Without having a clue as to who it is going to be, the usual suspects have already stated their opposition to President Bush’s next Supreme Court nomination. That’s all the evidence that a thinking person would need to file the usual suspects in the “loon” file. Ted Kennedy, Ralph Neas, that old bag from NARAL, Joe Biden, Cindy Sheehan, Revs Jesse & Al, Crusty the Clown and other Hollywood elites along with the MSM that got the Katrina story sooooo wrong that they still cannot report the truth for fear of further destroying an already rapidly decaying reputation, are ready to land on President Bush with both feet over his next Supreme Court nomination. That’s a lot of weight when you consider Kennedy’s in the crowd. No doubt these knee jerk jerks have a template ready with a blank space for the name of the president’s choice – oops that’s a bad word isn’t it.
So, what’s the president to do? Simple, nominate Ralph Neas. Idiots that can’t figure out a voting card in Florida, no doubt will be too slow to recognize that the president has named one of their own to the position and will blast poor Ralphy as if he were Janis Rogers Brown (Lex’s choice for the position). Why even Ralphy himself is likely to rush to microphone having quickly filled his own name into blanks on the template and read his statement:
“Today the president has broken faith - oops how did that word get into my statement? – has broken trust with the American people. He has nominated the far right ideologue, Ralph Neas, to highest court in land. Mr./Ms./Mrs. (circle one) Neas has a proven record as a bigot, a homophobe, an anti-woman, an anti-privacy, an anti-labor lawyer out of the mainstream of American thought. He/she (circle one) has proven he/she (circle one) will be nothing more than a tool to be used by this president and his far, far, far, far, right allies. Ralph Neas is bad for women. Ralph Neas is bad for working people. Ralph Neas is bad for Jews. Ralph Neas is bad for Muslims. Ralph Neas is bad for baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet. Join me in fighting to bring to light what despicable scoundrel Ralph Neas really is. Help me defeat Ralph Neas’ nomination and in doing so saving America. I’ll take your questions”
“Mr. Neas the president nominated you!”
“Doesn’t matter. I am a far right ideologue and tool of the far right agenda for this country. I must be defeated.”
“I don’t think you get it. In your rush to condemn the president’s choice, you’ve attributed to yourself all of the things that you’d have attributed to Janis Rogers Brown had the president nominated her.”
“Huh? Wait a minute.”
At the same time other knee jerk jerks are reading their templated statements. Ted Kennedy, “Ralph Neas is the worst possible choice.” NARLA Babes, “Ralph Neas will set the clock back on women’s rights 100 years.” Revs Jesse and Al, “Ralph Neas is a bigot.”
Meanwhile, back at the White House, Karl Rove is watching it all on TV laughing his a** off when the president walks by. “What are you laughing at Rove?” “Oh nothing Mr. President. Have you made your Supreme Court choice yet?” “Not yet. Maybe tomorrow. Have you seen Barney? BARNEY! Here boy. BARNEY!” Suddenly, Rove gets an even better idea and laughs louder. "BARNEY! Here boy!"
Friday, September 30, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Criminal politician? Say it ain't so!
WARNING: Lex is not a lawyer. I didn’t play one on TV and I didn’t even sleep at a Holiday Inn last night. Mom and Dad wouldn’t allow lawyers. “Go into something respectable like child pornography” Dad would say. But this the truth as I see it on DeLay as it stands today.
STOP THE BLOG!! A politician has been indicted! That’s right Mr. & Mrs. America there is a crooked politician in Texas. What were the chances? The only question is weather the scoundrel is Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay or Travis County Prosecutor Ronnie Earle.
DeLay has protested in innocence loudly and absolutely – almost too loudly and too absolutely. Now if a judge doesn’t quickly dismiss this case, it will appear as if there really is a “there” there. Near as I can figure DeLay conspired to raise money for Republican candidates and causes in Texas. So far so good, raising money for political candidates and causes is not illegal in Texas. Raising money is even legal under the anti-First Amendment load of crap known as McCain Feingold. Ahh but wait, what if the money is EVIL corporate money as opposed to salt of the earth Union money scammed from unsuspecting union members? Well that is a little different. And what if that money came in 60 days prior to the election? That too is a bit different it seems. Lex’s legal team has researched this and here’s what the law says:
"A corporation or labor organization may not knowingly make a contribution [to a political party] during a period beginning on the 60th day before the date of a general election for state and county officers and continuing through the day of the election." Title 15, Texas Election Code, § 253.104. Texas law also states in part that "A person commits criminal conspiracy if, with intent that a felony be committed: (1) he agrees with one or more persons that they or one or more of them engage in conduct that would constitute the offense; and (2) he or one or more of them performs an overt act in pursuance of the agreement."
Well as near as can figure this out no corporate entity has been indicted. It seems to me that if “they” had made an illegal contribution “they” too would have been indicted. Near as I can tell the money was never contributed to a “Political Party” but rather a Political Action Committee known as Texans for a Republican Majority. Then there’s the conspiracy thing. Anytime anyone claims a conspiracy, it always seems to cast a greater aspersion on the accuser than the accused – unless of course the accused is the Republican House Leader and the accuser is Democrat. Then the Libs and MSM run wild stating the conspiracy as an absolute truth. This reminds me of the Army Colonel at the Pentagon who used to kid junior Marines that anytime he saw two more of us congregated in the same the place he was sure that there was a conspiracy afoot by Marines to take over the building. The same is true of the MSM and Libs about Republicans only they actually believe it.
This whole thing could be trouble for DeLay and Republicans if it is not resolved quickly. For DeLay, he’s looking at up to three years in the poky if Earle can prove his case. Republicans are looking at an endless MSM news cycle of scandal. Even if DeLay acquitted or the case is throw out, the MSM will give short shrift to that news and taint it with lines like “dropped on a technicality”, “the case was too difficult to prove”, “while the substance of the allegations were true, no law was broken” etc. Even if cleared DeLay will forever be known as “the once indicted Republican Leader.”
Lex has noted that campaign finance reform is not difficult. It requires about three lines.
- Only American citizens of voting age may contribute to political candidates, PACs and/or 527s.
- They may contribute in any amount they choose.
- Candidates, PACs and 527s must report all contributions within 30 days to the FEC.
STOP THE BLOG!! A politician has been indicted! That’s right Mr. & Mrs. America there is a crooked politician in Texas. What were the chances? The only question is weather the scoundrel is Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay or Travis County Prosecutor Ronnie Earle.
DeLay has protested in innocence loudly and absolutely – almost too loudly and too absolutely. Now if a judge doesn’t quickly dismiss this case, it will appear as if there really is a “there” there. Near as I can figure DeLay conspired to raise money for Republican candidates and causes in Texas. So far so good, raising money for political candidates and causes is not illegal in Texas. Raising money is even legal under the anti-First Amendment load of crap known as McCain Feingold. Ahh but wait, what if the money is EVIL corporate money as opposed to salt of the earth Union money scammed from unsuspecting union members? Well that is a little different. And what if that money came in 60 days prior to the election? That too is a bit different it seems. Lex’s legal team has researched this and here’s what the law says:
"A corporation or labor organization may not knowingly make a contribution [to a political party] during a period beginning on the 60th day before the date of a general election for state and county officers and continuing through the day of the election." Title 15, Texas Election Code, § 253.104. Texas law also states in part that "A person commits criminal conspiracy if, with intent that a felony be committed: (1) he agrees with one or more persons that they or one or more of them engage in conduct that would constitute the offense; and (2) he or one or more of them performs an overt act in pursuance of the agreement."
Well as near as can figure this out no corporate entity has been indicted. It seems to me that if “they” had made an illegal contribution “they” too would have been indicted. Near as I can tell the money was never contributed to a “Political Party” but rather a Political Action Committee known as Texans for a Republican Majority. Then there’s the conspiracy thing. Anytime anyone claims a conspiracy, it always seems to cast a greater aspersion on the accuser than the accused – unless of course the accused is the Republican House Leader and the accuser is Democrat. Then the Libs and MSM run wild stating the conspiracy as an absolute truth. This reminds me of the Army Colonel at the Pentagon who used to kid junior Marines that anytime he saw two more of us congregated in the same the place he was sure that there was a conspiracy afoot by Marines to take over the building. The same is true of the MSM and Libs about Republicans only they actually believe it.
This whole thing could be trouble for DeLay and Republicans if it is not resolved quickly. For DeLay, he’s looking at up to three years in the poky if Earle can prove his case. Republicans are looking at an endless MSM news cycle of scandal. Even if DeLay acquitted or the case is throw out, the MSM will give short shrift to that news and taint it with lines like “dropped on a technicality”, “the case was too difficult to prove”, “while the substance of the allegations were true, no law was broken” etc. Even if cleared DeLay will forever be known as “the once indicted Republican Leader.”
Lex has noted that campaign finance reform is not difficult. It requires about three lines.
- Only American citizens of voting age may contribute to political candidates, PACs and/or 527s.
- They may contribute in any amount they choose.
- Candidates, PACs and 527s must report all contributions within 30 days to the FEC.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Congress gets spanking from Brown
Sometime you just don’t know how much you don’t know. Yesterday it became clear that congress doesn’t know much about FEMA. Congress had designated fall guy Michael Brown before a joint committee to listen to pompous committee members ramble on and stating the obvious, expressing outrage, posturing for the cameras, and occasionally even asking a question. Only when Brown was speaking, in response to some windbag’s question, did it become clear that he was the smartest guy in the room…by far.
So when it became clear that Brown was not going to just sit there and take it from the dopes who happened to be his inquisitors, politicians did what they do best, blather on…and on…and on. Rep. William J. Jefferson, black Louisiana Democrat, who lives in the upscale Uptown area of New Orleans, who, like most Louisiana politicians, is under investigation by the FBI, who commandeered rescue assets to clean out his own home called blathered on so long he didn’t get a question in. That was probably his game plan. Legendary strongman Rep. Chris Shays, Lilly white boy & Connecticut Republican took Brown on and came out looking like the idiot he is for his trouble. In his quest to fix the blame for everything that went wrong in Louisiana on Brown, Shays demonstrated what an ill-informed dolt he remains. Brown had to point out to the clueless Shays that FEMA is not responsible for evacuations, law enforcement, gas distribution, diaper changes, haircuts or lawn treatments.
The press has made the take away from the hearing Brown’s remark that his biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday how dysfunctional the Louisiana state and local governments were. He could have added corrupt, inept, crooked, uneducated, self-serving, weak, stupid, lazy, etc. etc. For their part, when made aware of Brown’s obviously accurate comment, Louisiana Governor Blanco and New Orleans Gangsta Mayor protested so loud and long that the average person became suspicious that they were hiding something. A prudent protest might be something along the lines of, “Well it is clear mistakes were made across the board and there will be time to sort that out later.”
Well the real take away should be Brown’s remark that FEMA’s preparations in Mississippi and Alabama were largely effective. Only in dysfunctional Louisiana were FEMA’s plans and efforts found to be lacking. Hmm, wonder why? Could it be twin idiots separated at birth at the local level? Naaa, couldn’t be. An inarticulate idiot profane mayor? Noooo. A dopey woman governor that couldn’t run the neighborhood bridge club let alone a state government? Couldn’t be. It has to be all Brown’s fault. After all, he is Republican, white, male and probably believes in some kind of religion. In short, he is the perfect fall guy.
If the committee couldn’t handle the mild mannered Michael Brown what are they going to do when LTG “You are stuck on stupid congressman” Honeree shows up firing both barrels?
So when it became clear that Brown was not going to just sit there and take it from the dopes who happened to be his inquisitors, politicians did what they do best, blather on…and on…and on. Rep. William J. Jefferson, black Louisiana Democrat, who lives in the upscale Uptown area of New Orleans, who, like most Louisiana politicians, is under investigation by the FBI, who commandeered rescue assets to clean out his own home called blathered on so long he didn’t get a question in. That was probably his game plan. Legendary strongman Rep. Chris Shays, Lilly white boy & Connecticut Republican took Brown on and came out looking like the idiot he is for his trouble. In his quest to fix the blame for everything that went wrong in Louisiana on Brown, Shays demonstrated what an ill-informed dolt he remains. Brown had to point out to the clueless Shays that FEMA is not responsible for evacuations, law enforcement, gas distribution, diaper changes, haircuts or lawn treatments.
The press has made the take away from the hearing Brown’s remark that his biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday how dysfunctional the Louisiana state and local governments were. He could have added corrupt, inept, crooked, uneducated, self-serving, weak, stupid, lazy, etc. etc. For their part, when made aware of Brown’s obviously accurate comment, Louisiana Governor Blanco and New Orleans Gangsta Mayor protested so loud and long that the average person became suspicious that they were hiding something. A prudent protest might be something along the lines of, “Well it is clear mistakes were made across the board and there will be time to sort that out later.”
Well the real take away should be Brown’s remark that FEMA’s preparations in Mississippi and Alabama were largely effective. Only in dysfunctional Louisiana were FEMA’s plans and efforts found to be lacking. Hmm, wonder why? Could it be twin idiots separated at birth at the local level? Naaa, couldn’t be. An inarticulate idiot profane mayor? Noooo. A dopey woman governor that couldn’t run the neighborhood bridge club let alone a state government? Couldn’t be. It has to be all Brown’s fault. After all, he is Republican, white, male and probably believes in some kind of religion. In short, he is the perfect fall guy.
If the committee couldn’t handle the mild mannered Michael Brown what are they going to do when LTG “You are stuck on stupid congressman” Honeree shows up firing both barrels?
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Marines are cutting costs
In an effort to offset Katrina costs the US Marine Corps has initiated several inovative cost cutting measures. This is the latest. Bombs are expensive and can only be used once. This Marine can be used over and over.
Cindy, if wasn't doing this I'd have to get a job, Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan, still obviously stricken with grief over the death of her son Casey, is hauled away from the White House.
When asked why she was continuing her crusade at the latest anti-America/war rally, Cindy Sheehan said, "Well my husband has left me. I have no means of support now. So if I wasn't doing this, I'd have to get a job to support myself and I'm just not ready to go back to work yet."
"What about Casey?" came a voice from the crowd.
"Who?" replied Sheehan.
"Your son Casey?" asked the voice.
"Oh yeah him. When the police arested me in my chair yesterday, it was such a neat photo op don't you think? I just wish I'd had my blue shirt on. I look so good in that shirt. I just love being the center of attention."
