My Take

Well.  It has been quite a slog hasn't it?  I've spent more time reading Fact Check than anything else for the past couple of weeks and find neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have been exactly pristine with facts.

What I do know is that we have a tremendously important choice to make.  More important than how much we like a particular candidate, but rather how we view government's role.

If we want less government in our lives, fewer regulations,  more opportunity for the little guy to succeed we lean Republican.

If we want government to regulate everything, even to the extent of corporations not being allowed to have profits a la Elizabeth Warren, then we lean toward the Democrats.

Both parties have huge downsides.  The Republicans are being over run by Christian Conservatives whose focus on social issues sticks in my craw. Too many are personal and no business of a political party. The Democrats are dictatorial and too intent on having everything equal.  That means the more ambitious and better equipped are obligated to share their successes with the lazy or those lesser equipped.  There are no allowances for the reasons that may be contributory.  Lazy of course is self explanatory.  Less well equipped can mean anything from IQ to opportunity.  It is not an equal hand.

Both parties have less than inspirational candidates for the top job.  Mr. Romney is probably  quite capable.  The problem is the Republicans haven't yet been able to articulate, at least to my satisfaction, what they are going to do and why they think it will work.  From the economy to jobs to strengthening the military to regaining our status in the world.  Do their policies now differ enough from previous Republican administrations to be effective?  In theory they should but there is certainly no guarantee.

President Obama was ill equipped for the job when he was elected and seems not to have grown into the job as Bill Clinton did.  To say that he 'Peter Principled' as President is pretty accurate.  That is he has reached his level of incompetence.  If anything, he has left legislation to the far left of his party with no guidance from himself nor any controls.  We have chaos.

Choosing between the two parties to me is a no brainer considering what is at stake - the country and how it is governed.  However, no matter which is your preference, the choice of a leader is bleak.  Both parties had to scramble to avert disaster at their conventions.  The Republicans for the way they treated Ron Paul and his delegates plus the abortion issue in their platform that their candidate will ignor.

The Democrats in their platform too with the leaving out God and further irritating the Jews  by not stating that Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel.  It's a pander to be sure, it's really not our business but it's been done for decades as a nicety more than anything because of our bond with the Jewish state.

The tone of the Democratic convention seemed to waver between uncertainty, lackluster performances and nastiness toward their opponants.  The Republicans was more rah rah but lacking in specifics. Why didn't they spell out their policies and demand the Democrats do the same?

We are left with uncertainty no matter which way we vote.  Will the far left or the far right prevail?  Will the moderates from either side have a voice or will they be forever silenced?

The future is bleak.  There is no sense of enthusiasm about the prospects for the future for our children or for ourselves.  Just resignation that little will probably change and we'll keep slogging along as best we can.  What has happened to my America? It's no longer quite as beautiful as it once was.  If the Democrats want us to share, then let us all share the blame.

One Whale Of A Mistake

Nah. That's not Jonah sitting atop his whale. That's what the Taiwan oil skimmer, A Whale is going to look like after the Coast Guard and EPA are done 'inspecting' her!

Granted, we don't want to make matters worse, but some things my mind just refuses to grasp. Like why Obama has yet to suspend the Jones Act which would allow for foreign help aplenty. Why Washington State won't send it's skimmers. The reason given is they need them in case they have a spill in their waters. Excuse me? They don't have one now and the gulf coast does!

Finally, after 70 some odd days, the Taiwan vessel is in Norfolk. The EPA and Coast Guard are inspecting her to make sure she meets our standards. Some water returned to the sea may have traces of oil remaining. Wouldn't a trace be better than what we have now?

Wouldn't anything be better than what we have now! Why, when an entire region of the country is suffering ecologically and economically, does the government have to study everything to death? The time to do that is before we engage in a war rather than during a time of crisis that grows daily!

It isn't just our government, granted. BP has been inexcusably slow on the uptake also. It would seem common sense and a sense of urgency have been misplaced. To say workers have to wear haz mat suits and can only work in 20 minute stretches seems ridiculous if you actually want some work done! Consider those making an effort to save the wild life. They are under no such regulation. Are they not equally as important?

And just where is our President, our Secretary of Interior and our Secretary of Homeland Security? I'm sure those trying to get something accomplished are just as glad they are nowhere to be seen, but where is their leadership?

While ships are being inspected to see if they are worthy of helping our mess, there is one more that needs inspected. It's our ship of state ~ and it's commander in chief!

What Do We Have To Do?

The public is furious about health care. Even more so when they saw the size of the bill and found many in Congress admitted they hadn't read it. Remember Nancy Pelosi telling us as soon as it was passed we'd find out what was in it?

How many months have passed? The public still doesn't like it even as the President is assuming the power to change things.

So now it's financial reform. Another two thousand page monstrosity. What's in this one? You guessed it. No one knows. They really don't get it. Yet Christopher Dodd who headed the effort had this to say according to the Washington Post.

