I am sufficiently recovered from Thanksgiving to start back with more opinions of the state of American politics. I am without a doubt biased in my opinions, but with the ever mounting stupidity of the Republican Party it is hard to be otherwise.
Think about the fact, the Republicans, the so called party of families and the evangelicals are throwing aside the guy who cheated on one wife, to embrace the guy who cheated on two wives! What is there a two for one special going on that the Democrats are not privy to?
Joe Walsh the Deadbeat Congressman, was given the pro family award from the Family Research Council. Why, was Ebenezer Scrooge too busy dealing with the spirits of Christmas, past, present and future? Walsh, who, owes over $117,000 in back child support would probably kick the crutch from under Tiny Tim's arm and laugh as he fell.
Donald Trump has once again displayed his ignorance and stated, "President Obama will start a war with Iran to get re-elected." Don't have to say much about his state of mind, except his hairspray has definitely leeched into that tiny brain of his. Donald go bankrupt again and let the banks bail you out AGAIN!
Newt Gingrich in defending reports that he received over $1.6 million from Freddie Mac for his lobbying efforts, stated arrogantly, that he did not need lobbying money because he is paid $60,000 to give speeches. He said this will addressing people in North Carolina where the average annual salary is $58,000. That certainly made those people feel better. Plus he stated that he was paid as an historian. They needed the history of how former politicians, rip off the American public, by now using the corrupt system, to win the influence for Freddie Mac.
Enter Michelle Bachman, who once again shows her total lack of any intelligent life. She stated, in response to Great Brittan, closing it's embassy in Iran, by stating, that if she were President, she would close our embassy in Iran. I guess nobody ever told her we closed that somewhere around 40 years ago. A little thing called the Iranian Hostage situation. It was in all of the papers and on the news every night. Maybe see was absent when they taught any history at all, during her school years.
Lastly, yesterday the Republicans in the Senate refused to pass a bill that would extend the payroll tax cuts for Working Americans. It would have been paid for by a very small increase on people making over $1 million. They now want the tax increase on us, but are willing to extend the cut if we fire federal workers to make up the difference. They contend we have to pay for the tax cut. The total cost to the taxpayers is $120 billion. I really do support this tax cut, especially, in light of the fact that the Bush tax cuts were enacted and extended without paying for them seems very hypocritical. The Bush tax cuts have cost us over, now look closely Republicans, $2.8 trillion. That is trillion. They never asked for them to be paid for. They have pledged to Lobbyist Grover Norquist. a man that is not elected to any office, they will never increase taxes. They won't on the rich, but are sure willing to let average workers shoulder more of the burden. I mentioned Scrooge earlier and will also do another comparison, since it is the holiday season. Scrooge, like his Republican counterparts would rather the burden fall on the poor, the unemployed, the sick, the children and the elderly, then to ever touch the people that truly run our country, the wealthy elite. The top 1%. These are the people they are pledged to protect and this is what they are fighting for everyday.
It is hard to believe that we have a population of over 312 million people and this is supposedly the educated. These are our leaders? These are the visionaries that will move us forward? This is the best we have to offer? I believe we are getting, because of poor effort from us, exactly the type of corrupt government we deserve. The House of Representatives, voted to eliminate all public money from our election process. The very thing that corrupts the politicians, private money, would then be free to buy more elections. We need to be going in the opposite direction and taking all private money out of the system and making it all public money. The vote was along party lines with the Republicans voting to make our votes count even less. This is the best we can do? Are we willing to sit back and allow this to move forward? Are we turning the country over to the 1%? Are we going to continue to sit on Face Book and not pay attention? Are we willing to sit at home on election day and allow these same people to continue to pillage America? If we are we are DOOMED! Your choice.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving Day Is American!
When holidays approach, anyone who writes, has to do the column and talk about what they are thankful for. I will not disappoint.