It's all about Cindy now.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Where's the follow up Tim?
After being caught in a lie, a fib, a half or full untruth or as I say to Lex jr. a “story,” the inbred looking Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard took to Meet the Press again yesterday, ill fitting ball cap firmly in place, to clean up his own Katrina mess. Mr. Broussard, in an earlier appearance with Russert, had accused the federal government of killing the 92-year-old mother of the parish's emergency services director. Turns out Mr. Broussard’s account of the woman’s death was embellished a bit so that Mr. Broussard could make the strongest possible case against the federal government while giving local and state officials a total pass. In his usual no nonsense “the buck stops somewhere” style, Mr. Broussard said yesterday that he had been misinformed by his staff about the sequence of events in the woman’s death.
But then Mr. B lashed out at those who had pointed out that his story about how and when the woman died just didn’t add up. Trying to blame those who discovered his lie instead of taking responsibility, Mr. B whined loud and long "What kind of sick mind, what kind of black-hearted people want to nitpick a man's mother's death?" For his part Russert just let the obvious slide by without note. A good follow up, Tim, might have been, “What kind of sick mind, what kind of black-hearted person, what kind of inbred nitwit, what kind of low-life Louisiana politician would use a man's mother's death to score political points, then bitch about the people who caught him in his own lie?”
But wait, like a Popeel knife ad, there’s more. After Mr. B left, Tim was back with three New York Times opinion writers. Gee, I wonder what nice things they’ll say about the president? MoDo, Tomas L. Friedman and token “conservative” Michael Brooks all took shots at Mr. Bush under the leading questions and to the delight of Tim Russert. Friedman for his part whined about high oil profits going to the Saudis. This is the same guy who has advocated high oil prices and now that he’s gotten exactly what he wants is bitching. TLF advocates high oil prices, but those prices should only rise as a result of federal taxes not market pressure. TLF admirably wants to rid the US of foreign oil dependency. But how? Again, Tim misses the obvious follow-up, “So Tomas L. Friedman, you are advocating drilling on the California coast, ANWAR and elsewhere to wean us off foreign oil? You are advocating more oil refineries here in the US? You are advocating more nuclear, or as GWB says nucular, energy?” And of course TLF is not for any of that. 1) Because it might actually solve the problem. 2) He’s Lib and Libs hate all of those things. 3) Bush might get credit for actually solving the energy dependency problem. 4) Where are the higher taxes in that solution?
TLF’s solution is to raise taxes. Ruin what’s left of the economy. Then raise taxes more. Return to an agrarian solar powered economy. Then raise taxes on solar devises. Ride bicycles. Then raise taxes on bikes. Forfeit our position as the world’s only hyperpower. Then raise taxes. Then when he gets everything he wants, he’ll blame all of the results on Bush for not raising taxes more. Only in TLF’s world is getting what you’ve asked for Bush’s fault and cause to bitch.
But then Mr. B lashed out at those who had pointed out that his story about how and when the woman died just didn’t add up. Trying to blame those who discovered his lie instead of taking responsibility, Mr. B whined loud and long "What kind of sick mind, what kind of black-hearted people want to nitpick a man's mother's death?" For his part Russert just let the obvious slide by without note. A good follow up, Tim, might have been, “What kind of sick mind, what kind of black-hearted person, what kind of inbred nitwit, what kind of low-life Louisiana politician would use a man's mother's death to score political points, then bitch about the people who caught him in his own lie?”
But wait, like a Popeel knife ad, there’s more. After Mr. B left, Tim was back with three New York Times opinion writers. Gee, I wonder what nice things they’ll say about the president? MoDo, Tomas L. Friedman and token “conservative” Michael Brooks all took shots at Mr. Bush under the leading questions and to the delight of Tim Russert. Friedman for his part whined about high oil profits going to the Saudis. This is the same guy who has advocated high oil prices and now that he’s gotten exactly what he wants is bitching. TLF advocates high oil prices, but those prices should only rise as a result of federal taxes not market pressure. TLF admirably wants to rid the US of foreign oil dependency. But how? Again, Tim misses the obvious follow-up, “So Tomas L. Friedman, you are advocating drilling on the California coast, ANWAR and elsewhere to wean us off foreign oil? You are advocating more oil refineries here in the US? You are advocating more nuclear, or as GWB says nucular, energy?” And of course TLF is not for any of that. 1) Because it might actually solve the problem. 2) He’s Lib and Libs hate all of those things. 3) Bush might get credit for actually solving the energy dependency problem. 4) Where are the higher taxes in that solution?
TLF’s solution is to raise taxes. Ruin what’s left of the economy. Then raise taxes more. Return to an agrarian solar powered economy. Then raise taxes on solar devises. Ride bicycles. Then raise taxes on bikes. Forfeit our position as the world’s only hyperpower. Then raise taxes. Then when he gets everything he wants, he’ll blame all of the results on Bush for not raising taxes more. Only in TLF’s world is getting what you’ve asked for Bush’s fault and cause to bitch.
Friday, September 23, 2005
What's bugging me today
Roberts passes out of committee 13-5. This is the biggest non-issue ever. Given Republican president’s poor track record of getting a true conservative on the nation’s highest court, why are Democrats belly-aching about Roberts? I’ve noted here before that it’ll take ten years to tell what kind of justice Roberts will be. This whole confirmation process should take about 30 seconds. “Are you going to tell us if you’ll vote to overturn Roe?” “No, senator I’m not.” OK, now let’s have the party line vote.
The one question that should have been asked by a Republican was never brought up. “Judge what if Roe were over turned today? Would abortion be illegal in all 50?” “No senator it wouldn’t. It just wouldn’t be mandatory in all 50 states. We’d revert to the status quo anti where each of the several states’ elected representatives, instead of five dopes in robes, would decide how that state’s abortion laws would read."
Gas gouging. Somebody’s got to explain this to me. If I’m at a NASCAR race with the last case of beer and decide to sell those beers for $10 each, is that beer gouging? If everyone in the world wants the last bit of oil available and is willing to pay $90 a barrel, if 20% of my refining capacity has been destroyed or otherwise shut down by storms, if over the last 25 years I have steadfastly refused to invest in more drilling and refining capacity, should I bitch about gouging because gas has gone to the unspeakable cost of $3 a gallon even when European dopes have paying over $5 for years?
Besides in his book “My Head is Flat” or was it “The world is Flat” Bob Schieffer’s Secretary of State, Thomas L. Friedman, like all good liberals, called for $4 a gallon gas as means to curb consumption.* Liberals have been clamoring for higher gas prices for years. Now that they’ve gotten them, they bitch about gouging. The big difference is that the Libs wanted to TAX gas to $4. So get this. In the Lib’s mind, it’s OK for your own government to gouge you to raise revenue to fund the latest Piss Christ, but it’s criminal for the gas companies to raise price in response to supply and demand. Strange, very strange.
* One Sunday, during his viewerless blabbermouth show, the clueless Bob Schieffer actually told TLF, that were he president, Shieffer would appoint TLF as his Secretary of State. To which TLF replied, Bob based on the rating of this show if everyone watching was allowed to vote for you, you could not be elected as a school crossing guard in Dutch Bend, Wyoming population 83.
CNN makes case for less government. I hope the RNC has its TiVo running on CNN. In its continuing effort to assault the president on everything Katrina related, CNN has made a compelling case for less government. CNN has taken to showing every hapless face they can find pointing out that while government has been unable to reach the poor wretch, the local church or some other Good Samaritan has. Then they whine, how can this local church reach these poor people when the full weight of the federal government can’t? Well churches know where the people are. There are more church volunteers than federal government workers. The church has more compassion than the federal government. It is impossible for the government to find everyone who needs help in an area the size of Great Britain. People who need help find the church or the church finds them. But if you advocate federal funding for this type of church work CNN and other Libs go ballistic. Odd, isn’t it?
The one question that should have been asked by a Republican was never brought up. “Judge what if Roe were over turned today? Would abortion be illegal in all 50?” “No senator it wouldn’t. It just wouldn’t be mandatory in all 50 states. We’d revert to the status quo anti where each of the several states’ elected representatives, instead of five dopes in robes, would decide how that state’s abortion laws would read."
Gas gouging. Somebody’s got to explain this to me. If I’m at a NASCAR race with the last case of beer and decide to sell those beers for $10 each, is that beer gouging? If everyone in the world wants the last bit of oil available and is willing to pay $90 a barrel, if 20% of my refining capacity has been destroyed or otherwise shut down by storms, if over the last 25 years I have steadfastly refused to invest in more drilling and refining capacity, should I bitch about gouging because gas has gone to the unspeakable cost of $3 a gallon even when European dopes have paying over $5 for years?
Besides in his book “My Head is Flat” or was it “The world is Flat” Bob Schieffer’s Secretary of State, Thomas L. Friedman, like all good liberals, called for $4 a gallon gas as means to curb consumption.* Liberals have been clamoring for higher gas prices for years. Now that they’ve gotten them, they bitch about gouging. The big difference is that the Libs wanted to TAX gas to $4. So get this. In the Lib’s mind, it’s OK for your own government to gouge you to raise revenue to fund the latest Piss Christ, but it’s criminal for the gas companies to raise price in response to supply and demand. Strange, very strange.
* One Sunday, during his viewerless blabbermouth show, the clueless Bob Schieffer actually told TLF, that were he president, Shieffer would appoint TLF as his Secretary of State. To which TLF replied, Bob based on the rating of this show if everyone watching was allowed to vote for you, you could not be elected as a school crossing guard in Dutch Bend, Wyoming population 83.
CNN makes case for less government. I hope the RNC has its TiVo running on CNN. In its continuing effort to assault the president on everything Katrina related, CNN has made a compelling case for less government. CNN has taken to showing every hapless face they can find pointing out that while government has been unable to reach the poor wretch, the local church or some other Good Samaritan has. Then they whine, how can this local church reach these poor people when the full weight of the federal government can’t? Well churches know where the people are. There are more church volunteers than federal government workers. The church has more compassion than the federal government. It is impossible for the government to find everyone who needs help in an area the size of Great Britain. People who need help find the church or the church finds them. But if you advocate federal funding for this type of church work CNN and other Libs go ballistic. Odd, isn’t it?
Thursday, September 22, 2005
On Responsibility
When something goes wrong in Lex jr.’s sheltered life, he will immediately determine who is responsible, and it’s truly a Ripley’s moment when the responsibility falls back on him. The cause of a dropped ball is almost always because it wasn’t thrown correctly to him. A fall on his bike is the result of the uneven pavement not his inattention. But heck, he’s only eight years old and most adults have trouble with words like, “Oops, I’m sorry, that was my fault. Let me help fix what I screwed up.”
This whole thing worries me because we live in a society that increasingly attributes every failure to someone or something other than individual stupidity or lack of discipline. Mom and Dad both passed away, after long productive lives, from the ravages of a two pack-a-day smoking habit. Both quit late in life, when it was too late, after smoking related illnesses laid bare the facts that they were killing themselves with cigarettes. They never complained of their early decision to take up the habit. When the bright guys with the federal government decided that warnings were necessary on cigarette packs, Dad laughed, “Hell they’ve been calling them coffin nails since I was a kid. How much more of a warning do you need?” Deep down I think they enjoyed smoking and thought that something else would get them before cancer. So Mom and Dad never joined any class action suite against the tobacco companies. They accepted the responsibility of their choices and lived happy lives.
Today, society doles out blame for everything usually to large companies or the federal government and hardly ever to an individual – unless it’s the MSM tagging a Republican president. A guy 300 lbs overweight, who eats three Big Macs a day, has a six pack with dinner, smokes a carton of cigarettes a week, and dies while taking Fhen Fhen has hit the jackpot for his next of kin. The family will sue McDonald’s, beer, cigarette, and drug makers and never have to explain the descendants own gluttonous behavior. Every personal weakness is dubbed a syndrome or disease and the afflicted person becomes a victim. Not a victim of their own weakness, stupidity or sloth but a victim of the nearest proximate large corporation or if none exists, the federal government.
Look at the 34 poor soles trapped in the nursing home in New Orleans. Some dopey inbred looking parish president – proof positive these people should not control a dime of the federal money headed to LA - gets on TV and blames the slow federal response for their deaths. Then it turns out they all died on the first day of the storm. Hmm, Boudreaux we’ve got a problem. It looks as if you’re either an idiot or a liar. My bet is he’s equal parts of both. Then the relatives get on TV, all high and dry somewhere, blaming everyone but themselves for Mom’s death. “Why, hell we can’t be held responsible for Mom’s death. We were paying them. Sure we could have picked her up on the way out of town, but then we’d have had to listen to her go on and on about how she met Dad and how much she missed him. Besides, if we picked her up, we wouldn’t have had room for the dog kennel.” That whole episode reminded me of the Dolly Parton movie where she says, “Mamma can take care of six kids, but six kids can’t take care of Mamma.” It’s just easier to blame someone after the fact than take some action before hand. Besides, how hard is it to get out of the way of an object moving at 12 miles and hour with a week’s notice?
Don’t even think it! The people who ran that home and skipped town to save themselves are weasels. But at the end of the day, they didn’t leave their mother behind to drown.
This whole thing worries me because we live in a society that increasingly attributes every failure to someone or something other than individual stupidity or lack of discipline. Mom and Dad both passed away, after long productive lives, from the ravages of a two pack-a-day smoking habit. Both quit late in life, when it was too late, after smoking related illnesses laid bare the facts that they were killing themselves with cigarettes. They never complained of their early decision to take up the habit. When the bright guys with the federal government decided that warnings were necessary on cigarette packs, Dad laughed, “Hell they’ve been calling them coffin nails since I was a kid. How much more of a warning do you need?” Deep down I think they enjoyed smoking and thought that something else would get them before cancer. So Mom and Dad never joined any class action suite against the tobacco companies. They accepted the responsibility of their choices and lived happy lives.
Today, society doles out blame for everything usually to large companies or the federal government and hardly ever to an individual – unless it’s the MSM tagging a Republican president. A guy 300 lbs overweight, who eats three Big Macs a day, has a six pack with dinner, smokes a carton of cigarettes a week, and dies while taking Fhen Fhen has hit the jackpot for his next of kin. The family will sue McDonald’s, beer, cigarette, and drug makers and never have to explain the descendants own gluttonous behavior. Every personal weakness is dubbed a syndrome or disease and the afflicted person becomes a victim. Not a victim of their own weakness, stupidity or sloth but a victim of the nearest proximate large corporation or if none exists, the federal government.
