presidents ever. However, I didn't much like seeing someone throwing shoes at our president. It looked weird.

You gotta hand it to ol' George, he has good reflexes. His political reflexes are terrible but the other reflexes are totally cool.

How mad at the U.S. are these people, you ask? Martyrdom used to be saved for people who die for the cause. Now, simply heaving your shoe at Bush gets you cult status. Crazy. Unreasonable.

What an Interesting Concept!

The link below was sent by a friend as part of an annual Christmas Letter. While religion has been vilified (yes even by me in this blog - at least in regard to politics), not all religious methods and messages are bad. In fact, religion can and should play a meaningful part in our suddenly very small world.

For those of you who are not of a religious bent, just latch on to the important message - we can all make a difference with a reasonable amount of sacrifice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

Looks like it is getting a fair amount of play at YouTube.

Blagojevich

This guy has to be mentally ill. Who thinks they can offer to sell a Senate seat, especially one that was held by the President-Elect?

Illinois, home to Chicago which is a great city but no stranger to a corrupt political machinery, has lost its MOJO. Here they just had the great outpouring of humanity at the Obama victory rally in Grant Park, and now Blago has derailed that good feeling.

As the Righteous Brothers would say, "Bring Back That Loving Feeling."

The only reasonable thing to do is to resign. Maybe he could sell the Governor's seat!

More UAW

It costs more than $70/hour for a UAW member to build an American made vehicle. That includes benefits, retirement, and wages.

An American worker in a Toyota or Honda plant, situated in America, is paid under $50/hour, again wages, benefits, retirement (still a good amount of money if you ask me), to build a far superior car. Hum?

If it were reversed we would have something to discuss. It is not reversed. For less money Toyota and Honda give us better cars built by Americans. That means the plants are more efficient, management is better planners, designs are better, and, yes, the work force is compensated in a more equitable fashion, allowing the company to survive and provide thousands of jobs.

GM, Ford, and Chrysler had management that got whooped in the free market and workers were over paid for the skill level required to build a substandard product. That is the problem.

Reasonable List of Why To Be Happy About the Economy

The original list 0f 26 has been culled to my favorite 10 (its my blog.)

1. The over grooming trend - professionally vacuumed pores, four-season pedicures, plucked-clean pudenda - will be reversed, leaving you to molt in peace.
2. Bottled water or tap? They'll give up asking.
3. No longer need to feel embarrassed about asking for cash as a gift.
4. Poverty is green! Reduce carbon footprint by wearing old clothes, driving old car, turning down heat.
5. Child will have much easier time finding great non-paying internship.
6. Will finally keep resolution to start using the library more often.
7. Fewer kids named Tiffany, more named Cash.
8. No more pressure to carry a $1400 purse: The new status bag will be Whole Foods - oooh! - recyclable.
9. Can stop worrying about what bling is.
10. All fur will henceforth be fake.
11. When you turn down the guy begging on the subway platform, you'll be able to look him in the eye.
12. Should you move to the suburbs now that you have kids? Move back to the city now that the kids are grown? Stop debating: You're going nowhere.

(okay, so my top 10 includes 12 items - so what)

UAW

The United Auto Workers (UAW) must be crazy. Given a choice between a job at a fairly high hourly rate and pretty good benefits or no job - I would personally pick the job.

Would I like the concessions - no, but I like it better than trying to get a job with limited skills in a market that shed a half a million jobs in one month.

Ron Gettelfinger, the leader of the UAW should step down immediately for jeopardizing the livelihood of thousands of people. If I were a union member there, I think I would want to break the union. I believe they call it a "vote of no confidence."

Serious times require serious solutions. The UAW is being stubborn and unreasonable. Foolishness.

As I Have Said Before.......

Sometimes you just gotta laugh!

While Detroit Slept

I just read an excellent opinion piece - in fact it was reasonable - by Thomas Friedman in regard to bailing out Detroit. The title of this blog writing is his, not mine.

He wrote, "our bailout of Detroit will be remembered as the equivalent of pouring billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the mail-order-catalogue business on the eve of the birth of eBay. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into the CD music business on the eve of the birth of the iPod and iTunes. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into a book-store chain on the eve of the birth of Amazon.com and the Kindle. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into improving typewriters on the eve of the birth of the PC and the Internet."

The article then goes on to discuss a company, an American company, called Better Place which is developing a model for electric car "refueling" in conjunction with Japanese car manufactures like Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru. GM, by the way, dismissed Better Place - they apparently know better than the innovators.

The more I read about GM they less I like them, which is hard to say because I have never in my life purchased a GM product. How much less than that can I like them?

Does the Corruption Never End?

Whatever happened to reasonableness should be replaced with whatever happened to ethics?

Rod Blagojevich is accused of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy, including attempts by the Illinois governor to try to sell the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama. In exchange he wanted financial benefits for himself and his wife. Blagojevich also is accused of obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for other Gubernatorial actions. Maybe with him they should be called "Goober"-natorial actions.

Did he think that in the days of instant electronic surveillance that he wouldn't be caught? Is there no end to idiocy?

Argh! He Must Be Kidding

How do some people sleep at night?

John Thain, chairman and CEO of troubled Merrill Lynch, which has taken 10 billion dollars in federal aid, is seeking a $10 million-dollar bonus. As John McEnroe would say, "You can't be serious."

So I wonder how much he would want if he had actually made a profit for his company in the year he has been there? As it is, they lost billions and they were purchased by Bank of America. And for that he wants a bonus?

This is lunacy.

But Who Will Find the Real Killer?

If O.J. Simpson is in jail for the next 9 years, who will find out who killed Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman?

Finally, O.J. is where he has belonged for the past 13 years.

Unions

Yesterday I saw an ad on TV, unfortunately I missed who the sponsor was. However, for this blog, it doesn't matter.

What the ad was basically saying is that workers should begin to organize so that companies will raise pay, give exhaustive benefits, etc.

What I am wondering is: On what planet are these people living? The UAW is busy giving concessions so that their sugar daddy doesn't completely get obliterated. No GM, no Ford, no Chrysler, no need for UAW workers being paid an enormous amount of money.

Unions served a purpose when companies were abusing their workers in so many ways. Now, CNN would be on the spot showing the horrible companies and they would have difficulty getting employees, or better yet, would get prosecuted. So the usefulness of a union is waning.

When ads are run that basically ignore the financial and political realities, you have to wonder where did the reasonableness go?

Sports - Good vs. Evil

Sport mimics real life in many ways. The Super Bowl hero, Plaxico Burress was arrested for shooting himself in the leg at a NY night club. He shot himself - idiot!

However, he could have easily shot a night club patron, one who probably couldn't afford to miss work from a gun shot wound. Plaxico can afford the dollar loss having signed a huge contract for many millions of dollars.

Now, the players union is filing a grievance saying Plaxico's rights are being violated. What? The idiot shot himself in a public venue and they think he should be paid and allowed to play. How can he play any way? He has a hole in his leg to go with the apparent hole in his head.