First and foremost I am thankful for my fantastic, beautiful wife, Pat. She has come to mean everything in life to me. With her we have two wonderful daughters, Jessica and Nicole. They in turn have blessed us with five grandchildren that mean the world to us. Jayden, Miyah, Miriah, John and Elijah, have brightened our world as each year goes by. Jessica's husband and John's father Wes, rounds our family out nicely, and it all returns to the love and devotion Pat and I have for each other. If I were to stop there with my thanks, I could be happy. But there is more.
I am thankful that my family and I are, for the most part healthy. For without our health the rest of life can be a struggle.
I am thankful for being an American. For all of our struggles and weaknesses, we also have much to be proud of. We have accomplish more as a nation in less time then any our civilization in the history of the world. I am critical of America and it's political system, but that is because I care. It would be totally UN-American to not speak up. We must all stride forward and continue to improve as individuals and a country. This is our greatest strength.
I am thankful for my extended family. My mother, my in-laws, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, that are too numerous to mention here. My even further extended family, in our friends, neighbors and co-workers, all of who make my life better because I know them.
Lastly, did I mention my wife, Pat. I know I did, but to not mention her at least twice would be to ignore her importance to me. For thirty seven years, she has been the constant in my life. The reason I smile each day. The reason I have learned to love so deeply in my life. To her I have to say I have had over thirteen thousand days of happiness and love. It would have been very dark without her by me. So I have to reminder her again, just how much she means to me.
To all of my readers, "Happy Thanksgiving." Take a moment tomorrow and remember the reasons and most importantly the people, you are thankful for.
First and foremost I am thankful for my fantastic, beautiful wife, Pat. She has come to mean everything in life to me. With her we have two wonderful daughters, Jessica and Nicole. They in turn have blessed us with five grandchildren that mean the world to us. Jayden, Miyah, Miriah, John and Elijah, have brightened our world as each year goes by. Jessica's husband and John's father Wes, rounds our family out nicely, and it all returns to the love and devotion Pat and I have for each other. If I were to stop there with my thanks, I could be happy. But there is more.
I am thankful that my family and I are, for the most part healthy. For without our health the rest of life can be a struggle.
I am thankful for being an American. For all of our struggles and weaknesses, we also have much to be proud of. We have accomplish more as a nation in less time then any our civilization in the history of the world. I am critical of America and it's political system, but that is because I care. It would be totally UN-American to not speak up. We must all stride forward and continue to improve as individuals and a country. This is our greatest strength.
I am thankful for my extended family. My mother, my in-laws, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, that are too numerous to mention here. My even further extended family, in our friends, neighbors and co-workers, all of who make my life better because I know them.
Lastly, did I mention my wife, Pat. I know I did, but to not mention her at least twice would be to ignore her importance to me. For thirty seven years, she has been the constant in my life. The reason I smile each day. The reason I have learned to love so deeply in my life. To her I have to say I have had over thirteen thousand days of happiness and love. It would have been very dark without her by me. So I have to reminder her again, just how much she means to me.
To all of my readers, "Happy Thanksgiving." Take a moment tomorrow and remember the reasons and most importantly the people, you are thankful for.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
November 22, 1963. Our President is Killed!
Every year on the 22nd day of November I pause to remember. I think about a time that in some ways feels like yesterday and in some ways like another lifetime ago. The young people today will always remember where they were when the news broke that airplanes had flown into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. People my age and older will always remember that day in November 1963.
For me I was at Emily Brittian Elementary School in Butler, Pennsylvania. I was eleven years old and in fifth grade. Vietnam was just some distant place where we had, "advisers" and did not dominate the nightly news. We had a young President, Jack Kennedy and an equally young first lady and family.
Our President had, in three short years, started the Peace Corps. He challenged us to, "by the end of the decade, land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth." He had stared down, racist Governors of our southern states and paved the way for blacks to attend state universities. He was in the lead to turn back our segregationist nation and start us on the path to true equality. Kennedy stood face to face with Nikita Krushchev as the two nuclear super powers had us on the brink of annihilation. The Soviet Union blinked as our President forced a showdown with a blockade around Cuba. He gave a courageous speech at American University, in June 1963 where he challenged the Soviet leaders to establish Nuclear Test ban Treaties, that even received praise from his Soviet counterparts. His famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) speech showed the world that America would not abandon it's allies, but join them in search for peace through out the world. All of this in such a short time and now we heard reports that shots were fired on the President's motorcade. Shortly after, we realized the worst. John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was dead.