Look at the 34 poor soles trapped in the nursing home in New Orleans. Some dopey inbred looking parish president – proof positive these people should not control a dime of the federal money headed to LA - gets on TV and blames the slow federal response for their deaths. Then it turns out they all died on the first day of the storm. Hmm, Boudreaux we’ve got a problem. It looks as if you’re either an idiot or a liar. My bet is he’s equal parts of both. Then the relatives get on TV, all high and dry somewhere, blaming everyone but themselves for Mom’s death. “Why, hell we can’t be held responsible for Mom’s death. We were paying them. Sure we could have picked her up on the way out of town, but then we’d have had to listen to her go on and on about how she met Dad and how much she missed him. Besides, if we picked her up, we wouldn’t have had room for the dog kennel.” That whole episode reminded me of the Dolly Parton movie where she says, “Mamma can take care of six kids, but six kids can’t take care of Mamma.” It’s just easier to blame someone after the fact than take some action before hand. Besides, how hard is it to get out of the way of an object moving at 12 miles and hour with a week’s notice?
Don’t even think it! The people who ran that home and skipped town to save themselves are weasels. But at the end of the day, they didn’t leave their mother behind to drown.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
A tale of two presidents
In a post several below, Lex notes that Clinton’s failed presidency was the worst kind because Clinton had everything going for him. Clinton didn’t fail because of any outside forces natural or manmade. Clinton failed because of his own self indulgence. Compare Clinton to George Bush.
Clinton didn’t do anything, to include going on vacation, without first polling a focus group. Bush refuses to lead by the poll. When recently asked about his low poll numbers, Bush simply shrugged while noting that leadership is not always taking the popular decision. He vacations at his Crawford ranch and doesn’t much care what anyone thinks about it. As media driven polls lead one to believe that most Americans think we should leave Iraq, Bush correctly says we’ll stay until the Iraqis are ready to take over. A poll says Bush should replace Justice O’Conner with another woman, Bush picks Judge Roberts. He may now pick a woman, but the blabbermouths won’t bet a C note on that. You could bet a C note that Bush will pick the person he believes to be best qualified for the job and win every time.
Bubba never tried to do anything big. Unless turning healthcare into another government run bureaucracy is something big. When that proposition failed, Bubba was happy to let the smartest woman in the world, who happened to be his wife, take the fall for the debacle. By contrast Bush it seems is engaged only in big ideas. He cut taxes in the first term when nobody thought he could. He booted the Taliban from power when the New York Times said we were in a quagmire three weeks into the operation. He cut taxes again while the country was at war. He booted Saddam from power when retired generals said the force was too light. He has roots of democracy growing in a region of the world that has never experienced it. He beat John, have I mentioned I ducked out of Vietnam with a fist full medals and two reels of campaign footage after only four months, Kerry by 3,000,000 votes. He has brought the Israelis and Palestinians together without ever giving the terrorist Arafat the time of day. He has brought more attention and American money to the African continent than a 1,000 Bonos. He has told the unvarnished truth about a corrupt and out of control UN and sent a hard nosed ambassador to deliver his message. He has taken on the biggest of domestic issues, the failing Ponzi scheme known as Social Security and a flatter and fairer tax. Is it any wonder why his poll numbers might be low? Anyone of the above issues could lead to decline in public support. Bush has taken them all on and, this president has led.
While Clinton’s big idea was allocating federal money for midnight basketball programs, Bush has been doing the truly big things. All the while he has been sniped at from failed former Democrat presidents and their public relation offices know as the Mainstream Media. Through it all he has kept his eye on the ball. He has not engaged in the Teddy, where’s the bar, Kennedy type name calling. He has been gracious and humble.
Now the chattering class is saying Bush will have to roll back his tax cuts or as the clueless Judy Woodruff put it on Russert’s show, “his precious tax cuts.” Don’t count on it Jude. Wrecking the economy to please Democrats and MSM hacks probably is not very high on this president’s to do list. Only after a truck load of offsets are identified will this president agree that $2.6 TRILLION is just not enough to run the federal government.
Clinton didn’t do anything, to include going on vacation, without first polling a focus group. Bush refuses to lead by the poll. When recently asked about his low poll numbers, Bush simply shrugged while noting that leadership is not always taking the popular decision. He vacations at his Crawford ranch and doesn’t much care what anyone thinks about it. As media driven polls lead one to believe that most Americans think we should leave Iraq, Bush correctly says we’ll stay until the Iraqis are ready to take over. A poll says Bush should replace Justice O’Conner with another woman, Bush picks Judge Roberts. He may now pick a woman, but the blabbermouths won’t bet a C note on that. You could bet a C note that Bush will pick the person he believes to be best qualified for the job and win every time.
Bubba never tried to do anything big. Unless turning healthcare into another government run bureaucracy is something big. When that proposition failed, Bubba was happy to let the smartest woman in the world, who happened to be his wife, take the fall for the debacle. By contrast Bush it seems is engaged only in big ideas. He cut taxes in the first term when nobody thought he could. He booted the Taliban from power when the New York Times said we were in a quagmire three weeks into the operation. He cut taxes again while the country was at war. He booted Saddam from power when retired generals said the force was too light. He has roots of democracy growing in a region of the world that has never experienced it. He beat John, have I mentioned I ducked out of Vietnam with a fist full medals and two reels of campaign footage after only four months, Kerry by 3,000,000 votes. He has brought the Israelis and Palestinians together without ever giving the terrorist Arafat the time of day. He has brought more attention and American money to the African continent than a 1,000 Bonos. He has told the unvarnished truth about a corrupt and out of control UN and sent a hard nosed ambassador to deliver his message. He has taken on the biggest of domestic issues, the failing Ponzi scheme known as Social Security and a flatter and fairer tax. Is it any wonder why his poll numbers might be low? Anyone of the above issues could lead to decline in public support. Bush has taken them all on and, this president has led.
While Clinton’s big idea was allocating federal money for midnight basketball programs, Bush has been doing the truly big things. All the while he has been sniped at from failed former Democrat presidents and their public relation offices know as the Mainstream Media. Through it all he has kept his eye on the ball. He has not engaged in the Teddy, where’s the bar, Kennedy type name calling. He has been gracious and humble.
Now the chattering class is saying Bush will have to roll back his tax cuts or as the clueless Judy Woodruff put it on Russert’s show, “his precious tax cuts.” Don’t count on it Jude. Wrecking the economy to please Democrats and MSM hacks probably is not very high on this president’s to do list. Only after a truck load of offsets are identified will this president agree that $2.6 TRILLION is just not enough to run the federal government.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Iraq has a draft constitution
Sunday the Iraqi majority Shiite tired of trying to meet the minority Sunni half way on the draft Iraqi Constitution and sent the draft to the Iraqi people for ratification. Reasonable Shiites discovered trying to give the Sunni everything they wanted was like making a Christmas list with an eight year old. You always run out of paper before the eight year old runs out of gift giving ideas. So the Shiite made a good faith effort, did the best they could, and sent the draft to the people.
By comparison, though the Treaty of Paris wasn’t signed until January 1784, hostilities in our own revolution ended in February 1783. At that time we were governed under the Articles of Confederation. It wasn’t until May 1787 that the Constitutional Convention opened. On 17 September, 1787, more than eleven years after we declared our independence, our draft constitution was sent to Congress and we reached the point that the Iraqis reached Sunday a little more than two years after their independence from Saddam. It would take almost another year for the requisite nine states to ratify our Constitution something the Iraqis hope to do in a little more than a month. Even if the Iraqis reject the current draft in October, they will still be well ahead of our own experiment with democracy.
There has been much made of the fact that the Iraqi draft constitution does not protect all the rights of women. Some sink into deep hyperbole screeching that Iraqi women were actually better off under Saddam. That is if you count being raped by Saddam’s two lunatic sons, or having your family shoved into a ditch and shot as being better off. The Iraqi draft calls for 25% of representatives to be women an odd thing to put into your constitution if you’re interested in repressing women. By comparison, our own constitution contained a provision for slavery until the 13th Amendment was passed in December 1865. Women were also denied voting rights until the 19th Amendment passed in 1920. So again the Iraqis seem to be tracking better than our own founding fathers.
We can count on the Lamestream Media missing these points as they loop endlessly the latest explosions in Baghdad from day to day. In October when Iraqis go to vote you can count on every shot and bomb being given more attention than the actual vote. When the vote is done, if the draft fails, the LSM will portray it as the end of Iraq and all Bush’s fault rather than what it would actually represent - a victory as for democracy in that the voice of the people had been heard. If the draft passes, the LSM will manage to minimize the accomplishment by continuing to endlessly loop the latest explosion in Baghdad.
By comparison, though the Treaty of Paris wasn’t signed until January 1784, hostilities in our own revolution ended in February 1783. At that time we were governed under the Articles of Confederation. It wasn’t until May 1787 that the Constitutional Convention opened. On 17 September, 1787, more than eleven years after we declared our independence, our draft constitution was sent to Congress and we reached the point that the Iraqis reached Sunday a little more than two years after their independence from Saddam. It would take almost another year for the requisite nine states to ratify our Constitution something the Iraqis hope to do in a little more than a month. Even if the Iraqis reject the current draft in October, they will still be well ahead of our own experiment with democracy.
There has been much made of the fact that the Iraqi draft constitution does not protect all the rights of women. Some sink into deep hyperbole screeching that Iraqi women were actually better off under Saddam. That is if you count being raped by Saddam’s two lunatic sons, or having your family shoved into a ditch and shot as being better off. The Iraqi draft calls for 25% of representatives to be women an odd thing to put into your constitution if you’re interested in repressing women. By comparison, our own constitution contained a provision for slavery until the 13th Amendment was passed in December 1865. Women were also denied voting rights until the 19th Amendment passed in 1920. So again the Iraqis seem to be tracking better than our own founding fathers.
We can count on the Lamestream Media missing these points as they loop endlessly the latest explosions in Baghdad from day to day. In October when Iraqis go to vote you can count on every shot and bomb being given more attention than the actual vote. When the vote is done, if the draft fails, the LSM will portray it as the end of Iraq and all Bush’s fault rather than what it would actually represent - a victory as for democracy in that the voice of the people had been heard. If the draft passes, the LSM will manage to minimize the accomplishment by continuing to endlessly loop the latest explosion in Baghdad.
Monday, September 19, 2005
In search of a legacy
I thought that Bill Clinton would wreck the country. I was wrong. Other than diddling the help, Clinton’s method of governing by the poll ensured he would not engage in anything risky or great. He just plodded along splitting the difference between people on the left and the right with big ideas. All the while he complained about how unfairly he was being treated by that mean Ken Starr. And after serving eight years as the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, his name will be forever and foremost linked with a 20 something intern whose last name is now used as a verb for a sex act.
Even after Lewinsky (The girl not the sex act.) Bill Clinton’s legacy will hinge on the former president playing fast and lose with the truth. When George W. Bush was informed that he was running well behind John Kerry in exit polling he replied, “It is what it is.” Contrast that response with Bill Clinton’s tortured sworn testimony, “It depends on what the meaning of is, is.” Even respectable people in his party knew that Bill Clinton was an extremely smooth liar. Democrat Senator Bob Kerry noted early in Bill Clinton’s presidency that Clinton was “a remarkably good liar.”
After using the Oval Office as a brothel and being a “remarkably good liar,” Clinton will next be known as the one who passed the buck. When U.S. “forces” stormed a compound in Wako, TX killing more than 80 U.S. citizens many of them children, President Clinton effortlessly passed the buck to Attorney General Janet Reno – who to her credit stepped up and accepted responsibility. When the Chinese got U.S. missile technology that allowed them to target U.S. cities – and Clinton/Gore got Chinese campaign cash - it was Commerce Secretary Brown’s fault. When a Sudanese aspirin factory was mistakenly bombed – oddly during Lewinsky’s grand jury testimony – it was the CIA’s fault.
So what is an under performing and/or disgraced former president to do? Nixon showed his superior intellect by writing books and speaking out on foreign affairs. Gerald Ford faded away and played a lot of golf. Jimmy Carter traveled around certifying crooked elections and building houses for the poor. George H.W. Bush, perhaps the classiest among former presidents, just went home and minded his own business.
Bill Clinton is in the process of trying to build a post presidential legacy that will somehow over shadow the pathetic legacy he achieved while he was in office. As a means to this end Bill Clinton has taken to holding “world” conferences on this and that. Yesterday he tried to just re-write history with Stephanopolis and Russert.
An AFP story notes, “Breaking with tradition under which US presidents mute criticisms of their successors, Clinton said the Bush administration had decided to invade Iraq ‘virtually alone and before UN inspections were completed, with no real urgency, no evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction.’" This is absurd. Breaking with tradition? Clinton and fellow Democrat failure Jimmy Carter broke with tradition five years ago five minutes after George Bush was sworn in the first time. It’s also absurd in that ignores 18 failed UN resolutions. It’s also absurd because ignores tens of thousands of dead Kurds and Iranians killed by Saddam with chemical weapons. Last it is absurd because it ignores French, German and Russian treachery in the UN Security Council.
The AFP went on, “The US strategy of trying to develop the Iraqi military and police so that they can cope without US support ‘I think is the best strategy. The problem is we not have, in the short run, enough troops to that,’ said Clinton.” So what is the slick one advocating? That we should turn it over to the Iraqis by doing more for them? More troops equals more targets. More troops equals more work by US troops and less by the Iraqis. More troops equals more cost to the US. So what’s the answer slick one? More US or more Iraqi?
Then in a couple of truly dopey comments on Hurricane Katrina, Clinton faulted FEMA for not getting the poor out of New Orleans via buses. I guess the slick one has not seen the photo of the municipal and school bus fleets parked in neat rows…underwater. Clinton also made a goofy comment that his FEMA director James Lee Witt was “always in there early.” Well first, where was Witt during the Chicago heat wave of July 1995 that killed 525, mostly poor and elderly people a figure that for now exceeds the death toll in New Orleans? Next I guess the slickster missed the Michael Kelly piece that documents that FEMA’s response to Katrina was faster than FEMA’s average. Last, I suppose that the oily one didn’t know that James Lee Witt has been brought on to help the hapless LA Governor Blanko and still hasn’t been able to get a handle on the total incompetence of state and local leadership.
