Arizona - the land of two of the most powerful Senators. McCain and Kyl - Johns both. Probably only in first name, but you never know.
Kyl is now impeding the progress and signing of a nuclear treaty between the U.S. and Russia. This is only for political purposes. There is no logical reason for him to be on the side of nuclear proliferation.
Once again progress is a victim of politics.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Medical Marijuana - Update
I am pleased to say I was wrong. Apparently those who voted at the "wrong" location or couldn't remember to bring their ID to vote (provisional votes) voted in droves for the medical marijuana provision. Proposition 203, passed by about 4,000 votes with more than 1.6M votes cast and counted.
It took about 10 days to finish the count and in the last day, it made up about a 1,500 deficit and won handily. Now those who are suffering from cancer, HIV, etc. will be able to utilized marijuana to help fight pain, nausea, and enhance their appetite.
Good job AZ!
It took about 10 days to finish the count and in the last day, it made up about a 1,500 deficit and won handily. Now those who are suffering from cancer, HIV, etc. will be able to utilized marijuana to help fight pain, nausea, and enhance their appetite.
Good job AZ!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Medical Marijuana
AZ voted down Medical Marijuana, or at it seems that this will be the case when all the votes are counted. California voted down Prop 19 which would have legalized marijuana in general. I am not surprised that it was voted down here in AZ but am surprised that it lost in CA.
As the conservative population of AZ continues to pollute the air, dump chemicals, drive ridiculously large vehicles (one person per), etc. and the cancer rate soars among the masses, especially the aging population, people will see the humanitarian side to its use.
I don't smoke it, but I certainly believe that someone in pain or experience nausea should be allowed without fear of being arrested. More foolishness.
Frankly, I believe it needs to be legalized in general, across the country, and regulated and taxed just like tobacco and alcohol. That will put a damper on the drug trade in Mexico. Jeez, they might even stop beheading people in AZ, leaving heads all over the desert (according to our Governor.)
As the conservative population of AZ continues to pollute the air, dump chemicals, drive ridiculously large vehicles (one person per), etc. and the cancer rate soars among the masses, especially the aging population, people will see the humanitarian side to its use.
I don't smoke it, but I certainly believe that someone in pain or experience nausea should be allowed without fear of being arrested. More foolishness.
Frankly, I believe it needs to be legalized in general, across the country, and regulated and taxed just like tobacco and alcohol. That will put a damper on the drug trade in Mexico. Jeez, they might even stop beheading people in AZ, leaving heads all over the desert (according to our Governor.)
Election 2010
Thank God it is over. Saw an interesting piece on TV last night about the negativeness of this campaign. Basically, the premise was that this isn't any more negative than in most of our history. Apparently candidates in the early days of our country accused people of rape, murder, etc., called their opponent's mothers names like prostitute, adulterer, etc.
Jeez, and I thought this was something new, at least to the last half century since ads have been on TV. In fact, the first ad on TV was from Eisenhower and it spent it time bashing Adlai Stevenson. (by the way, Adlai's middle initial is E which I know because quite often in the NY Times Sunday Crossword they will ask for a 50s candidate against Ike - the answer being AES)
I digressed. Well, the Tea Party nut jobs won some and lost some. Seems likely that if the Republicans would have put up a middle of the road candidate in Nevada and Delaware, they might have won the Senate also.
The real question is, how can the moderate Republicans harness these Tea Party folks and their energy in a real political process? In other words, if the Tea Party folks push an agenda that lacks any basis, eventually even their supporters will say, "what planet are you from?"
They are against everything. Now they will have to have an idea or two rather than I don't like.........(fill in the blank.) Plus they will have to do it with a majority in the House, but a minority in the Senate and a centrist Democratic President.
As to the general public and what is clearly a powerful statement they have made, they should remember the old adage, "be careful what you ask for as you just might get it." If we create the same environment for big business and banks as Bush and the Republican House and Senate did from 2000 to 2008, what will happen? No amount of bailout or stimulus, like those started under Bush and carried out under Obama, will be enough to bring us back from the abyss.