Argh!!!

Burning Down the House!

A few weeks ago I heard a commentary that George Bush wasn't going to be happy until he burned down the White House on his way out of town. This was in response to the concerted effort to deregulate everything in his sight.

That deregulation worked so well with the bankers that he now thinks that it should be spread to the rest of our government. The "Deer in the headlight" Bush is using precious resources to make this happen. Idiotic waste of resources with tragic consequences.

Sadly, President Obama will have to use equally as precious resources to put these regulations back into place. Crazy.

Please, please George don't burn the joint down.

Recession

The U.S. government was the last group or person to know that we have been in a recession. For a year now we have been in a recession. The good news is that most recessions last about 16 months, thus in another 4 months or so this should be over.

Who decides when it is over? I think we do when we start buying again.

I personally hope that we have learned something here, and unfortunately we probably have more to learn over these next months. Living within our means, saving some money, getting away from oil dependence seem like good places to start.

Valley Stream, New York

Valley Stream sounds nice don't you think? The Internet is so interesting because you can look up these places (think back to the nice resident in Grosse Pointe Farms) that are in the news.

Valley Stream is not a poor place, but not rich either. From the web:

The median income for a household in the village is $103,243, and the median income for a family is $110,585. Males have a median income of $80,094 versus $56,260 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $66,334. About 1.0% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and .4% of those age 65 or over.

Do folks making $100k really need to stand out in the cold and darkness, working themselves into a lather? A lather that results in a good ol' fashioned trampling.

Ho Ho Ho and Other Random Thoughts

What will a Walmart-shopping parent in Long Island tell his kid when he doesn't like his or her gift on Christmas Day? Perhaps he or she will say, "play with the plastic doo-dad since I trampled-to-death someone for it!"

In Arizona we have an 8 year old who killed his dad and dad's friend by shooting them. Apparently he was keeping track of how many spankings he received and when he got to 1,000 then dear ol' dad was goners. Bang, bang your dead. What to do with this kid?

I watched football Americano today and saw a commercial for Cadillac Escalade about every 3 minutes. Apparently they have unlimited funds over there at GM. Perhaps they could use that money to retool a factory faster so they can bring the Volt to market in less than 2 years (scheduled for November 2010.)

President-Elect Obama is smart to keep Gates in charge of the Pentagon. Not because he has done such a bang-up job (all puns intended), but because they have all agreed to get out of Iraq and he is in the best position to give this some momentum.

As Moses would say, "Guns don't kill people, 8 year olds kill people."

Black Friday

Ho Ho Ho!

Apparently shoppers at Walmart's Valley Stream store on Long Island (sounds lovely don't you think?) couldn't be bothered to stop their activities, even though they trampled a man to death. Reportedly people refused to leave even after being told that an employee had been trampled and died.

Trampled!

Two guys in Palm Desert, CA shot each other. They both died, but thankfully killed no one else. It would have been perfect except for the trauma to small children. But, at least only the doers are dead. Idiots.

Back to Walmart......here is betting that the family of the part-time temporary employee sues Walmart......and wins. Totally unreasonable. There was security, but can there really be enough to account for 2,000 people who completely lose their humanity, not to mention any common sense whatsoever?

What would added security have done? Were they going to shoot the rabid shoppers as they broke through the doors? I think not.

The only reasonable thing to do is to study the video, identify people using credit card receipts, and by interviewing everyone of them, sweat'em until they tell who and what they saw and prosecute everyone of them for killing that man.

What retailers can do is stop this crazy system of ridiculous deals at 4 a.m. so that people aren't afforded an opportunity to show their absolute worst. The retailers aren't at fault, but they now know for certain the Black Friday shoppers are potential killers.

Thanksgiving

It is a tough year and uncertain times, yet we have much for which to be thankful. It is reasonable to think about the wonderful people and things for which we can be thankful.

In order to not be to sappy I offer this: I am thankful that I am not a Detroit Lions fan.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Partisanship Revisited

It is popular to say we want the partisan politics to stop yet most everyday, regular Joe's that I hear or read sound more partisan than government officials. Americans, all of us, need to grow up - we have grown up problems that require the dedication of all behind our elected officials.

Being in Scottsdale for work is a different slice of life. At lunch yesterday I heard two people (they pulled up in a Mercedes - I know as I was on the patio) discussing the impending Obama administration and that he will take us to socialism. Wow, successful people ignoring the facts.

For example, this from Reuters:

Bush administration officials continue to extend massive life support efforts to the ailing U.S. financial system. The Federal Reserve on Tuesday announced a $600 billion program to buy mortgage-related debt and securities, and a $200 billion program to increase the availability of consumer debt, such as credit cards and auto loans. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged patience and said any effort will take time to work.

My point is, if the electorate, even apparently successful types, can't read and understand what is truly happening, then we have "a tough row to hoe" as they say.

Cash is King

Maybe, just maybe, this financial meltdown will have an upside. Apparently Americans are paying for Christmas presents with cash in lieu of credit cards. Good thinking. That would fall into the category of making some sacrifices.

We Americans can probably go a long time without having to buy a lot of things because we have everything already. It will be miserable for the retailers if we stop buying for a while, but it will be better in the long run.

I actually heard a commercial for a company and its lay-a-way plan. We were in Cabela's yesterday and we noticed they had a lay-a-way plan. I bet some of our kids don't even know what that is.

If Americans can learn to live within our means and somehow get away from our addiction to oil, we might just survive this mess.

(P.s. Lay-a-way is an antiquated way to buy something. You give the store money, sort of a down payment and they hold the merchandise for you. Then over time you bring them more money until you have paid for it in full. At that glorious moment you get to take the item home for personal use.)

Chapter 11

After deep contemplation and listening to too many talking heads, I have decided that we should encourage the auto companies to file Chapter 11. That way they can restructure with a different management group (this group should be fired for all sorts of stupidity, the least of which was flying to DC on corporate jets - separate ones at that). They can also walk away from the whole union pay-benefit fiasco. If the workers don't want to work for a company that has realistic pay, O.T., and benefits, then they can go to work somewhere else.

As to long retired folks and their benefits, pay, etc.? Well, welcome to the real world. I would actually prefer the government "bail" them out rather than the companies themselves.

Any way, use some government money to help suppliers who are screwed if the "big 3" fail.

As a side note, should they really be called the "big 3" any more? Isn't Toyota the top dog now? Can't be long before Toyota, Honda, and ?? are the "big 3."

Tough Job But Someone's Gotta Do It (thank God)

Barack Obama is working to pick his cabinetry - okay...a bad use of the word. Seems to be taking the right amount of time.

So far I like that the far left is getting a little restless with his choices - they must be good. Beyond that it is difficult to decide how he is doing. I am sort of new to this supporting a Democrat thing - usually I would just automatically dislike all of them for being.....well....Democrats.