Bill Clinton’s latest bid at a legacy is much easier than holding some world conference. He just sits around and criticizes the other guy. Sort of a "the worst you look the better I look" legacy. The problem is that nobody will ever look as bad as Clinton. He was the worst kind of failure. He didn’t fail because he lacked intellect. He is by all accounts brilliant. He didn’t fail because the projects he tried were just too big and just out of reach. He tried nothing big. He didn’t fail because he couldn’t bring America along with him. America supported him through his darkest moments. He didn’t fail because America was weak or broke. Thanks to Reagan Bush, we were at the height of our strength and wealth. He failed because he was and remains obsessed with himself. Listen when speaks to the number of times the pronouns I and me come up. That just about says it all.
Even after Lewinsky (The girl not the sex act.) Bill Clinton’s legacy will hinge on the former president playing fast and lose with the truth. When George W. Bush was informed that he was running well behind John Kerry in exit polling he replied, “It is what it is.” Contrast that response with Bill Clinton’s tortured sworn testimony, “It depends on what the meaning of is, is.” Even respectable people in his party knew that Bill Clinton was an extremely smooth liar. Democrat Senator Bob Kerry noted early in Bill Clinton’s presidency that Clinton was “a remarkably good liar.”
After using the Oval Office as a brothel and being a “remarkably good liar,” Clinton will next be known as the one who passed the buck. When U.S. “forces” stormed a compound in Wako, TX killing more than 80 U.S. citizens many of them children, President Clinton effortlessly passed the buck to Attorney General Janet Reno – who to her credit stepped up and accepted responsibility. When the Chinese got U.S. missile technology that allowed them to target U.S. cities – and Clinton/Gore got Chinese campaign cash - it was Commerce Secretary Brown’s fault. When a Sudanese aspirin factory was mistakenly bombed – oddly during Lewinsky’s grand jury testimony – it was the CIA’s fault.
So what is an under performing and/or disgraced former president to do? Nixon showed his superior intellect by writing books and speaking out on foreign affairs. Gerald Ford faded away and played a lot of golf. Jimmy Carter traveled around certifying crooked elections and building houses for the poor. George H.W. Bush, perhaps the classiest among former presidents, just went home and minded his own business.
Bill Clinton is in the process of trying to build a post presidential legacy that will somehow over shadow the pathetic legacy he achieved while he was in office. As a means to this end Bill Clinton has taken to holding “world” conferences on this and that. Yesterday he tried to just re-write history with Stephanopolis and Russert.
An AFP story notes, “Breaking with tradition under which US presidents mute criticisms of their successors, Clinton said the Bush administration had decided to invade Iraq ‘virtually alone and before UN inspections were completed, with no real urgency, no evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction.’" This is absurd. Breaking with tradition? Clinton and fellow Democrat failure Jimmy Carter broke with tradition five years ago five minutes after George Bush was sworn in the first time. It’s also absurd in that ignores 18 failed UN resolutions. It’s also absurd because ignores tens of thousands of dead Kurds and Iranians killed by Saddam with chemical weapons. Last it is absurd because it ignores French, German and Russian treachery in the UN Security Council.
The AFP went on, “The US strategy of trying to develop the Iraqi military and police so that they can cope without US support ‘I think is the best strategy. The problem is we not have, in the short run, enough troops to that,’ said Clinton.” So what is the slick one advocating? That we should turn it over to the Iraqis by doing more for them? More troops equals more targets. More troops equals more work by US troops and less by the Iraqis. More troops equals more cost to the US. So what’s the answer slick one? More US or more Iraqi?
Then in a couple of truly dopey comments on Hurricane Katrina, Clinton faulted FEMA for not getting the poor out of New Orleans via buses. I guess the slick one has not seen the photo of the municipal and school bus fleets parked in neat rows…underwater. Clinton also made a goofy comment that his FEMA director James Lee Witt was “always in there early.” Well first, where was Witt during the Chicago heat wave of July 1995 that killed 525, mostly poor and elderly people a figure that for now exceeds the death toll in New Orleans? Next I guess the slickster missed the Michael Kelly piece that documents that FEMA’s response to Katrina was faster than FEMA’s average. Last, I suppose that the oily one didn’t know that James Lee Witt has been brought on to help the hapless LA Governor Blanko and still hasn’t been able to get a handle on the total incompetence of state and local leadership.
Bill Clinton’s latest bid at a legacy is much easier than holding some world conference. He just sits around and criticizes the other guy. Sort of a "the worst you look the better I look" legacy. The problem is that nobody will ever look as bad as Clinton. He was the worst kind of failure. He didn’t fail because he lacked intellect. He is by all accounts brilliant. He didn’t fail because the projects he tried were just too big and just out of reach. He tried nothing big. He didn’t fail because he couldn’t bring America along with him. America supported him through his darkest moments. He didn’t fail because America was weak or broke. Thanks to Reagan Bush, we were at the height of our strength and wealth. He failed because he was and remains obsessed with himself. Listen when speaks to the number of times the pronouns I and me come up. That just about says it all.
Friday, September 16, 2005
The president gets it about right
President Bush gave an inspiring speech last night. What was missing was the price tag for all of the rebuilding. Some say $200 billion. That would keep the Libs very happy, especially if that figure encourages the entitlement crowd to return to New Orleans in status quo anti arrangement where black leaders pretend that 45 years and $7 TRILLION of Democrat hand outs have strengthened the black family and Democrats pretend to care about blacks as something more than a reliable voting block. $200 BILLION is a lot of money, even by government standards. It could be money well spent, if what is reconstructed is smaller, stronger and better; if the rebuilding involves real training and work for the huddled masses that heretofore have relied on the Democrat precinct captain to dole out just enough government cash to keep the votes in line; if the private sector is allowed control the lion’s share of the cash; if the legacy of eight generations (including the current group) of corrupt, inept, useless, thieving, loud mouth, Louisiana politicians can be broken to the point that some measurable percentage of the government’s largess actually reaches the projects that it was intended for. Hopefully the $200 BILLION figure is like the Gangsta Mayor’s prediction of 10,000 deaths in New Orleans – that is, way over stated, but then we’re already at $60 BILLION appropriated.
Bush also gets it right with regard to the federal response. FEMA is OK and we have to have the appearance of civilian control, but the military is the only organization really capable of command and control of a situation like Katrina. The military is the only government agency that has the leadership, organization, equipment, communications assets, manpower and supplies already in place to react to a crisis like Katrina. By his encouragement of a larger military role, the president is suggesting that we reinforce the one government agency that actually did its job. FEMA should actually be cut and those assets given to DoD for domestic responses. The long term recovery should be a private enterprise overseen by FEMA.
Last night Bush could not and should not have pointed out that we don’t treat all of our children the same. It’s obvious that the most corrupt state in the union and the most corrupt city in the most corrupt state were not up to the task. We don’t treat all of our children the same. The bright, eager to please first born is given more leeway than mopey rebellious middle child. Such is the case with state leadership. The older children in MS, AL and FL have needed far less help cleaning up their rooms than the spoiled, cry baby youngest child who wrecked his own room in LA. President Bush could not say, “Look things here in Louisiana are horrendous. They were made much worse by total lack of state and local leadership. The people in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have faired much better under their adult leadership. My biggest mistake was that I did not recognize the depths to which this bunch of bungling boobs could sink in what can only be described as purposeful malfeasance.”
Bush also gets it right with regard to the federal response. FEMA is OK and we have to have the appearance of civilian control, but the military is the only organization really capable of command and control of a situation like Katrina. The military is the only government agency that has the leadership, organization, equipment, communications assets, manpower and supplies already in place to react to a crisis like Katrina. By his encouragement of a larger military role, the president is suggesting that we reinforce the one government agency that actually did its job. FEMA should actually be cut and those assets given to DoD for domestic responses. The long term recovery should be a private enterprise overseen by FEMA.
Last night Bush could not and should not have pointed out that we don’t treat all of our children the same. It’s obvious that the most corrupt state in the union and the most corrupt city in the most corrupt state were not up to the task. We don’t treat all of our children the same. The bright, eager to please first born is given more leeway than mopey rebellious middle child. Such is the case with state leadership. The older children in MS, AL and FL have needed far less help cleaning up their rooms than the spoiled, cry baby youngest child who wrecked his own room in LA. President Bush could not say, “Look things here in Louisiana are horrendous. They were made much worse by total lack of state and local leadership. The people in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have faired much better under their adult leadership. My biggest mistake was that I did not recognize the depths to which this bunch of bungling boobs could sink in what can only be described as purposeful malfeasance.”
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Mom and Dad's memorial
In the military a spoiling attack is when a weakened defensive force unexpectedly attacks a superior force. The aim of the spoiling attack is to disrupt the superior force before they can launch a crushing attack on the defenders. In the first real battle of the war on Islamo-terror-fascists (ITF) on U.S. soil, Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, Mark Bingham, Jeremy Glick and other passengers aboard United Airlines flight 93 ruined ITF plans to strike the White House or Capital Building with a spoiling attack.
The passengers via cell phone conversations with loved ones had gotten word of the World trade Center and Pentagon attacks. Beamer was trying to reach his wife but only got as far as an operator. After a short conversation and recitation of the 23rd Psalm with the operator, Beamer was heard to utter the now famous phrase “Let’s Roll.” The brave passengers rushed their captors and struggled for control of the doomed flight before crashing into a Pennsylvania field. This is heroic stuff by any standard.
So let’s build a memorial to the brave soles of United Flight 93. A statue would be nice. It could have a group of stern looking men of action, clenched fists, chests out, loosening ties and taking off their jackets while stepping forward - reminiscent of the WWII recruiting poster. Beneath the statue we could emblazon the words “LET’S ROLL.” Beneath that a list of the names of the innocent soles lost on Flight 93. On the back we could put the 23rd Psalm which brought them comfort in their last minutes. We’ll surround the whole thing with American flags and play “God Bless American” at the unveiling ceremony. Damn! That’s a memorial!
What? They’ve already got one! Great let’s see it. Huh? Where’s the statue commemorating the men who fought for control of the plane? Too corny? Who says? The artist! Why is this dopey thing is shaped like an Islamic Red Crescent? To provide for healing? For who?
Somewhere along the way American’s have forgotten how to build memorials. I think it started with that Vietnam thing. Mom and Dad knew how to build memorials. The Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington memorials all lift the spirit while recalling great deeds of great men. The Marine Corps War Memorial recalls a great moment in a great battle and is an inspiration to all. Since the creation of these great memorials we have been cursed with the unimaginative and sullen taking control and making memorials. They now design things to make us feel like crap instead of inspiring us to greater deeds by the sacrifices made by other. Hell, one cannot even tell what event these new age memorials are designed to commemorate. The Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the FDR “thing” in D.C. are all dark, grim and brooding. (The WWII memorial is good but Mom and Dad did design that in the person of Bob Dole.) The Oklahoma memorial is beautiful but nowhere can one find much of anything to lift the spirit.
Why do we let the artsy know nothings do this to us? These memorials should be inspiring not grim and gloomy. Memorials should be more than places of contemplation. Perhaps most importantly, memorials in some way ought to serve as a reminder of why it is a memorial site. We visited the American cemetery in Belgium. A cemetery is certainly a place where you’d expect a morose and gloomy atmosphere. But instead, along with beautiful white marble crosses there were beautiful towers that showed why the men died. There were plaques that described their struggle and what their deaths had accomplished.
This latest crescent “thing” is an abomination. It serves more to honor the ITF than the innocents aboard flight 93. Mom and Dad would not stand for this rubbish. Why should we? Voice your outrage by e-mailing FLNI_Superintendent@nps.gov
The Lord is my Shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil:
For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Avoiding a military dictatorship
Democrats have taken to bringing up every perceived Republican misstep over the last 50 years and hanging them around Judge Robert’s neck. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy in a sentiment echoed by Ted Kennedy said, "Today, the devastation, despair facing millions of our fellow Americans in the Gulf region is a tragic reminder of why we have a federal government, why it's critical that our government be responsive." You’d think Robert’s was being confirmed as head of FEMA rather than Chief Justice of the United States.
The worst thing about statements like Leahy’s is not their blatant and crass political opportunism but rather the fact that they are 180 out of phase. We do not have a federal government to pluck people, many just too stupid to get out of the way of a Cat 4 hurricane, from the roofs of their predictably flooded homes. We do not have a federal government so that we can have FEMA. We do not have a federal government so that we can federalize state responsibilities every time there is natural disaster. We do not have a federal government so that it can rob what now stands at - but is sure to go higher - $750 from every man, woman and child to pay for people who want to live in a sinkhole surrounded on three sides by water. We do not have a federal government to take the fall for clueless and corrupt local officials that not only do not respond to a disaster but make a series of dopey decision that actually make the situation worse.
Tasteless comments such Leahy’s are made for two purposes 1) to gain political advantage by telling people not worry Uncle will take care of everything –like Uncle has done such a great job lately 2) to grow the federal government using the odd logic that if FEMA failed, we need a bigger FEMA - a Grand FEMA or GFEMA. Politicians want to do stupid things. That’s what politicians do. But it’s not quite the same as you or I who might think there is money to be made selling snow cones in Alaska in January. We lose money - too bad. If the government decides that there is money to be made selling snow cones in Alaska in January, it first confiscates huge sums of our money to set up a bureaucracy for snow cone manufacturing. It then wastes huge sums of money regulating the Alaskan snow cone industry in ways that make it nearly impossible to make money – snow cones will only be sold on days that the mean ambient temp is below –10 degrees. When the industry fails, government will subsidize Alaskan snow cone venders by shipping ice from Hawaii. If any snow cone vender is successful the government will shut him down because of minority hiring practices, unsafe working conditions or his failure to use Hawaiian ice in his cones.
Now Democrats want more government for natural disasters. So who should get the money? I think the government agencies that performed well ought to get the money. As the only federal agency whose response was adequate, the military will get all of the money and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs will have the added responsibility of coordinating the federal response to natural disasters. If we continue to fund only federal agencies capable of doing their job throughout government, we will soon be living in military dictatorship. The only way to avoid that is for congress to fund the incompetents at ever higher levels – usually taking the funds from the military like some sort of a “peace dividend.”