The world will be watching. Their economies and way of life are tied to the US well being, and I, like them, am praying that the Republicans learned some lessons and will not repeat those errors from just a few years ago.
Jeez, and I thought this was something new, at least to the last half century since ads have been on TV. In fact, the first ad on TV was from Eisenhower and it spent it time bashing Adlai Stevenson. (by the way, Adlai's middle initial is E which I know because quite often in the NY Times Sunday Crossword they will ask for a 50s candidate against Ike - the answer being AES)
I digressed. Well, the Tea Party nut jobs won some and lost some. Seems likely that if the Republicans would have put up a middle of the road candidate in Nevada and Delaware, they might have won the Senate also.
The real question is, how can the moderate Republicans harness these Tea Party folks and their energy in a real political process? In other words, if the Tea Party folks push an agenda that lacks any basis, eventually even their supporters will say, "what planet are you from?"
They are against everything. Now they will have to have an idea or two rather than I don't like.........(fill in the blank.) Plus they will have to do it with a majority in the House, but a minority in the Senate and a centrist Democratic President.
As to the general public and what is clearly a powerful statement they have made, they should remember the old adage, "be careful what you ask for as you just might get it." If we create the same environment for big business and banks as Bush and the Republican House and Senate did from 2000 to 2008, what will happen? No amount of bailout or stimulus, like those started under Bush and carried out under Obama, will be enough to bring us back from the abyss.
The world will be watching. Their economies and way of life are tied to the US well being, and I, like them, am praying that the Republicans learned some lessons and will not repeat those errors from just a few years ago.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Elections
Well, tomorrow is a big day if you are a fan of mid-year elections. Generally, people don't get too fired up in non-presidential elections.
John McCain and Newt Gingrich have been espousing the coming election and the likelihood that Republicans will gain large numbers of seats.
Barack Obama has been pushing, cajoling, etc. trying to activate his considerable base and return them to the polls. It is unlikely that the first time voters that supported him will come out in any large numbers. Moderate republicans that voted for Obama are disillusioned, at least some of them.
It seems likely, if you read the polls, that the House will swing back to the republicans and the Senate will stay with the Democrats. But, who knows for sure.
I hold out hope that Obama will transition, much like Clinton did in 1994 and learn to work with the other side. Clinton had both chambers for his first two years, and lost the majority in both at the first mid-term election. Clinton's administration was second to none in shepherding a hugely successful economic time. Since the depression, the single most successful period of time was with Clinton, a Democrat, and a Republican congress.
The American electorate is a fickle lot. In 2006, Republican Bush lost both chambers - basically for getting us mired in two wars and running up huge deficits. Republicans lost 6 Senate seats (huge drop given only about 33 are up for grabs any one year) and 30 House seats. Then, as the economy became totally screwed, the Republicans lost the presidency and another 8 Senate seats (again, only 33 up for grabs) and 24 House seats.
So what to make of the fickle voters? What do they see in the Republican slate of candidates that they didn't see in 2006 and 2008? Personally I believe that the average person is just a little right of center, generally fiscally responsible and against big government. But just a little. Obama has had to sell what is far to difficult for most Americans to grasp - had the government not stepped in to stimulate the economy, the economic system would have collapsed or be far worse than it is today. Remember, the whole bail out started under George Bush - Henry Paulson asking for and receiving nearly a trillion dollars to prop up the banking, lending, insuring companies. This is a hard sell for Obama since there is no way to know for sure. Yes, the vast majority of economists think it was necessary, and many think the stimulus and bailouts weren't big enough, but still it is hard to prove a negative.