"It's a great moment. I'm proud to have been here," said a teary-eyed Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee led the effort in the Senate. "No one will know until this is actually in place how it works. But we believe we've done something that has been needed for a long time. It took a crisis to bring us to the point where we could actually get this job done."

I'm getting tired of the way these yahoos conduct business. How much pork are we going to find in this bill? How many 'Louisiana Purchases' or bribes like Ben Nelson from Nebraska negotiated? Be sure they're in there.

You know what we get with sloppy legislation? We get six year old girls on the no fly list and can't find out why or how to get off. We get police tasering an 86 year old bed ridden woman.

What's to be done when we're told it's the way Congress works. Period. Live with it. I guess I will but it would be nice to know what it is before rather than after the fact!

The World Against The Government!

To listen to President Obama tell it everyone from BP to the auto industry, Wall Street and the health insurance companies are all against him, him being the government. As Daniel Henninger spells it out in this morning's Wall Street Journal he's making it personal. It's a glimpse into the mind of a man who seems increasingly angry. In the President of the United States, I'm finding it uncomfortable, to say the least.

Laws seem to be of little interest to him when he decides to take action. There is no law supporting his demand of British Petroleum and when the White House was asked, the questioners were told no law was necessary. There was no law to support his firing the President of GM.

We're going in the wrong direction here. It's not just the administration, nor just this one, but this one is the one in power. Include Congress. Of what possible value is today's grilling of Tony Hayward other than to allow the panel to posture and humiliate Mr. Hayward. Well, one thing it did do was, as usual, showcase the lack of knowledge Congressmen have about the issues at hand.

Yet they must be seen to be doing something. This is where we have a graphic example of just why the President's quest for bigger government is a flawed idea! The Coast Guard, Corp of Engineers, Salazar and Napolitano have done little but stumble all over one another. The end result is chaos.

At the head of the table sits the President. "Put a six month moratorium on all deep water drilling! BP can't pay their dividends! I'm tough. I'm in charge."

Whoa Nelly! Was any thought given to the consequences? Dividends are not like executive bonuses, for crying out loud. They go to investors, many of which are pension funds. Even rich ones like Obama's unions could be hurt.

As for the moratorium on drilling, an lot of jobs for those suffering Gulf states go away. It isn't the tourism business or fishing that generates the big bucks. It's oil . It isn't call it black gold for nothing. There is one other kicker. Other oil companies aren't going to let those rigs sit idle for six months. They'll be moved and just try getting them back. In truth I don't think Obama cares. I don't think he wants them.

The other kicker is how the world views all of this. We had dinner with friends from England last week and they had no kind words to say about our President and his ways. Companies considering U.S. operations may think twice. They see how he's treated the auto industry, banks and Wall Street. How health care was ramrodded through. They see how he's treated Toyota yet what have you heard about the recent recalls at GM? Is Obama Motors exempt from the press? They're looking at this BP business and thinking maybe not.

The President made a point of apologizing for all sins American from years past on a world wide tour. Who's going to apologize for what he and his Congress are doing to us?

Some Men Lead, Then There Are Others...

I remember when I was doing publicity for a charity many years ago. The president of the organization intrigued me. The position was held by a lady, very attractive and very distant. Unlike what you would expect a leader to be. No rah, rah cheering on the army of volunteers, but rather a distant, cool persona. After a while I realized why. She hadn't a clue as to how to do her job.

That's how I'm seeing Obama these days. He seems to be two dimensional. He is either apologizing to our friends and enemies alike for sins past, or bullying them. There is no touch. No finesse. Nothing that a true leader usually displays. As I've observed before, he seems to have a penchant for playing catch up while trying to disguise it with bravado.

He's getting what he wants - more and more government intervention. If anyone is more clueless than Obama it's government and it's layer upon layer of bureaucracy. I honestly felt the politicizing of his speech to the nation last night was disgraceful and an insult to all the people, be they small entrepreneurs or large corporate enterprises who stepped forward at the onset offering help.

Where was the apology for not having the government's emergency plan staffed, equipped and ready to respond? Don't blame Bush. Flowery speeches and the consumption of snow cones does not a leader make. Yeah, he seems a nice enough guy but he's Peter principled out. He wanted the job, he got it, but it seems more than he can handle. I don't recall at the moment who said he seems paralyzed when it comes to decision making, but he does, so commissions are formed and another czar appointed.

In some ways I'm glad he's the way he is. The dreamer. Enough damage has already been done to our country by those who know how to control him. Were he more effective matters could be even worse.

The one man who has stood out as far as having passion is Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. He is engaged, he is angry. He has been acting like a leader. He has not been afraid of taking on the government's response. Or lack thereof.

Ahem, Republicans. You're looking for a face to put on that figure of leadership you so desperately need. You might give him a more serious look. One bad speech shouldn't end one's career. Don't get hung up on how far to the right he is or isn't but observe what the man does in the face of crisis. Stepping in to salvage what should have been the government's responsibility has him looking worthy of consideration to me.

