Saturday, October 17, 2009
Rush Loses Rams Bid, Rest of Us Just Lose
The rest of us haven't lost anything as a result of Rush being sacked as a prospective NFL owner. Owning a team in the NFL is a privilege, not a right. He was sacked because of his racist on-air behavior. The Rams play a venue which was built with public funds, their games are broadcast on network and cable television which is watched by the general public, and they market to the St. Louis metropolitan area and the rest of the country in conjunction with the NFL - this gives the general public a say in the matter. Rush's conduct is fair game because as a prospective owner, his conduct reflects on the league. Rush loses and we win - the message is that there are consequences for spewing irresponsible, ill-conceived, hateful, racist rhetoric on a daily basis for the last 20 years.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Monday, September 28, 2009
Trent Franks: Obama Should Release His Long-Form Birth Certificate (VIDEO)
I've never seen my own long-form birth certificate and haven't seen anyone else's either. This is much ado about nothing. Rep Franks, do you really believe President Obama would have been allowed to enter the race for president if he weren't a citizen? Don't you think his Democratic opponents investigated this? Don't you think he wouldn't have been nominated if he weren't a natural born citizen? Don't you think this would've been discovered before now? Rep. Franks, don't you think or are you raising this moot point to score political points with the ever shrinking GOP base?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Obama Facebook Poll Asking "Should Obama Be Killed?" Pulled From Site (PHOTOS)
Assassination (or the threat of it) is no laughing matter. I hope the perpetrator is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As Special Agent Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) said "In The Line of Fire", "It's a federal offense to threaten the President. You could go to jail, even if you don't mean it. "
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Friday, September 25, 2009
Republicans and the Art of Racism
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Thursday, September 24, 2009
CBO Director Throws Another Wrench Into Health Care Debate
It appears the CBO can't see the forest for the trees. The overall principle behind universal healthcare isn't cost, it's access to care, establishing a relationship with a physician and improving quality of life. Healthier people live longer and collect more in Social Security, however by virtue of being healthier and living longer, healthy people work longer and pay more in taxes which fund government programs we all use.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Steve King: Gay Marriage Is "Socialism"
If you paid attention in high school, you probably know this already but if you didn't here's a refresher:
Socialism - a political theory advocating state ownership of industry
an economic system based on state ownership of capital
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn.
Nowhere is gay marriage mentioned in that definition. Any questions?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Monday, September 21, 2009
Roy Blunt (R-MO) Tells Racism-Tinged Monkey Joke at DC Conference
I eagerly await Mr. Steele's denunciation of this.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Friday, September 18, 2009
GOP Leadership Worried About Damage To Party's Reputation From Base
Memo to GOP leadership: Don't waste time worrying whether Rep. Bachmann has damaged your party as that ship has sailed and your party is damaged. In her defense, she is not the only reason your brand is tarnished. Time and space don't permit listing all the reasons for your current state. The top 10 are as follows:
1. Rush Limbaugh and the Rush wannabes on talk radio.
2. Birthers, deathers, teabaggers, czarers, et al.
3. No real ideas
4. This summer's town hall shenanigans
5. Lack of a coherent message.
6. Mrs Palin.
7. Your obstructionist stance.
8. Your refusal to denounce the radical fringe within your own party.
9. Rep. Bachmann
10. Rep. Wilson
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Please Mr. President, More "Jackass" Outbursts
To me, President Obama is in a similar situation Jackie Robinson was in when he broke the color line in Major League Baseball. Jackie was not the best player in the Negro Leagues, he had the temperament necessary to deal with the abuse he would receive. As the first black President of the United States, he is subjected to a great deal of abuse simply because of the color of his skin as was Mr Robinson when he broke the color line. I'm sure there were some who wanted Jackie to "stand up" for himself and fight back, however, had he done so, he would have been branded an "angry black man", banned from baseball and integration would have been further delayed. Similarly, there are those as evidenced by previous posts, want President Obama to "stop being Mr. Nice Guy", or "get black" - whatever that means, on the segment of the population that has issues with his skin color. What they fail to realize, is that doing so would cause him to be written off as an angry black man for the rest of his presidency and marginalized as such. It takes more strength of character and courage to respond as President Obama does than to react in anger. Personally, I think our current situation calls for careful and thoughtful deliberation rather than reflexive, knee-jerk, shoot from the hip cowboy antics.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
"Tea Party" Leader Melts Down On CNN: Obama Is An "Indonesian Muslim Turned Welfare Thug" (VIDEO)
Mr Williams would do well to remember these words: "It is better to be thought a fool in silence than to speak and remove all doubt."