We cried as a nation. Our innocence evaporated on that November day in 1963. What once was Camelot was now gone. As a nation we mourned and moved on, but it was not the same. What could have been, was changed. Forty eight years later we cry once more, a shining light has been extinguished forever. We hardly knew you, but will always think of you.
For me I was at Emily Brittian Elementary School in Butler, Pennsylvania. I was eleven years old and in fifth grade. Vietnam was just some distant place where we had, "advisers" and did not dominate the nightly news. We had a young President, Jack Kennedy and an equally young first lady and family.
Our President had, in three short years, started the Peace Corps. He challenged us to, "by the end of the decade, land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth." He had stared down, racist Governors of our southern states and paved the way for blacks to attend state universities. He was in the lead to turn back our segregationist nation and start us on the path to true equality. Kennedy stood face to face with Nikita Krushchev as the two nuclear super powers had us on the brink of annihilation. The Soviet Union blinked as our President forced a showdown with a blockade around Cuba. He gave a courageous speech at American University, in June 1963 where he challenged the Soviet leaders to establish Nuclear Test ban Treaties, that even received praise from his Soviet counterparts. His famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) speech showed the world that America would not abandon it's allies, but join them in search for peace through out the world. All of this in such a short time and now we heard reports that shots were fired on the President's motorcade. Shortly after, we realized the worst. John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was dead.
We cried as a nation. Our innocence evaporated on that November day in 1963. What once was Camelot was now gone. As a nation we mourned and moved on, but it was not the same. What could have been, was changed. Forty eight years later we cry once more, a shining light has been extinguished forever. We hardly knew you, but will always think of you.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Newt To The OWS, Take A Bath And Then Get A Job!
The arrogance of Newt Gingrich, was very apparent during an interview he had over the weekend. His advice to the Occupy Wall Street Movement was to first take a bath and then get a job. He also pointed out the people were occupying parks and using facilities that were funded by the very people they were protesting. Isn't that grand! Newt feels that these people are protesting against the very people that support them and make their lives so great. I have a newsflash for this idiot. The OWS and millions of ordinary people are protesting people, like you. You sit back with that wry, little smirk of yours and act so superior to the millions of peasants that dare to inhabit the same country you are bend on destroying.
You say we have become a secular country recently, and in reality, a little writing, called the Constitution of the United States, actually made the separation of church and state, a tenet of our country. I for one want it that way. I do not want leaders that will take us down the same route, as some other countries that are driven by religious zealots. Keep religion out of the decision making in America. People that have an issue with that need to find some other place to destroy.
Mr Gingrich is now calling for firing all union janitors and allowing the students to clean their own schools. He wants to eliminate all child labor laws that were set in place to keep companies from exploiting our children and depriving them of their educational responsibilities. Now children, and he advocated children as young as nine, can stay after school, not for learning purposes, but to work. One of his last statements, was one of his dumbest. He said they can start to rise up in society, this way. In other words we can produce more low paid janitors, instead of a society of better educated people ready to compete in the world arena.
Gingrich was paid almost two million dollars, plus a retainer of thirty thousand dollars a month by Freddy Mac. He opened doors on Capital Hill for the semi private mortgage giant to make more money while they ripped the American people off. This is a man that does not deserve any support for the office of President of the United States. This is a person, that has no moral values and exemplifies the root problem in our country. Greed and stupidity.
You say we have become a secular country recently, and in reality, a little writing, called the Constitution of the United States, actually made the separation of church and state, a tenet of our country. I for one want it that way. I do not want leaders that will take us down the same route, as some other countries that are driven by religious zealots. Keep religion out of the decision making in America. People that have an issue with that need to find some other place to destroy.