Those Who Can, Do; Those Who Can't, Posture

What possible good can come from the government suing BP? I'm by no means absolving them from a share of the fault for the massive leak, but they are by no means solely responsible. If the U.S. hadn't been swayed by the enviros and their faulty science the oil companies wouldn't have needed to seek deeper and deeper locations in which to drill.

If, indeed, the administration was on top of the disaster from the beginning, why didn't they make it public? Saying the Coast Guard was there isn't the same thing and they had nothing to do with what was happening on and beneath the rig anyway. Obama, I believe, was greeting the Duke Blue Devils. I don't see much difference between the way this administration has handled this issue than the way Bush handled Katrina.

Let's face it. Those taking the brunt of the responsibility and biggest financial hit is BP and those involved with them in the drilling. The blow out wasn't anticipated. What exactly happened, if short cuts and procedures were shaved, at this point is all speculation. Accidents happen. Not to lessen the impact on the natural environment and those who's livings depend on use of the sea and it's products, it hasn't been a romp in the park for BP or the industry as a whole either. Their stock has plummeted leaving scores of stockholders in the dump. Their bottom line is fractured with the cost of trying to fix the leak and then the clean up required afterwards. A law suit would only drain those resources further.

Maybe Obama is infuriated and frustrated with the time it's taking for a fix. If the emergency plan that was in place had been functional, perhaps matters wouldn't have gotten so bad. Who is to blame for the equipment needed for the plan not being in place? Certainly not BP! Give the petroleum industry, those who have the knowledge and expertise in the field, space to figure it out and get it done.

The government and the justice department would do well to just stay out of the way until the problem is resolved and the clean up finished. Plenty of time for recriminations then. Is there an oil man among them? Not Salazar. Not Napolitano. Certainly not Obama.

Right now would be a good time for the government to do what it does best. Nothing.

We Need A Real Third Party

We need a real third party to which the moderates from both the Republicans and Democrats can migrate and join with independents. The two part system no longer works because it's too fragmented and at the same time, too partisan.

On the Democratic side you have the left and the far left. The only time they come to the center is during a Presidential election because left and far left do not have the numbers to win on their own. Even Obama was more of a centrist during his campaign, though he is anything but right now.

The Republicans are even more fragmented. They have the right leaning, the far right and the Tea Party. Again, none of the fragments can win a national election on their own. I will be surprised if Rand Paul, the first Tea Party type to win a primary, will win the Senate seat for which he is running. Emboldened by his win he has been free with his opinions that are anything but main stream. There is nothing wrong with that in itself but there is a limit as to how bizarre thinking can or should be.

At the moment, the Christian Conservatives are being fairly quiet. Perhaps that's because there is no real Republican leadership to take to task for not being far enough right. The Tea Party is a mixed bag depending on which branch you're dealing with. No direction to count on there.

The far left is not happy with Obama for not being far enough left. The rest of the Democrats seem to be marching like Lemmings to the sea behind Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid.

Bi-partisanship under this administration is beyond hope. Obama's idea of it is for a few Republicans to turn their backs on their own party's policies and join with him. Compromise is not part of his vocabulary. Scolding and "catch up" is. Scolding as in taking Arizona to task for taking needed action. "Catch up" is sending 1200 National Guard troops to the border. But compromise with the Republicans and fix the border first, which is the easier of the tasks, then tackle the problem of illegal immigrants already in the country? It won't happen.

So where do the moderates and independents go? They are ignored by both sides yet they are the last best hope to raise the country out of the mess it's in. I wish the President was one of us, but he's not. Surely there is a viable leader lurking in the shadows somewhere. Come out, come out where ever you are!

I'd not think it all bad that a coalition government might have to be formed with a third party. Like the Brits. If no party gets the pre-determined votes necessary for an outright win, a coalition would be formed to make up the difference. Under any circumstance that would require compromise.

After all, that's what it's supposed to be about!

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth And The Garbage That Comes With It!

Is anyone other than myself getting tired of our government apologizing for the immigration law Arizona recently passed. First we listened to President Calderon of Mexico scold us. The photo is of a mess left behind at one of the way lays on a route out of Mexico heading toward Tucson. His people fleeing his country. Imagine that along all the routes smugglers use out of Mexico.

By their own admission neither Big Sis Napolitano nor AG Holder had read the bill before criticizing it. Napolitano even said the borders are as secure as they've ever been. She had the previous watch and is telling us, though I doubt she intended it this way, the borders are not secure now and never have been. But we're hung up on hurt feelings if asked to produce proof of legal stature in this country.

The last straw was Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and Human Rights and Labor, Michael Posner, being told by the Chinese, of all people, this was a trend they found "troubling".

With primary elections under way for the next Congress, I hope the voters are paying close attention to what the candidates stand for. If it's for a strong America, one had best not vote for a supporter of Obama's policies.