I can say this, I like the choice of Janet Napolitano, Governor of AZ, as the head of Homeland Security. I also like the choice of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Two smart ladies. Hillary probably brings a bit of "Bill Baggage" but Obama can only get so many people who are from outside the federal government. If you needed dental work, wouldn't you pick someone who knew dentistry? Of course you would.

I dislike the choice of Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) for secretary of health and human services. However, I do like that he was able to get under Rush's skin a few years ago; so much so that as I recall Rush called Daschle the devil. Still, he is an extremely partisan player and it seems like there are others as qualified and more moderate that could have taken the position. Plus, he never seems like the sharpest tool in the shed. Keep with the brains.

I need to consider them next time as a whole group.

One other note, it is good that he met with John McCain and also that he is trying to help Joe Lieberman - seems Barack meant what he said about working with the other side to fix problems.

What is Wrong With This Picture?

Nothing! Looks almost exactly like Laurie's Mini Cooper - a terrific little vehicle.

Oh.....this one happens to be an electric version. 500 zero emission vehicles headed for CA. Nice!

Private Jets

Totally unreasonable - the big shots for the Big Three Automakers (GM, Ford, Chrysler) flew on private jets to DC to ask for bailout money.

Are they kidding?

To make matters worse, the companies said this is a non-negotiable issue and their execs will continue to fly this way.

I say, "non-negotiable? See you later - no money until those planes are grounded, or better yet, sold."

Here Is the Inherent Problem

In two paragraphs from Reuters, here is the problem with the proposed bailout of the U.S. automakers:

"Ford expects significant fuel economy improvements with the 2010 Mustang GT and improved horsepower over the current version that gets about 22 miles per gallon on the highway. But it will still be gas-thirsty."

Ford and fellow U.S. automakers General Motors Corp and Chrysler -- which is owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP -- were in Washington on Tuesday to plead for a $25 billion U.S. government bailout package.

Tough to just say NO, especially if you are a President-Elect and the Unions delivered votes your way. But, if this money is given, then those statements above need to be reconciled and no person there should be getting any bonuses or golden parachutes.

....This Just In - Again and Again.......

Stevens lost - finally. Now I hope he doesn't waste any precious Alaskan resources on a recount. That money could be used to better keep an eye on the Russians.

The sad truth is that Stevens was the longest sitting Republican Senator in our history and now a convicted felon. He was also a big time grabber of the pork. I'll give this to McCain, and McCain only, he is a Republican who says he doesn't go for the pork, and actually doesn't go for the pork. The rest are full of it.

Talking Heads

Last night I was at the gym (trying to get in tip top shape so I can eat and drink too much over the holidays) riding the Elliptical.

I was watching CNBC and they were discussing the merits of the bailout, auto industry bailout, etc. I couldn't hear what they were saying as I was listening, thankfully, to the Mighty Led Zeppelin, but I could see the transcript on the screen.

Basically, the transcript was a worthless jumble of unreadable words and what I saw was 4 guys flailing their arms and yelling. I didn't see any thoughtful contemplative looks like maybe they were considering what each other was saying. I figure they are probably all broke, having lost all their money in the market. These so-called experts certainly didn't teach anyone anything of importance.

Total, unreasonable waste of expensive airtime. Thank God for the IPOD.

....This Just In - Again.......

Alaskans who voted early apparently are going to swing this vote for the Senate in the favor of Mark Begich, the Democratic Mayor.

Stevens, the Convicted Criminal, is holding out hope that some other absentee ballots need to be counted and that they will bring him back to the top. What an idiot. Totally unreasonable.

Stay tuned........

California Vacation

California gets a bad rap from the rest of America. However, we just spent 4 days there and I have some observations:

1. We went to a park on Mt. San Jacinto. One had to ride a tram to get there or you could hike to the 8,500 elevation instead. We rode. What is interesting is that I didn't see one bottle, can, plastic bag, etc. lying on the ground. Not one - must be important to them to see pristine lands.
2. I didn't see one person, not one, driving and talking on a cell phone. I am sure they were using hands-free, but at least they could control their car. My son tells me that there is research to show that hands-free users are just as distracted. Probably true, but if they need two hands, they have them.
3. The windmill farm near Palm Springs powers the whole area. They aren't the coolest looking things, but neither is a brown cloud like we have here in Phoenix. Bottom line is the things spin as needed and power the 5 or 6 communities in the area. Nice!
4. We trekked around a preserve that in just 4,500 acres allowed us to experience desert, rocky ridges, marsh land, trees, local bushes and plants. Oh, and I didn't see one single bottle or can on the ground there either.

So while California has probably earned some of its ridicule, I have to say that it was a very satisfying place to travel and spend some time. Nice trip.

.......This Just In........

Senator Stevens of the the Russian-watching state of Alaska is now behind by 800 votes as the mail-in vote is still being counted.

Think about this: Some percentage of the mail in vote would have been already cast when Stevens was convicted yet they appear to be voting for the Democrat in a higher percentage. That means that the people who went and cast votes at the polls AFTER he was convicted said they still wanted him. Shouldn't that have been reversed?

What does that say about the Alaskans?

Auto

Here is what I cannot stand - this is totally unreasonable - how to know what is the right thing to do about the auto industry? Bush-Paulson are tossing money all over the place so it seems likely they want to give it to the people who build the vehicles that suck up the oil they are all so enamored with.

Now they say they aren't all that interested in giving it to Detroit, but the Democrats do want to. Now we know why they want to - unions vote democratic, and Detroit is in Michigan and Detroit voted Democratic. Bush can draw a line in the sand, betting that the Dems will pick up the cause, thus making it so that Bush isn't the only socialist in the government.

The only thing is, how are we supposed to know what is the correct path? I did hear that President-Elect Obama talked about the bailout, but they have to agree to build more efficient vehicles. That sounds good, but I still am not sure if they are vital enough.

I guess if I was president, I would let them file Chapter 11, sell off bad parts, renegotiate benefits to retired automakers and current unionized workforce, and present a plan to design, build, and sell fuel efficient cars that most people really want to buy.

On the other hand, I just don't know how many jobs we can shed and still be a viable economic power. Over the last 8 years we have shed millions of jobs and the automakers still employ a great number of people. Totally unreasonable decision to have to make.

What's Good For GM.....

You remember the old saying, "what's good for GM is good for America?"

No longer true. GM, Ford, Chrysler.....all in trouble for complex reasons, and some simple reasons.

First, when the fairly new President George W. Bush gave tax CREDITS to people buying Hummers, etc. he basically screwed them into the ground. Sales of those vehicles blossomed, the economy moved along, and everyone was happy. Everyone except the people who couldn't stomach the cost to insure and put gas in those things.

Thus those folks bought Toyotas and Hondas. Vehicles which last, don't blow black smoke out the back end, and get 35+ miles per gallon. They cost less to insure, by a lot. Their maintenance cost is much less because the efficiency is incredible.

The complex issues have to do with people getting full salaries who haven't built a car in a very long time. What to do with them? Too complex for me to know. They are getting paid because they worked under those terms. They acted in good faith. However, it is easy to argue that they should have known that the unions were overstepping and getting concessions that would ultimately kill the company.