This is not a simple policy disagreement, this is racism, bigotry, and prejudice.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Rep. Joe Wilson Yells Out "You Lie!" During Obama Health Care Speech (VIDEO)
Joe Wilson disgraced his office, the House Chamber, and showed an astonishing lack of respect for the office of the President of the United States and our current president, Barack Obama. Democrats and Republicans alike should immediately denounce his action and demand an apology to President Obama, his fellow Congressmen and Senators, and the American People. Summer recess is over and it's time to be about the people's business.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Grassley Endorses "Death Panel" Rumor: "You Have Every Right To Fear"
Senator you should know better than to yell 'FIRE" in a crowded theater. The "Death Panel" rumor has been thoroughly disbunked by two of your fellow Republican senators (Murkowski - AL, and Isaakson - GA) the media (except FOX Noise) and Democrats. Senator you are playing with fire, you are intentionally stoking the irrational and delusional fears of an already agitated, irrational, unruly mob. For what, scoring political points at the expense of those without health insurance? You sir, are disgrace to the Senate. I sincerely hope the voters of Iowa relieve you of duty at their earliest convenience.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Financial Times Columnist: Obama Like Felix The Cat — Black And Lucky
I don't know Mr Ferguson personally, so I can't say what's in his heart. However, having read the entire article, I belive Mr Ferguson acted stupidly by comparing President Obama to Felix the Cat. I would think that someone who graduated with a first-class honours degree as he did would know better than to compare a black man to an animal. There is a long, sad, racist history of comparing black men to animals (buck, bull, stud, etc). Someone as educated as Mr Ferguson should know better than to make such an asinine comparison. The comparison in the lede of his column distracts from an otherwise thoughtful and reasoned opinion. It has become painfully obvious that America is not post-racial just because we elected a black president.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Monday, August 10, 2009
Gabrielle Giffords Town Hall: Gun Left Behind
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking, please fasten your seatbelts and return your seatbacks and tray tables to the upright and locked position as the handbasket makes its final descent into hell. Thank you for flying Hellinahandbasket Airlines.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Conservative Activist Gets In Fight At Health Care Town Hall
Irony - A conservative activist protesting health care reform gets into a fight during said protest, gets injured during the fracas and proceeds to solicit donations to offset his medical expenses because he doesn't have health insurance.
This is rich, you can't make this stuff up.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Friday, August 7, 2009
Palin: Obama's "Death Panel" Could Kill My Down Syndrome Baby
The so-called "death panel" is evil and fictional. So Sarah, in honor of the uninsured, why don't you stop making things up!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
White House Warns Rush: Nazi Talk Puts You On "Thin Ice"
Good call. I'm glad the White House hit back and hit back hard. His rhetoric is irresponsible and borders on treason. It's never correct to call someone a Nazi. It was wrong for the left to call Bush a Nazi and it's wrong to call Obama a Nazi. It's also wrong to suggest that someone should poison the Speaker of House as Mr Beck did recently. It's ok to disagree, but to "joke" about bodily harm or killing someone whom you disagree with is wrong. Come on people, we're better than this.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Pelosi Protesters, Including Kid In Stroller, Compare Obama To Hitler
We really need to teach civics and world history in our schools because the sign the child in the stroller is wrong: The Swastika was the symbol of Nazi Germany. The Fascist symbol is a bundle of sticks with an axe. The least the parents could have done was to make a historically correct sign.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Don't Ask A Thought-Provoking Question If You Don't Want A Thoughtful Answer
Regardless of your position on this hot-button issue, you have to respect this young woman for giving an honest answer instead of dancing around the question. Perez Hilton, the openly gay celebrity blogger/judge who asked the question was offended by the answer. Since the pageant aired, he has not missed an opportunity to slam Ms Prejean for her answer. Mr Hilton would do well to remember that name calling is neither a persuavive arguement nor an effective tool to advance your agenda.