I'm to the point I'm not sure I can vote for our Blue Dog. Sarah Palin, campaigning for a challenger, summed it up when she said, "...Walt, it's who you're hanging with...". I really don't think this country can recover from continuing one party rule. Actually, the ailment has to cease before it can recover and as long as the Democrats hold sway, everything we once were is going to continue to disintegrate.

The solution to the immigration problem doesn't have to be all that "comprehensive". Part of it, yes, the part about the illegals already in the country. The part about securing the borders should be a totally different issue. Do it. It's not rocket science.

If the Feds had done it instead of politicizing it way back when Reagan issued amnesty Arizona would not have had to do as it did. I hope the other states contemplating similar measures follow through and through and through until the Federal government gets the message. Don't apologize to the oppressive, don't scold Arizona, don't support those who are trying to make it into something it's not and do do your job. Secure the border!

Shuttle Scuttled!

For those of us who have grown up with the space program, yesterday was a sad day. The shuttle Atlantis blasted off on it's final mission. There will be two more - one by Endeavor, the other Discovery. Then it's over. Thirty years of thrills and chills. Over. We leave manned space to others. Personally, I think Obama's aim for Mars is less than visionary but rather an offhanded slap at the exceptional accomplishments of the U.S. space program.

Maybe you had to grow up with it. Remember the competition between the Soviets and ourselve? Do you remember the name of the first satellite? Sputnik. Russian. Remember the awe that was inspired by the first chimpanzee in space? Ham. Then the first man. A man! A Russian. Do you remember the name? I do. Yuri Gargarin. John Glenn was our first orbiter. Then the moon landing and the exploration that followed. Our national pride couldn't be contained.

Back in those days the names of the astronauts were as well know as the tabloid stars are today. I remember most of them. How many current astonauts can you name?

The program was not without tragedy. The loss of Gus Grisson, Ed White and Roger Chaffee in a pre-launch test. The nation mourned but the program continued.

The Challenger with the first teacher on board was next then the Columbia. Again the nation mourned yet the program continued. We still have the unbelievable Hubble telescope and the Mars rovers to brag about. Both succeeded beyond our wildest expectations. And the shuttle. The old reliable work horse that repaired satelites and shuttled crews and supplies to and from the space station as it was being built.

It is all being left to others. No more will we watch, fascinated, as crew members would leave the safe confines of the ship to do their daring space walks. No more will we be witness to the corny jokes between Houston and the crews. No more of those spectacular pictures of earth that were so often beamed back. No more.

It is ironic to me that the lead now returns to the Russians. Our astronauts will be hitching rides with them. Space. The final frontier, to borrow a phrase. And we're relinquishing our lead in manned participation to others. This administration seems determined to be the great equalizer. The country I grew up in is slowly changing in character. We're no longer the leader of the pack. We're edging ever closer to being the outcast. A lonely, ostricized figment of what had once been the envy of the world. Even Russia.

The Long Brown Line

If illegal aliens looked like the fellow in the picture, we wouldn't have a problem. Even with twelve million of them floating around the country they'd be easy to spot, round up and send back to their own homeland. Unfortunately, they aren't green blobs. Along our southern border they resemble the Hispanic community because that's who they are. It doesn't matter if they are Mexican or Colombian or Guatemalans, they share characteristics and skin tone.

First of all, we are facing two problems. One is the steady flow of newcomers. The other is what to do with those already here. The government, of course, wouldn't ever break anything into workable pieces. Big, massive programs just don't work because they put in place more pork than workable solutions. So they talk and talk...and talk. Arizona finally said, "Enough!"

My issues today are the illegals crossing the borders and Arizona's attempt to curb it. The bill they passed isn't perfect but since the Feds are doing nothing but talking and scolding, I'm squarely in Arizona's corner. You can bet a fair number of those turning out to protest this new legislation are themselves illegal, but how are we to know? It's estimated there are 460,000 of them living in just Arizona. Then there are the other border states - Texas, New Mexico and California.

California, where there are signs on the freeway warning you to watch for illegals trying to cross traffic. There are times they don't make it.

Arizona, where ranchers have to patrol their own borders to protect their property and families.

The Hispanic community could help the situation immensely if they would turn in those they know to be illegal rather than shouting foul. This would be good advice to the Muslim community too regarding those who are potential jihadists!

When a thirteen year old complains that he won't be able to walk to school any more, or even be on the streets without the "pigs" thinking they are illegal, there is definitely an attitude problem. Could he be part of it?

Let's face it, there comes a time to face reality. If illegals and terrorists are to be stopped from entering the country we are going to have to close the borders with inordinate man power. Period. Once within the borders, if we are to apprehend them we will have to do racial profiling. Those who are here legally should understand most of all. It's the illegals who are causing them to be questioned. Stop the illegals and the questioning will stop. It seems pretty simple to me!