If we give them money, they will waste it. Short sighted folks are going to run out now and buy trucks they don't need, SUVs that will tote one person around 5 days a week, or status vehicles like Hummers. They will do this because the prices are down, gas is down temporarily, and they will say, "see, all will be okay and I am an American and I can drive this big rig if I want to."

Then GM, Ford, Chrysler will say, "see, the American populace wants these big rigs, we best build some more."

In the mean time, the Japanese will continue to build small efficient vehicles with zero emissions, great gas mileage, and the lowest cost of ownership in the business and the majority of Americans will buy them.

We will have tried desperately to save a dinosaur.

Hannity et al

What is wrong with these Conservative talking heads on a.m. radio and other media outlets? Are they trying to sound stupid? Everyday we are bailing out someone, and by "we" I mean this Republican administration and those of us who are allowing this to continue. Yet Hannity and the rest of the hate spewers are indicating that Barack Obama is going to take us to socialism and tax us to death. I saw a ridiculously condescending commercial for Hannity on TV last night. His IQ must be about 90 at best.

As usual, the more they talk, and the louder they talk, the more they think people will not question what they say. Sort of, "Rush must be right because listen to how loud he is talking and how angry he is."

My fellow Republicans - stand up and tell Hannity et al to SHUT UP! They are not helping to return the Republicans to favor. They are showing why the party got smoked; the electorate rejected the small mindedness of these hateful fear mongers.

Sheriff Joe

For those of you who are not from AZ, and have expressed interest in the "Toughest Sheriff in America" - Joe Arpaio won yet again. It seems he is slipping a bit as he only got about 55% of the vote, compared to high numbers in the past.

I know the media out here dislike him as do some readers of this blog. However, I have always liked his tough stance, even if there is some showmen in him. If you don't want to be humiliated in his jail, don't commit crimes. I like it.

Smart People

I watched "This Week with George Stephanopolous" on ABC this weekend, as I did leading up to the election. I always like to listen to George Will.

At any rate, this week George Will, Fareed Zakaria, Cynthia Tucker and David Gergen joined Stephanopolous. The discussion about Barack Obama's pending appointees was interesting because it seemed all of them, from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, seemed to agree that the important thing right now is to get smart people to join the administration.

Wouldn't that be nice? What a refreshing change from the current administration - BRAINS COUNT, not just partisan B.S. I believe President-Elect Obama can get it done; he seems to treat everything as an intellectual exercise.

All That is Old is Not Bad

This is interesting.



But, can you do Morse Code while driving your car at 75 MPH without looking at the road?

Alaska - What a Funny Place

First, Governor Palin made sure we knew that those pesky, tough Alaskans have our back. They are keeping their eyes on the Ruskies for the rest of us.

Now, for the first time in our history, the Alaskan electorate has (most likely any way) voted to put a convicted felon in the Senate. Are you kidding? How bad was the Democratic rival?

Stevens is the longest tenured Republican member of the Senate, and who wants to bet that he has been effective at getting dollars and prestige for Alaska, no matter what the Governor has said about earmarks.

Alaska, beautiful place I hear, filled with a totally unreasonable electorate.

Who Voted for Who

This is interesting. Republicans, I trust, will be studying this to see what direction in which they need to go next. Barack Obama was the first democrat with more than 50% of the vote in a long, long time, and it certainly qualifies as a mild landslide. Only old, White guys really went for McCain or it would have been even worse.

Obama McCain Other/No Answer

Vote by Sex
Male (47% of voters)
49%
48%
3%

Female (53% of voters)
56%
43%
1%

Vote by Age
18-29 (18% of voters)
66%
32%
2%

30-44 (29% of voters)
52%
46%
2%

45-64 (37% of voters)
50%
49%
1%

65-up (16% of voters)
45%
53%
2%

What is a Republican to do?

The old days for the Republicans are gone. Don't get me wrong, I think we will rise again. But it will require that the party decide what it wants to be.

Does it want to be the fiscally conservative group that believes people can solve problems better than government? Ronald Reagan fell into this group. He was also very socially conservative, but I never felt like he was preaching at me.

Does it want to be the loud, obnoxious group led by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or worse Karl Rove who was actually in the administration. Socially conservative (in speech any way) and big spenders, ala Bush. This wing of the party isn't very inclusive. If you don't agree with them, they yell and call you unpatriotic. They talk louder and louder.

It should be noted that the 2nd group couldn't deliver the vote. They lost too many of us from group one. I am a fiscally responsible person who would like for government to not be so intrusive. However, I also recognize that some government is necessary and that it isn't all bad.

The great Ronald Reagan is turning over in his grave. Not because Obama won (Ronnie always liked the guy who set a goal and achieved it), but because the "Reagan Revolution" is dead. Bush, Rove, et al killed it. Reagan Democrats voted Democrat. Its not your fault Ronnie -R.I.P.

I hope Republicans work hard with President Obama and the Democratic congress to get our problems solved. Show leadership not partisanship. Show the new voters, youth, women, and minorities that the Republican party cares about them and has something to offer them. The Republicans cannot continue to pander to the religious right and count on old White guys to deliver enough votes. It didn't work.

Class Act

John McCain garnered more respect in his beautiful speech conceding the election that at any other time I heard him speak. Powerful message. Yes, I know it is "traditional" to have such a speech, but rarely have I heard one delivered with the love of country that is so evident in the man.

His campaign team was all over the place and he got the most of the campaign as possible given the odds. Those odds were stacked against him by George W. Bush and his divisive group of administrators that have nearly destroyed the country.

So even the media darling John McCain and the "straight talk express" couldn't overcome that obstacle. Add to that, the Obama campaign machine, fueled by an average of $86 donation and thousands of volunteers, and McCain was done.

In losing, he taught his followers and indeed the country how to be a good loser. A leader indeed!

President-Elect Obama

What a fascinating time in American history. Certainly I didn't anticipate that a Black man, even half Black, would be elected President. When he and I were born, blacks didn't have the right to vote in this country. What a change.

Barack Obama will be under enormous pressure, being the first Black President. Being the "first" anything is tough. A woman will be next.

What we saw in Grant Park after he was elected, in terms of the crowd, was a microcosm of how he got elected. Young people, young women especially, and minorities were very enthusiastic and they voted. In the past, they didn't vote, but now they have been inspired. That alone is worth it.

Blacks make up less than 14% of our population, thus it isn't mathematically possible to argue that Blacks elected Senator Obama to the Presidency. That only tells a small part of the story. When you view the vote in rural areas of "Red" states, places where Bush got 60% of the vote, McCain only got 54% or so. That swing is in White, rural voters. Amazing, and bodes well for our country.

Pennsylvania, an area that was projected to be tough for the "elitist" Obama, went for him in a large way. Clearly McCain used his precious resources to gain that area, and failed.

The moral of the story is that change was needed and the young folks said, "enough already." Good for them.