The worst thing about statements like Leahy’s is not their blatant and crass political opportunism but rather the fact that they are 180 out of phase. We do not have a federal government to pluck people, many just too stupid to get out of the way of a Cat 4 hurricane, from the roofs of their predictably flooded homes. We do not have a federal government so that we can have FEMA. We do not have a federal government so that we can federalize state responsibilities every time there is natural disaster. We do not have a federal government so that it can rob what now stands at - but is sure to go higher - $750 from every man, woman and child to pay for people who want to live in a sinkhole surrounded on three sides by water. We do not have a federal government to take the fall for clueless and corrupt local officials that not only do not respond to a disaster but make a series of dopey decision that actually make the situation worse.
Tasteless comments such Leahy’s are made for two purposes 1) to gain political advantage by telling people not worry Uncle will take care of everything –like Uncle has done such a great job lately 2) to grow the federal government using the odd logic that if FEMA failed, we need a bigger FEMA - a Grand FEMA or GFEMA. Politicians want to do stupid things. That’s what politicians do. But it’s not quite the same as you or I who might think there is money to be made selling snow cones in Alaska in January. We lose money - too bad. If the government decides that there is money to be made selling snow cones in Alaska in January, it first confiscates huge sums of our money to set up a bureaucracy for snow cone manufacturing. It then wastes huge sums of money regulating the Alaskan snow cone industry in ways that make it nearly impossible to make money – snow cones will only be sold on days that the mean ambient temp is below –10 degrees. When the industry fails, government will subsidize Alaskan snow cone venders by shipping ice from Hawaii. If any snow cone vender is successful the government will shut him down because of minority hiring practices, unsafe working conditions or his failure to use Hawaiian ice in his cones.
Now Democrats want more government for natural disasters. So who should get the money? I think the government agencies that performed well ought to get the money. As the only federal agency whose response was adequate, the military will get all of the money and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs will have the added responsibility of coordinating the federal response to natural disasters. If we continue to fund only federal agencies capable of doing their job throughout government, we will soon be living in military dictatorship. The only way to avoid that is for congress to fund the incompetents at ever higher levels – usually taking the funds from the military like some sort of a “peace dividend.”
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
A Liberal's view of presidential responsibilities
With, mike Brown’s resignation, Tropical Storm Ophelia sitting off the east coast, and still stinging from criticism in the aftermath of Katrina, President George Bush was seen going door to door in New Bern NC warning people to get out. When asked what he was doing, the president replied, “Well I tried relying on elected officials to get the word out in Louisiana. That didn’t work. People got mad at me because the New Orleans and Louisiana evacuation plans didn’t work. So I’m traveling up and down the east coast and going door to door until I’ve warned everyone personally. Then I’m going back to D.C. and load all of the fresh water we’ll need onto the trucks that will deliver it. But I’ll need to gas them up and check the oil first. Then I’m going to get busy loading the food. I’ve been taking one those truck driving courses that you see on TV late at night and should be finishing that up in time to drive the supplies down here if the storm holds off until the weekend.”
What’s all of the stuff in that pick up? “Oh that’s the clean up stuff I’ll be needing after the storm.” Bush moves to the pick up truck following him from door to door and driven by first daughter Barbara. “This here’s my shotgun – in case I got to declare a little marshal law if you know what I mean, hee heee. This here is my coal shovel in case I need to clean human waste out of any public buildings used to house people who couldn’t get out. I got my chain saw, box of band aids, a rake, ice cream scooper, trash bags, lawn mower, electric blender, weed wacker, fishing pole, a melon baller and my straw hat. In the cab here I’ve got my tools for rebuilding after I've cleaned everything up. I have my hammer, saw, tape measure, plumb bob, carpenter's square, nails and a few screws – no not Schumer, Durbin and Kennedy hee hee hee.”
But what about national security? Who is looking out after that? “Well Ray Nagin and Governor Blanco did such a great job in Louisiana that I turned that minor stuff over to them. Gotta run. The lights just went out in Los Angeles. Barbara have you seen my volt meter, wire cutters and electrical tape? I might need my flash light too.”
What’s all of the stuff in that pick up? “Oh that’s the clean up stuff I’ll be needing after the storm.” Bush moves to the pick up truck following him from door to door and driven by first daughter Barbara. “This here’s my shotgun – in case I got to declare a little marshal law if you know what I mean, hee heee. This here is my coal shovel in case I need to clean human waste out of any public buildings used to house people who couldn’t get out. I got my chain saw, box of band aids, a rake, ice cream scooper, trash bags, lawn mower, electric blender, weed wacker, fishing pole, a melon baller and my straw hat. In the cab here I’ve got my tools for rebuilding after I've cleaned everything up. I have my hammer, saw, tape measure, plumb bob, carpenter's square, nails and a few screws – no not Schumer, Durbin and Kennedy hee hee hee.”
But what about national security? Who is looking out after that? “Well Ray Nagin and Governor Blanco did such a great job in Louisiana that I turned that minor stuff over to them. Gotta run. The lights just went out in Los Angeles. Barbara have you seen my volt meter, wire cutters and electrical tape? I might need my flash light too.”
Monday, September 12, 2005
Black Leadership
What if some David Duke like racist said that blacks were so depraved that they have taken to the streets and are eating the dead a mere three days after Katrina? He’d have been slapped down and not taken seriously by anyone except as an example of an uneducated racists. So why when Randall “Reparations” Robinson made the exact same asinine statement was he not taken to the woodshed by black “leadership” like the supposed Revs Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton?
What if some white politician said what is obvious, “Jesse Jackson, AL Sharpton et al hate white people. The only use the Revs have for whites is shaking them down for money so that they can live like kings. And while they live the high life, those they supposedly advocate for live in the same squalor they have lived in for 40 years.” Anyone who stated the obvious with regard to the Revs would be ignored. So why all of the interest in Keyane West’s racially incendiary remarks, "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. If you see a white family, they're looking for food. George Bush doesn't care about black people." First the “they’re” Mr. West is talking about is the Lamestream Media. Next why would a person – like the President of the United States - meet with a group whose leadership is obsessed with destroying him?
What if some race baiting white politician tried to excuse slavery and lynch mobs by saying something as dopey as, “Well, we can’t really say what was lawful under the circumstances of those times.” No doubt there would be a justifiable hue and cry from every corner, white, black, brown, yellow etc. demanding an apology resignation or prosecution for a hate crime. So why can a race baiting buffoon like Jesse Jackson say the exact same thing to excuse looting, rape and murder in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina without so much as a peep from the Lamestream Media. Here’s a guy – a congregationless “preacher” - that, were it not for his prowess as a race baiting hate mongering shakedown artist, would be drying cars at a local carwash. He can make irresponsible dopey comments everyday of his life and as long as they rhyme, MSM shills like Anderson Cooper will simply ignore them. Why hasn’t a black leader a real Rev perhaps not sounded off and said, “Well, yes Jesse there are laws. They are called the ten commandments.”
What if some white politician, entertainer, columnist or hell even an average Joe made a comment like, “Screw those people. Let them help their own.” Such a person no doubt would be excoriated and rightly so. So why does a black entertainer, Sean “Puffy”, “P. Diddy” or now just “Diddy” Combs get away with same race baiting BS? "There's been a lot of telethons," Diddy said, "but this is our telethon. These are our people." Well then hell Diddy, you and your own bail them out – literally and figuratively. One thing is for sure whatever you do will not be enough and few will even bother with a, “Yo Diddy! You da man,man.” Most will respond with a, “ Diddy mo f@#^er, you gots to do more.” Why hasn’t some black leader stepped forward and said, “You’re an idiot. We’ve been fighting for 40 years for desegregation and integration. How can you say something so dumb as to ignore that fundamental goal? These are not ‘our people’ unless by ‘our’ you mean Americans.”
What if influential whites (Eminem and the Beastie Boyz don’t count) set out to depict all black women as “hos” and “bitches” and black men as drugged out, pimps and gangsters in a media form that become known as Gangsta Rap? There would be an out cry from responsible black leadership. So why don’t Revs Jesse and Al take on the gangstas and say, “Look, this junk is infecting our culture and confirming the world’s opinion of our race as a bunch of depraved psychos.” Instead Jesse praises gangsta rap as a progressive art form that states the truth of inner city life. Yeah right, as if one couldn’t say being poor is a downer without calling their own mother a “ho.” One could almost see the Rev Jesse leading a march on Washington ending at the Lincoln Memorial. There Jesse would rhyme for 20 minutes and end by paraphrasing the MLK civil rights speech from the same spot by noting, “My bitch is a ho. My bitch is a ho. Thank God almighty, ‘cause I needs the dough.”
What if a white mayor had left hundreds of thousands of poor blacks at the mercy of a hurricane by failing to enact his own evacuation plan? What if he was complaining about a lack of busses to evacuate the poor at the same time hundreds of municipal buses were being submerged by storm water? What if he sent tens of thousands to live in their own excrement without food, water, or police protection in the Superdome for three day? Leadership of every stripe would rightfully call for the mayor’s head on a platter. So why does Gansta Mayor Nagin get a pass? The LSM and black leaders call the president a racist because he didn’t rent 2,000 Greyhound buses and personally drive the lead bus into New Orleans to lead an evacuation that could have and should have been handled by the mayor – were he not an incompetent corrupt fool. And even if the president had rented the busses, his worthlessness the Mayor, no doubt, would have complained about the quality of the busses and demanded twice the number required so that none of his constituents would have to suffer the indignity of having to move to the back of the bus.
The fact is that a lot of black people do speak up. But the Lamestream Media ignores them for the most part and when the LSM does offer them an outlet it is quickly followed by one of the creepy loons above calling the dissenter an Uncle Tom or using Harry Belafonte’s colorful description of Colin Powell a “House N….er.” Now, why wouldn’t the right Rev Jackson tell Harry that there is no place for such talk?
While we’re on the slave metaphor, it seems to me it applies more to the black Lib leaders who chase after any Con black who escapes the Democrat plantation. For 40 years the Dems have used their 90+% black vote to cultivate their own personal power while ignoring the problems that have plagued the minority communities or worse have offered programs that actually exacerbate the problem. When a black who has escaped the plantations points out that it was Dems who raised all of those Confederate flags over the Southern state capitals, or that it’s Reps now removing them, or that it was Dems who were beating blacks in Selma, Birmingham and across the South, or that it was Southern Dems who failed to support the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, or that it was a Rep who made MLK day a national holiday, or that it was a Rep who extended the voting rights act for 25 years, or that it was a Rep who made a black man and woman the first blacks to serve as Sec of State, the House N&^$&*ers for the Democrat party shout down those who escaped the plantation, calling them Uncle Toms and worse, lest the real House N*%$%ers lose their privilege to sit and sup at Harry Reid’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, Howard Dean’s table. Now Katrina has offered the Democrat Party’s house help a new platform for further demagoguery. Real black leadership is called for. Sadly it will not gain a voice in the LSM.
What if some white politician said what is obvious, “Jesse Jackson, AL Sharpton et al hate white people. The only use the Revs have for whites is shaking them down for money so that they can live like kings. And while they live the high life, those they supposedly advocate for live in the same squalor they have lived in for 40 years.” Anyone who stated the obvious with regard to the Revs would be ignored. So why all of the interest in Keyane West’s racially incendiary remarks, "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. If you see a white family, they're looking for food. George Bush doesn't care about black people." First the “they’re” Mr. West is talking about is the Lamestream Media. Next why would a person – like the President of the United States - meet with a group whose leadership is obsessed with destroying him?
What if some race baiting white politician tried to excuse slavery and lynch mobs by saying something as dopey as, “Well, we can’t really say what was lawful under the circumstances of those times.” No doubt there would be a justifiable hue and cry from every corner, white, black, brown, yellow etc. demanding an apology resignation or prosecution for a hate crime. So why can a race baiting buffoon like Jesse Jackson say the exact same thing to excuse looting, rape and murder in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina without so much as a peep from the Lamestream Media. Here’s a guy – a congregationless “preacher” - that, were it not for his prowess as a race baiting hate mongering shakedown artist, would be drying cars at a local carwash. He can make irresponsible dopey comments everyday of his life and as long as they rhyme, MSM shills like Anderson Cooper will simply ignore them. Why hasn’t a black leader a real Rev perhaps not sounded off and said, “Well, yes Jesse there are laws. They are called the ten commandments.”
What if some white politician, entertainer, columnist or hell even an average Joe made a comment like, “Screw those people. Let them help their own.” Such a person no doubt would be excoriated and rightly so. So why does a black entertainer, Sean “Puffy”, “P. Diddy” or now just “Diddy” Combs get away with same race baiting BS? "There's been a lot of telethons," Diddy said, "but this is our telethon. These are our people." Well then hell Diddy, you and your own bail them out – literally and figuratively. One thing is for sure whatever you do will not be enough and few will even bother with a, “Yo Diddy! You da man,man.” Most will respond with a, “ Diddy mo f@#^er, you gots to do more.” Why hasn’t some black leader stepped forward and said, “You’re an idiot. We’ve been fighting for 40 years for desegregation and integration. How can you say something so dumb as to ignore that fundamental goal? These are not ‘our people’ unless by ‘our’ you mean Americans.”
What if influential whites (Eminem and the Beastie Boyz don’t count) set out to depict all black women as “hos” and “bitches” and black men as drugged out, pimps and gangsters in a media form that become known as Gangsta Rap? There would be an out cry from responsible black leadership. So why don’t Revs Jesse and Al take on the gangstas and say, “Look, this junk is infecting our culture and confirming the world’s opinion of our race as a bunch of depraved psychos.” Instead Jesse praises gangsta rap as a progressive art form that states the truth of inner city life. Yeah right, as if one couldn’t say being poor is a downer without calling their own mother a “ho.” One could almost see the Rev Jesse leading a march on Washington ending at the Lincoln Memorial. There Jesse would rhyme for 20 minutes and end by paraphrasing the MLK civil rights speech from the same spot by noting, “My bitch is a ho. My bitch is a ho. Thank God almighty, ‘cause I needs the dough.”
What if a white mayor had left hundreds of thousands of poor blacks at the mercy of a hurricane by failing to enact his own evacuation plan? What if he was complaining about a lack of busses to evacuate the poor at the same time hundreds of municipal buses were being submerged by storm water? What if he sent tens of thousands to live in their own excrement without food, water, or police protection in the Superdome for three day? Leadership of every stripe would rightfully call for the mayor’s head on a platter. So why does Gansta Mayor Nagin get a pass? The LSM and black leaders call the president a racist because he didn’t rent 2,000 Greyhound buses and personally drive the lead bus into New Orleans to lead an evacuation that could have and should have been handled by the mayor – were he not an incompetent corrupt fool. And even if the president had rented the busses, his worthlessness the Mayor, no doubt, would have complained about the quality of the busses and demanded twice the number required so that none of his constituents would have to suffer the indignity of having to move to the back of the bus.