Having lived in Texas, Southern California and spending a great deal of time in both New Mexico and Arizona, I know how many Hispanics there are in relation to whites. Rather than protesting a law that's trying to help them, why don't they pitch in?

Always being the victim runs thin after awhile and in this case it has about run its course.

Earth Day Is A Gas!

Earth Day. A time to remind ourselves to do all we can to save the earth. Recycle, use reusable shopping bags, grow our own food, cut down on emissions. What? Cut down on emissions? Of course that applies to we little people, not our globe hopping President.

Let's see. Where is he today. New York bashing the banking industry. That means a helicopter ride to Andrews AFB, the flight itself to JFK. We mustn't forget all the gas being used by planes in a holding pattern because of restricted air space regulations. Then there is the motorcade to Wall Street and the attending support vehicles and air support. Don't forget the gas being burned while cars are halted to let said motorcade pass. Reverse the procedure for his departure.

Maybe the speech is a worthy undertaking. It depends on where you stand. It just strikes me funny it's taking place on Earth Day by a President who is gung-ho on climate change. It reminds me how tone deaf the administration can be. You don't agree? Add this to the mix.

Joe Biden is on the road today also. Where? New York. Why? To appear on The View . Ahem. That entails a helicopter to Andrews. The flight to La Guardia. The holding pattern for planes waiting for air space to clear. The motorcade and it's attending security detail. Reverse the the procedure for his departure.

Okay. They do not fly on the same plane for obvious reasons which the recent Polish tragedy underscores. During this time of fiscal restraint we're all forced to abide by, however, can we not ask the same from the administration? Especially when he's addressing money men? If the impact of Obama's speech is of national importance, give an address from the Oval Office.

As for Biden, The View? Please. On our dollar. Dollars.

Sure, all Presidents make frivolous trips. But this one; it's the timing and the fact both the President's and the Vice President's destination was but a few miles apart. It actually mocks the whole point of Earth Day. Talk about mixed messages.

Earth Day. For me it stands for, "What on earth have we done!"

Buyer's Remorse?

Stranger things have happened! With Obama's poll numbers continuing to slide, one might say that even Democrats are becoming disenchanted with the way his administration is conducting the business of the country. According to the L.A. Times he's barely holding his own against potential Republican opponents, whoever they might be. Heck, he only leads Ron Paul by one percentage point!

It's still early, though it seems troublesome that none of the Republicans seem to be gaining any sort of foothold. So Obama really doesn't have to worry, right? Wrong. Who is out polling every name mentioned? Hillary!

I've been debating with myself about the likelihood of Hillary challenging Obama. I think she just might. Where the Times suggests she's "free of political tussles", I don't agree. As Secretary of State she is steward of a weak foreign policy even if it's not her own. They are spot on, however, when they say she now has an "enhanced resume burnished on the world stage".

The one thing she needs to heed. Being true to the dictates of the administration when she strongly disagrees. If she disagrees. A recent example is the credibility lost by Colin Powell, another who could have been President, by buying into the Bush administration's stand on Iraq's owning weapons of mass destruction. He wasn't sure of the evidence but caved to administration pressures. Had he resigned I think he could have challenged Bush and perhaps won. I would suggest the same could be true for Hillary.

This is political theater that is fun to watch. If she steps down after the 2010 mid-terms I'd expect to see her run. You can expect all the denials that go with the territory. She would want to resign on her terms; have it her show; not Obama's.

I have a hunch she still has a burning desire to be the first woman President. I don't know if she'd be good or not. I think she'd have a very different Presidency than what we're living through now. I think she might right the ship of state to a less precarious angle.

I wasn't a supporter of Hillary, but in a sentimental sort of way, I'd rather like to see her achieve her goal. Especially if Sarah Palin were to be her opponent. Hillary had worked her entire life toward getting Bill to the Presidency. By the time that was achieved the political climate in the country had changed to the point a woman could, too, be a viable candidate and she set for herself a new goal.

I think she's earned at least another chance at it. Unlike Sarah Palin who was plucked from obscurity for reasons that have always eluded me; who's strength is the ability to deliver stinging one liners. No. The first woman to reach that height, if it's to be in my life time, should be Hillary. No one else has come close to climbing that mountain!

The Pope And The President - They Are Merely Men!

I'm beginning to get annoyed by two things. One, the current defense of the Pope accompanying denial that he could have possibly had anything to do with pedophile priests while he was a Bishop in Germany. The other is the accusation that by criticizing the President one is a radical or racist.

Look, these are both men. Mortals. Period. Neither is exempted from what he did throughout his lifetime just because of the position he now holds. Both are capable of bad judgement now just as they were as children and adults before attaining these positions.

The Pope wears Prada while his third world followers starve. The President is having trouble breaking his smoking habit and is deaf to the mood of the nation. Neither, as a human being, is any different than anyone else. Circumstance brought them to where they are. And well thought out campaigns which were not necessarily of their own making.