Random Thoughts

Win or lose, John McCain is really amazing - how many 70+ year old people could go at his pace? Not many, especially with the world's most powerful job on the line. Wow.

We didn't have many ads here in AZ for president. I think the tone of the two I saw in the last two days tell the story - one, paid for and approved by Barack Obama didn't mention John McCain, only what he planned on doing as president to solve the problems we have. The other, presented and paid for by some nefarious sounding organization had a picture of Barack Obama with the word HATE written all over the background and a video of the numskull Rev. Wright in one of his rants. Incredibly divisive. HATE - really?

The stock market, since WWII has done best under a Democratic President - consistently. To be fair, ideally it is a Democratic President and Republican Congress that has had the best returns. Next best is Democratic President and Democratic Congress. The single most successful 8 years you ask? President - Bill "I never met an Intern I didn't like" Clinton and the Republican Congress.

Not much news from the NRA or other gun control stuff. Interesting, or maybe just true here in the wild, wild, west. However, the marriage stuff is hot. Ballots to ban gay marriage or to define in the constitution that marriage is a man and woman and lots of them. Millions spent here in AZ to duplicate something that is already legislated. Amazing.

We had a ballot initiative in AZ that basically said a person who doesn't vote counts as a no vote. What? The couch potato gets to be counted without voting - some idiot dreamed that one up.

I read that some voting instructions and voting material printed in Spanish had the wrong voting date. Too bad......or not.

Thank god it is almost over.

Obama's Grandmother

Amazing that the woman Barack Obama largely credits for his upbringing will not be able to celebrate his victory or console him in defeat. Life can be cruel.

Always a Great Day

What a privilege to be an American. There are many things that the rest of the world dislikes or hates about America, but we are definitely the envy of the people of the world in terms of elections. No matter who wins, the transition of power goes off in an orderly fashion. That is nearly unique to America.

(As a side note: I hope the people of Florida have learned how to vote - they are not the envy of anyone)

The campaign was way too long, expensive, and contentious. That must change and a simple limit of time will ease the expense and contentiousness.

At any rate, I was out early this morning and there was a lengthy line filled with well behaved people who didn't fight or complain or sling mud or anything else for that matter. When they came out of the school having voted, I noticed most were smiling.

Long lines means participation is up which can only be good for this country. People who are enfranchised are more likely to have a stake in our country and act accordingly. No matter the outcome of any race or initiative, it is a great day.

CEO - Bonuses

The bonuses that CEOs have received over the years really don't bother me - in other words, I think they have earned them when the company is doing well. Totally reasonable.

I ran a company with 250 employees and 5 locations in two states and that was a handful. I can only imagine the stress and responsibility for thousands of employees, multinational workforces, stockholders, SEC regulators, etc. Thus, no objection to their large salary and bonus structure.

Having said that, if they run the company at a deficit, they deserve to be fired without any more than a nominal separation package - not millions, maybe 3 months salary with no bonus. In other words they shouldn't do any better structurally than Joe the Plumber, Joe Blow, Joe Six Pack, GI Joe, Bazooka Joe, or Joe Cool when they lose their job.

And, if they take any money from the bailout funds (read - you and me), then there are no bonuses for them or any person working at that company. If they don't like it, don't take the money from you and me. Period. The argument that they will leave and go work at a Private Equity firm is nuts - the PE people I know don't want these CEOs - they ran their company into the ground!

The Last Days Will Be Furtile For Bloggers

The last days of this contentious election period (more like an eon) will be very furtile. Must be how Tina Fey felt when Sarah Palin became the VP nominee.

This morning it is reported that a woman in the upscale Grosse Pointe Farms area (Michigan) refused to give candy on Halloween to kids of Obama supporters. Yikes! Seems....well....pretty unreasonable to me.

Being the curious person that I am, this is what is written at the Grosse Pointe Farms official website:

"Grosse Pointe Farms is a beautiful, upscale, suburban community on the shores of Lake St. Clair in southeastern Michigan. Since its establishment in 1892, Grosse Pointe Farms has become one of the premier neighborhoods in the country. The Farms is recognized for excellence in its schools, the quality of its housing stock, the safety and welfare of its citizens and its commitment to the special enhancements that make a city a community."

Hmmm?

Now, do you suppose this woman (who actually posted a sign indicating her candy distribution policy on her lawn) is upset with Obama's policy, let's say on Afghanistan? Sort of, "Darn it all, Obama wants to focus on the hills between Afghanistan and Pakistan instead of Iraq, thus I should not give candy to those Obama supporter's 3 year old kid."

Occam's razor is a scientific idea that basically says, "all other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best." (I heard this in the terrific movie, Contact)

Applying the very smart Occam's principle - what is most likely to cause a person in "a beautiful, upscale, suburban community on the shores of Lake St. Clair in southeastern Michigan" to take this stance on Obama, his policies or something less reasonable?

Gotta Laugh!

Two truths:

You gotta laugh

You can't believe anything you see!

Auntie Obama

I suppose this will be the October Surprise for which McCain has been longing. Barack Obama's aunt is here illegally, living in a poor neighborhood of Boston. Not good.

Given his upside, I hope the October Surprise doesn't give someone the excuse they are looking for to not vote for the Senator. No way that Auntie Obama makes me long for 4 more years of Bush policy and the disastrous socializing of our economy under this administration.

Still, Obama should have known her status and dealt with this a long time ago.

NRA

Now before anyone gets all fired up, I believe all Americans of sound mind and body should be able to own guns. I repeat, I think we should be allowed to have guns if we want them.

I will say, I am not sure why we need AK-47s but that is for another discussion.

In AZ we have had very little political advertising. Nice. I know some of you are in states that are hotly contested.

I did hear an ad on the radio today that got my attention. The NRA ran an ad in support of John Shadegg, AZ congressman. They said, "2nd Amendment rights is his top priority."

Wow, the economy in the U.S., like most of the world, is in the tank, Social Security is going to go broke, our banks have been socialized, education in the U.S. is in serious decline, immigration is broken, health care is broken, blah, blah, blah, .........etc..........Yada, Yada, Yada.

And Congressman Shadegg's number one concern is guns. What an idiot. Unfortunately he isn't in my district so I can vote against him; against, not because he wants to protect my right to own a gun, but because his prioritizing skills are not reasonable.

Backhanded Compliment

I find it interesting when McCain, Palin, etc. give Barack Obama that backhanded compliment, "he is an eloquent speaker." I have heard many criticize him for being so........literate, I guess.

Has Bush dummied-us-down so much now that a person is criticized for being too good of a speaker? I get they don't like his message and the substance is lost on them. Fortunately it isn't lost on a HUGE portion of the population.

If one doesn't like the message, that is okay with me, I just find it unreasonable to be critical of his clear command of the language and literacy.

Especially after 8 years of Bush-isms.

Poor, Poor Exxon

I am sure the CEO at Exxon is sweating the election. If McCain wins then poor, poor Exxon will have a fighting chance to survive. After all, they are just barely scraping by. What they need is another McCain tax break to help them.