The fact is that a lot of black people do speak up. But the Lamestream Media ignores them for the most part and when the LSM does offer them an outlet it is quickly followed by one of the creepy loons above calling the dissenter an Uncle Tom or using Harry Belafonte’s colorful description of Colin Powell a “House N….er.” Now, why wouldn’t the right Rev Jackson tell Harry that there is no place for such talk?
While we’re on the slave metaphor, it seems to me it applies more to the black Lib leaders who chase after any Con black who escapes the Democrat plantation. For 40 years the Dems have used their 90+% black vote to cultivate their own personal power while ignoring the problems that have plagued the minority communities or worse have offered programs that actually exacerbate the problem. When a black who has escaped the plantations points out that it was Dems who raised all of those Confederate flags over the Southern state capitals, or that it’s Reps now removing them, or that it was Dems who were beating blacks in Selma, Birmingham and across the South, or that it was Southern Dems who failed to support the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, or that it was a Rep who made MLK day a national holiday, or that it was a Rep who extended the voting rights act for 25 years, or that it was a Rep who made a black man and woman the first blacks to serve as Sec of State, the House N&^$&*ers for the Democrat party shout down those who escaped the plantation, calling them Uncle Toms and worse, lest the real House N*%$%ers lose their privilege to sit and sup at Harry Reid’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, Howard Dean’s table. Now Katrina has offered the Democrat Party’s house help a new platform for further demagoguery. Real black leadership is called for. Sadly it will not gain a voice in the LSM.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
News contribute to disaster
When a hurricane is spotted, news agencies rush to the scene and send the dopiest among them to go stand in the wind and the rain, tape rolling, and shouting into the microphone,
“This is horrendous Betsy Lou, only a complete idiot, a moron, a dolt completely void of any brain activity whatever would not have heeded the mayor’s and governor’s plea to evacuate. If you haven’t gotten out we can only assume that that you’re brain dead or a gang member waiting to loot in the aftermath. Back to you Betsy Lou.”
“So…Ted Squarejaw which are you?”
“Excuse me, Betsy Lou, the wind and water are so strong and loud not only has it messed my hair but I can’t hear you.”
“TED WHICH ARE YOU? BRAIN DEAD OR A LOOTING GANG MEMBER!”
“Why Betsy Lou, I’m a handsome and brave member of the elite media with a deep voice and great hair trying to make a name for myself by warning people to get out of the killer storm.”
“Ted it’s 2005. We have TV, radio and Internet. You can warn people in New Orleans from New York these days. Ted - Squarehead - you’re one of the idiots that you so accurately described. Why don’t you set up a camera on a roof somewhere and get the hell out of the storm that you claim is soooooo dangerous. By your idiocy you are actually demonstrating to people that they might be able to ride out the storm.”
“Ahh, Betsy Lou you’re breaking up. I didn’t get all of that. Something about handsome newsman braves storm to bring pictures to an eager aaaaggghgghgahhgaa Betsy Lou I’ve just been struck by a flying…aah”
“There you have it America. The gene pool has just been cleansed of another moron and America is better off.”
“This is horrendous Betsy Lou, only a complete idiot, a moron, a dolt completely void of any brain activity whatever would not have heeded the mayor’s and governor’s plea to evacuate. If you haven’t gotten out we can only assume that that you’re brain dead or a gang member waiting to loot in the aftermath. Back to you Betsy Lou.”
“So…Ted Squarejaw which are you?”
“Excuse me, Betsy Lou, the wind and water are so strong and loud not only has it messed my hair but I can’t hear you.”
“TED WHICH ARE YOU? BRAIN DEAD OR A LOOTING GANG MEMBER!”
“Why Betsy Lou, I’m a handsome and brave member of the elite media with a deep voice and great hair trying to make a name for myself by warning people to get out of the killer storm.”
“Ted it’s 2005. We have TV, radio and Internet. You can warn people in New Orleans from New York these days. Ted - Squarehead - you’re one of the idiots that you so accurately described. Why don’t you set up a camera on a roof somewhere and get the hell out of the storm that you claim is soooooo dangerous. By your idiocy you are actually demonstrating to people that they might be able to ride out the storm.”
“Ahh, Betsy Lou you’re breaking up. I didn’t get all of that. Something about handsome newsman braves storm to bring pictures to an eager aaaaggghgghgahhgaa Betsy Lou I’ve just been struck by a flying…aah”
“There you have it America. The gene pool has just been cleansed of another moron and America is better off.”
Friday, September 09, 2005
Poverty Kills II: It's about control
Several hours after President Bush asked for an additional $51 BILLION and less than a day after Lex discussed how the government’s entitlement mentality hindered the evacuation before and recovery after Katrina, Scary Harry Reid announced what amounts to a lifetime of federal dependency for every man, woman and child who might have happened to have gotten damp when Katrina hit. This is the best example one could ask for to demonstrate the difference between Cons and Libs.
Cons are interested in personal control. Libs are interested in government control – gun control, price control, control of airport security (that’s worked well), control of everything it seems except our borders. Cons seek personal responsibility. Libs seek to pass responsibility onto the government. Everything that heretofore was a matter or personal responsibility is now the government’s problem. If you’re an alcoholic, it’s not your fault. Alcoholism is disease and the government will pay for your treatment. And the same is true of every other ailment that occurs from personal irresponsibility- everything from obesity and chain smoking to illegal drug use are declared diseases and the people inflicted are the victims. Since it’s a disease, it’s not your fault and the government will pay for your “recovery.” Cons raise armies of compassion to help the needy. Libs confiscate other people’s money, create a bloated bureaucracy, waste ten times the resources required for the problem, fail miserably in ministering to the needy then bitch about not having enough money. Two posts below Lex predicted that the Lib’s would advocate allocating still more funds to the governments that failed in the emergency in the first place. Well it didn’t take long, did it.
What some bright news organization ought to study are the affects an entitlement mentality had on the Katrina catastrophe. It won’t be hard to find people sitting around saying “we need…” fill in the blank. Juxtapose the people sitting around waiting for the government $2,000 against a man that has gotten out and found himself a job. Juxtapose a worst cases New Orleans single mother “victimized” by an irresponsible man/men and subsidized by an equally irresponsible government whose sole measure for compassion is how much of other people’s money it can throw at a problem against a married couple working two jobs who worked together to get themselves and their children out of harms way. Juxtapose the hell of those who depended on government in the Superdome against those who took it upon themselves to move to high ground. Juxtapose a gangsta man preying on the weak in the Superdome against a man who moved heaven and earth to get his family out.
Such a report will never be produced. Were it suburban whites descending into animal like behavior, it’d be front page news. “Greed leads to chaos” would scream the headlines. The story might read:
“Rich whites denied their maids, gardeners, satin sheets, cappuccino’s, double latte’s, Lexus automobiles and unlimited Blackberry use descended into chaos yesterday at the Superdome. The rich whites were lured into the Superdome with a promise of access to a lucrative IPO. But in an unfortunate turn of events whites were inadvertently trapped for several hours when the doors to the Superdome were all blocked by trucks delivering brie and white wine spritzers for the event. The crowd soon went crazy bumping into each other without so much as an ‘excuse me.’ One desperate white man was heard yelling from an open window, ‘Move the damn trucks.’ The teamsters, who moved the trucks in front of the exits, were on their bi-hourly two hour smoke break and responded by giving the hysterical white man the finger. Experts say this event is a clear indication that capitalism just isn’t working.”
Because what happened in the Superdome and New Orleans involves minorities raised by the government, the story of the vulgar criminal behavior goes largely unreported. Any news organization that investigates these events will point at everything except the real cause; racism – except New Orleans is 65-75% black run by a black mayor a black police and fire chief so that dog won’t hunt; poverty – as if being poor excuses rape, looting, murder and sitting on their poor butts in a crisis; education – except Libs will not allow the minorities a voucher to get out of their failed, filthy and dangerous schools nor will they hold the NEA to any standard. They will then report that the root cause of the animal like behavior was due to tax cuts and a lack of federal spending. They will then advocate reinforcing the failed programs that led to the problem in the first place.
MUST READ: http://www.sluggerotoole.com/archives/2005/09/ill_wind_may_no.php
Cons are interested in personal control. Libs are interested in government control – gun control, price control, control of airport security (that’s worked well), control of everything it seems except our borders. Cons seek personal responsibility. Libs seek to pass responsibility onto the government. Everything that heretofore was a matter or personal responsibility is now the government’s problem. If you’re an alcoholic, it’s not your fault. Alcoholism is disease and the government will pay for your treatment. And the same is true of every other ailment that occurs from personal irresponsibility- everything from obesity and chain smoking to illegal drug use are declared diseases and the people inflicted are the victims. Since it’s a disease, it’s not your fault and the government will pay for your “recovery.” Cons raise armies of compassion to help the needy. Libs confiscate other people’s money, create a bloated bureaucracy, waste ten times the resources required for the problem, fail miserably in ministering to the needy then bitch about not having enough money. Two posts below Lex predicted that the Lib’s would advocate allocating still more funds to the governments that failed in the emergency in the first place. Well it didn’t take long, did it.
What some bright news organization ought to study are the affects an entitlement mentality had on the Katrina catastrophe. It won’t be hard to find people sitting around saying “we need…” fill in the blank. Juxtapose the people sitting around waiting for the government $2,000 against a man that has gotten out and found himself a job. Juxtapose a worst cases New Orleans single mother “victimized” by an irresponsible man/men and subsidized by an equally irresponsible government whose sole measure for compassion is how much of other people’s money it can throw at a problem against a married couple working two jobs who worked together to get themselves and their children out of harms way. Juxtapose the hell of those who depended on government in the Superdome against those who took it upon themselves to move to high ground. Juxtapose a gangsta man preying on the weak in the Superdome against a man who moved heaven and earth to get his family out.
Such a report will never be produced. Were it suburban whites descending into animal like behavior, it’d be front page news. “Greed leads to chaos” would scream the headlines. The story might read:
“Rich whites denied their maids, gardeners, satin sheets, cappuccino’s, double latte’s, Lexus automobiles and unlimited Blackberry use descended into chaos yesterday at the Superdome. The rich whites were lured into the Superdome with a promise of access to a lucrative IPO. But in an unfortunate turn of events whites were inadvertently trapped for several hours when the doors to the Superdome were all blocked by trucks delivering brie and white wine spritzers for the event. The crowd soon went crazy bumping into each other without so much as an ‘excuse me.’ One desperate white man was heard yelling from an open window, ‘Move the damn trucks.’ The teamsters, who moved the trucks in front of the exits, were on their bi-hourly two hour smoke break and responded by giving the hysterical white man the finger. Experts say this event is a clear indication that capitalism just isn’t working.”
Because what happened in the Superdome and New Orleans involves minorities raised by the government, the story of the vulgar criminal behavior goes largely unreported. Any news organization that investigates these events will point at everything except the real cause; racism – except New Orleans is 65-75% black run by a black mayor a black police and fire chief so that dog won’t hunt; poverty – as if being poor excuses rape, looting, murder and sitting on their poor butts in a crisis; education – except Libs will not allow the minorities a voucher to get out of their failed, filthy and dangerous schools nor will they hold the NEA to any standard. They will then report that the root cause of the animal like behavior was due to tax cuts and a lack of federal spending. They will then advocate reinforcing the failed programs that led to the problem in the first place.
MUST READ: http://www.sluggerotoole.com/archives/2005/09/ill_wind_may_no.php
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Poverty kills
When asked what kills the most Americans, people come up with answers such as, cancer, heart disease or auto accidents. All good answers I suppose. Few if any would say poverty. First, poverty in America is unlike poverty anywhere else in the world. Most poor in America have a color TV or two and the cable hook up necessary to make it watchable these days. Most poor in America have a car. Many own their own home. Also, there is a wide governmental safety net cast to provide everything from food, clothing and shelter to eyeglasses, job training, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and just flat out welfare checks. Then there are untold private organizations doing the same things albeit less expensively and more efficiently. The classic example of the status of America’s poor today - the Gangsta Mayor of New Orleans made a DVD to be distributed to the poor so they’d know what to do in an emergency. So the thought that poverty could be killing more people than cancer doesn’t compute for most of us.
John Stossel, in his interesting read “Give Me a Break”, posits the idea that whatever else is killing Americans, poverty exacerbates it. If cancer and heart disease are killing Americans, poverty exacerbates those conditions because the poor have no health insurance to get early and adequate treatment. If automobile accidents kill a lot Americans, they kill more poor because the poor are forced to drive older less safe autos. It is hard to argue with this logic. But, what to do about poverty?
We’ve had a 40 plus year experiment with the “Great Society.” It has failed miserably. Look at New Orleans. Who has the hurricane impacted most dramatically? Why the poor of course? But look carefully at the pictures coming out of New Orleans and what do you see? You see poor people being pulled from their HOUSES. You see CARS parked along the curbs of the poor neighborhoods. Those cars might have been used to escape the storm but weren’t. Why? There are probably a 100 or more reasons. One of them no doubt is going to be, “I didn’t leave because I know the government will take care of me when something goes wrong.” Those who harbored such thoughts, based on generations of experience, misjudged. The heretofore generous government handout mentality that worked so well with man-made poverty, failed utterly in the face of Mother Nature. Katrina exposed the local and state governments as the incompetent, corrupt buffoons that make up the majority of LA’s political class.
Then there is the political opportunism from a class of race baiting creeps that use New Orleans’ demographics to claim the President Bush is murdering blacks. It’s impossible not to notice that, by a wide margin, most of the faces that we see on TV in New Orleans are black. But what goes underreported or unreported is that New Orleans has majority black population of between 67-75%; that the Gangsta Mayor, police and fire chiefs are all black; that the government entitlement mentality of those left behind is killing them. What’s obvious but for some reason left unsaid, is that given the figures the biggest majority of those left in the lurch would have to be black. We don’t see poor whites in rural MS and AL on TV. It has not been noted that 75% of those living below the poverty line are white.
Poverty kills. When the inevitable commission on Katrina files its final report on what went wrong in New Orleans and LA, it is unlikely to note the effect that generations of government “help” had on a population that was willing to sit on its front porch or in its attic waiting for a Liberal to save them until the flood waters rose around them, like Mary Jo Kopechne.