Heck, we don't even know if the President was indeed a scholar or merely a successful affirmative action candidate. Since he refuses to release his college and law school transcripts it is easily assumable that he is not what he'd like us to believe.

Two things need to happen. We need to quite building pedestals for mere men and they need to quit believing the hype that puts them on one.

If we could do that then maybe a degree of mutual understanding could be re-established. Easter is just around the corner. Recognizing the difference between the individual and his office might be as idea worth raising from the dead.

Of COURSE The People Are Angry!

All this breast beating going on about said threats to members of Congress is all over the news. I'm wondering if it's being exaggerated for effect. Yes, I'm wearing my cynical hat today.

I do not condone displays of bad behavior whether it be crude and unacceptable epitaphs hurled at people or property destruction. Yet in the case of what's happening now after the forcing through of health care reform, I understand it. After months of watching members fall from false convictions by accepting bribes for votes, the people are angry. They've been angry all along. As bits and pieces of the bill became known they let their Senators and Representatives know. When they found they were being ignored they started to form loosely organized groups to protest. This became the Tea Party Movement. Sure, some of them were more politically incorrect in their protests. Could this be frustration mounting?

Still the decimation of bipartisanship in Washington continued as though the people didn't exist. Finally enough bribes were made to get the legislation passed. Never mind that the people still don't like it. The frustration has turned to anger. Want to bet the militia movement is seeing an increase in membership?

As more and more of the details are coming out, like the funding of Viagra for sex offenders with our dollars and the Congress exempting themselves from everything in the bill, the anger is beginning to boil over. I'd not be surprised if this is the beginning of a serious revolution.

The politicians can stand up there and tsk tsk the bad behavior, the pundits can urge the people to take the fight to the ballot box but the frustration and anger needs to be vented now, not months down the road.

This war is yet to be won. Knowing how politics works, I'm not sure having a power exchange is the answer. The politicians are too bent on revenge. Yet in watching the arrogant stand of the administration and the Democrats and the people's reaction, it's no wonder the rest of the world is snickering behind their hands. Israel is slapping us in the face one more time, Russia is eking out more cuts in our defense mechanisms and the U.S. Military is scaling back the few comforts of home our soldiers have to enjoy so as not to offend the Afghans.

What's wrong with this picture? Everything. Can it be fixed? Who knows. We're a badly broken country who's government's ideology doesn't mesh with the people's. The government is fiddling with everything fundamentally American while the people burn.

Our adversaries are watching this tragedy of political theater and applauding the crumpling of a once solid, proud nation. One can only hope, however, there will be no curtain call!

Delusional Leaders

What is it about power that turns once sane people delusional?

It starts with the way things are going for our President at the moment. Take a bill that the people don't like. Even the people of his own party are divided on it. It could be cap and trade, it could be jobs, it could be health care reform. It gets stalled but the President wants it no matter what. Suddenly it's all about him. He summons his party members to closed door sessions to do what ever is necessary to get their vote. It doesn't matter if they vote with him and it ends their careers because their constituents don't want it. It's all about him. It's success or it's failure will determine the outcome of his Presidency. He tells them so. That's delusional.

Secretary of State Powell had a spell of it leading up to the war in Iraq. He was skeptical about the evidence at hand regarding the existence of weapons of mass destruction. Yet he went before the United Nations and sold them a bill of goods of which he himself was not sure. Delusional.

It's worrisome to see people in leadership positions become victims of delusion. Iran's Ahmadinejad has mastered it. Remember awhile back the flap over his pronouncement that the holocaust never happened? Now he's claiming 9/11 was a carefully staged fabrication. That's going to new heights!

What happens to these leaders when they get lost in their delusions? They lose their people. The Iranian people know 9/11 is fact just as the know the holocaust is fact. We also know how they feel about Ahmadinejad!

Knowing what we do about Ahmadinejad's delusional bent, how can we even begin to believe him when he says he wants nuclear energy strictly for peaceful purposes. If we buy into that we're all delusional!

It's dangerous territory. When the people learn that their leaders are functioning in a different dimension, they lose faith. Here we are fortunate. We can vote them out of office. Unlike Iran, among others, who brutally suppress any opposition.

Power. It's an intoxicating possession. When entire governments get caught up in the euphoria of it, it becomes dangerous. "It" is not all about those who hold it. "It" is all about we who watch those who hold it. If abused we react. Whether it's positive or negative all depends upon whether or not the person who has it holds it well. It's so easy to get drunk.

Those drunk with power who think they can govern are, indeed, delusional.

No One Escapes My Wrath Today!

Especially the media!

First, however, I'm going to go out on a limb and applaud Jim Bunning for standing up to Congress and it's insatiable spending. While everyone and their pet dogs have been castigating him, I think his timing is brilliant. You see, it got the attention needed! Had he held up legislation on anything that wouldn't affect people already in dire straits it would not have gotten his intended effect. It did; he got the compromises he wanted and the Senate was held to task. Don't let the Democrats use it against the Republicans. As Mr. Bunning said, we've got to start paying for things!