Nancy Pelosi is a terrible Speaker of the House. Maybe it is because she is a woman in an "Old Boys Club." Maybe she is just in over her head and rode the "Change" wave to her seat. That is my guess - over her head and she should have ceded the Speaker seat. Now she will cede her Speaker seat, assuming the Republicans do win back the House.
Strictly voting my own pocketbook, I hope the Republicans get the House and Senate back. A few Democrats and the Department of Education have decided that for-profit schools are the root of all evil. Of course they are wrong and since my income depends on these schools surviving, I will return to my roots and vote for the Republicans. I don't think they have learned a damn thing since they were kicked to the curb in 2006 and 2008 and in fact have become crazier. Can you say, Tea Party? Those guys (and gals) don't even like normal run of the mill Republicans. But, it is unlikely that they want to kill my income stream. I am almost ashamed to admit that pocketbook trumps common sense.
Had the Republican put up a reasonable candidate in Delaware and Alaska, they may have had a better chance of getting the Senate back. But they nominated nut jobs, thus probably saving the Democrats from themselves.
Go vote!
John McCain and Newt Gingrich have been espousing the coming election and the likelihood that Republicans will gain large numbers of seats.
Barack Obama has been pushing, cajoling, etc. trying to activate his considerable base and return them to the polls. It is unlikely that the first time voters that supported him will come out in any large numbers. Moderate republicans that voted for Obama are disillusioned, at least some of them.
It seems likely, if you read the polls, that the House will swing back to the republicans and the Senate will stay with the Democrats. But, who knows for sure.
I hold out hope that Obama will transition, much like Clinton did in 1994 and learn to work with the other side. Clinton had both chambers for his first two years, and lost the majority in both at the first mid-term election. Clinton's administration was second to none in shepherding a hugely successful economic time. Since the depression, the single most successful period of time was with Clinton, a Democrat, and a Republican congress.
The American electorate is a fickle lot. In 2006, Republican Bush lost both chambers - basically for getting us mired in two wars and running up huge deficits. Republicans lost 6 Senate seats (huge drop given only about 33 are up for grabs any one year) and 30 House seats. Then, as the economy became totally screwed, the Republicans lost the presidency and another 8 Senate seats (again, only 33 up for grabs) and 24 House seats.
So what to make of the fickle voters? What do they see in the Republican slate of candidates that they didn't see in 2006 and 2008? Personally I believe that the average person is just a little right of center, generally fiscally responsible and against big government. But just a little. Obama has had to sell what is far to difficult for most Americans to grasp - had the government not stepped in to stimulate the economy, the economic system would have collapsed or be far worse than it is today. Remember, the whole bail out started under George Bush - Henry Paulson asking for and receiving nearly a trillion dollars to prop up the banking, lending, insuring companies. This is a hard sell for Obama since there is no way to know for sure. Yes, the vast majority of economists think it was necessary, and many think the stimulus and bailouts weren't big enough, but still it is hard to prove a negative.
Nancy Pelosi is a terrible Speaker of the House. Maybe it is because she is a woman in an "Old Boys Club." Maybe she is just in over her head and rode the "Change" wave to her seat. That is my guess - over her head and she should have ceded the Speaker seat. Now she will cede her Speaker seat, assuming the Republicans do win back the House.
Strictly voting my own pocketbook, I hope the Republicans get the House and Senate back. A few Democrats and the Department of Education have decided that for-profit schools are the root of all evil. Of course they are wrong and since my income depends on these schools surviving, I will return to my roots and vote for the Republicans. I don't think they have learned a damn thing since they were kicked to the curb in 2006 and 2008 and in fact have become crazier. Can you say, Tea Party? Those guys (and gals) don't even like normal run of the mill Republicans. But, it is unlikely that they want to kill my income stream. I am almost ashamed to admit that pocketbook trumps common sense.
Had the Republican put up a reasonable candidate in Delaware and Alaska, they may have had a better chance of getting the Senate back. But they nominated nut jobs, thus probably saving the Democrats from themselves.
Go vote!
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