Oh.......wait......this just in:

Exxon Mobil (XOM, Fortune 500), the leading U.S. oil company, said its third-quarter net profit was $14.83 billion, or $2.86 per share, up from $9.41 billion, or $1.70, a year earlier. That profit included $1.45 billion in special items.
The company's prior record was $11.68 billion in the second quarter of 2008.

Now, what is reasonable is for each of us (voters all) to think about the $4 gas we purchased in the 3rd quarter. Talk about redistributing the wealth! Poor, poor Exxon will most likely not break another record in the 4th quarter, what with gas dropping below $3 and a barrel of oil below $100.

Poor, poor Exxon.

Election

I heard on the news that many people would prefer the President to be a Democrat (Barack Obama) and the congress to be controlled by the Republicans. That would be good. Since I believe all members of the congress should be fired, in my little world the Republicans would get control of the house and the Senate would remain a toss up, as it is now - kind of.

Currently there are 235 Democrats in the house and 199 Republicans. 1 Guy is dead - but I suppose he is still voting! If they were all fired and people didn't elect Green Party or Libertarians, Socialists, Communists, etc. then, Voila' Republicans in charge of the House!

Unfortunately in the Senate, only 35 are up for grabs and most of them are Republicans. Currently there are 49 Dems and 49 Reps and two independents who tend toward the Dems. Since they should all be fired, the Democrats would control the Senate. Note: (follow with me here) Senator Joe Biden would effectively be fired from the Senate, but pick up the most powerful seat in the Senate - the Vice Presidency. (Just kidding, Sarah!)

Not going to happen - The congress looks like it is going to snowball toward the Democrats. More proof of how torqued the average person is these days with the Republican right wing that has socialized American banking and insurance and redistributed the wealth to the elite 1% of Americans.

P.s. I didn't figure Senator Stevens or Senator Biden in my calculations since they basically offset one another!

An Open Letter to Senator McCain

Dear Sir:

The election is a few days away and you are most likely going to lose. In some ways I feel very bad about that. However, as a Republican I believe you make decisions and must live by them. You, sir, are no different in that sense.

You should know Senator that I will vote for your opponent. And you should also know I am a Republican who has never voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. I am not really voting against you as much as I am voting for Barack Obama. However, I do think you missed the proper time in 2000. I know you tried in 2000 and got summarily trounced by George Bush. We now have, and you know this to be true, the results of Bush and his Right Wing pandering - disastrous results.

So in 2008 you made a decision to pander to that same part of our party. Too bad you didn't learn the lessons of history. I'll give one - Jimmy Carter ran for Governor of Georgia as a segregationist, ala George Wallace, and was trounced. No one believed that he was really a segregationist. He just was told that this was the only way to get elected. Wrong - he won the Governorship when he was true to himself. You too could have been elected had you been true to yourself and stuck with your "Maverick" ways and courted the majority of the Republicans - those who believe in smaller government, fair but equal taxation and the ability of people to be their own best advocate.

Mr. Senator, you should know that many Republicans believe we already lost in Iraq. Not militarily (maybe), but in the court of world opinion. You are very experienced in foreign policy and you know that Bush and his "I am not talking to you" foreign policy was a disaster. I know you had to defend it and try to make Senator Obama look weak here, but we all know that being the bully anymore isn't going to work. You know it, I know it, moderate Republicans know it.

If you win, which seems unlikely but polls have been wrong before, then please use your love of this country, which is evident, to make America great for everyone, not just Republicans, and CEOs, and business owners. Make it right for Joe the Plumber who makes $40K per year, and minorities who have had to overcome giant obstacles, just like you did in your past.

If, in fact, you lose this election Mr. McCain, please use your considerable experience and knowledge, to help President Obama to work with your side to solve problems that face this country. Become the elder statesmen that you can be in the twilight of your career. In 2012 help a new Republican understand the value of us moderate Republicans. Encourage him or her to stay away from the Rush Limbaughs of the world. They are divisive hateful people with no ideas and, worse, are hypocritical.

God Bless you Senator McCain for you service to this country and God Bless America.

An Open Letter to Senator Obama

Dear Sir:

I have decided to give my lone, singular vote to you in 2008. I am not General Powell or Warren Buffett, but my actual ballot counts exactly the same. It is a precious thing, my vote, and I don't use it lightly. I have thought, pondered, listened, cringed a few times and was inspired a few times and have decided to use this precious vote on you.

You should know that I do not approve of what for years has been termed, "tax and spend liberal" policy. I take you at your word that you are not cut of that cloth. Tax when necessary and somehow find smart people to wield the "scalpel" you have talked about.

You should know that I do not want tax money given to people who don't want to work, or are lazy, or otherwise capable but simply unwilling to account for themselves. I have believed all along that people have abilities and they need to utilize them. I believe you have done just that. You appear to be smart and clearly are ambitious. Good for you - this country has always rewarded that type of person. Please be sure that doesn't change.

You should know that I think Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Congress were voted into office in 2006 because the nation was showing its first total displeasure with the Bush administration. Nancy and her group have done very little. Please, please work to rein her in. Bill Clinton had to operate with a Republican majority, forcing him to "reach across the aisle" or in other words, compromise. You will most likely have a Democratic congress but you must some how not let Nancy run roughshod over the rest of us.

You should know that I think you are uniquely qualified to continue, and in fact accelerate, the process of healing between races. This must happen. George Bush, as an oil man, was uniquely qualified to step up and move us away from our dependence on oil and he failed miserably. Please don't make decisions based on skin color, but use the skills and intellect with which you were blessed to try to show minorities, white folks, and bigots of all colors that skin color is a pigment - nothing more. Lead this, the greatest country on earth, as an American. Lead all Americans, not just the down trodden or minorities. I take you at your word that you will do just that.

You should know that I don't believe we can "win" in Iraq. We have already lost; perhaps not militarily but in the world's eye. In the old days that didn't matter but know in the world economy it does matter. Use every fiber of your being to listen to and evaluate all that you hear to try to get us out of Iraq in the most efficient manner - and in a safe manner for our troops. When you bring them home, reverse the shameful way in which they have been treated by the Bush administration and the congress as well. It is not enough to say, "our brave men and women" and then turn our collective back on them. I take you at your word that you relish these folks. Show them, not me.

It is a short time to the election and I think you are going to win. If you don't win, do all that I said above anyway and maybe next time you will be able to achieve your goal.

God Bless you Senator Obama, and God Bless America.

Are You Smarter Than a Third Grader?

Yikes. I am reminded of Al Haig getting confused about the order of succession in the event of the death of the President. Al seemed to think he was in charge when Ronnie Reagan was shot in 1981. Any way, I digress.

Sarah Palin:

The subject of the vice president's duties came up as Palin sat for an interview with KUSA-TV in Denver, which has a feature called "Question from the Third Grade." The interviewer asked, "Brandon Garcia wants to know, 'What does the vice president do?'"