To the media. Where were you when you reported on the President's check up where it said he needed to not only lower his cholesterol, continue efforts to quit smoking and curb his alcohol intake? You wanted to spare him embarrassment maybe? Might it have something to do with how he handles stress? No, I'm not criticizing him. If I had his job I'd be a raging alcoholic I'm sure and other than Bush, I don't know of any President that didn't like to tip a few. But it is part of the health report and I shouldn't have had to go to a British paper to find it!

Speaking of the President, let's have a look at Obama Motors formerly know as GM. While Congress is still raking Toyota over the coals for brake problems it seems GM is recalling 1.3 million cars with steering problems! Is the pot calling the kettle black? And don't call me racist; it's a figure of speech.

As for the Toyota brake problems, why was nothing noted about the witness who with the proper amount of anguish told of how she called her husband because she wanted to hear his voice one last time? Excuse me? She was calling her husband on a cell phone while her brakes were failing! And she lived to testify about it. At least give her a ticket for inattentive driving!

Then there's the deal about Congressmen pocketing what's left over from the per diem allotted for their foreign junkets. There is a rule that they are supposed to return any money not spent. Many claimed to be unaware of the rule. Right. Read on. They have no rule requiring receipts for expenditures. Have you ever heard of a business man with an expense account doing this? These per diems are not a lot of money but it's the principle. Sloppy business practices. Our government and those in it. Representative Alcee Hastings, D-Fl, said, "You are all concerned about nickels and dimes and I'm not." Except they're not his nickles and dimes! They're ours.

Representative Solomon Ortiz, D-Tx, who doesn't repay such monies said, "If that was the policy, you could never get many members traveling." Not a bad idea. Especially when they are so arrogant to as to have a "tacit understanding that if lawmakers don't spend the money they get to keep it." Really. And who's idea was that?

One last item. Don't think just because Obama is adding a few band aids stamped "Republican ideas" to the health care bill that it has suddenly become a good one. It hasn't. And to the Blue Dogs and those who are about to retire who think those band aids are enough to allow changing your vote to yes, you ought to remember why you voted no in the first place. More on this tomorrow when the new "outline" is out!

There now. I feel better. I hope anyone who takes the time to read this does not!

Still Playing The Race Card Is The Pitts!

Back on the 19th of February I wrote a post pondering the idea of having a Mad Hatter wing of the Tea Party movement for those who are more centrist than right. After reading a recent Leonard Pitts column I'm thinking it might really be a good idea.

I read Mr. Pitts with some regularity because he is in our paper on Mondays and there is little else other than retreads of old news picked up from the AP. Mr. Pitts often gives interesting insight into what it's like to be black in today's America. Of late he seems to also think that everything that's wrong with America is because we have a black President and we're not happy about it; especially the Tea Partiers.

There is much in his column I would like to refute. First he quotes from one of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann's diatribes in which Mr. Olbermann suggests the tea party movement is the "outcry of people who haven't yet made peace with the fact that their President is black." There was a time Mr. Olbermann's commentaries had some substance about the abuses of power while Bush was in office, now they are little more than shilling for the President who he will never let us forget is black. That is racism. Nuanced perhaps, but racist never-the-less.

Mr. Pitts goes on to suggest people voted for Obama because they liked his policies, eloquence and intelligence. The last two perhaps, certainly not his policies for he had none other than hope and change. We've found out what voting for eloquence alone can do and it has nothing to do with race. It is not a reflection on the President but rather on us!

He then asks if Republican Condoleeza Rice were President if that first pot of tea would have been brewed. I contend that it would have had we been as dissatisfied with her policies as we are with Obama's. It has nothing to do with race. And actually by using Rice as an example is he not contradicting himself? He took race right out of it!

I am not a Tea Party member so I can not speak for all of them. Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Pitts seem to be doing a good job without me. I do know we have such a movement locally, in redder than red right down to the neck Idaho. I do not believe it's driven by racism. It's driven by differences over policy.

Mr. Pitts seems to be a very angry man these days. I, as an independent voter, am too. When I look and listen to the President the last thing I'm thinking about is his race. It's about which ever policy he's talking about. I would like to think there are many more people like me than those Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Pitts dwell on.

There is no good purpose in constantly emphasizing the President's race. It resolves nothing. It irritates those like me who are not happy with either side. I thoroughly resent the idea that anyone would accuse me of being racist just because I don't like the President's policies.

The ones keeping the issue alive are those who dwell on it and keep speaking of it. Perhaps they should take a look through Alice's mirror and see if they can tell who the racists really are. Forget about the one in the funny hat higher than a kite from inhaling mercury vapors. That would be me. Looking for people to come to my party. No racists allowed.

