Conservative Among Conservatives

With the realization that the next months will provide many opportunities to learn about Ms. Palin (Republican VP candidate), the initial view is mixed from my perspective.

The Good

• Not part of the Washington establishment like John McCain or Joe Biden
• A woman - in and of itself is good as we progress past old standards and ways
• Fights against party stalwarts who are, again, part of the problem
• Was elected by utilizing grassroots politics and being "her own person"

The Bad

• Has already admitted to some ethics indiscretion in regard to a family matter even though she has championed ethics in Alaska. In other words, in a very short political life has a hypocritical bent. Think Hyde, Livingston, Craig, Gingrich; moralists all, hypocrites all.
• A vast majority in this country support a woman's right to choose what is best for her body, thus her staunch anti-abortion stance will likely turn off many of the women voters that she might have garnered. It isn't that she is right or wrong, it is - does she make John McCain more electable?

The Ugly

• Has apparently, with her Bachelors degree in hand from the University of Idaho, learned more about Polar Bears and the environment than scientists who have spent their life learning about them. She is using the courts to keep the nasty ol' Polar Bears off of the Endangered Species List. I guess the Polar Bears must be getting in the way of another oil derrick. Who needs them anyway? Yikes.

I watched the clip of Governor Palin addressing the crowd in Washington and she seems to be a pretty good speaker. However, John McCain looked a little disinterested in what she had to say. Maybe he was counting up his houses. I wonder who picked her, the party or the candidate?

Stay tuned.

Obama Acceptance Speech

Whether one likes Barack Obama's politics is almost irrelevant. He is a powerful speaker. He looks smart as long as you don't equate brains with skin color. I clearly believe pigment has nothing to do with smarts. This guy is smart.

However, one not-so-smart move is taking Biden for VP. He is there 35+ years in the Senate - he is part of the problem. He is John McCain's alter-ego. Old white guy who is knee deep in partisan politics - vote based on the side of the aisle on which you sit rather than what is good for America. Bush, McCain, Biden, Kennedy, blah, blah, blah.

Oh well, at least Biden didn't get nominated President.

On another note, score one for McCain for being smart enough to congratulate Obama on a fabulous speech. Score one for Obama for being smart enough to say good things about Palin - she is young and new. Given 8 years of old ideas and partisan politics, this seems like a good thing.

As a Republican, one who wishes the Presidential candidate on our side was smarter and a better leader, I am glad he picked someone new and fresh.

I suspect she is very conservative, but I guess we will see over the next days, weeks, months, months, months,..... ad nauseum.

Stay tuned!

The Slates Are Set

Wow.

Dems - New guy for President, Old guy for VP.

Reps - Old guy for President, New Gal for VP.

The game is on!

It Is Good to Laugh!

For those of you who are not Cheeseheads, Waupun is a small town in central Wisconsin.

How Many Houses?

John McCain doesn't know how many houses he and Cindy own. And they call Barack Obama an elitist and and say he is out of touch.

How can you not know how many houses you own? At any rate, is it possible for John to really feel the average citizen's pain when he has so many houses he can't keep track of them?

We have one house for which Laurie and I paid.

Have You Ever Given Blood?

Giving blood to a blood bank is a totally reasonable thing to do. I have always had a good feeling afterward that I did something helpful. Unfortunately, due to a medical condition I can no longer give blood. The fact that I can't give blood and get that good feeling is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the blood is not in the system - that is truly worrisome.

My situation is fairly straightforward, but if you have given blood you know the list of disqualifiers is substantial. Have you travelled to Great Britain (mad cow disease), Africa (HIV/AIDS), Belize (Malaria?) to which nearly anyone who has cruised the western Caribbean has been, or some parts of Mexico (again Malaria)? If so, you can't give blood. Have you or your family ever had Jakob-Creutzfeldt Disease? If so, you can't give blood. If you had sex with someone who visited Africa, you can't give blood.

So what is the point? The point is that scientists using embryonic stem cells have been able to grow blood. Wow. Imagine no emergency blood drives after natural disasters or when the supply is low before a holiday weekend. Imagine no AIDS or Hepatitis from tainted blood. Wow. Yes this is years away from fruition, but it most likely will get here.

Just another example why stem cell research must go on. This will be an issue in this presidential election season. An important one.

Who Does George Think He Is?

George W. Bush is in no position to lecture Vlad Putin and the Russians on using military might in the disputed area with Georgia. In fact, I seem to remember George being a bit put out that Putin didn't back him in Iraq. Is this pay back?

President Bush, and all U.S. Presidents for that matter, should be able to comment on world activities and lead the push for peace and prosperity everywhere. However, the key is to LEAD, not tell. Leaders are strong and show by example.

Mr. Bush is in no position to tell any world leader what to do as he has exposed his own country to a totally unreasonable war with no chance of winning. At least the Russians and Georgians are fighting over some disputed land and not some ever-changing target.

So, who will be the better leader - McCain or Obama? Incredibly important that we get this right and he who wins understands what it means to lead.

This Seems Believable But Not Reasonable

I'll take a guess that this is true, although I don't know. Wow.

Is It NBA Or NFL?

• 36 have been accused of spousal abuse


• 7 have been arrested for fraud


• 19 have been accused of writing bad checks


• 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses


• 3 have done time for assault


• 71, repeat 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit


• 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges


• 8 have been arrested for shoplifting


• 21 currently are defendants in lawsuits, and


• 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is? Give up yet? . . Scroll down.

Neither, it's the 435 members of the United States Congress. The same group of idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Reasonable Questions

What happened to the old saying, "To the victors go the spoils?"

Does the phrase "the spoils of war" no longer pertain?

It is now projected that Iraq will create a budget surplus (read profit) of $50 billion, yes billion, dollars in 2008. Our short-sighted President Bush and equally short-sighted and cowardly congress want to drill for oil that won't effect supply and therefore prices for 10 years. In 10 years we could be a long way down the road of getting away from foreign oil dependence by pursuing a national energy policy that is a bit more comprehensive.

Iraq has oil, now. Use it - we have earned it - our "brave men and women" have earned it. Let them fund their own rebuilding so we can begin to rebuild our own infrastructure. And take a "windfall tax" stance with the Iraq oil and make them rebate money to the U.S. citizens who have funded this fiasco in the first place.

They can use $25 billion for their rebuilding and we use $25 billion, the spoils of war, to offset energy costs here in the U.S. In addition, we quit paying to rebuild anything in that distant place and rebuild our own country instead.

That would be reasonable.