Mr Gingrich is now calling for firing all union janitors and allowing the students to clean their own schools. He wants to eliminate all child labor laws that were set in place to keep companies from exploiting our children and depriving them of their educational responsibilities. Now children, and he advocated children as young as nine, can stay after school, not for learning purposes, but to work. One of his last statements, was one of his dumbest. He said they can start to rise up in society, this way. In other words we can produce more low paid janitors, instead of a society of better educated people ready to compete in the world arena.
Gingrich was paid almost two million dollars, plus a retainer of thirty thousand dollars a month by Freddy Mac. He opened doors on Capital Hill for the semi private mortgage giant to make more money while they ripped the American people off. This is a man that does not deserve any support for the office of President of the United States. This is a person, that has no moral values and exemplifies the root problem in our country. Greed and stupidity.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich Have Communistic Ties!
Admit it I got you to look. If you support the President, you decided by that headline, there was some information you could use to influence those right wing people that you argue with. If you are a member of the Republican or Tea Party, you decided this would be an opportunity to talk about the lies from the left. Guess what, you both are right and I did this to make a point.
Last week the Republicans lead by Romney and Rick Perry, had ads running that had the President saying, "Americans were lazy". The problem with the ads, were this. They were edited words from the President and a complete lie. President Obama was speaking to a group of CEOs and stated, "We (meaning the American Government), have been lazy, promoting America for investing by foreign countries and companies." He went on to say that our country is a great place to invest in and about the ability to grow here at home.
Now to my statement about Communistic ties. Look at the Communist Party and see what states they are in. Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas, as well as every other state in the union. I am sure with the number of people belonging to the Communist Party, each one of the candidates for the Republican Presidential Nomination, have Communists, that attend fund raisers, work near Republican headquarters, live near the candidates or even attend rallies. So my statement may have a factual basis, it is false and misleading.
I believe the time has come that we stop electing our leaders based on a thirty second sound bite, and based upon an educated review of their positions. We need to get past the slick advertising campaigns, that are waged by high paid, empty suits and get to the truth. We cannot afford to vote for a collective group of quotes. Write your various leaders and any candidates for office and let them know. We will not be mislead and lied to, for our votes. If they use misleading quotes and ads, vote for the other person, or write in a protest vote. Send the message now, it is a long political season.
Last week the Republicans lead by Romney and Rick Perry, had ads running that had the President saying, "Americans were lazy". The problem with the ads, were this. They were edited words from the President and a complete lie. President Obama was speaking to a group of CEOs and stated, "We (meaning the American Government), have been lazy, promoting America for investing by foreign countries and companies." He went on to say that our country is a great place to invest in and about the ability to grow here at home.
Now to my statement about Communistic ties. Look at the Communist Party and see what states they are in. Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas, as well as every other state in the union. I am sure with the number of people belonging to the Communist Party, each one of the candidates for the Republican Presidential Nomination, have Communists, that attend fund raisers, work near Republican headquarters, live near the candidates or even attend rallies. So my statement may have a factual basis, it is false and misleading.
I believe the time has come that we stop electing our leaders based on a thirty second sound bite, and based upon an educated review of their positions. We need to get past the slick advertising campaigns, that are waged by high paid, empty suits and get to the truth. We cannot afford to vote for a collective group of quotes. Write your various leaders and any candidates for office and let them know. We will not be mislead and lied to, for our votes. If they use misleading quotes and ads, vote for the other person, or write in a protest vote. Send the message now, it is a long political season.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Response to Danny's comments!