Majority Rules? What Does Majority Mean?

The curtain has fallen on the umteenth act of "Health Care Reform - The Drama". It was interesting to watch even if somewhat tedious. The outcome was not unexpected.

There are a couple of points made by the President with which I take exception. "Baby steps" won't do the job regarding the Republicans desire to take things incrementally. With due respect, sir, neither does cramming the whole thing down our throats. As the pediatricians want hot dogs redesigned to eliminate the choking hazard, so should this bill be for the same reason.

It's not that the people don't want health care reform. They do. Just not this bill. Just take a look at the polls regarding the Democrats plan on Real Clear Politics.

"Most Americans think a majority vote makes sense." A simple majority or a coerced majority? When the Democrats are at such odds with one another over this bill, how can they continue to insist it's their way or the highway? I won't go into all the arm twisting and behind closed doors deal making. It existed and we all know it. It makes less than a clean piece of legislation under any circumstance. I'd be no where nearly as disgusted if a fair number of Republicans and Democrats were both for and against it. That would indicate to me there was more involved than partisanism.

Perhaps the old "throw the bums out" isn't the way to look at candidates any more. We elected Obama on the strength of his personality and empty rhetoric because we were war weary and wanted something uplifting. As a result able Congressmen and Senators lost their seats by others riding on those soaring coat tails. I do not favor coat tails.

This year brings the mid-terms. I no more want to see Democrats driven from office then I did Republicans last time around. We only have two parties. We're witnessing what happens when there is a tidal surge of discontent.

I don't know how the health care debate will turn out. I do know that during the upcoming campaigns I'll be looking a lot more closely at what the candidates bring to the table. Talking points and buzz words will no longer cut it. I'll be looking for candidates that actually have some core beliefs and the courage of their convictions. Regardless of party.

Never again will I be sucked in by personality over substance. Had I to do over again who would I have supported? Neither.

When Doing Right Isn't Enough

Much is being made about the Dalai Lama leaving the White House passing a huge pile of trash. It isn't as though he was forced to exit through a service entrance for kitchen deliveries. He was exiting through the Palm Room doors.

That being said, it makes me wonder if he had his meeting with the President as a gesture of palming off a problem! I know, that's a stretch. Our President is slow at learning, but he did realize refusing to meet with the Dalai Lama to appease China was also a mistake.

It seems to me it could have been more gracious. Knowing that the meeting was to be in the Palm Room, I'd have had the trash moved to another location temporarily. I can't imagine the Pope being put in such a position. Not even Jeremiah Wright! Probably not even a Chinese dignitary. After all, they hold so much of our paper one must give respect where respct is due!

One day politicians will learn that cameras are everywhere. Images such as this only reinforce the notion that this White House is a bit short on class.

Class is the Dalai Lama not making an issue of it.

What Have We Become?

I've been wondering about this quite a bit lately. Office holders are fleeing their posts while others stick tenaciously to policies that the people vehemently oppose. The President has no control over his own party. The Republicans have no leadership. At least no one has risen to the top of the political heap unless you really want to consider Sarah Palin.

Is anybody in charge of anything? Take Obama's recent pronouncement he wants to see a resurgence of nuclear power. At the same time he has caved to exhortations by Harry Reid and shut down the nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain after we've spent billions of dollars on it. Further more, as with much needed oil refineries, the permitting process is excessively long and convoluted and that's before the environmentalists get into it. These are Obama's people!

This is a nightmare from which I would like to awaken. Instead I find others share it.

In a Wall Street Journal column, Judy Shelton quoted an observation by former Polish President Lech Walesa, "The world has no leadership. The U.S. was the last resort and hope for all the nations. Today we have lost that hope. They don't lead morally or politically anymore."

He has a point, as chilling as it is. When our President deems it necessary to bow to the wishes of the Chinese by refusing to meet with Dali Lama, there is a problem. Fortunately, the Dali Lama has returned and this time the meeting will take place. But what caused the refusal the first time?

The Chinese consider the Dali Lama as no more than a thorn in their side pushing for Tibetan independence rather than the actuality of his being the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Chinese, up until recently, also have been our largest creditor. Our "leader" feared offending them. Feared. Oh, my.

Japan has now taken over that dubious position. What concessions will be expected to keep them happy? We're fighting wars with diminishing numbers of allies. We apologize to the world for attitudes justifiably held.

It isn't just President Obama; it's the thinking of the far left. We should be equals, not leaders. What a repugnant attitude. The United States has always been the leader of the free world and now we have leadership that does not aspire to that.

What have we allowed to happen to us? As much as I understand why some Senators and Congressmen are getting while the getting is good, this is not the time! That is not leadership. That's deserting a sinking ship! We need them to stay, to band together and fight. Not for their party but for their country.

Before we elect one more person to high office, we would do well to take the time to see ourselves as others do. Mr. Walesa has made his opinion clear. How many others share it?