"That's a great question, Brandon, and a vice president has a really great job, because not only are they there to support the president's agenda, they're like the team member, the team mate to that president," Palin said. (Blogger's note: so far, so good.)

"But also, (oh, oh.......) they're in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom. And it's a great job and I look forward to having that job," she said.

Please, someone in the McCain camp, inform the VP candidate that she can't "get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes." She gets to be the ceremonial head and cast the vote in the event of a tie vote. Nothing more -sorry Sarah.

Senators - Tough to Become President

Here is an example of why it is hard to become President once you have been a Senator.

Senator Obama said, and this is true by the way, "The irony is, is that when George Bush proposed the original tax cuts that lowered tax rates for the wealthiest Americans, who objected? John McCain, who said these were irresponsible and said that they would prevent middle-class tax relief -- that they weren't properly targeted."

"Now was John McCain a socialist back in 2000 when he opposed the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans?"

No, John was not a socialist, he was a moderate Republican who couldn't get elected because the party was hi-jacked by Bush and the far right.

Sarah Palin

Today we are embroiled in some discussion about Sarah Palin's clothes and hair stylists and the amount of money Republicans spent dolling her up.

Who cares?

It is only reasonable to stick to the issues that matter.

P.s. I wonder if Tina Fey gets the same budget?

Buying the Election

Did you ever wonder how George Bush got elected President in the first place in 2000? Click on this chart to see more detail.


I don't recall my Republican brethren saying George purchased the election. Now that McCain has been out spent my Obama - it is an issue. In fact, if you look at McCain on this chart, you get a feel for why he has fought hard for campaign finance reform. Bush out spent him by double.

What shouldn't be lost here is that since PACs etc. are limited, most of the dollars are now raised by individuals and there is a limit on the amount they can give to any one candidate. So, it could be argued, successfully I believe, that the amount of money raised, and spent, is directly related to how the general public feels. Apparently right now they have decided to give it to Barack Obama. I wonder why?

Perfectly Reasonable Request

I was asked to keep this message moving - reasonable request.

"We have all been touched by cancer, somewhere in our lives, please read below and keep it going.

I have been asked to keep this going and hope you will keep it moving too.

The October M&M colors:Pass this on to all of your friends. There are many women out there who have breast cancer. Let's do all we can to support this cause. Pink & White M&M's only during the month of October. The maker of M&M candies has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise funds through the sale of their 'pink & white' M&M candies. For each 8-ounce bag of the special candies sold, the makers of M&M (Masterfoods) will donate 50 cents to the foundation.

The next time you want a treat, please pick up a bag (now sold in stores nationwide) - you will be donating to a great cause and satisfying your sweet tooth. Just think... If each of us buys one bag or two.... how much will be donated.

Buy a bag for a friend......"

General Powell

What would have happened had General Powell been elected President instead of George Bush? Sadly, we will never know. Had the far right not been in charge of the Republican party, perhaps we may have known.

At any rate, General Powell has decided to back Barack Obama. Here it is - a thoughtful response that he clearly understood deserved full disclosure because it would carry weight. Totally reasonable.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/10/powell-obama-en.html

Decisions, Decisions

As I have stated in the past, I believe this is the most important election in which I have had the privilege to vote. It isn't that I didn't always understand the importance of the privilege, it is that I didn't always spend sufficient time deciding for whom I should vote. And, I do have a bad habit or two, so I will start with those.

• Always vote no for all Judges - my rationale is that they get reelected at a 97% clip anyway - I guess I use this as my protest vote. Silly really.
• Typically vote straight Republican - in the end I generally think elections are about economics and I like a traditional Republican (not to be confused with today's Republicans) stance on this issue. I also believe that people will usually solve a problem better than government. I have waned a bit on this one as letting the market go wild over the last 10 years or so to create prosperity has been a disaster. Turns out greed is king.
• Think any local proposition or initiative that requires a constitutional amendment should be voted down - actually, I still think this and will vote no here in AZ for anything that requires a constitutional amendment -even if I agree with the intended outcome.

So back to the national election and other random thoughts:

• In fact, I start with this random thought - I hope Nancy Pelosi is not reelected in her district and if she is, I hope she is not retained as Speaker of the House. I must admit that I don't know much about how that Speaker position gets moved to someone else. Does the incumbent just get to keep it? It will be a challenge for Barack Obama or John McCain to contain her since it seems likely that the Democrats will keep the majority.
• After paying very close attention to what the candidates themselves have said, and most certainly NOT what the talking heads have said, I am going to vote for Barack Obama. In other words, I am for the first time in my life going to vote for a Democratic Presidential candidate.
• I am going to vote for the challenger in all races for the House as the current batch should be fired. They have failed miserably as a group. I don't care if they are a Democrat or Republican, they have collectively let this nation down with their bickering and partisan politics. Shame on them.
• All politicians are prone to say things and at some point in their lives associate with people that they probably shouldn't have - Obama/Ayers and McCain/Keating. You can debate which was worse - I personally find that McCain was an adult who helped Charlie Keating steal and bankrupt retired folks - 23,000 of them. He went on 9 vacations with Charlie.

Back to Barack Obama - I think he is smart and will represent this country with dignity. I believe he has earned my vote and I will take him at his word on his plans, taxes, and other plank items like energy and health care. My hope is he will surround himself with Warren Buffet and other smart people who didn't participate in destroying the markets. I know the argument that he will be a champion of only minorities. I see nothing in his demeanor or past to suggest that is the case. He appears to me to be a guy from fairly humble beginnings who used his brains to attain a great education and to use that education for something in which he believed. In other words, he tried to make a difference as a person rather than a government entity. A very Republican attribute which, as I stated above, I admire.

If the next 4 years go well, with even modest gains in the markets, and some restoration of our place in the world community, I may vote for him again. I think that he and Senator McCain are naive to think they can cut taxes and get out of this mess at the same time. Whoever is elected will find that out.

In the mean time, I hope that the Republican Party will look for a new leader, one that is not beholden to the oil companies (Bush - Cheney) or to the religious and far right of the party. Their self appointed spokesmen, Rush et.al. are divisive human beings who think that talking loud makes them right. It doesn't.

As for Sarah Palin - she should have listened to Nancy Reagan and "just said no." She has the chops to make a national run, but she needed time to learn about the issues and to learn that you can't run on a platform that says you like hockey and shooting things and that the U.S. has better protection from the Russians than our Alaskan neighbors looking across the strait. She, like the next candidate (assuming she will go into oblivion ala Geraldine Ferraro) needs to begin to appeal to the centrist, majority of the Republican Party.

In the end, I encourage you to simply vote - I don't even care for whom you vote.

Lucky We Don't Live In Ohio

If we lived in Ohio, we would be paying for other people's mortgage even though Laurie and I worked hard, raised our family, and paid for our home. Plus, I would apparently be paying "Joe Plumbers" taxes as well.

Oh, yea.....we are paying for other people's mortgage even though Laurie and I worked hard, raised our family, and paid for our home. Well, at least I am not paying for Joe Plumber. Poor Ohioans.