First off, it is great to hear from Danny again. He actually is a friend, even though we disagree on many issues. One point I want to make is we can agree on issues and to make my point, I offer the following. Danny started with the comment we agree on nothing, then he went on to make a point that I had stated. If you look closely at my salute to veterans, I stated, " We must push our politicians to get our people out of harms way and find different avenues to protect them in the future, and be sure when we send American troops into battle they are prepared and the reason we go is in the best interest of America." How is this any different from Danny's stance and comments. I did not support the war in Iraq or the continued conflict in Afghanistan. However one thing I am very clear on is the fact that we must support the men and women that do their duty and follow orders to carry out their missions. They are no different then any worker that faces the corporate ideals, as they perform their duties on a day to day basis, except for the fact that they are faced with life and death. It is very hard to know each and every day could be your last. I was listening to General Jack Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient, the other day talking about combat and war. He said, "War is very personal and the reason it is, is you are fighting for that soldier on either side of you." In the real world people cannot make sense of that, because they want to politicize it. In combat they do not care about the reasons or politics, they want to survive and help the person beside them survive. I will continue to thank them and if you desire an apology, that is you choice, however do not be surprised if they do not want or are willingly accept that. They did their duty, plain and simple.
The next thing is when you spoke about not accepting my type of society. We DO have moral obligations for each other. I do not and have never said I support a welfare society. I have said, we need to have government intervention to get the economy moving forward. Private companies are not doing it. They are sitting on cash, if they have it. The large corporations are and the banks are sitting on even more. A survey of small and mid size companies have stated there are two issues they face. Number one, no money being lent by the financial institutions and number two, no demand for their products. Banks are not lending because they get free money from the Federal Reserve. They then invest it and make money. We need to re-enact the Glass-Stegal that was repealed, when Clinton was President. This would force banks to go back to what they used to be. They made money by making sound loans. They attracted funds, to lend, by offering a decent savings rate and CD rates. They had skin in the game and if loans went bad, they took the lose. The second part would be solved by having the government invest in our infrastructure. This would create good paying jobs and then people would have disposable income at the end of the month to purchase other goods, which would create more jobs and then the cycle repeats. The economy moves along. I want the government to regulate business, because, due to greed they are incapable of doing it for themselves. Where am I giving up freedoms? We give up freedoms when we do not vote. We give up freedoms when we are not engaged in our political system. Most importantly we give up freedoms when we allow the corporations and the elite upper class to control so much of the economy. We have to take back economic freedom and anyone, such as you Danny, that can not see this, need to open their eyes.
The next thing is when you spoke about not accepting my type of society. We DO have moral obligations for each other. I do not and have never said I support a welfare society. I have said, we need to have government intervention to get the economy moving forward. Private companies are not doing it. They are sitting on cash, if they have it. The large corporations are and the banks are sitting on even more. A survey of small and mid size companies have stated there are two issues they face. Number one, no money being lent by the financial institutions and number two, no demand for their products. Banks are not lending because they get free money from the Federal Reserve. They then invest it and make money. We need to re-enact the Glass-Stegal that was repealed, when Clinton was President. This would force banks to go back to what they used to be. They made money by making sound loans. They attracted funds, to lend, by offering a decent savings rate and CD rates. They had skin in the game and if loans went bad, they took the lose. The second part would be solved by having the government invest in our infrastructure. This would create good paying jobs and then people would have disposable income at the end of the month to purchase other goods, which would create more jobs and then the cycle repeats. The economy moves along. I want the government to regulate business, because, due to greed they are incapable of doing it for themselves. Where am I giving up freedoms? We give up freedoms when we do not vote. We give up freedoms when we are not engaged in our political system. Most importantly we give up freedoms when we allow the corporations and the elite upper class to control so much of the economy. We have to take back economic freedom and anyone, such as you Danny, that can not see this, need to open their eyes.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Moral Crisis In America Part II
Yesterday I wrote about the moral crisis in America and today I want to continue on that theme. All you had to do was watch the three ring circus, called the Republican debate last night to understand just how far we are from understanding the moral value in domestic and foreign policy.