John Stossel, in his interesting read “Give Me a Break”, posits the idea that whatever else is killing Americans, poverty exacerbates it. If cancer and heart disease are killing Americans, poverty exacerbates those conditions because the poor have no health insurance to get early and adequate treatment. If automobile accidents kill a lot Americans, they kill more poor because the poor are forced to drive older less safe autos. It is hard to argue with this logic. But, what to do about poverty?
We’ve had a 40 plus year experiment with the “Great Society.” It has failed miserably. Look at New Orleans. Who has the hurricane impacted most dramatically? Why the poor of course? But look carefully at the pictures coming out of New Orleans and what do you see? You see poor people being pulled from their HOUSES. You see CARS parked along the curbs of the poor neighborhoods. Those cars might have been used to escape the storm but weren’t. Why? There are probably a 100 or more reasons. One of them no doubt is going to be, “I didn’t leave because I know the government will take care of me when something goes wrong.” Those who harbored such thoughts, based on generations of experience, misjudged. The heretofore generous government handout mentality that worked so well with man-made poverty, failed utterly in the face of Mother Nature. Katrina exposed the local and state governments as the incompetent, corrupt buffoons that make up the majority of LA’s political class.
Then there is the political opportunism from a class of race baiting creeps that use New Orleans’ demographics to claim the President Bush is murdering blacks. It’s impossible not to notice that, by a wide margin, most of the faces that we see on TV in New Orleans are black. But what goes underreported or unreported is that New Orleans has majority black population of between 67-75%; that the Gangsta Mayor, police and fire chiefs are all black; that the government entitlement mentality of those left behind is killing them. What’s obvious but for some reason left unsaid, is that given the figures the biggest majority of those left in the lurch would have to be black. We don’t see poor whites in rural MS and AL on TV. It has not been noted that 75% of those living below the poverty line are white.
Poverty kills. When the inevitable commission on Katrina files its final report on what went wrong in New Orleans and LA, it is unlikely to note the effect that generations of government “help” had on a population that was willing to sit on its front porch or in its attic waiting for a Liberal to save them until the flood waters rose around them, like Mary Jo Kopechne.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Don't reinforce failures
There is a military axiom that states commanders do not reinforce failure. That means if an army is advancing on three fronts toward an objective and one attack begins to bog down while another meets great success, the commander will reinforce the successful attack while letting the other attacks founder if necessary. Only after the objective is secured, will the commander turn his attention to the other attacks.
Dems and Libs it seems would take an opposite approach. If a government program fails, they immediately call for more funding for the failed program. Watch what the findings are from the inevitable commission that looks into the Katrina disaster. They will call for more money for FEMA, New Orleans city emergency planning, LA state emergency planning all of which it seems, at least initially, failed to provide the necessary relief. Anyone who suggests that groups that actually help such as religious groups and private industry be brought into the equation will be looked upon as if they are crazy. What! How about separation of church and state? (By the way, has anyone seen Americans for Separation for Church and State, NARAL, moveon.org etc. helping out?) We can’t turn government funds over to rich corporations to do government work.
The sad fact is that government does precious little well. It seems to me that if Reps wanted to make a case against big government Katrina is the perfect example. Big Government, it seems, is no match for Mother Nature. Maybe we should think well outside the box about relief efforts for natural disasters. Maybe we need to stop simply reacting to disasters and start getting out in front of them.
- Pre-position stocks in the usual places – We know from experience generally where these things happen. It’s only a question of when.
- Identify and rotate National Guard units year round as disaster relief
- Designate military posts, state and national parks throughout the country as displacement/support sites
- Most important, contract disaster relief with Wal-Mart, UPS, FedEx, Home Depot, Lowes, Greyhound, McDonald’s and Kimberly Clark under military command and coordination and watch the relief flow free from federal red tape and political posturing and probably at a great savings to the tax payer. These are some of our finest companies with the know how to move goods and services.
Lex has not opined on the relief effort too much to date because just like everyone who has, I don’t know the facts - except one. The scope of the disaster far exceeded anyone’s expectation and even today is probably fully understood by only a few hundred people. People who were self reliant survived in good order. Those dependent on the government have not faired too well. As the Griffin puts it:
“Personal responsibilities have been slowly moving to become the responsibilities of the government. People…have turned over the responsibility of whether they live or die to government…oh yeah, they’re dying.” The Griffin sends.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Wily E. Dem calls for Katrina hearings
Libs and Dems smelling the president’s blood in the water over what they perceive as an inadequate Katrina response are calling for congressional hearings. Democrats have gone after this president more often than Wily E. Coyote has gone after the Roadrunner and in the process dropped as many Acme anvils on their collective heads.
First was the 2000 presidential election recounts. Dems and Libs were confident that if only all of the votes could be counted it’d show that ALGore should have been president. So they recounted and recounted and recounted again. The only problem was, after every recount George Bush still had more votes. So the Dems brought in Madame LaRue with an Ouija Board, divining rod, crystal ball and mysterious potions. She declared that George Bush stole the election and Dems rejoiced. “Bush stole the election” became the Dem rallying call for the mid-term elections. The only problem was that the Dems took a heinous arse whipping in those mid-terms.
Next, even though they’d already voted once, Wily E. Dem demanded that the president give congress the opportunity to vote again on the impending war with Iraq. The president rope-a-doped the senate dopes into shrill demands for new a new vote. Only after Wily E. Dem had the anvil hanging over his own head by a thread did the president pull out his scissors and cut the thread by saying, fine vote – which sent the anvil crashing down on the hapless Wily. Oh, the hue and cry, the president tricked us! Eventual Coyote presidential candidate John Kerry didn’t know whether to vote for the war before voting against it or vote against it before voting for it.
Then there were the 9/11 hearings designed by Wily E. Dem to hang the president before the 2004 election. They finally had the president. The hearings would show the president for the bungling fool that he is. The only problem was that their two key witnesses, RC Clark, and Joe Wilson turned out to be self promoting liars more interested in hawking a few books of fiction than getting at the truth. Then a Dem appointee to the 9/11 Commission - Jamie Gorelick - it seems had more to do with any government failure than the president.
Now an even heavier anvil has fallen on Wily E. Dem. A Pentagon group know as Able Danger had identified Atta and four other hijackers as threats a year before the 9/11 attacks. But AD couldn’t share the information with the FBI because of Ms. Gorelick’s arbitrary wall prohibiting the Pentagon from sharing intell with the FBI. Gorelick designed the wall to protect President Clinton from an ongoing investigation into 1996 campaign violations involving ChiCom contributions.
Now fresh from all of their previous successes, Wily E Dem is calling for hearings on the Katrina disaster. The president is sure to rope-a-dope the dopes as usual. He’ll claim that now is not the time for finger pointing. Only after Wily E. Dem has the sling shot rubber band stretched to the breaking point will the president say, fine hold the hearings. At that point, instead of shooting a projectile downrange, the slingshot will launch Wily E. Dem into an oncoming train.
The oncoming train will be in the form of a Democrat New Orleans Gangsta Mayor who seems to hold a lot more contempt for the Democrat Governor of LA than the Bush administration. Wily E. Dem no doubt will get the Gangsta Mayor back in line before the hearings. What they won’t be able to do is make the Gangsta Mayor any smarter or less profane. When faced with some fairly obvious questions like:
Would it have been a better use of the municipal bus fleet - school and city - to move people out of NO rather than allowing them – buses and people - to become submerged in flood water?
How many police officers does your emergency plan call to be assigned to the Superdome? How many were actually on hand?
How many medical officials?
How much water & food does your emergency plan call to be preposition in the Superdome? How much was actually on hand?
How many porta-potties?
Can you explain where the millions of dollars allocated for levee improvements went?
Where were you during the storm and the aftermath?
Under close questioning, Gangsta Mayor will wilt and descend into a litany of “friggin” this and “friggin” that and about all of the things that are “pissing” him off.
Then the Democrat Governor will talk about how the 3,000 members of the LA National Guard serving the country in Iraq hurt the emergency relief effort. Then someone will note that the LA National Guard consists of 11,000 members. How many of the remaining 8,000 members did you mobilize Madame Governor? Well, only 3,000 but I’d have specifically mobilized the 3,000 that were in Iraq if I could have. Well, why not mobilize the other 5,000 that were available? Well, you just don’t understand how things work in LA.
Next will come a long line race baiting, congregation-less, know nothing, do nothing “Reverends” that can’t recall the name of the divinity college they attended screaming racism but their visible hate will belie the title they claim.
After Wily E. Dem has been sufficiently ripped apart by his own keg of Acme dynamite, his hide still smoldering, muzzle knocked sideways and smelling of cordite, he’ll hold a press conference on the steps of the Capital Building and once again declare himself Wily E. Dem - Super Genius. And it’ll all be just in time for the mid-terms.
First was the 2000 presidential election recounts. Dems and Libs were confident that if only all of the votes could be counted it’d show that ALGore should have been president. So they recounted and recounted and recounted again. The only problem was, after every recount George Bush still had more votes. So the Dems brought in Madame LaRue with an Ouija Board, divining rod, crystal ball and mysterious potions. She declared that George Bush stole the election and Dems rejoiced. “Bush stole the election” became the Dem rallying call for the mid-term elections. The only problem was that the Dems took a heinous arse whipping in those mid-terms.
Next, even though they’d already voted once, Wily E. Dem demanded that the president give congress the opportunity to vote again on the impending war with Iraq. The president rope-a-doped the senate dopes into shrill demands for new a new vote. Only after Wily E. Dem had the anvil hanging over his own head by a thread did the president pull out his scissors and cut the thread by saying, fine vote – which sent the anvil crashing down on the hapless Wily. Oh, the hue and cry, the president tricked us! Eventual Coyote presidential candidate John Kerry didn’t know whether to vote for the war before voting against it or vote against it before voting for it.
Then there were the 9/11 hearings designed by Wily E. Dem to hang the president before the 2004 election. They finally had the president. The hearings would show the president for the bungling fool that he is. The only problem was that their two key witnesses, RC Clark, and Joe Wilson turned out to be self promoting liars more interested in hawking a few books of fiction than getting at the truth. Then a Dem appointee to the 9/11 Commission - Jamie Gorelick - it seems had more to do with any government failure than the president.
Now an even heavier anvil has fallen on Wily E. Dem. A Pentagon group know as Able Danger had identified Atta and four other hijackers as threats a year before the 9/11 attacks. But AD couldn’t share the information with the FBI because of Ms. Gorelick’s arbitrary wall prohibiting the Pentagon from sharing intell with the FBI. Gorelick designed the wall to protect President Clinton from an ongoing investigation into 1996 campaign violations involving ChiCom contributions.
Now fresh from all of their previous successes, Wily E Dem is calling for hearings on the Katrina disaster. The president is sure to rope-a-dope the dopes as usual. He’ll claim that now is not the time for finger pointing. Only after Wily E. Dem has the sling shot rubber band stretched to the breaking point will the president say, fine hold the hearings. At that point, instead of shooting a projectile downrange, the slingshot will launch Wily E. Dem into an oncoming train.
The oncoming train will be in the form of a Democrat New Orleans Gangsta Mayor who seems to hold a lot more contempt for the Democrat Governor of LA than the Bush administration. Wily E. Dem no doubt will get the Gangsta Mayor back in line before the hearings. What they won’t be able to do is make the Gangsta Mayor any smarter or less profane. When faced with some fairly obvious questions like:
Would it have been a better use of the municipal bus fleet - school and city - to move people out of NO rather than allowing them – buses and people - to become submerged in flood water?
How many police officers does your emergency plan call to be assigned to the Superdome? How many were actually on hand?
How many medical officials?
How much water & food does your emergency plan call to be preposition in the Superdome? How much was actually on hand?
How many porta-potties?
Can you explain where the millions of dollars allocated for levee improvements went?
Where were you during the storm and the aftermath?
Under close questioning, Gangsta Mayor will wilt and descend into a litany of “friggin” this and “friggin” that and about all of the things that are “pissing” him off.
Then the Democrat Governor will talk about how the 3,000 members of the LA National Guard serving the country in Iraq hurt the emergency relief effort. Then someone will note that the LA National Guard consists of 11,000 members. How many of the remaining 8,000 members did you mobilize Madame Governor? Well, only 3,000 but I’d have specifically mobilized the 3,000 that were in Iraq if I could have. Well, why not mobilize the other 5,000 that were available? Well, you just don’t understand how things work in LA.
Next will come a long line race baiting, congregation-less, know nothing, do nothing “Reverends” that can’t recall the name of the divinity college they attended screaming racism but their visible hate will belie the title they claim.
After Wily E. Dem has been sufficiently ripped apart by his own keg of Acme dynamite, his hide still smoldering, muzzle knocked sideways and smelling of cordite, he’ll hold a press conference on the steps of the Capital Building and once again declare himself Wily E. Dem - Super Genius. And it’ll all be just in time for the mid-terms.
Monday, September 05, 2005
My union experience
When I worked for UPS, I was required to belong to the Teamsters Union - Local 431 I think. What I remember about my union membership:
I paid a $150 initiation fee for the great honor to call myself a Teamster. That was a lot of money in 1978, heck it’s still a lot of money.
I had to pay monthly dues. UPS had to take the money out my check, just like Social Security, so that I never saw it. I don’t recall how much they took, but it was enough that I remember being upset the week they took the money out for monthly dues.
I remember my dad, a self-employed painting contractor, telling me, “I never thought I’d live to see the day a son of mine would be paying union dues.”
My “leadership vote” was diluted about four times. That is I voted for a guy, who voted for another guy, who voted for still another guy, who finally voted for my union representative.
We went on strike for two weeks one summer. The first week of the strike I received no union help. The second week I received a whopping $50 from the union. I had to drive to union headquarters and fill out a ream of paperwork and stand in line for an hour. The woman who “gave” me a bit of my money back counted it out as carefully as if it were her own then made me sign for it. Apparently, there was no way for the union to make the payments to its membership at the strike site were we were all assigned times to walk the picket line.
One night I was leaving to go do my picket duty and my dad asked me where I was going. Picket duty I replied. He just shook his head and refined his earlier comment to, “I never thought I’d live to see the day a son of mine would be walking a picket line.” To which I replied, “Hey this is the Teamsters Union, there’s only one union bigger – the Soviet Union and they are about as ruthless.” Teamsters slashed several sets of tires in the parking lot and other wise harassed everyone going in and out of the building.