The Ancient Greeks did not require a specific civil ceremony, a man and woman mutally decided to regard themselves as husband and wife. Likewise, the Romans had neither marriage ceremony nor a decree of divorce, all that was required was mutual agreement. There was no state involvement in marriage in Protestant Europe until the 1600's. The Council of Trent in 1545 decreed a Catholic marriage must be performed by a priest and two witnesses. The Council also issued a 1566 Catechism which defined marriage as a conjugal union between a man and a woman. John Calvin and his Protestant colleagues enacted the Marriage Ordinance of Geneva which said that marriage must be registered by the state and consecrated by the church in order to be valid. These are consistent with the biblical teaching that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
This issue is bigger than a beauty pageant contestant and a celebrity blogger and deserves more thoughtful debate, consideration, and respect from all involved.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Taxes, Irony, Patriotism, & Secession
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Government Is Not A Business
A business provides a good or service in exchange for money and exists to turn a profit.
Government exists to protect its citizens, provide for the common defense, regulate commerce, and provide for those who cannot help themselves.
A business is allowed to market itself and to an extent, can pick and choose its customers by dint of their location and the price they charge for their goods and services. A business is also susceptible to competition from other businesses and the invisible hand of the market. A good business will survive and a bad business will fail. A business cannot operate at a loss for very long – it will cease to exist if there is no infusion of capital to make it solvent.
Government cannot pick and choose its customers; it must serve all its citizens without passion or prejudice. Government provides services such as roads, schools, police, fire, and military protection that the private sector simply cannot or will not provide. Government is tasked with regulating commerce so that the general public will be protected from unscrupulous businesses. Government also insures a peaceful society through a fair and impartial criminal justice system. Government can engage in deficit spending through the sale of bonds. Granted, this is not an ideal situation but is sometimes necessary in order for government to continue governing.
A business can raise money by increasing their prices and in lean times, cut costs in order to stay in business. Government raises money through taxation in order to provide services to its citizens. Cutting taxes means reducing services – services like national defense, police and fire protection, education, homeland security, environmental regulation, criminal justice, and so forth. Which of the aforementioned services is a luxury in today’s economy?
The corporation as a psychopath
What do you call a person who has gets satisfaction through antisocial behavior and has no remorse for his actions?
What would you do with a person who deliberately breaks the law and rationalizes it by saying it’s cheaper to break the law rather than comply with it?
Would you let a friend eat your food, trash your home, and pollute the air in your home despite your pleas to the contrary?
A person who behaves in an antisocial manner and only acts in his own self interest with no regard for the consequences of his actions and without considering the adverse effect of his antisocial behavior on other people is by definition a psychopath. That's not someone you would want as a friend. Yet there is legal precedent for allowing corporations to behave in such a manner.
A person who deliberately breaks the law and rationalizes it by saying it's cheaper to break the law rather than comply with it would be in serious jeopardy of losing his freedom. Corporations do this very thing and receive little more than a slap on the wrist. Corporations use a cost/benefit analysis to decide whether to obey environmental and safety regulations or risk being caught and being punished. If it costs too much to comply with regulations, they simply don't comply because they are beholden to their shareholders and not the government. The only directive a corporation has is to make money for its shareholders. This is why corporations can get away with polluting the air and contaminating our waters - they claim it costs too much to comply with the regulations. A person acting in this manner would be jailed, however, corporations are rarely held accountable for this same behavior.