Mitt Romney's statement, "If Obama is reelected the Iranians will have nuclear weapons and if I am elected they will not," shows his absolute lack of credibility in the foreign affairs arena. His answer is to start another war. Several of the other republican candidates are following the same logic. What ever happened to American being the moral compass for the rest of the world? Where is leadership, that can do more then promote military activity to solve all problems? I am currently reading, Chris Mathews new book, about President John Kennedy, Elusive Hero and it made me think about how Kennedy stood up to the generals, when they wanted to invade Cuba. It may have started an all out nuclear war and we all would be either dead or living with severe consequences because of a rush to war. Why do we now continue to listen to Generals or hawks that want to drive us all toward destruction, instead of toward solutions? War has to become the last resort, after all other solutions have been evaluated. Romney gives a simple sound bite answer, instead of a thoughtful approach. He wants to appear tough and in reality he appears weak. Having strength and using it judiciously is not only intelligent, but the moral approach. To former Governor Romney, stop with the political rhetoric and start with real answers.
Then we had my favorite crazy lady, Michelle Bachman. She wants us to become China. Yes, we should now embrace Communist China in solving our, "Welfare State" issue. She points out that the Chinese save for their own retirement and support themselves. She fails to mention that they have a lower standard of living, overall. She fails to mention that as a Communist society they have supported their population over several decades. She fails to mention they provide free education to the people that, they decide, deserves it. She fails to mention that they manipulate their currency and practice unfair trading around the world. Where are the people that have called President Obama, everything from a Socialist to a Terrorist to a Communist? If a Democrat had mentioned the idea that America should follow China with anything, they would have been crucified. We have a moral obligation to help the less fortunate in America and around the world. We should be protecting human rights here at home and in every corner of the globe. We should be standing with the little people and finding solutions, not looking at ways to start new military campaigns and duplicate the human rights violations or selective services, of a Communist country.
We have to look not just at the economic price of changes, but the moral price as well. I heard the comment, that when the civil rights movement was starting, one of the arguments against it was the cost in dollars. Fortunately the moral and financial price was paid and we moved forward. As a modern and upwardly moving society we need to start paying the economic and moral price. That is what makes us human.
Mitt Romney's statement, "If Obama is reelected the Iranians will have nuclear weapons and if I am elected they will not," shows his absolute lack of credibility in the foreign affairs arena. His answer is to start another war. Several of the other republican candidates are following the same logic. What ever happened to American being the moral compass for the rest of the world? Where is leadership, that can do more then promote military activity to solve all problems? I am currently reading, Chris Mathews new book, about President John Kennedy, Elusive Hero and it made me think about how Kennedy stood up to the generals, when they wanted to invade Cuba. It may have started an all out nuclear war and we all would be either dead or living with severe consequences because of a rush to war. Why do we now continue to listen to Generals or hawks that want to drive us all toward destruction, instead of toward solutions? War has to become the last resort, after all other solutions have been evaluated. Romney gives a simple sound bite answer, instead of a thoughtful approach. He wants to appear tough and in reality he appears weak. Having strength and using it judiciously is not only intelligent, but the moral approach. To former Governor Romney, stop with the political rhetoric and start with real answers.
Then we had my favorite crazy lady, Michelle Bachman. She wants us to become China. Yes, we should now embrace Communist China in solving our, "Welfare State" issue. She points out that the Chinese save for their own retirement and support themselves. She fails to mention that they have a lower standard of living, overall. She fails to mention that as a Communist society they have supported their population over several decades. She fails to mention they provide free education to the people that, they decide, deserves it. She fails to mention that they manipulate their currency and practice unfair trading around the world. Where are the people that have called President Obama, everything from a Socialist to a Terrorist to a Communist? If a Democrat had mentioned the idea that America should follow China with anything, they would have been crucified. We have a moral obligation to help the less fortunate in America and around the world. We should be protecting human rights here at home and in every corner of the globe. We should be standing with the little people and finding solutions, not looking at ways to start new military campaigns and duplicate the human rights violations or selective services, of a Communist country.
We have to look not just at the economic price of changes, but the moral price as well. I heard the comment, that when the civil rights movement was starting, one of the arguments against it was the cost in dollars. Fortunately the moral and financial price was paid and we moved forward. As a modern and upwardly moving society we need to start paying the economic and moral price. That is what makes us human.
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