When the strike ended, the mighty Teamsters had gotten its membership a $.25 an hour raise. The union rep came to me told me I should vote to accept the offer. I told him, “I would have made about $400 bucks the two weeks we were out on strike. I’ll have to work 1,600 hours at $.25 an hour to make up that $400.” The figures went right over the union reps head. He was convinced the union had brought UPS to its knees.
When I left UPS, I went to the union office to get a withdrawal card. I paid $25 for the right to rejoin the union without those pesky initiation fees.
As a guy who wanted to show up on time, do my job and get paid, I had little use for the union. The one time in three years I did have a problem with management the union rep came to the meeting and sat back silent while I got my butt chewed. After the meeting he offered me this bit of insight, “Be careful. They are watching you now.” To which I replied, “Ya think?”
Happy Labor Day to all my Teamster brothers.
I paid a $150 initiation fee for the great honor to call myself a Teamster. That was a lot of money in 1978, heck it’s still a lot of money.
I had to pay monthly dues. UPS had to take the money out my check, just like Social Security, so that I never saw it. I don’t recall how much they took, but it was enough that I remember being upset the week they took the money out for monthly dues.
I remember my dad, a self-employed painting contractor, telling me, “I never thought I’d live to see the day a son of mine would be paying union dues.”
My “leadership vote” was diluted about four times. That is I voted for a guy, who voted for another guy, who voted for still another guy, who finally voted for my union representative.
We went on strike for two weeks one summer. The first week of the strike I received no union help. The second week I received a whopping $50 from the union. I had to drive to union headquarters and fill out a ream of paperwork and stand in line for an hour. The woman who “gave” me a bit of my money back counted it out as carefully as if it were her own then made me sign for it. Apparently, there was no way for the union to make the payments to its membership at the strike site were we were all assigned times to walk the picket line.
One night I was leaving to go do my picket duty and my dad asked me where I was going. Picket duty I replied. He just shook his head and refined his earlier comment to, “I never thought I’d live to see the day a son of mine would be walking a picket line.” To which I replied, “Hey this is the Teamsters Union, there’s only one union bigger – the Soviet Union and they are about as ruthless.” Teamsters slashed several sets of tires in the parking lot and other wise harassed everyone going in and out of the building.
When the strike ended, the mighty Teamsters had gotten its membership a $.25 an hour raise. The union rep came to me told me I should vote to accept the offer. I told him, “I would have made about $400 bucks the two weeks we were out on strike. I’ll have to work 1,600 hours at $.25 an hour to make up that $400.” The figures went right over the union reps head. He was convinced the union had brought UPS to its knees.
When I left UPS, I went to the union office to get a withdrawal card. I paid $25 for the right to rejoin the union without those pesky initiation fees.
As a guy who wanted to show up on time, do my job and get paid, I had little use for the union. The one time in three years I did have a problem with management the union rep came to the meeting and sat back silent while I got my butt chewed. After the meeting he offered me this bit of insight, “Be careful. They are watching you now.” To which I replied, “Ya think?”
Happy Labor Day to all my Teamster brothers.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Life's a piece of cake for Libs
It must be great to be a Lib. No serious thought is required. If something goes bad, blame President Bush. If something goes right, give credit to FDR or President Clinton.
Cat 4 hurricane hits New Orleans – Dems claim, “It’s all Bush’s fault for not signing the Kyoto protocol.” Uh, excuse me how many Dem senators voted to ratify Kyoto? The Dem response is the same as the English Moose hunter’s when he is asked, “There’re no Moose in England. How many have you gotten?” “Oh, nearly one.” That would be none.
Then there is the whole science thing about global warming. When I was a kid the big threat was that the earth was cooling too fast. Now it’s warming too fast. So in a span of about 35 years, we’ve gone from freezing to death to melting the polar ice caps. Forgive me if not just little bit skeptical. My contention is that the earth temperature goes in cycles. Like any given summer or winter. Some are hotter or colder than others. But that fact does not mean that earth is coming to an end. Everything about the environmental whacko movement, it seems to me, is about stifling capitalism.
Then there’s this little tidbit. Even if you accept the science and enacted Kyoto entirely on the day GWB was first inaugurated, scientist expect a total cooling effect of about three degrees over a 100 years. Now, these are the same scientists that cannot tell you accurately whether or not your wedding will be rained on tomorrow but can state with certitude that Kyoto will cause the earth to cool three degrees over the next 100 years. Idiocy. So for fun let’s accept the science. Three degrees over 100 years, that means we might have changed the temperature of the earth .012 degrees over the last four years. I’m sure that would have been just enough to turn Cat 4 Katrina into just another Atlantic squall.
The levies in New Orleans break – That’s all GWB’s fault for cutting funding to New Orleans to pay for his war in Iraq. Well spending for flood control actually increased by $300 million. Only DemLand is a $300 million increase a 44% reduction. Who runs New Orleans? The Democrats. Who runs LA? The Democrats. Who do they blame when something goes wrong? President Bush. Odd very odd.
The LA National Guard has 3,000 troops in Iraq that should be helping with Katrina. It’s all GWB’s fault. Well there are a total of 11,000 LA National Guardsmen. The Democrat governor of LA saw fit to mobilize only about one third of them before Katrina hit. It’s all GWB’s fault. He put the Dem governor under some sort of spell causing her to make bad decisions.
There’s wide spread looting in New Orleans. It’s all GWB’s fault. Poverty is the cause of all of this looting and lawlessness and that is all GWB’s fault because of his tax cuts for the rich. As Chris Rock might note, just because you’re poor doesn’t mean you have to act like heathen. Poor people can learn to speak the King’s English. Poor people can pick up the trash around the house provided for them. Poor people do not need to loot a rifle and open fire on rescue workers. Poor people do not need steal stereo equipment under the guise of "survival." Besides where are the Democrat Mayor and governor? Neither is likely to be penning a book on leadership like Rudy after 9/11.
So yeah, it’d be great to be a Lib and know that whatever happened to me I could blame GWB. Can’t find a waterfront apartment? That damn Bush. Five dopes on the Supreme Court decide that the Mayor can take your property and give it to his brother-in-law. That’s Bush’s Supreme Court – even though his first nomination is still pending. Can’t find that 10 am to 2 pm Tues-Thurs job that pays $75 an hour. It’s this lousy Bush economy. Gas goes to $3 a gallon. That’s just Bush helping to line the pockets of his rich oil buddies. Can’t lose that last ten pounds. Curse you George Bush! You’ve so upset me all I can do is eat!!
Cat 4 hurricane hits New Orleans – Dems claim, “It’s all Bush’s fault for not signing the Kyoto protocol.” Uh, excuse me how many Dem senators voted to ratify Kyoto? The Dem response is the same as the English Moose hunter’s when he is asked, “There’re no Moose in England. How many have you gotten?” “Oh, nearly one.” That would be none.
Then there is the whole science thing about global warming. When I was a kid the big threat was that the earth was cooling too fast. Now it’s warming too fast. So in a span of about 35 years, we’ve gone from freezing to death to melting the polar ice caps. Forgive me if not just little bit skeptical. My contention is that the earth temperature goes in cycles. Like any given summer or winter. Some are hotter or colder than others. But that fact does not mean that earth is coming to an end. Everything about the environmental whacko movement, it seems to me, is about stifling capitalism.
Then there’s this little tidbit. Even if you accept the science and enacted Kyoto entirely on the day GWB was first inaugurated, scientist expect a total cooling effect of about three degrees over a 100 years. Now, these are the same scientists that cannot tell you accurately whether or not your wedding will be rained on tomorrow but can state with certitude that Kyoto will cause the earth to cool three degrees over the next 100 years. Idiocy. So for fun let’s accept the science. Three degrees over 100 years, that means we might have changed the temperature of the earth .012 degrees over the last four years. I’m sure that would have been just enough to turn Cat 4 Katrina into just another Atlantic squall.
The levies in New Orleans break – That’s all GWB’s fault for cutting funding to New Orleans to pay for his war in Iraq. Well spending for flood control actually increased by $300 million. Only DemLand is a $300 million increase a 44% reduction. Who runs New Orleans? The Democrats. Who runs LA? The Democrats. Who do they blame when something goes wrong? President Bush. Odd very odd.
The LA National Guard has 3,000 troops in Iraq that should be helping with Katrina. It’s all GWB’s fault. Well there are a total of 11,000 LA National Guardsmen. The Democrat governor of LA saw fit to mobilize only about one third of them before Katrina hit. It’s all GWB’s fault. He put the Dem governor under some sort of spell causing her to make bad decisions.
There’s wide spread looting in New Orleans. It’s all GWB’s fault. Poverty is the cause of all of this looting and lawlessness and that is all GWB’s fault because of his tax cuts for the rich. As Chris Rock might note, just because you’re poor doesn’t mean you have to act like heathen. Poor people can learn to speak the King’s English. Poor people can pick up the trash around the house provided for them. Poor people do not need to loot a rifle and open fire on rescue workers. Poor people do not need steal stereo equipment under the guise of "survival." Besides where are the Democrat Mayor and governor? Neither is likely to be penning a book on leadership like Rudy after 9/11.
So yeah, it’d be great to be a Lib and know that whatever happened to me I could blame GWB. Can’t find a waterfront apartment? That damn Bush. Five dopes on the Supreme Court decide that the Mayor can take your property and give it to his brother-in-law. That’s Bush’s Supreme Court – even though his first nomination is still pending. Can’t find that 10 am to 2 pm Tues-Thurs job that pays $75 an hour. It’s this lousy Bush economy. Gas goes to $3 a gallon. That’s just Bush helping to line the pockets of his rich oil buddies. Can’t lose that last ten pounds. Curse you George Bush! You’ve so upset me all I can do is eat!!
Thursday, September 01, 2005
The dis-loyal opposition
In a family that includes fat Teddy, Billy Skakel and William Kennedy, one must make a special effort if he’s going to vie for the title of “whakiest.” Well Bobby Kennedy Jr. (BK jr. like the hamburger) gives it his best shot when he opines that failure to enact the Kyoto accords a mere four years ago caused hurricane Katrina and its intensity. But wait there is more. BK jr. goes on to posit that God steered hurricane Katrina away from Dem controlled New Orleans, LA and toward Rep controlled MS and AL because they supported the president in “his” Kyoto decision. The unusual thing in all of this is not that four years of Kyoto would have done little more that push our economy into recession. The unusual thing in all of this is gross ignorance of the author. The unusual thing in all of this not crass political opportunism undertaken by a complete idiot – but then I’ve already said he’s a Kennedy so that’s redundant. The really unusual thing is that a Lib Dem actually believes in God albeit an environmentally vindictive God. Hey BK jr., explain a Cat 5 Andrew hitting FL years before Kyoto was ever even a gleam in any anti-American, environmental whacko’s eye.
Then there’s Sydney Blumenthal who opines that the Bush administration cut disaster preparedness in LA by 44% to pay for the war in Iraq. First, the budget was cut to pay a group of artists to grace us with next generation of Piss Christs. Next, anytime a Dem says that the administration cut government spending what they really mean is that the administration slowed the rate of growth. Like, Dems propose a 50% increase in spending and Rep agree to a 6% increase. Dems then claim Reps slashed the budget by 44%.
Besides, it seems to me that it is not the federal government’s responsibility to provide funds for the protection from flooding of people who chose to live in a sinkhole. Sure we need to get in there and help them out now, but it seems to me that the City of New Orleans and the state of LA had the responsibility to take care of flood protection. They reap the benefits from Marti Gras and Super Bowl Sunday, add ten cents to the cost of beer or, dare I say, a hurricane on Bourbon Street and reinforce the levies and pumps to keep the sinkhole dry.
When the “100 year” flood hit the Mississippi river for the second time in as many years, I recall seeing a single farm house in the middle of a sea of water created by the swollen river. The farmer, not the state or federal government, had undertaken to build an eight foot earthen berm around his house to keep the flood water out. Why, how could he do that without the government? When I lived in the CA high desert where earthquakes are more common, I kept two plastic garbage cans filled with food, water, batteries, 10 gal. of gas and other essentials. The government didn’t come put the things I might need if an earthquake hit inside my shed, I did it. I also fixed my kitchen cabinet doors with child locks so they would not to swing open during an earthquake. I reinforced wall hangings and fixed my grandfather’s clock to wall. The government did nothing to help. When an 8 did hit and electricity and water were out for days we were somewhat prepared – no thanks to the government. If I chose to live in a sinkhole, I might have undertaken to prepare for the likelihood that the sinkhole, which happens to be surrounded by water, might begin to flood.
Then there’s Sydney Blumenthal who opines that the Bush administration cut disaster preparedness in LA by 44% to pay for the war in Iraq. First, the budget was cut to pay a group of artists to grace us with next generation of Piss Christs. Next, anytime a Dem says that the administration cut government spending what they really mean is that the administration slowed the rate of growth. Like, Dems propose a 50% increase in spending and Rep agree to a 6% increase. Dems then claim Reps slashed the budget by 44%.
Besides, it seems to me that it is not the federal government’s responsibility to provide funds for the protection from flooding of people who chose to live in a sinkhole. Sure we need to get in there and help them out now, but it seems to me that the City of New Orleans and the state of LA had the responsibility to take care of flood protection. They reap the benefits from Marti Gras and Super Bowl Sunday, add ten cents to the cost of beer or, dare I say, a hurricane on Bourbon Street and reinforce the levies and pumps to keep the sinkhole dry.
When the “100 year” flood hit the Mississippi river for the second time in as many years, I recall seeing a single farm house in the middle of a sea of water created by the swollen river. The farmer, not the state or federal government, had undertaken to build an eight foot earthen berm around his house to keep the flood water out. Why, how could he do that without the government? When I lived in the CA high desert where earthquakes are more common, I kept two plastic garbage cans filled with food, water, batteries, 10 gal. of gas and other essentials. The government didn’t come put the things I might need if an earthquake hit inside my shed, I did it. I also fixed my kitchen cabinet doors with child locks so they would not to swing open during an earthquake. I reinforced wall hangings and fixed my grandfather’s clock to wall. The government did nothing to help. When an 8 did hit and electricity and water were out for days we were somewhat prepared – no thanks to the government. If I chose to live in a sinkhole, I might have undertaken to prepare for the likelihood that the sinkhole, which happens to be surrounded by water, might begin to flood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)