Since it's highly unlikely that corporations will be legislated out of existence, they are considered persons under the law, we need to hit them where it hurts - their wallet. Increased the penalties for noncompliance so that non-compliance is more expensive than compliance then there will be a corresponding change in corporate behavior. Corporations will care about the environment when it benefits their bottom line.
Tax Day
Thursday, March 26, 2009
How to Win an Election
My dad once told me that a third of the people are democrats, a third are republican, and a third are independent. In order to win an election, you have to win a majority of the independent vote. The Republican Party would do well to remember this. Recent statements (i.e. wanting the President and/or his policies to fail) made by several prominent Republicans play well with their base; however, those statements alienate moderates and independents. For Republicans to have electoral success in 2010 and thereafter, they need to broaden their appeal and promote ideological diversity. The question is will they do it?
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Memo to AIG
For those who haven't heard, AIG leaders in their finite wisdom, are suing the IRS for $306 million in back taxes. The same American International Group (AIG) that is being kept afloat by a $170 billion dollar government bailout has now decided they were overtaxed by the government to the tune of $306 million dollars. The leadership was so aggrieved by the government's alleged over taxation, they asked that the government pay their court costs and attorney fees. That's chutzpah! What lead their leaders to believe this was good idea? Suing the IRS is not a smart move, it only ensures that every AIG employee from the CEO to the mail room clerks will be audited for the next 10 years. In addition to that, the audits will also be retroactive for the last 7 years. Congratulations and good luck with that!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Cool Under Fire
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Should we nationalize our banks?
Just say no?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Bonus babies and AIG. Today we call it a bailout, tomorrow, we'll call it why daddy went to jail.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Zach Wamp is Wrong
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Performance Enhancing Drugs Will Not Make You a Major Leaguer
The hardest thing to do in sports is hitting major league pitching. Performance enhancing drugs, aka steroids will not help you do this. Steroids allow you to work out harder and longer, recover quicker from your workouts, and recover faster from injury. Major league baseball players are elite athletes, they are born with that ability; it did not come from a syringe.
Much has been made about the revelation that New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. Mr. Rodriguez admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003. His rationale was that he wanted to justify his 252 million dollar contract. Mr. Rodriguez earned that contract based on his prior play, not public perception of his ability. Mr. Rodriguez was in the majors for several years with the Seattle Mariners and signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent for 252 million dollars over 10 years. The contract was based on his production as a baseball player making the most of his natural ability.
If the average person on the street were to take performance enhancing drugs, he would gain size and strength, but not the ability to hit major league pitching. Since this is the case, why do we call them performance enhancing drugs?
Friday, February 6, 2009
Pass the stimulus, please
Trickle-down economics is a guaranteed path to our country’s future economic failure. The concept of providing tax cuts and other benefits to business and rich individuals didn’t work in the 1980s, nor did it help our country progress in the past eight years. So why would it work now?
GOP senators claim the president won’t work with them on the stimulus, yet Obama has visited Capitol Hill, invited them to the White House and requested their input. To the GOP in Washington, bipartisan cooperation means ‘do what we want or we will obstruct and hijack progress’. When asked if the Congressional republicans had a solution, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), said they would roll out their plan in stages at a later date. What he meant was we don't have a plan, we just want to derail the democrat's plan. If you have a better idea, present it now, and let it stand or fall on its own merit. It’s very easy to vote no, but you should explain why and offer a better plan. It seems as though the republicans are content to be obstructionists for the next to years in hopes of winning seats and regaining control of Congress in 2010. Shouldn't the republicans work with the president to help stimulate the economy?
Trickle-down economics has been tested and failed, yet republicans continue to push the same ideas. We’ve partially nationalized our banks, handed out billions to banks and the auto industry, consumer confidence has fallen, stores are closing, jobs are lost daily, and states are seeking relief from the federal government, yet republicans still believe that eliminating estate taxes, capital gains taxes, and lowering taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans is the solution to our economic problem. This is a self-serving notion that will do nothing to improve the lot of the average American. Ask yourself, 'are you better off today than you were eight years ago?' The true definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.