October 15, 2008

Republican President with Republican financial team -

the first day of a Socialized America.

Mark this date, October 15, 2008 down and two years from now and 4 years from now when the Republican candidates yell that the Democratic President Obama and the Democratic congress have turned the U.S. into a socialist country, we will all know who to blame.

The door is open. Ronald Reagan is definitely rolling over in his grave right now. Even McCain knows that Bush is the man who opened the door. Not the near Communist Nancy Pelosi and her do nothing Congress. George W. Bush. McCain even used it to his advantage in the debate - finally saying he is not George Bush.

Must be lonely being "W"

What a shame for a man who, in my opinion, brought us through a horrible time after 9-11. He showed Leadership with a capital "L". There was promise of a good Presidency.

Too many Dick Cheneys, Karl Roves, and too much pandering to the far right and really rich thieves on Wall Street derailed the promise. Iraq killed it completely as it led to our fallen image around the world and helped build the largest deficit known to mankind.

A Republican President, with 6 years of a Republican congress, should never have let this happen. It's, well......Un-Republican.

Debates

Finally the debates are over. Clearly Bob Schieffer won the contest of best moderator of any of the 4 debates between McCain and Obama or Biden and Palin.

Like most of what I have read, I think they did nothing but shore up their own supporters. McCain reminds me a little of Al Gore when he was debating Bush all those years ago, where he would smile and sigh and make faces while George was talking. Very annoying. Al probably would have won the vote (yes I know he won the popular vote, but I mean the electoral vote) and the presidency if he wouldn't have been so annoying.

Kennedy won the presidency because he didn't sweat on TV like Richard Nixon. George W. won because Gore couldn't stop that sighing sound and making annoying faces. McCain was not well served by the forced, fake smiles, especially in comparison with the very controlled Obama.

McCain did well to differentiate himself from Bush. Had he done that from the beginning and stayed with his more centrist message from 8 years ago, he wouldn't be in this mess. In the end, most people side with the Democrats, but Republicans are much better at voting. Too bad McCain didn't pander to the majority of Republicans - fiscally conservative folks with a basic belief that people will always out perform government. These are not the folks who are listening to the hypocritical drug pusher/abuser Rush Limbaugh or Don Imus of "nappy headed ho" fame.

Less than 3 weeks left to the world longest campaign and one of the most colossal wastes of money one could imagine.

Partisanship

I find it sad and very troubling that partisanship is so bad in this country now that "good Americans" are at rallies around the U.S. for McCain/Palin and yahoos are yelling out "off with his head" or "terrorist" in response to the name Barack Obama.

To John McCain's credit, at least he has toned it down and has tried to quell this trend. That was a "Presidential" thing to do - LEAD. Perhaps Congress and the next President can do the same - lead the American people to find solutions to important, far-reaching problems.

I know this for certain - CNN/liberal media cannot solve our problems. I know for certain that Rush Limbaugh and the other spewers of hate cannot solve our problems. They are both part of the problem.

We as people must think for ourselves and quit listening to the propaganda about one side or the other. Only when we the people demand that congress work together as Americans, will they do it. Otherwise, we will continue to have good ideas pushed by one side on the other with no compromise and with more good ideas ignored based on ideology.

As to the American people who simply hate others with differing views, they should move to an autocratic country of their liking. Otherwise, stay in the greatest country in the world and try to work with those who have differing ideas to find common ground and move our country forward. We can't have it both ways.

A Sad Day

The world's financial markets are careening out of control downwards and the best John McCain can muster today is attack ads in regard to Ayers and Obama. Is there any doubt that similar ads attacking McCain and Charlie Keating are close behind?

As a long standing Republican and an Arizonan, I am embarrassed that this is as good as our Republican candidate and fellow Arizonan can do.

Charlie Keating travelled with McCain on 9 family vacations, paid for in part by the retirement accounts of 23,000 elderly Americans. So that McCain would discuss Ayers is ludicrous. Keating's shenanigans were related to a banking crisis that you and I paid for - Billions. Sound familiar?

McCain would have been smart to have won the nomination without pandering to the extreme right wing of the Republican Party - he would have won any way - and worked with the other 75% of Republicans to present a coherent plan based on the realities of today on how to restore our economy and our position of prestige in the world. Smaller government, fair and low taxes, support for the business community can work but you must apparently account for greed of the richest among us. He could have done it had he tried and been surrounded by the more moderate, majority of Republicans.

Had he done that, then he could have garnered more support for what is becoming McCain's war in Iraq. That is the thing near and dear to his heart for whatever reason. Now, he is reduced to running smear ads about something that happened 40 years ago and most assuredly bringing his relationship with Keating to the forefront.

Even if Ayers/Obama is not good, at least Obama was not a sitting U.S. Congressman telling regulators that 23,000 peoples lives didn't matter. In the end, we should all be careful who we associate with. And, even if we do that, we will still make mistakes. So what - move on and discuss something important - Economy, greed, Iraq, education, infrastructure, ............

Challenge

Here is my challenge to you, the reader.

I apologize for using the word challenge so many times. Its my blog so it is reasonable for me to use whatever word I want. It is a bit much though.

1. I challenge you to vote.
2. Since not too many people read my blog, I challenge you to challenge others that you know to vote - even if you don't like how they will vote!
3. I challenge you to think critically about important issues - God gave us a brain to use, we should use it.
4. I challenge you to challenge others to think critically about important issues.
5. If you are a Republican, I challenge you to watch only CNN between now and the election and to research what you hear using unbiased sources. There is no point in listening to and reading only things that pander to what you already believe. You learn nothing new.
6. If you are a Democrat, I challenge you to watch only Fox between now and the election and to research what you hear using unbiased sources. There is no point in listening to and reading only things that pander to what you already believe. You learn nothing new.
7. I challenge those of you who are undecided or an independent to do the same - only you have to watch and listen to both sources. Sorry for the extra work.
8. I challenge you to prioritize what is an important issue and commit your research time accordingly.
9. I challenge you to apply some common sense to things you hear. Are they hypocrits when they say it? The following theory sums this up, "Thou doth protesteth too much...."
10. Lastly, I challenge you to try a simple religious principle - put yourself in someone else's shoes and try to understand why they have the view they do. Congratulate them for having a view!

This is a reasonable list.

545 People Who Should Be Fired

This was sent to me. Makes perfect sense and is reasonable to think about - even the part about the House being in charge of the budget.

However, the little piece about the Democratic House seems a little weak since for most part between 1995 and 2007, the Republicans controlled both houses. (In the wake of the unpopularity of President Clinton's impeachment trial the 107th Congress (2001-2003) saw the Democrats and Republicans split control of the US Senate 50-50, ending effectively tied; though Republican Vice-President Dick Cheney did have the tie breaking vote in the Senate during the first four months of 2001 as well.)

Anyway - I digress - here is a good analysis:


"Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does. One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist. If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red. If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ . If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation,' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!"

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.